Happy Easter!

We woke up to once again eggs on our lawn. Every year on Grove St someone will come around and put eggs out on every one's lawn. It's a lot of fun! When Sawyer woke up I looked out his window and showed him all the eggs; he then said "I go get them". So out the door we went in our PJ's picking up our Easter eggs!


We then came inside and had to find out what kind of goodies were in each egg.


Sawyer even shared his eggs with Mason who also had a lot of fun playing with them.


Papa stopped over before we left for church to drop of some food for our lunch with them after church so we took our family picture. Say Cheese Everyone!

(April 24th, 2011)

D4 #1

Yesterday we had our first D4 day and we LOVED it! We are already starting to plan out future ones! We started the morning off by having French Toast for breakfast. I really wanted to sleep in but Sawyer's internal clock went off at 6:30am; we did however slowly get ready! Once we made it out the door we went to the Madison Children's Musuem.

This is Sawyer and I in the music making hut.


Mason getting up close to some of the exhibits as well. He really enjoyed just watching all the action.


Sawyer playing with the cars.


Mason had fun playing with one of the wooden houses and watching out the window while the cars went by.


Sawyer's favorite part was watching the train. Every time we let him just run he would run straight back to the train. We would then get him to another exhibit he would just look around and then back to the train it was.


After the musuem we went to Sam's Club. This weekend you were able to get in for free without needing a membership.


Tom and I were like two kids in a candy store! Mason, however, thought it was boring and fell asleep. Sawyer was so sweet and let Mason lay his head on his lap.


We then went to eat at Quaker Steak and Lube. Sawyer had so much fun sitting on the motorcycle; even without putting money in it!


On our way home we stopped at Starbucks to get a special treat for Tom and I! Once we got back to Portage we went and visited Uncle Eugene in the nursing home. He was recently transfered there from the hospital. Please keep him and the rest of the family in your prayers as we begin to say our good-byes.

Once we got the kids to bed Tom and I played Scrabble. Even though Tom beat me I was still proud that I only one one tile left and it was a "Q" and Tom had two left.

It was a very relaxing and fun day! We are so glad we made this day and looking forward to the next.

Timber Rattlers

On Saturday April 9th we headed up to Appleton to visit Great-Grandma Van Handel in the hospital. After we visited with her for a little bit we went to a Timber Rattlers game with Aunt Toni and Ken. We had a BLAST!


Aunt Toni, Mason and Ken


I put Sawyer in this car when Tom wasn't looking just to get a rise out of him; it worked!



Both Sawyer and Mason loved the cotton candy as you can see by the two pictures below.






It truly was a great time and some memories were made to last forever!

Grandma Bea

Dear Grandma Bea,

Even though we knew your time here was not going to be forever it was still very hard to say good-bye. I can’t believe that exactly one month ago I was playing 500 Rummy (a card game) with you trying my hardest to win because you were so good (although you were getting all the wild cards). I just didn’t think now would have been your time to go.

Last Saturday (April 9th) was the last time I saw you. We went to see you in the hospital (Theda Care Room #619) and I didn’t know what to expect walking in. Even though I was told this would be my final good-bye a part of me really thought you would pull through. I know that sounds ridiculous considering that the Dr.’s had given up, Hospice Care was already there and you were put on Morphine but come on we all know how stubborn of a person you were. Part of me was relieved when you did wake up and I leaned over you to say hello that you could respond to me. You said, “Hi Tami” (you knew who I was), you said “Thank you for coming” and “I Love You”; being able to hear you talk was a sigh of relief. We stayed with you for an hour and a half and then said good-bye. We left so that Sawyer and Mason could get some energy out.

We called my mom at 4:00pm and said that we were coming back up to the hospital and that is when she told me to leave it the way it was because you were no longer coherent. What? Even though I was told over and over again that your end was coming it was still a shock to me; how could three hours make that much of a difference?

Now all we have are memories. Here are just a few.

Pickle Roll-Ups!!!! These were your signature item; you brought them to every party and if you forgot we made sure you knew you forgot! I remember the times you would make them at our house sitting at our dining room table. You made sure each one was perfect and you wouldn’t let us eat the good ones before the party but the scraps were fair game! I think we had it timed out how long it took you to make one roll-up because we (well for sure I did) came running the minute we knew there were “butts” of the roll-up available to eat.

That UGLY Wreath!!! I once made a wreath for you for Christmas. I was only 9 when I made it which for that age I guess it wasn’t that bad looking but looking at it now, YIKES! What surprised me the most was remembering that wreath hanging up on your kitchen closet door for the longest time. Every time I went to your house I felt so special knowing that you were proud of my wreath.

Dawn!!! Nope I am not talking about the dish soap; I am talking about the name I never knew I had! My mom and I went to see you one day while you were working at Target. You were introducing us to one of your co-worker friend. After you introduced your daughter Donna (my mom) you then turned to me and said “And this is my granddaughter Dawn” immediately you looked at me and starting laughing and said “I don’t even know a Dawn, this is my granddaughter Tami!”

Washcloths!!! All thanks to you I have enough washcloths to last me years. Now when I see a washcloth I don’t just think of a plain washcloth I think of you sitting in your chair just being content. I guess I should really take that to heart; the fact that it’s okay to just sit, be still and do something you enjoy to relax.

These are the memories that stick out the most but there are so many more. I won’t forget how you laughed, the way you would smile when you saw me coming or how you would give me a big hug – oh the memories!

I Love You Grandma!
Your Granddaughter Tami (AKA: Dawn)



The UGLY Wreath! Christmas of 1992



At my High School Graduation in 2001




At Tom & I's wedding on May 5, 2007


Sitting with Tom, Sawyer and myself at Chirstmas of 2009


You holding Mason at Tom's birthday party on September 26, 2010

D4

We would like to introduce to you D4 (Deich Party of 4)!!!!

Now for the explanation. This has been a decision in the making since the end of March. At the end of every summer I think to myself "where did the summer go?". We are so good at filling our time with busy things just to keep us active but then all said and done we don't have much to show for it. I recently heard a teaching how our days are actually suppose to start in the evening; the part of the day where we rest first and then go to work (morning/day). This is found in Genesis 1:19 "And there was evening, and there was morning the fourth day."

I absolutely loved this concept of putting your rest and your family time first instead of the other way around that most Americans do. Let's be honest most of us put our work, busy things and ourselves before God and our family. I wanted to definitely change this for our family. Now this may seem like a contradiction but evening time for family time is nearly impossible for us because Tom does not get home from work until 10:00-10:30pm.

I started brainstorming ideas of how we could make sure we put our family first; to make sure our kids grow up knowing that we put them first and we value our time with them. I then looked at the calendar and realized that there was only one Saturday left with nothing in the box. How said is that? Already summer has begun with the busy things and no real family time.

I then brought the idea up to Tom of blocking off one Saturday a month for a family day - he LOVED it! The decision was made but I still didn't block off the day. Then the other day we found out that Tom (once again) has to work six days next week leaving his only day off Saturday. I finally said to him that we were starving for daddy attention so on the calendar it went...D4!!!

Please don't be offended if you ask us to do something with you and we say that it's D4 day. We just want to make sure that we set away that special time for our family to make memories and bond together!