November 2017

November 2017

            The month of November is typically the “calm before the storm” of the holiday season.  As we are into December, we are well into the swing of addressing Christmas cards, decorating and shopping.  It was nice to have a relatively quiet November and Thanksgiving to prepare us for the month of December. 

 

            November started off with a road trip to North Canton to visit my sister and her family.  Each and every time we see the Vandervaarts, things seem to get easier amongst the kids as they get along really well.  All 5 of them slept in one room this trip, which I never really thought was going to work.  Of course there were arguments on “who got to sleep with who” and “someone wasn’t playing with me” type stuff, but those were far and few between.  When we arrived, they had ordered some pizza for dinner and had the beds ready for the kids.  On Saturday, Laura and I went to watch Jake play soccer.  The remainder of the day the kids played outside, where they got out their bounce house and they also played soccer.  It was a relaxing weekend and the girls were disappointed to leave!

 

            And what a difference 3 years make!  3 years ago, I probably spent about 4-6 hours per weekend in late October thru November doing stuff in the yard.  Leaves, cutting back plants, trimming bushes and getting the yard ready for winter.  This year, the girls just played in the leaves while Deb and I were able to both work on the yard and I spent a lot less time getting everything done!   

 

            Our Thanksgiving holiday had little on our schedule and for that, we are really thankful!  Our holiday started off on Wednesday night, where my mom watched the girls and Deb and I went to the Watkins house for the 15^th Friends Thanksgiving.  Since we travel every other year, we can only go to this once every 2 years.  We had a great time catching up with friends, but it is the people you don’t see very often that make it truly memorable.   And whenever you see Bleill, he usually makes it a good time with stories and jokes about life and friendships.  We woke up on Thanksgiving morning and participated in the Drumstick Dash in Broad Ripple with the Christ the King Running Club.  Allison and I ran the entire 2.75 “short course” in 36 minutes which I was very impressed with Allison running that far.  Deb pushed Sarah in a stroller and Sarah will boast that “she did it too.”  We went to the Campbell’s afterwards for a nice brunch with other friends from the church.  After a few mid-morning cocktails, we went home to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner at the Wahman’s house.  We completed our traditional free throw game (need to make 50% as a group before we eat) and had a great meal with our family.  When we woke up on Friday, we found a 50 degree day and decided that was our day to clean up the yard.  On Saturday, the girls got on their Purdue gear and we watched the Bucket game where the winner got to go to a bowl game.  Allison was intense watching the game and I think Sarah knew we were watching football.  Purdue won a close game and the girls were excited and now they expect the winner of every game they watch to get a bucket when they win! 

             

 Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah had her last Thanksgiving lunch at Learning Time.  I came over to enjoy lunch with her and then took her home for the afternoon.  She enjoyed going shopping for the food with her classmates and helping cook the meal.  Sarah also started gymnastics at the end of November which should go through January.   

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

            Allison had her monthly Daisy meeting and she enjoyed participating with her classmates.  Allison also started gymnastics at the end of November which should go through January.   

A few more items from this month:

• I coached the 4^th grade girls for the 2^nd year at Christ the King.  This year, we ended the season 8-5 and were the city runner-up!
• We went to the Steffey’s house for a Friends Thanksgiving.  We enjoyed seeing everyone and the traditional doubles ping-pong tournament. 
• We went to a Christ the King Community Dinner during November.  It was fun to spend time at the school doing different activities. 
• Deb and I were able to get a date night on the calendar.  We went to Palomino’s downtown and then met up with Lawton and the Steffey’s at Triton Tap for a few beers on our way home.
• We enjoyed going over to the Foulke’s house for some homemade pizza.  The girls played well together and even put together a concert for us singing about how “Purdue wins” and “IU sucks.”  Apparently, the Foulke’s went to a football game and Zoey remembered the student section yelling this out about IU, so she decided to make it part of the song!  Oops!

October 2017

           The month of October was full of plans on the weekends along with the end of the soccer season for the girls.  Of course, they also enjoyed Halloween and trick or treating and they did their best to keep up with the other kids! 

 

            For Halloween this year, Allison was a witch and Sarah was a sprinkle doughnut.  As in the past, Anna made their costumes and did a great job.  We also hosted our neighborhood pizza party and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves despite the fact that it was about 40 degrees outside.   Trick or treating was awesome as we no longer had to pull a wagon and the girls just ran from house to house with the neighbors. Frank, my mom and Mark stopped by to see the girls in their costumes.  Randy & Anna were also in attendance and arrived the previous weekend.  They helped Debbie put some cornice boards on the windows in our bedroom and our bathroom.  They look great and everyone (except me) did a fantastic job selecting the fabric and putting them up. 

 

            For fall break, we went to Great Wolf Lodge with the Sniadecki’s.  We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite, so everyone was contained in the same hotel room.  We left Indy at 10AM and arrived in Cincinnati around noon and enjoyed lunch at a local pub.  When we arrived at the hotel, we changed into our suits and swam until dinner time.  After pizza and the kids were asleep, the adults enjoyed some college football and drinks.  The next morning, we hit up the waterpark again and all the kids were a little more adventurous and decided to go down some water slides.  It was great to see all the kids try something a little outside their comfort zone and love it! 

 

            Deb’s health is still a question mark as her thyroid still seems to be unpredictable.  She continues to see doctors and adjust her medication to see if she can get her energy levels back to normal.  She does a good job striving through each week, but I know it is getting annoying to have been dealing with this ongoing issue for the last 10 months.  She has seen a few different doctors in an effort to narrow down what could be causing some of these issues. 

 

            I’ve been at my new job for about 5 months and am starting to find my way through each day with less and less things I don’t know how to resolve.  Things are still confusing at times, but I’ve starting to build a team and which has helped find solutions.  I’ve also continued to maintain contact with people I worked at Hurco and other colleagues in an effort to maintain a network of people.  In my years at Hurco, I let that network fall apart and have found myself enjoying building it back up in the last year. 

 

 Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah had another field trip to a pumpkin patch with her classmates.  The highlight again was riding the bus! She also had her first birthday party for one of her classmates.  She went to see the My Little Pony movie with the girls in her class and enjoyed the popcorn!  She ended her soccer season with her last game being played in a cold and rainy day.  She played the entire game and we were very proud of her!

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

            Allison ended her soccer season and we were very impressed with her progression as the year went on.  She got more aggressive and seemed to really enjoy her teammates and coaches.  She also had another “Daisy” meeting with her troop and seems excited about it.  We went to a parent-teacher conference this month and it sounds like Allison is doing well and enjoys reading and math.

A few more items from this month:

• Our family, along with Mom and Kenny, went downtown for Light the Night this year.  Due to weather, the walk got cancelled about 30 minutes before it was supposed to start.  At least we got pizza!
• We enjoyed a cookout at the Tedfords and the girls did well playing together while we enjoyed some beers on their back patio.
• Deb and I went to a “1^st grade” class party which is a fundraiser for the school.  The theme was “Amazing Race” and the parents enjoyed road-blocking each other.  The night turning into a karaoke party on their back deck (and Deb and I ended up signing Country Roads)! 
• Deb and I went to Bier Brewery for a few beers and enjoyed a speaker from Notre Dame talking about the mass.  It was organized by another parishioner at church and it was interesting to learn and listen. 
• Deb and I went to the Colts vs. Jags game and decided at halftime to head to Broad Ripple and meet up with Lawton, Tom and Tracy for some beers at OPT’s.  That had to be more fun than watching the Colts. 

September 2017

September 2017

            The month of September has been an enjoyable one.  The girls are happy to be back in school with their friends and we have replaced our time at the pool with time at the soccer fields. 

 

            While we are on the topic of the pool, we enjoyed our Labor Day weekend by spending a decent amount of time at the pool before it closed.  The pool was a lot more fun than the past this year as Allison can swim on her own and Sarah does a good job.  Combine it with all of the people we know from school and our neighborhood, it sure is great to have that as an option on a hot day.  The remainder of our Labor Day weekend included watching college football, straightening up the house and just catching up on some things as summer concluded. 

 

            The 2^nd weekend in September, we took the girls to my mom’s condo on Saturday morning and Deb and I went to do a “Warrior Dash.”  We did this mud-run with the Fredericks and the Foulkes and everyone had a blast.  I think it was exactly what everyone expected and we enjoyed the challenge.  We hope to get a bigger group next year to participate.  Afterwards, we ran home and cleaned up and then went downtown with the Sniadecki’s for a beer festival called “Canvitational.”  We had a lot of fun for 4-5 hours and then got a ride up to Broad Ripple and met up with Lawton at Flatwater.  At the prime time of 8PM, we got a ride home and were all asleep by 9PM.  It was nice to not have to wake up with the girls the next morning!  The girls enjoyed their time at Grandma’s and had fun sleeping over and doing all the stuff that my mom lets them get away with! 

 

            Beth and Matt’s daughter Molly was baptized in September and I was the godfather.  The ceremony was held at Christ the King and the girls loved it.  They got to go up and watch the baptism up close.  Molly fell asleep during the ceremony and was awaken with water being poured on her head.  She as a trooper and did well.  Beth and Matt had people over to their house afterwards and we enjoyed hanging out with everyone.  Laura and Grace came for the baptism and it ended up with Grace, Allison and Sarah playing together all weekend.  They got along really well and I think Grace really enjoyed being the center of attention as both Allison and Sarah wouldn’t leave her alone all weekend long!

 

            Both girls played soccer this fall and have enjoyed the practices and games (along with the snacks!).  They both have some Christ the King families with kids on their teams.  The recent weather had some unseasonably hot days which made it not as much fun, but they still are playing and having fun. 

 

 Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah had her first field trip at Learning Time.  She went to an apple orchard and enjoyed picking some apples and taking a hay ride.  The highlight was the bus ride, where she was excited to not have to wear seat belts!   

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

            Allison went to her first “Daisy” meeting.  This is the beginning of girl scouts and she really liked hanging out with her friends and doing crafts.   

A few more items from this month:

• I signed up again to coach the 4^th grade girls at Christ the King.  I had a lot of fun last year and hope to bring the Allison and Sarah to a few games this year. 
• We went to the Campbells and Stones for cookouts this month.  Both families go to our school and it was great to spend some time with them hanging out and letting the kids play together. 
• Deb had a girl’s night to meet up with her MOMs group from church. 
• We had our annual neighborhood progressive dinner.  We usually enjoy some appetizers and rotate to 3 houses, enjoying drinks and catching up with neighbors without the kids around. 
• The mom’s from church participated in a volleyball tournament.  Deb enjoyed playing in her first ever organized volleyball game.  The dads enjoyed having beers and watching.
• I met up with Jeremy and Lawton for some beers at Scotty’s. 
• The girls had several appointments this month.  Their eye doctor appointment went well.  They were very good at the dentist.  Also, they got their haircut and enjoyed some BRICs ice cream afterwards!

August 2017

August 2017

            August has come and gone and we have both girls back in school and our summer travels have turned into soccer and basketball practices and working on getting back into our routine.  We had a great summer and much of the thanks goes to our neighbor, Margaret, who spent her summer babysitting the girls.  The girls enjoyed every minute with her this summer and we are thankful to have her entertain our girls all summer. 

 

            The first weekend in August, we sent the girls to my mom and went to hang out with some of Debbie’s co-workers at Lake Sweetwater.  We enjoyed a day of boating, swimming and beers.  Since she has worked there for a long time, I’ve had the opportunity to meet several of her co-workers and always enjoy myself.  We met up with mom at church the next day to pick up the girls. 

 

            As a good friend of mine was moving on from Hurco, I was invited back to play basketball with the group as a “going away” game.  It was great to see everyone again.  There was also a happy hour for him at the usual bar nearby and I was able to attend and see all my good friends.  It was good to see how they were all doing and get updated on their summers. 

 

            We had a busy weekend in late August.  The Depp's came for a quick overnight visit and we enjoyed a cookout on Friday night with them and good times on Saturday morning before they went to hang out with Jason’s family.  On that Saturday, we went to Smoke-fest at the Brandon & Diane’s house and enjoyed all kinds of smoked food.  It is great to see everyone and it was even more fun because the kids entertained themselves which is a pleasant change from years past.  After that, we got home and dropped the kids off with a sitter and went to a birthday party for a friend from Christ the King.  We followed that up by going over to Frank and Jan’s on Sunday afternoon for some fun times in their neighborhood pool and dinner. 

 

            There are things that I should have seen coming, but I don’t think I was prepared.  Once is the back-to-school headache of whiny kids as they transition back to school.  While they enjoy school and were happy to go back, they were exhausted most nights and struggled to get back into their school routines.  Combine that with homework and things as simple as drop-offs and pick-ups, we all had a little bit of an adjustment period. 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah had this vision of her return to daycare that she would be mobbed by all of her friends in celebration.  Based on how Sarah can sometimes be a little difficult, we were concerned she may not get the response she wanted.  We were wrong as all of the teachers and little girls rushed up to Sarah and gave her big hugs.

 

Allison’s Thing of the Month

            Allison’s school has 2 classes per grade.  Each year, it is a big mystery to know which teacher you will get and who will be your teacher.  She has one of her really good friends in her class and has a great teacher, so she is really enjoying 1^st grade. 

A few more items from this month:

• I headed up to have a few beers with Jeremy and check out their new house.  We played some pool and enjoyed some beers and preseason football. 
• I’m volunteering at the school as part of the K thru 3^rd grade intermural basketball program for Allison.  It has been fun because I’ve also been able to include Sarah in the program, which she loves. 
• Both girls went to Henry Sniadecki’s birthday party this month.  They enjoyed doing some science experiments on their back deck. 
• Deb had a girl’s night where she went to see a concert in Carmel with several friends. 
• Deb also went out for sushi with Tracy in Broad Ripple. 
• I had my annual fantasy football draft with the Purdue guys.  It was fun to catch up with them over those few hours and we had some fun talk of doing it together at some point in the future. 
• I enjoyed having lunch this month with Beth and Mom (separately) this month.
• We went to the Indiana State Fair.  We enjoyed seeing some animals, doing some putt-putt golf at the 4H exhibit and went on a few rides before we left around lunch.