Melissa's Blog

Free Day from School!

2012-03-06T18:20:00.000-06:00

The kids had off from school last Friday and this past Monday. My friend Tammy took my kids overnight last week on Thursday and watched them until I got done with work on Friday. They had a great time and by the sounds of it, my kids kept them busy playing just about every board game they had. :) They also took them out for breakfast on Friday morning.

So Monday was my turn to take her kids and I also took my friend Jenny's boys. We had a fun filled day, which started with none other than, school? Yes, we set up a room to play school. We started by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Since we didn't have a flag, we did have a big fish balloon floating on the ceiling (don't ask), so we did, "I pledge allegiance, to the fish". That got lots of giggles. The older kids took turns being the teacher and teaching different classes like math and art. That kept them busy for about 2 hours!

For lunch we went for pizza and a movie at the budget. We saw the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, which set their imaginations into full gear for our next adventure.

The afternoon turned out to be gorgeous, so we headed to the park. The snow hill was too muddy to go sledding, but we still had fun playing on the park equipment and taking a nice long walk through the woods where they pretended they were the chipmunks and chipettes on a remote island.

Taking a rest on the bench on the trail in the woods.

Pretending they are walking on a scary log to cross a river several hundred feet above water like in the movie.

The girls wore their scarves and sung the song the chipettes sang...I shake my tail back and forth..I shake my tail back and forth.

Alec was the man of steel pulling all the kids at one time. I could barely pull two and was out of breath. :)

They found this fort in the woods and pretended it was the one the chipmunks built on the island.

Complete with a zip-line.

Pretty little Abbie. :)

Taking a rest after our long walk with some water and Nana's delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Back home showing off their Easter art projects they made that morning while enjoying some hot chocolate.

Can't wait for our next day off from school! Thanks for hanging with me today, I had lots of fun!

Weekend at Nana's House/Baby Michael

2012-03-06T18:15:00.001-06:00

This past weekend was our annual "tax season sleepover" at my Grandma's house with the kids. We try to get up there every year during Rick's busy season to spend some time with our beloved Nana/Grandma. Again we had a great time. Grandma cooked a lot of great food and lots of goodies (although I had to drool over them because I gave up desserts for lent). Somehow I still managed to gain 2 pounds there. :)

Friday night it was just the four of us. We spent some time playing board games. We brought out some of the oldies (new to the kids) like RACK-O, Chinese checkers and regular checkers (which is now Will's new favorite).

Saturday the kids played in the snow for awhile (as of when we left Neenah didn't have any snow, so they loved having a backyard full to play in). We did some cooking, played some games and by supper time we had a houseful of aunts, uncles and cousins. We got to meet my cousin Brian and Megan's son, Michael, who is only two weeks old.

Soon it was Sunday and it was time to head home. Can't wait for next year! Thanks for having us Grandma.

Will, Taylor and Lexi with Michael

Lexi and Michael

My cousin Brian and Will. They are drawn to Brian..love to tease and play with him. Partly because he is so tall and they can touch the ceiling when he is holding them. :)

Grandma Hamm and Michael

Baby Michael

Taylor, Lexi and Michael

Strong little boy for three weeks.

Michael and my Uncle Gary..

My Aunt Sue, the proud Grandmother...

Nana also had some soda in bottles, which the kids thought was pretty cool. Is there anything better than grape soda in a bottle? I wouldn't know..the kids drank it all, plus the blue-raspberry and cherry. lol

Kids enjoying the snow...

Nana teaching Lexi how to play Chinese checkers...

Will playing Chinese checkers for the first time. He was playing checkers against me later and Nana was his partner as he was just learning. He looked at her and said, "let's do this Hamm." It was so funny. I didn't even really realize he knew her last name as he calls her "nana". lol

Grandma kicked our tails in the first round of Chinese checkers.

Lexi and Grandma

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:27:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! We stayed home once again, as the kids really wanted a family fun night and after running nonstop the last month with Christmas activities it suited Rick and I just fine as well. We got a little dressed up (after packing away Christmas decorations a better part of the day) long enough to go out to eat.

Lexi got to wear the shirt she got for Christmas, which was very shiny and perfect for New Years!

The girls...

and the boys...

At the restaurant..

We came home and played Will's new favorite game, Mouse Trap first.

Lexi sporting her New Year's hat..

and Will in his...

Dad and Mom had to wear them too!

Then it was on to Lexi's choice..Monopoly.

Will had to drop out of the game to put on some pjs around 10:00 and was out by 10:18. :)

Lexi getting her streamers hung...

Happy New Year!!!

We woke Will up to blow his horn and pull a confetti bomb..and then he was back sleeping.

Lexi doing her confetti.

Here is to a safe and healthy 2012.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-01T12:02:00.000-06:00

Another Christmas come and gone..but many wonderful memories made. Yes, it is stressful with getting everything decorated, shopping, parties, baking, wrapping, cards..but I love all of it and am sad to see it go. I will miss the Christmas cards coming in the mail, the holiday music in the stores, the smell of the tree and the hunt for the perfect gift for my friends and family. I also make sure to take a step back from it all and take a moment to be thankful for how blessed we are.

The Friday before Christmas I made some cupcakes for Christmas day...

Also on Friday, Rick and I went to the kids school to the "all school sing-a-long" where Lexi was a part of the student counsil that led the other kids in song.

Friday night we drove to dad's house and the kids and I camped out by the tree.

Saturday, Christmas Eve morning we had these cute snowman donuts for breakfast.

Will and I gave Dad a quick haircut before church.

This year Leopolis did not have Christmas Eve Mass again, so we decided instead of missing it again, we would go to mass in Marion. It definitely wasn't the same as our little church on the hill, but still a nice service and fun to get dressed up.

Dad and the kids before church.

Family photo

When we came home from church, we discovered that Santa had come. Heather, Jim and Taylor came over and we opened the gifts we had gotten each other. Here is Lexi with her new make-up bag.

Taylor with her new Brewers hat from Jim and Heather.

Will and his new Mickey Mouse bowl and cup in memory of our Disney trip this year.

After presents, Rick's family joined us for supper and games.

Our niece Leighten and Will trying out Will's new nerf gun set.

Lizzie and Lenny running around while our well behaved Miley looks on...lol.

Grandma Joanne and Will

Christmas morning we got up very early and headed out to Grandma Joanne and Papa Ron's house in our Christmas jammies to open gifts with Rick's family.

Papa Ron and Lexi

First cousins...Leighten, Kal, Will and Lexi

For lunch on Christmas Day we went to Rick's dad's side of the family which was held at his cousin Brian and Heidi's new house this year. (which was beautiful by the way) The kids love going because there is no shortage of kids to play with here.

For Christmas Day supper, we went to my sister's house where we celebrated with my mom's side of the family. It went so fast I didn't even get one picture. :( Later in the evening the Packers played, so we stayed to watch the game with Heather and family and Tracy and kids.

Below is Lizzie and Lenny playing again.

Tracy's dog Roscoe..

and again Miley not looking impressed by the immature behavior of the other dogs. lol

Will and Lexi playing a new game with Amara and Bryson

The day after Christmas I met some of the girls I grew up with, along with my second moms and some of our kids. It was a nice ladies luncheon.

The youngest out of the ladies..Callie and Meylor

All of the girls (minus Meylor..one pic was enough for her)

Lexi, Taylor, Callie and MiKayla

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas as well!

Cookie Time!

2011-12-18T18:51:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was spent trying to take a step back from the stress of the season and having a little fun. Friday night we had some friends over for dinner and then went to see a Christmas movie at the theatre together. We asked the kids to spend the night and had a slumber party in the living room sleeping near the lit tree all night. (I love doing that!)

Kids getting comfy to watch some t.v before bed.

Miley picked her chair for the sleeover. :)

The next morning we donned our aprons and set out to make some Christmas cookies.

We had our dough rolling station..

and our decorating station...

Lexi

Will

Maddie

Ayden

Abbie

Once a few batches of cookies were ready to be decorated, the kids left the remainder of the rolling and cutting to Rick and Todd...

The finished products! They were delicious and cost me a pound this morning. :) I wrote on facebook that there were more, but the buttery goodness was now attached to my behind.

Now the fun is over and it is on to wrapping!

Girls Night Out..

2011-12-18T18:05:00.001-06:00

We had a girls night out this past Thursday. Lexi and I had tickets to go and see the Christmas Carol in Appleton. We were joined by my sister Heather, my niece Taylor and our friend Kim. We all really enjoyed the play with excellent actors and wonderful costumes.

Lexi and I getting ready to go!

Lexi and I in our 4th row seats. Really good seats, but almost too close for Lexi because she couldn't see the best over the adults sitting in front of her.

Taylor, Lexi and I. :)

Lexi and Taylor at intermission...

My friend Kim and me..

A nice random lady offered to take a group photo.

Heather and Taylor..

What a fun night!

Happy Birthday Rick..

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to my husband Rick today!

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Dear Rick...

Happy Birthday to you!

We hope you have a great day.

All Our Love ~ Melissa, Lexi, Will and Miley

2011-12-07T04:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Dad today!

Happy Birthday To You...

Happy Birthday Dear Dad/Grandpa...

Happy Birthday To You!

Hope you have a great day.

Love ~ Rick, Melissa, Lexi, Will and your favorite dog, Miley.

Pre-Christmas...

2011-12-06T17:57:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again. Decorations are up and the tree is trimmed. I just love the house all decorated.

This year we added a few new ornaments to the tree, as we usually do.

The first was this family ornament we picked up at Disney. It hooks to the string of lights and changes colors....very pretty.

We gave the kids their yearly ornaments, which were also from Disney but they hadn't seen them until we started decorating the tree.

Will's Mickey is a remembrance of his trip to Disney and also his first year of playing t-ball.

Lexi's Minnie was a remembrance of Disney. She has a string at the bottom that you pull and her legs go up like the old time ornaments I remember.

This ornament I picked up in remembrance of my mom. She liked hummingbirds and I picture her taking on that form when she is checking on us. :)

Getting so tall she can reach much higher this year.

All finished! Great job guys. :)

My first fresh centerpiece that I made to put in the office.

Needs a few more berries, but think it turned out nice.

Posing in their jammies for the annual calendar.

This ornament made us laugh..it is from a year or two ago that Will made at daycare.

Just a few more weeks until Christmas! Can't wait. Although the holidays are a tough time for us and I have had plenty of tears over the last few weeks, I still love the holidays. Merry Pre-Christmas!

4th Grade Basketball...

2011-11-17T05:00:00.001-06:00

Lexi joined the 4th grade basketball team at her elementary school. They practice two nights a week and will play in 4-6 tournaments. She had her first tourney in Neenah this weekend, playing four games.

The first game started out really rough. She, along with a few of the other girls looked lost, like a deer in the headlights. I could see her frustration when she game out during part of the game and had a few tears. The other team they were playing had already played 7 games that season, so they were all over our girls and we got beat 22-2.

The second game the girls were starting to figure things out and although they got beat worse than the first game, they looked better. The second team again had played several games already and were very aggressive. By the third game Lexi and her team had improved a ton. They still lost, but there was a ton of hussle and they had a much better understanding of the game.

Lexi's cheering section for games 2 and 3...

Will was not feeling well for the 4th game (we had been at the gym since 9 a.m. and the last game was close to 4 p.m.), so I took him home to give him some Tylenol. Of course, missing the last game Lexi scored 2 baskets! So proud of her from that first game to the last. Just wish I wouldn't have missed it! Great job Lex!

Lexi and Papa Bob

Lexi and Papa Ron and Grandma Joanne

Hanging with the girls between games..

If you know Lexi, she loves hot dogs. The girl ate a hot dog after each game! lol

Rick is also helping coach her team and was very proud of how she did. She was given his baseball number too for her uniform, which made him happy as well. She also is following in his footsteps in basketball with her shoes..lol. She picked out the Air Jordans, just like he had in highschool (and probably has saved somewhere. :)

Happy Birthday Heather..

2011-11-14T07:20:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Dear Heather...

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to my sister Heather and also to me! We are 36 years young today and have officially passed into the range of closer to 40, than 30.

Happy Anniversary to Heather and Jim too!

Have a great day!

Love - The Radies'

School Pictures

2011-11-03T20:49:00.000-05:00

The kids came home with their school pictures tonight and they turned out so cute. Thank goodness, because they missed the original picture day when we were in Florida, so they only had one shot since there were no more re-take days scheduled.

Lexi is looking so grown up in her 4th grade picture.

Then there is Will's very first school picture for kindergarten. He too looks so grown up and handsome. :) (insert tear) He didn't quite look at the camera, but at least he smiled. It is a wall hanger.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T18:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

The kids had another fun Halloween season. Lexi decided to be a vampire and Will selected another super hero, Captain America.

Below is Will and his buddies at the school Halloween Bash.

Kids at the Halloween Bash..

Lexi and her bff's...

The night after the school party, Abbie and Maddie spent the night and the kids dressed up as zombies. They did their outfits and make-up all by themselves. :)

The following night we carved our pumpkins.

Will's final product..

Lexi's pumpkin..

The kids tonight before trick or treating...

Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Disney - Day 1

2011-10-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

We are home from our 10 day vacation to Florida where we went to Walt Disney World, Sarasota Florida to visit our relatives and spend some time at the ocean, and ended our vacation at Sea World. Lexi got to go to Walt Disney World when she was 5, so now it was Will's turn since he recently turned 5. Our traveling companions on this trip were our good friends the Fischers..Josh, Tammy, Maddie and Abbie. Hopefully after spending so much time together, they will still be our friends. :)

Here is Abbie and Will at the Appleton airport. They were both flying for the first time.

Our trip began on Friday, September 16, 2011. We had to get up at 3 a.m. to get to the airport for our flight out of Appleton at 5:30 a.m. We had no problem getting the kids out of bed with the anticipation of what they would see over the next week.

Lexi, Abbie, Will and Maddie

Abbie and Will patiently waiting for our plane.

Ready for take off!

At the O'Hare Airport..eating some breakfast. Our original flight plan didn't have much of a layover, but since booking our flight, they changed it to us having a 4 hour layover in Chicago. With the anticipation of the trip and being together with their friends, the four hours didn't seem all that long.

Love this pic..Lexi and Maddie

We called them our "camp directors" for the trip. After we did something at Disney they would immediately ask what we were doing next. They made sure we stayed on our toes and didn't miss anything, especially all the big rides..they couldn't get enough.

Lexi's Mickey earrings she had gotten for Christmas...

We have arrived at the Orlando Airport! Below is Abbie and Will on the Disney bus taking us to our hotel. If you stay on Disney property, a Disney bus picks you up and takes you to your hotel. You don't even have to worry about luggage, it meets you in your room a few hours later.

Lexi on the bus

Outside our hotel. Notice Josh in his Kentucky shirt and hat..he got asked many times if he was from Kentucky and if he bleeds blue. lol

Maddie walking the red carpet...

Lexi doing the same..

Checked in and walking to our rooms..

Stopping to pose for a picture with Daisy...

and Donald...

Our themed room was the Love Bug..this was the car outside of our rooms..

Cool off spot outside of our room..

Once we were settled, we had tickets to go to Magic Kingdom for a Halloween Party from 7 p.m. to midnight. The kids wore the costumes that they wore last year. The party was awesome and worth the money. They only sell so many tickets, so you could walk on most of the rides. There was a Halloween parade and trick or treating. Seeing all the other costumes was fun as well.

The gang ready to go. Abbie was only able to keep her dress on for a short time because it was so hot and sticky, she had to change into something cooler.

At the Magic Kingdom!!

Standing in front of Cinderella's castle.

Going on Splash Mountain for the first time of the day!

Dance party with Woody, Jessie and Bullseye. Lexi got picked to dance with Woody.

Will giving Bullseye and high five

Abbie and I took our first ride on the tea cups while the rest went on Space Mountain for the first time.

Will and Abbie meeting Buzz

Back at our hotel.

Abbie fell asleep on the bus on the way back to the hotel..

as did Will. After being up since 3 a.m., they were exhausted. We finally made our way to our rooms around midnight.

A great start to the vacation. :)

Disney - Day 2

2011-10-01T15:10:00.003-05:00

Our second day, Saturday, was spent back at the Magic Kingdom. Friday we had hit some of the bigger rides, but still had plenty to see yet. Below is Lexi posing by the "L" at our hotel while waiting for the bus and then again with Will. The picture is hazy because the camera fogged up going from the air of our room to the HOT sun already at 8 a.m.

We were up bright and early because we had breakfast reservations at one of the restaurants, so we were allowed into the park before it opened at 9 a.m. When we booked the reservation, the person never told us where the restaurant was, just what the breakfast was called and to check in at the entrance to Magic Kingdom and they would allow us in. Well once we got to the gate we were surprised to learn there was more than one character breakfast and we had no idea where we were supposed to go. After a lot of running around and three restaurants later, we finally found where we were supposed to be and it was very much worth it.

We were greeted by Tony, whom the restaurant was named after. He was so funny running around the restaurant. Once breakfast was served, the characters came out to greet all the families and take photos. After photos, they danced with the kids. The looks on their faces was priceless..great experience.

During the character breakfast, our wonderful waitress Shelly told us to go next door and get a Fastpass to see the princesses and Mickey Mouse, so that when we were finished eating we wouldn't have to wait in line. It worked out great, with the special pass we didn't have to stand in the lines and had to wait just a few minutes to see some of the special characters.

The man himself...Mickey Mouse. Great smiles kids! lol

The Fisher Family

Today Josh has decided to be from Texas. You wouldn't believe the amount of people that commented on his shirt and asked where in Texas he was from. He would normally reply he was from Wisconsin, but tried Houston at least once. lol

Some of the fall decorations...

Will was very excited to meet Chip and Dale...

Mickey and Minnie putting on a show at the castle.

The princesses and their men joined in as well...

We got to see a lighted parade. As an adult you can appreciate the work that must have went into these floats. The pictures didn't do it justice (and I borrowed a camera, so I didn't have it quite figured out yet).

Another great day. The weather was very hot again, but what we would expect in Florida. No rain. :) After our previous 21 hour day, we still made it until the park closed at 10:00 p.m. All the kids did good on the rides and Will really surprised me with how brave he was. Although there were a few that I didn't think were scary (I am not a big roller coaster rider) he did. Like the one called Snow White's Scary Adventure. You just sit in a car together and it takes you through the story of Snow White. He isn't a fan of witches, so this was not a hit with him. He got off very angry asking why I would ever put him on a ride so scary! That wasn't very nice mom!

Disney - Day 3

2011-10-01T15:09:00.003-05:00

Day 3 was spent at Hollywood Studios. First on the list when we arrived was seeing Phineas and Ferb. While we waited in line, Abbie and Will were chosen to come and play some instruments to entertain the folks waiting. Lexi, Maddie and I also had to go out and do a dance, but luckily I do not have pictures of that. :)

Our turn! Kids had fun interacting with the characters.

Don't the Fischers take such nice family photos? Here they are in front of the Tower of Terror. Since it was Sunday, Josh admitted he was from Wisconsin and wore his Packer gear. :)

Will and Abbie watching the live performance of Beauty and the Beast...

It was warm again, probably 90, but we did get some rain. It poured for about 2 hours, but otherwise not a bad day. Everyone but me and Will (surprise, surprise) went on the Tower of Terror and the Rock N' Roller Coaster several times and loved it. We saw a lot of good shows and ate some good food.

Abbie and Will enjoying a snack while everyone else was on the roller coaster.

We also saw a really cool stunt show and Lightning McQueen made a guest appearance.

Our supper was at a restaurant called the 50's prime time cafe. It is set up like a kitchen from the 50s and the waitresses act like they are from the 50s and yell at you if you don't eat your vegetables. The tables were formica and the chairs padded. My meal came with green beans and I won't touch those (or anything that is green and cooked). She asked if she needed to feed them to me and do the choo choo train or if I was going to eat them on my own. My plan was to tell her I was allergic, but Tammy stole my excuse so I was left with nothing and had to take a bite. You should have seen Will's face because he didn't eat his either and he was petrified she was going to yell at him too, but she didn't. She said that she didn't want to make him cry. She caught Rick looking at his phone and told him it was rude to do at the table and caught Maddie with her elbows on the table and called her "miss elbows." You had to say please and thank you too or she would scold you. We laughed so hard..was really fun. When we were done she said, "go ahead..run along, I'll clean this mess up" in a funny tone of voice.

Another fun filled day. We stayed until park close at 9:00 and then went back to gear up for another big day.

Disney - Day 4

2011-10-01T15:08:00.003-05:00

Day 4 was a bit more relaxing. We headed for Blizzard Beach, a water park, and it didn't open until 10 a.m., so we got to sleep in a little bit. It was very hot again, so the water felt great and instead of going to Epcot in the afternoon, we gave up our reservations at an Italian restaurant to stay until Blizzard Beach closed at 5:00 p.m.

Here is Will catching up with Papa Bob while we wait for the bus to pick us up. (Hey Josh..welcome back to a Wisconsin team..go Brewers!)

Lexi melting in the sun hoping the next bus is ours.

Abbie enjoying the wave pool.

This is called Summit Plummet. It is one of the tallest, fastest water slides around. (12 story drop, 120 feet high)Basically it is a water slide that you lay on your back and drop straight down. Lexi and Rick did it twice and Maddie and Josh did it once. They are all crazy as far as I am concerned..yikes, it looked really scary. The picture makes it seem like you go off that jump, but the slide actually just goes straight down. We are finding differences in the younger kids bravery too. Abbie went on Tower of Terror (where you are dropped 13 stories while
sitting in an elevator) but won't go on a water slide if you go under at the bottom, where Will won't go on Tower of Terror, but will go down a pitch black water slide on a tube by himself and get dumped out the bottom and not blink an eye. lol

Being goofy..

Free sand buckets with lunch!

Sharing a smoothie..

Margarita time!

Fischer Family...

Radies Family..

Group photo...

Aww....it's raining!

Sporting the water shoes...

We left the water park around 5:30 and came back to the hotel and cleaned up a bit. Then me, Rick, Will and Abbie went and had some dinner and they just played with their DS's in the room and watched a movie. The die-hards - Tammy, Josh, Lexi and Maddie went to back to Magic Kingdom to ride the 3 biggest rides and then headed over to Hollywood Studios because they were open until 1 a.m.to ride the Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster again. They finally got home around midnight. Although exhausted, they said there were no lines and they had a blast. I don't know how they did it, I was tired from swimming. Some of those rides you had to walk 125 stairs to get to (yes, I counted). Tammy and I are always gabbing and we had to pause while talking just to take a breath because there were so many stairs! lol It only rained for about a 1/2 hour today, not near as hard as yesterday and it was when we were leaving the water park so it worked out great.

Disney - Day 5

2011-10-01T15:07:00.003-05:00

We spent the morning of Tuesday, Day 5 at Epcot. For some reason it was really busy, so the lines were a bit longer. The kids wanted to wait in line to see some of their favorite characters again, and that line was an hour long by itself. (no fast passes here)

I snuck this pic of Josh's socks while waiting in line for the characters. He had forgotten to bring socks, so he had to buy some Mickey Mouse ones. It wasn't a big deal because where else can you wear Mickey Mouse socks but at Disney, but he had the picture to the inside I am assuming so they weren't seen quite as much. lol (this is for you and Rick teasing me..him saying I looked like the wicked step sisters instead of Cinderella and you saying I looked more like Stitch)

Pluto!

Donald signing Lexi's autograph book.

Later in the afternoon, we went shopping at Downtown Disney and then had dinner at Planet Hollywood. Here are the kids at the restaurant.

After dinner, everyone but Tammy, Josh and Abbie went to Disney Quest where they have five floors of games. Anything from the old video games like Q-Bert and Pac Man to interactive games like fighting pirates on a ship in 3D. One of the main games Maddie and Lexi did several times was creating your own roller coaster. You designed it yourself..the speed, turns, spirals, barrels, etc. Once completed, you went into a large circular car and got to experience your roller coaster first hand. Outside of the virtual coaster, your family could watch while you road. Here is a picture of Maddie and Lexi while they were upside down in their coaster.

Mean while, Abbie was being surprised by getting a princess make over at Bibbiti Bobbity Salon. I guess when she was finished she said, Will is just going to freak! Of course she looked beautiful and oh so cute. She was so proud when they met up with us later.

Hard to see, but she had glitter all over as well.

Lexi and Abbie trying out the dancing machine.

Kids waiting their turn to fight the pirates with their 3D glasses on.

What a fun day. Another action packed day from 8:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

Disney - Day 6

2011-10-01T15:06:00.002-05:00

Day 6, Wednesday, our last full day at Disney. We spent the day at Animal Kingdom, the only park we hadn't visited yet.

One of my favorite pics. The kids were waiting in line to see a 3D show from Bugs Life and had bug 3D glasses on. The show had lots of surprised. We had to laugh, but it scared the kids at times. lol

Tammy and Josh on the dino ride. They went on this while we went on a dino coaster. The little ones weren't tall enough for the coaster.

Lexi and Will with Terk

Tammy, Lexi and Abbie on the safari ride to see the larger animals.

It was later afternoon when we went on the ride and it was very hot, so the animals weren't very active, so I only got a few good pics.

Isn't that baby elephant adorable?

The kids and their long lost brother behind them. :)

Another long lost brother behind them..you could tell by how their mouths matched.

Rick had the kids pose like this..lol

Well, it is Jiminy Cricket

The kids and Rafiki..he was quite the character. He really gave Tammy the business..wouldn't let her go. lol

Little petting zoo with some goats.

For dinner we went to the Rainforest Cafe. That was quite the restaurant..kids really liked all of the moving animals.

We got back to the hotel and everyone went to cool off in the pool. After those hot days, the water never felt so good. We ended the night with an 8:30 movie at pool side with snacks. :)

Disney - Day 7

2011-10-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

Thursday, Day 7, it was time to check out of Disney. We were allowed to use the parks all day and had a hard time deciding what to do. It was really hot, so did we go to the second water park we didn't get to see, did we go back to Epcot because we had only spent a 1/2 day there, do we go to Downtown Disney to get the rest of our souvenirs?? Such tough decisions. Both families actually decided on the same park..The Magic Kingdom. It had the shops we needed to finish our shopping and the favorite rides that all ages could go on.

The kids on the final morning. They all wanted Mickey hats. Will's goofy hat just cracks me up.

One last ride on "Its a small world"

Fischer family in Cinderella's castle..good to see you are from Wisconsin today Josh. :)

Radies family at Cinderella's Castle...

While everyone else was on Space Mountain, we came across Tigger and Pooh!

Loving the tea cups..

Miss Abbie getting tired...

This is generally what we looked like at the end of a day..lol. The kids always fell asleep on the bus.

From here the Fischer family went to SeaWorld and the Radies family rented a car and drove to see family in Sarasota. After going nonstop for seven days, we were ready for a few relaxing days.

Disney - Day 8 & 9

2011-10-01T15:04:00.001-05:00

A beautiful day at the beach. When we visited Sarasota 10 years ago for the first time we went to Siesta Beach to find that the Red Tide had infected the ocean. When we visited 4 years ago there was a tropical storm coming in and there was so much seaweed on the shore you couldn't even get to the water. This trip was perfect..beautiful sunshine, white sand (which Siesta is known for) and clear water. Lexi's favorite part of the ocean was finding shells. She and cousin Riley had some great finds, even finding some that still had owners in them.

Will was a bit hesitant about stepping in the ocean for the first time because he just wasn't sure about the shark situation, but after about 10 minutes he finally made his way in a bit further and had a great time swimming.

Will's first steps in the ocean!

Little deeper..O.K., I guess it isn't so bad..but I will still be on the lookout for sharks.

Before you knew it he was fighting the waves..

Cousin Nikki, her daughter Charlotte and Lexi
Shortly after this was taken, Lexi complained that she thought something had bit her and I couldn't see anything on her, but later figured out she had been bit by a jellyfish. We found one on shore. The lifeguards treated her with a spray, but it was almost an hour before the stinging stopped on her chest. (she refused to let anyone you know what on her..)

We stayed two nights with Rick's uncle Ken and aunt Dianne. (thank you!) They are in the process of putting in a pool to enjoy with their grandchildren when they visit. Here are the kids checking out the form that was recently poured.

Sitting in the hot tub...

I had to take a picture of Ken and Dianne's porch because it is definitely something I would like when we build a home (a covered porch)

Our second day in Sarasota we went to Nokomis beach. Again, beautiful day, clear water. Here Lexi and Will are playing with cousins Riley, Brody and Charlotte.

My handsome little boy...

Rick playing with Charlotte..

Ahhh.paradise!

After playing at the beach we went back to Nikki and Sean's house for a late lunch. In their back yard they have a cool fort and a zip line, that Lexi could not wait to try out. It is every kids dream to zip line out of a fort..so neat. Here is Lexi taking her first try at it with Sean in the background.

Will taking his turn..

What a fun day! Thank you everyone for your hospitality! It was time to drive back to Orlando and check into a hotel for our next adventure, Sea World.

Disney - Day 10

2011-10-01T15:03:00.000-05:00

Our last full day in Orlando was spent at Sea World. It was again very hot, but we had a great time getting to see the animals. Below the kids are feeding the stingrays. They were so funny..they would actually climb the wall to try and get the food. Their mouths are on the bottom, so you were supposed to hold the food in the water so they could grab it out of your hand. The kids didn't do such a great job at that because the stingrays weren't shy about trying to get the food before they got their hands in the water.

Second on the schedule was feeding the dolphins, which is my favorite. The dolphins also knew it was feeding time and weren't shy about talking to you in dolphin and you were warned to keep your tray of food below the wall because they would come out of the water and grab it. lol

Aww..aren't they cute!

Guess they were right..those dolphins would push themselves up as high as they could to get the food if you weren't fast enough.

You could see them from below also..

We got to see a dolphin show..

We also got to see a small animal show that had cats, dog, mice and even a pig.

Loved this show..these animals are so smart..

Carousal ride..

The Shamu show..also very smart animals. The show has changed considerably since we saw it last and now the trainers do not actually go in the water with the whales.

Kids on one of the rides..not quite the Tower of Terror, but they tried it anyway.

One of the roller coasters that Rick and Lexi went on. Can't believe Lexi liked it considering you are upside down most of the time.

Rick and Will are in the back row and Lexi is in front of them.

Another fun day. I think we are now "parked out" and ready to come home after 10 days.

Disney - Day 11 - Time to come home..

2011-10-01T15:02:00.000-05:00

The last morning started out fairly normal. Our flight wasn't until 2:30, but we left our hotel for the airport at 10:00 to have enough time to get some lunch and look through some of the shops. Around 1:00 - 1:30, I took this picture of the kids before we boarded the plane for Chicago. Will had started with a belly ache and had a hard time smiling for this photo.

One last pic of the kids on the airplane. Lexi to my left reading her book..

and my poor Will to my right not feeling well at all. He had gotten the chills once we got on the plane and was freezing. He fell asleep before the plane made it in the air.

Things went from bad to worse from there. By the time we arrived in Chicago, Will had a pretty high fever and was like a limp little noodle, still complaining about a belly ache. Once we get off the plane, we realized our connecting flight has been moved from 5:30 (only a 1/2 hr away) to 8:07. Rick took Will to the bathroom and he had a bad upset stomach. Not knowing he had it, he got some on his pants. Of course we don't have any access to our luggage or have any extra clothes along. I walk the airport from one end to the other looking to purchase a pair of pants and some children's Tylenol without luck. I did not have any because you can't carry liquids on the plane and that is generally what we always use. I will from now on never travel w/out chewables.

I could not find anyone to help me and was at a loss. In the meantime, I check the board again and our flight has been put out until after 10 p.m. I am ready to cry..my poor little boy is a limp noodle, sicker than sick in an airport and there is nothing I can do. I realized that I had a pair of jogging pants I had bought for someone else and had in my carry on, so I took Lexi in the bathroom to try them on. Luckily they had a draw string and we made them work. I then took Will into the bathroom and changed him into Lexi's capris..which just looked like regular jeans on him, just a little big. He wasn't happy about wearing girls clothes, but at least he had clean clothes on.

After being at the airport for 1 1/2 hours and thinking we would be there for four more hours, a dream come true happened and they scheduled a 7:00 flight. We were ecstatic. I gave the kudos to mom, hoping she was our guardian angel. I can see her up there saying..oh heck no..my baby boy is sick and he needs to get home..and sent us that plane. Will made it home just in time, as he got worse as the night went on. I took him in on Tuesday to have him tested for strep throat and sure enough it came back positive. He still had the stomach issues and had to miss 2 extra days of school. What an end to our vacation. I was so thankful though it happened at the end and not the beginning. As I type this, I have been in bed for 30 hours with the worst flu I have ever experienced. Guess we picked up a lot of things from traveling. Praying Lexi and Rick stay healthy!

Happy Birthday Jenny...

2011-09-06T05:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to you..

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Dear Jenny...

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Happy Birthday to my BFF Jen. Hope you have a great day!

Thanks for always being there for me, especially in the last year.

Cheers!

Love ~ The Radies'

Fair Time...

2011-09-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

Fair time has arrived again..the true sign that summer is coming to an end. Kids had a great time on the rides despite the at times wet and cold weather. Big change from most years during the day when it is very hot riding the carny rides.

We hooked up with the Kristof and Michonski kids this year along with my niece Taylor. Dad was a good sport and did most of the rides with the kids, thank goodness. I don't know..the older I get the less rides I want to go on.

Kendra, Lexi, Kasey and Will

Will going down the slide by himself for the first time...

My two handsome boys...

Heather snapping pics while we wait in line..

Our favorite ride..the Tilt O Whirl

Lexi, Kendra, Taylor and Dad

Me, Will, Kasey and Rick...

Dad and the girls..

Elliott and Adrianne...

My stomach couldn't take this one..can't believe Dad went on it. He said it wasn't too bad.

Dad, Taylor, Kendra, Lexi, Kasey and Jacob

The birthday girl on Tuesday..Jen. She was a nice surprise since I didn't think they were coming up. Then there is Todd...lol.

Until next year...

First Day of School...

2011-09-01T08:53:00.000-05:00

First day of school...

It's a big year on this first day of school as it is Will's first day of kindergarten. I am excited to see him grow, but so sad that my last baby is now in school. Yesterday was his last day of daycare, a place he has gone most days since he was six weeks old and it is going to be a major adjustment not picking him up there anymore. He made some great friends there, three of which are going to Tullar with him. (see pic below) Mondays (my day off) are going to be so quiet. Before Will came along my day off was on Friday and Lexi and I enjoyed spending the whole day together and then when she went to school, Will and I had that special day on Mondays. Now it is just me and the dog. On one hand I can maybe catch up on some projects while he is in school, but I would really rather have both of them home. He will have a great time at school though, just as Lexi does learning and meeting new people.

They had a bit of a hard time falling asleep last night with all the anticipation. I was in tears already putting the kids to bed. When we got to school this morning Will said, "just stay with me for awhile" and I thought I was going to start crying again. Then when we were taking pictures of him and his friends from daycare I thought I was going to cry again, and then when I finally had to leave him I was walking down the hall and felt the tears coming. Lexi looked at me like I had two heads. She said, "what?" I said, "I think I am going to start crying" and she looked scared that I might actually start there in the hallway and humiliate her, so I held it together.

Will on his first day of school with his Batman backpack.

Lexi looking beautiful on her first day of 4th grade..

They didn't actually walk to school like we do every year, they wanted to ride their bikes. I made them pose for this pic though because I take one of them walking together every year.

Ready to go!

Lexi wasn't big on me taking pictures of her in front of her friends this year. I was given one at the bike rack and quick one in the hallway. lol

Will and his buddies...Matthew and Jackson

His friends from Early Learning Center

Sierra, Matthew, Jackson and Will

Will and his teacher Mrs. Kangas

Mrs. Kangas was also Lexi's kindergarten teacher. :)

Will at his desk...

Lexi at her coat rack..

Have a great first day! We love you guys.

Here Froggy....

2011-08-30T18:38:00.001-05:00

When visiting my Grandma a few weeks ago, we came across a frog that hopped on to Lexi's shoe. She soon captured him and kept him in a toy barn for an hour or so. She wanted to bring him home, but that was a big N-O, so she tried to get Nana to keep him for her and Nana just about came out of her skin thinking about that little frog loose in her house. lol Here are a few pics of Lexi's new friend...

In Memory...

2011-08-11T12:24:00.000-05:00

In Memory of Jeannie Schmidt

6/4/1951 - 8/10/2010

Today a year has passed

Since we got to hold you last

The pain still fresh, the tears we’ve cried

Wishing we had just one more day by your side

Your family and friends remember you every day

Asking time and time again, why couldn’t she stay

We take comfort knowing you are out of pain

An angel, heaven has now gained

In Loving Memory of our wife, mother, grandmother and daughter.

Forever in our Hearts…

Bob

Melissa, Rick, Lexi and Will

Heather, Jim and Taylor

Mom – Ruth Hamm

This was the "in memory" that was in several newspapers this past week.

Dear Mom...

2011-08-10T04:30:00.001-05:00

In memory of my mom, Jeannie Schmidt who passed away on August 10, 2010.
(Lexi picked out this song "Miss You" to remember Grandma)

Dear Mom -

I just cannot believe you have been gone a year. It hurts my heart to actually stop and think about it. We all miss you every day. We have had to go through many firsts without you, and those days are especially hard. I am confident that you are with us and have been with us all year in spirit, but I decided to write you a letter anyway, because it seems to help me to put my thoughts on paper.

I haven't written much since I stopped writing on the Caring Bridge site. I did write a few pages of memories. Although I don't think I will ever forget the last few months of your life, I felt the need to write some things down just in case. I think about those days a lot. Especially when it is quiet, or I am working on the computer. I will be working and all of a sudden I am gone, lost in that memory only to come back to reality with tears in my eyes. I wouldn't have done it any other way than to spend every moment I possibly could with you those last months, those last moments, but they are also the hardest days of my life. It did seem to help writing them down though. Over the year, I often think "what were we doing at this time last year?" This week has been especially painful. Although like I said, I think about those last months/weeks a lot, the closer it is getting to the anniversary date the harder it is. On Saturday I thought about how we had that party at Heather's house for everyone to get together to see you. Unfortunately the cancer was taking over and you were having a hard time, especially managing the pain and staying awake.

On Sunday I thought about how you were barely talking anymore and you were even worse than on Saturday. I remember in the morning how the pastor had come over. His intention was to give you communion, but you weren't able to stay awake long enough to receive it. You were still in the bedroom, barely awake, so he came in to see you there. It was me, you, dad and Pastor. After he had prayed for a few minutes, dad had to leave because the Theda Care van pulled in with your hospital bed. I can remember you curled in the fetal position on the bed and me kneeling on the bed, holding you. As he was praying you said to me, "I am trying to come out of it." I said, "I know..it's O.K." I remember after the priest was done talking we prayed above you saying the Our Father and I can remember my tears falling on you as we stood above you as I said the words. I remember saying to you afterwards, "I love you Mom" and you responding in a sleepy state, "I love you too." It would be the last time you talked to me.

I remember the kids coming later that afternoon and kissing you good-bye for the last time. That was so painful. I wish I would have realized you could hear us and not treated you like you were sleeping. I would have had them talk to you more. We were at your house this past weekend and when we got back and the kids were in bed Sunday night, I sat at the kitchen table and cried my eyes out thinking about that day a year ago. I went back to the Caring Bridge site and read some of the messages from that day. How did we get so blessed with friends that cared enough to send us those messages and prayers! Now a year later, how comforting they were to me. Such kind words and wonderful prayers.

Then there is that Tuesday morning, the 10th of August that you passed away. Those early morning hours when you were in pain. I tried everything they told me to do on the phone and nothing was working so they were on their way to put in a morphine drip. I was crushing pills between a spoon and putting them in your mouth trying to get them to soak into your cheeks. I was putting liquid morphine into a dropper and putting that into your cheeks as well. Nothing was soaking in and I can remember going to put the next hourly dose in and the previous hours worth of meds would still be there, resting in your cheeks. You had such a high fever and I just didn't know what to do anymore. I didn't want to lose you, but could remember begging God to come and take you because I couldn't stand to see you like this another minute. I couldn't fix you and was actually scared I would kill you with all of the high doses of meds as stupid as that sounds.

I remember being shocked, mouth wide open shocked, when all of the sudden the groaning stopped and the extremely heavy breathing you had been doing for days stopped also. You opened your eyes and I knew it was the end. Rick went to get dad (who was on the phone because one of the machines stopped working) and got Heather and Jim out of bed. Your eyes slowly came down like you had been looking up and I just stared, dumbfounded. Once your eyes came into focus, you kept saying over and over...I..I...I...I...I..I and I knew you were trying to tell us one last time that you loved us. Of course these would be your last words, you told us this all the time. You would manage to get an "L" out, and then go back to the I..I..I. We all stood together and watched you slip away telling you how much we loved you. I can remember looking around the room and seeing the tears on everyone's faces. Devastated, yet relieved you were free.

I remember being outside and letting the grief and anxiety of the last 12 hours out. I was crying so hard that at one point I wondered where that sound was coming from and realized it was coming from me. I can remember going back in to see you before they took you away and immediately realizing how cool your head was compared to minutes before from that awful fever. I remember calling our friends and family and sobbing with them on the phone There are a hundred other memories from those last few days, but this is what comes to me now.

We have tried to "pay it forward" in hopes that others do not have to experience the same pain as we have. In March of last year we joined up with Deanna and Team Asenbrenner to do a Relay for Life in Shawano. It was emotional, but a good experience. The best part was that Chris S. came and did the survivor lap. She wasn't feeling well that day, but came anyway. Just like you, she was an inspiration to many. I am assuming you two have met up already. She was kind enough to let Heather, Loni and I come and see her in the hospital before she passed. I let her know your 60th birthday was coming up and to have a drink with you, which was probably Sun-Drop. :)

Shortly after that relay, Heather signed us up for another relay in Clintonville, an overnight walk. I wasn't keen on doing another walk so soon after this walk, especially asking friends and family for money again but ended up having a great time. It was a long night for a few hours there, but we had a good time. Maggie, Lexi and Kim stuck it out with Heather and I. I can remember walking in the park (what a great place to have the walk) in those early morning hours and feeling the cool breeze on my face and just feeling so blessed and having a happy heart. Like I was supposed to be there. I remember having a little morning conversation with God and thanking him for everything he had provided for us and soon after it began to rain just a little bit and there was a beautiful rainbow. A great way to end the relay. Anyway, between the two relays we raised quite a bit of money to help aid in the research of curing cancer.

I am thankful that you at least got to meet Lexi and Will, but sure wish you could have stayed longer. They both still remember you and speak of you often. Last month we were getting ready to go up to Leopolis for the triathlon and I was in the shower and Lexi was getting ready in your bathroom. She started crying and I asked her what was wrong because she sounded so upset. She said that she was remembering you telling her every year on this day to save tootsie rolls for her from the parade and you wouldn't be there this year. She was so sad. I am grateful she is remembering, but it also makes me sad when she is sad. Pretty soon we were both crying.

Can you believe Lexi is going into 4th grade? She is quite a handful. I have wanted to call you a hundred times to tell you stories about her and have you laugh and tell me she is just like me, which she is. She is getting to that "girly age" where there are many highs and lows and she cares so much what people think. Getting ready in the morning and putting on just the right outfit is a 2 hour ordeal. Luckily I don't have to do that Tuesday-Friday, Rick does, and I can tell you he is about ready to send her out the door naked he is so tired of the fighting. lol She played softball this summer and really improved by the end of the season. They had a weekend tournament and took first place, she was really excited about receiving a trophy.

Can you also believe that Will is going into kindergarten? I am going to cry like a baby when he goes. He is such a mamma's boy and I am not ready to let him go yet. I know if you were here you would be calling on the first day of school to wish them both luck and calling 2 minutes when they got out of school to see how they liked it. I miss that. He is still so funny mom, you would be laughing at the things that come out of his mouth. The other day he called Lexi a "nut job". We went to pick out school shoes this weekend for him but didn't end up coming home with anything. He didn't care what the shoes looked like or how they fit, he just wanted the silly bands or comic books that came with the shoes. So I figured I would just have him look at the shoes online so that he concentrated on the actual shoe and not what the box looked like it came in. Obviously he is still loving his super heroes.

Dad is staying busy and building the garage he was going to start before you got sick. They are pouring the concrete this week. A whole building you could have filled with flower pots and decorations! ha ha   So that is going to keep him busy all fall. He is also ushering in church now and of course going to the races on the weekends and stays busy with the Legion. In the winter he will probably play cribbage with his BFF Orlie again and bowl with the crew here and there. We still visit like we used to and try to have family meals with Heather and Jim when it works out.

Heather is doing a lot better too. She got a job working with children with autism. She usually works 4 days a week and visits the children in their homes. It is nice because getting back in to the work force she isn't tied to a desk from 8-5, she can go for a half day and then come home. She is making a real effort to get healthy and strong again and you would be very proud of her.

Jim is still working for the same company and they have been working in Wisconsin for the most part, except for a few calls to Chicago for storm. Still the same smarty pants he always was. Last week the kids and I were watching the last Christmas we had with you. You had just opened the T.V. for the bedroom the four of us chipped in and bought and you said something like, "You guys..you spent too much. You should take some of this back." To which Jim replied, "Well, O.K. then." Of course we all laughed. We still get to see Taylor quite a bit. She just spent the night with Lexi at your house this past weekend and she went to the cabin with us this year too. She and Lexi have a ton in common, so they get along pretty well.

Rick is still working in Green Bay (and still vying to be dad's favorite) and I am still at UPF. We have had a fun summer with the kids. Besides the cabin, we have just done local things, and have had very few weekends open. In September we will take our big Disney trip. We tease Lexi that she got to go when she was 5 and now Will gets to go because he is 5 and she has to stay home. She of course isn't having it. Kidding aside, they are very excited as are Rick and I. It is the happiest place on earth, right? I know you will be there in spirit with us watching the kids faces light up.

Your flower gardens all came back. I haven't been able to keep up with them the best, but they still look nice. We invited some of your friends and family over to take some of your flowers that we knew would love and care for them the way you did. I am leaving mine there until we are ready to build a house, but did bring back a few things to put in my small flower bed and love the peace I feel when I look at them blooming knowing they were planted and grown by you. Speaking of friends, your friends sure do miss you. I talk to Loni and Sally the most and there aren't many days when they don't miss one of the adventures you used to go on. Sally calls and checks on us every so often and waters the plant we put up at the cemetery. Such a great 2nd mom! I still spend time with Deanna too. We try to get together whenever I am up, even if just for a walk. I still touch base with Barb and Lori too. Love those girls..so funny. They still feel your absence at work and think of you often. Through fb I still get to talk with Pat and Bonnie too. They always tell us they are there for us if we need them. You left behind some great friends...tons I didn't even mention. I know I mentioned you meeting up with Chris, have you found Vern yet? He left us shortly after you did.   One of the nicest men we ever met. I bet he greeted you with, "Hey Schmidt, how are ya?" Grandma is still having a hard time, and I know all of your brothers and sisters (and families) and dad's brothers and sisters miss you as well.
Well I see this is getting pretty lengthy. I just wanted you to know (like there was a doubt) how much I missed you and how much you mean to us. I just said to someone last week, they say it gets easier, but it sure has been a tough year. Your flower gardens came back, your glasses are still on the bathroom sink, your shoes still by the door. Everything there except for you. It was like when the snow melted I expected you to come back in the spring just like everything else and of course that was not the case. I think the year mark may cross a line of reality for me.

I cried a lot writing this, but do feel better after putting my feelings on paper as usual. It is hard to move on, yet it is hard to be sad all of the time too. It takes its toll. I almost feel guilty if I go a few weeks without grieving..silly I know. Just know I will always love you.

Please keep watch over all of us and put in a good word with God to keep us healthy and safe. He is probably irritated with me because when I pray I always end it with, "please give my mom a hug for me."

I picture him having to trek over to your castle everyday and make his way through all of your flower gardens, past all your bird feeders just to give you a big hug from me. ha ha

All my love -
Melissa

This is a video link I had uploaded to You Tube this past winter. It is horrible taping as I taped a video off a video for a friend. I went back to watch it and thought I would share it.

It is of mom at my wedding in 1999.

http://youtu.be/kBARm3iPVDE

4th of July

2011-07-09T22:50:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th. We spent in the day in Leopolis again. Below are some of my favorite pics. Another hard day as it was another first for us, but great friends and family made it a bit easier.

Annual Trip to the Cabin..

2011-07-09T22:04:00.001-05:00

We made our annual trek to the cabin a few weeks ago. Although the weather was a bit cool, we all enjoyed our time relaxing and fishing. It was a tough trip, the first without mom. It was hard not to picture her there and remember her last visit last July, just a month before she passed. All the memories came flooding back as we approached the last few miles before the cabin, bringing tears to my eyes. I could see her sitting on the porch crying on that last day, saddened that it would be her last family vacation to the cabin and being ill from the cancer.

When we arrived, we began unpacking the vehicle. As I was passing by the living room window, I thought I saw something flutter past and thought, no it couldn't be. Then I saw it again...a hummingbird in front of the window. I felt an instant peace. See, when I see a hummingbird I always think of my mom because she loved watching them out her window. There have been a few times over the past 10 months that I have been thinking about her and needing her when I am at her house and I will see a hummingbird. So the fact that I saw one at a time when I really needed to, without a feeder, etc., was such great feeling. To me she was saying, "Its O.K., don't be sad, I am here with you in spirit...enjoy your time." I was still missing her many times over the days we spent there, but the hummingbird certainly made things much easier.

Here are a few of the MANY pictures I took. Until next year heartburn haven....

After being lost in the Northwoods for awhile, Paris and Nicole (aka Heather and Taylor) and their 12 suitcases made it to the cabin. :)

For the first time ever, a bat made its way into the cabin. I have always been able to hear them in the ceiling and after residing and putting in new windows we had hoped that the cabin was sealed tight and they couldn't get in. Well I didn't hear any in the ceiling so I thought it might have worked, until Jenny, me and the kids were in bed and we heard the guys start swearing and lots of movement in the other room. Soon after the noise stopped in the kitchen, Rick came in and said that he had killed a bat with Will's light saber. Too funny. Luckily we didn't see another bat for the rest of our trip.

New siding and windows look great!

Happy Anniversary Todd and Jenny...

2011-06-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

Happy 10th Anniversary to our good friends Jenny and Todd.

We wish you many more years of happiness together! I can't believe it has been 10 years since your wedding day. We have been through so much since then and yet it seems like it was yesterday.

Now here you are 10 years later..have 2 boys..on your second home and some of us don't have much hair left. :) Here is to another 50 great years of marriage and friendship. I can just see the four of us in our 80s still hanging out..lol.

Love you guys! Rick, Melissa, Lexi and Will

Happy Birthday Leighten..

2011-06-30T21:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday To You...

Happy Birthday Dear Leighten..

Happy Birthday To You!

Happy 13th Birthday to our niece Leighten. I can't believe you are a teenager!! I hope you had a great birthday. We love you very much and will see you soon.

This photo was taken at the cabin 11 years ago. It is hard to see, but that is when your blanket was in one piece and still had some color. :)

This photo was taken just last week at the cabin. Seems like just yesterday you were only 2...time needs to go a little slower!

Love Ya ~ Rick, Melissa, Lexi and Will

Happy Birthday Grandma and Brayden...

2011-06-22T22:41:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated my Grandma's 83rd birthday and my cousin Brayden's 1st birthday. We were set to have our annual pool party at my Uncle Gary and Aunt Emily's house, but the weather didn't cooperate. Gary still heated the pool and let the kids go in for a little while.

Lexi and Taylor

My cousin Bill, Will, Ella, Lexi, Taylor and Lenny

The birthday boy Brayden..

Cousins Lexi and Ella..

My Grandma Hamm

My cousin Jenn and her son Brayden...

My cousin Jenn's daughter Ella...

My cousin Bill and Brayden...

Lexi's First Concert...

2011-06-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

For Lexi's birthday this year we gave her tickets to see Taylor Swift live in Milwaukee. Rick didn't think that Will would really get anything out of it, so just Lexi and I went from our family and joined up with our friends the Fischer family.

One part we left out when we gave Lexi the tickets on her birthday was that we also rented a limo for the girls to ride in. When the limo pulled up, the Fischers were already in it. Lexi started to walk out of the garage and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the limo driver and the limo. She turned around and looked at me and said, "who is that?" I said, "just keep walking." Slowly she realized from the screams inside that it was Maddie and Abbie. Once we were settled into the limo I asked her what her initial thoughts were and she said, "oh my gosh, I thought Taylor Swift was picking me up." lol

The limo driver told Lexi he only had one rule, she had to give him a hug before she got in and then the girls could jump around as much as they wanted. He was so nice. We took pictures in front of the limo before leaving and once the driver realized that Will wasn't coming along, he said, "hop in buddy..we are going around the block" and took him for a quick spin. The girls loved riding in the limo, although it was in the 90s and the air went out, so all of our "dolling" up to get ready for the show left us with frizzy hair and no make-up, but it didn't stop us from having a great time.

The pictures are backwards..the end to the beginning because I loaded them wrong, but you get the idea.

Lexi and Maddie in their new t-shirts.

Taylor put on a great show. Very hard not to like this girl, so genuinely nice and such a great performer. Our seats were very high up, but thanks to the zoom on my camera I got some good pictures.

Tammy and Maddie

Will on his spin around the block.

Lexi taking in the surprise.

Josh, Tammy, Maddie and Abbie

Some before pics..

My birthday girl..

The girls just before passing out on the ride home...

Birthday Fun...

2011-06-10T10:08:00.000-05:00

Last weekend the kids each got to pick a place to have some of their school friends to celebrate their birthdays. Lexi picked the roller rink.

Being the birthday girl, she got to roll the dice during one of the games later in the evening.

Doing the "birthday girl" lap by herself.

Will decided to have his first friend party at Monkey Joes.

I decided to save a buck and just make his cupcakes for the party. That turned out to be not the smartest move..lol. I put food coloring in the frosting to make blue frosting for the batman theme. While frosting, I began to realize it was staining my fingers and knew the 5 years olds would not have an easy time eating them without getting them on their faces and going home with blue mouths. Luckily with some wet wipes, most of the kids got the blue off. :)

Will and Monkey Joe

Sierra with the blue frosting..lol

Will's buddy Brady..

The Moms!

Silly Faces!

Will and his girlfriend Abbie..

Will and his buddy Jackson..

Ayden..lol

Matthew and Owen

Sierra and Abbie

Will and our neighbor Conner.

After Will's party, our good friends came over to run through the sprinkler and have a campfire. What a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Will...

2011-06-09T08:40:00.000-05:00

Happy 5th Birthday Will!

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you..

Happy Birthday Dear Will...

Happy Birthday to you!

You continue to keep us laughing everyday. We love you so much.

Will celebrated his birthday by waking up to his room being decorated, opening his presents which included a DS which he really wanted and going out to breakfast with mom and Lexi. Dad is spending the second half of the day with him while mom goes to work and I am sure they will have tons of fun. He will end his night with t-ball practice. :)

Will over the years...

Age 1...

Age 2

Age 3

Age 4

Love you tons buddy!

Mom, Dad and Lexi

Happy Birthday Lexi...

2011-06-05T10:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Dear Lexi...

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy 9th Birthday Lexi Jean Radies. We love you so much and are proud of the young lady you are becoming.

Lexi woke up to her room being decorated while she was sleeping. She then got to open her presents which included tickets to see Taylor Swift on Wednesday night! She is pretty excited. I warned her that our seats aren't that great, but we are still going to see TAYLOR SWIFT! We also got her a party dress and shoes to wear to the concert. She has one more surprise present, but she doesn't get it until Wednesday.

Today she has decided that she wants McDonalds for breakfast and then wants to go to Daddy's baseball game and stay for the picnic afterwards.

Lexi over the years....

Age 1

Age 2

Age 3

Age 4

Age 5

Age 6

Age 7

Age 8

Friday night at the Roller Rink at her "friend" party.

Love - Mom, Dad and Will

Happy Birthday Mom...

2011-06-04T05:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to my mom who would have been 60 today. She is celebrating her first birthday in heaven. I hope that God has planned a big celebration since she isn't able to spend it with us. Lexi and Mom always celebrated their birthdays together because they are only one day apart.

Mom on the 4th and Lexi on the 5th.

Last year on her birthday she was in remission, although only for 3 short weeks. I thought she was going to be O.K. and went on a business trip to Massachusetts. Of course now you can imagine the regrets I have for not spending her last birthday with her, but there was just no way to know what was to happen. I remember calling her and wishing her a Happy Birthday and she said that she had taken the day off from work and went to a few garage sales...a perfect day in her eyes.

Mom you are still loved and missed so much. Your absence is felt everyday and I know now truly what a broken heart feels like. The tears are ever present, especially on special days like these. With the arrival of spring it was so hard to watch your beloved flowers come up, the grass turn green and your humming birds come back all without you.

The kids and I will remember you today by eating all of your favorite foods. Lexi and I are going to eat a hot ham'n cheese from Hardees and Lexi is also going to have a vanilla cone and popcorn. Will is going to drink a can of Sun Drop, or as he calls it "A Sun" and also eat the popcorn. You know I won't have to twist his arm to do that. :)

Happy Birthday Mom.

All My Love...

Melissa

1st Brewer Game...

2011-05-26T21:12:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we took the kids to see their first Brewer game in Milwaukee. The game started at 7:05 and lasted until midnight having gone into overtime for 14 innings. The kids were troopers until the 13th inning and then they were ready for bed, but still lasted (not without complaint..lol) until the end.

Will picked this foam finger as one of his souvenirs. He thought I said "phony finger" though and called it that for the rest of the night.

No explanation necessary..gotta love Braun.

Since the game went 14 innings, we had two 7th inning stretches and two sausage races.

Will, me and my niece Leighten

Lexi and her cousin Leighten

Rick's mom and dad..Joanne and Ron

Lexi (whose favorite food is hot dogs) with her first major league baseball game hot dog.

The kids playing in the "Kid Zone" before the game.

Looking forward to our next trip already.

Rest in Peace Chris...

2011-05-07T14:29:00.000-05:00

Chris Stezenski

October 30, 1943 - April 30, 2011

I first met Chris about 1 1/2 years ago when my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer and I had started the Caring Bridge journal. Chris was a friend of moms that sent messages on a regular basis. She was so candid and laugh out loud funny. She got me and our family through a lot of tough days through laughter. She would say things like, "I am too old to get on my knees and pray so I am on my back praying." She was looking forward to her class reunion this summer and told mom, "I am happy to report that my earrings still fit from high school."

On one of my entries I had written that I was having the Caring Bridge Journal printed with my updates and every one's messages. Chris replied, "You better wait until the kiddos are a little older to read my messages." LOL I met Chris in person about a year after we had started corresponding via Caring Bridge and Facebook. Her genuine smile and laughter were contagious and the minute I hugged her I felt like I was meeting an old friend I had known my whole life. She had a way about her that just drew you in. She was straight forward and didn't seem afraid to say what was on her mind..which I loved.

As you can see by the picture below and may remember from a previous post, Chris came to the Relay for Life and walked the survivor lap. She wasn't feeling well that day, but came anyway for support. A short time ago, Chris found out that her cancer was incurable. Her and her daughter Lori decided to plan a trip to Alaska in May to spend some quality time together. I was so excited for them that they were going to do something so great with the time they had left together. Sadly, Chris passed away Saturday night before they were able to go on their trip. I hope that God finds a way to let her get a back stage pass of that Alaskan vacation in heaven.

In such a short period of time, I grew to value our messages back and forth and am so sad that our friendship was so short, but soon realized that I feel blessed to have met her. I am proud to call you friend Chris. You fought a hell of a fight and kept your sense of humor the entire time.

Until we meet again...You will be missed by many. Please give my mom a hug. I bet you two have found each other already and had a nice visit.

Love - Melissa

Happy Birthday Amara and Bryson...

2011-05-02T04:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 10th Birthday to my little friends Amara and Bryson.

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday dear Amara and Bryson...

Happy Birthday to you!
10 years...where has the time gone...

First trip to the Milwaukee Zoo after your 2nd Birthday.

Celebrating your 5th Birthday

at Red Robin.

Celebrating your 7th Birthday.

Last August..summer of being 9 years old. Your mother wishes you would get along this well all the time. :)

Have a great birthday!

We love you guys!

The Radies'

Happy Easter...

2011-04-25T20:16:00.008-05:00

Happy Easter. Hope everyone had a great holiday. These are Will's eggs. He decorated his with monster faces.

Lexi decorated hers with peace symbols.

The kids following the egg trail on Easter morning.

The Easter Bunny got them each a pair of sunglasses.
Will got a Batman swimsuit.

We gave Lexi this purse and hat. She had seen it at Shopko and couldn't stop talking about it.

Our annual "Throwing Of the Eggs" on Easter morning. We take our dyed Easter eggs and the kids smash them against the rocks at dad's house.

Miley watching the egg throwing. All dressed up and ready to go...

Dad and the kids.

Kids being silly...

Cousins..Taylor and Lexi

Cousins...Taylor, Lexi, Brayden, Ella and Will

Will being silly and making Ella giggle...

Trying their luck at the "claw game".

Lexi playing with the camera...

Will taking our picture..a little blurry..but he got our heads..lol

Happy Birthday Jackie..

2011-04-20T18:43:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Jackie.
Happy Birthday To You...
Happy Birthday To You...
Happy Birthday Dear Jackie..
Happy Birthday To You!

This isn't just any birthday..

It's the big 4-0.

Jim and Jackie..the two April birthdays in our family.

Happy 40th Birthday Jackie!

Hope you have a great day!

Happy Birthday Jim...

2011-04-10T09:21:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Dear Jim...

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law Jim. I mean Johnny Cash, not Jim. We celebrated by going out to dinner last night and today Jim was going to the Brewer game.

Hope you have a great day.

Love ~ The Radies'

Relay for Life...

2011-03-27T18:10:00.007-05:00

This weekend the kids and I were asked by my friend Deanna to join Team Asenbrenner Insurance in their annual Relay For Life Walk held in Shawano. It was a great experience and we hope to make it an annual event. It was hard not to become emotional at this event after losing mom 7 months ago and also for those survivors out there walking with some battling cancer right now during the survivor's lap. Quite a few of my close friends from Leopolis joined in and a few of my "Leopolis Moms" were there as well. All of us have been affected by cancer by a friend or family member.

The kids and I wore shirts that my sister gave me for my birthday. My shirt said, "Every Day I Miss My Mom", Lexi's said, "Fighting the Cure for My Grandma" and Will's shirt said, "My Grandma was so brave God made her an Angel" and at the bottom each asked to support lung cancer awareness.

Team Asenbrenner

Lexi and Will made posters in remembrance of mom.

I was walking in memory of mom, Mary Otto, Billy Zimdars, Sally Schwersenska and Allen Steinke. I was also walking for Reed Luepke (below) and Chris Stezenski who were walking in the survivor lap. Reed and his mom Lori walking the survivor lap. Chris (left) and her daughter Lori (right) Mom's former employer also has an annual team that does the walk. This year they were doing it in memory of mom. Thanks ladies..that was so nice. They put together a picture board... and even had a Christmas tree (mom's favorite holiday) on their table.My sister Heather and Lexi...

Sally, (one of my mom's bff's and one of my "Leopolis Moms"), Jenny and Deanna

The walk had a Mardi Gras theme..Lexi doing the "kid's lap"Jenny and SallyLexi and my niece Taylor..

You called buy a luminary and put a little note on the bag in remembrance of someone. They dimmed the lights and the bags light up for a special remembrance lap. This bag was done by my mom's friend Sally...

Some of the Leopolis Ladies...love these girls!

Heather and TaylorThank you so much to Asenbrenner Insurance for sponsoring the team and to Lori, the team captain and Deanna for putting it all together and allowing us to be a part of their team.

Thank you to all of you that donated! I am so proud that I was able to raise $500!

Happy Birthday Tracy...

2011-03-27T18:07:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Dear Tracy...

Happy Birthday to you!

Sorry I am a day late. Hope you enjoyed your day.

Love The Radies'

Visit with Nana...

2011-03-27T16:56:00.004-05:00

Since Lexi was on spring break this week, I took off from work on Friday so we could spend the day with my Grandma. We try to do a sleepover over at least once a year at Nana's house. So we headed up Thursday night. Once the kids were sleeping Grandma and I stayed up talking until midnight about what it was like for her during her childhood years and early married years. I love family history..so it was nice to hear some of the stories I haven't heard before. On Friday we baked cookies and went through some old pictures. The time went so fast we decided to do it all over again next month. Love you Grandma!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa...

2011-03-27T16:46:00.003-05:00

Grandma Joanne and Papa Ron gave the kids gift cards to make a bear at the mall for Valentine's Day. Lexi was on spring break this week, so on Monday we had a fun day and spent all hours that she was supposed to be in school on my day off doing fun things with mom. After bumming around at a few stores we had a nice lunch and then went to make their bears. They both created very cute animals, although the cell phones that you could purchase for the bears was a huge hit with them also. Lexi named her bear Peace and Will named his puppy dressed as a Star Wars character George. It was a little hard to come up with names on the spot..lol.

So cute...

2011-03-27T16:42:00.003-05:00

I straightened Lexi's hair a few weeks ago and took this picture of her before she was leaving to go to a birthday party. Too cute not to share.

2011-02-28T08:34:00.005-06:00

Had another fun filled weekend. We got together with the "Leopolis Ladies" on Saturday for a night of roller skating and laughs. Even though we only go once or twice a year, the kids are getting a lot better, especially Lexi. I myself only took one fall, which wasn't bad for me either. It was when my sister Heather and I were skating hand in hand because she doesn't know how to roller skate. So we both went down together..laughing pretty hard trying to get up before our friends saw us. lol

Below is Lexi, Kendra, Taylor and Amara The girls..Tracy, Heather, Jenny and me On Sunday we tried our luck at sledding again. It was such a beautiful day and the sledding was great. We kept going down the hills with the jumps and watching each other come down one by one. I laughed so hard so many times..so much fun.
My sister and her family Jim and TaylorAmara, Tracy and BrysonWe went down as a train and almost took the guard out at the bottom because we got so much speed on that run.

The girls... Jim took Heather's tube because it was better than his and then Heather was trying to get it back. Looks like Jim was winning.All the kiddos..Tracy and I trying to take pics..it was so bright that when I took my glasses off all I did was squint, but didn't want them on for the pictures. Not sure which was better..lol

Will didn't make it out of the parking lot and he was sleeping. With having the shortest legs, he did such a great job keeping up with everyone. I feel like I have been run over by a mack truck today. Wondering how everyone else is feeling that took some bad spills over those big jumps. I know Lexi was begging to get out of school today because she was so tired and sore as well. Thanks friends for making it such a fun weekend.

Basketball Camp...

2011-02-18T11:50:00.003-06:00

This past week Lexi participated in a Little Rockets Basketball Camp. They had three practices to learn some fundamentals of the sport and then performed at the Neenah girls varsity game during half time show. It was a really nice program and taught her some of the basics. We didn't pay that much for the camp and she received a t-shirt and the Neenah Rockets new basketball she performed with. (Pics aren't the best quality..need to figure out how to take better pics in a gym.) Lexi and her friend Maddy
Maddie's little sister Abbie...

A new super hero?

2011-02-18T11:40:00.002-06:00

Will's daycare was learning dental hygiene this week. They were asked to dress up as tooth super heroes. Of course the girls dressed up in their fairy outfits to be tooth fairies..so what to do for a boy? Will decided to wear his Buzz Lightyear costume and we put a tooth on the front and made him a tooth hat to wear. What is this super hero's name you ask? Meet Mega Molar.

Happy Valentine's Day...

2011-02-18T11:31:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! The kids had fun opening their Valentine's from their school friends and also got lots of cards from our family. They are very loved. :)

Sledding...

2011-02-13T15:34:00.007-06:00

With the temperatures expected to reach the high 30s today, we decided to take advantage of the warm weather and do some sledding. It sure beat the 25 below we had this past week. We had a great time..it was Will's first time to this sledding hill and he LOVED it. He said it was the best day of his life. lol

Lexi and her friend Rouge..This particular sledding hill has a tow rope to pull you back up..my kind of sledding. :)Will riding on Rick's back up the hill...

Snack Time!

Will riding on Lexi's back..

Being silly on the way home...

Super Bowl Champs...

2011-02-07T08:26:00.007-06:00

The Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XLV!!

We had a great time with great friends, although it was a little stressful watching the game at times when the Steelers would score.

To keep the kids busy for awhile, we set up a craft table downstairs... The kids got into all of the excitement and decorated with balloons.

Margarita time!Green popcorn from DQ

Everyone on their feet for a touch down..
Festive Drinks...Lexi took this pic for us after the game..one last drink to celebrate the victory..cheers Pack..

While we were all celebrating the victory..poor little Will couldn't take it anymore, he just dropped where he was and went to sleep.

We made Rick put the blond wig on...looks like a certain someone, but can't put my finger on it..

Happy Anniversary Ron and Jo...

2011-02-05T07:29:00.006-06:00

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful in-laws Ron and Joanne. We celebrated by what has become an annual tradition, going out to eat at one of their favorite restaurants. Thanks for a really nice evening! We hope you enjoyed your day. Love you guys. :)Oh wait Leighten..you didn't smile on this picture, let's try again. Guess the second time wasn't any better..I give up. LOL j/kWill pulling up his pants and plugging his nose so that his voice sounds like Urkel. (sp?)Will and what has become his signature pose.

My first published book...

2011-01-30T13:10:00.002-06:00

As the close came to 2010, I started to think about what I was going to do with my blog. I had started it in September of 2008 and was worried one of these days the blogger website I used would just shut down and three years worth of pictures and stories would be gone. It was after all, a free site so anything could happen to my blog at any time. So I found a few websites that turned blogs into books and after trying two, decided on a company. Ironically it was the same company that Caring Bridge uses to print their books. I started by ordering just one year and received it last week. I think it turned out really nice..kind of the lazy mans scrapbook. I think the kids will enjoy looking back through them with they are adults. I added an inscription to the kids...
It comes with a table of contents based on the title you gave the blog post...Although it compacts the pictures in the blogs so that they are smaller, I think it still turned out really nice. The best part was it was affordable!

Baking with Lexi and Will...

2011-01-30T12:43:00.004-06:00

The kids love to bake, so with Valentine's Day coming and us finally being home a day it was a great time to make some cupcakes.

They tasted as delicious as they looked. Great job Lexi and Will!