How it Works

On our trip out west last month we did "sunshine hours" to help the kids get thru the long drive. This is a long and history rich tradition that any of the kids would be deliriously happy to tell you about if you asked. The idea is simple. They behave for an hour and they get some kind of prize. Himbeere got a prize and demonstrated how it works. Hold it thus. . . . .

And squeeze!

School looks

This afternoon Himbeere was showing me the faces he uses at school.


And this one is when the bell rings at the end of class.

Another One in Marching Band!

Its been a few years since we had one in high school marching band. Heidelbeere was our last one and she graduated a while ago. But Maulbeere has been in band for the last couple of years and this year is a high school sophomore. That means when she signed up for band this year she automatically ended up in marching band. She wasn't too thrilled with that at first but I think after last night's game, which was the first one she had to go to, she may be a little more warmed up to the idea. I think she actually had a little fun. First the band stood in front of the home side stand and played some opening numbers, including the national anthem. That was cool.
When they were done with the pre-game music they took their place in the stands. She found a couple of friends to sit by and seemed to enjoy herself. It was nice to have a guaranteed seat. The game was well attended; it was against their rival. The crowd was so big that some of the late home fans ended up sitting on the visiting side.

Then, just before half time started, they all went down to the side lines and lined up to go out on the field during half time.

Maulbeere had actually sprained her pinkie in gym the day before the game so she wasn't actually playing. When she had asked the band leader about it he said to take her place and just fake it.

So out she went and faithfully stood in with the band. No one was the wiser. And it the end everything was okay. The band sounded great and the team won.

High Adventure

It was a holiday and everyone had been pretty good about getting their chores and stuff done in the morning. But the clincher was Brombeere needed to get some homework done and needed the house to be quiet. Besides, this may well have been Stachelbeere's last rock climbing expedition before leaving for his mission. So we piled in the car and headed to Castle Rock. I don't know if that's the official name of this rock formation but that's what we call it. It is at the north end of the Castle Rock flowage on the Wisconsin River, on the Juneau county side. The kids like it. Its not the most challenging of the different rock formations we climb on, but it is the tallest.

Just a little bit up the trail, looking back down to where we parked the car. You can just barely see it peeking through the trees.

Starting up the trail.

It didn't take too long to reach the top. And the view is pretty nice.

Lots of trees. Most of the area around the flowage is undeveloped. Nice.

On a clear day you can see forever.

It was a very good time

Well, as usual, I'm real slow getting to this and a number of others in the family have also posted stuff about the recent marriage in our family. So I'm only going to put up a couple of pictures and comments. It has now been three weeks since the marriage and life has pretty much returned to normal. All the festivities have finished and are over. But the warm, pleasant glow lingers. This was a real good thing - I really love this kind of wedding and celebration. So many of the weddings we've been too that aren't done in temple are so lacking. They feel like . . . well, I won't go there. Let me just say I couldn't be happier to go to this kind. These two did it right. A song comes to mind.



My love must be a kind of blind love
I can’t see anyone but you

Are the stars out tonight?
I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright.
I only have eyes for you, dear.

The moon may be high
But I can’t see a thing in the sky.
‘Cause I only have eyes for you

I don’t know if we’re in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue
You are here, so am I

Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you


This was a good day.

Wuss Camping

The other day, back in the middle of June, we got looking at our schedule and realized that the only weekend we would be able to go camping was the second weekend in July. Summer filled up way too fast and we wanted to get a camping trip in so that had to be it. So we made reservations at a campground near where Brombeere works and made our plans. We decided to take it easy this year and this campground had just built some new cabins so we booked one for a couple of nights.

It was nice. No tent to pitch. Didn't have to bring so much of our camp gear since the cabin had a kitchen, including stove and fridge. This really was easy-street; the cabin had a TV and A/C. The TV we could have done without but the A/C was sure nice.

Some of the time we ate out on a picnic table out front. Other meals we took inside the cabin. Pretty comfortable, I have to admit.

They had a small swimming hole with lots of swim toys in it. The kids liked that part. So we spent plenty of time in the water.

While we were there we celebrated Stachelbeere's birthday. We started outside for that but when it came time to light the candles the wind was too much, even tho it wasn't real bad. But it was enough that we couldn't get the candles burning. So we had to move inside to finish up.

That went lots better. We sang, had cake and opened presents. It was a good time.

We lit a fire and cooked marshmallows. We had all the stuff for somores. Those are always yummy. The kids played lots and really enjoyed themselves. At the end of the second day everyone was more than happy to go to bed.

Family Night

Tonight Blaubeere came over and brought the little feller. For family night we did "toe painting". That's like finger painting only you use your toes. So we spread a big sheet of plastic, hoping to contain the mess (ha!) and got started!
Some also did the traditional finger painting but most of the activity was with the feet.
The little feller is growing up enough that he wanted to pour the paint himself. We concluded that "a little" is a relative term, based on age. His definition of a little was quite different than his mom's definition.
When all the painting was done those that survived were hung on the clothes line so they could dry and end up flat and straight. There were some that didn't survive. They would get so wet with paint that they would tear.
And then the other thing you have to watch. There were some hanging over the rail on the deck and a certain someone backed into one without noticing. Something of an occupational hazard, I guess.

A Delightful Dilemma

Our dear, sweet little Himbeere has this hockey stick that he plays with in the winter and often, using tennis balls, in the summer too. And then his friend went to a hockey camp, the same kid that got him interested in hockey and gave him the hockey stick. So Himbeere gave him the hockey stick and asked him to see if he could get it autographed; sometimes they have famous hockey players come to these camps. So hockey great Joe Pavelski was the famous hockey player at this camp. So now Himbeere has a hockey stick autographed by Joe Pavelski that he figures will be worth some $200 or better some time after Pavelski retires (he's only been playing in the NHL since the 2006-2007 season). Be that as it may, Himbeere is pretty excited to have this great piece of memorabilia! But the only problem is, this now leaves him without a stick to knock pucks around with. Pavelski signed it on the stick and on the blade. Bummer.

So Very Far Away

The long awaited day has finally come! Stachelbeere's mission call finally came. It actually came last Friday but his Mom, sister and brother were away at youth conference and really wanted to be there when he opened it. So he was kind enough to wait until Saturday when they got back. So we packed everyone up and headed to Perkins for a celebratory dinner. Blaubeere and her whole family came over and went with us. And his sister, Heidelbeere, had said she wanted to be on the phone when he opened it so we got her on the cell phone, on speaker phone, and then he opened it. We tried to get Erdbeere on the other phone but he was too quick. This was like waiting to hear the winner of a big contest announced; "and now the winner and luck country that gets to have Elder Stachelbeere serve for two years is . . . . . . " The Marshall Islands! Wow! Everyone's first reaction was, "where's that?" Fortunately the call came with a map that showed where it was. Its out in the middle of no where, out in the ocean; longer than wide by far. There are some spots where you can stand on one shore and throw a rock clear across the island into the ocean. The highest point on any of the islands that make up this small country is 30 feet above sea level. Pray there are no tsunamis there for the next few years. He won't enter the MTC until in October so he can get all his shots and papers lined up. Wow - Marshall Islands. Every body had their guesses in but nobody guessed Marshall Islands.

Opening the letter - the moment we've all been waiting for!

Ready to go!

Guess what?! One of the hardest parts of getting everything ready to submit was the picture. But we got it done and everything has been submitted. Stachelbeere has been working on this for a while, now. So now the waiting game has begun. We're hoping his date to enter the MTC will be in mid-August. That would be perfect timing. Then we could see everybody, see our new missionary off and be back in time for the beginning of school. Yeah, that would be great.

Stachelbeere has been working with our Branch President to go on a mini-mission before he goes on the actual mission. That will involve a couple of weeks staying with full time missionaries, doing what missionaries do. That will be an adventure.