Hard at Work

I am a prisoner in my own home. Okay, not really but we are getting new carpeting put in and there are three guys coming in and out and me and the girls are pushed into the office sequestered for the day. Going stir crazy!! This day two of the carpet process and they should be out of here tomorrow finally. Each step is taking forever to be done correctly, but I would rather it be done right than be done fast. It doesn't help that they can only work from 9-2:30 because I have to bring the kids to school and pick them up so I don't think they got as much done as they would have liked yesterday. Even though these last two days I have been lazy watching movies, sewing and coloring with the girls in our 12 x 12 cell, I utterly exhausted myself at the beginning of the week getting everything ready for the carpet guys. I painted the last room of the house which wasn't painted, the office. It's a shame I had to paint it because I painted it the exact color it was but the previous homeowners painted around the corkboards on the wall and even though I don't know what is going up to replace them I wanted to redo that area. ugly... i know

alot of patching to do.... not my expertise, spackling

I had lots of help, since this is Nate's craziest week in the past year I am on my own in watching the kids AND completing this project. This mommy did it though.

{sanding down the walls!}

My kids love to paint... and who's kidding mommy likes to too when it's not a whole room! On Monday Gigi helped me paint an old chair out of the clubhouse purple! I am in love with the purple chair!

The kids practiced the states this week and dusted off the map of the united states. It was easier to read when Lil Miss wasn't sprawled on her belly on top of it. LOL

Daddy continues to work hard this week so we have egg painting planned, a trip to the park, and maybe a bike ride or two. Mommy's slacking off this weekend in any extra projects and just going to try to keep up my energy in watching my 4 little rug rats. I'll try to take some pictures of the egg decorating and our NEW carpet and share soon..... enjoy the weekend!

Make this moment count

Yesterday was a beautiful day! It started with a 6 mile run. Yes, this fat girl ran 6 miles and could have done more but I wanted to get back so Nate didn't have a rough morning with the kids. As I thought, as soon as I got home to be with the kids he headed back to bed. :-) My husband is not a morning person. The sunrise was just beautiful as I was finishing my run. Unlike most weekends when I make a big run, I did not slack off the rest of the day. (I feel when I do a 6-7 mile run then I can goof off or rest the entire day because I earned it) Instead I made the most of the day and took advantage of the weather and got ALL kids of things done. Our office got cleaned out (thanks to Bubba who was working off a punishment for punching his sister) to get painted and get new carpet on Thursday. Also the fridge got completely cleaned and organized (I love to have everything in its spot and neat and aligned, I'm nuts I know!) thanks to both Bubba and Gigi who had to work off punishment after talking meanly to each other. There was a theme to the day, if you act bad or not nicely Mommy had work for you to do. It was amazing after they were put to work you would think that it was severe torture to bring a box down the stairs. :-) Nate remembers growing up in the Schulte household and when the boys acted up they had to dust the baseboards! I think taking all the yogurts out of the fridge and putting them on the shelf in a line was a cake walk compared to dusting baseboards!! LOL

It wasn't all work though. The kids and I took a long bike ride and ended up at the park. Gigi was a ball of sweat when we reached the park. Her little legs were going as fast as they could in her little pink bike. I think the training wheels weren't even touching the ground as she screeched around the corners. It's a good thing that I used some WD-40 on her training wheels before I left or we would have heard high pitched squeaking during the long ride.

They all got some much needed energy out on the playground!

{How many kids can go down the slide all at once?}

Even Lil Miss was being a really big girl and trying to go down the slide all by herself. She has the little slide down pat but needs some help from her big sis going down the big curly slide. They had smiles on their faces. This mommy was happy too to enjoy this moment with them.

I am not being as productive today as I was yesterday but that's okay. On this gray cloudy day I feel like curling up on the couch with my girls watching Lion King, sounds like fun.... be very jealous!!! :-)

Girl's Shopping Trip

It's been awhile since we have been to Target (a whole week!!) since we were gone for spring break, so me and girls decided we needed to visit our old friend! I learned on Spring break that I wasn't all prepared for this warm weather with Lil Miss's wardrobe. She has alot of dresses and skirts but no shorts to play around in. So off we went to get Lil Miss some warm weather clothes.

The girls are stupendous shoppers. Gigi is my stylist and picks out the cutest stuff. Her combination of clothes are head turners....sometimes in a not coordinated way but her cutie patootie smile pulls it off. With her purse and the small allowance she collected she was ready to spend! She piked up a Dora coloring book at the $1 spot and a package of candy. We picked up a couple pair of shorts and two short sleeve tops. She is growing and I hated to buy something she would be out of right away so I bought 24 months so they are slightly big right now. We also couldn't leave without a new pair of sunglasses for each of the girls and sun hats to keep the sun out of our eyes. I originally wanted this hat for myself, but Gigi took it off my head and said she wanted to wear it..... and poof it was hers! :-)

Gigi is a huge helper at the store. She helps unload the cart, wants to push the cart (without mom touching it to steer it away from pedestrians ) and loves to take my coupons and hand them to the cashier.

Of course Gigi's new Rapunzel doll from "Aunt" Brookie had to go to target with us! Of course Lil Miss got a sun hat too! It doesn't stay on her head too much yet, and when she puts it on her self she can't really see out of it... but HEY no sun on the head! LOL I got my Target fix in and feel SO much happier. Lots of Love!!

My Grandma Aggie

God definitely has a plan when things happen. As we were home for Spring Break this week my 105 year old Grandma went to be with the Lord. I was able to be home with my Mom as it happened and she went so peacefully. It wasn't quite how we had planned our spring break to go, but I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. She was an amazing woman who was so spunky. She lived in her own house by herself until she was 101!!! I am so blessed that my children all got to meet her too. I was very blessed that I was asked to give her eulogy on Saturday at the funeral. I had originally volunteered for a reading but ended up doing her eulogy, go figure. For a woman with 105 years of memories it was not hard to write the speech. I had enough material to talk for hours.... luckily for the people sitting in church I didn't stand up there and ramble too long.

{my aunt carol, my mom, Grandma Aggie, and my uncle Kenny}

{my grandmothers one room schoolhouse at Frogtown, this place no longer exists}

Here is my eulogy to my grandma...

What a beautiful day we have to celebrate you, grandma, as you make the entrance into Heaven! I'm sure each and every one of you here today has something to share on how my grandmother touched your life. She lived through many years of great memories, 105 to be exact. Some memories were extra special especially those shared with me, her favorite grandchild. If I know grandma she would be sitting here talking about the absurdly warm weather, praying for the farmers and already worrying about the spring planting ahead. She was forever faithful to the farmers, especially her son Kenny, sending up prayers for them every moment of the day. In fact that's where she spent most of her life is on the farm.
She was born before there were such things as televisions, microwave ovens or indoor toilets. She was born in 1907 in Glandorf and attended Frogtown School, a one room school house that no longer exists. She talked about her school years often, how they spoke in German, how the first one to school in the morning would have to get the fire started at school, and how she walked to school uphill both ways. Back then only 8% of homes even owned a telephone there was definitely NO texting in school during class. Although grandma Aggie never worked at a paying job, my grandmother was one of the hardest working women I have ever known. She became a farmer's wife when she met my Grandpa Alfred and married him at 30 years old. Grandma and grandpa enjoyed square dancing and an occasional vacation away. But they would find time to be together at home. They would even go out and milk the cows together, probley not because it was a lot of fun but because it was their livelihood. As a wife and mother she worked hard at the home place keeping everything in shape. She did the canning, the cooking, and she did a lot of washing in the basement of the homeplace winding grandpa's work shirts through the old style wringer washing machine by hand. She was definitely an excellent cook. It wasn't gourmet, but it was good country cooking. We all remember grandma's Fried Chicken with cherry jelly on bread after church on Sundays, or chicken wings with apricot jelly, or the flape' old fashioned German dessert she used to make, or her Legendary butterscotch Cookies. We can't utter her name without bringing up those Butterscotch Cookies. They are not to be duplicated, trust me I've tried. Even with her handwritten recipe which has all the details from which brand of flour to use to exactly how to place the cookies on the cookie sheet I still get it wrong.
The best days for us grandkids and great grandkids were when we got to spend the night over at Grandma Aggie's. There would be matchbox car races, dress-up time in her dresses and grandma's old ponytail, many games of Rummy and lots of good food. To put it in Adams words "we felt like Kings and Queens". Grandma was a card player through and through. Whether it was with her regular card playing ladies on Monday mornings or a heated game of Euchre at an Unverferth get together she was a card shark.
Even when my grandma was hard at work cleaning out the downspouts, raking leaves or in the field shucking corn she looked good. She always had her hair done and her clothes nicely pressed. Those crease lines in the front of her pants were crisp. At 95, she had a hard time enjoying a leisurely boat ride because she was worried about her hair. She was pretty cute. She was devoted to prayer. She prayed during thunderstorms, she prayed on the boat, she prayed in airplanes, Cars, and Rvs… it didn't matter you could count on the fact that she was praying for you. Her bible was well worn from her faithfulness to open it up and read scripture. She even prayed in German. Her love of the Lord was apparent inside and out.
A memory that I hold dear to my heart is a shopping trip to Columbus many years ago with my mom Judy, Carol, Grandma, Grandma's sister mart and my sister Beth. We traveled to the mall to get the ladies some clothes. My sister and I ran through the mall to get 2 wheelchairs for Aunt Mart and grandma Aggie so they could get around a little better and last a little longer during this shopping spree. My 93 year old grandma balked at riding in the wheelchair but as soon as we had those two ladies settled they were laughing and ready to spend some money. (all to be returned later) those were some good times. Grandma and her sister Mart had a special bond; they were the best of friends. To see sisters love each other so much and after each visit not wait to see each other was a treasure. Having sisters myself, I know that feeling of having a best friend that experiences all of life with you by your side.
Today, we're all feeling the loss of of our mother, our sister, our friend, or our "Grandma Aggie" and it's painful; but I know she's in a better place without pain. We may no longer see her but we'll always have these special moments we shared with her. Heaven is a brighter place with her in residence. Our loss is truly Heaven's gain and my comfort is in knowing that someday we'll all be together with Grandma again in the presence of our Lord.
Thank you everyone for being here, and remembering my Grandma today. She is a uniquely special person who was, and is very much loved. Auf Wiedersehn Oma! Memory -- on this day we got my mom to try on her wedding dress. It still fit! She even had her bouquet still wrapped in a plastic bag. We were having so much fun playing dress up that all of us girls joined in. My Grandma and I have on my Sister Kathy's Prom Dresses and Beth and Kathy are wearing some of her bridemaids dresses. I don't think we ever laughed sooo hard! {grandma and grandpa}

{Grandma and 9 out of 10 of us grandkids.... I am the little baby}

Even my kids will miss Grandma Aggie. Gigi only met her twice but she must have made an impact that she was a fun person because this winter one day when we were sitting here coloring Gigi asked me a question.

Gigi: "Can Grandma Aggie come over to play today?"

Me: "Well, she lives in Ohio and that is a long way for Grandma to travel all the way here to Iowa. Do you remember the long car rides?"

Gigi: "Can she come tommorrow?"

Me: "Oh Gigi, she lives in a Nursing Home remember when we visited her. There are nurses and ladies to help her get around."

Gigi: "Then, can you call the nursing home then to ask THEM if she can come over and play?"

Oh my sweet girl. She just wanted me to call her grandma and play. I love it. Nate and I are always concerned how the children will take a death situation. They have had so much tragedy in their lives that funerals and losing someone is not easy to them. The kids handled it all so well. I am always ready for the worst and my kids are the most amazing kids in the world. When I told Gigi and Bubba that Grandma Aggie had passed away they only concern was for me and if I was going to cry. I reassured them that grandma was in a better place and that I was okay. They both told me that they would be extra good. AND they were. :-) She will be missed but I know she is in a better place. Grandma, I Love You!!!

Ohio Road Trip

Is it summertime already? This weather has me fooled. The kids and I tried to get out in the sun as much as we could while we were in Ohio this past week. Mommy even got a sunburn!! My grandmother's funeral threw in a little bit of obligation and not so much fun dressing up for the kids but we still found time to goof off. (Gigi didn't mind being in dresses!! lol) Uncle Kurt even showed off to the kids how fast his mini bike goes. That little thing goes fast. There is a powerful little motor in that misconceiving harmless bike.

{Bubba sitting on Uncle Kurt's mini motorcycle} Flash forward 10 years and I could see our little man out on a motorcycle following in his Uncle Kurt's foot steps with the love of speed. Scares this momma already! {this girl looks way to comfortable on the motorcycle, uh oh!}

{precious sister time}

Between the DSI's, ipods, or other toys the kids kept entertained. There were many jumps with the jump rope and even an adventure of finding a snake. Much Excitement!!! I love when I come across the kids in a sweet moment. The picture above of the girls sharing earbuds and listening to "The Bear went over the Mountain". No Lie, so innocent and a priceless moment where they are best buds. Not only did Bubba and I fill out our NCAA brackets, so did my mom. I think this was her first bracket ever!!

It is always a challenge to get everyone ready in the morning. The hair, the clothes, the brushing of the teeth , it's even harder when you aren't at your own house. But at Grandma Judy's we make ourselves at home that's for sure. While mommy was getting ready last week one morning the girls decided to try on my shoes. (I only brought 4 pairs for 5 days... and then when Nate came for funeral he brought 2 more pairs! Yikes!!) Gigi is our little diva always swiping my heels.

{grandpa bill and the two babies}

Lil Miss was having a good time with her cousins Lincoln and Mason, but the boys sure didn't like her on their toys. She stood up to them though and kept her ground. She is NO pushover. Lots of commotion. Sunshine, push toys, shorts, and sunscreen are we sure it isn't June? My sister Beth was the hostess with the mostest this week entertaining my kids at her place. We all needed a little sun on our winter white Midwest legs!

For Lincoln and Bubba we made a game out of picking up leaves and dead grass leaves. All you need is to buckets, two little boys and a voice that tells the rules in an excited voice and they were off!! They were entertained for a while until they got intent on getting every leaf out of the window well and poor Lincoln fell in. Game Over. :-(

Mr. Mason was a hard one to get a smile out of all week. Lincoln warms up to me after a while and I am getting giggles and laughter out of by the time I leave. Mason is a different story. One hard nut to crack. {seriously I am not going to smile... not even a little!! Get that camera out of my face lady!!}

{the boys playing baseball}We celebrated Grandpa Bill's birthday on Wednesday. It was a house full of little kids running around for sure! :-)

{heated game of basketball}

The kids had a great time playing with the cousins. It is never a long enough time but we will be back in such a short time for Easter that saying good-bye this time didn't hurt as much. Now back to the real world the kids go back to school tomorrow morning. Kids are sleeping and this momma better get the 5 loads of laundry folded on the bed so I can hit the hay. Good Night!!

Spring Break

We are in Ohio!! It's not the beach for spring break but its warm and we are enjoying the sunshine. The kids are having fun playing with their grandmas and grandpa wearing them all out. On Monday we got to hang out with cousins Mason and Lincoln all day and mason and Lil Miss were having a love/hate relationship. Lil Miss was not doing very good at the sharing.

{she took my toy}

{he is gripping on to his blanket for dear life because Lil Miss kept swiping it}

{measuring the circumference of the trees, anything to keep the kids entertained}

Yesterday we spent the day up with Grandma and Grandpa Schulte's. The weather was so nice we spent the afternoon outside.

{oh isn't this girl soooo sweet}

{beep, beep}
{Gigi and Josh racing down the sidewalk}

{filling out the NCAA bracket}

Bubba and I finished filling out our brackets. He had unusual tactics for picking his teams. Sometimes it was eeny meeny minie mo, other times it was "What would you pick mom?" and yet others it was "that team is cool pick that one". And can you take a guess who he has going to the final championship game?? Ohio State vs. Xavier He can't believe he is playing the buckeye. LOL He has Ohio State winning the final game because "they are really good mom!" Chances are his picks will do better than momma's. Just waiting til the games start and we can see how we measure up. The important thing is to beat Daddy!! Going to go enjoy the sun now......

A bicycle built for two

{not so sure about this helmet that they put on me... but safety first}

Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I'm half crazy,
All for the love of you!
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage
But you'll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle made for two.

Oh what a sweet song. Lately I must have music on the brain because I am constantly singing a hum as I go. Happiness!!! Have I said how beautiful the weather is? I think I have. Today, I finally picked up my Christmas present from the hubby and the kids. A new awesome bike. Apparently my Huffy from college wasn't cutting it. During the move or right before, I can't remember, the wire/line that connects the gears to the gear shifter thingys (so technical) broke. I had tied the wire around the post to keep it from getting in my way but Hubby thought it was time for a new bike so here it is!!!

{mommy's new ride}

It is so stylish. It will soon have a baby sit attached to the back to make it look so much cooler-- NOT. LOL But seriously this thing is a nice smooth ride. It reminds me of my mom's granny bike. Yes, I know that is not nice but that is what we called it. She had a shaggy seat cover (it looked like one of those Old English sheep dogs was sitting on her seat) and this same sloped down support bar. I am riding in style.

Our Saturday morning started with me slipping out of bed and getting my running clothes on just as the Lil Miss woke up. (so much for getting out of the house before I woke anyone up) Nate woke up to watch the girls and I headed out for a run. I got back in time to take Bubba to all-star basketball practice. It is much more competitive then his regular winter session was. These kids were stealing, blocking shots and picking and rolling. Bubba kept up with the best of them and after a pep talk from me he was out there dishing out what he was taking. After that I ran out and picked up the bike from the bicycle store. I convinced Nate that after the Ohio State Game we should take a family bike ride. It took a lot of convincing and coaxing, but he finally agreed.

Bubba and Gigi were just up from a nap and rearing to go. Rosie who had just fallen asleep was a little on the cranky side but we got her up and moving. Lil Miss knew exactly where to go when she saw the bike and soon all of us were ready to go.

We were quite the caravan biking around the neighborhood 5 long. Mommy and Daddy had all the kids sandwiched in between us. Gigi was a little slower with the training wheels and got tired a lot faster than her brother and sister. We only had one accident where Gigi took a corner too fast and took a tumble, but she dusted herself off and got right back on.

{all pumped up and ready to ride}

{Off we go.... wait up Daddy}
This was about the piont where daddy turned around and told me to put the camera down. He wouldn't let me get a picture of him in his helmet. I don't know why, everyone is wearing one of them these days. Heehee. Even though Daddy was being a meany about the picture taking I still managed to get a shot with my iphone as we were riding -- the joys of having a camera phone.

Can't wait for our next ride....

Okay now I better get to packing we will be back at Grandma Judy's house in 24 hours!!! Yeah!! I better get my butt up and start getting things together. More to come of spring break!!! Enjoy!!