Out of Order

Ok.  I was so excited about the swimming, I didn’t write about our trip to Michigan first.  We had such an awesome time.  Things went well with all of the kids sibling visits -Nola even got to meet her biological grandma who she is named after.

We started out on June 13 (Friday by coincidence -there is nothing to be superstitious about -it was a wonderful day -we even left on time).  We went up to Wyoming to Devil’s Tower.  It is a great geological structure, like a spire only huger, in the middle of rolling hills.  Only God could have designed it.  We slept in the campground there and walked around the tower on Saturday.  After a good walk and looking at the souvenirshops, we headed to Rapid City and Rount Mushmore as we affectionately came to call it after Damon started swapping letters around to be funny. 

We arrived at the Mt. Rushmore area late afternoon.  We stopped at a site that has Dances with Wolves movie scenery and stuff and headed on to the presidents.  We decided to look for a campsite so we could cook supper first.  We drove on these pigtail curves in the mountain and into Custer State Park.   We’ll go back to camp there when we have more time, we decide.  It seems like a great park with a wildlife loop -friends went and saw big horned sheep, bison, and stuff.   We head back to the National Forest Campground -cheaper, but still has pit toilets.  We cook dinner.  Clean up.  Play a couple rounds of Blink with the kids in our tent and head to bed.  Middle of the night -”Mooommm.  Mooommmmm.  I threw up.”  Poor Nola.  I get up and clean up their tent.  Damon is sure it still stinks and is gross.  An unknown amount of time later, Nola’s sleeping bag and pad are drying on the picnic table; Damon is in our tent with Mark, and Nola is in my sleeping bag in the van with me.  I have no sleeping bag and I keep one ear open the rest of the night to make sure Nola doesn’t throw up in the van -we still have a long way to MI.  We wake up Sunday morning.  Nola didn’t throw up in the night, but resumes in the morning.  Fortunately, she begins to feel better.  We (not Nola) eat breakfast and all of us head to Rt. Mushmore.  We’re here.  We have to see it, and Nola wants to go.  Damon wants to find the gold in the mountain that must be there since it was in National Treasure 2.  We walk around the loop at Mt. Rushmore after getting Nola some 7-up and crackers.  We head back into the little town near Mt. Rushmore to look at more souvenirs.  After getting ice cream (cheaper at Mt Rushmore, should’ve gotten it there) we head out for the other side of South Dakota by way of Wall Drug (good stop, tourist trap, more souvenir looking -so far we have only purchased a t-shirt for Damon and a few postcards.  Next time, I’d drive through the bad lands and stop at the historic prairie town, instead of doing Wall Drug, but the kids enjoyed the break from the car.  We need to be in the U.P. of MI by Tuesday. 

Due to a yucky, needs to be washed with soap, sleeping bag, we stay at a cheap motel on Sunday night around the Souix Falls area.  Monday morning we wash and dry the sleeping bag and head for Minnesota, Wisconson and somewhere to camp near the U.P.  We pass the a little prairie town early on in MN and continue driving.  Late afternoon we enter WI and notice much more water around.  Gas is getting more expensive, but still under $4.  We continue on into the U.P. and arrive at J. Well State Park around 9 or 10 p.m. -very nice park and facilities with practically brand new showers and restrooms.  ”Mosquitoes -what are those?”  (I’ve been away from mosquitoes so long, I actually forgot how to spell the word at first )  We don’t have these obnocsious flying things in Colorado.  The kids don’t like them.  They make you itch.  Yup they do.  Don’t leave the tent door open too long or you’ll be sleeping with them.

Tuesday morning we wake up and leisurely take down the tent, visit the park hosts for cookies and hot cocoa and head out to meet Damon’s brother, T.J.  Gas that morning was over $4 and pretty much stays that way in MI.  We arrive early to meet T.J.  That doesn’t happen to us very often as most of you know.  Damon and T.J. have a very nice visit.  We walked to a light house, had cupcakes.  Damon showed T.J. how to do stackers and T.J. drew some things for the kids with the art supplies we got him.  God was gracious to hold off the rain for the visit, as we were outside the whole time.  It was chilly, but dry.  Thank you God!  You’re awesome!  (We haven’t gotten rained on at all in our camping, either.)  It starts to rain shortly (10 minutes) after we get back on the road to head to Doug and Erin’s Bread and Breakfast.  God is sooo Good!  We arrive near the bridge and have to look for souvenirs.  We don’t see anything we have to have.  The kids like the big bridge.

After a good night sleep and showers at Doug and Erin’s B&B, we head to Kalamazoo to see Mark’s parents and Lenee (Also her boy friend Matt -Nola asks if they are getting married.  It’s OK, Mark’s Auntie Dory asked if she would be recieving shower invitations the first time I met her and Mark and I only admitted to dating a couple months before that.  Lenee has admitted to dating Matt for at least 6 months.)  We stayed at a hotel with a hot breakfast buffet compliments of Mark’s parents while we were in K-zoo.  Mark’s dad is recovering from a self transplant of his bone marrow for cancer treatment.  The treatment has been very successful, but he has to stay away from germs and get good rest. 

Thursday, we went to the Air Zoo near K-zoo.  This was good training for our up coming visit to Michigan’s Adventure.  Nola got to ride the hot air balloon -she see’s the real thing in Colorado and always talks about how she is going to ride one with Grandma Ligtenberg, Aunt Heidi and Aunt Lenee.  Damon, mom and grandma went for the ride too.  Damon went in a flight simulator with daddy -mom wasn’t really interested in going.  We also went in a shuttle ride.  We had to abort the first flight.  Nola didn’t want to exit the atmosphere.  She was ok in the Mar’s Rover ride.  She also liked the kiddie flight rides.  Damon thought they were a little mild after the flight simulator.  He could’ve stayed on the simulator all day.  Maybe he will be a pilot some day.  He says, “No.”  

Friday we went to St Joseph to visit Heidi, Judd and Paul.  They have a Wii much to Damon’s delight.  Uncle Judd and he played for many hours.  Uncle Judd was glad to get answers to how he might get further in the Star Wars game.  Nola and Paul had a good time playing.  Nola no longer treats him like a baby and they make good pals.  In the afternoon we head to Warren Dunes.  We hiked up the river to the clay.  Only daddy and Aunt Lenee made it to the clay wholes and up the dunes and back to the big lake.  The kids, Uncle Judd, Aunt Heidi and I went back to the lake for swimming and sand castles.  We met G & G Ligtenberg back at Uncle J and Aunt H’s for supper.  After dinner we did the family portrait thing in the livingroom before G & G Ligtenberg and Aunt Lenee headed back to K-zoo.

Saturday morning Mark woke up with a temperature of 102 degrees F.  Not good.  Tomorrow is the 60th wedding party for Great G & G Winkel.  What to do?  Judd offers that Mark is doing the right thing already -reasting.  By shortly after noon, -after Nola and Aunt Heidi shop for Nola’s $6.00 souvenir flip flops (We should’ve gotten the $1.99 ones in South Dakota, but then she would’ve missed the special time with Aunt Heidi.), we headed to Grandpa and Grandma Heuker’s house.  They are already up north, but it will provide a quiet place for Mark to hopefully get better.  By evening, Mark is running a temp of 103 degrees F.  He refuses the cold bath, so I make him have cold clothes on his forehead.

To be continued……How do I add pictures?

We have a swimmer!

July 10, 2008 -Nola can officially swim without a noodle, swimmies, life jacket, kick board, etc.!!!!!!!!!!!  We have been very close to this moment for a while.  Last year, Nola got comfortable swimming around with a noodle.  A couple of weeks ago, I had her swimming with the noodle toward the deeper end of the pool at the rec center (it only goes to 5 feet).  Then this week she found this little round noodle.  Nola and I walked down the length of the pool to show Nola she could touch the whole way.  Then, we started doing the super man (we called it the wonder woman) from the side of the pool.  You put your feet up against the side while holding the side and push off.  You can do this to a float on your back or to push off like you’re going to start to swim.  I would catch Nola and help her get back to the side.  Then she started using the round noodle to do like a doggy paddle.  She was a little scared, but did great.  (She wanted to show off for the life guards)  Then came Wednesday.  She practiced the wonder woman and the round noodle swimming (the round noodle isn’t really big enough to support your weight so you have to keep moving it through the water to stay up -just like in swimming).  We were almost getting ready to go when I asked Nola if she wanted to swim to the wall just a couple strokes.  She said YES.  So she started -two hands stokes, grab the wall, two hand strokes grab the wall.  I pulled her back a little furthe from the wall -five hand strokes, grab the wall.  Mom yells, “Mark, she’s swimming.  She’s swimming.”  I or Mark or both of asked Nola if she wanted to swim to dad down at the other end of the pool.  She said yes.  Off she went -swimming!!!!!!!!!  She was so excited.  We were so excited.  What an accomplishment!!!!  One of the life guards on Wednesday is the daughter of a counselor at my school (used to be Nola’s school) so it helped that Nola wanted to show her she could do it.  Briar (sp? -pronounced Brier like the rabbit) was so great.  She came over and told Nola what a great job she had done and how she saw her swimming.  Wow Nola-age 7 first merry go round, age 8 first swimming lessons won’t get in the pool at first/ scream bloody murder on bike with training wheels (we even held the bike), age 10-11 practice bike, shoes and swimming, age 12 learn to tie shoes, age 13 learn to ride a two wheeler, age 14 learn to read a little, age 15 learn to swim!!!!!!!!!!

Mom or mechanic?

I was taking a nap this afternoon -yes on a Saturday, I’ll explain later, when Damon came in kinda misty eyed.  “Mom, I’m really sorry.  I was taking apart my remote control car on accident.”  How do you take it apart on accident?  “All the pieces fell.  I think I have them all though, but I can’t make it work.  I’m really sorry. (car was from Grandpa and Grandma Ligtenberg for Christmas -probably not cheap)  I didn’t mean too.  Can you fix it?”  I get up follow him to the dining area.  There are several little pieces, two wheels and a spring, plus about 5 tiny screws.  Of course I didn’t look closely at it while it was together, so where to start?  Meanwhile, young boy is appologizing and pessimistic with, “Now I’ll probably have to get rid of it.  Who did I get it from?  What if you can’t fix it?”  All while practically breathing down my neck.  I realize the need for heavenly intervention and send up a quick prayer of guidance on how to fix the remote control Hummer.  Thankfully, as usual, God directs my eyes and hands and the Hummer is working again.  “I’ll never do that again,” comes from the young boy.  I’ve heard this promise in relief several other times.  Why doesn’t that apply to taking apart all things he really doesn’t want to break? 

So, why a nap on a Saturday?  Well Mark couldn’t sleep last night -so interrupted my sleep every couple of hours to see if I was sleeping.  Of course he had many wonderful brainstorms to share, information to gather about what I thought, did we have money for… throughout the night.  Finally, at 5am (this was the last week of school with students) would I like to get up and have breakfast with him?  I guess he figured out my mumbling wasn’t meaning I was awake enough to get up, so he decided (which he needed to tell me 15 minutes later) that he would spray for the ants in the backyard (we’ve had the spray for about a month).   I think Damon came to see me at 6am.  “Where is the leftover pizza I was going to have for breakfast?”  “Daddy ate it at 4am.  Maybe you could have a little ice cream.”  I know, what a breakfast, but he was supposed to get the pizza since 999 times out of 1000 he would wake up before Mark.  So at 6, I got up and by 7 ish we were out for a 3 mile jog.  (I’m going to be a cross country coach at my school next fall, so I need to get back in running -ok, I only jog…slowly, shape.)  Before eight we were back.  Shortly after 8 we were on the way to the grocery store with a list of things besides groceries Mark had determined we needed during the night.  The kids are getting old enough that we let them stay home a bit by themselves.  Nola didn’t get up until after 1pm, so we didn’t have to worry about her, too much.  Groceries were put away and the spare ribs were started in the crockpot by10:30 and by 11:00 I (and Mark) was ready for a rest.  That lasted about 30 minutes as then Damon needed attention and wanted lunch (read -Mark continued to sleep until about 2).  So after lunch I rested (read -slept hard) for a bit (read -Mark had lunch and went back to sleep), until the mechanic incident (read- Mark is still sleeping and realizes nothing ever went on with the Hummer).

Well, Mark did come up with some good thoughts during the night.  We really should look at grills; ours is in terrible shape.  We really did need lightbulbs for the kitchen; one bulb was still working a little.  The ants did need spraying and we did have the supplies to complete the job.  Not to mention, it would be nice to add a bush or two to the front yard.

 

 

School is almost done!

I could swear I blogged recently.  I guess not.  Life has been a little crazy lately.  The last week of April, I had an awful stomachflu, like no stomach flu I’ve ever had.  I’ve also been taking lots of staff development classes this spring.  I need to renew my license and had procrastinated on getting my continueing ed credits taken.  You have to have six and I think before March I only had 3.  I think the last time I renewed by license, I said I wouldn’t procrastinate next time.  I guess I forgot what a pain it was to cram it all in. 

In addition to all of the above, Damon did basketball in the spring and wrestling in the fall. I was sure I did a blog of how he won gold in the tournament at the end of the season, but I didn’t see that posted.  Hey I blogged about Mark’s dad, too.  Maybe I don’t know how to work my blog.

I’m also on way too many committees at school.  Most of them meet at 7 in the morning.  Of course, 1 meets before school and after school everyweek.  That’s the literacy cadre -it just started a couple weeks ago.

Well, there are only 9 days of school left, so I see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I hope we can finish the basement.  It is mostly done.  We just need doors on the rooms and closets, window sills, and the bathroom finished.  What flooring isn’t finished has to wait until I win the lottery.  Hold it.  I don’t play the lottery. 

 

March 22

Thanks for all the kind words regarding Grandma Bea. 

 We actually had a snow day on Monday and didn’t get to visit high schools with Nola.  We’re rescheduling for after spring vacation.  Yes, we (Nola and I) have the next 2 weeks off.  Damon had Friday and has all of next week off.  Since Mark is subbing in District 49 as a para professional, I guess he has the next 2 weeks off, as well.

 The weather has been nicer the last few days, but I guess some icky weather is on the way for Easter. 

Over break I hope to read, paint and scrapbook.  I told Nola we would scrapbook her shower for Nelle and her time with Kelly and all the family.  I have a lot of catching up to do for the last year of pictures.  I also want to scrapbook some things for Damon of the manly events of Christmas, his visit with his brother, and the time with the rest of the family.

It has been an expensive dog week.  Yukon went to the vet on Thursday for a sore from licking his leg and for his yearly shots. The visit probably lasted 20-30 minutes.  The total cost <$60 Fortunately our vet is a relative.  However, Friday he went to another vet, because our vet’s office was closed for Good Friday.  Yukon got a cut on his lower paw somehow while hiking with Mark and Damon.  He needed two staples and some gauze.   It took all of 5 minutes.  Total cost a little over $60.  I guess I need to be thankful we usually get the family discount from Cor, the relative vet.  His wife’s mom was somehow related to Grandma Bea.  I hope Mark told them Grandma passed away.

I believe Mark’s dad has his stem cell harvest next week.  Then the week of April 6 he will be having his transplant.  That will start his 100 days of rebuilding his immune system and having to be pretty much isolated.

We pray everyone has a wonderful Easter,

Laura

What a week and a half!

It has been a busy time.  Last week Mark got sick on Wednesday.  He really didn’t feel better until this past Tuesday.  Saturday, the stomach flu really hit him.  Let’s just say in the evening he spent a lot of time running to the bathroom.  Damon had the same flu from Wednesday night until Monday.  By Monday evening he was feeling pretty good.  He spent time with the porcelain throne on Wednesday evening and early (3am) Friday morning.  I was pretty bad -I enjoyed getting a sick day out of the deal and couldn’t help laugh at poor Mark as he dash for the bathroom.  I got my payback when I didn’t feel well this past Thursday evening. 

Also, Grandma Bea (Mark’s grandma) passed away last Sunday night.  We told the kids, now she could help watch over Joshua.  We will have a lot of wonderful reasons to remember March 9.  Grandma was 96 and we know she is rejoicing in Heaven and enjoying the choirs of angels.  Hopefully they have a lot of dessert in Heaven, as she just started letting herself enjoy dessert about 3-4 years ago . 

Mark’s dad had his port for chemo put in on Tuesday and had a treatment.  Mark’s mom and sister, Lenee, went down to Ann Arbour so they could learn how to clean the port.  I guess Mark’s dad will be receiving treatment at home to kill the cells in his bone marrow.  In a couple of weeks they will do a stem cell harvest.  The cells will be frozen and he’ll keep receiving the treatments.  In about 2 weeks he’ll have a transplant of the cells and will be in the hospital for 2-3 weeks which will be the beginning of 100 days that he has to be isolated while he builds up his “new” immune system.  He will need to wear a mask to Grandma’s funeral to prevent/protect from any illness that could interfere with his treatment. 

 Grandma’s funeral is on Sunday at 3.  We will not be there which is hard yet ok.  We saw Grandma at Christmas.  The kids got to see her too and she seemed really happy to see us and the kids.  We look forward to spending time with our families this summer, when we would be able to stay longer, see Darrell and Linsey’s baby, and celebrate Grandpa and Grandma Winkel’s 60 wedding aniverary and Mom and Dad Heuker’s 40 wedding anniversary.  I guess that means Doug is turning 40 this year -Whoa! 

I also found out I get to have bridge and a root canal done at the dentist in the coming weeks.  I have such rotten teath.  I brush, floss… I don’t know.  I hate teeth.  I told the dentist, I hate the dentist -not him personally, he’s nice, but the need for the profession.  I wish God could have made teeth like your heart -it just works on it’s own (at least most of the time).

Monday we go to look at high school programs for Nola, eek!  I can’t believe she will be in high school.  Mark and I are taking her along so she can meet the teachers.  We’re hoping she’ll be less upset about leaving middle school this way.  You know how she is when she makes new friends -the whole world is right, and the new friends are best friends in about 2 minutes and she’ll be excited (we hope) to see them next year, instead of worrying about missing the friends she has now.

So, it has been a wild ride the last week and a half.  Today, I’ll do my grocery thing and cleaning thing.  We are supposed to be watching our friend’s (the Clines) dog.  They are visiting from Arizona on their way to visit family in Kansas.  The dog (Lady) gets to go to Kansas, but not to where they are staying while they are in the springs.  The kids (Hayley and Jayson) get to do a sleep over on their way back to Arizona, so that is something to look forward to.

 We hope everyone is well.

Love,

Laura

Here I Go Again

Why does it seem easier to log on to someone elses blog and find things, than to find them on my own blog.  I found the messages from Lindsey and Dawn kinda by accident.

Well Damon was home sick yesterday and still has a low grade fever today.  Pray that he is better by tomorrow, because Mark and I are supposed to have some couple time from Sunday to Monday and the kids are suppose to go overnight to some friends.  We’ve been trying to have couple time with an overnight for months and something always comes up.

 We found out Mark’s dad will be doing a self bone marrow transplant.  I guess that means they take some of his marrow and make it healthy, then reproduce it and put back the healthy marrow.  While they are “growing” the marrow, I guess they do some strong chemo to kill the cancer in the marrow that stays in his body.  It sounds like a stressful thing, but has very high success.

Mark’s job on the ranch right now involves lots of mucking (cleaning stalls).  Hopefully this spring he’ll get in on some training so he can eventually give lessons or something.  Also, the ranch is expecting some fowls, so that will be more exciting, as well.  The ranch is also putting up an indoor arena, so we’ll see where cleaning stalls leads.  Pray for Mark, because he thought he would enjoy it more than he does.

 Nola is doing well.  We’re going to take a day soon and visit the high school programs for her and decide which high school to send her to.  Currently, she really doesn’t want to go to high school.  She wants to stay with her friends.  Transitions are so much fun .

Well I better be off to the grocery store.  The cupboards always look bare on Saturday.

My first blog picture -I hope :)

I don’t think my slideshow is going to be attached to this.  It might appear somewhere on my blog page though.  Does anyone know how to do this?

Wow! I’m Blogging!

Is this where you type what you want to say?  I think it is. 

Well, Mark got a new job.  He is working on a horse ranch.  He got the call yesterday.  Last spring he had talked to the ranch manager and there were no openings.  I guess 2 people recently quit and the ranch manager told Mark he thought all along that he would do a good job, but didn’t have any opening.  So this is cool.  It is 15 minutes or less from our house, and it is full-time.

Mark’s dad is doing better.  He has responded well to the chemotherapy.  His white blood cell count goes up between sessions and his cancern counts go down.  He will probably have to do bone marrow something?  I think a transplant as part of the therapy, but then would be expected to go into remission.  We are very thankful to God for all he has done.