"The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Friday, August 21, 2026

Finally!

We FINALLY made it out to Lake Delhi today! Nick and I took the day off work and we all headed out to the lake. We enjoyed exploring the area, did a little fishing, and had lunch in the boat. It was glorious! In the mid-afternoon, we decided we had enough sun, took one more ride down the river, and then we ran out of gas! It was a fiasco, but if you have to be stranded somewhere, the lake is the place to be! We eventually made it to a local marina, bought some gas, and were ready to be done. Unfortunately, the motor still would not start! We continued trolling back to the dock and luckily we made it back safely. We got everything loaded up and figured out that there was an air lock in the fuel line. (Nick got that fixed later!) It was an eventful day, maybe not as relaxing as we had planned, but still a wonderful day at the lake with our family!
 




 

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Week Away...

Ben and Conner were able to spend the week with Nana and Gramps! Their cousins were also there, so Nana and Gramps had a full house. The kids all enjoyed their time together so much! Conner sent me a picture of himself climbing the rock wall which was very scary for him, so we were really proud that he overcame his fear to try this. Thank you to Nana and Gramps for showing the kids such a great time all week!


 

Friday, July 31, 2026

Lunch...

I was able to work from home today and was actually available to make lunch for these guys! They have been eating sandwiches and cereal for lunch all summer, so I felt like some homemade macaroni and cheese was necessary!


 

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Celebration!

The birthday celebration continued into Saturday! 








Friday, July 24, 2026

Birthday Weekend!

We went to Bettendorf today to spend the weekend celebrating all the July birthdays! On Friday, everyone enjoyed outdoor and indoor games and relaxed at what we still call "the new house!" This was our first experience with everyone staying at Nana and Gramps' house since they moved. 





 

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Happy Birthday!

Hard to believe but Conner and Ben are 19 years old today!!! We went out to Pregame for dinner and the guys opened presents after that. We followed that up with some ice cream lasagna. Happiest of birthdays to our two amazing sons!














Sunday, July 12, 2026

Race...

 The guys made it to a race tonight in Vinton!



Wednesday, July 8, 2026

First Birthday Dinner!

I don't know how it is possible that these two will be 19 years old very soon, but it is happening! We went out for a birthday dinner tonight. Ben chose Frydae for some street fries and ice cream! Conner was happy with his root beer float and Ben got a Brookie with ice cream! 




 

Friday, July 3, 2026

Friday Fun Day!

I was pretty excited this week to have an extra day off work today, so I told the boys they could choose a couple of activities. Ben wanted to go to Best Buy and research good gaming computers, so we did that. He asked some questions and got a better idea of what he wants to save his money for. Both Ben and Conner wanted to go to Spare Time for bowling and games. We had a great time bowling and they loved playing some arcade games. We had a late lunch after all the fun. It was really wonderful spending time with my two adult sons. I have been missing spending time with them and I enjoyed seeing them out in the community interacting with people, making decisions, laughing, and having productive conversations. It was one of those moments where I could breathe and think that despite all the obstacles, my guys are going to be all right! It was the best way to spend a day!










 

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Gardens...

We upgraded our gardening game this year and got new garden boxes. We actually grew something! Nick just picked a huge jalapeno pepper! He is the only one who will use it, but we were pretty excited!


 

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Graduation Photos!

I ordered one picture from graduation for both Ben and Conner and they arrived this week! I love them!



 

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day! Amid unpacking, we managed to celebrate Father's Day as well. Our guys sure do love their dad!