Two Weeks and Counting

I woke up this morning not thinking much about it, then I talked to my husband. I leave in 15 days!! I knew I had been begging the time to go faster, but now that it has I am panicking. I suddenly realized I have so much to do and so little time. I have to squeeze in time to see everyone I can. I have to finish packing. I am having such mixed emotions. I am sooooo excited to finally get to be with my husband for an extended period of time without being concerned with a date that I have to leave him. I am also sad that I have to leave the rest of my family. I am beyond upset that I am missing little Levi's birth. Instead of thinking and dwelling on the sad things I think about all the excitement of seeing Nahro and getting to go to Italy and Turkey. And hey cause Nahro knows I close I am to my family I get to go to Prague in October to see Mom and Dad...that's not so bad huh ;P Wish me luck in my upcoming adventure!

Batter Up...Does this game end?

So this weekend was again busy. Friday Mom and I headed down to Marshall. We decided to do dinner and a movie. We went to see Baby Mama. Then instead of going back to Marshall we headed to Kalamazoo because it seemed there was going to be a full day of baseball Saturday. When I full day I mean a full day. I was up early to help in the concession for Niles' baseball "group". Parchment and Westwood. Niles played second base. Niles' coach said he was a natural at second base. Hes cored a run. He also got a kid out and assisted in another. His game was nearly four hours! I mean do pros go that long? It was a busy day. Mom and I were supposed to go back to Marshall and clean and pack but we were pretty tired from a busy day of baseball. We did get some stuff done. It was an incredibly boring weekend to relive but busy busy busy.



Fletch was giving me scary faces before Niles' game

Sawyer playing with dinosaurs and thinking

Niles at bat...check out the stance! Way to go Idaho!

London, Paris, Rome...

The Tower Bridge in London

The Effiel Tower in Paris

In about a month I am going to be going to another beautiful place that I have wanted to go to since I was little. Italy. My love of history has always made the desire to travel and see the world greater. I love being where history was made. Initially I wanted to do the Europe thing I on my own, but my sister Ashley talked me into going with her school. I was so glad I did. It was the most fun. Then my parents gave me the opportunity to study abroad in England. I got to see so much of the country. London is my favorite city in the world (D.C. is pretty awesome too!) There is nothing like going to the top of the Eiffel tower and looking out or climbing to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral (where I would have passed out from exhaustion if it were not from Cassie). I have so many memories and can't wait to add to them. I have a million things that I loved about these places it would take all day to go through them. I mean I saw where Kings and Queens were buried! I saw the Hunchback of Notre Dame! I am so lucky. Now I get to see the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, the canals of Venice, and The Leaning Tower of Pisa! I am a lucky lucky girl.

P.S. Nahro is taking me to Istanbul too! This is going to be an adventure!

And to Think I Said No at First!

Mom and Dad sent me to England to learn...I came home with a boyfriend. One I almost didn't have. When Nahro ask me to dance I said no. I am glad I changed my mind. I even got to get married in England! Even though my husband has annoying twitches that grate me ("Are you tired, dear?") I am so glad that I met him and got the chance to learn, and continue to learn, about him and his childhood. He makes me laugh and I love when we have good talks. I love his stories. He can make me madder faster than anyone, but there really is nothing I would change about him. He is giving me the gift of a vacation to Italy. A dream I have has since I was little. He is my knight, albeit a crazy one, in shining armor. I love him and everything he does for me.

My Beautiful Mommy

She is always there when I need her. She is my best friend as well as my mom. We, sadly, can finish each other's sentence and quite often dress alike without realizing it until too late. She made it possible for me to meet my husband. She told me not to find a boyfriend when I went to England to school. I tend to do the opposite of what she says. That is according to her though. She takes funny pictures and makes me laugh (She didn't want this picture up). So even though we are still took weeks from mother's day I am still appreciative of my mom. I don't need a special day for that.

Where MY Heart is...

The Mightly Mac

Quite often, cause there is nothing really to do, my mom and I drive around northern Michigan. My sister Ashley seems to find this most entertaining. Its peaceful and makes me nostalgic. Sunday I was driving up here from Kalamazoo, and with no one to talk to I got rather thoughtful. I tend to do this when I am forced to spend more than 30 minutes not talking. I thought about how I feel every time I come to Gaylord. I was born there and spent the first six years of my life in that town. Somewhere along those six years a imaginary bond was formed and has been pretty unbreakable. I have lived literally in all parts of the state. Yet every time I return to this area I get a feeling in my stomach that comes on the closer I come to my destination. The only other time I have gotten this feeling is when I am arriving into England, but that one isn't as comfortable as Gaylord. Gaylord is much like a first love one that stays in your heart no matter how far you travel from it. I have many happy memories from there. Picnics out back of our house, swimming in Otsego Lake, picking strawberries at Grandpa's, and the greatest of them all Alpenfest. I used to love and dream about the dresses we would get for the festival. I may not have the northern mindset, like why would women hunt for bears, elk, deer, and whatever and touching fish are gross, but I certainly have a northern Michigan heart. I think I feel so at home in England cause the scenery is a lot like it here in Northern Michigan. So as I move closer to the day when I move over to my new love, England, I feel glad to have returned here to my home area.

What a Week!

Busy busy busy is the best way to describe what I have been since last Wednesday. Gone were the leisurely Northern Michigan drives. Thursday I was awoken at 7:30 am by a minor annoyance I have come to know as my brother. We spent most of the day packing the house and loading a moving truck. Miss Lexi, age 3 (nearly 4) wins an award for being the most helpful. She would be mad/irritated if there was nothing for her to load onto the truck. She even helped me wrap our pictures. That night we went to the end of Kyrsten game in Brooklyn then took her out to celebrate her birthday.

Friday we were again up early. (I was beginning to greatly dislike my brother at this moment) He was ready to load the car to head up to Cheboygan. Even Chaddy was feeling the exhaustion

Everyone was off by 9:30. I decided moving wasn't for me so I head to Kalamazoo to join the Elsholz circus. I am ever so glad I did. I was put to work playing stright away. After eating and playing at McDonald's (It was a chicken nugget day) we head to Dunham's to get Niles his baseball gear, which he immediately put on once he got home from school, and the boys their crocs. Fletch and Sawyer both had in their heads that since Aunt Kay now has a bowling ball they too should choose one...we only looked.

Saturday we were up early for Niles' baseball field clean up. Fletch, Sawyer, and I headed home early. Once home I fielded questions from ever wondering minds, How did catwoman become her, did I want to play, what did (insert any creature here) eat, etc. Now I know how Sonja feels! We watch about a gazillion kraken things on youtube before getting lunch. After lunch we napped. Sawyer wanted to cuddle with me, his aunt Du jour. I fell asleep only to be woken up with an elbow to the side. Sawyer informed me "Don't snore! My daddy snores and I don't like it!" I told him it was time to sleep which I promptly did again. Again I was woken with an elbow this time Saywer simply said "Stop it!" I never went back to sleep. In the evening we attend the Lutheran church's Saturday night service. The little boys were going to be singing with their preschool. I personally think that Sawyer stole the whole show. He was totally into it. (Stayed tuned for the video, I have to get a cable to I can put it on here) The service was followed by dinner and a movie. Red Robin and Bee Movie.

Sunday we had a donut party. Fletch woke up with the coolest of hair styles

After a quick Target and Lowes run with Sonja I played with Fletcher and Sawyer in the play room. Only twice was Fletch's dinosaur nice (his dinos and cars have a violence problem, Sonja should seriously look into getting those toys some help). By 11:30am I was on the road to Cheboygan. It appears there is much more entertainment in Kalamazoo!

It's a Girl!!!!!

I remember the day she was born fifteen years ago (I got to miss a day of school when I wasn't sick, so thanks Kyrsten!)

There are no words to explain how wonderful, funny, beautiful, and fun my first niece is. She is becoming a fine young woman (still she is a bit of scary driver, I'm giving her the benefit of doubt cause she is just learning). To my fabulous super cool niece HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! I still can't believe you are 15! I love ya Tristan

BORING!!!!!!!!!!

So today the most exciting thing that happened is that we got internet at the house here in Cheboygan!! YAY!!!! No more trips into town for it. I have also made it wireless. Either tomorrow or Thurday we are heading back to Marshall to pack more stuff up and start moving everything up here. We are also celebrating Kyrsten's birthday on Thursday. She is going to be 15!!! How time flies. Nahro informed me I was getting old. What does he know! Well I will keep updating on all the moving and preperations for England. Have a good evening

Here we are

This is my first post so bear with me (I am going to need several tutoring session from Sonja...who would have thought!) I am a month away from moving to Derby. However, I am not escaping moving...mom and dad are moving to Cheboygan. I am on my way down this week to help pack and move in Marshall. So wish us luck moving! Until later.