Teri Parris Ford's Blog

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Minnesota

Birthday weekend

Wednesday

As I left for work, I saw my cute cats and thought, "Boy, wouldn't it be nice!" Of course, both my mom and Monika are enjoying the cat life of sleeping in and lounging. My time will come soon enough and Monika's will come to an end soon as well!

I got home after work and chatted with Monika, watched the news, did some gardening and went to a late yoga class. 

Geese on the Football Field

Participation

About 1000 students walked out of Memorial today at 10 am. I was not there to watch it happen. I was downtown working on my UW class project. At lunch I ran down to the capitol to witness history. While not all thousand kids from Memorial went to the capitol to protest, there were 3,000 kids from all 4 high school marching. It was really cool to witness. I spent the rest of my day working on a rough draft paper that is due next month. I made it to hot yoga at 4pm and came home feeling really good about the day. 

Emma Wood, Ventura, CA

Emma Wood State Beach is a great place for camping, swimming and surfing because of its moderate water temps. There are NO hook ups for RV's, but it's not all dry camping since my parents trailer has 4 batteries and a large water tank. The beach attract raccoons, pelicans, seagulls, songbirds, red-tailed hawks and an occasional homeless man or woman. The beach also features the crumbling ruins of a World War II coastal artillery site. It is near a bike trail that works well for walking, esp. during high tide. During low tide there are tide pools and more beach for walking. The beach offers a view of Anacapa Island - and occasional dolphins. We got to see one this morning!  

Balt and I were up at dawn and went for a long walk on the beach during low tide. We came back to the camp site to find my parents sipping coffee and making breakfast. The girls slept in for another few hours, while I walked to the group sites  (about 1/2 mile) where there are showers and flush-able toilets. My cousins Liz and Rose drove up for lunch and stayed until after dinner. We enjoyed some great fun on the beach. Balt had a blast chasing Jessi into the water. I don't think I had seen my cousin Rose since my cousin Liz's wedding-- a long time ago! So it was great to reconnect. As they were leaving Monika's room mate came to join us for a camp fire and s'mores. The weather is perfect

Family!!

My 2nd cousin, Eliana has celebrated her birthday at my mom's house since she was 1. She turned 3 this year and it was the first time I was able to make the gathering. It's become a beautiful tradition that I would love to see continue for many years to come. Although not everyone in our family made it this year, it may be the most that have gathered in a very long time. Of course we are missing Erika on our side of the family and on my aunt's side, I have two cousins that live out of town also missing. My parents turned on the air conditioning to make the experience a lot more enjoyable. The kids spent most of the time in the pool. I ordered pizzas and made a couple of salads. As you can see, we had a blast!

There are a lot of women in this family!  The mom's are Val (my brother's wife), me, my cousins Sylvia and Elizabeth. Girl cousins pictured; Jessi (my daughter), Olivia (Sylivia's daughter), Monika (my daughter), Annaliese. Lauren, and Victoria (Edward's 3 daughters), Vanessa (Sylvia's daughter), and Emma (my brother's daughter). 

Just a Busy Work Day

It was nice to hear the excitement in student's voices who exclaimed, "you're back!" Not one student groaned. I had a ton of work to do and although I did not quite get all of it done, I did do a lot. I went into photo to find Joe had done some rearranging. After years of not know where to put my stuff while teaching in photo, I finally just bought myself a desk. Joe decided he wanted it right next to his but we needed to make some space. He got it all done while I was away and it looks great! The kids told me they like it because it feels more spacious. 

I had to come home during lunch to give Balt his medicine. It is no easy task to give a dog eye drops. Erika told me how -- from behind and above, but I still struggle. I got my plane tickets switched for next month and I went in to talk to the summer school principal about my situation. I bumped into the AP stats teacher who informed me that my situation is statistically so improbable that it isn't really happening-- I enjoyed that bit of news. My brother texted me with news from the oncologist (see previous post) and my mom texted me during her first radiation treatment. I set her up with an Audible account and she thanked me as she was enjoying listening instead of reading. Monika called me to tell me she is finished with classes, only finals and a paper to write left for her first year of college.

After school I sent in our second to last deadline of proofs after going through the pages one last time. I know that once the book is out in print we will find typos and mistakes but for now each page seems perfect. I'd like to have pool on how many mistakes we end up with. I went home and walked Balt and then met up with my senior editors for dinner. I love meeting with them annually to decide on the next year's leadership. I always find it interesting who they end up picking and why. I trust their judgement as I think they know the students better than I do. They know who will work for the paper and who will make it better and I love that that is important to them. 

The warmest day of the year.

It was a gorgeous April day. Balt woke me up several times last night and it made perfect sense to me why I wasn't getting enough sleep even when I do go to bed early. We finally got up at 5am and was out walking by 6:45am. We walked about 2 miles. It reminded me of summer. I'll be out early a lot this summer. 

The school day was mellow. Kids working. I ran a few errands at lunch. I picked up printed photos for the photo show and color Cuba itineraries for my big Cuba meeting on Thursdays. The newspaper came in in print and I went around the school delivering them. I stayed after school for a while working on the yearbook then went home to get Balt out to the dog park for a very leisure dog walk.

I watched Star Wars Episode 3 this evening. Episode 2 was a bit disappointing-- it was adolescent. It isn't much better then Episode 1 really. The dialog was terrible in places and so much of the character development seems to depend on previous knowledge that I'm not sure how anyone who had not seen the original series (episodes 4, 5, and 6) would fully grasp all that is actually going on.

I suppose 3 is the best from the first three episodes. The whole idea of watching how someone who was good becomes bad had some new meaning for me. I could feel the confusion with a new understanding. When Padme dies, she cries out to Obi-Wan,"there... is good in him. I know there is." setting us up for Episode 6. Does having a tear in his yellow, evil stained eyes mean Anikin feels bad about his murderous rampage? Perhaps the dark side is being sorry for the pain caused but not really wanting forgiveness? Of course it is all set into motion from Episode 1 when Yoda explains, “Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” It is the fear of loss, death and the fear of pain ironically. In the end it is that fear that leads to loss, death and pain. It all seems so deep for what has been a couple of kids movies. I suppose that is the beauty of the story.

Autumn Amazing

My weekend get-away was a grand success. I had amazing weather and enjoyed amazing sights. I woke to another beautiful day. It would have been perfect morning had someone made hot coffee for me, instead I enjoyed a morning fire and a bit of reading in the morning sunshine. I eventually had to leave, the craving for hot coffee was calling me. My #100happydays photo is the large one above-- a rare morning sunshine with bright autumn colors photo. It may be one of my most exciting Balt autumn pics I've ever taken.

I got home after a stop in Baraboo at Ski Hi for apple donuts and cider for Erika. I had plenty of time to put all the gear away, clean up and shower. Even after a shower, I think my hair still has a light scent of campfire in it. I did a bit of gardening, sent a package to Monika, worked on a swim team poster and had some time in the sun reading. I made mixed vegetables for dinner and watched a Netflix movie. I should work on the newspaper, but I think I will leave it for tomorrow. I'm enjoying having my feet up.

Birthday Happiness

Balt and I got up and went for our walk this morning. It was beautiful. I could not have asked for better weather on my birthday. I was overwhelmed today with love, kindness and so many gifts from loved ones. I took plenty of #100happydays photos today! 

1. I started my day with a free venti salted carmel mocha light latte. Starbucks birthday rewards make me happy!

2. I spent my prep hour this morning sewing homecoming banners. It was fun to get the sewing machine out-- sewing makes me happy.

3. My collegues had a suprise birthday lunch for me. Joe bought me nachos from Qdoba and Grace got me a gluten-free chocolate cake from Whole Foods. Spending time with my friends makes me happy.

4. I purchased cakes for all of my classes and they all seemed very happy to help me celebrate me! Happy students make me happy! see #100happydays photo below

5. I was given 3 different flower bouquets today, chocolates, a book, a scarf and purse and original artwork. Over a hundred friends posted birthday greetings on Facebook. I got several birthday texts throughout the day and a couple of special birthday emails. The many friends I have came out in full force this year to make sure I felt loved. Gifts and greetings make me happy.

6. I came home and planted daffodil bulbs and spent some time reading with a cat on my lap. Once Erika got home, we went shopping and out to dinner together. While the daffodils in spring will make me very happy, sitting around with a cat makes me happy. I don't have a photo to share, but spending time with my daughters is what makes me most happy. I got to Skype with Monika & Erika right before bed. We plan to do it again soon hopefully with Jessi next time. it was a very good day.

 

Birthday Prep

I'm not sure when I started but it was definitely in my teens. I started making my birthday a big deal. I organized parties, ordered my own cake, and made sure it was a big deal. I did it because I didn't want to be disappointed on my birthday. Once I got to Memorial as a teacher, I started bringing in treats for all my classes on my birthday. The only years I've been off the hook were when my birthday landed on the weekend. I thought this was the year to stop. I just wasn't in the mood to celebrate and then Josh insisted; he wanted cake. I realized he was right. This was not the year to stop celebrating me, so I made my way to Sam's Club this morning to get loaded up on the goods. I got cupcakes for my backyard tomorrow, then on Tuesday, for my birthday, my first hour will get muffins (it's just too early for cake), my fourth hour will get chocolate cake and my metals classes, 5th, 6th and 7th hours will get white cake. I have hot dogs to BBQ at lunch! Yes, it was quite the load.

This afternoon, I met with my two best friends, the writer's club, for nachos at my place. Not a one of us had any writing to share, but we all made promises for October. I need to get back to my original project, my novel. I could use the distraction. I finished my watercolor portrait and will begin a linoleum print next. I have a third project idea as well thought out, but it will have to wait. There is something magical about meeting with Melissa and Josh that get the creative juices flowing and the conversations are always quite rich. My #100happydays photo for today was snapped at Starbucks with the three of us enjoying dessert together. Melissa and I went for a movie together after. We saw This is Where I Leave You with Jason Bateman and Tiny Fey. According to Melissa, only women who went to high school in the 80's are in love with Jason Bateman. Okay, so that's me. I fell in love with him when he was on Little House in the Prairie.  

After the movie Melissa and I sat in the theater chatting about the complications of life and finding happiness. I've been watching a lot of romantic comedies about complicated family lives. I came home to find Erika back from her camping trip. I organized some stuff for my week. It's birthday week AND homecoming week! I'm in for a fun one.

I found a bunch of photos of Jessi from the NAVY vs. Rutgers game yesterday, posted by others on social media this evening. I love finding gems like these!!

So Many Happy Moments

Balt and I started our day with a walk. He let me sleep in until almost 6:30am, which was very nice. We still got a 2 mile walk in. The day was uneventful-- a full work day for all of my classes. I took lots of photos and I could not pick just one for my #100happydays photo, so I posted all six.

1- Jessi sent me a text pic of her new uniform sweat outfits, of course I saved the photo (so I didn't actually take it, but it was on my phone!)

2- On Wednesdays Spartan News shoots the news desk and I hung out with the kids today because one of my students was working the desk for the first time!

3- I made chicken fajita tacos for dinner and they were so good!

4- I set up Erika's new drapes in her bedroom today and they look marvelous.

5- My new birthday chair is built and awaits for me now, from now on to sit and relax on.

6- It was a beautiful day for a dog walk and Balt was so very happy. I suppose if I had to pick only one photo for today it would have been this one. I often feel like no one needs me anymore, but I know Balt does. It's alot like having a 4 year old at home, he not only needs me, he genuinely likes having me around. He loves to snuggle and eagerly awakens me every morning. I had no idea how much happiness Balt would bring to my life. He's a lot of trouble, but what 4 year old isn't?

 

Signing Day

I can't help but be incredibly proud of my kids for all of their accomplishments in their short lives thus far. Today was one for the scrapbook. Jessi signed her paperwork for the Naval Academy publicly during lunch at school with 3 other athletes who also signed on to play sports at D1 schools. The Wisconsin Neighborhood center was packed with basketball, swimming and track fans. It certainly was a day to celebrate how all the hard work pays off. 

Jessi was the first to thank her teammates, coaches and family, then sign. She signed her acceptance forms to the Naval Academy that we will mail in tomorrow along with her proof of US citizenship. Next was her fellow track mate, Corinne, who signed an intent form to throw at DePaul University in Chicago. Then fellow swimmer, Jeremy who will swim for Ohio State University. Finally, basketball player, Brendan, who will play ball for Jackson State University. It was a very exciting event and I believe Jessi and Brendan had the most support there. Jessi's whole team made it as well as her sister to cheer her on. I was so happy for her. Her swim coach, track coach and math teacher (who is the boys basketball coach) all there wanting to congratulate her. It certainly will be a cherished high school event, I believe, for the rest of her life. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate her accomplishment.

The rest of the day was non-eventful and wet. I took Balt for a walk, ran some errands and made sure to get some yoga in. I have a feeling this week is going to get better even though it's going to stay cold and wet.

White Christmas

Wausau Tournament

Balt woke me up at 4:30am to outside. It was very nice out at that time in the morning, so I knew we were up for a hot day. I woke up Monika a bit after 7am and made sure the rest of the girls were up as well. We all converged for breakfast and were on our way to Wausau East High by 8am. Monika played 3 different matches at 3 different possitions. She started at doubles 1, went to singles 4 and finished the whole tournament at singles 2. She had an extremely successful day, winning her first two matches and getting as close to winning as one can in tennis for her final match. I think she surprised a few folks with how well she did at singles 2. She's struggled this year finding a place on the line up. She's played mostly doubles for the last two years but it seems she's bound for singles now.  We shall see. 

I missed out on two of Jessi's swim meets this weekend. I got a text from her late last night that the Janesville meet went well. I heard from a parent that the girls were doing well at the Eau Claire Invite. I'm hoping to find photos on Facebook tomorrow!

Iced Tea Kind of Day

Today was a mild day, a perfect Sunday. Balt let me sleep in until 7am. Our 8am walk was cool and comfortable. I purchased bagels for a breakfast sandwiches and then made my way to the pool for a late morning swim and shower. Our water heater occasionally gets washed out when there is a big storm. I think it rained late Monday night, but I didn't notice that the hot water wasn't working until Friday. Apparently, others noticed but no one bothered to tell me. It takes a windy storm to get that much water in there but it usually drys out pretty easily. Well, not this time. We couldn't get it to run until late this afternoon. Luckily we are back in hot water.

My husband and I had planned to see a matinee but at the last minute decided to just sit and read at Starbucks instead. I left to get food for dinner and then whipped up a big Italian feast of spaghetti, lasagna, egg plant, zucchini, garlic bread and meatballs. My diet strategy of eating very little early in the day so that I can have a nice dinner has been working out nicely in my calorie counting.

 

City Outdoor

I was up coughing my guts up past midnight. I gave up trying to get sleep and just read while sucking on cough drops. I woke up feeling a bit better but still weary. I decided to keep the day low key. My students were quite accomodating. After school I took Balt for his walk and then rushed to see Jessi throw. My husband is home for the week, so he was able to take Monika to her soccer game in Middleton. It was the City Outdoor meet for all varsity in the city of Madison. Jessi came in 3rd for the shot and 5th in her discus. She was disappointed with her discus, but over all she is quite the competitor.  After the meet we went out for soup and went home. I made sure to purchase some Nyquil in order to get a good night's sleep tonight.

Prom 2012

Oh, what a day. From 8am until 12:30am all I did was work on the Prom in one capacity or another. Most of the morning was me being the adviser to the junior kids who organized it, but some of it was being the mom of a sophomore who was helping out and I had a couple of hours being the mom of a daughter attending the dance. It was quite the juggle and I'm glad to be sitting in my pj's, exhausted, knowing that it's done. I don't think anything went wrong. Here's a few pics...
 

Rested

Last night Jessi got back from her track meet at 11:30pm. I found pictures from one of her friends on facebook (see below). She PR'd in her discus throw (over a hundred feet) but didn't do as well with her shot. She came in 4th place for the invite. From the pictures, it looked like it was a good meet. Monika got in shortly after Jessi. My efforts to get to bed at a decent hour were thwarted. At midnight I was up, reading. So when Balt woke me at 5:30am, I let him out, fed him and asked if we could go back to bed. He isn't always accommodating, but this morning he was. I slept in until 8:30am. After a week of less than 6 hours of sleep a night, it was glorious to get 8. My husband made us coffee and we were on our way to Indian Lake within an hour. The morning was wonderful and Balt was ecstatic. The rest of the day was nice and mellow. Jessi and I went to pick up her dress and then took it to get altered. I hate paying someone else to do something I know I could do-- hemming is easy but that wasn't all that was needed. I don't want to risk messing it up, so I'm paying. Monika and I ran an errand and then I went to yoga. I made a vegan stir fry for my husband and enjoyed an another evening home without kids watching documentaries with my spouse.

It's just starting to get amazing!

Oh, the leaves are starting to turn and the day was just amazing. I got up at 5am to take Balt out and then I put him in his crate, so I could sleep in. How wonderful it is to get a good amount of sleep. I didn't get to the dog park until 10am, which is pretty late for Balt but he survived. He got to play with lots more dogs though. 

As I was in yoga today I saw a waterbottle that said, "Life is tough. Get a good manucure and wear a cute helmet!" It made me laugh but it also went with the conversation I had with my husband that day. He felt like he had to gird himself for battle everyday. I shared that I felt more like a race horse with blinders on. I just keep running and have learned to ignore the distractions. When I have time to think about life, I know it's not bad but I struggle to find balance. As I stand in tree pose sweating in hot yoga, my failing feet are what keep me from finding balance in the studio. I'm not always sure what it is in real life. 

I didn't get a lot done today, but it was okay. I went grocery shopping and made a family dinner. I had a wonderful walk with Balt and went to yoga. It was a good day. I am hoping to change things up this month. I have given up SUGAR for 30 days which as already has me making different decisions. I wanted a scone with my coffee yesterday and thought about cinnamon rolls today. Instead I am eating fruit when I have a craving. 

Here are some images from yesterday's busy day:
 

F my Motherboard

I try to keep things light on my blog and I try not to complain too much or too often. I'm supposed to be sharing life as a woman, a mother, an artist and a lover (Monika hates that I list "lover" in my by-line). Obviously my life isn't perfect and bad stuff happens. But, in all honesty, nothing REALLY bad has hit me yet and yes, I am thankful. Now I'm going to complain about some trivial stuff...

Last night my laptop just stopped working. I got a few restarts with a little time to work and now I am kicking myself for not backing stuff up when I had the chance. I realize with some hindsight that the machine had been getting hot, but so has most of the US these past weeks. I talked to Safdar Salam or "Sam" over at Dell in India (or maybe the Philippines?) and he told me I most likely fried my motherboard. I love that laptop and use it everyday. I took it across America and treated it like gold bullion under my car seat. Do I spend $600 for a new motherboard or $1200 to replace it? I HATE computer problems!

I took Monika all the way to Brookfield today for soccer tryouts--Wisconsin ODP (olympic develop program). Monika decided to decline 56ers for tennis but still wants training opportunities. ODP would be a great program for her if she made it but she's going against the best in the state. I was afraid that she might show up and feel like she didn't belong, but she had a great day and hopes she has a shot. It's kind of crazy that I drove an hour and a half for an hour and a half tryout process then drove another hour and a half home. It's what soccer mom's do.

I loved that I had last week in Minneapolis to work on art, but I hate that I didn't exercise at all. I hate that my feet hurt almost all the time a little bit and sometimes a lot -- it makes exercising so much more difficult. Just walking Balt is difficult at times and he needs to be walked more. Complete strangers tell me he's fat and I know it's all my fault for not exercising more. I feel like I need to kick start something drastic tomorrow because it's August 1st. Beginnings do that to me. I'm thinking I might start a fast, go nuts training, do something crazy. I hate feeling fat and feeling responsible for having a fat dog.

Athletic Tuesday

Tuesdays are usually about me juggling Jessi's track meet and Monika's soccer game lately. Today, Madison was amazingly hot (a high of 90) but by 5pm, it was wonderfully warm with a nice breeze. Poor Balt was not used to the heat, but he managed to enjoy the beginning of Jessi's track meet and the end of Monika's soccer game. Monika's soccer team won 5-0. Her back was bothering her again, so she took it easy. She needs to work on strengthing her core. I keep telling her to do yoga with me, but she says she can't take the heat nor the crowd. She's too much like her dad!

Jessi did well on both of her events, making finals for both and placing 3rd in Shot Put (not sure about Discus). After her success at the invitational last Saturday I asked her if she wanted special track shoes for spinning and she said no. According to her, next year is her year. So I get to save up for them for next spring. I can't wait.

Both girls are doing well in their sports and it is really fun to see them having success. 

 

They gave me a crown

We went out for steak before hand with the staff which was a great way to start the evening. There were a few tweeks that needed to happen before students started arriving. One of our decorations collapsed and was tossed in the back. I think it was the only bad thing that happened all night. The students were decked out and well behaved. Everyone thought the theme and decorations were awesome. The most stressful part of the evening is stopping the dancing to annouce the court. The two boys that organized the event did the announcements and noted that they were crowning two prom queens. I thought it was going to be a prank on a kid, so I started getting upset but then they asked me to come up and a they gave me a crown. It was very sweet. 

After a midnight cleanup I came home unloaded the car and drove over to post-prom at a bowling alley a block away from my house. I broke my diet and ate pizza, but by that time it was Sunday. I suppose if I'm going to cheat, Sundays are the days for that. I got home after 2am and found flowers from Jim waiting for me. He had to get up at 4am to go to KY for a training. As much as I would have loved to sleep in, Balt had me up at 8am. Our morning walk was wonderful, the sun was shining and the air warm enough not to need a jacket. That's the best mother's day gift ever.

It's going to be good!

We got set up done in record timing-- especially for all that needed to get done. I had enough time to take Balt to his class and I'm off to yoga. Tonight should be very fun.

Day 30: Victory!

It was a gorgeous day! The most wonderful day for both a track meet and a soccer game. Jessi's track meet was in Verona and Jim decided to go to that while I took the soccer game at Memorial. I ran home and grabbed Balt and came back to my class room while Monika had her warm ups. I took Balt to the game and he made a friend right away. The whole time the game was going on, he got to play. I let him off his leash during half time so that he could run around with another lab. The two of them had a blast. Monika looked like she was having fun too-- especially after winning 2-0. On the other team were several of her 56er soccer friends. I got to say hi to lots of soccer-parent friends too.

Everyone seemed to have a great afternoon! Jim got to Verona right after Jessi threw, but caught her discus-- in which she tossed a personal best! Jim had a chair and a book, enjoying the sunshine while he waited for the rest of the team to finish up. We all got home for grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. It is so wonderful to finally have great weather, time outside and vacation within a week.

Not today.

I was up with Balt this morning at 6am, but after making his breakfast and my coffee, then dealing with his business, the two of us went back to bed. It was wonderful to get a little extra sleep. I had to get up to get Monika going for tennis and then the day just seemed to go non-stop from there. I didn't even have time to fit in a yoga class. 

This evening Jessi had a basketball game across town. She played okay, but the team has yet to see a victory. She has to stay to watch the varsity lose as well. It was only fun because I sat next to a couple of teachers and enjoyed the conversation. We talked about how to make the girls basketball program better. Seeing that I never played basketball in any program at all, I'm not sure anyone should pay mind to my opinions, but I still have them. Anyway, Jessi and I stopped for dinner on the way home and then watched a movie by the fire (The Backup Plan). 

The last day of 2010

Here's the year in review that I sent out to family and friends. I wanted a family portrait this year but I have yet to get one and I don't think it's going to happen today. I didn't make any new year's resolutions last year and felt somewhat aimless throughout the year. By the end of May I was focusing on yoga and putting a lot of energy in that practice. I still very much enjoy it, but am wondering if I should be putting my energies elsewhere. I'm getting my haircut today-- it's time.

2010 was a good year with as little drama as is possible when living with 3 teen-aged daughters. I turned 45 this year and feeling the beginnings of middle aged aches, pains, thyroid issues and high cholesterol I took up the practice of Bikram hot yoga and power yoga. This year I continued teaching high school photography, art metals and glass, advising student government and running a school newspaper. I took a grand summer trip to Italy and Greece with the Memorial Art Department staff and students (Jessi was included). Late in the year our family doubled the drivers on its insurance plan. I spent the year living with three incredibly active young women (& where did they getthat from?) who participate in 6 different sports, are practicing artists and amazingly good students-- not forgetting my one busy husband. Just keeping up with them has been more than I have had time for, not to mention our three cats and a new addition a puppy.

Erika started her second year at Madison College this year. She impresses us not only with straight A’s but with taking classes like trigonometry and economics! Erika hopes to transfer to UW-Madison next year majoring in either business or science. She is keeping her options wide open, working two part time jobs to pay for her tuition as well as saving money and time living at home. She enjoys spending her little free time creating glass art, drawing and driving around in her green Jetta.

Jessi finished her freshman year playing basketball, throwing shotput and discus for the school’s track team and getting great grades. Jessi’s summer was over booked with swim team, track clinics and a basketball league. On top of all of her summer activities, Jessi joined me on a European trip. Sorrento, Italy and the Greek Island cruise were highlights of Jessi’s time. Jessi started her sophomore year early in August swimming again for Memorial. Her season culminated with a trip to the state meet at the UW Natatorium in November, the week of her 16th birthday. It was a very exciting time for her. She got her driver’s license a couple of weeks later. Jessi currently plays JV basketball, maintains good grades, tries to fit in a bit of skiing when she isn’t bogged down with homework or athletic practices and now is the main care taker of a black labrador retriever puppy named Baltazar.

Monika turned 14 this year in February, but had no birthday. She still loves playing soccer. This year Monika made the Madison 56’ers Soccer Club’s Red team, traveling all over the state of Wisconsin for the game. Monika graduated from middle school with a bit of fan fare. She received over a dozen awards including the school’s “Spring Harbor Award” which meant she got to give a speech at her ceremony. Over the summer Monika refused to swim, but she played a lot of tennis. When she tried out for the high school tennis team, she made varsity doubles 2, but after some back trouble (most likely from playing too much soccer after playing too much tennis) she ended the season playing JV singles 1-- 3rd in the city. Monika not only enjoys athletics in high school, she still plays the bass for the high school orchestra, conscientiously gets a 4.0 and has gotten involved with a student council group at Memorial.

I know that Jim is not a fan of the annual letter. I do admit it is an opportunity for me to brag about my girls but Erika assured me she likes that we do it just to stay connected with friends. This year Jim drove us to the white sands of Gulf Shores in Alabama, just a few weeks before the BP oil spill in the area for spring break. Erika couldn't join us, as she had to work. The highlight for him was on the way down we visited the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and on the way back we went to Graceland in Memphis. A few days later, at the top of April, he went to San Francisco for an Army annual training. He had one weekend free to visit his family in Los Angeles which was a special time for him. In July he went to the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area in Minnesota for a nine-day canoe trip with a few of his buddies. The biggest event for him this year was clearly the Basic Officer Leadership Course in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He was there for three months, received some quality military training, and met some wonderful people. It was wonderful to have him back in time to celebrate the holidays all together. I am still writing a daily diary-like blog usually with pictures. While I have aspirations of one day writing something substantial, the blog keeps me writing. Jim has joined me in the writing of a blog, but his posts are not quite daily and sometimes they are outright lies. He writes alot of dark humor and historical essays. Hopefully you will be able to figure out fact from fiction. It isn’t always easy.

Please keep in touch, it is always good to hear from friends and family whether it be via Facebook, email, blog comments or annual letters.