wogoman weekly - volume 3 issue 14

Another week has come and gone. Golly Gee! How did you live your week? With purpose? With Integrity? How did you eat? Did you get out and exercise? I just got an email from my boot camp instructor with those questions and I thought they were great. Therefore I pass them on to you. My birthday was awesome. I ran 3 miles instead of one and had a great time doing it. (I am not sure I typed those words because I hate to run.) Thank you all for your thoughts prayers and gifts. The picture of the 4 generations is in front of the bell that has been "brought home" so to speak. That bell was there from 19?? to 1982 when my great grandmother passed away. Then my grandparents took it to their house and now they have given it to my parents. That sucker is LOUD. But it should be, was from the school house that is within spitting distance of my parents house. They think the bell was built in the late 1800's. So I guess now that we have a "farm" I need to find us a bell. That way my great great grandchildren can stand infront of it and go, "Man, this thing is LOUD!" Kinda awesome to think that Tenille's great great grandparents rang that same bell. Gives me goose bumps. On the Tenille front she is growing up so FAST. She asked me this week if "daddy was my best friend?" I said yes and that seemed to make her happy. I asked her who her best friend is and she said Abbie. I asked her this week to go to the basement to help me clean and she said that would be awesome. AWESOME? I didn't even know she knew that word! She ponders things now and has the cutest look when she thinks and says ok. I am hoping to get it on film soon. For those of your already thinking about the big halloween coming up, Tenille is loving dum dums, smarties, and fruit snacks. All of which are not good for her but motivate her to use the potty. Things are going pretty well in that department and we can't wait to get over with the diapers. :) The outside of our house is starting to be put away for winter. That means hoses are coming inside (this makes my father very happy. I am sure he doesn't want to replumb the house again) When we moved in here it was with no running water to the outside. How did they water the plants? Don't think they did. :( J, Tenille and I split and stacked wood for too many hours to count. We did have 4 pig cart loads full plus some others in different piles. After my pig cart to you I learned that my parents call it a pig cart because when they bought it (for their lawn mower) a neighbor kids wanted to know if they were going to haul pigs in it. So the thing never carried pigs and was called as such. Ours also has and probably never will carry pigs and is called the same thing. :) At least by me. I snuck out to camp singing hills yesterday. When I say snuck I mean J took us out there in our truck and we drove around. I didn't stop to say hi to the other people that were gathered at the old couselor reunion. I didn't really want to get into all that but I wanted to see the place one more time. What did I find? Well the gang shower that used to be covered with pretty paintings was all coverted into individual stalls and they put a roof on. Apparently girls can't shower outside together anymore. Don't think it scarred me by maybe I am baised. Shady nook, Oak Hills, and Whispering pines all looked exactly the same. Right down to the stacked wood, the tents up, the two pails by the water trough, and the rake and shovel. J looked at it and said, "ahhh gross" I looked at it and said "yep just like I remember" Hey were were roughing it. Pit toilets, and tents it was. J said when he went to camp they had nice cabins with running water. I pointed him to the water trough and said we had running water. You just had to walk to it. J did comment that it was a long way to walk for a meal and I said, yep the mess hall was far away. I expected the mess hall to smell familiar, not sure why, but it didn't. What it did remind me of when I walked in there was the nights when we would come back after dinner and have dances. Socks hops, themed parties. Hey what is a girl to do at 8 pm with no lights in your tent? There is still a pool, a cooks cabin, a directors lodge, and the camp store. I didn't go into Tanglewood because that is were all the old conselors were at. I'm glad I went to see it because I would have wondered what had happened to the place 16 years later. Gosh where did that time go. I truely, disperately hope that someone buys and upgrades it and keeps it as a camp of some sort. It would break my heart if not. Jason laughs at me because we he first knew me is when I worked out there. That meant me sleeping in a long tin building in July with 30 first grades and waking up one night because a girl peed by the door. She was too frightened to go to the pit toilets. He missed the days of me being 10 and running out there with new friends, singing songs (that tenille now loves), and rolling down those big hills. While I was there I am pretty sure I felt like I was 10 again. I just didn't have my cateen or my misquito netting. Well now that I have rattled on about memories long since past let me say, boooo to Norte Dame losing. It would be nice if they showed up to play. And yippy to campfires and split wood. Jason has set us up for this and next and possibly next winter as well. What a good man! Well I hope this finds you all well, yes that is a picture of Tenille in the dryer again. Daddy thinks it is funny. And I forgot to mention last week the one of the both of us what taken by Tenille. Such a good photographer! I promised myself that this would be a quick email. Sorry for that! Guess I had a lot I wanted to tell you all this week. I know Tenille did even more cool things but I forgot what they were. Hopefully remembering a few will count! :) Love and miss you all. (This included the two in my basement right now that are playing with every turkey,deer, and animal call that J keeps in his room) Heaven help us, hunting season starts soon!

wogoman weekly - volume 3 issue 13

Good Evening/Morning!

It is Sunday and I getting this bad boy out. How cool is that? Must be because I am almost 33! Yep, Monday is my birthday, one of the best days of the year. I going to get my birthday mile in after school. I know that someday this might be a bad goal to be trying to attain but as long as I can run a mile then I am not old. :) Since I have been running for boot camp this year it shouldn't be a problem. :)

Saturday was super crazy. Started the morning running a 3 mile loop with a woman who is training for the Chicago marathon. She is running in honor of a student who died last year at middlebury elementary. She ran 7 3 mile loops. People from my boot camp ran with her to help encourage her along. It was a very cool event to be part of. Then there was the fall festival and a breakfast at the fire dept. After that it was a beth moore event at our church. It was SO good. It was about how to be a proverbs 31 woman. Then home to see my daughter and J and then we went to the Goshen Fire department smoker. So that meant our great Nikki Barnes came over and watched Tenille.

Tenille made out like a bandit. Nikki cut her hair, painted her nails and toes, and when we got home, Nikki was sound asleep next to Tenille's crib. Nikki had a long day as well and she told us not to wake her up if she fell asleep. So we didn't. The dogs wanted out at 6 something and Nikki did that for us. When we got up at 8:15 she was gone. So I think that means Tenille had her first girl slumber party. :)

J has done more work down below the house and brought more wood up to split. He had a little fire today for middlebury and other than that we just hung out. My youngest cousin did come over for a little algebra help, it is so easy to lose an hour when you are enjoying yourself. Come on people why doesn't everyone love math? I just don't know.

Tenille clearly knows her left and right now. I gave her soap in her right hand and she held out her left hand and said, Left hand too. I was so shocked. When I meantioned it to the daycare workers they were all like, yep, she has been doing that for a long time. Ugh! I did take her to her first fireworks display at the fall festival. She liked them and said they were pretty.

Our neighbor put a trail cam up in our back woods. So far we have seen flo and her babies like 600 times and today we got to see a picture of coon coons, a rabbit, and our other neighbors dog out at 1 am. Hmmmm.

So that is about it here. Weather is great. Brought the house plants in today and they seem to have multiplied over the summer. how does that happen? well enjoy your week. I sure am going to! I mean how often do you turn 33?

wogoman weekly - volume 3 issue 12

Good morning everyone! I hope this email finds your week going wonderfully. Big news in our house, Tenille's last tooth has come in. We are hoping this will help with the sleeping but if last night proves anything that will be a no.

Tenille is using I and me left and right now. It is so amazing to she how quickly she has learned English. I picked her up from daycare yesterday and she was in a different shirt. When I asked her why she said, " I fell in toilet, mommy" I guess our little girl was goofying around and took a nose dive. (Hey that is better than the rock up her nose) She also has informed me that "snakes kill people" while she was playing with a blade of grass calling it a snake. And today my favorite, "choke on suckers mommy" I had given her a dum dum (her new favorite) sucker and she proceeded to tell me that she could choke on them so she should be careful. Where is she learning all this? She has the alphabet down pat and is picking up singing all sorts of songs.

J and I recruited Luke (our nephew) to help haul wood this past weekend. After enjoying the Bonneyville mill festival (you really should go, they have homemade root beer) Like helped us cut and haul two loads out. That is pig cart loads. I giggle every time I call it a pig cart. First the thing has never carried pigs or been even near pigs for that matter. Why do I call it that? My parents have a trailer named "the pig cart" which is about the same size. Pretty sure that one has never hauled pigs either. But that is what we call it. Why? Not sure, always been named that. It makes me laugh and I have no good reason for it. I guess watson's just name things and they stick!

I have attached a photo of some of the dozer work we have been doing. The fact that you can actually see the house from down below is amazing to us. :) Flo (the doe deer) and her babies are down there almost everyday. Tenille and Jason are using their binoculars to see them. It was so cute to watch Tenille run and grab hers and then stand beside Jason.

We dressed her up for the big game last weekend but it didn't work. In fact she cheered so hard for Notre Dame is passed out. I love those pictures.

On another side note, one that I have been meaning to mention for forever, I ready Eat, Love, Pray (book is WAY better than the movie) Son of a Witch (second book in the wicked series and very good) and Water for Elephants all this summer. Water for Elephants is being made into a movie staring Edward Cullen ( I mean Robert pattinson) so excited to see it! So if you are looking for a good read and you have time, those are my picks!

Well that about wraps up another fun week here . .. oh expect I got puked on this morning .. how could I forget? Tenille was choking on something this morning and then next thing I know she threw up on me. She then looked at me and said, "Mommy your shirt dirty" What was it that she had in her mouth so early this morning? SNOT! Yep, I got puked snot on me. So there is an early birthday present to me. No one ever said, parenting is so awesome, you get puked on. And out of the two of us(Jason and myself) I have gotten it so many more times than him! I think she waits for me! Anyways, on that great note, I bid you farewell, have a great day and Ill be sure to write again soon!

wogoman weekly - volume 3 issue 11

Good Afternoon to you!
I hope you are finding your labor day weekend not laboring! :) We of course are planning on doing just that. More dozer work and fire wood making. We took a picnic lunch to Krider Garden in hopes of finding another letterbox. We were out smarted or someone stole it. Not sure which just yet. I have an email into the owner. Hopefully we will find it.
Did I tell you all I won a bike? I entered a drawing for a mountain bike at the Chalet wine tasting a won! I had to go pick it up in South Bend but I am now the proud owner of a bike Mic. Ultra bike. :) Everyone needs as extra bike!

School is going well. I am staying just a little bit ahead of the students so that is nice. :) Our first test is this week so we will see how I am doing!

This was our anniversary weekend and I started it off Friday morning at 3 am being sick. I'm still not up for to much of anything. I walked to the mailbox this morning holding Tenille and was so tired when I got back. Everyone at school thought I was playing hookie but when they saw how I looked to write plans they changed their minds. :) We did find two and half apples trees. Then we ran out of room to store the brush until we can burn it so we had to stop. Lots of work but it looks SO much better!

We also had our first fire in the fire place this weekend. With all this wood we are ready to go! Tenille thought it was great and even helped out with the process.

Tenille and Jason are trying to take a nap together. I am waiting for one of them to come running out of the bedroom. So far so good. :) I love the picture I was able to take of them!

On the Tenille front, she is trying SO hard to get those last two teeth in. You can sort of see them, they just aren't coming in. I don't know if I should be happy or sad because she now uses "me" when she is talking. It's not hold you anymore, it's hold me. She is getting so big so fast! Jason and her love to play in her/his toy box. J's grandfather made it for him and now he has passed it out to Tenille. I asked him if he played it in like she does and he said yep! She will sit in that thing in the dark but won't sleep at night without 5 lights on. So silly.

She loves singing the alphabet song and itty's bitty's spider. Her current new song is one about smashing up a baby bumble bee. Used to be a girl scout favorite.

Speaking of which, the camp singing hills is on the market. Unfortunately, numbers for scouts are way down (only like 1,000 or so in the county) and our camp was closed. J doesn't understand why I am sad because I used to refer to it as camp singing hell when we were dating. They are having a "goodbye night" for old camp conselors and those that worked there (hey that was me for one week) so I figure I should have a right to say good bye. Not sure I am going to spend the night out there like they are offering but at least I want to go take pictures, stand on the hills, and see if it really is as far as I remember it to get to the mess hall. I learned so many things spending weeks out there, and weekends in the winter. I hope someone buys it who will keep it as a camp or at least who will keep it together as one piece. I guess I wanted it to be a place where I could take Tenille to camp someday. Ahhhh everything changes and that is the only thing that doesn't.

Well on that deep note I think I will leave you. Enjoy your four day work weekend.