Hello All!

First, I have to say that I have been crying since I logged on and saw the note at the bottom of the page, "In loving memory of Art, Aggie, Jan & Duane". You are so wonderful, Katie, to have thought of this. I can't tell you enough how super this is and I am so glad you took on this project. You are a blogging Goddess! I miss all of you guys so much and wish we could get together as often as we did when we were kids! I can't walk through Wildwood Park with my kids without thinking of Grandpa Art driving us through and how we would always stick our arms out of the car to grab the leaves as we drove by the trees! How funny!



As for my family, Tyler turned 5 in May and just started Kindergarten. He is loving it. He has a temper like his aunt Leigh, but we love him all the same. He loves to swim and run around the back yard. He especially loves to fish (as Mike can attest to that - check out Jocko's blog at http://www.wsaw.com/ and then view the Brag Board!). We go to the Wein cottage (on Spirit Lake near Rib Lake - an hour away) a lot during the summer and fish as often as we can. Tyler caught a sunfish this summer, and we have not ever seen one on Spirit Lake as long as I have been going there, so it was great! Even Leigh fished with us one weekend and she caught a 15 inch bass. It was cool. Anyway, Samantha just turned 3 on 9/10/07 and is attending the daycare at the Clinic/Hospital. She will move into the Preschool wing within the next 6 months. She is our "big girl". She can now reach the handle to the screen door by using her tip toes to get into the house. That was a real feat for her and was accomplished on her 3rd birthday, so she thinks she is great now! And she walks around in those goofy plastic "princess" dress up shoes and looks like she's going to break an ankle. It's so darn cute! As for Keith, he has been a salesperson for Marshfield Book & Stationery now for 3 years, even though he's been there for a total of 22 yrs. He covers the Northwest quarter of the State - and he even sees Leigh's ex-husband every now & then. Her ex is still a dork (Leigh paid me to say that!). I have been working at the Clinic now for 8 years, and as of October 2006, I am the Immigration Specialist. I help all of our foreign staff obtain their work authorization and visas. It's been fun meeting and getting to know so many different people from all over the World. I'm still part of the Legal Dept., which keeps growing in leaps and bounds. We have 10 attorneys altogether and are in the process of hiring one more! It's crazy! And as for fun things to do...Keith is getting into gear for the hunting season. Bow hunting (deer) started last weekend, and he gun hunts too. And of course, we both FISH! We even took a day off this summer, sans the kids, and went up to the cottage for a day to fish - just the two of us, like old times. Needless to say, we caught NOTHING!!! And we really did fish! It was pathetic!



I just want to say that I hope we can all get together soon! I would even be willing to host a get-together at Christmas, like old times! What do you all say? BYOB! I love you all! Thank you again, Katie, for coming up with such a wonderful idea! You are the best stay-at-home mom I know, and I do really know a lot!