Connecticut Beauty

Marc spent two weeks in Norwalk, Connecticut for a business conference, and I got to join him for the last two days at his hotel.  It was a fabulous break for me - lounging around the hotel room with no responsibilities other than reading and blogging.  During a late afternoon break in classes, Marc took me on a brief sightseeing tour around Norwalk.

For years I've heard of the new-england-states' breathtaking fall colors, but I honestly didn't think I was missing much since I've gotten to experience fall colors in other states (minus our time living in AZ and CA).   I take it back.  There is something truly extraordinary about the northeast's colors in October!  Marc identified it as a broader variety of colors than we're used to in WI ... varying shades of red and orange (including a beautiful peach color) ... it is breathtaking.  Our trip was the perfect timing for the peak colors. I wish I took more pictures ... these really don't do it justice.

  

We walked around the grounds of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, a national historic landmark.  Although it was already closed when we arrived, it was beautiful to see and imagine what life was like in the 1860s when it was built.

The sunset on the Atlantic Ocean in the Long Island Sound

Halloween 2010

Grandma Rogers the Witch (with little Rachel the apprentice witch) and Allyson the Nurse (what else??!!)

Kierstyn the silly clown, Rachel the darling witch, Caleb the tough Karate Kid, Carlie the blood-thirsty vampire, and Chandler the evil bony skeleton

Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion (aka Sister and Bishop Jenson) with the evil farmer (Johan Rau) and the evil skeleton (Chandler)

Feeble Old People (Brittany and Jeff Jenkins) 

Halloween is extra-fun this year with a visit from Grandma Rogers, a very fun party at the church complete with food, games, and trick-or-treating, and a party thrown at our home by Grandma for the 5 Rogers kids and 5 of their friends.  Spooky fun!

Marc's Birthday

Marc's birthday was a 2-day celebration.  The first night we went as a family to the Badger Sports Park in Appleton to play miniature golf and laser tag.  We almost had the place to ourselves and it was a blast.  The second night was a yummy home-cooked meal and presents and cake, followed by a date with momma to the movies.

Kids with the Birthday-Daddy

All the kids loved mini-golfing... especially the little girls (don't you love the clubs that are just the right size?!)  Poor daddy was busy chasing the little ones from hole to hole and didn't get to play competitively, but we had a lot of family fun.

While Daddy and the 3 big kids were having great fun playing laser tag, the little girls were on cloud 9 running around the "inflatables" area ... giant slides and bouncy houses ...I could barely get them to sit and eat their pizza.  They were pretty tuckered out by the time we left and headed home to bed.

Apple-Pickin' Fun

Rachel's "4-K" preschool class took a field trip to an apple orchard in De Pere.  She rode the bus (her first time on a yellow school bus!) with her teacher and class, and Kierstyn and I (mommy) drove separately and met them there.  It was a beautiful, crisp, sunny fall day.


We took a walk around the tiny "zoo" to see the animals, then headed to the apple trees for some pickin'.  Rachel was given a little bag to fill with her own apples, and Kierstyn downright demanded she be given her own bag too!  I was surprised at how well both girls did pulling the apples off the short little trees.


We were encouraged to taste a fresh-picked apple, and the girls enthusiastically began munching away.  At home I always cut them into wedges (and take the skin off), so I wasn't sure if they'd manage biting into a whole apple.  But they each did pretty good and were very thrilled with their OWN apple!!

Kierstyn and the Llama

Deer!

Try to remember ... twist then snap your wrist down!

Rachel loved the big stem that came off the tree with this apple!

Pull hard!  Use those muscles!

** Crunch **

Yum yum...

Little wooden stationary Train for the kids to climb around at the end.

Peek-a-boo, cute pumpkins!

Kierstyn was NOT in the mood for a picture with Rachel and her friends!
Rachel, Kennedy, Hailey, Mackenzie, and ?

Still Teaching the Mommas

As an f.y.i., I am still teaching childbirth classes in my home from time to time.  In the past 12 months, I have taught 3 class series with a total of 14 couples ... 14 babies.  It's not much, but it's a small way that I can make a direct difference in a few people's lives.  I get a lot of positive feedback from the wonderful, caring couples that I have the privilege of teaching.  The large majority of those 14 babies this year have grown through healthy pregnancies and had an unmedicated birth.


One of my classes from this past spring organized a reunion to meet each other's babies.  They invited me to come and share the joy of these little ones and the birthing experiences the mothers had.

Rachel, Kierstyn, me, Heidi with baby boy, Nicole with baby girl, Lucie with baby boy, and Rebecca with baby girl

 Back in April of this year, I had the great privilege of attending the birth of Jacob Fischer and coaching his mother (my very good friend, Tasha) through an unmedicated labor and birth.  She had taken my class and I offered to attend IF she labored at a time that I could escape from home and my responsibilities there.  Prayers were answered, and the timing was perfect.  Tasha warned me around midnight on a Sunday night (Easter, actually) that her water broke and mild contractions were coming.  Then at 3 am she called to say she was on her way to the hospital - and I met her there.  Jacob was born around 5:45 am, so I was even able to get back home in time for Marc to get to work on time.  It was a beautiful experience to be there for his birth, and wonderful to see Tasha's strength (that she didn't know she had).

Allyson, baby Jacob, and Tasha

Jacob one and a half weeks old

Football Dinner

One of the perks of Marc's position at Schneider is that we occasionally get invited to elite dinners and fund-raisers.  For the second year in a row, we attended the Green and Gold Banquet at Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers' stadium) - a fund-raiser for an organization that helps families in crisis.  At our table of 6 people, we sat with the C.E.O of Schneider and also the Packers' 3rd string quarterback, Graham Harrell.  He's fresh from Texas Tech University, and he has a nice personality, manners, and accent to prove he's from Texas.  We enjoyed talking to him and learning of the daily schedule the Packers have.  The poor guy is alone in Green Bay, still living in a hotel (saying that if he didn't find a place within the next few days that Aaron Rodgers - starting quarterback - offered for Graham to stay with him a bit).  I think he honestly enjoyed socializing with our table for an hour ... probably a nice break from his typical practice routine.  We got his autograph personalized for Chandler, and Marc got his picture taken with him.

School Begins Again!

Today marks the first day I have four of my five children in school ... at four different schools!  They are all growing and learning so much - it's an exciting time of life.


Chandler is entering 7th Grade at the De Pere Middle School.  He will switch teachers for every class, and is planning on continuing the saxophone in the school band and playing basketball and track for sports.  (and piano lessons privately, of course!)  He is a boy scout and is nearly half way to receiving his Eagle.  (his goal is to match his daddy's achievement of Eagle Scout by age 14)  In addition, he's one of the best babysitters around - definitely his mom and dad's favorite!  (He is fun with the little girls, responsibly cares for them, and usually cleans up after they're in bed!)  No doubt he will also continue his straight-As in middle school.


Carlie is entering 5th Grade at Foxview Intermediate School.  Her teacher is Mrs. Gutzman, and she will continue learning the violin in the school orchestra & begin singing in the chorus for the first time.  She also takes piano, dance, and gymnastics outside of school.   She is a busy little lady - still looking for any spare moment to get together with her friends.  She is fun and imaginative with her little sisters, too, playing restaurant, school, etc.


Caleb is entering 3rd Grade at Heritage Elementary School.  His teacher is Mrs. Lueck, who keeps a rabbit and goldfish in the classroom (much to Caleb's delight!).  He claims school is incredibly easy, and he looks forward to all the extra reading-time he gets when he finishes his schoolwork quickly.  He is a total bookworm ... until he arrives home, and then he is a total computer and video-game addict!  Our kitchen timer is trying to keep the situation under control, though.  And it makes me feel better to know he truly reads a ton (and large books, too!  He read the entire Harry Potter series last year in 2nd grade from December to April, I think).  He just began taking piano lessons about a week ago and is very, very excited to learn.


Rachel is entering "4-K" preschool at St. Thomas More Catholic School.  She has a very sweet, young teacher named Mrs. Collins, and she even gets to bring her lunchbox every day to eat in the classroom with her friends.  She attends Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:15 am to 12:30 pm.  She even gets once a week in a real music class, gym class, and alternating weeks in library and computer lab (with 5th grade buddies to help them).  She is very excited to go to school!


Kierstyn looked at me yesterday in the midst of the getting-ready-for-school chaos, and said in a very worried voice, "Mommy, where's MY school???"  I paused, not sure how to break the bad news to her.  So I tried to sound enthusiastic when I told her that she'll be going to school at home with mommy.  I waited for the protesting, but instead her face lit up and she began announcing in joyous tones, "I get to go to school at HOME with MOMMY!!!!"  She even told the strangers at the store later on!  She's a smart little thing, too!  She loves to read the ABC book and point out a handful of letters that she knows.  She loves to read in general!  Even alone.  Hooray for books!  

New Ride for the Rogers

Well, we did it.  We traded in our red Honda Odyssey minivan for a larger ride for our "large" family!  :-)  We bought a 2010 Yukon XL today, which coincidentally happens to be our 14th anniversary! Although it feels like a bit of a "beast" to drive (especially to a 5'1" midget like myself), I feel so much safer with the big body, 4wd, and cool gadgets like a rear camera that helps me back-up - even sensors that beep if I'm backing up too close to an object. 

Saying good-bye to our 6-yr-old minivan

The Beast

Rachel's First Birthday PARTY

Along with turning 4 yrs old in the Rogers family comes a first birthday party with friends.  Rachel had so much fun helping me make princess invitations on the computer, distributing them, and plan activities and prizes.


The children were a mix of cooperation, shyness, and distraction by the other toys in the basement.  Some were willing to play pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, musical chairs (in which Rachel screamed if she didn't get a chair), etc.  Others refused to join the group - much happier to explore someone else's toys.  Rachel received some nice gifts and enjoyed eating a small lunch and cupcakes with her friends.  I suppose it was a 4 year old success (when you account for the relief the grown-ups felt when it was over).  Thank goodness I had Carlie and her friend, Nicole, to help out - we needed the extra helping hands!

Front: Kierstyn, then L to R: Isaac Fischer, Nicole & Jessica Rolain, Carlie, C.J. Ross, Rachel the Birthday Girl, Makiya Shulz, Aubrey Smith, and Allen Haggard (who Rachel claims is her husband-to-be)

Rachel's 4th Birthday

Rachel is 4 years old today!  She requested a pink flower cake - and her favorite flavor is carrot cake.  Although cake-decoration is not my forte (I admit, I mainly lack the desire to make it a forte), I think it turned out pretty cute and mostly flower-shaped.  She was quite happy with it.  


We celebrated as a family in the evening at Chuck E. Cheese's - eating pizza, playing games, and riding small rides.  Happy Birthday, sweet 4 year old girl!!  We are so glad you are in our family!

Big gift from Mom and Dad: an indoor SLIDE!!

Kierstyn was a bit nervous to meet Chuck E., but Rachel downright refused out of fear.

Most-requested item for her birthday: a jewelry box!

Princess Lunchbox to use at school!

Good blowing!