What a weekend

This weekend was an unusual one. Saturday Jacob and I went to a funeral-of someone neither of us knew. Jacob was asked to do the Bell Ceremony for this fallen firefighter (in a nearby town). I have never been to a fireman's funeral before. I've been to a military funeral, but it's a bit different knowing what the family's life must be like. This was a volunteer firefighter, so I am well aware of their life and their family's. Jacob and I took a fire truck to the services (weird to ride in, by the way) as we drove I thought about a lot of things-one being how LOUD the truck was, the other was more spiritual...no one really knows what it is like to be a fire family. No matter how much people try to understand, but it is just not something you can explain. Knowing that the pager can go off anytime, and he can be gone for an unknown amount of time, and when he returns he may be drained. My kiddos know the tones of the fire department and the ambulance department. They know that daddy may say he'll be back soon, but he may not be back before bed (even if he leaves at 9 AM). They know that if mommy is working any number of people may be picking them up and taking them. They do not know that daddy could get hurt on any call at any time-I am very aware of that. I know exactly what to say when I put them to bed and daddy is on a call. We know that when daddy is at work that he may not be available to answer the phone. We know that part of our family must be those connected to the three emergency services that we are connected--no one else really knows what days are like when "duty calls". I just kept thinking, the family of fire fighters' family members understand always being on call. It's a bit like opera (as Richard Gere says in Pretty Woman) those who love opera will always love opera, others may appreciate opera, but they will never love it-- the same is true of fire fighter families-people may know what happens, but they really do not understand the go with the flow attitude and commitment to the service fire fighter's families have. After 20 minutes we finally arrived. We sat with the fire department all dressed in their funeral stuff-white gloves, black ties...the fire engine that the casket would ride on was complete with the black and purple flags, as with the other engines from that department. He had no wife, no kids, just a lot of friends, sisters, nieces, and nephews...so much for my insight for the wife...
Levi played hockey! He stopped 15 out of 25 the first game--his team lost 0-10--his team took 2 shots on the opposing team and they played a total of 2 minutes in front of the opposing goalie. Second game Levi stopped 25 of 36 (one of which his own teammate shot on him) again they lost 0-10 and they did not shoot at all on the opposing goalie, and played only 5 minutes on the other side of the center line. He was ok with the losses, but still they need to score.
Baseball meeting was Sunday teams are set! yeah!!!!

comfy

Well, I am working a bit late tonight and have just a few minutes left....Much has been happening and I will post some movies of Levi playing hockey one of these days, I also have a little clip of Jas playing Just Dance on her Wii (on second thought...). I have several updates:
We spent a wonderful weekend with Jas and her family-although not all were healthy, we still managed to have a great time. Our kids are just perfectly aged, Benjamin and Albi had a great time. It's really the first time that Benjamin has someone exactly his age to play with (except at daycare) so it was really fun to hear them talk, laugh, and play.
Levi has had a hockey game and is really doing well. He REALLY hates to be scored on, so he doesn't goalie every game, but man does he get a workout. His team is not really good at scoring. The last game Levi blocked 38 of 48 shots. The other goalie blocked 10 of 14. A little lopsided, huh? He just keeps plugging away. We are careful not to push too hard. Soon t-ball will start...
Gosh it just seems that we are much busier than that. Honestly, my mind has finally turned to mush, I must go home and to bed-I've been here all day...

There should be a song

"It's snowing, it's drifting, the school is cancelled..." Really my kid will be going to school this year until July. As much as he loves these snow days, he will not love missing spring break and not getting out of school until summer is over. We had our 14th snow this winter. Mind you this year we usually do not have big snows and we usually have some sort of ice storm-which we have not had as of yet. Any how, it snowed again yesterday--10-12 inches. So I think that someone somewhere needs to come up with an "it's raining, it's pouring" song for snow. I will be working on this also.
Boys and I have been sledding and we have had some snowball fights-to which Benjamin always wants to be on my team...go figure.
We are in hockey and Levi is goalie. I have had a lot of compliments about how good he is and how natural he plays. Then he comes out and want to forward. It doesn't matter to me, but he always goes back to wanting to goalie.
Jacob is another year older, which means I am 6 months older.

1/2 a year in pictures!

I guess I will be starting recent and going backwards...My 3 boys-Benjamin, R, and Levi enjoying a Snow Ice Cream Root Beer Float... Sadie, my dear and only girl, enjoying the snow. She is now 9 1/2 and getting gray and slow.
My two snow boys playing in the snow after Christmas...
Yes, a Christmas hug that turned into a take-down--Really are there any other kinds of hugs?!
Scopin' out the Santa gift--Handy Manny workbench--a bit over looked for the John Deere tractor ordament for the tree...
Oh Yeah the Nerf Blaster!
Decorating Christmas cookies-Levi was an expert "blinger"--he added the "bling"(sugar) to all the cookies I frosted...
Yeah, not sure if Benjamin even decorated anything he did not eat. Poor Levi worked so hard and got 2 cookies, Benjamin snuck countless...
The only picture of both in front of the tree-I was done, and they were not "sit there and smile" ready...
Levi looking very handsome on the way to his Christmas program.
Levi and I walked to scare out deer while Jacob and Benjamin waited to shoot the deer, I thought this was a nice place to take a picture..
My men in orange--it hurts your eyes after a while.
Out of snacks and unable to pick on his brother Levi is a bit glum.
Oh yeah, any good day hunting starts with a snack...in the back of the truck...
Master Yoda and Captian Rex-seriously they refered to each other and themselves that way all through Halloween-as a matter of fact I thought it was cute, until they did not respond to their names when I called them-no longer cute, no longer fun, no longer funny, but I did not stop them they had a great time.
Benjamin was not so crazy about the pumpkin guts--even though he was ok with them last year.
Levi, however dug right in!
My favorite picture of Benjamin and Sadie.

The barn where my Dad grew up.
Soccer.

Benjamin freezing at soccer.

My toothless boy-just one gone, it was not long and the other was gone. In Mexico!
At the cenote, not sure if you can see how clear the water is. You my have to click to make it larger.
Playa del Carmen's fire station-what can I say we are fire people.
The beach at our resort.

Hope you all enjoyed my looooonnnnnggggg post!

Seriously?!

Well the weather has been fun lately. Since December 9th (when we got 12 inches of snow that melted the next week) I have wanted snow, and we have gotten it! WOW and now it is really cold. Niether really bother me, what irritates me is all those people who bitch about the weather--seriously if you don't want to go through another winter- move there are places in this contry that do not get snow and cold. Also these people that bet the farm that the weather man is going to be 100% right--seriously get a clue. I have lived in the mid-west long enough to know that no one knows how much snow we will get. I work in healthcare-you have to come to work. My facility will go and get our employees-amazing how many don't answer the phone when we offer. I drive 45 miles to get to work-I've missed one day because I was too scared to drive in and one day because there was a tree across my driveway and on my truck that I could not move. Everyone acts like we live in the south-seriously we don't. They've cancelled school so much that I believe that Levi will be going to school through Easter Break, and until July! I do understand that I live in a rural area and there are families that live in the country and can't get in, so it doesn't get me too bad, but poor Levi thinks they don't have to make up these days. He was really disappointed when I told him he may be going to school on nice days this spring and summer since they are missing these cold and crappy days.
Well, I will post later something on Benjamin, right now I am just out of updates...

yeah, whatever

well, it's been about a month, so I feel like I need to unload.
First of all I have been following the whole Tiger thing and I really am sick of people cheating on their spouses. Seriously, if you don't want to be married then don't be married. However you cannot have it both ways. I am so sick of these celebrities that cheat then say "Please give us our privacy" Seriously, if you wanted privacy you should not have cheated with one of your fans--DUH! Pathetic that I have such a good life that I can't quit following how he screwed up down and sideways.
Second I have been doing A LOT of dementia training lately, so I have added a new blog. This blog is one from HBO's Alzheimer's Project. It is completely written by a man with Alzheimer's Disease. It is really interesting.
Third Levi is now a goalie on the traveling hockey team. We played in Springfield the first weekend in December. He loves hockey. It is fun to watch and moves so fast. First grade's Christmas program was good, good, good.
Fourth Benjamin is something. Wow, is he is something. He loves the snow and he loves shoveling the snow. He and Jacob have been "working" in the snow a lot.

Well, I have ranted and raved. I suppose I better go...

A farewell to Matey :-(

Matey Wiskers died on Saturday November 7, 2009 sometime during skating lessons that morning. We came home from skating and Levi went in to see his hampster and yelled "Matey's dead". We had heard him in there running before skating, so I (yes this is a Mom of the Year moment) said, "He's probably sleeping" to which Levi said "He's dead, dead, dead!" then started to sob. Yes, this made me go in and check, yes there lay Matey on his back dead. Benjamin and Levi both were crying and telling me we had to bary him. I got Matey out of his cage and we put him in a bowl, Levi wrote his name on a card and carried that bowl around until Jacob got home so we could bury him. Jacob dug the hole Levi dumped Matey in the hole and Matey was covered before Benj and I could get the cross made and over to the "funeral". Soon after Benjamin said "Levi I will get you a new hampster for Christmas, is that ok?" Levi just nodded, gave him a hug, and cried.
Do we ever get attached to pets! I must admit I am a bit upset we only had him 6 months, I am going to ask at the store that Levi bought Matey, seriously 6 months...