Merry Christmas 2011

Hi Everyone

First I would like to start off by apologising to those who will not be receiving the "bad letter" this year. I was planning on putting out 2 letters like usual but unfortunately suffered from both computer and printer problems so this is Plan C.

Anyway, it has been a wonderful year for us. Of course any year that ends will all 5 family members happy and healthy is a good year. I know this will sound bad, but I was really liking our brown Christmas this year with the 50 degree high after the past few years of either feet of snow or temps that made the North Pole seem like a Florida vacation.

Speaking of vacation, we did find time to take a few of them this year too. In July, we went up to the Mall of America and Como Zoo. In September, we met my parents up in Bismark, ND and James and I attended the wedding of one of our Tae Kwan Do friends while the grandparents took the kids to the zoo. We headed back to Minnesota for an early Thanksgiving with my Mom's side of the family. Later this week we will be once again hitting the road as we travel to Chamberlain to meet my parents for a Christmas get together and then Yankton to to the Schwarz family Christmas.

Matthew started 3rd grade this fall and really loves it. He's got a great teacher and is doing excellent in math and reading. His study skills have also improved too. When he's not in school he's out riding his bike or playing video games like any typical boy his age will do. He is still taking Tae Kwan Do and has earned his purple belt.

Carolyn is now a big first grader. It took a few days for her to get used to having to get up early and catch a bus but now that she has things all figured out she is one happy camper. She ended up with the same teacher Matthew had for first grade so it does make it a little easier for me to help with the homework. She is my little reader and when she is not reading some sort of book, she is playing with her stuffed animals or a computer game.

Andrew is in his last year of Early Childhood. He turned 5 in November so he will be going to Kindergarten next year. He is also a reader and loves to watch alphabet videos on the computer or play with his cars. No matter what the weather, he is outside shooting baskets or riding his bike.

James is still with Poet. He really loves his job and all of the challenges it brings. When he does have spare time he's usually out doing something with the kids. He also found time to run several 5 k races in the area. He is still teaching Tae Kwan Do classes and also Hapkido classes on occasion. He tested for his Black Belt in Hapkido this past summer and will be testing for his 2nd degree in Tae Kwan Do this spring.

I'm still at home managing the Schwarz household. It does get easier now that the kids are older. This is my last year in MOPS so I am having fun while it lasts. I have been taking Hapkido classes and have earned my green belt. This spring I will test for my 2nd degree Black Belt in Tae Kwan Do.

Well I think that is about all there is to write about. I hope every one of you has a happy and successful 2012 and hopefully I'll be sending out real letters too.

North Dakota Fun

Hi everyone. It's been a while since I last posted but I just thought I'd fill you in on the incredibly fun weekend we just had.

A few months back we received a save the date card for a wedding in Bismark, North Dakota. Our Tae Kwan Do instructor and hubby's former co-worker was getting married Saturday, September 24. Miss Jen (our instructor) had told me that she was looking into hotels with water parks/pools and that kids were welcome so I knew this could be a possible vacation for us.

When the invite came with all the information, I decided to give a call the my wonderful parents and ask them a huge favor. Would they like to take a trip to Bismark and spend time with their grandchildren while hubby and I attended a wedding? Mom was able to get the weekend off so I made hotel reservations.

So this past Friday, I packed up the van, loaded up the kids and we headed north. The kids were totally excited about staying in a hotel and seeing Grandpa and Grandma. I was excited both to see the parents and to be able to attend a wedding without the 3 kid distraction.

The first highlight/ funny moment of the trip was when we were just north of Brookings, SD going about 80 on the interstate. I noticed a van on the other side of the road parked funny and it looked like there were people walking about. My first thought was they had car trouble or blew a flat and I was hoping someone called for roadside assistance. As we got closer, I saw a Highway Patrol car parked behind it with lights flashing. I though oh good, they have help. As we were passing the area, I saw another patrol car with light flashing, stuff scattered all over the spot and a large dog, possibly German Shepard, wagging his tail like crazy. Ummm, I don't think the van had car trouble. Both hubby and I laughed as we thought about this being one of the few times a person would not want to see a happy puppy wagging his tail. The "what's in your suitcase?" jokes followed.

After stopping and eating, the loving husband learned of my intentions of just driving though to Bismark and he wasn't too thrilled. I admit, it did sound like a good idea...drive the 7-8 hours that night. The kids would sleep in the car, and we would have the whole day to spend with the parents and more time to get ready for the afternoon wedding. By the time we hit Fargo, it was after 8 and we were tired, and the kids were not gonna just fall asleep. And we still had 3 hours to drive. Ok, not the best of ideas but I did however see one of the most beautiful sunsets as we were driving to Fargo. I'm also glad that we had a DSi, portable DVD player, and a IXL (DSi like) to keep the kids occupied so I only had to listen to "Are we there yet?" 50 times instead of 200 times.

We finally got to our hotel sometime after 11 and as I was checking in, I was told our room was double booked so they were gonna give us a poolside room for the night and discount coupons for the restaurant. The room was just down the hall from the entrance and on the 1st floor so all we had to do was open the sliding glass door and presto...water park time. I decided to keep the room for the second night since there was no real reason to switch. We were not gonna get any more of a discount and we weren't going to spend a lot of time in the room during the day when it would be the loudest so why pack up and move to a room farther away.

Saturday morning the kids were up early and ready to start the day. I took the kids over to the fancy (their words, not mine) restaurant and we ate breakfast. They got to use all those manners we have been practicing at home. Afterwards we went back and changed into swimsuits and hit the water park area. This hotel had 1 really big slide and 2 smaller ones and a little baby shallow play area. The kids had a blast going down the slides. The only bad thing was the 2 shorter slides were located in the deep end of the pool so hubby had to be the one to supervise since he could touch and the kids are not the best swimmers.

After swimming, we all headed out to get something to eat. My parents were planning on taking the kids to the Bismark Zoo so we drove over there. The zoo is located in a very nice park near the river. We had about an hour or so before we needed to get ready for the wedding so the kids played on the park equipment first and then went with Mom and Dad after we left to go back to the hotel. Later we found out how much fun they all had. One interesting moment occurred when Andrew threw a fit in front of the Mountain Lion cage. I guess the kid was kicking up so much racket that it caught the attention of the big male lion. According to Mom and Dad, the lion went into the crouch/hunting pose and stared intently at Andrew for the duration of his tantrum. Even passers by were commenting on the lion and what he was doing.

The wedding itself was great. It was more contemporary than what I've seen but the service was heartfelt and the bride looked absolutely gorgeous. We were sitting in a back row with other Tae Kwan Do members who came up to celebrate this day.

After the ceremony, we went back to the hotel to relieve Mom and Dad since we had a few hours before the reception was supposed to start. Of course that meant getting the suits on and swimming. We got a pizza for the kids and Grandparents and Andrew fell asleep in the car so we just put him to bed and Mom and Dad got to play with the other two kids for most of the evening. We had decided we would get something quick to eat and then head over to the reception.

Earlier in the day we had passed by a place called Space Alien Pit BBQ. Of course the husband was curious so I asked the hotel staff about the food and was told it was very good. Hubs decided we should go up and check the place out and see if it was any good. We parked out in front of the building and as we were going to go in we saw a sign that said it was closed for a private party but would open on the 27th. There were people on the patio but we were still confused and the door was unlocked so we thought we would go in and check any way. A very nice man met us at the door and asked if we were part of the party. We said no, we were just passing through. He then told us that they had less people show up than planned and if we wanted to we could come in and he'd feed us for free. Gee, twist our arms. As it turned out, the guy was the owner of the restaraunt franchise and this place was set to open up on Tuesday. This was him getting his staff used to cooking the food and making sure everything ran well. He spent about 20 minutes or so chatting to us about his restaurants. He owns the Space Alien Bar and Grills and this was his first venture into smaller more specialized BBQ places. As far as the food went.....OH YUMMY!!!! If you ever get to Bismark, ND you gotta eat at this place. We waddled out of there and headed over to the reception.

Of course since we got there late, we missed the free drinks and all the other "wedding" stuff. We got to spend time talking and laughing with friends and enjoying the beautiful fall evening. We were there when they did the garter auction. There was a twist though. It was done as a scavenger hunt/musical chairs thing. The participants had to run to the crowd for items and then run back. Each time a chair was taken away. One of the items was a man wearing lipstick. The lady sitting next to hubby (fiancee of one of the TKD folks we knew) tossed him her lipstick and said "here, put it on" The reason was her finance was one of the participants in the game. Hubby with lipstick and sitting on a guy's lap....no I did not get a photo but it was funny.

We left soon after and went back to the hotel room. I stayed behind with Matthew and Carolyn and hubby took Andrew and went back to the reception. I got to spend some time with my parents chatting about the day's events and other things too. We figured since Andrew slept all night he'd be wide awake and I would have a hard time getting the other 2 asleep. According to the loving husband, Andrew was a total hit. He danced and played cute for all those around him. The noise level from the pool area died down just after 11 so the kids were able to fall quickly asleep soon after.

The next day we packed up (after swimming of course) and said our good byes. Matthew had the moment of the day as we were driving out of town. The route we took passed by a large prision. Hubby asked Matthew if he knew what that large building over there was. "The Capital of North Dakota!" was Matthew's enthusiastic answer. No, Matthew, that's not the right building.

The trip back was pretty uneventful. We made good time and when we got back home the kids were able to ride thier bikes and play outside for a while. It was a fun fun weekend.

Cartastrophie

So I have yet another "cartastrophie" to add to my already long list of cartastrophies. I'm not sure why I have such bad luck with motor vehicles. Maybe I just have bad car-ma.

Here is a brief and shortened version of my motor vehicle mishaps so far...

Missouri: I had just moved down there and managed to blow up the clutch of the loving boyfriend's (now husband) truck as I was job hunting 30+ miles from home. I had to ride back in a smelly tow truck with a greasy driver and his half-eaten lunch.

Michigan: First time was the flat tire I got on the way to pick the loving fiance up from his new job. I had to catch a ride with a very nice trucker to the salt plant he worked at so we could go back and change it. The second time was when the loving husband was out of town and took the "good" car. The one I was driving decided that it needed a new alternator and stopped on the side of the road as I was on my way home from work. I got a ride home from a good Samaritan and called a co-worker of the husband to tow my car. Unfortunately, the county decided it was a road hazard and towed it for me--without bothering to inform me--and I had to pay $200 in towing, impound, and car rental fees.

South Dakota: This happened when we went back to visit family while we were living in Michigan. I was driving to Rapid City from Yankton when the transmission went out. I got to spend a lovely few hours at Do Wah Ditty's Restaurant in Kimball, SD while waiting for my parents to drive out and pick me up. The husband ended up buying a car in Yankton and driving out to Rapid City to get me and we managed to get the other car back to his parents farm where we left it.

So as you can see, the list is impressive and does not include the minor stuff like speeding tickets, crashing into a traffic light signal box due to icy conditions, backing into things or misjudging the space between the van and garage door. Yes, I am a car klutz.

The latest "incident" was pretty innocent really. Last Friday night we decided to go to Jazzfest. Jazzfest is a 3 day concert event featuring some really great Jazz and Blues artists. The loving husband had to go to Brookings for Hapkido class so we decided to just meet down there. We parked in a nearby parking lot and walked over to the festival 3 kids in tow. It was a really hot muggy night so we opted to go to the later concerts. I had my big bag of everything with me and my van keys safely tucked inside. At some point when we got to the concert area, Carolyn wanted to sit down but we didn't bring the blanket with so I put my bag down and told her to just sit on that. Note to self...make sure big bag of everything is zipped before laying it down on the ground.

A little later we decided to head back home and trekked back to the vehicles. It was there when I noticed my van keys were not where they were supposed to be. I dumped my bag out on the ground and everything-except keys- fell out. It was now 11 in the evening, we were hot, the kids were tired, and it was dark out. It was a very quiet car ride back to Brandon.

We got home, put the kids to bed and turned the house upside down looking for the spare set of keys. No luck. The next morning I called the car dealership to ask about getting a spare key. I was told that to do that they would have to tow my car there to make a new key--OUCH. I then decided to go back to the scene of the crime and look for the keys myself.

I had posted a status update on my Facebook page about my lost keys and my dear wonderful friend Tobi called to let me know she had metal detectors. I met her at the park and we spent about an hour looking for them. As I was sweating like crazy in the hot sun I promised God that if I found/got my keys back I'd get up and go to 8 am Mass the next morning. No luck. The lost and found was not open so I had to go back home.

Thankfully this story does have a happy ending. I went back a few hours later and indeed someone had found them and turned them in. My van was still where I parked it and I got up bright and early the next morning and headed over to Church where I celebrated a Mass of thank you thank you thank you God.

This might be my last blog post

Hi everyone, are you spending your last hours on Earth with loved ones saying your good-byes and farewells? Or are you doing the same old same old?

If you are scratching your head and have a puzzled look on your face as you read this ...I'll help you out. The world is ending. Tomorrow.

Yep, that's right, tomorrow is Judgement Day, the day when we are all judged and if found worthy, taken straight up to Heaven, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Eternity awaits the faithful servants of the Lord, the true believers, the chosen ones....OK, you get it. Those unlucky enough to be left behind face 5 months of death, destruction, and despair with everything ending October 21.

I'm not making this up. Some guy in California did some "calculations" based on various bible verses, specifically Acts 17:31. He concluded that the world will end exactly 7,000 years after the Great Flood. Hmmm, I didn't know that exact dates of the Great Flood were written down, since everything was destroyed and the current calender we now use wasn't invented yet.

To make things even more interesting, this same person thought the world was ending back in the early 90's but when it didn't happen, he backtracked saying his information wasn't complete. Well gee whiz...imagine that. Everyone had a good laugh and life continued.

Now I'm pretty sure that with the way things look today, it might be easy to believe that what is written in the Books of Acts, Daniel and Revelations is coming true and that God is trying to tell us to prepare for the end. I'm not doubting what is written, but I don't want to spend my life living in fear every time I turn on the TV or log onto the computer. There has always been some calamity befalling mankind that has had people speculating the end was near. Wars, famine, outbreaks of deadly disease, mass murder of innocent people, and natural disasters occur throughout history. There have also been many people who have written or prophesied the end of the world. We are still here.

So basically, I plan on waking up tomorrow and going about my business as usual. Tonight, I will say the same prayers I say every night and tell my husband and children I love them like I do every night. If Judgement Day is tomorrow then I guess I'll be judged like everyone else. I can only hope that I will stand in favor and spend the rest of eternity in Heaven.

I'll leave you with this final thought
"Of that day and hour, knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only." Matthew 24:36

Kindergarten Graduation

Carolyn with her teacher.

Walking in.... AKA "The Grand March"
Passing out the ABC cards.

Carolyn dashed off before I could snap the photo. She also forgot her certificate.

Waiting to go back to their spots.


Today was Kindergarten graduation and the school had a very nice program for the parents and relatives. The kids sang a few songs, the teachers read poems, and everyone got to get a "diploma". As part of the program, each child was asked what he or she wanted to be when they grew up. No surprise, Carolyn wanted to be a zookeeper.

She is already telling me that in a few weeks she gets to go to 1st Grade. I keep reminding her that she has to wait until August to go.

Crash Test Dummy

The loving husband has been taking Hapkido classes for the past two years. Later this month he will be testing for his black belt. Because the instructor lives in another state and only holds classes a few times a month, he has been faithfully driving up to Brookings for a 1 or 2 hour session, depending on the day. Friday nights are combo Tae Kwan Do and Hapkido nights and Saturday mornings are Hapkido.

I mention this because for the past 2 years, I have been playing the part of the opponent for the loving husband to practice on....AKA crash test dummy. Now before anyone gets the wrong idea, he has an incredible amount of control so even though it hurts, I do not get hurt.

As the loyal crash test dummy, it is my job to "attack" the loving husband so that he can practice his techniques. Some of the moves require the attacker have advance knowledge and proficiency of falling, landing, and flipping correctly. Because I do not have said proficiency, he is careful to either do the technique at half speed or stop before the opponent (me) is thrown or swept to the ground. I do have one not so found memory of the loving husband practicing a technique that involved a sweep/body slam and he didn't quite do it correctly and yours truly went head first on the floor.

Anyway, other than that one mistake, it hasn't been so bad. Since I have been his practice partner and training companion for several years, he is much more familiar with how much force or pressure he can use. It also helps that we like each other so there is a lot of laughter involved. I get a kick out of the nicknames for some of these techniques. A few would be, Backfist Colonel Sanders, Psycho Chiropractor, Pretzel, Mary Jane, Filipino Handcuffs, Butterflies, Faucet. All innocent sounding names for vicious painful moves.

I also have gained a new appreciation for these skills as they are very difficult to do correctly without causing injury. I truly have to trust the loving husband not to hurt me and he has to be comfortable with me to do the techniques correctly without fear of hurting me.

As he gets closer to testing, I am needed more and more. I don't mind the occasional bruise or sore body part though. I'm just happy to help out. I know in a few weeks he will be doing all this stuff for real and I couldn't be prouder.

Go Sweetie Pie!!

You gotta read these

Recently, I've been frequenting our local library. I will admit it is much cheaper than going to the local Barns and Nobles or Target and plunking down a wad of cash for a book, however good it may be. I'm also lucky that we have a very good local library that is full of current and recently published books. They can also get books from nearby Sioux Falls so if I want a particular title I can request it.

A few months ago I came across a series by the author Nora Roberts. She is a prolific writer and has lots of books out. This particular series is called the Bride Quartet and consists of four books : Vision in White, Bed of Roses, Savor the Moment, and Happy ever After. The series is about four longtime best friends who run a wedding planning business. Each woman has her own story and of course finds Mr. Right and falls head over heels in love. Vision in White is about Mackensie, who is the photographer, and how she meets and falls in love with Carter, an English teacher. Bed of Roses has Emma, the florist and hopeless romantic finding her white knight Jack, an architect. Laural, the pastry chef, is the subject of Savor the Moment. She finds love with Delaney, lawyer and brother of her best friend Parker. The series ends with Happy ever After, Parker's story. Parker is the wedding planner and CEO of the business, who's carefully laid out plans for life have been turned upside down by Malcolm, the mechanic.

Each book is stand alone good and you don't have to read them in number order to figure out what is going on. What I really enjoyed about this series is the way each character is written. The dialog between the women is witty and fun. You can believe they would talk and interact this way. They talk like girlfriends so nothing is off limits. She has a way of putting a sassy tone in her dialogs that makes you the reader feel like you are a fly on the wall when they start discussing their love lives (or lack of). The other refreshing thing is that each woman is a totally different type of person dealing with their own personal issues. Because each character has a different personality, the friendship between them feels real. Each person may have her own book and story but all of the women are a crucial part of that book. Even the males in these books are treated with respect. Unlike some books where the guy is nothing more than a big stud with attitude and looks, the men in these stories are all very different and much more modern. They have thoughts and feelings and very likable.

Another aspect that is enjoyable is the amount of time the author puts in describing each woman's profession. Instead of just putting a camera or flower or rolling pin in the story as a way to skip from sex scene to fight scene to sex scene, she invests time and energy to make the character real. There are passages in the book that really go into details about the photography sessions or the floral arrangements or even the wedding cakes themselves. She also manages to sprinkle in the numerous weddings and events that take place. You get those wacky and chaotic moments that really would happen in a wedding, crazy brides, drunk guests, and feuding wedding party members.

The only criticisms I would have is the time frame of the romances is a little short for my tastes, I don't know if it is just me but I would want to date more than a few months before deciding that I want to spend the rest of my life with this person. Also, the living arrangements of these ladies are a little too perfect but she does make it seem believable.

Overall, if you want a fun read that makes you laugh and cry, then read these books.

World Autism Day 2011

1 in 110 individuals will be diagnosed with Autism.

1 in 70 is the statistic for boys.

Siblings of a child diagnosed with Autism have a higher percentage of receiving an Autism diagnosis.

Matthew, Carolyn, Andrew,

I loved you the day I found out I was pregnant with you, I fell in love with you the moment I met you, and I will never stop loving you no matter what. After each diagnosis, I grieved the loss of what you could have been and accepted the promise of what you will be. Never for a moment have I ever lost the love I have for you. I am so very blessed to have you as my children and I'm proud of all your hard work and accomplishments.

Love,

Mom

Favorite food to bake with

My friend Jackie just did a great post on her blog (Shake My Soul) about one of her favorite things. I was a bit surprised she chose to blog about lunch meat but after I read her post I was craving a stinky chicken sandwich too. She asked us fellow bloggers to write about one of our favorite things so in the spirit of food (and a sandwich) I decided to go with the favorite food idea and chose...


Jules Gluten Free Flour

(Sorry no Photo)

Anyway, this is the brand of flour I use whenever I bake or cook. I was first introduced to it almost a year ago after finding out that I could no longer eat products containing gluten. I went to my local Hy-Vee grocery store and met with the dietitian to find out which products were safe for me to buy. She was very excited to show me this particluar product since it was a fairly recent addition to the market and was the only GF flour that had xanthum gum added to it so it could be used in recipes just like "regular" flour. For those that don't know, gluten is the sticky substance in wheat or other grains that hold things together. Items made with gluten free ingredients will fall apart if some sort of binder isn't added to the recipe.

So far I have been able to make pretty much any baked item I want to using this flour. My first try at GF baking was banana bread and it was a delicious success. It was almost impossible to tell the difference between my GF banana bread and regular banana bread. I have also had luck with snickerdoodle cookies, muffins, and cakes. Sometimes I have to tinker with the recipe since wheat flour does things differently than the GF flour. I'm still working on my chocolate chip cookies. They taste great but don't look as good as the ones I make with regular flour. I have also been able to make bread. Very important tip...make sure to cut the bread BEFORE putting it in the freezer.

So there you have it, my favorite food to bake with. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm getting the urge to bake something right now.


I have not received any type of compensation nor do I expect to receive any type of compensation for mentioning this product in my blog.

Rapid City

Andrew just loved the big pirate ship slides.


Carolyn shows off her fantastic swimming moves.



Ok Mathew, I dare you to run under that mushroom.



Check out those big tusks on that Mammoth skull.

Really big fish type dinosaur skeleton.

Isn't she just the cutest thing?

Andrew practicing to be a talk show host.

Birthday boy enjoying his cake.

Rezin family 2011




Well this past weekend we traveled across the state of South Dakota to Rapid City. We decided to use the vacation days the kids got off from school and visit my parents and siblings. Of course last week that area had beautiful weather and record high temps. This week when we decided to come out for a visit we ended up with freezing cold wind chills and a big snowstorm that dumped over nine inches on the area. Go figure.

We got into town Friday night and spent some time over at my parents house before coming back to the hotel. I decided to get a room at one of the hotels that had a water park so the kids would have something to do. Unlike last summer when I tried the hotel with water park thing I made sure this hotel did include the water park in the room rate. Everyone was pretty tired so we skipped the water and headed for bed.

The next day started off with snow so instead of doing something outdoors or up in the Black Hills (we are not skiers) we headed over to the Museum of Geology on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The kids had fun looking at all the rocks and bones they had on display. We also walked across campus and looked at the updates that have been done since the loving husband graduated. Mom had to work that morning so we called and had Dad meet us there. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the outing as much as the kids did.

Later that afternoon we invited my sister and her family over for cake and swimming. The kids had a blast going down the huge water slides and splashing in the water park area. After swimming for a bit we went up to our room and had cake and Matthew opened his presents.

Because the kids had this great water park to keep them busy, I asked Mom if her and Dad would mind watching them that evening while hubby and I grabbed some kid-free time together. The plan was to eat at the restaurant in the hotel but there was a 30 min wait to get a table and it was looking like the service would not be on the speedy side so we decided on plan B....a local BBQ place that had great food and was a whole lot cheaper than the first place. The reason we were wanting something on the fast side was the water park was quite busy and both hubby and I didn't want to leave the kids too long. My sister and her family also returned that night so I wanted to spend some time with her too.

The predicted snowstorm hit during the night and no travel was advised so we spent Sunday swimming and hanging out at the hotel. It was also Dad's birthday so we headed over to Target to buy him a card. Mom had called earlier in the day to let us know there would be a delicious pot roast supper to look forward to.

After heading back to the hotel and letting the kids take monster naps we went over and celebrated Dad's birthday. The highlight of the night was Matthew winning the Yahtzee game. Either he's really good at this game or he's really lucky. After the game was over we returned to the hotel and I took Carolyn and Andrew to the water park for one last swim.

Thankfully Monday morning was bright and clear. We said good-bye to Mom and Dad at a local fast food restaurant and headed for home. I now have a new love and appreciation for technology. Thanks to the DSI's and portable DVD player, we were able to drive from Rapid City to Chamberlain (3+ hrs) without fights, whining, or having to stop and take a break. Unfortunately, when we got to our lunch stop in Chamberlain it was packed with travelers so we just did potty breaks and kept going. We ate in Mitchell instead.

The roads for the most part were pretty good for travel except for a 30+ mile stretch that was really really icy. If not for that then I think we might have set a new travel record for the trip back. Once again, thank goodness for modern technology that kept the kids occupied and not fighting with each other. We got home and the cat was really glad to see us. I spent the rest of the evening doing laundry and catching up on e-mails.

It really is the thought that counts

Valentine's Day, the one holiday I really can't stand. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not against love or anything. I'm just not in favor of Corporate America telling me I have to spend a boatload of money just to let everyone know that I love my spouse. However, there are those who celebrate this day, some with reluctance, others with boundless enthusiasm, that might be reading this post and wonder what my point is...

Well to be truthful it is about giving the special someone in your life a Valentines Day gift.

Hey wait, didn't I just write about my dislike of the whole spending money for this stupid holiday? Why yes, yes I did. This post isn't about the commercial or monetary meaning of this holiday. It's about celebrating the meaning behind the holiday which of course honors St. Valentine the Patron Saint of lovers, martyred in AD 269 for giving aid to Christians
(not allowed) and supposedly trying to convert the Emperor (gutsy but not too wise).

Anyway, back to the 21st century..and what has now become an excuse to drain your bank account in the name of love (or stupidity). The giving of a Valentine's Day gift should be a thoughtful and careful one, it should reflect both a part of yourself and a part of the person who is to receive it. A gift which is given freely from the heart out of love will always be cherished as opposed to something thought of and bought at the last minute.

Commercials on the TV and radio try to paint a perfect picture of what true love is supposed to look like, especially if you use or give their product to that special someone. However, those are not real people (with exception to the dating sites) and this isn't always what love looks like. Yes a diamond lasts forever but if the relationship is not on a solid foundation then what good is buying "a symbol of your love" ? Flowers are pretty but if they are bought just because that's what you do on Valentine's Day, why spend the money?

Well here it is, the point of this post. When giving a gift on this day, it really is the thought that counts. Seriously, we women want you guys to actually put time and effort into our gift. Run to the store in a panic the night before or day of and you are setting yourself up for disaster. The best gifts don't always come in a box or vase or insert store name here. Be creative, be bold, go sappy, it doesn't matter as long as whatever gift you give has a significant meaning behind it.

What I'm trying to say is that if you are going to spend money and celebrate this holiday then do it because you love your significant other and for no other reason. I realize there are some people out there who are very self-centered and shallow and want only things and attention. For them it's all about the how much are you gonna spend on me and how much can I brag to my friends about this. I truly feel sorry for them because this is not what the holiday is about. They are so caught up in the marketing and social expectations of this day that they fail to appreciate the blessings they have.

So there you have it, my annual Valentine's Day post. The funny thing about Valentine's Day is it always finds a way to creep into my life and shower me with love. This year it was in the form of the word's cutest 6 year old handing me a home made colored and cut out heart with I (heart) you on it. This accompanied by a big hug and "I love you Mommy".

See, it really is the thought that counts.

Happy 8th Birthday Matthew

I still can't believe it's been 8 years since I first saw your cute little face and held you in my arms. While your face is still cute, you have grown way too big for me to pick up and carry around. I love you enthusiastic spirit and love of life. Your smile is always present and you have such a goofy sense of humor. Even though you think in literal terms, you can still find a way to laugh at yourself (or me) when corrected on what the slang meaning of the word or phrase is. As far as brains go..well you've got lots of those. I am amazed at how smart you are and how fast you learn things. I am always trying to stay one step ahead of you when it comes to learning things and it won't be too long before you'll have to ask your father for help with the Math homework.

Happy Birthday my sweet wonderful child. I thank God each and every night for bringing you into my life..your name says it all.

Matthew - Gift from God.

I'm Back

Hi everyone.

I know it's been forever since I last logged on. I really didn't mean to be gone this much but somehow I've been able to find all sorts of things to do instead of blogging. Not a lot has happened since you last read something from me...the Holiday season came and went and 2010 left us in favor of 2011..but other than that not much else going on.

A quick recap on things goes as follows.

We ate ourselves silly over Thanksgiving down in Lesterville. SD and then I got up at oh freeking early the next morning to celebrate the "unofficial" holiday that is Black Friday. I snabbed some really good deals and set a new personal best shopping time of just under 3 hours. Of course I also had a few gifts that I didn't need to buy that day so I guess since my list was shorter it should take less time.

I managed to get all my shopping done in time for Christmas and even got gifts wrapped early too. That I consider my Christmas Miracle. Truth be told I hate wrapping gifts. I'd much rather toss them in a gift bag and be done with it but the kids do like ripping open paper so wrap I must.

We spent Christmas Eve down in Yankton with the Schwarz side of the family. We left that afternoon and came back that evening. Everyone had a blast and I ate way too many sweets and candy. The kids also decided that Santa should have meat sticks to go with his cookies and milk this year. Carolyn made sure that all was right for Santa and she even had daddy go online to track Santa's progress.

Later that night after we came home and the kids were in bed I helped the loving husband put together Andrew's gift. We got him one of those arcade style basketball hoops games. It has 2 baskets and 4 toddler sized balls and a 60 second shot clock. He absolutely loves it and spends lots of time shooting baskets. He has beaten me more times than I care to admit but of course I have been known to outscore him a time or two. Please note this is NOT a toddler/preschool toy..this is a game that can be used by anyone with enough coordination to make (or attempt) to make a basket.

Matthew finally got the Nintendo DSi XL that he' always wanted. I gave into "mommy guilt" due to the fact Carolyn has one and Andrew got a Fischer Price iXL which is a portable gaming system for his birthday. Poor Matthew had to borrow either Carolyn's DSi or Andrew's iXl anytime he wanted to play a game and fights broke out when someone did not want to share.

Having personal gaming systems for the kids makes for an easier drive and a few days after Christmas we all piled into the van and headed over to the big bustling metropolis of Chamberlain, SD for what has become our annual Rezin get together. I get a couple of hotel rooms and we meet Mom and Dad for an evening of fine dining (Al's Oasis) and endless entertainment. The kids enjoyed swimming in the pool and this year I packed a couple of board games so later that evening the Grandparents could have "grandkid time". So far this has been a much easier way to celebrate Christmas with my folks. We do plan on going out to Rapid City in February.

Well I think that pretty much covers the past few months or so. Super exciting as you can tell. Other than what I've written about nothing much has changed. I will be trying harder to update my posts on a more regular basis. I also got my camera fixed and will try and put photos up at some future date.

Have a happy 2011!!!