Riverbend Resort

The first weekend in August, we rented an RV at the Riverbend Resort for two nights. We didn't want to miss out on our annual camping trip, so we decided to take it in an RV 15 minutes from home! Our friends who have all the camping gear weren't able to go this year, and we just didn't have it in us to rough it with 3 kids 5 and under. We all really enjoyed ourselves! The kids loved the pool, beach, and pond. The got a chance to practice their swimming skills, ride on rafts of all kinds, and try their hand at the sand castle building contest (or maybe I should say watching me build a sand castle and then taking credit for it!). Saturday, Gilbert Brown from the Green Bay Packers was there hosting auction. Later that afternoon, we cooked hot dogs and brats over the fire, then went for a tractor-pulled wagon ride. Sunday was filled with swimming and sand-castle building, and of course, jumping on the Jumping Pillow... fun!!

Little Grandma

My brother delivered an amazing eulogy for our grandma, who passed away on Sunday, July 19th, after an amazing 99 years of life. We will miss her always!!!

Little Grandma, this is what my sister and I called her. (Much to the chagrin of my Grandma Malik, who we of course called “Big Grandma”.) While other kids I knew called their grandmas, Grandma Johnson or Nana Jeanie. We would call my grandma, little grandma. And everyone on my block and the kids in my school would know who I was talking about when I said "Little Grandma". Why?

Because she was the only Grandma they knew who would shag balls in the backyard. Yeah, that’s right; my 70+ year old grandmother was standing in my backyard, with a glove on, fielding grounders for me and my friends! Or maybe because they saw her being marched up and down the street by my 65 lb sheepdog because she felt sorry for her, seeing her tied up in the yard.

Always willing to help someone, no matter what the peril. I have heard stories of her climbing on roofs, cleaning out gutters, shoveling walks of people who were 10 years younger than herself because she knew she could and they may not be able to. Compassion and caring, that was my Little Grandma.

Those who knew her and even those who were just around her knew that her stature was the only thing that was Little. She blessed everyone around her and did everything she could to be there for anyone who needed it. I’m convinced that is why she lived so long, so as many people as possible could be blessed with her kindness and warmth.

The nurses at Lincoln Lutheran were always telling me how much of a joy she was to be around and that they loved her spirit, even though I’m not sure “spirit” was really the word they were looking for sometimes.

Her generosity extended well beyond her extended family and friends, she was known to donate to any organization that sent her a note, picture, trinket, or pen. She truly was a caring person even when it came to deciding between giving a particular organization a donation or getting something for herself. “Well, the blind people took the time to paint this and send it to me. The least I can do is pay for it.” She would say. Always thinking about others feelings, even if she didn’t know them, much less where they were from. That was my Little Grandma.

Her memory was another thing that always astonished me. She never ceased to amaze me whenever I sat down with her and talked about any part of her life. She not only remembered the dates of big events that happened in her life. But things as trivial as, what she was wearing or what the weather was like. I think she had a giant rolodex in her head of everyone’s birthdays and anniversaries, even up in to her later years she was always sure to send a card to you on your special day.

A mind that never quit even though her body was. She would get so upset if she couldn’t remember a tiny detail about something that happen 60 years ago, she was proud of the fact that she could remember so many things and so many details. That was my Little Grandma.

My Grandma was also a very clever and funny person as you all well know. I found a Danish proverb that I though described her very well. “It is a great art to laugh at your own misfortune.” And she had quite a few, from car troubles to pratfalls. She would always come out of it smiling and joking.

She told me this story about taking a trip with her best friend Edna to the Apostle Islands. Edna and her were visiting a tavern in Copper Bay and decided it was getting dark so, it was time to go. Well they hopped in the car, Grandma as driver and Edna as navigator and headed back to the cabin. Or so they thought. She said the next thing she knew they were careening through dirt roads and farm fields, no clue where they were. Her are 2 women in their 70s, it’s dusk and they are driving next to creeks and farm fields with no clue as to how to get out. Well God works in mysterious ways and they came upon a farmer in his truck going the other direction. They flagged him down, asked him for help and he lead them out.

Grandma laughed her way through this whole story when she told it; she thought it was the funniest thing in the world. Always one for adventure, always one to laugh at her own misfortunes. That was my Little Grandma.

I heard many stories about my Grandma yesterday at the wake and the common theme to all of them was her ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in the world to her. She really had a knack for making you feel so good, so important, so loved.

My wife Nicole asked our 9 year old daughter Mariah about some of the good memories she had about little grandma and she reminded her of one Christmas, not so long ago when she was 4 years old. She said “ I gave Grandma a Christmas present. It was a bright yellow foofy Malibu feather barrett, that I called her hair pretties. Grandma loved them and wore them all through our fancy duck dinner and I felt like the hair pretties and I were the best gifts ever. I loved my silly grandma.” She could make anyone feel like they were the best gift ever. That was my little grandma.

As I was thinking about my Grandma a passage that is often used in weddings came to mind and on a whim I decided to look it up. It reads in part,
“Love is patient; love is kind
and envies no one.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
never selfish, not quick to take offense.
There is nothing love cannot face;
There is no limit to it’s faith,
It’s hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things
That last forever; faith, hope and love;
But the greatest of them all is love.

I sat back for a moment after reading this and thought… Love is patient and kind and envies no one. Hmm, never boastful, conceited or rude. Never selfish or quick to take offense. This sounded a lot like someone I really admired for all of these traits.

There was no limit to her faith, she was always humble and kind. My grandmother represented something I have always aspired to be but have yet to even touch. She was love, the very definition quoted here in this bible verse. She always had a kind word for someone who needed it. A handout to a stranger who knocked on her door, but never boasted about it. A wise bit of knowledge for someone seeking it, but never judging their path if it went astray.

Hope and endurance were central to her life. Always looking forward, being optimistic, enduring any setbacks set in her path. And just like to verse says, love is one of the things that will last forever. Just like the memories of all the things my grandma represented and what I will always strive to achieve.

To tell you the truth I had a hard time putting all of my Grandma’s good traits into writing. No matter how hard I try, I can never do justice to what she overcame in her life. I know we are all grieving today, we all lost a great woman. But I know that she is with Jesus, happy and content, visiting everyone who has gone before her , and catching up on lost time.

She was a mother, a sister and a friend to all of us. I’m sure each and every one of you here today has something to share on how my grandmother touched your life. I know she was a big influence on mine.

In closing, I want to leave you with one last Danish Proverb. “Shared sorrow is half sorrow.” Sorrow is to be expected when we lose someone who is so special to us, but know that as we celebrate her life together. The sorrow will be spread out and replaced with the joy of a life well lived.

I Love you Little Grandma.
____________________________________________________________________________________

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32)

Happy Independence Day

We had a very fun July 4th this year. After the Stachura clan arrived, we walked down to the parade. Seven children and four adults makes for a very eventful and exciting time! :-) All of the kids did great, and seemed to enjoy themselves. Ryker was not too impressed and fell asleep about halfway through. After the parade, we had a cookout at our house. The kids played and the adults chatted until late in the afternoon. What a nice time we had! If only the mosquitos would not have been so bad, we would've been able to enjoy the outdoors a bit more.

In the evening, the five of us went down the the festival, where Hailey and Hunter took in some rides. I rode with the two of them on the Ferris Wheel- a first for both of them- and the were pretty impressed. Hunter said, "at first I was scared, but then I liked it!". I have to admit, it's been a few years since I've been on one, and it WAS pretty high! After the rides and a quick snack. We sat in the park getting eaten alive by mosquitos (especially poor Shane!) until the fireworks. Hailey enjoyed them, Hunter wanted to go home (not scared, tired and bored), and Ryker just wanted to escape and crawl away. Good thing it was not a long show... it had been a long day and we were all ready for rest!

Happy first 4th of July, Ryker!!! You took it all in stride... as usual. What a content baby you are!

Kalahari weekend!

We went to the Kalahari in June with Shane's brother and his family. We had such a great time! It was our first trip there. We stayed in a room with a full kitchen and a bedroom, complete with a fireplace and balcony. The kids were very impressed and we love the convenience of having everything we needed right there and enough room to spread out.

The kids played in the waterpark all day, then we went to the Tommy Bartlett Show and out to eat at Monks. Later on, more waterpark fun- we closed the place at 10:00 pm! In the morning, we made a nice breakfast in our room, which was great. We went for a swim and then off to the waterparks for a few more hours. The kids were wiped out, but in heaven. Can't wait to go back again in October!!

This was out trip to the Brewer's game on May 3rd- Ryan Braun bobblehead day! We went to celebrate Shane's 35th and Kathy's 60th (I know you both love that I shared your ages! lol!)

Well, summer officially begins this weekend and we are all very ready to get going with it already! :-)

Hailey graduated from K-4 on June 5th. It was a very exciting day! I wasn't able to witness the big event since it took place in the middle of the day when I was at work, but Shane did make it and he took pictures so I could see. The teacher was a first year teacher and she was very enthusiastic about her first K-4 class. Shane said that she barely made it through the first few words of her speech without breaking into tears. It's nice to know that your child was part of a class that had such a wonderful impact on a new teacher. And what a great year it was for Hailey!

We kicked off summer with our first trip to the Kalahari. We went the same weekend as Shane's brother and family, so we were able to spend some time together and the kids got to play with their cousins. It was a great time!! We're used to the waterparks designed for smaller children, so this was our first trip to the big waterpark. It was not as initimidating as we thought! The kids did great! Hailey could have spent hours in the wave pool and on the lazy river. She was not very impressed with the big slides- especially the dark ones. Hunter LOVED the big slides- as long as they were ones that mom or dad could ride with him. Even Ryker got in on the fun and went on one of the big family slides a few times! There was so much to do there with the indoor and outdoors waterparks, game room, amusement park, movie theatre, restaurants, kids club activities, etc! We could spend a week there and never get bored! The kids loved our room with a fireplace and full kitchen. We loved it too- we were able to make eggs and pancakes for breakfast and sit at the breakfast bar, dining room, or out on the deck! We've reserved another weekend for the fall and can't wait!

We are looking forward to many trips to the outdoor city pool this summer, as well as our July 4th celebration, church festival, Riverfest festival, and many cook-outs at home. It's becoming very fun as the kids get older and are able to get into more fun kids activities. They are always ready to try something new and exciting (well, Hailey is and Hunter is too, as long as Hailey is holding his hand!).

Ryker is now pulling up to standing and should be ready to stand on his own two feet before the summer is over. It's hard to believe that he's growing so fast! He loves being with the family, especially his sister and brother who are always willing entertainers. At 8.5 months, he is 22 pounds of solid smiling baby!

Shane has settled into his 2nd shift schedule quite well and has been enjoying his days at home with the kids. I imagine he will have his hands full now that summer is here and the kids will be ready to go in the warm summer days. His park days are definitely ahead of him!! :-)

Pictures of graduation and the waterpark to follow. Our 5-year old "ancient" computer went down again and we have yet to download the software for the camera back on... Now if only I can find that disc amongst Clifford, Blue Clues, and Learning Fun CDs!!

Happy JUNE!!!

Easter 2009

We were so lucky to have such a beautiful day this Easter. The day was bright and sunny, and the kids were able to get out and enjoy the fresh air. Always a bonus when they can get out and run off the energy the stored up all winter!

We started the morning at church, which was a challenge. Hailey and Hunter are usually in Sunday School and their little bodies were even more active than usual after their early morning Easter Egg hunt and gorging of candy at 7:30 in the morning! I guess we've been spoiled by letting Miss Lori teach them their Bible lesson with glue, scissors, and Teddy Grahams while we actually get to listen to mass ourselves!

After church, we went to Mom M.'s (aka: mother-in-law Kathy... lol) for brunch. I made a french toast casserole, which turned out really good, and we enjoyed eggs, ham, sausage, and cheesecake! Yum! It was all so good. Grandma made each of the grandchildren a fleece pillow. My kids have since replaced their bed pillows with these and the just love them. Hunter's is Cars, Hailey's is Hannah, and Ryker's is baby theme. Very nice!! They did the annual easter egg hunt outside and each child found their own color eggs- great idea so the older ones don't find all the eggs before the little ones get a chance! We took a nice walk around the neighborhood to walk off some brunch calories and enjoy the sunshine. It was a very nice relaxing day with family.

Despite our best efforts to pull back onthe candy this year, a little goes a long way, and we are still picking up wrappers and chomping down jellybeans. Oh well, it will be gone in a few days! :-)

Happy Easter!!