2018 Wrap up

So yeah, this blog has been sort of on the back burner for the last few months. Basically school started I ran out of time. I will admit that if i could update via my phone i would probably be able to update more, but that's a first world problem. 
So September came with everyone going back to school. I'm starting my 5th year at SJB and decided to go back to school to get my teaching license. I've been wondering what I've wanted to do with my life since i became a stay at home mom. Josh always told me that i could go back to school, but i had to know what for. Farmer's salary don't support just random classes. So after teaching for two years i finally realized that i wanted more education to be a teacher. I found a great program and started that right after school started. It's a lot of extra work for me this school year, but the goal is be done by June.  Bella is now a 5th grader. She's in a tiny class, but seems to be able to get more independent time. She is rocking at all her subjects.  I'm not sure she has one that she doesn't like.  Max is a 1st grader and another smart cookie. He's had a little bit of a learning curve with new expectations but seems to be doing ok.
Some other September highlights were going fishing back at my dear friend Court's house with her parents. We also moved Nana into her own apartment, so the kids are loving her new place and all the fun things they can do there. We were able to attend a UW whitewater football game and see Elly perform with the band. It was a fun game to watch since whitewater won!  Then we got to be part of the Gemieklechit parade.  This year the badger bus was part of our "float" so that was nice to get out of the heat of the day. Max also loves watching Mr. Becker drive the bus.  I worked on fixing fences and we put up more fencing to allow Carmel more grazing areas and less mowing ;)  We rounded out the the end of the month with a trip to the apple orchards with Uncle Tony and then a visit to Pairie to hang out the Grandpa and Grandma and a few cousins :)
October brought some ups and downs.  The weather wasn't the greatest so i quickly took our family pictures one random evening. I was able to go to the pumpkin farm with Max's class and then with Bella's class too. We actually got 5 pumpkins from our plant this year, too. We carved them early because Max just couldn't wait. We also went back to Lancaster for our annual Jahnke family gathering and Stonefield trick or treat. Max wasn't a fan of most of Halloween, but they both did witch's night out. We did one family Halloween event with Gilda's at the mini golf place. The much need day off was heavenly!
November was a hard month. I struggle with the turning cold and gray, also three years ago we need that Josh wouldn't see another holiday season.  But we kicked off the month on a positive note, with Rake-a-thon at school.  and taking back our Sundays. We spend more time just going to church and hanging out on Sundays which has been a much needed break that we all need.  I went out with some friends and saw Mamma Mia, a nice change for me. Then the kids performed at the veteran's day concert.  Then we had a really  hard day, Bella's poor little goat Chandler had to be put to sleep. He had some medical problems that just were not fixable for us. It was really hard on Bella.  To lighten the blow we were given two goats that needed a new home. They are short and fat, but they can hold their own again Carmel. They won't ever replace little Chandler and Bella still misses him everyday, but they do offer some companionship to everyone.
Then it was Max's 7th birthday. We had a party for him and he loved the attention. It was a great mix of people and he was spoiled with legos. We also went out to see Elf at the fireside with some great friends.  The kids and I took Mom to see the Zoo lights preview. We all dressed in purple on the 15th in honor of Josh and all those suffering from Pancreatic cancer. I was surprised at the number of co-workers who joined us too.  Thanksgiving was at my mom's new place and it was a great time. I love that my kids can play the games that my sister's three can play too.  WE also hit up the stores for black Friday shopping. Bella ad Max even saved up money to spend on their own deals.  Finally we wrapped up the month with getting ready for Christmas. The kids did all the tree decorating on their own this year.
December arrived with Cookie baking at my house with my family.  Then Bella got to go see ELF again with her choir class. She also went caroling at St. Coletta's.  St. Nick arrived with items for the Helenville parade. We had such a blast in the parade again. I think that's my new favorite tradition.
I did a Holiday Llama painting and then we all went to Court's family's cooking baking day. That was so much fun!  The kids rocked the SJB Christmas concert, Bella playing the clarinet . Some how we all survived that last few days of school, though I wasn't sure i would. Then Christmas break showed up!  We celebrated Christmas with Grandpa, Grandma and all of daddy's siblings in Fennimore. Then Christmas eve we celebrated with Nana before attending Christmas eve mass, where i performed in the choir. Christmas morning was very laid back before we headed to my sister's to celebrate as a family. The rest of our break has been spend playing with new items, cleaning and just whatever happens. Sleeping in until 7 has been heavenly and just being laid back. new years eve was spend with some great friends who even braved the snow to drive us back and forth.
2018 has been up and down, but i have laid some frame work to hopefully make 2019 better then 2018. I feel like i'm ready to get out of the just surviving mode and start to grow again.
I'm sorry for no pictures, but if you follow me on facebook or instagram they are all on there. :)

Max is 7

Every year I'm amazed at how quickly time is going by. How is it that my little baby is now 7? Didn't I just write about his 6th birthday and now it's already passed his 7. 

Max is are about still around 50lbs depending on what you wear, eat and if you have been sick or not. You are now 49 inches tall, which is awesome because it means you can go on most rides at the water parks and amusement parks.  Your sandy blond hair is getting a little bit darker each year you grow older, but those eyes remain the same.  You manged to lose your first two teeth and have a pair of wiggly front teeth (note they came out at Christmas time). Mommy really wanted one last school picture with your baby teeth. 

Speaking of school, you finished Kindergarten and now a first grader. You are a smart cookie but rather only do the stuff you like. I see little habits of your dad in you when i see your school work or hear about you from your teachers.  You do like school, but not a fan of the missing playtime. You have come out of your shell a little bit more with the staff members, which has gotten you some fun things. You can read, spell, write and figure out most math topics.  You are a little lefty, but don't seem to mind much.  You have also been learning so much about our faith in school and then encourage us to do so at home. While you aren't a fan of Sunday church, you enjoy being able to participate in Mass at school, even having a speaking part. 

During your summer vacation you went off to Camp Kesum with your sister for a week. You did awesome! I'm so proud that you went and had so much fun. I missed you, as that's the first time you have been away from me for more then a day or two. You are willing to go back to camp so that's a positive.  I will admit that i was worried about you as you aren't a fan of new places or being without someone familiar, but you rocked it at camp. You made a bunch of new friends and slept in your own bed.  Because you are now 7 you are planning to go to Camp Grey with Bella next year too. 

You still love farming and construction. You love to build and create with wood, sticks or just about anything you can put a nail into. You even made your own cross for the barn one day too.  You don't care what you make, you just love using tools. We got some chances in the last year to spend some time farming and you were in heaven. Sometimes you even talk like a farmer. 

We did a lot of vacation in the last year of your life. We went down to Orlando for 5 days , Great Wolf in both the Dells and Bloomington MN along with a day trip to Chicago.  You love hotel life and ask often when we get to go away again. 

We have had some growing pains with learning that we can be responsible for ourselves and help out more. Cleaning is not your favorite thing unless it's the shower/tub or windows.  I will say that you are getting better and you have also gotten better at letting things go.  

Max, You are growing up so quickly and becoming such a fun boy. Now that you are older we are able to have more adventures and so more things. I love the ideas you come up for adventures or solving a problem. You aren't afraid to speak your mind, which it both a good thing and something we have to learn when you have bite your tongue. I'm so lucky that i get to witness your days at school and watch you blossom as you learn. I can't wait to see what this next year will bring. 

August Wrap up

Since Oct is knocking on the door.. I should wrap up August

 I was able to go to Reba at the State Fair with Tori. That was a blast!!

 We saw a quite a bit of this sweet little girl and her brothers :)

 I was taking some classes in Lancaster so we stay with our favorite farming family and got to see this great Father.

 I was lucky to attend a Zoo event with a friend and touch a Rhino :)

 Made it to Green Bay to visit with babcia

Camp Kesum x2

So this year both Max and Bella went to Camp Kesum. It was so strange for me to have a week of no kids. I'm not sure that has happened in the last 7 years. Either way I have proof they had a great time, and I heard the stories to know they did. Only downside was max went a whole week with no chocolate milk! 

 only picture of the two of them together at camp.

 Clearly Max made friends

 Bella was lucky enough to know a good amount of her cabinmates

 He was jamming!

 Bella loves tye-dye.

 My only mom butting in was putting them on the same team for color wars :)

 There was a carvinal this year..with facepaint.

 He did it.. but wasn't happy about it..

So happy my kids get to experiance this...and they love it. Max sounds like he will go back next year, and this mom is ok with that :)

Good Bye Blue house

So an end to an era happened this summer. After a few false attemps and not really believing, my mom sold her house, my childhood home and moved to a close place to me. This honsetly is a good thing, but still sad to loose the home that was there for me since i was 2. While i took lots of pictures of the place, while I lived there and while she was moving out, I'll save you all. We did manged to get together for a few family pictures on the outside since that's where all of our Trees lived. 

 The kids in the mulberry tree... this was planted by my swing set and I use to long to be able to climb it. I'm so glad my kids got the chance to climb it.

This is known as Josh's tree. One really bad storm knocked it over, but the roots continued to support the knocked over tree, so Josh proped it up with a few boards. We thought after a year or so the boards could come down, but the tree feel over again, so the boards went back up and remaind that way until at least this day, that we know of. ;)

Our cement in the back yard.. hard to see but i put Hunter's paw print in the concrete too.

Sara, Elly and Drew with their "trees"

This tree was from my sister's wedding. They gave away saplings as wedding favors. This one is one of the few that made it.

This tree was in the front yard and many pictures of me by it. It was my tree, but capturing the grandkids in front of it means more.

Behind this group is my rock.. totally bummed it couldn't come with. :(

Mom's mighty oak, along with her girls and Tiny.

The pumpkin my kids planted.

I hated this atenna because it meant we got rid of cable when i was in middle school. It limited what i could watch on tv which was uncool at the time. But ya know after a short time i didn't miss not having 100+ channels.
So my mom is now living in lake mills and all settled in to her new place. IT has been a crazy summer getting all of this done, but it was a good things.