Halloween

Dave had to dress-up for work, so I snapped a quick photo of him before he changed out of his Blues Brothers costume. No, he didn't walk the neighborhood in it, although I wanted him too because he looked so good. Lindsey, too, was guilty of only dressing long enough for a photo! She was back into her regular clothes in time to pass out the candy. Logan is posing as a real Power Ranger & Hayley looks very authentic as a hippie. I got off the hook & didn't even have to answer the door.

For once, we had such beautiful weather that they just had to walk the entire neighbhorhood! Normally they only go to a handful of houses because the houses are so spread out & they get cold.

You'll notice that they gathered an unusually excessive amount of treats this year. Yes, you know me, I'll hide it or freeze it & then ration it back to them over the next year!!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Wed & Thu were parent-teacher conferences in Dubuque. Logan's was easy - it was one teacher in one location at a set time. But the middle school & high school are something else. They give you a big window of time, then all teachers sit at tables in the gym/cafeteria. You bounce from teacher to teacher, waiting in line for each one, sometimes up to 15 or 20 min (most teachers have 80 - 100 kids). We managed to finish Lindsey's on Wed night, then Logan's & Hay's on Thu a.m. The goal is to go when there are no crowds. We are pleased to say that all reports were terrific, as usual. We are truly blessed.


Jen's been sick all week. Headache, sore throat, & overall just feeling run-down. Fortunately there have been some bits of time that relief has come, which makes it easier to function & care for my family. Fortunately conference times were times I wasn't so bad so I could still participate. We were supposed to have Harry & Angela for a visit this weekend, but they ended up with the same virus. That was a bummer to cancel because we have such a hard time getting visits with them on the calendar between our crazy weekends & the demands of their farm.



Here's a random photo of the kids hanging out. Lindsey & Hayley are growing up so fast. They're at an age where they enjoy the same things & can interact with each other on close to the same maturity level. Logan is right in the middle of it, but looking really thrilled!

Lindsey goes to her 1st Homecoming Dance

Lindsey went to the Homecoming dance at school last weekend. It was a great time for her. Lindsey and her friend, Emily (middle) spent the afternoon here at the house getting ready. I think it took them close to 4 hours to get ready! Ah, to be a teenager again (and actually have that kind of time to primp). They went to dinner with 4 other kids beforehand.

Here are a couple more pictures from the house:

Don & Connie & kids came for a visit

In September, Dave's brother and family came for a visit. It was so nice to have them come here so we could spend a much longer chunk of time together as families. We don't get to spend as much time together when we go home because we have lots of people to see in such a short time.

They came on Saturday afternoon & we hung out. Don also helped us process the last batch of tomatoes into tomato sauce & spaghetti sauce. I'm sure it wasn't what he signed-up for, but we were so grateful for the help. The tomatoes wouldn't have lasted another day! In the evening, we had a bonfire & roasted marshmallows for s'mores. They left Sunday after church & lunch.

Back row: Don, Connie, Dave, Jen

Front row: Lindsey, Tyler, Sarah w/ Matthew, Hayley, & Logan

1st Week of School

The kids are off to school.

Lindsey is in 9th - YES, HIGH SCHOOL,

Hayley is in 7th, &

Logan now goes to preschool 3 days/week.

The Pursleys come for a visit

The Pursley Family are our friends who live in Minnesota. We became friends when they lived by us years ago. Lindsey & Hannah were best friends at their daycare when they were 2. The family friendship has evolved into something wonderful that we treasure. Each summer we get together, taking turns making the long drive. This year they came to our house.

Hannah & Lindsey are bff's, Katie & Hayley are buds,

& Logan just likes rough-housing with Dick & Daddy

while Eileen & Jen get lots of girl time hanging out & talking late into the night when it's quiet throughout the house.

A day trip to Yellowstone

We were so sad at what we saw when we got to Yellowstone. There was a huge fire in 1988 that burned nearly 40% of the park & it still hasn't recovered. The new trees are probably only about 5 - 10 feet tall. Here is a photo of what most of it looks like.

One part of the park we really enjoyed is the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone". It had 2 waterfalls that were really beautiful. Check out the photo of Dave's bravery!

OK, I admit it....I doctored the photo - he didn't really climb out on the rock! Here are the real photos......

Float trip down the Snake River (more of the Teton trip)

The next morning, we woke up at 4:45 a.m. to take a sunrise float trip. On this day, it was just Dave & me and the tour guide, so it was basically a private trip. We put in at about 6:30 a.m. and saw a moose first thing. Further down the river, we got a very special treat - normally you can't go very close to buffalo, but in our case, he was grazing along the shore, so we got a VERY close-up look at him with NO RISK of being trampled! Other things we saw were beaver, antelope, geese, ducks, a bald eagle, and don't forget the SCENERY!

Dave & Jen head to the Teton Mountains

For our 15th anniversary, Dave & I flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming! The first day we just putzed around the town of Jackson & drove around checking out the area. The town is a bit touristy, but kind of rustic. The view can't be beat. We stayed in Teton Village, which is a group of hotels, restaurants, shops, & even a gas station at the base of the ski slope. You can practically walk out of your hotel & ski straight to the lift. You can see the resort town in the distance of the last picture.

Trip to Milwaukee

We drove to Milwaukee to visit Minal & Matt and kids. We had a great time, as always. Jen & Minal managed to squeeze in an early morning latte & a round of golf, while the dads & kids slept in & had breakfast at home. The kids had a lot of fun hanging out, playing basketball, video games & playing in the pool. In the photos, you can see our family and theirs: Minal & Matt, and their kids Alex, Ryan, & baby Maya (who isn't such a baby anymore). Minal & Jen met in college & have been great friends ever since.

Summer Vacation 2008 - Chicago

We went to Chicago for our family vacation this year. On the first day, we went to Six Flags & had a blast! There weren't very many people there & most of the time, we didn't wait more than 10 minutes to ride.

The girls loved the rollercoasters, especially going through the upsidedown & sideways loops. They rode the American Eagle & Viper twice. Logan loved driving the cars, especially when he got to drive his own - he just met the height requirement. Dave also convinced him that he would like the log flume, but forgot that there is a very big drop at the end. Logan screamed the whole way down that hill & was not a happy camper afterwards. You can see him pasted to Dave behind Mommy.

After Six Flags, we headed to downtown Chicago. Our hotel was right on Michigan Avenue, close to the bus stops. It was a great way to get around & not have to navigate traffic & look for parking. We went to the Field Museum & saw Sue, the T-Rex. It was the highlight of Logan's trip.

Some of the other things we did were to go on an architectural boat cruise, visit the Museum of Science & Industry, & the Shedd Aquarium. We also went to the Hancock Building Observatory, which is north of the skyscraper district. We enjoyed it much more than the Sears Tower Observatory. It is glass all the way around & they have audio stations that tell you about different things that you can see. In the photos, you can see Navy Pier & the city skyscrapers.


Oh, it's also nice to have the kids help with the window washing!

Logan Goes Off The Diving Board

This will be Logan's first summer playing t-ball.
Here are some pics from his first lesson.

Hanging out in the driveway

We like to just hang out together in the evenings when the weather is nice. This was one of those evenings. The girls love tossing the football with Dad. Logan prefers to go off to his fort behind the bushes.

Hayley's first voice solo

Hayley sings with the Women's Choir at ERMS.

She had her first solo during a recent concert.

We are very proud! Click play button to watch the video.