Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. ~Author Unknown

I miss my dad....

Mid-July and a slide show for you to enjoy...

Well, it is high summer and we have enjoyed the hot weather though I wish for more rain. It has been so dry here. I am not too sure how you have all fared further North, but we have been setting records for lack of rain. The kids are enjoying the summer and the pool in the backyard and the amount of time they get to spend with Grandma and Grandpa Holther. They are getting spoiled rotten, but what can I do? Let them enjoy every moment of it, that’s what!
Mom, Dad, Anne, Don, my little brood and my Aunt Patty’s family all went to St. Ignace camping for the week of July 4th and we all had a great time. The weather was pretty brisk at times and it threatened to rain quite often. But when the sun came out, it was so very beautiful. We didn’t go to the Island as I just didn’t think the kids are old enough to appreciate it and I really wasn’t willing to shell out $80+ to ride over on the ferry. We used to be able to go for free when my Uncle Joe worked for Arnold’s but he has retired. The way I see it anyway is that the kids see horses and buggies every single day of the week around here with the Amish, and we have our own little tourist trap in Shipshewana with the same types of shops that the Island boasts, including fudge! If they were older we would do the whole fort thing and some hiking, but right now they would just complain, “My legs hurt! I’m tired! I’m bored! Can we go back and go swimming?!?”
Now we are all back at work and sweating buckets with the heat. Can I go back on vacation again? PLEASE???

No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one. ~Elbert Hubbard

Zane

Zane broke his leg in two places yesterday afternoon. We are at Spectrum Downtown. He's been admitted. Good Grief! He's in misery. Will be in a thigh high cast for 6-12 weeks. More later. If you read this and want to call him over the next while he'd love it. He's very sad.

Bay City Home...

Hello everyone! Here is a quick photo of my house in Bay City! Yup, actually bought a home. However, over the past weekend my Mom, Scott and Kevin came up and we went to down on the little house resurfacing the porch (removing the nasty outdoor carpet) and bringing the house to life with some new color. Look below, how do you like it?

Oh lonely poster art thou Cynthia,

forsaken by all. Fear not! I-ist hast come to rescue thee!

Well, the end of May is upon us. It is only right that someone post at least once each month. This has been a very busy time of year. Ry just finished soccer and t-ball just started. What weeks those were when they overlapped, and Ron going to class at night as well. This is the last week of school for us. Friday is the hot dog roast at lunch, and carnival in the afternoon. Monday and Tuesday is the school trip to Cedar Point. Then freedom, glorious freedom. I'm so ready to indulge our night owl tendencies. And no more lunch packing. Hooray! What else has been happening? Monday, Ry had a toothache. Tuesday, we went to the dentist in Saranac, and he had a cavity. Of all the nerve of that tooth. Firstly, it had sealant on it! Secondly, we just saw the dentist in March. So, they ended up getting him a filling right then. Also, he needed new glasses. It has only been 9 months since his last exam. He wasn't seeing well, so I took him in. Turns out his eyes had worsened four steps in each eye. That is a huge increase for less than a year, so we are trying bifocals to try and slow the progression. Wish they'd known about that when I was a kid. I hate for him to follow in my shoes. The theory is that his eyes are weakened because it is such a strain for the eyes to focus up close, such as reading, through lenses that are so strong and are designed to help him see far away. The bifocal will be easier on the eye because he'll be reading through barely any prescription. The glasses look cool! And they have the long-desired transition lenses. Z man is growing insanely. I just took out eight pair of shorts from his drawer and put them into Ry's. Yes, it is true. Ry still tops him by 3-4 inches, but that isn't much considering they are three years apart. We just finished putting in a huge garden. I hate gardening. It is Ry's 4H garden, but we added a lot of things because of Ron's diet being so reliant on produce. Yes, I will be freezing und canning this summer. We have cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, beans, corn, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, dill, cilantro, yellow squash, buttercup squash, cucumbers, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, giant pumpkins, cantaloupe, watermelon, radishes, bananalope, and gosh, I'm sure I've forgotten something. And today, speaking of 4H, we got a rabbit. Those pink eyes are freaky. Hassenpepper anyone? Me, well I'm looking for a job. Not very successfully. I have a part time job, setting up a computerized inventory system where Ron works, but it isn't really starting yet. Computer issues. Thankfully, not my problem for once. Mom was released on her own recognizance this week, or in other words, she can now travel freely without supervision. She seems to be doing well. Got the ok to drive. She was having a little trouble finding words and with her short term memory for awhile, but the doctors said that was normal. Brain needed time to heal and all. Dad is in full spring mode. We all know what that means. You will notice I did not plant zuchinni. Dad has that market cornered. We went camping over Memorial weekend. It rained. Meh. Whatever, it was still fun. I got a lot of reading done. Coming home was a mess. I had mud in the bottom of the washer. Tomorrow, I need to take Z to the doctor. He has this rash that won't go away. On his bum, in case anyone is interested. He had STREP on his bum earlier this year and I'm wondering if it is back. Ok, TMI, I know. But interesting, nonetheless. If you happen to run into him though, don't mention it. He might be sensitive about it. Me, well, I'm just me. Everyone else's life keeps me busy. Who needs a life of her own?

Tag, Abbigail, you are it.

Cyndi's April Update.... I see I'm all alone in here again...

Well, here it is, the end of April and I am the lonely post-er. I sure would like to know what is going on in my family's life.
The last month has not brought a lot of changes our way. Just fabulously warm weather with always warms my spirits. Bob is outside right now getting some chicken on the grill for us to enjoy for dinner and I have made a potato salad, a macaroni salad, and some whoppie pies for dessert. I do believe that we will take advantage of the soft breezes and balmy temps to enjoy out dinner on the patio.
We're all looking forward to the coming summer months, as there are several camping trips planned, the big one being the July 4th week trip to St. Ignace. Mom, Dad, Anne, Don, and my brood will be heading that way as well asmy Aunt Patty and Uncle Mike Hamp and their offshoots. I am so looking forward to getting up to Lake Superior, Munising, and Tahquamenon (is that spelled right?), and God's country. I haven't been there for a long while. We are also planning a Memorial weekend camping outing out at Bonnie and Ray's house by the river. She said that she has quite the site for us all to enjoy, and best of all, it's FREE!!!!

And on a finishing note, here is a small slide show of the kids and I on Easter morning.

.
See you all again next month when I do my lonely post! GET TO BLOGGIN' EVERYONE!!!!

March update from cold Indiana!

I am well and truly ready for Spring. It is just cold, cold, cold here as I am sure it is where most of you are! The kids are completely bored at this point. The snow won't pack into snowballs or snowmen, the wind has been bitter, and the kids have had non-stop viruses this season, so I have mostly kept them indoors. Cabin fever has set in!!!!

Sami's snowy fun!

Look at that big grin -- he was freezing!!!

Let's see now. Updates. Zach is somewhere in Afghanistan driving a convoy and jumping out of airplanes. Every now and then he sends me an instant message (usually while I am sleeping) and I send one back to him. He seems to be doing okay, but I worry so.

Kimberly graduates from Air Force basic training on the 9th of this month then she will be off to her specialized training. She tells Anne that she will probably be in Iraq next year. So that is yet another worry.... Tami is still in Battle Creek. Anne and Don had a big "mishap" in the Grand Blanc house. A pipe recently broke in one of the bathrooms and flooded the house, buckling wood floors, destroying the bathroom, drywall, and the ceiling of the garage. The neighbors called 911 when they saw water pouring from the windows into the backyard. Insurance is covering the repairs, but I sure would like to see that house sell.
Brad and Diana are doing the same as usual in California. They should be around this summer on a college scouting trip with Seth. He is looking at U of M, MSU, and Notre Dame for ROTC scholarships. I would like to see him close by even if it means Notre Dame....
I missed seeing Uncle Karl and Aunt Vivian this last week when they were down to visit, but I was stuck at home with a head cracking migraine. Eeeek! Work is going well for Bob and I. I have my set of frustrations and I am ready to head back to the wonder of retail management. The factory mentality is really getting to me!
Now will someone get out there and do a warm weather version of a Native American rain dance???? I'm sick of having an icicle hanging from my cold blue nose!

New Blog!

I hope that everyone is able to easily convert to the new blog format. I was requested by Google to update the blog and was told that it is a much better system. If you run into problems, please let me know and I will try to help you out.

Happy Blogging!

What happened here?

Wow! I don’t post for a couple of months, and a few strangers showed up! To be honest, I had actually forgotten that I have this page book marked. I admit it! You do know that they say the mind is the first thing to go.
I see that everyone has made it through the holidays. I wanted to come up so bad but the car did not cooperate and we were stuck getting repairs done and are still awaiting a new rim for the front tire as Bob ran over a Grand Canyon sized pothole with it recently and the car does this wacky little dance as it goes down the road. Can you say, “Unsafe???”
I enjoyed all of the family photos I saw this year for Christmas. I think that this year, I will have to send out a family photo as well. Maybe I will just send one randomly, and surprise you all!
I gained a new, old, friend this past year, in my cousin Kelly. I ran across him on Yahoo 360 one day and found that my OLD cousin isn’t really so old after all.. Isn’t it funny how we all catch up to each other at a certain point? I never really know our cousin when we are kids. He just seemed so much more… mature? Nah! Old to us all! Hee hee!

Now I am happy to see the snow finally on the ground here. I have been so depressed of late with the endless cold, the brown trees, the brown grass, the brown mud, the cloudy skies. Now that just adds up to a b.o.r.I.n.g. winter. So we have been outside playing and having fun. I keep telling the kids that this piddly amount of snow is NOTHING compared to what we used to play in as kids. How deep do you remember the snow being?

Keep warm -- I’m still holding out for summer!
Love to all-- Cyndi

OR...

Holther Outreaching

I'm all for this party where you guys bring the food! It will be so fun to have a Christmas together. It has been a really, really long time.

Do you think we can introduce our children to "Jewel Thief," "Statue," and "Devil?" Oh, and Cyndi - HUMAN BEANS, or guess what? We have a big, long staircase and I"m sure I can find a couple sleeping bags....

So, I'm doing drinks and table service, right? And food for Ron. What did you say? Clean my house? You've GOT to be kidding. Yeah, well, don't expect a whole lot. Maybe Caroline will come over and help. I hear she's got herself a little business going on.

If anyone wants to stay over here, let me know. Or not. I can improvise.

Well, as far as gift exchange for the littles (and not so littles geesh - think Andrea, Mitchell, Ryan, Michael, Rachel and Kaelyn!) I think it would be fun. Don't you remember how when we were little we asked at least 200 times when it would be time to open gifts? And now, I want to impose that same torture upon my children. "No, not yet dear." I just know our parents got so much pleasure making us wait. Isn't it our turn to experience that joy? What do you suppose we do though, without knowing exactly who might show up?

So, come on people! Let's get busy making plans to come to my house!!!!! Don't make me name names!

Holther Outreaching

I have a new email address if anyone wants to try it out - cmuwendy@sbcglobal.net

I promise I will come back soon with an update - Life With Crohn's or How Cooking Isn't What It Used To Be. Best seller material, I'm sure!