Hi it's Lexi, can you belive its summer! For all of you who are stillin school sorry to brag. This year my teacher was Mrs. Spangler and today was her last day of teaching. Today we had the yearly Dorothy Moses field day! It was so much fun. Now on to the good stuff like summer. This summer I am going to start band and work on basketball. I will be going to 2 basketball camps. I will also be going to band camp, I am playing the flute.
Bye and have a good summer.
love,
lexi
Friday, May 22, 2009
SCHOOL'S OUT!!!
This is Jake. I've got good news schools out!!! I so can't beleave school's out.Summer vacation officially started at 3:05 this afternoon. And the best news is I am now officially a third grader! My mom and dad are so proud of my report card (and Lexi's too). I really liked second grade, and my teacher, Mrs. Cross. She gave me a hug at the end of the day. She also gave me a book to read this weekend. It's about icebergs. I will miss Mrs. Cross, but I'm excited about third garde too. I hope I get Mrs. Rudolph for my third grade teacher. Lexi had her and really liked her.
But first....it's summer....and this is no time to think about SCHOOL! Let's talk about what I'm going to do this summer. Next week I am going to basketball camp. I might go to football camp too. And I am for sure going to lego camp. I hope to spend lots of time outside and at the pool this summer. Maybe we'll even go camping. I am so excited to go to my Great Grandparents ranch this summer too. Mom's been promising a trip there for a LONG time..now that school is out, she doesn't have any more excuses. It was tempting not to go because we were reading about cowboys in school. That made me want to ride a real horse really bad.I never rode one before.
That's all for now... it's summer vacation and I've got Mountain Dew to drink ,and video games to play!!!!
But first....it's summer....and this is no time to think about SCHOOL! Let's talk about what I'm going to do this summer. Next week I am going to basketball camp. I might go to football camp too. And I am for sure going to lego camp. I hope to spend lots of time outside and at the pool this summer. Maybe we'll even go camping. I am so excited to go to my Great Grandparents ranch this summer too. Mom's been promising a trip there for a LONG time..now that school is out, she doesn't have any more excuses. It was tempting not to go because we were reading about cowboys in school. That made me want to ride a real horse really bad.I never rode one before.
That's all for now... it's summer vacation and I've got Mountain Dew to drink ,and video games to play!!!!
Lessons from Church
I always ask myself, and my kids, after mass, "what did you learn in church today?". Last Sunday, that question took on a whole new meaning...and Jake's answer was unlike any I'd ever heard before.
We walked in just minutes before mass started, and ended up sitting pretty close to the front of the church, towards the outside aisle. It's a perfectly fine place to sit, it's just not where we normally sit (we are creatures of habit...we always sit by Brad's co-worker Dean and his wife). At the beginning of mass, the congregation stands for several minutes. We did that..and when Father gave us the ok to sit down, we did. Except for Jake. I whispered at him to sit down...his reply: "I can't". That's when I realized his knee was stuck.
There's a little gap between the back of the pew and the arm rest. While we were standing, Jake nonchalantly stuck his knee in that gap. When it came time to sit down, his knee was stuck. Lexi and I giggled, and even Brad smiled at his predicament. But very soon after that smile, Brad realized Jake really was stuck, and was starting to panic. I could not move his knee, so I traded places with Brad..he couldn't move Jake's knee either. Jake was still standing, but fighting back tears.
I was certain we were attracting all kinds of attention, and I was right. A lady sitting behind and us whispered loudly "do you have any lotion?". I did not... I hadn't brought my purse. She, Lizzy and I then went on a scavenger hunt in the church, looking for lotion, or something to help pry Jake's knee free. We found a jug of vegetable oil. I poured some into a cup, grabbed some paper towels, and headed back to my son.
I kneeled in the aisle, and dabbed vegetable oil on Jake's knee while Brad tried to pull it loose. Finally, Jake was free. And at that very moment, the congregation broke out in a chorus of "Alleluia". Fighting back laughter, Jake, Lizzy and I headed to the kitchen to clean up the oil on his leg. When we got to the kitchen, Jake said he felt like he was in a movie....the "alleluia" made even him smile.
For the record, mass did not stop during all of this, although I did see Father Gene and Deacon Terry glancing over at us several times. I'm sure they were wondering what in the world the Kerzmans are up to this time. And I'm sure everyone around us had quite the story to tell at lunch that day. Turns out Brad's co-worker Dean had gone to mass on Saturday night...after hearing of Jake's ordeal he vowed to always attend the same service as the Kerzmans.
After mass, I asked Jake what he learned in church that day. His response "don't sit on the end". Enough said.
We walked in just minutes before mass started, and ended up sitting pretty close to the front of the church, towards the outside aisle. It's a perfectly fine place to sit, it's just not where we normally sit (we are creatures of habit...we always sit by Brad's co-worker Dean and his wife). At the beginning of mass, the congregation stands for several minutes. We did that..and when Father gave us the ok to sit down, we did. Except for Jake. I whispered at him to sit down...his reply: "I can't". That's when I realized his knee was stuck.
There's a little gap between the back of the pew and the arm rest. While we were standing, Jake nonchalantly stuck his knee in that gap. When it came time to sit down, his knee was stuck. Lexi and I giggled, and even Brad smiled at his predicament. But very soon after that smile, Brad realized Jake really was stuck, and was starting to panic. I could not move his knee, so I traded places with Brad..he couldn't move Jake's knee either. Jake was still standing, but fighting back tears.
I was certain we were attracting all kinds of attention, and I was right. A lady sitting behind and us whispered loudly "do you have any lotion?". I did not... I hadn't brought my purse. She, Lizzy and I then went on a scavenger hunt in the church, looking for lotion, or something to help pry Jake's knee free. We found a jug of vegetable oil. I poured some into a cup, grabbed some paper towels, and headed back to my son.
I kneeled in the aisle, and dabbed vegetable oil on Jake's knee while Brad tried to pull it loose. Finally, Jake was free. And at that very moment, the congregation broke out in a chorus of "Alleluia". Fighting back laughter, Jake, Lizzy and I headed to the kitchen to clean up the oil on his leg. When we got to the kitchen, Jake said he felt like he was in a movie....the "alleluia" made even him smile.
For the record, mass did not stop during all of this, although I did see Father Gene and Deacon Terry glancing over at us several times. I'm sure they were wondering what in the world the Kerzmans are up to this time. And I'm sure everyone around us had quite the story to tell at lunch that day. Turns out Brad's co-worker Dean had gone to mass on Saturday night...after hearing of Jake's ordeal he vowed to always attend the same service as the Kerzmans.
After mass, I asked Jake what he learned in church that day. His response "don't sit on the end". Enough said.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Make Today the Best Day of Your Life
I do not like funerals. Really, I can't think of much I like less than I like funerals. Yet, too often lately, I have found myself sitting in a church, saying goodbye to someone.
Today, I went Lexi's basketball coach's funeral. Lexi went too. I told her it was what a good friend does (her coach has two daughters Lexi's age, they all played on a traveling team together this year). As expected, it was a super sad funeral. I started crying even before the service started. I was sitting in the pew, watching Lexi's friends Sage and Sierra, and wondering how they will get through the rest of their lives without their mom. Who will teach them to shave their legs? Who will comfort them when their hearts are broken? Who will help plan their weddings? These are all jobs mom does best.
Lexi's coach, Bobbi, fought a good fight. She was diagnosed with lukemia in 2006. We met her last fall, and had no idea she was sick. She was a great coach, loved the girls and loved basketball. She always told Lexi to "be mean" under the basket, and urged her to make herself big and call for the ball.
In March, the team and parents went out for pizza between games. Bobbi told me her back was hurting, she thought she had a slipped disc and was going in for an MRI the next day. The next thing I heard was that she was at the Mayo Clinic, and that her cancer had returned. Less than a month later, the girls played another tournament. Bobbi was there, coaching and cheering just like always. I thought she looked like she'd lost weight, but when I visited with her, she seemed ok. She even offered to drive Lexi to basketball camp this summer, since she was on disability anyway. She had big plans to spend the summer driving her kids to all kinds of activities.
I have followed her Caring Bridge website ever since I learned Bobbi was sick. Last week I was shocked to read that she was dying, not expected to make it through the night in fact. It hit me like a ton of bricks, as did the next morning's entry..Bobbi had died.
It doesn't make sense, and it probably never will, why does God call some people home at such a young age? Bobbi was only 38. At the end of the funeral, one of her brothers in law commented on behalf of the family. What he said turned my tears of sadness into tears of joy. He said Bobbi wouldn't want us sitting around being sad..in fact, he said, she would tell us to "get over it". His closing remark was "Keep smiling...or else Bobbi will kick your butt."
Lexi and I left the church still feeling sad, but also feeling lucky to have met Bobbi. She touched our lives, and Lexi has already decided to dedicate her next basketball season to Bobbi. Her words "be mean" will no doubt help her on the court even more than ever before.
As I close, I ask that you make today the very best day of your life. Enjoy everything. Be nice to people. And hug your kids. That's what Bobbi would want.
Today, I went Lexi's basketball coach's funeral. Lexi went too. I told her it was what a good friend does (her coach has two daughters Lexi's age, they all played on a traveling team together this year). As expected, it was a super sad funeral. I started crying even before the service started. I was sitting in the pew, watching Lexi's friends Sage and Sierra, and wondering how they will get through the rest of their lives without their mom. Who will teach them to shave their legs? Who will comfort them when their hearts are broken? Who will help plan their weddings? These are all jobs mom does best.
Lexi's coach, Bobbi, fought a good fight. She was diagnosed with lukemia in 2006. We met her last fall, and had no idea she was sick. She was a great coach, loved the girls and loved basketball. She always told Lexi to "be mean" under the basket, and urged her to make herself big and call for the ball.
In March, the team and parents went out for pizza between games. Bobbi told me her back was hurting, she thought she had a slipped disc and was going in for an MRI the next day. The next thing I heard was that she was at the Mayo Clinic, and that her cancer had returned. Less than a month later, the girls played another tournament. Bobbi was there, coaching and cheering just like always. I thought she looked like she'd lost weight, but when I visited with her, she seemed ok. She even offered to drive Lexi to basketball camp this summer, since she was on disability anyway. She had big plans to spend the summer driving her kids to all kinds of activities.
I have followed her Caring Bridge website ever since I learned Bobbi was sick. Last week I was shocked to read that she was dying, not expected to make it through the night in fact. It hit me like a ton of bricks, as did the next morning's entry..Bobbi had died.
It doesn't make sense, and it probably never will, why does God call some people home at such a young age? Bobbi was only 38. At the end of the funeral, one of her brothers in law commented on behalf of the family. What he said turned my tears of sadness into tears of joy. He said Bobbi wouldn't want us sitting around being sad..in fact, he said, she would tell us to "get over it". His closing remark was "Keep smiling...or else Bobbi will kick your butt."
Lexi and I left the church still feeling sad, but also feeling lucky to have met Bobbi. She touched our lives, and Lexi has already decided to dedicate her next basketball season to Bobbi. Her words "be mean" will no doubt help her on the court even more than ever before.
As I close, I ask that you make today the very best day of your life. Enjoy everything. Be nice to people. And hug your kids. That's what Bobbi would want.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Trp Down Memory Lane
I've been thinking about my Grandma Shea a lot today, all because of a jar of peanuts.
Last night at the grocery store, I asked Lexi to grab a jar of peanuts. I didn't realize until we got home that they were "no salt" peanuts. My first reaction: yuck! But, I mixed them with some M&M's, and managed to eat many more than I should have. I couldn't help it....the "no salt" peanuts reminded me of Grandma Shea. Grandma always had pop, candy, and peanuts. The peanuts were in a two tier candy dish, which was either in the middle of the table, or off to the side on a cart. Perhaps my memory is failing me, but after eating a bowl of "no salt" peanuts, I could swear those were the same kind of peanuts my grandma always bought. Thoughts of her, and memories of my childhood had me smiling all day. And that got me thinking....about libraries, television shows, and cookies.
Libraries always remind me of my Grandma Parker. When I was a kid, I would spend at least a week with Grandma and Grandpa Parker. My mornings were spent at the ranch with Grandpa, riding horse and eating lunch in the trailer house...there were always hard boiled eggs and Recess peanut butter cups. I spent my afternoons with Grandma at the library where she worked. I once thought I would become a librarian and think of my Grandma Parker everytime Jake begs to go to the library, or tells me of his future as a librarian.
Television shows are, for me, just as much about who I watch them with as the actual shows themselves. I finally watched the series finale of ER tonight. I cried several times during the two hour program. My tears were not only about the storyline, but also about the friends I've watched that show with over the years. ER debuted 15 years ago. I was in college in Wahpeton. I remember spending Thursday nights watching Friends, Seinfeld and ER. I continued spending Thursday nights in front of the tv for many more years....at one point we even had a Thursday night tradition of Dominos pizza and "Must See TV". Now all those shows are off the air, and I've lost touch with many of the friends I used to spend Thursday nights with. But, whenever I see a re-run of Friends, Seinfeld, or ER I am immediately taken back to 1994....no kids, no job...just Thursday nights with good friends.
I love all cookies but there is one particular kind of cookie that takes me back to high school. I haven't bought them for years, but whenever I see the Keebler Rainbow Chip cookies at the store, I flash back to 1993. Amber Beld and I used to buy those cookies at the Bison Food Store, then drive around town in my 1978 Chevy Nova while we ate them. I'm pretty sure we ate the whole bag while we solved the world's problems and wasted gas and time.
I have even more memories, connected to even stranger objects that I won't share with you tonight. My point of this blog is how sometimes something as simple as a jar of peanuts can remind you of how great your life really is. I am so lucky to have had so much fun with my grandparents and to have always had good friends to share things with, whether it's a night of television or a bag of cookies.
Last night at the grocery store, I asked Lexi to grab a jar of peanuts. I didn't realize until we got home that they were "no salt" peanuts. My first reaction: yuck! But, I mixed them with some M&M's, and managed to eat many more than I should have. I couldn't help it....the "no salt" peanuts reminded me of Grandma Shea. Grandma always had pop, candy, and peanuts. The peanuts were in a two tier candy dish, which was either in the middle of the table, or off to the side on a cart. Perhaps my memory is failing me, but after eating a bowl of "no salt" peanuts, I could swear those were the same kind of peanuts my grandma always bought. Thoughts of her, and memories of my childhood had me smiling all day. And that got me thinking....about libraries, television shows, and cookies.
Libraries always remind me of my Grandma Parker. When I was a kid, I would spend at least a week with Grandma and Grandpa Parker. My mornings were spent at the ranch with Grandpa, riding horse and eating lunch in the trailer house...there were always hard boiled eggs and Recess peanut butter cups. I spent my afternoons with Grandma at the library where she worked. I once thought I would become a librarian and think of my Grandma Parker everytime Jake begs to go to the library, or tells me of his future as a librarian.
Television shows are, for me, just as much about who I watch them with as the actual shows themselves. I finally watched the series finale of ER tonight. I cried several times during the two hour program. My tears were not only about the storyline, but also about the friends I've watched that show with over the years. ER debuted 15 years ago. I was in college in Wahpeton. I remember spending Thursday nights watching Friends, Seinfeld and ER. I continued spending Thursday nights in front of the tv for many more years....at one point we even had a Thursday night tradition of Dominos pizza and "Must See TV". Now all those shows are off the air, and I've lost touch with many of the friends I used to spend Thursday nights with. But, whenever I see a re-run of Friends, Seinfeld, or ER I am immediately taken back to 1994....no kids, no job...just Thursday nights with good friends.
I love all cookies but there is one particular kind of cookie that takes me back to high school. I haven't bought them for years, but whenever I see the Keebler Rainbow Chip cookies at the store, I flash back to 1993. Amber Beld and I used to buy those cookies at the Bison Food Store, then drive around town in my 1978 Chevy Nova while we ate them. I'm pretty sure we ate the whole bag while we solved the world's problems and wasted gas and time.
I have even more memories, connected to even stranger objects that I won't share with you tonight. My point of this blog is how sometimes something as simple as a jar of peanuts can remind you of how great your life really is. I am so lucky to have had so much fun with my grandparents and to have always had good friends to share things with, whether it's a night of television or a bag of cookies.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Project Complete...Almost
After nearly six weeks of living with the contents of our basement in our upstairs...our basement remodel is done..almost.When there was threats of south Bismarck flooding, Brad moved all our stuff upstairs, just in case. Then, when the floodwaters receded, rather than move our belongings back, we decided this was the perfect time to remodel the basement.
Our house was a Trading Spaces house before we bought it, and the previous owners hadn't changed a thing. If you're familiar with the show, you know the designer Hildi. She is over the top. Our walls were covered with purple ostrich fabric from Paris. Papers were hung from the ceiling to the top of the ledge with S hooks. Those came down right away, but we didn't have time to deal with the rest of the Trading Spaces decor at that time.
Finally dealing with it turned out to be a much bigger project than we expected. We had to tear out the corner cabinent (that only took a few minutes), pull down the fabric (that wasn't hard either, but there were THOUSANDS of staples left in the walls...all of which had to be pulled out one by one), and the laminate wood on the ledge had to come down. That meant new sheetrock, texturing and paint. Fortunately, Brad is a handy guy, and has handy friends. Brian and Travis helped with the texturing, Jamie and Kai did the painting. I have no idea how we will ever repay them.
We are still not done. We are still arguing about where to put the tv, so the temporary solution is the tv on an old library table, which isn't big enough to hold the dvd player and cable box...so those are being held on a folding chair. Let me point out, Brad picked out the folding chair....we do have nicer chairs...I'm not sure why he picked this one. But I guess it could be worse...they could be housed on top of a case of empty beer bottles, or a milk crate.
But I am happy with the progress so far. And it's done enough for a big birthday bash today!
But I am happy with the progress so far. And it's done enough for a big birthday bash today!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Four
There are four quarters in a basketball game, four bedrooms in our house...and soon, there will be four kids under our roof. Yep...our family is growing, again. Baby number four will arrive in mid-November (second weekend of deer season, to be exact).
I never wanted four kids....but there's no turning back now. And, everything happens for a reason. I'm sure God has great things planned for this baby. I also think this baby is sort of a compromise: I wanted two kids, Brad wanted six...four is right in the middle, a compromise.
I must admit, I'm coming around to the idea of having four children. I heard the baby's heartbeat today (in the 150s...a boy?). What an amazing experience....brings tears to my eyes everytime. What an amazing miracle that we are blessed with. We likely won't find out if it's a boy or a girl...we never have, and love the surprise (it's also a great incentive for me come crunch time!)
Keep us in your prayers.... we will need them!
I never wanted four kids....but there's no turning back now. And, everything happens for a reason. I'm sure God has great things planned for this baby. I also think this baby is sort of a compromise: I wanted two kids, Brad wanted six...four is right in the middle, a compromise.
I must admit, I'm coming around to the idea of having four children. I heard the baby's heartbeat today (in the 150s...a boy?). What an amazing experience....brings tears to my eyes everytime. What an amazing miracle that we are blessed with. We likely won't find out if it's a boy or a girl...we never have, and love the surprise (it's also a great incentive for me come crunch time!)
Keep us in your prayers.... we will need them!
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