Happy Hayes Family

Letter Olympian

2009-12-10T18:24:00.002-06:00

December 2, 2009
Andrew reached the milestone of being able to identify all his letters.
Woohoo!

Ryan Turns 10!

2009-12-10T18:20:00.003-06:00

The yearly rocking chair picture.

Madison Zoo

2009-12-10T18:17:00.003-06:00

July 9, 2009

We had a fun time at the Madison Zoo with our friends, the Cliffs and the Voigts.

Top left: The Whole Gang -
Austin, Emma, Andrew, Caleb (front)
Ryan, and Steven (back)

Bottom left: The Moms -
Kristie, Jenny, and me

Click on the collage to view it larger, if you wish.

A Hot Day for Baseball

2009-12-10T18:01:00.003-06:00

June 2009
Aunt Karol was in town and gave the boys some instruction in baseball.
It was such a hot day, but they had fun.

(Click on the collage to see it bigger.)

Steven Turns 12!

2009-12-10T17:13:00.005-06:00

June 26, 2009

The yearly installment of the rocking chair picture.
This picture is always accompanied by the same stuffed animal,
but this year, Steven did not want that shot posted online.
So this is what you get...a young man in the rocking chair.

Kids 4 Truth Fun

2009-10-15T09:33:00.002-06:00

Here is a link to one of my friend's blogs: Melodrama. She has posted some really fun pictures from last night's Kids 4 Truth meeting. She works with the kiddos that are Andrew's age. Enjoy!

My Mother's Day 2009

2009-06-12T07:13:00.003-06:00

Top left picture: In the bright sunshine on our not quite finished deck.

We had a great day - Chris had picked up Cinnabon cinnamon rolls on Saturday, and fixed them for me (us) Sunday morning. Then we went to church. After that, we went for a bike ride at Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve. Following the bike ride, we had a casual dinner at TGI Fridays and then called it a day. I have a great family and enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day!

Saying Good-Bye

2009-06-12T06:49:00.004-06:00

On May 17, 2009, we said good-bye to the Sanchezes.
They will be going to live in Mexico for a time.
They are a very special couple and have been a wonderful
Sunday School teaching team.

Ryan with Art & Faith Sanchez, his Sunday School teachers

Ryan's class, being coached by Martina Kilburn, saying good-bye in Spanish.

We Have a Deck!

2009-06-11T19:25:00.005-06:00

After ten years of living in our house, we now have a deck.

Front Porch with Railings

Another View

Our Deck

My Boys on the Deck

Classical Conversations Recitation and Awards Night

2009-04-16T22:21:00.004-06:00

On March 31, 2009, Steven and Ryan participated in their Classical Conversations Recitation and Awards Night.

Foundations:
Mrs. Brown gave Ryan the "On the Money" award for being able to answer questions in class. Steven received the "Math Whiz" award from Mrs. Boeke for having a reputation with math timed tests. Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Boeke came up with very catchy and appropriate awards for each of their students.

Essentials (Grammar and Writing):
Steven got a "Three Musketeers Bar" as an award from his Essentials B Tutor, Mrs. Metras. She tutored the older three students, so the three musketeers label fit the bill. Ryan received the "Constantly a Math Game Enthusiast: Vehemently Opposed to Skipping Math Game Time" award from his Essentials A tutor. His tutor tried to be creative and use "a lot" of vocabulary words in the awards she gave to her eight students.

Steven, along with each of his Foundations classmates, shared his Week 24 presentation with the audience. The topic of each of the presentations was the students' favorite part of Classical Conversations. It was a really fun night and a great way to end our CC year.

As you can see, the kids really bonded and formed solid friendships. Not to mention that a few of them are quite the hams!

Just a hint: If you click on the photo collage, you can see it bigger. I had someone point out that the pictures seem kind of small, so I wanted you all to know that you can make them bigger to view the photos in greater detail.

Classical Conversations and Memory Masters

2009-04-16T21:45:00.005-06:00

1 - Ryan drilling on Latin vocabulary
2 - Steven showing off a double C for Classical Conversations - more drilling. We spent a little over two weeks after our last CC class day putting the finishing touches on all 24 weeks of memory work. What a relief when we got to the proofing day.
3 - Steven with his tutor, Mrs. Metras, who is also the director of our CC program. At this point, he had passed the Memory Master Proof for me and for one other parent in the program. This was his last year in the foundations program, and thus his last chance to try for MM. This picture is the "before" shot.
4 - This is the "after" shot. He made it! Steven is a Memory Master!
5 - Drilling, drilling, drilling! Ryan didn't quite make it this year, but he has three more years to try.

Steven and Ryan both worked very hard this year. We are so proud of them both!

Just a hint: If you click on the photo collage, you can see it bigger. I had someone point out that the pictures seem kind of small, so I wanted you all to know that you can make them bigger to view the photos in greater detail.

Congratulations!

2009-04-16T21:25:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to my cousins, Kelly (left) and Clara (right), for getting their braces off on Monday. They look fabulous!

Andrew's Fifth Birthday Party

2009-03-29T07:32:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, we had Andrew's fifth birthday party. He actually turned five two weeks ago, but due to various circumstances, we couldn't have his party until yesterday. This year, he knew something was up! He had the hardest time waiting for his party day to come. He wanted a Thomas the Tank Engine birthday cake, but I wasn't up for that this year, so he had to settle for a plain ole chocolate cake with a Thomas the Tank Engine themed party. Steven and Ryan helped me with the decorating. We pulled out our bin of trains, and they went to work decorating a number of places around our living and dining rooms. I think they did a great job! Chris practiced with Andrew, so that he could show everyone that he is five now. He still likes to do his "pose," so he went back and forth between "the pose" and his five year old sign. The top left and bottom right pictures were taken while he was eating M&M's - so he's a little sticky.

1 - with Uncle Derek
2 - with More Grandma
3 - with Grandpa Mike
4 - with Grandpa Bill
5 - with Auntie Lisa, Jillian, and Uncle TJ
6 - with Grandma Nancy
7 - with Grandma Deb
8 - with More Grandpa

Spring Break Trip to Milwaukee

2009-03-29T07:19:00.007-06:00

Last week was Andrew's spring break, so we took advantage of the schedule change to take a short trip to Milwaukee to visit our friends, the Continos. We hadn't seen them since a very brief visit in December, so we were all very anxious to see them. We hit the road after a late dinner Sunday night and arrived around 11. The kids were so excited to see each other that it was kind of hard to settle everyone down. Unfortunately for the Contino children and older Hayes boys, school was still in session, but they buckled down and worked hard, so that they could maximize their free time together. The middle bottom pictures shows the "campfire" that Nick came up with. (He must have some of his mom's creativity!) My camera actually lit up the room really well, so you can't tell that they were in the dark. The boys told stories around the table during each meal, around the campfire, and any other time they had opportunity. They had such a good time. Andrew and Natalie seemed to have fun together too. Natalie was a good sport to hang out with Andrew during our whole visit. The moms you ask? We had a spectacular time as well. We are so thankful for our friends, the Continos. God has blessed us with a special friendship.

On Wednesday morning, we had to say the tough goodbyes as we struck out for Madison. It was time for Andrew's first check-up with his orthopedist in a year. The appointment went great. I am amazed that each time we go, I find out new things about clubfoot. Andrew looks so good, though, that Dr. Nemeth said that we don't have to come back for two years this time. Woohoo!

We capped off our Milwaukee/Madison trip with lunch at Noodles. Yummy!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

2009-03-18T01:32:00.002-06:00

Andrew turned FIVE last Friday (March 13th). What a little man he has become!

Christmas of the Indiana Jones Whips

2009-02-11T14:41:00.002-06:00

This last Christmas was also the Christmas of the Indiana Jones whips - each boy got one - each from a different celebration and different person entirely. I *LOVE* when they're all playing with them at the same time, since they all make whip noises and play the theme music from the movies! Oh yeah!

We Have Wardrobe Issues

2009-02-11T14:25:00.004-06:00

Left to his own devices, Andrew can come up with some humdingers!

Top left - not really his fault - I think his coat was wet, so in order to go outside, he wore one of the extra coats we have.
Lower left - decided he wanted one of each kind of slippers. I'm pretty sure that the plaid slipper is on the wrong foot.
Middle - He was home from school one day, and this is the outfit that he picked out. Never mind that it's zero degrees out - of course a short-sleeved shirt and bare feet are a great choice! And that orange striped shirt is perfect with teal and purple Snoopy sweats.
The two right photos are from a Sunday morning - first he had his pants on backwards, so I told him he had to take them off and try again. This is how he came to me following that effort.

Andrew is such a joy. He brings many laughs to our family. He really is a sweet boy - I just got such a kick out of these recent wardrobe issues that I wanted to share them.

Christmas of the Legos

2009-02-11T14:16:00.003-06:00

Leading up to Christmas, Steven and Ryan had really started getting into Legos. No surprise, then, when most of the items on their Christmas list were Lego sets. They're still going strong with all the new Legos they got for Christmas.

Just For Fun

2009-02-10T11:23:00.004-06:00

Remember this oldie but goody?
This picture is from June of 2007,
when we took a girls' trip to the Quilt Show
in Columbus, Ohio with Grandma Donna.
This picture hangs on our refrigerator.
One day, Andrew and Ryan were imitating our poses:

December 2008

Robin's Trip To California

2008-12-16T11:35:00.006-06:00

I was able to take a trip to California, December 6th - 10th to visit my cousin, Heather. Chris came up with the idea and gave it to me as a birthday present. We started the trip off with a big family dinner at Jeff and Heather's. Uncle Miles, Auntie Ro, Willy, Dan & Kim and family, and Steve and Monique were all there for a fabulous dinner of pulled pork tacos. Jeff and Heather KNOW how to cook!!! We had a great evening.

Sunday, I went to Petaluma Christian Church with Jeff & Heather. Then we went to beach!! After naps, of course. We had fun playing on the beach and rocks, and after several of us got caught in a cold wave, we headed off to dinner at the Sandpiper. A trip to California, for me at least, is not complete without a visit to the ocean. Thank you, Heather, for planning that into our short time together.

This is what we did with the rest of our days. Our friend, Monique, took Monday off, and the three of us had a total girlfriend day - shopping at the outlet mall and lunch at Cafe Zazzle. I was able to walk with Heather and the kids to school each day. That was a neat experience for me. I was also amazed that everything was still in bloom, and that there were still leaves on the trees. The last night I was there, we went out for pizza and then drove around Petaluma enjoying some pretty fabulous Christmas light displays. Heather and Evan took me to the airport on Wednesday. We stayed and chatted as long as we could and then we had to say good-bye. That was hard! I had such a fun birthday trip, but it was over in a blink of an eye. Heather and I talked non-stop the entire time I was there, taking only short breaks for sleeping and eating. Thanks, Jeff, for putting up with us. And thank you to you all that made my trip so special.

A Beautiful Fall Day

2008-11-04T20:55:00.003-06:00

Steven (11), Andrew (4), and Ryan (9)

Yesterday was such a gorgeous day, and our burning bushes were so beautiful, that I was inspired to take a few pictures of the boys on our lunch hour. This is one of the best shots that I got. Why is it so hard to get the three of them to all cooperate at the same time? Why do they always want to take silly pictures? They are my handsome little men, though. That's for sure!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T20:16:00.002-06:00

A Spy

A Chicago Bears Football Fanatic

A Cowboy

Another First

2008-11-04T19:44:00.003-06:00

By the time Andrew was released from his shoes last March, it was kind of late in the season to start wearing "pajamas with socks." So when we had some cooler weather in October, we broke out "pajamas with socks," and Andrew was thrilled. I don't even think he knew they existed until Jillian, who is his cousin, received some for a birthday present in October.

Rainy Days and Field Trips

2008-10-23T18:26:00.004-06:00

Field Trip #1

Andrew's Pre-K class took a field trip to Curran's Apple
Orchard on October 15, 2008. He loved every minute
of the trip, even if it was rainy. He didn't quit smiling the
entire time - even when I was taking his picture.

Enjoying the kiddie hay bale maze.

I wish so badly that I had thought to take video
of him feeding the goats. He LOVED it and
giggled the whole time. It was so cute.

Field Trip #2

On October 20th, our home school group went
on a field trip to hear a concert by the Rockford
Symphony Orchestra. It was titled "Musical
Postcards: Portraits of America" and featured
regional pieces from the West Coast across America
to the East Coast. It was a nice concert, made even
better by the fact that I knew someone in the orchestra.

Another rainy day! Fall has definitely arrived.

Ryan Turns Nine!

2008-10-23T14:56:00.009-06:00

Ryan's Birthday: Part 1

The Lego Display opened at the Discovery Center on Saturday, October 11, 2008. Steven and Ryan have really been into Legos here lately, so I thought it would be a fun activity for Ryan's birthday. We invited Jillian and Auntie Lisa along - who better to come than your birthday pal?! The kids are posing in front of the models of famous buildings. This was one of the last pictures I took at the DC, and three of them had been playing at the outdoor water area, just in case you were wondering.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day!

When we arrived, each child was given a little
blue 1x1 Lego piece to add to the City of Tomorrow.

More City of Tomorrow

Ryan riding the stationary bike to generate electricity to power a light bulb.

Just a fun picture. There are so many cool photo opportunities at the DC!

Andrew in the Tot Spot

Ryan's Birthday: Part 2

Ryan requested chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
for his birthday treat for his family party.

Ryan with his cool loot!

Ryan's Birthday: Part 3

Ryan's actual ninth birthday - October 18, 2008

We celebrated at home after getting back from Jillian's big 4 year old party.
We had homemade pizza and leftover cupcakes from Jillian's party.

Ryan reacting to Dad singing happy birthday to "Ry-Ry!"

A nice smile - and if you look closely enough, you can see the pink Barbie
plate that the cupcakes came home on. Thanks for sharing, Auntie Lisa!

Playing with Ryan's birthday present - Lego Batman for Wii.

Ryan's Birthday: Part 4

The traditional rocking chair picture.

A Great Opportunity

2008-09-29T19:46:00.004-06:00

Chris, Steven, and Ryan had an opportunity to attend the Bears game last night at Soldier Field. They went with one of Chris' co-workers. It was a special night for my boys! And bonus of all bonuses...the Bears won 24-20!!!

Tailgating before the game - with Chris' co-worker, Jamie

In front of Soldier Field

Andrew and I ended up at Beef-A-Roo for supper with some friends from church. He bounded onto the seat here and wanted his picture taken. Being the sentimental mom that I am, I took the picture!

Classical Conversations Presentations

2008-09-29T18:57:00.004-06:00

Ryan's presentation this last week was to share his favorite photograph
and talk about it. He chose a picture of me and him from a trip we took
to California in 2001 right before he turned two.

Steven's presentation was a demonstration.
He chose to demonstrate how to make Tummy Yummies.

Tummy Yummies

1 cup honey
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups dry milk

Mix all three ingredients together.
Roll into balls.
Set on wax paper and let sit for 1 hour.
Then EAT!

Andrew's School Days

2008-09-29T17:36:00.002-06:00

For the week of September 15 - 19, it was Andrew's turn to be Star of the Week in
his Pre-K class. He was asked to bring in pictures of his family, favorite
food/toys/etc. On Friday, he came home with a crown. He LOVES his crown.
This picture was actually taken on Saturday. He wore his crown the entire
weekend, including to bed on Friday night.

This is from Andrew's Open House night - posing in front of a bulletin board
right outside his classroom.

I love this picture - you can just barely see Andrew's little head peeking out the
window in the front seat of the bus. The bus driver always tells him to
"wave to mom" and he does until he can't see me anymore. I love it!

Andrew with an art project puppet that he made at school.

Pink Flamingos

2008-09-29T17:15:00.004-06:00

We had a fabulously fun 80th birthday party for Grandma Donna/Nonna over Labor
Day weekend in Springfield, Ohio. We had lots of pink flamingos and most of the
family was able to be there, decked out in pink. It was a great weekend. Grandma had
been in the hospital almost up to the time that everyone was supposed to come, and
she was afraid that we wouldn't. I think that she really enjoyed her party, even if she
was pretty tired by the end.

My boys and their Great-Grandma - Nonna

Back left to right
Cheryl, Matt, Deb, Chris, Steve, Doug, Tonia, Hallie
Middle
Robin, Michelle, Grandma Donna, Neci, Ann
Front
Ryan, Andrew, and Steven

Michelle engineered this gift - she had each of us make Grandma a scrapbook page,
and then she assembled it into an album. This way, even people that couldn't be at
the party, were able to participate in a special gift for Grandma. She really liked it.
Great idea, Michelle!

Flamingos, flamingos everywhere - I took lots of pictures of all the different
flamingos, but I'll refrain from posting them all.

Doug's pink outfit was fabulous. Grandma's reaction to him walking in was priceless!

First Day of School 2008-2009

2008-09-17T10:03:00.007-06:00

I realized after I sent out the blog update notice yesterday that I never posted first day of school pictures here. I had them on Facebook, but not here. So I apologize! Here you go!

August 21, 2008

Breakfast of "atemail" on the first day of school.

Three brothers!

This week has been very busy, and I hadn't gotten around to giving Andrew a hair cut. Not only was this the first day of school, but it was also picture day. So I gave Andrew a quick buzz. He was so slow eating his breakfast, that I was doing all I could to get him ready - so I spiked his hair while he was still eating. This is a post-spiked picture. And the hand sign - it's what he does in every picture he possibly can right now. I'm sure it's something he picked up from his brothers - bunny ears on his invisible friend?

All ready for our first day of school. Unfortunately, we missed the bus, so I had to drive him on his first day. But we still took the traditional first day of school picture in front of the house.

Andrew with Mrs. Hickerson, his teacher. He's so cute - he struggles saying the whole thing, so sometimes he'll tell me about "Hickerson."

I tried some non-traditional first day of school pictures with Steven and Ryan, since they wouldn't be sporting the backpack look. I couldn't seem to get a good shot - and it started raining before we were done, so we had to head indoors.

I didn't want any goofy smiles, but I didn't want the mean look either!

"Mom, can we just be done?"

Andrew's almost home!!! The bus coming up behind our house.

There's my boy! Getting off the bus. No fiascoes this year with the bus ride home.

Enjoying a little break after our first day of school.

As a special treat, we got to meet our friends from Milwaukee in Janesville later that day. First we went to a park, and then we ate supper at NOODLES & CO!!!
Ryan, Nick, Ben, and, Steven

Natalie and Andrew

First Day of Classical Conversations

2008-09-05T19:49:00.004-06:00

Today was Steven and Ryan's first class day with the Classical Conversations program in which we participate. In addition, it was my first time as a tutor for the grammar and writing class that they are both taking. I am tutoring the Essentials A level, and have Ryan in my class, while Steven is in Essentials B with the other tutor.

Our Classical Conversations group meets in
our church building.

July 4th Weekend in Minnesota

2008-08-16T22:23:00.006-06:00

The annual picture we take of the cousins that come to this weekend reunion.
Jillian is the only cousin missing.

Pa always takes the kids out for a boat ride. I missed the boat, literally, this year.

This was a huge 3-D puzzle that the neighbors brought over for our entertainment.
Delilah (on the left) has the pose and roar down perfectly.
Kya's giving it a good try too.

Pa and Grandma with the boys

Our favorite card game - Hand and Foot

We have a standing date in Minnesota every July 4th weekend.
Pa and Grandma host as many of the family that can come.
This year, Chris' Uncle Tim and Aunt Diane, Cousin Jenny and husband Joe, their
daughters Delilah and Kya, and our family were all there. We had a wonderful time!

Saying "Good-Bye"

2008-08-16T22:01:00.005-06:00

Rather than gathering up ALL the cousins present,
we grabbed the departing college students, the
twins who are now the oldest in the house again,
Chris and I, and took a "good-bye" shot.

Joel, Clara, Nancy, Robin Joyce, Sarah, Kelly, Chris

And then did our best to be silly!

Thankfully, we were able to all get together last night for a big dinner at the Fosters' house. Sarah just arrived home this week from her summer job. It worked out to be able to get together with them last night to spend a little time before they left (at 1:15 this morning) for the long drive to South Carolina. I got word a little while ago that they had arrived safe and sound at their destination.

Minnesota the Second

2008-08-16T21:38:00.006-06:00

We made a second weekend trip to Minnesota to visit Pa & Grandma just 3 weeks after our first trip. The timing worked with Chris' work schedule, his Dad's, Pa & Grandma's, and Uncle Tim's schedules. Unfortunately, his cousin Jenny and her family, and Aunt Diane were unable to join us this time. We still managed to have a great time and ate way too much good food!

The highlights of the trip included lots of fishing, including a keeper for Steven, more rounds of Hand and Foot, our favorite card game, tons of good food, me getting to come along on a boat ride, and some nice relaxing. It was fun having Grandpa Mike along for the ride AND it was the first big trip we've taken in our Honda Pilot.

Pa & Andrew

Steven with his crappie keeper

Uncle Tim filleting Steven's keeper

Grandma, Andrew, and Pa

Unfortunately, this is one of the only shots I got
of Grandpa Mike. I think I was too busy playing
cards, and not busy enough taking pictures!
Sorry, Grandpa Mike!

Uncle Tim left behind a special
reminder of Steven's fish. Look
closely at the shepherd's hook.

P.S. Apparently, I did not write a post about our first trip to Minnesota. I will have to rectify that, but it will look odd posted after the second one. I'm kind of behind, apparently!

Fabulous Night of Food, Fellowship, and Beading

2008-08-04T06:31:00.004-06:00

My friend, Heidi, and I planned a beading night, which took place this last Friday night. The evening started off with dinner, and ended with (almost) everyone going home with a completed project. In between, the evening was filled with laughter and fellowship. It was a sweet time.

I started making jewelry a number of years ago, and have recently become a lot more interested in the hobby. I've been learning new techniques and hopefully am becoming better at my craft. I've been able to sit down with several ladies and teach them how to make their own jewelry, and have learned a lot from them as well. We tend to inspire each other with ideas. Recently, other ladies have expressed an interest in learning: hence the inspiration to have a beading night.

We had 14 ladies here, including myself. Thank you to the husbands who stayed home with the kiddos, and to Chris who had to take our kiddos for a night out with Dad. I'm so glad all of you could arrange your schedules to come. I had a fabulous time, and hope you all did too.

I only took one picture all night long - how horrible is that??? I captured a couple yesterday at church, so I've included those as well.

Completed bracelets - the only photo actually taken that evening.

Sherrie's bracelet

and matching earrings

Ann-Marie actually made this prior to the party - at the party, she made a present for her mom. However, she did buy the beads during one of our Hobby Lobby field trips.

I worked a little bit after everyone went home Friday night, and I spent most of Saturday making jewelry. I can't post pictures of most of what I worked on, because it's a birthday present for someone who is one of my blog readers. This is a bracelet I've been wanting to make for a long time, and was finally able to do it. I've been collecting the materials for it, for at least a couple of months. I saw a picture in a magazine and did my best to copy it. I was afraid that I wouldn't like how it would turn out - sometimes the anticipation of something is far better than the actual manifestation, but I was happy with how it turned out. Shew!

Rainy Day/New Car

2008-07-19T21:49:00.006-06:00

So on this rainy Saturday, our family traveled to Schaumburg, IL to look at a Honda Pilot. We test drove it, and liked it a lot. Chris has been researching our vehicle situation for weeks - every night on-line looking through car after car after car. After our Civic was declared totaled, we had some tough decisions to make. Our van was in need of being replaced, in addition to Chris needing a commuter car for work. As you saw in my last post, we purchased a Saturn yesterday, and then we did go ahead and buy the Pilot today. We are very excited! It is such a relief to have our vehicle situation squared away finally. Lord willing, we will not have to make any major vehicle decisions for a LONG time!

After our Carmax experience was complete, we checked out the new Lego store at Woodfield Mall, where Steven and Ryan were each able to purchase a Lego set. Our next stop was IKEA, where we had lunch, and then browsed the store before we headed home. It's been a busy few days.

I snapped this picture before we went into Carmax. We traded in our van as part of the
vehicle purchase.

Ryan and Andrew enjoyed the special play area that Carmax has set up for kids 10 and under. Since Steven just turned 11 in June, he had to stay out. He came on the test drive with us, hung out while we got all the paperwork together, and occasionally checked on his brothers for us.

Andrew checking out cool stuff at the Lego Store.

2004 Honda Pilot

Our Family Vehicle

One Down, One To Go

2008-07-18T20:02:00.007-06:00

2000 Saturn SW2 Wagon

In an effort to resolve our vehicle situation, we have purchased a Saturn wagon for Chris' commuter car. Chris test drove it last night. Tonight, we went back to purchase it. Tomorrow morning we have an appointment to look at what could be our next family vehicle. More on that tomorrow, hopefully! This has been a thought-provoking time, since our Civic was declared totaled, because we were planning to replace our van this summer. Chris has been on-line every night for weeks searching for the solution to our current needs.

This is what Andrew looked like both last night and tonight at the car dealership. Taking a car ride right after supper seems to have quite the calming effect on our little man. He didn't actually see the car until after we had purchased it.

Let's Try This Again!

2008-07-15T19:00:00.004-06:00

After 9 years in our house, we finally have patio furniture. Yay!

Just a swingin'...

Summer Sillies

2008-07-15T18:43:00.004-06:00

Showing off ice cream. Those crazy boys!

Peek-a-Boo!

More of Steven's 11th Birthday

2008-06-26T22:13:00.004-06:00

Chris had to work super late tonight, and then shopped for Steven's present on the way home. So we essentially celebrated Steven's birthday almost 12 hours to the minute past his birth moment (10:32 am, June 26, 1997).

The birthday boy, with his special request: Very Lemon Jello Cake

Can you tell it's around 10:30 at night???

Steven's new bike! And Ryan inherits Steven's old bike, which he's excited about too! And then Andrew is the proud owner of Ryan's old bike - once we add training wheels and he learns how to use the pedals. (We're still working on that skill with him.)

Steven's First Golf Outing

2008-06-26T21:59:00.003-06:00

The golf course they played - Malta, IL

The score card - sorry it's so hard to read.
Chris - 37
Derek - 68
Steven - 88

Last Sunday afternoon, Chris, Uncle Derek, and Steven went golfing. This was a special day, because it was Steven's first time to go golfing. Chris took the boys to the driving range Saturday night to hit some golf balls. Steven is using a set of clubs that Uncle Tim gave him. They're a little big, but he just has to choke up a bit.

Victorious?

Steven Turns Eleven

2008-06-26T18:23:00.005-06:00

The obligatory rocking chair picture - one year older! Happy eleventh birthday, Steven! We love you!

Steven's birthday present this morning was the tooth that he lost. It made today a much better day than yesterday. It was so loose and painful that he couldn't eat all day. He was SO hungry after I picked him up from basketball camp yesterday afternoon, that he came home and ate pudding, applesauce, and scrambled eggs.

This week, Steven has been attending basketball camp. This is his third year attending the camp, and I think he enjoys it a lot.

My handsome basketball player

A familiar face to some of our friends from Morning Star

God's Hand of Protection

2008-05-19T19:00:00.006-06:00

Last Friday, May 16, 2008, Steven, Ryan, and I were involved in a car accident. I really can't tell you what happened for sure, but my impression is that we had another vehicle make a blind left turn across our lane. I do know that we hit that vehicle in both of the passenger side doors. The other car spun around and narrowly missed hitting another vehicle, and ended up facing me diagonally. The other driver was ticketed for the accident. There was a semi in the left lane waiting to make a left turn. I was in the right lane and did not see the vehicle at all, until right before I hit it. The semi was blocking my view of oncoming traffic, which means that the other driver's view was blocked as well. The accident happened at the same intersection where we turn to go to our church building. No connection - we were not coming or going to/from church, but that's where it happened.

The boys had participated in Stanford Achievement Tests Friday morning; I was a proctor, so I was also there. Afterwards, we ran several errands, the bulk of which involved grocery shopping. We had Chris' car, because the Civic was due for an oil change. We were done with our other errands, and were on our way to our mechanic's shop for the oil change, when we were stopped cold in our tracks.

There was a semi-truck driver that stopped to help us - he took care of calling 911 and directing traffic around me, since I couldn't move my car out of the lane. He also called my neighbor to arrange to have her get Andrew off his school bus for me. He was great. I was able to call him the next day and thank him. I thought this man was the one driving the semi that the accident happened by, but he was actually behind that semi.

The passenger side front door would not open - the back door opened though, thankfully, because I was able to get to my hysterical Ryan. Steven held it together pretty well at the scene, while Ryan got it all out. Over the course of the weekend, Steven did a lot of talking through the course of events.

The paramedics and police came. The paramedics checked out Ryan especially, since he couldn't stop crying. He had no idea that his seatbelt would hold him that tightly. I tried to explain that it did its job, and that he was safe because of that. I declined to have any of us taken to the hospital. We monitored everyone as the evening wore on, and I think we're all fine.

Steven was upset because I had an abrasion on my face from the airbag and there was just a little blood. He was also upset that the car was broken. I explained to him that it was just a "thing," and that I was thankful that he wasn't broken. The car could be replaced, but there is no replacement for my precious boys!!!!

I couldn't get a hold of Chris on his cell or at his desk, so for the first time ever, I had to have him paged. It took two tries, and an alert co-worker who knew Chris was in a meeting, to get a hold of him. He knew instantly what was wrong, and only had to ask how bad it was when he got on the phone with me. He left work immediately to come get us.

Because the boys were so upset, I called our friend Wilbur to come pick them up. Wilbur came right away to get them, and also took my groceries away, since I knew that my car was going to have to be towed. I am so thankful to have wonderful friends that we can call on in time of need.

Right after the accident happened, a man came running, from a nearby restaurant I believe, to find out if we were ok - he helped me locate my cell phone that had fallen on the floor of the front seat, and made sure that the boys were ok. I never saw him again, but I was thankful for his concern. Later, after the other car had left, and things were calming down, I had a lady stop and ask if I needed a ride. I am just thankful for strangers that took the time to help or offer help. The police officer stayed with me until Chris could arrive to pick me up.

Besides the minor bumps, bruises, and burns, and the brokenness of our car, the only other casualties of our accident were one broken can of pop, and a dent in my laptop. We threw the pop away, and my laptop has been working just fine.

God's Hand of protection was on Steven, Ryan, and me. The seatbelts held, airbags deployed, and metal crumpled where it was supposed to. The accident was a lot scarier to the three of us than the damage that shows in these pictures.

For some reason, I rolled down the passenger side window. I don't know if I did it when the airbags started smoking, or to talk to someone, I'm really not sure. It was a detail that I remembered this morning, actually. Another detail that occurred to me later was that I was wearing sunglasses while I was driving, but I didn't remember having them on later. I found them today when I stopped by to take pictures - they were on the floor. Also while I was there today taking pictures, we were going to put the window back up, but the battery was dead, so we couldn't.

The Civic had to be towed. The other car was drivable, even though both of the passenger doors were pretty crumpled.

Here you see the driver's side airbag.

The only lingering injury, thankfully! I received friction burns on both of my hands from the airbag deploying. The minor bumps and abrasions on my face and neck have pretty much disappeared already. At least you know I wasn't talking on a cell phone when the accident occurred, since there are burns on both hands; and I was not shifting at the time either. Of course, I wouldn't be able to tell you what gear I was in. That's one of the many details that eludes me.

My three precious boys two days after the accident. Thankfully Andrew was at school when the accident happened. I can't even imagine what it would have been like if all three of them had been with me.

Cousins Squished on the Couch

2008-05-12T20:02:00.005-06:00

Sorry - I stole this picture from either my aunt or my cousin, but I just came across it and wanted to add another cousins squished on the couch picture to my blog. It's from Easter at my grandparents' house - Val was here from Boston, Jon was here from Streamwood, IL, and Ben, Ashley, and Cooper were here from Kansas. It was the first time we got to meet Cooper. (Val, Jon, and Ben are all siblings).

Arizona

2008-05-12T19:45:00.004-06:00

Chris took me away on a trip to Arizona at the end of April. We had planned this trip for months, but only Chris knew the destination -- that part was a surprise for me. We worked out with our parents to watch our kids over the weekend, and we were able to be away for four days together. We packed a lot into those days (really only two days of site-seeing), and just had a fabulous time reconnecting as a couple. Here is a link to our pictures if you are interested in taking a look.

When You Have a Squirrelly Dad...

2008-05-12T19:34:00.003-06:00

This picture isn't entirely accurate...The day I found this "decoration," I still had all my snowmen decorations out. I had a friend over, and we were just hanging out in my living room - apparently something I don't do often enough, because all of a sudden I noticed something different on the shelf. I speculated where it could have possibly come from. I should have suspected my dad, but for some reason, I didn't. Sneaky! I think it was there for a couple of weeks before I even noticed it!

Close-up of this gem of a decoration!

Family Photo

2008-05-12T19:32:00.003-06:00

May 2008 - the last family photo we took was
four years ago. It's about time!!!

It's Spring!

2008-05-12T19:25:00.004-06:00

We have baby robins on top of our swing set -
they've already hatched. We can watch the nest
from our big window in our living room.

We also have a nest in one of our front bushes.
It's just so cool! And we had a little bunny nest
on the side of our house, but they abandoned it
Sunday amidst all the rain that we had. Hopefully
they found better shelter.

Just a Regular Day

2008-05-12T19:17:00.003-06:00

Andrew played a little in the yard today
while we waited for the bus to come.

He can get on the bus all by himself nowadays!

Sara kind of pushed him back so that I could
take his picture. :)

It's Finally Andrew's Turn

2008-05-12T19:06:00.006-06:00

Finally Andrew gets a turn to ride the lawn tractor with Dad!

Dinner With Cousins

2008-03-28T19:51:00.005-06:00

March 7, 2008
My cousins, Benjie and Christina were in town for a couple of days, and we were able to get together for dinner one night. We ate at Franchesco's. That was during the time when we were all fighting off sickness, so a number of people were missing: Chris, Steven, Ryan, Andrew, and Tyler. Travis and Tyler were staying with my parents for a few days, but Tyler got sick and went back home. We had a great time filled with good food and catching up.

The "whole" gang, as it were:
Travis, Robin, Benjie, Christina, Mom, and Dad

Travis and his pizza

Benjie and his PIZZA!

Only one slice left...

WAY more than one slice left!

A Time Line of Andrew's Clubfoot

2008-03-28T09:33:00.014-06:00

I've been looking back over our pictures from the last four years, and it has sparked many memories. I had forgotten that Andrew's first bath was on his two month birthday. He got his first cast on before his umbilical cord fell off, so he didn't get a real bath in the tub until after he got his last cast off.

April 28, 2004
Andrew in his fourth and final cast
following his teunotomy (cutting of
the Achilles tendon).

This is Andrew's team - Dr. Noonan is on the left, and
Dr. Nemeth is on the right. After Andrew was done
with all the casting, Dr. Nemeth took over his care.

After almost two months of being in casts, this
is what his leg looked like! And he also suffered
a cut from the cast saw. The last cast he had was
really thick - it was extra protective as he had to
have his Achilles tendon grow back after they cut it.

Andrew's first pair of shoes: they're so tiny!

Steven and Ryan have done a lot of changing
in the last four years as well!

August 1, 2004

August 17, 2004

October 6, 2004

October 24, 2004

November 4, 2004

January 29, 2005 The ball we used to help
strengthen Andrew's abdominal muscles

April 16, 2005: Finally learning to crawl

It's such hard work!

After Andrew learned to crawl, he did it with no
problem, even with shoes on!

July 8, 2005: Cruising into trouble

March 30, 2006: Full blown walking

Andrew didn't crawl until after he was one year old, and didn't walk until he was 18-1/2 months old. I was super worried, but he has more than made up for it in the years that have followed. With some intervention through the Child and Family Connection, we hooked up with evaluations and a physical therapist. The first time we got evaluated by the PT, she helped him learn how to crawl. It was that easy. Very soon after that, he could crawl with or without his shoes on. And then he started cruising. He cruised for a long time before he was ready to take his first independent steps. But he finally did. And I am thankful!

No More Shoes!

2008-03-28T06:57:00.011-06:00

Yesterday (March 27, 2008) was a very exciting day. After having been through a very intense first two months of his life, Andrew started wearing bar-and-brace shoes. At first he had to wear them 24 hours a day. When he was about nine months old, he got to have a four hour break a day. By the time he was one or so, he was able to have them off for eight hours a day. Then he went to wearing them any time he was sleeping - nap and night time. So for the past three years, we have been strapping these shoes on (nearly) every night.

I have been talking about yesterday for the past couple of weeks with Andrew - that he won't have to wear his "night-night shoes" any more, because he would ask for them when I was putting him to bed. "Mom, I need my shoes."

So yesterday, we made our much anticipated trek to Madison to go to the American Family Children's Hospital to see Dr. Nemeth. We are officially released from the bar-and-brace shoes. What a beautiful day! Chris pointed out that I was setting myself up for a major disappointment by making such a big deal of it being the "release day," as we weren't positive. Every indication from our last two visits (last March and then in September) pointed to his fourth birthday as being his release age. And thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. We go back in one year to make sure that he is still on the right track.

I am so thankful for Andrew's progress. God has been so good to us. We were put in the hands of good doctors from the start, his case was mild, and it only involved one foot. He has come a long way. He runs and jumps and keeps up as best he can with the big boys. He doesn't have many of the problems that accompany clubfoot children. God is good!

Last night, Andrew lifted up his blankets and told me that he needed his shoes. I told him that he didn't need his shoes anymore. I got to put him to bed guilt-free with no shoes. What a blessed night. I imagine that it won't take him long to realize that it's ok to sleep without shoes. I am thankful that he will be able to sleep in any position that he wants without having his legs in weird positions because his feet are attached to each other. We are thankful and praising God!

This morning, Andrew got out of bed all by himself. He didn't have to wait for anyone to come untie and unbuckle his shoes before he could get up. The blessings may seem small to others, but they are abounding for me!

March 27, 2008
Last time to take Andrew's shoes off
so that he can get out of bed.

Dr. Nemeth with Andrew

Asleep...

First "legal" night with no shoes. Look at
that peaceful position with feet together!
Now, if we could just get him to sleep
barefoot and let those feet breathe!

Here's what I mean about sleeping
positions with his shoes. Ah! No more!

Welcome Home, Uncle Ed, Auntie Robin, and Alex!

2008-03-28T06:31:00.012-06:00

A really sweet sign that the neighbors from
across the street made to welcome home
Uncle Ed, Auntie Robin, and Alex

Waiting for the party to commence!

Watching a movie, waiting for the party to start...

"SURPRISE!!!"

Sister Hugs

The neighbors from across the street - they made
the nice sign, and let us hide cars in their driveway

Martina, Surprise Party Planner, Extrordinaire

Kelly

Nancy and Melanie

Dad, being a goofball, and Mom

Mom and Aunt Judy

Clara, Joel, and Annie

Dad and Keith

Pastor with Auntie Robin and Uncle Ed

Alex, Ryan, and One Cool Cake

Clara and Grandma Kay

Auntie Robin and Travis

Cousins and more squished on and around the couch...
If it wasn't for a very vocal Kelly, we wouldn't have
gotten Chris in the picture. Good job, Kelly!!!

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008, Uncle Ed, Auntie Robin, and Alex returned to United States' soil from their trip to Russia to make Alex's adoption complete. Once the plane landed on American soil, Alex became a US Citizen! All but one of their kids: Joel and his fiance Annie, Nancy, Clara, Kelly, Tyler, and Travis met them at the airport and brought them home. I'm sure it was a wonderful reunion! (Sarah is away at college in South Carolina.)

While the kids were busy picking up their parents, final preparations were being made on the home front for a welcome back surprise party. Martina Kilburn was instrumental in planning the party. She and I put our heads together and came up with a lasagna dinner idea. Martina, Grandma Kay, Aunt Nancy, and Robin Joyce all made lasagnas.

When the Fosters all arrived home, Grandma Kay was waiting for them in the kitchen - since she was supposed to be there. The kids had told their parents that someone had provided a meal for them, so it wouldn't be too suspicious that there was food waiting. We all hid in the living room jittery with excitement (ok maybe I was the only one jittery with excitement), until they made their way through the house and we could jump out and yell "surprise!"

It was a super fun evening. Pastor and Jeremy and Anouk came later in the evening. Pastor had us go around the room and share testimonies of our praise to God for various workings in the whole adoption process. God's hand was evident around every corner. Then we all held hands around the room(s) and Pastor led a prayer of praise to God.

A Look Back

2008-03-13T20:16:00.003-06:00

2005 - Age 1

2006 - Age 2

2007 - Age 3

2008 - Age 4

Andrew Turns Four!

2008-03-13T19:48:00.003-06:00

Today is Andrew's fourth birthday. I am amazed that the last four years have flown by so fast. Can it really be true?

We celebrated tonight with a meal of one of Andrew's favorite foods: hot dogs! At least we grilled them and ate them on buns (as opposed to microwaved and cut up into little wheels). My cousins, Travis and Tyler, are staying with us for a few days while their parents are in Russia. My dad was working on a project at church, but my mom was able to have dinner with us as well. I made chocolate chip cookies for Andrew to take as birthday treats to school, so we had those for our birthday dessert. Andrew wanted to skip the singing of "Happy Birthday" and go straight to presents, but we "wowed" him with our singing anyway.

Speaking of the chocolate chip cookies - I had sent them to school in a plastic tub in Andrew's backpack. They didn't eat them all at snack time, so his teacher sent home the leftovers. His backpack was stuffed pretty full, so he was carrying the plastic tub. When Monica (Andrew's bus driver) stopped in front of our house, he was actually still sitting in his seat (usually he is standing and she is holding him back from falling as she pulls to a stop). So what was he doing? Eating cookies. That little rascal!

Happy 4th Birthday, Andrew. We love you!

Tyler, Ryan, Travis
Andrew, and Steven

We had to find a new stuffed animal with
which to take Andrew's annual rocking chair picture.
We had to throw away the big Snoopy that we
had been taking the annual picture with, because
he sprung a leak. He was leaking tiny styrofoam
pellets everywhere. I think he was a little old
and worn out. He was a hand-me-down after all.

Showing off his cards

Showing the action figure guys that
comprised his birthday present.

News About Alex

2008-03-13T13:22:00.005-06:00

We have heard a couple of updates about Alex which you can access HERE and HERE. God has taken care of them and smoothed the road to make Alex's adoption official. We are looking forward to their return next Wednesday! Don't be fooled by the "Foster kid" label. Alex Foster is officially in the Foster family. :)

LONG OVERDUE! #6

2008-03-11T23:22:00.003-06:00

Showing off just a couple of the boys' Christmas gifts:

Modeling sweatshirts from the Wellers

Wedge pillow and book light - not the most appealing sounding
gift (to Uncle David & Aunt Linda), but the boys love them!

Steven's wedge pillow and book light

New pajamas from Pa & Grandma

LONG OVERDUE! #5

2008-03-11T23:07:00.006-06:00

Family Christmas with Chris' family and Pa & Grandma from Minnesota - in DeKalb.

In the past, we have normally celebrated Christmas with Mike and Deb the weekend before we made the trip to Ohio. Pa and Grandma would come down from Minnesota to celebrate with us after we all got back from Ohio. The last couple of years, we have combined the two Christmas celebrations together. It's a huge event of controlled chaos that has become our new family tradition. Very fun!

It's the little things that make the whole day special. We meet for breakfast out. Then we come back to the house and go through our stockings. Then the passing out of gifts - a job for the kids. It's fun to watch them taking this responsibility so seriously. Then the gift opening goes from youngest to oldest, including the usual sparring about who's older than whom. Simple Christmas dinner cuts down on prep time and maximizes time together. Hanging out for the day. Good times. The stuff memories are made of.

Passing out the gifts

Lining up the Cars cars...

Checking out what Uncle Derek is doing

Everybody squished on the love seat

That's our Jillian!

LONG OVERDUE! #4

2008-03-11T22:47:00.006-06:00

Friday Night Pizza

It has become a family tradition to get together for a family pizza night whenever Pa and Grandma come to Illinois. This time, everyone was able to come: Pa & Grandma, Grandpa Mike & Grandma Deb, TJ, Lisa, & Jillian, and Derek!

Lisa & Grandma

Ryan & Uncle Derek

Pa

Jillian, TJ, & Andrew

LONG OVERDUE! #3

2008-03-11T22:20:00.006-06:00

Post Holiday Gathering: Bruce, Jessica, and William came from Virginia for a visit. We had a big family dinner filled with lots of food, fellowship, and fun! By the end of Bruce & Jessica's visit, Andrew and William had really bonded. Andrew understood that William was his cousin and even started calling him his friend.

Jessica brought a cookie tree kit

l to r
Dad, Wilbur, Linda, Clara, Grandma Marian, Kelly, and Nancy

l to r
Travis, Steven, Alex, and Tyler

Annie and Joel stop by to join the fun

Mom & Grandpa

The engaged couple

Bruce & William

William & Jessica

Sarah giving a sweet hug to Andrew

LONG OVERDUE! #2

2008-03-11T21:46:00.003-06:00

Our Family Christmas: December 25, 2007

LONG OVERDUE! #1

2008-03-09T15:26:00.006-06:00

Some photos long overdue - I didn't realize that I have yet to post any pictures from Christmas. I'm so sorry!

This post covers our Ohio Christmas, which took place the weekend before Christmas Day. We spend time in Ohio every year for Christmas. Family ties and traditions are strong bonds. We spend time with Chris' grandma, his parents, siblings, niece, three sets of aunts and uncles, cousins, and cousins-in-law. The family has grown over time adding the great-grandkids and spouses, but we still manage to squeeze into Grandma's living room. It's a special time that we look forward to every year.

Matt and the Browns

Steven, the Browns, and his football card pose

It was such a nice day, the kids (big and small)
were able to get outside and run around.

A little game of "Monkey in the Middle"

Some of the cousins:
Michelle, Tony, Hallie, and Cheryl

Cheryl & Matt

Andrew and Jillian performing for the crowd

More About Alex's Adoption

2008-02-28T07:43:00.002-06:00

I just read this LETTER this morning, and am in tears - of joy! I wanted to also point you to a nice PHOTO ALBUM of my cousin and his adopting family. The latest blog entry about Alex's adoption is HERE.

My Cute Little Valentine

2008-02-26T21:59:00.004-06:00

Pictures from Andrew's Early Childhood Valentine's Party:

What a Cutie!

Enjoying a sweet treat!

This little headband/hat was the cutest thing ever...
I couldn't get over the bouncing little hearts whenever
he moved his head. Kudos to his EC teacher for such
a cute art project!

Meridian Youth Basketball: Random Shots

2008-02-26T21:18:00.007-06:00

Steven and Ryan just finished up playing in the Meridian Youth Basketball League on February 16th. I think they had fun, and it was a good opportunity for exercise, and to be with their friends.

Ryan: #6

Ryan dribbling

Steven: #1

Steven going after a loose ball

What Andrew did during a couple of the games that he actually attended:
Chris and I split many of the games, because often they were hours apart.

This is Andrew with his buddy, Michael. I'm in the background
on the left, and Michael's mom, Sharon is in the background on
the right. It cracks me up that we're both sitting there in the same
position - hands crossed the same way and everything.

Michael and Andrew discovered that it was
great fun to crawl UNDER the bleachers!

Michael is under the bleachers, and Andrew
is trying to peak through the cracks at him
from the other side.

A New Super Hero Is On the Scene

2008-02-26T21:12:00.002-06:00

"It's Bibleman?!"

"No, wait, it's Dracula/Hulk?!"

A Super Hero Tri Fecta: Bible Man/Dracula/Hulk
taking out a bad guy (ie his brother)

Our Super Bowl Party

2008-02-26T20:52:00.004-06:00

Steven

Grandpa Bill & Grandma Nancy

Andrew, Chris, & Ryan

Goofball #1 & Goofball #2

February 3, 2008 Giants vs. Patriots

Our evening church service was canceled due to adverse weather conditions, so we ended up watching the Super Bowl much earlier in the evening than we had originally planned. We ate pizza and beer nuggets, and enjoyed the company of my parents to watch the game. Ryan was the only family member rooting for the Patriots; the rest of us were rooting for the underdog-Giants. It was a very exciting game - much better than last year's disappointing Bears' loss!

An Update On Lyosha

2008-02-21T23:07:00.006-06:00

Click HERE to read more about the exciting news the Fosters (Robin's uncle, aunt, and cousins) have received. Even though Lyosha is already our cousin, it will soon, Lord willing, become more "official!"

Finally...

2008-01-30T22:55:00.000-06:00

January 2, 2008 was a great day! My new washer and dryer were delivered in the morning, and I got right to work tackling the large pile of laundry that had accumulated. My mom had graciously allowed me to do a whole bunch of loads at her house, and when I got to the point that I couldn't handle the sight of my gynormous laundry pile, I hauled it all to the laundromat to get it all done at once. Needless to say, I am very grateful to my husband for his hours of research in finding the machines that we ended up with!!!

A gynormous pile of laundry! I had to completely
clear out the laundry room, so this all ended up in
our room.

I couldn't get Andrew to stand in front of the laundry
to add perspective to the picture, but I at least got
him to sit in front of it.

Our very first washer - we bought it from Pam & Doug
when they moved into their second house.

Our first dryer - a hand-me-down from my
parents.

A beautiful sight!

My new washing machine!

My new dryer!

I've been busy!!!!

Andrew Graduates to a Big Boy Bed

2008-01-30T22:33:00.002-06:00

Poor Andrew has slept on a mattress on the floor for probably 2-1/2 years. Our reasons for taking down the crib were two-fold: It was hard to get him in and out of that crib with his bar-and-brace shoes, and he was a horrible sleeper. I thought that if I could lay next to him on the floor, maybe just maybe, he would sleep harder and longer. Wrong! But it was a good theory. We also moved him into the same room as his brothers in hopes that that would help as well, but that didn't work either. It just took time to cure that problem. Since around age two (approximately), Andrew has been a great sleeper.

Around Thanksgiving, we were made aware that Chris' cousin in Minnesota was getting rid of her daughters' car bed. I called her up and we made arrangements. Pa and Grandma graciously hauled the bed down to Illinois at Christmas when they came down to celebrate together. After a little assembly...voilà...Andrew had a big boy bed!

Cute VW Bug Bed - Andrew's "maiden slumber" in his new bed

Another view of the "maiden slumber"

"Modeling" the new bed

The night he insisted on wearing his froggy hat to bed

Cousin Time

2008-01-29T10:36:00.000-06:00

At Hobby Lobby: So many choices...So little time!
from left: Clara, Kelly, Nancy, Sarah

"Smile!"

Hard at work designing the bracelets

Nancy chose to make earrings.

I got to model all the bracelets at the end of the night.

December 18, 2007 - My cousins and I took a field trip to Hobby Lobby to pick up supplies to make some Christmas presents. Sarah was home from college, and since we had missed each other over the summer during her brief visit home, we had made a pact that we would get together over Christmas break some way or some how. So there we were, Sarah, Nancy, Clara, Kelly, and me picking out beads at Hobby Lobby. We came back to my house and worked on putting together some Christmas presents. The girls had never made jewelry before, so I did the "technical" parts while they did the artistic part. We had a super fun evening, and I'm so glad that it worked out to get together. Then those silly girls surprised me the next week by giving me one of the fruits of their labors! :)

Hello!

2008-01-08T10:20:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to say "hello" to any readers that stop by our blog. We haven't abandoned our posting...just having technical difficulties. My computer crashed shortly before Christmas, and Chris has since fixed it, but I don't have my photo program loaded back on. I have lots of fun pictures to post, but we will all have to wait.

We hope that you all had a wonderful time with family and friends over Christmas and into this New Year!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-16T14:44:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends who are stopping by to read our blog. We hope you enjoy what you find. Most of all, though, we hope that you take time to contemplate the Awesome Gift our Savior is to us!

Love,
Chris, Robin, Steven, Ryan, and Andrew

Random Pictures

2007-12-11T22:04:00.001-06:00

Our new school room set-up. We moved down to the
office in the basement even though it's not finished. It's
nice to have all our school stuff out of the living room!
We just made the move two weekends ago.

Sharing a story...

Wrapped up like an Eskimo - couldn't resist taking
this picture. :)

Wrestling Brothers

Meet Cyclops, the Pirate

My dying washing machine: It's not supposed
to do that, is it?

Arctic Circle Update

2007-12-11T21:58:00.000-06:00

Well, Heather. Here it is...too bad it snows here, and that we don't have mountains, and that it gets cold, and that we don't have an ocean, and that Laurel, Amelia, and Evan's grandparents don't live here...It's pretty, though, don't you think?

Look William!

2007-12-11T21:57:00.001-06:00

Hi, William! Grandma Nancy saw Andrew's slippers, and she said that you have some just like his! They are fun, aren't they?

Small Group Family Get-Together

2007-12-11T21:10:00.000-06:00

Chris gets together with a small men's group every other week for Bible study and fellowship over breakfast. November 30th, we all got together as families for a big dinner. The Kilburns' graciously hosted this large group of people.

Chris, Terry, Uncle Ed, and Keith - the men's group

Clara, Nancy, Martina (Keith's wife), Aunt Robin, and Kelly

Steven, Megan, Tyler, Ryan, Travis, Joshua
(clockwise from lower left corner)

Kay (Uncle Ed's mom) and Jan (Terry's wife)

Aunt Robin, Joel, and Alex

Terry & Uncle Ed

Martina's dad from Spain & Rachel

Josiah & Kelly

Alex, Andrew, and Melanie

They couldn't resist a silly shot! Those boys!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-12-11T20:32:00.001-06:00

This is the first year in our 13 year marriage that we did not share Thanksgiving dinner with Chris' immediate family. It was kind of weird! We had a great time with Pa & Grandma, Uncle Tim & Aunt Diane, Joey, Jenny, Delilah, & Kya in Watertown, Minnesota. Dinner was fabulous! And it was nice to be able to spend some extended time with them all - this summer's visit got cut quite short due to a scheduling error. Diane, Jenny, and I got out for a while on Black Friday to do some shopping and have lunch out. (Of course!) We had a nice time being with family!

We drove up early Thursday morning. This is
Andrew enjoying his muffin at Perkins.

Ryan

Kya

Steven

Delilah

Andrew all dolled up with some fun jewelry!
You can tell that Tim & Diane have
granddaughters - they have lots of fun
dress-up costume dresses and a whole
jewelry box full of fun items!

Pa & Ryan

Kya helping Grandma Jackie get dolled up!

Ryan, Kya, Andrew, Delilah, & Steven

Some Beautiful Fall Pictures

2007-12-11T20:15:00.000-06:00

The Last Leaf: one lone leaf clinging
to the tree in our front yard.

The red of the burning bush and the red barberry
contrasted with the green of the yews: just so
pretty! And throw a cute little boy in the picture,
just for good measure!

Annual Shopping Trip

2007-12-10T09:17:00.001-06:00

In addition to Black Friday (which we weren't together for this year for the first time in 13 years), Deb, Lisa, Jillian, Andrew, and I make an annual shopping trip to pick out gifts from Grandpa Mike and Grandma Deb for our kids. This might be the last year that Andrew and Jillian can accompany us for this trip, since they are getting so savvy with what's going on. We had a really fun time together (Duh!), had a yummy lunch at Applebee's and just had a great day. I was actually able to buy quite a few presents for some of the kiddos on my list (since that was the theme of the day).

Getting ready to start our shopping day

Cheesing it up at Target

Kisses for Jillian

Classical Conversations Presentation Night

2007-12-10T08:39:00.000-06:00

Friday, November 16th, 2007, our Classical Conversations group had a Presentation Night. The kids recited all the Bible verses, history sentences, history time line, Latin conjugations, English grammar, Science facts, and Geography locations they had learned up through week 10 of the semester. The kids wore their uniforms, their art work was displayed, and most importantly the program was followed by a cookie reception. Grandpa Bill, Grandma Nancy, More Grandpa, and More Grandma were able to join us. We missed Grandpa Mike and Grandma Deb - they couldn't come, because Grandpa Mike was sick.

Steven, Cody, and Ethan

Ryan and Grandma Nancy

Cousin Time

2007-11-13T18:18:00.001-06:00

Chris, Jeff holding Evan,
Amelia, and Laurel

Amelia and Laurel

What do I say about these pictures? That I am excited that Chris got to spend an evening with Jeff, Heather, Laurel, Amelia, and Evan? Well, I am. Do I say that I'm jealous that he got to spend an evening with them, and I didn't? Because I am. Do I say that I miss all of the people in these pictures? Because I do!

Jeff, Heather, Laurel, Amelia, and Evan graciously came down to San Francisco last night to have dinner with Chris. They ate at Umbria, a great restaurant near where Chris' conference is going on; and afterwards they went on a walk. Chris thoroughly enjoyed the time with them, and they treated him like royalty. He loved the kids and their antics. He got to discuss Cars with Evan and observe the changes in the girls since Summer 2006. I am so thankful for our friendship that transcends the fact that we are related. And that they want to get together even when I can't be there. I still haven't gotten over the fact that Chris got to meet Laurel before me one of the last times he was in San Francisco for a conference. But I just need to get over myself, since she's seven now!

Thank you, Jeff and Heather, for taking such good care of my hubby while he's away! Thank you for your love and sacrifice of time for us. Because really, anything you do for Chris, you are ultimately doing for our whole family! :) I love and miss you terribly!

P.S. I alluded to it in the title, but for those that missed it: Heather is my cousin. Sorry for the confusion.

Ryan's Eighth Birthday Party

2007-11-03T19:22:00.000-06:00

We were able to have Ryan's 8th birthday party tonight. We were supposed to have Ryan's party last Saturday, but Andrew came home from school that Friday with pinkeye. So we called everyone and rescheduled it for tonight. The party guests included More Grandpa, More Grandma, Grandpa Bill, Grandma Nancy, Grandma Deb, Uncle Derek, Auntie Lisa, TJ, Jillian, Mr. Wilbur, and Mrs. Linda. We missed you Grandpa Mike! Thank you for all the nice presents and cards!

It was kind of neat that Ryan celebrated his birthday on his cousin William's actual birthday. Happy Birthday, William!

The Big 8-Year-Old With His Chocolate Cake
with Chocolate Frosting

Singing "Happy Birthday" - Ryan couldn't
plug his ears for this rendition.

Fun Presents! (Uncle Derek in the background)

Putting Together His New "Mars Mission" Legos Set

Checking out one of the new DS games

Too much excitement for Andrew!

October 31st: Costumes

2007-10-31T16:11:00.000-06:00

Andrew's EC Class Party. They participated in the
School Parade around the block in Stillman Valley.
He looks pretty tired here in the picture to me...
Like he could fall asleep in his snack.

Ryan came along to Andrew's party as
Harry Potter.

Cutest Little Cowboy Ever!

Steven as Brian Urlacher #54.

Brian & Harry

Ready for Dad to take them out and about
in the neighborhood. After trick-or-treating,
they all went to DeKalb to hang out with
Grandpa Mike, Grandma Deb, Derek, Lisa,
and JILLIAN!

Grandpa Bill and Grandma Nancy stopped by
our house later to see the boys all dressed up.

I even got into the act for the Class Party. My friend
Sharon dressed her whole family up in a theme, completely
putting me to shame! She was the Lady of the Lake, and her
sons were Merlin, King Arthur, and the Sword in the Stone.
I hadn't planned on dressing up - I'm not good with costumes.
But as I was putting on my makeup, I had an idea. Quickly, I
transformed myself into a modern day June Cleaver, complete
with skirt, heels, pearls, and my PINK rubber gloves!

School Is Taking Its Toll

2007-10-18T19:34:00.000-06:00

Monday afternoon - fell asleep after school
while watching a movie.

Tuesday afternoon - fell asleep after
having eaten his after-school snack.
STAGE 1

STAGE 2

STAGE 3 - Mom carried him to his bed!

Brotherly Love

2007-10-18T19:26:00.000-06:00

This kind of behavior just warms my heart!!!

Eight Years Old!

2007-10-18T18:55:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to wish Ryan a "Happy Birthday" before the day is over. I actually remembered to take his rocking chair picture on his actual birthday. Score one for Mom! He got a new t-shirt and his very own Erector Model set. He's been busy ever since we opened it!

Happy Birthday to Jillian, too, who shares this special day with Ryan!

Our Eight Year Old in the Rocking Chair

Can't Resist A Silly Shot!

Ryan's Reaction to our Lovely Singing

Ryan Working Hard to Build His First Model

In Deep Concentration

Since we were in project mode tonight,
Steven pulled out a model plane that he
got for his birthday and started painting.

The Early Stages

In Celebration of the Homegoing of Maysel Ann Crawford

2007-10-15T08:04:00.000-06:00

The following was read at my Great Aunt Maysel's memorial service on October 10, 2007. Her grandson, Ben, did the reading, and did a great job. It was just so moving that I wanted to share it here on my blog.

My Mom and my Aunts asked me to share with you a little bit about their mother...our grandmother.

We called her a woman of amazing strength...even though for much of her life her body was weakened by the disease of multiple sclerosis. From what my mom and aunts recollect, she was diagnosed with the disease in her early 30s. They recall very little about their mom's healthy days; but do have many very special memories.

Grandma enjoyed the Packers, and I'm sure anyone who ever visited her at the nursing home will remember her green and gold decor. She also had a sweet tooth. Even as her health declined and she lost her appetite at mealtime, she always had a taste for a strawberry milkshake, cookies, black jelly beans, or caramel corn.

Her physical limitations did not affect her wit or sense of humor. She loved to joke; and one of her favorite past times was to tease Aunt Darlene, her youngest daughter.

Grandma loved to hand out Christmas and Birthday gifts to us grandkids, but she always asked if we had been good before she would hand us a gift. Of course...we always said YES!!!

One of our favorite Christmas memories was 2005 when cousin Judi brought her portable keyboard to the nursing home and we all gathered with Grandma to sing Christmas Carols. Although Grandma's memory was not as sharp as it had once been, she was able to recall the songs and joyfully sing along.

Grandma taught grade school before she became a 'mom.' Once she no longer taught school...she kept on teaching. She taught my mom and aunts about having a good work ethic, never quitting, thinking about others and not just themselves. She taught them to pick good friends; those who would help them make good decisions. Grandma taught us to love Jesus, because that is what really matters.

Grandma was unselfish. She didn't focus on herself or her limitations. Whenever we asked her how she was feeling; she would always reply asking how are YOU feeling?

As my mom and aunts were growing up, Grandma became physically limited due to her MS. She was unable to provide the same physical support my mom provides today. However, she consistently provided us with her prayer support. She was a prayer warrior and asked the Lord to keep us in His protection and perfect will.

Grandma left us an incredible lesson to follow. She led by example and never questioned her fate in life. During the past several years she would grow weary and pray for the Lord to take her home. Today we celebrate the answer to her prayer.

As you can probably tell, this lady we call Mom and Grandma will always hold a very special place in our lives and hearts. Because of her personal trust in Jesus Christ, we know this body here today is just her leftover shell. She is more alive today than she has ever been. In fact, now she has a perfect body; with two legs and full of strength. We believe since last Sunday at 9:40 am, she has been running on those streets of gold in Heaven...and she may not stop for the next 10,000 years.

This is me being rocked by Aunt Maysel
in her wheel chair. I was a colicky baby,
and Aunt Maysel was able to calm me
down by rocking me. Mom says this was
the only time I was happy on this trip.
(Christmas 1972)

This is Aunt Maysel's obituary:
On Sunday morning, October 7, 2007, Maysel Crawford, 77, entered the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, after courageously enduring a battle with multiple sclerosis for most of her adult life. Maysel was born September 24, 1930 in Oconto to the late Roy and Meta (Ziemer) Crozier. She married Carl Crawford on June 6, 1953. He preceded her in death on December 18, 1997.

Proverbs 31:28 says "Her children arise up and call her blessed." This verse fittingly describes the sentiment of her surviving daughters Janice (Darryl) Gertzfield, Palatine, IL; Carol Crawford, Green Bay; Patricia (Bernie) Hallett, Green Bay; Darlene Crawford, Green Bay; three grandchildren Adrianna, Benjamin and Bradley Hallett, two step-grandchildren Staci (Rob) Rajcevich, Jeremy Gertzfield, and a step-great granddaughter Jordyn Rajcevich. A brother Gerald (Ellen) Crozier, Milwaukee; and a sister Delores Riewe, Oconto; two sisters-in-law Florence Crozier, Oconto; Lorraine Crozier, Sun Prairie; and many nieces, nephews and friends. She is preceded in death by two brothers Harold and Elroy Crozier and a sister Marge Flynn.

The family will receive relatives and friends at the Gallagher Funeral Home, Oconto, from 4 to 8 PM Tuesday, October 9. Visitation will continue on Wednesday, October 10, from 10 to 11 AM at Bay City Baptist Church in Green Bay. Funeral services will be conducted 11 AM Wednesday at the church with Rev. Ray Anderson and Rev. David Bender officiating. Burial will be at the Evergreen Cemetery, Oconto. On line condolences may be expressed at www.gallagherfuneralhome.net.

Her daughters would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff of Odd Fellow Nursing Home for their care and support over the past six years.

Andrew's First Field Trip

2007-10-11T23:08:00.000-06:00

This week is Fire Prevention Week, so Andrew took his very first field trip to the "Fire Truck Station." We walked there from the school with the Pre-K class. Steven and Ryan got to tag along.

The firefighter demonstrated how to
put on all his gear. There was a lot
of gear!

Fire Trucks are BIG!

Can you tell we're in Stillman Valley with the
Cardinals logo? Go SV Cards!

Hopefully this is the only kind of situation where
they'll be in the back of an ambulance!

Andrew and Ms. Caldwell

Me & My October Sixth Birthday Pals

2007-10-11T07:44:00.001-06:00

Me, Jan, and Aunt Sally

Jan is my dad's cousin, so I think officially she is my first cousin, once removed; and Aunt Sally is actually my great aunt. It's fun having such special birthday pals!

Me & Aunt Sally

I am thankful for...girlfriends!

2007-10-03T06:36:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I was invited to a girlfriend luncheon with my friends, Sharon and Michelle. Last year, we got together for "Thursdays at Robin's," which moved to "Mondays at Robin's," which moved to "Mondays at Sharon's." The girlfriend luncheon tradition has started up again to be "More or Less, Every other Tuesday at Sharon's." I have missed both installments due to sickness in my children. Yesterday, after having missed my second opportunity to fellowship with my girlfriends, they walked around the block to my house, bearing gifts. Michelle brought apple cider donuts from the apple orchard, and Sharon had a dish of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. I thought it was so sweet! We just chatted outside for a few minutes, but it was such a boost to my spirit and my day. Thank you to my girlfriends! :)

Madison Trip

2007-09-28T09:21:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we made our twice yearly trek to Madison for a check up on Andrew's clubfoot. The doctor was very pleased with how the foot looked, and said that he couldn't even tell the difference between the two feet on several points. He even pointed out that the fact that Andrew has muscle tone in his right calf is a good sign - some kids with clubfoot don't have that. We're one step closer to being done with the Denis-Browne bar and brace shoes for good! We have our next appointment scheduled for March 2008, so the countdown for my next Noodles trip begins.

Thankfully, I called yesterday morning to confirm Andrew's appointment. Normally, I receive a letter of confirmation, but one didn't come this time, and I was kind of nervous that I had the date wrong or something. So I called to confirm, and he indeed was scheduled, but the new Children's Hospital has opened since the last time we had an appointment, so we were to go to the new building. I am so thankful for my cell phone, my patient husband, and the fact that he was actually sitting in front of his computer instead of off in a meeting somewhere. He got us to the right building. I was so nervous by the time I got there - you'd think I had never been to this complex before.

My countdown to Noodles & Company finally came to be! I had the Indonesian Peanut Saute, Steven had the House Marinara, Ryan had the good old Wisconsin Mac & Cheese. It was a really yummy lunch! Andrew didn't have much of an appetite yesterday (or today for that matter) - he picked up a cold (probably from school). It will be nice to get his immune system built up as the year goes on. Poor little man had to miss school two days in a row now.

We also shopped at Trader Joe's - I had printed out directions to get there from home, and then how to get to the hospital from TJ's. We did not have time to go to TJ's before Andrew's appointment, so we went afterwards. I was able to use my directions to get to TJ's from the hospital - there were only four turns. However, trying to get back to the Beltline from Trader Joe's without reverse directions proved to be a difficult task for me. I am not good with directions - especially trying to figure out how to get back. There's a reason Chris calls me "Geography Girl." We got some fun stuff at Trader Joe's, but I had to put back a couple of the things I really wanted to get, because they were refrigerated items, and we weren't going straight home.

After our Trader Joe's stop, and subsequent attempts to get back on the Beltline, we met Chris in Janesville. We ate supper together, and drove around a little bit. It was nice to be together as our little family unit. It doesn't happen often enough! Then Chris took the boys home, and I went grocery shopping. By myself. I got home late, got everything put away, got the chicken cooking in the crockpot, and finally went to bed.

All in all, yesterday was a really good day. Apparently being lost was the theme of the day, but we all made it home in one piece. Yay!

University Avenue & Midvale Boulevard

Dr. Nemeth checking out those precious feet.

Dr. Nemeth & Andrew

Love those little legs and feet!

This x-ray is probably from May 2004 - look
at that chubby leg - I was cracking up, because
it definitely doesn't look like that anymore!

Noodles & Company

2007-09-26T20:07:00.000-06:00

I have been posting a little countdown to Noodles all week on my facebook account. And then when I went to the girltalk blog today, there it was. I'm not the only one counting the days until Noodles! Tomorrow, Andrew has his 6 month check up with his orthopedist, so we make the trek to Madison again. And, Lord willing, I get to eat Noodles food! I think I'll have the Indonesian Peanut Saute this time. MMMmmmm! And the best part is that this will be my second time in September to have Noodles & Company food. And the third time this year. I'm still waiting for a franchise to come to Rockford. And waiting...

The latest Andrewisms

2007-09-25T08:29:00.000-06:00

This was a project from school - it was titled "Meet Me." Andrew's answers are in quotation marks.

My name is "Andrew."

I like to "do tracks."

My favorite color is "choo choo tracks."

I can "read" by myself.

This came home in his backpack yesterday, and brought such a smile to my face that I wanted to share it.

A Good Read

2007-09-12T13:50:00.000-06:00

I really enjoyed the post today on the girltalk blog. Just wanted to pass it along...

First Day of School: Hayes Christian Academy

2007-09-11T19:21:00.000-06:00

Hayes Christian Academy: First Day of School

Working hard: Our office/school/scrapbook room
is not completed yet, so we used the dining room
table for a number of days. We have since bought
each of the boys 4' tables, which are set up in the
living room right now.

Ready for the first day of Classical Conversations!

All of the Classical Conversations students with
their two tutors.

Hayes Christian Academy began classes on August 27, 2007. A maiden voyage for a maiden school! Our first Friday meeting with Classical Conversations took place on September 7th.

The second week of school was difficult for me - I felt like I was drowning, and didn't have the proper direction or focus. After our first meeting with Classical Conversations, I felt like my direction and focus was renewed, and this week has gone much better.

This will be quite the learning experience for us all.

The summer leading up to this school year was full of decisions. Originally, we were only going to home school Steven. The more we talked about it, though, we felt like it was too much for Steven to be alone all day. Also, we completely changed our curriculum choice when we found out that there was a Classical Conversations group being started at our church. Chris really likes the classical approach to education, so we have chosen to go this route. The boys are learning history, science, English grammar, Latin conjugations, and geography from the classical approach, in addition to separate math curricula. We are still adjusting to our new schedule, but I am very excited about this new journey!

Second Day Of School

2007-08-22T20:17:00.000-06:00

Andrew's second day of school, and the transportation issues of yesterday seem to be resolved. It took more phone calls, but I think we have it straightened out now. I knew everything was OK, when Monica gave me a thumbs up sign as she rounded the corner to our house.

He was so excited to go to school today! He was hungry early, so he ended up having lunch around 10:30 this morning. What started as a snack evolved into lunch. He was one little sweat-ball when he got off the hotbox they call a bus. He had a snack then, ate supper, and then fell asleep on the way to church, which means he was asleep by 6:15. He slept through church (on a couch in the foyer), through a rainy walk to the van, through a rainy walk into the house, and straight to bed. Poor little Noodle! I had him out late last night doing our weekly grocery shopping and errands, so I think he's set for the night - making up for lost naps and a late night!

The new backpack we bought last night.
The Thomas backpack he had yesterday
wasn't big enough for his daily folder. He's
loaded down with a box of snacks and
some supplies for the classroom.

Little boy/Big backpack!

Too busy to look at the camera!

Here comes the bus - this time Andrew's on it!

Monica helping Andrew down the big stairs.

More About My Cousin, Losha

2007-08-22T07:01:00.000-06:00

Losha is my new cousin. I got permission to post a link that explains about his adoption and a little bit about who he is. We are getting to know him and love having a new cousin in the family! You'll notice that his name is spelled "Lyosha" on the website, but he prefers to spell it "Losha."

P.S. Losha is already living with the Fosters - the information on the link does not reflect that.

Andrew's First Day Of School Part 2

2007-08-21T15:50:00.000-06:00

After some misunderstandings and mis communications, Andrew is home. The shuttle bus driver (from Stillman to MC) didn't think that Andrew was supposed to be on her bus, so she pulled him away from his bus buddies and sent him with an aide to figure out where he was supposed to go. The MC school tried both my phones, but I was standing outside with video and digital camera poised to take footage of him arriving home on his first day so I missed both calls. They also tried to call my mom, and were finally able to get a hold of Chris. By this time, the bus was in front of my house with no Andrew. We quickly figured out where he was, and I had sent Steven inside to get the house phone, which was ringing with Chris on the other end. Chris had told the school that I would come get Andrew, which I did. The Joeys (Nick & Joe) were VERY upset, and so was their mom. Nick and Joe were upset, because they knew where he was supposed to go, but were not able to take him there. Their mom was upset, as any mom would have been, because no one knew where Andrew was. I discovered after we got home that Andrew had a sticker on his back stating what his buses were, but it was obscured by his backpack. In the end though - he is home safe and sound, and I'll just have to get "off the bus" pictures tomorrow. The second bus driver (where Andrew was supposed to be) got on her radio and found him at the same time I was finding out what to do from Chris. She's a really nice lady - a mom of five, a veteran bus driver, and a friend. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to straighten everything out. There's always bumps on the first day - especially when you're dealing with such little kids!