Fishin' with Benny

Last night I stopped by my parent's place to get some "good" water for my plants - the city water we have in our apartment has too much chlorine and kills them - and as I pulled in the driveway, my brother was headed up to the pond to go fishing.

I haven't been fishing in years and it feels like so long since Ben and I have had some bonding time, so I invited myself along. Even though he assures me there are still fish in there, we didn't catch anything in the three hours we sat on the pier. Oh well, it was still great to spend time together!

Baiting the hook

We dug out Grandpa's old rod and reel and tackle box

Summer Feet!

Don't Eat the Dandelions!

Yesterday Mark and I made the trek to his brother Mike's house to load up all their baby stuff. Mike and Kelly have decided they're done having and kids and generously passed on all their baby furniture to us! We're so blessed.

We loaded up a bouncer, a stroller, an infant car seat, a baby bathtub, a high chair, and half dozen other odds and ends things that come in oh so handy when babies are around. Actually, Mike and Mark loaded up the stuff...I happily played with the kids in the "sam box." (Translation: Sand Box)

Reed, Gwen and I dug a hole to China, used the swings to touch the clouds, climbed the "wrong" way up the slide and made dandelion bracelets to add to our natural beauty. As we were collecting the mostly dead dandelions for our jewelry, Gwen stumbled upon one, still-yellow weed (er...flower).

"Here. Pweety!" She exclaimed as she handed it to me.
"Oooh thank you Gweny, it's beautiful!" I said and lifted it to my nose to take a whiff.

Gwen promptly held out her hand in front of my face and shouted "Stop! Don't eat dose. Dat's bad!"

Mmmmm. Good advice. Something tells me she's heard that a time or two!

Miss Gwen

It's been six days...

... since I bagged up the trash and put it by the door. Hubby apparently has a special sort of "guy vision" that let's him look right past it, even though he uses said door to enter and exit our apartment at least five times a day.

It's been four days since I did the dishes. I'm testing him. I want to see if he will find the ambition and motivation to help me out. We're down to a few plates, two bowls and two forks. Oops, make that one fork. I used one for lunch today.

It's been five days since I cleaned the bathroom. (Gross, I know but I'm sacrificing for experiment's sake.)

It's been seven days since I cleaned his side of our bedroom. Currently, there is a pile of Kleenex next to his trash can on his side of the bed that is close to being knee high. There are also seven pairs of boxers pooled together on the floor on his side of the bed. Never mind that the hamper is a mere four feet away - he's hoping they'll grow legs and hop in of their own accord.

I haven't done HIS laundry in as many days. (Let's face it, not doing my laundry would only serve to torture ME.)

So far, it seems he hasn't even noticed my little experiment.

Last night I nonchalantly asked him if he noticed anything different about the apartment. He looked around and said, "Oh yea that new air freshener smells good."

I don't ask a lot. I just want a little help. I want him to pick up after himself and help with at least one or two of the cleaning chores. Things would be different if he had a very demanding job and worked late hours, but that's just not the case. Four out of the five work days, he's home before I am yet I'm still the one who has to do all the cleaning, laundry and cooking. Ugh!

On another note, I had to go to the dentist this morning for a cleaning. The fact that I have a TMJ disorder coupled with problems related to gum bleeding, means that my appointments usually last in excess of an hour. I'm in so much pain, it hurts to take a sip of my water!

As I bask in the disarray of my apartment and hold a warm compress to my throbbing jaw, I look forward to the weekend. Mark will be gone up North and my experiment will officially end, meaning I will spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday cleaning, sterilizing and de-dustifying my apartment. Ah, the joys of married life.

Sunburns, bonfires and monkeys

Weekend Recap....
On Saturday Mark went golfing with some friends, so I took the opportunity to wash some laundry and take it out to my parent's farm to let it air dry on their clothes line. I love, love, love the smell of line-dried laundry but forgot that line drying can make the towels quite crispy! I ended up throwing some of the towels in our dryer at the apartment for a little bit to soften them up!

It was nice to sit out in a lawn chair in the sun talking with my mom for several hours and even though I tried to be good and put sunscreen on, I still managed to get burned on the back of my neck, my forehead and the tops of my shoulders. Hmmm...maybe I should invest in the colored sunscreen that helps you see the spots you missed?!

Later, I picked Mark up from the bar and we headed out to my aunt's house for the first bonfire of the season. A few of my aunts and I spent some time working on Relay for Life stuff in the house and by the time we were ready to sit by the fire, everyone else was cold and wanted to come in! Oh well, it was a nice evening and good to catch up with everyone.

Today, we went to the N.E.W. Zoo in Suamico. We had a lot fun and I couldn't help but think that in a few years it will be even more fun to bring a little one (or two) to see the animals! I love to watch the monkeys and the groundhogs and of course, the giraffes are really fun to see. A few of the exhibits were under construction and some of the animals were "in hiding," so I'm definitely thinking a return trip later on in the summer is in order.

Tonight we'll probably just veg. Mark is napping now but he mentioned watching a movie later, so we'll see. Tomorrow is the Memorial Day Parade and celebration in town, so we'll go to get some pictures. I'm also going to try to make it out the cemetery where my grandpa is buried - they're having a 21 gun salute and playing of taps at 7:30 a.m. there. Maybe we'll grill out tomorrow afternoon. I guess I don't really care what we do as long as we can spend time together, because Mark will be gone up North all of next weekend and we won't get to see each other.

Alright, I'll leave you with some pics from the zoo and get back to reading my book!

Some of the animals were pretty...

... and some were pretty hungry!

The poor groundhogs had their home invaded...

...and the tortoise had a very lazy kind of day.


The cute little Albino Alligator found refuge from the sun...


...the lion and lioness basked in it!

All in all it was a very "zoobly" day!

Opening our hearts to Adoption

It's no secret that I hope to have a "bunch" of children...I love them! Though I hope Mark and I are blessed to have birth children, my heart is also open to the possibility of adoption.

Mark and I have so much love to give and there are so many wonderful children out there in need of a loving home, that it only makes sense to consider it. Further influencing my hope to adopt is the fact that my sister and brother-in-law recently celebrated the two year anniversary of the day they "got" their son and daughter.

S and G (abbreviated names to protect their identities)wanted a family for many years and simply couldn't have children on their own. After a heart-wrenching failed adoption several years ago, they were thrilled to learn of two toddlers - a brother and sister - who were available for adoption. (I'd love to share their names and a photo of my adorable niece and nephew, but as part of the adoption agreement their birth parents are not allowed to know their location and I simply don't want to risk their safety.)

The kids fit right in with the bunch and quickly became family. In fact, it's weird for me to remember as I'm typing this that they are adopted. They are just so much a part of us. Though they were old enough to remember both their birth parents and their foster parents, it didn't long at all for them to fell comfortable calling S and G "mommy" and "daddy."

It warms my heart to see their family complete after many years of heartache and sorrow and re-affirms my belief in adoption. I would love to have a few birth children and then round out our family through international adoption. Mark isn't really sure how he feels about adoption. He of course loves our niece and nephew and is thrilled that his sister finally has the family she always dreamed about, but he also witnessed first hand the heart break of that first, failed attempt at adoption. He also knows the cost involved - both in the first try and in the successful adoption - and worries about the financial burden adoption can carry.

Of course, I recognize the cost but to me the reward is so much greater - children are such a gift and blessing, no matter how they're packaged. Sure a dark-skinned baby growing up in a Caucasian household and attending a primarily Caucasian school may face some issues, but to help a child find security and love in a world he thought was only full of struggles and pain is the ultimate reward.

I follow several blogs written by adoptive moms and read about the trouble they encounter, but more importantly they share the blessings they've received. Is your heart open to adoption? Visit Adoption.com to learn more.

::Missing Him::

My grandpa and me.

My grandpa was one the most wonderful men I'll ever know. He was a Korean War veteran, a farmer, a factory worker, a husband, a father, a grandpa and a great fisherman. He loved to go to farm auctions, watch old Western movies and ride his four-wheeler.

My grandpa was quiet and wise and had a smile that, if he trusted you enough to show it, would make you melt. He always knew the right things to say. He was my brother's best friend.

*This is my brother Ben just minutes after getting this tattoo in memory of my grandpa. My brother was named after Grandpa's brother, Benjamin who died when he was young. Ben and my Grandpa were so close...they were like "brothers."

Though I think about him nearly every day, Memorial Day is especially hard. My grandpa loved his country and sacrificed everything to serve in the armed forces. He was awarded the Purple Heart for bravery and on the day he died, still had several small pieces of shrapnel lodged in his back.

I visit his grave often. The cemetery is in the country and there's a large oak tree near where he was buried - I know he'd love it. I'm always sure to sprinkle a few pennies around so he'll know I was there.

Oh man, I miss him. When he was here, everything made sense. Though, it's been nearly three years since he died the pain is still so fresh, so real...much like the tear drops on my keyboard as I write this. Though we didn't often say it, I hope he knows how much I love him.

Love you always, Grandpa!

October 10, 1928 - September 4, 2005

You just don't know...

The news is full of sad stories - a father of five killed in a fiery wreck, a little girl accidentally run over by her brother, a baby smothered by its mother, a young lady who takes her own life...

Everyday, I'm reminded just how precious life is. Each kiss could be the last. That missed phone call could have been the final good bye. It is so important to appreciate the ones you love, so there is never any doubt when "that" day comes.

Never go to bed angry. Always say "I love you" at the end of a conversation. Take the time to really listen when your loved one talks. Remember to call on their birthday. Visit them "just because." Make sure they never doubt your love...because you just don't know.

If tomorrow never comes...will they know how much you loved them?