Pippin is busy...

We have had our little yip per now for about 3 1/2 weeks now. He still has his accident moments but I feel he is really catching on and one day soon will GETit. That is optimism for you! The kids and I are adjusting well to the little guy. We have only lost one Polly Pocket shoe to his tummy so far and I think that is pretty good! We now know that Pip loves carrots and chicken, passes out from the day as soon as the kids are in bed and he will sleep through the night! I have given him at least 5 baths and his first haircut, which makes him look like he has "the Mange", but at least I can comb through his fur. His first haircut will take place with a groomer on the 28th so watch for that update. I figure he will drop about 3 pounds for the camera by getting rid of all his puppy fluff...we shall see!

PS congrats to Rob and Ashley and their new Beagle "Dexter" who joined their family on 1/19/09!

Gavin loses his tooth!

This morning as I was rushing to get the kids to school for an 8:15 appointment, this happened.(It is self explanatory....)

Needless to say, we were late for our appointment. Drama, drama, drama...

Our Top 20 Memories of 2008...

In advance of the end of the year, we've compiled our best memories for the year. Hopefully everyone has had as much fun as we have had this year. Here's our choices:

1 - Rob & Ashley's Wedding in Seattle - There's no doubt that we had a great time in Seattle for the wedding. It was so nice to just get a way from Manitowoc and enjoy life. The breakfasts were huge, the attractions were outstanding and the wedding was beautiful, just beautiful.

2 - Pippin joins the Family - James finally broke down and agreed to a non-hunting/lap dog and Jen wasted no time in bringing Pippin into our household.

3 - Great Fishing at John's Cabin in Osakis - It went from sweatshirts and jackets to t-shirts and shorts in three days but it was the best fishing we've had in seven years of visiting Osakis!

4 - James Competes in Fox Cities Half Marathon - After watching Jen, Megan and Lauren run the Half in 2007, James gives it a try and finishes in under 1 hr 50 minutes.

5 - Winter Trip to Brooke & Jay's - Sledding, Rock Climbing and some serious game playing went down in Boulder Junction this past January and it was FUN!!!

6 - Grandma & Grandpas 60th Anniversary Party - We drove through a wicked storm on the way down but the weather cleared and the party was great. It was nice to see everyone again.

7 - Uncle D's (illegal) 4th of July Fireworks - Just ask Owen & Gavin, these were awesome! Complete with drama and over-the-shoulder cop watching.

8 - Jen and Owen flip Kayak at DUGOF - Jen and Owen took out a kayak but didn't quite complete the circuit without swimming. Both were soaked and they claim some kid ran into them?

9 - Weekend at the Kalahari with the Vaters - Considering the kids keep asking when we're going back, it must make the Top 10. Plus Rob was there, which was really cool.

10 - Jen Donates 1st Gallon of Blood - She who fears needles and shots has given a gallon of blood. Credit to James for getting her to give it a try and credit to Jen for sticking with it.

11 - Snow, Snow and More Snow - December was the snowiest December ever, beating the local record that was set back in 1889 or something. Needless to say, we're sick of shoveling already and we have two months plus to go.

12 - Chris Graduates! - Seriously, enough said, unfortunately the weather kept us from watching the procession. It took two hours from Madison to Bonde's and another hour to get to the Vater House due to the drifts, getting the truck stuck in them and waiting for the plow to get us through the largest of them.

13 - 130TH Geocache Found & Trip to Black River Falls - 12 caches in one day, a new record, some great weather and not another soul in the woods.

14 - Boys & Curtiss get Freddy Sanchez Autograph - After waiting for nearly an hour, the boys launched all three of their balls at a waiting Freddy Sanchez, All-Star of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He signed all three and tossed them back out the dugout to the waiting boys.

15 - The Spoon Game at Jane's Christmas Party - If you haven't seen the video on Jane's blog, you gotta see it. Prepare to pee your pants.

16 - Bandits Win Second League Championship - Two years in the row, the Bandits had the best team in Northeastern Wisconsin. Almost worth all the work.

17 - The Family Runs in 2008 Sleigh Bell Run - Matt, Megan, Dad, Jay, Brooke, Jay's Dad, Jen and James ran or walked. Randy Bonde paced James' through the 5 mile course without even sweating.

18 - BBBS Charter Fishing Trip - Gavin caught a huge Rainbow Trout, Curtiss caught a big King Salmon, Owen tossed up his cookies most of the morning and mostly slept on the boat.

19 - Jen's Halloween Party - Jen went all out with her Shak-Tii costume and the Seiler's came complete as the Baron Van Munchousen cast. Mom dressed up as Megan and Caryn had some nice watches to sell for a low, low price. Good Time!

20 - The Clan Gets Six Deer at Theobalds - The deer harvest was down 20% this year in the state but over two trips, our crew bagged six deer with Devon and James getting two each and Dad & Chris getting one as well. Plus James' dad got a turkey.

Santa Came! Santa Came! Santa Came!

Christmas at the Maurer's was quite exciting this year as Santa came and treated everyone to some really nice stuff. Owen got this massive NERF gun and Gavin got only a slightly smaller version. The family got Guitar Hero, numerous movies and lots of candy. The boys each got SuperCards for their Nintendo DSs and soccer jerseys (pictured) and Quinn got a great castle and lots of cool "girl things". Jen got some pieces for her Nativity, an undercounter CD player and permission to get Pippin (James broke down and agreed to a small non-hunting dog). James got a wine making kit (yeah!) and Jen and James each got a ski pass to Norway Mountain for this winter.

We were up at 5:30 am and headed out to the Vater House at 10:30 for the rest of the day where we played lots of games, ate lots of food and shared lots of laughs. By the end of the day, the kids were done, Gma was done and we all needed to get home and in bed. We went home and watch Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and went to bed.

Graduation Weekend Excitement!

We trucked it down to Madison to watch Chris graduate but wound up eating a lot of food, swimming in the hotel and leaving early due to a nasty winter storm that made for an exciting trip home.

On the way down, we side-tracked it over to Wisconsin Dells to meet with my (James') parents. We ate a the IHOP in the Dells. It had no heat that day and everyone had their breakfast in coats. Afterwards, Gpa Maurer gave us a tour of the Kalahari's newest edition, the FUNLAND! It has lazer tag, a kickin' obstacle course, climbing wall, indoor go carts, bowling alley and much much more. Then we headed to the Madison Goodwill store that has provided us with many a great game, secondhand. This trip we left with a copy of Dragonology which turned out to be quite good. It wound up matching books that the boys received at Christmas from Aunt Caryn.

Saturday night the storm started hitting but it didn't keep us from getting our fill at TGIF with the Seiler's. After dinner we headed to the pool where Liam proceeded to remove the underwater lighting. This brought in the maintenance staff who drained the pool 12 inches to re-install the lighting. All-in-all we still got enough water time for everyone. Then we hit the room for movies and pizzas.

Sunday morning Jen called mom to find out if they were coming. "It's not worth dying for she says, as a major winter storm is entering our area." Rather than stay in Mad-Town all day and drive home in the storm that night, we decided we'd have brunch with Chris and head out ourselves. We hit the OCB (great selection Don!) and got our fill. Two hours later we stopped at Bonde's and grabbed Kate from Don's car to take her home. It took another hour to get to the Vater House as we got stuck in three huge drifts in the truck that we had to dig ourselves out of. The Vibe would've been screwed. As it was, we still didn't make it because their was a 6 foot high, 30 foot long drift at the intersection of Bob's Road (Centerville Rd) and Cty X. Just as I was about to begin trying to knock down enough of it to get past one side, the plow came through (the big plow with the huge blade on it.) We backed into the nearest drive and watched as it took the plow four full speed runs to move the drift out of the way. We followed the plow the rest of the way to the Vater's and stayed there until later in the evening when we made the rest of the trip home. The truck got us there but has taken a beating and is still not running very well. It needs some serious warm weather but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Welcoming our new addition, Pippin!

James finally gave me the green light! And I did not waste any time in taking him up on his offer so I am posting some photos of the newest member of the Maurer family. This is Pippin! He was born Sept 17 and weighs right now approx. 2 1/5 pounds. He has thrown up twice, peed on my carpet 3 times and yelps like a wild animal! We are in love!

Christmas cards...are they really necessary?

Perhaps I am in need of some sort of pill(seems to be the trend in this family) but I have begun to write out my Christmas cards and as I do so the "bah humbugs" have begun to set in. Who started this tradition anyhow? I'm sure that is began as a way to keep in touch with loved ones over the holidays, but the majority of the ones that I get include a card...and a signature. No updates on the growth of children, old holiday memories, quips about husbands, news about home improvements...nothing! What then, I ask you, is the point????

I keep the cards I received from last year so that I know who to send a card to this year and I have to say that I am tired of writing out my personal notes only to receive someones name on a card! I am really not interested in just a card. Not even the pretty ones. I have come to the conclusion that unless there is some "meat" in the form of personalized yearly updates included, I don't care or appreciate getting the card!

I have come to appreciate the personal photo cards that have started coming out. At least they show progress! I myself have taken advantage of these types of cards. For example, the photos of my children over the years have gone from crying and fighting, to just fighting, then some smiles and goofy teeth, to finally a fairly decent group photo...but please realize that the entire back of such cards are blank and yearning for a Christmas message! People, please take advantage of such space!!

In conclusion, after all of my griping, I still sent all of the "signature people" from last year their annual Maurer card, but out of spite, did not include their personalized message! Is it hypocritical, yes probably, but I'll be dipped before I'm the one to break the chain and exclude someone! It is after all Christmas...'Tis the season and all that. Just remember the message to me in the future or you just may be the one to be left off the list because I am not taking anything!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I know that this is a little late but I figured we were there so it should be documented! Curtiss joined us this year as we attended the annual Manitowoc Holiday parade! Sorry the photo is so dark, but I couldn't figure out how to lighten it.

Washington and....meat?

We just got back from a FANTASTIC trip to Seattle, WA! We were there to celebrate Rob and Ashley's wedding, which was beautiful and I am sure everyone has a thousand pictures of! On this vacation, Gavin really found his inner artist and has really taken to photography! Of the many photos we have these are the two which I found most halarious!

Note they are before and after! James is so proud! The rest of our photos can be viewed on our flicker account sometime soon!(By the way...the meat was GOOOOD!)

Happy Halloween!!!

Upon our direct return from our Geo vacation, we celebrated the wonderful holiday of Halloween!
Our theme this year, Star Wars! In case you aren't a follower of Star Wars, I am Shak Ti(female Jedi master extraordinare), James is Darth Maul(a sith lord), Owen is Commander Cody (a clone trooper), Gavin is Jedi Master Obi Wan, and Quinn is Princess Leia.

We took the easy way out with the boys and bought their costumes this year, but I created Quinn's dress and James and my robes. After a quick party with tasty treats we all trick or treated our way to bags of candy and photo ops in the newspaper! Fun year- thanks to all who attended the party and celebrated with us! Start thinking now for next years costumes!

Geo Caching Vacation

As if we don't have enough to do, we decided that since the kids had 2 days off from school for teachers convention(or something), we would use some hotel vouchers we purchased at the St. Thomas wine and cheese tasting and go on vacation. We love the state of Wisconsin, and we love the outdoors so our travels took us to the west side of the state and into the Tomah/Black River area. This time of year is cranberry harvesting season so we toured a cranberry museum and learned all about cranberry fields and harvesting. Very interesting, then we were off on our Geo caching day in an effort to find at least 10 Geo's. I think we ended up with 11 which is a record for us! The weather was gorgeous and the park we were in was vast! We spent the entire day without seeing any other human beings! It was great! Although our younger generation protested the outdoor activities at first (all they wanted to do was swim! which we also did enough of since we had two different hotel pool areas completely to ourselves!...go figure), they warmed up to the trip quickly and were exhausted in the end!

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa

We had a wonderful visit with the G's this past weekend! After a long ride through construction and rain, we made it to their house for the best tasting hamburgers we ever had(we were REAAALLLLY hungry)!! Saturday started out with a big pancake breakfast. Then we went over to Tom and Jenny's for a visit, some Wii bowling and a rousing card game of Sequence. On the way home we stopped for pizza with the VanderMeers which was excellent! Sunday we woke up late and enjoyed the morning helping grandma with some little things around the house. She cooked us a pot roast and fed us angel food cake before sending us on our way home! It was a great time, and I think we exhausted them both! Thanks to the G's for having us and we hope to visit again soon!

Picking Pumpkins!

We recently went and did our annual pumpkin picking with the Seilers. It was a little overcast and a tiny bit chilly...perfect fall weather! The pumpkin patch was full of wonderful choices, but as you can see we took only the best of the bunch and have now created our Halloween decorations! Enjoy the season!

Finished with birthdays...for now!

The big day came and it went, Quinn is now 4!!! She had a great day and loved all of her presents, even though she couldn't remember, when asked, what exactly it was that she got! Thanks to all who sent cards and gifts, she loved them all and really enjoyed, I think, spreading out her birthday surprises! Quinn was also happy that her "best friend", Connor, was able to attend the festivities! Next on the docket...October birthdays!

Dogs and birds, birds and dogs...

This past week we've had some pretty interesting animal encounters. First, last Weds. evening as we are rushing to get Owen home from school and off to soccer practice, this little blue jay decides to check us out...literally! This bird was practically in the van! Then he flew over to the deck railing where he couldn't have been more than a foot away from me! Gavin reached out his finger to touch the bird and it pecked at him like he was a worm. This funny little thing stuck around for awhile, unfortunately, we were not able to stop for long and play because we were on the run!

Then, this morning I was standing at my kitchen sink drinking a cup of chai when this little brown dachshund appears along the neighbors fence line. I had never seen this kind of dog in our neighborhood before so I figured he was lost, and also that something was up with him because he kept bumping into the wire fence. We brought him inside and he was the nicest fellow. Not one bark, not on the furniture, tolerated the kids...perhaps a message to us from higher powers that we needed an animal? I called all of the appropriate authorities, went out and bought him a can of food and came home to a message from his owner. Aparently, "Bubba", who is blind...was forgotten about when she let her other dogs out this morning. The kicker...he lives across the street from us! The only house that I don't know who the neighbors are. In fact, if I didn't see the mailman delivering mail there on a regular basis, I wouldn't have thought anyone lived there. Small world...and perhaps a sign that we are not meant to have a pet?...yet!

Go Brewers!

This last Tuesday, James and I took the our "boys" (including Curtiss) to a Brewer Game courtesy of BBBS. It was a good time, a first for Curtiss, and we got to do some different stuff. James took us early so that we could experience batting practice! The boys thought it was neat and all three of them got autographs from one of the Pirate players (specifically, Freddy Sanchez). Then we ate and took our seats in the usual location, nose bleeds, which were along the third base line. The game started out well with the Brewers taking the lead in the first 2 innings and then it went downhill. We stayed long enough to see the Oscar Meyer Weiner Race but then hit the road because it was a school night. As we pulled into Manitowoc, the Prince Fielder hit a 2 run homer to win the game! Bummer that we missed it but a fun evening just the same!

We would like to wish the Brewers luck now that they have won their seat in the playoffs! Go Brew Crew!!!

Race day and Birthday all in one!

Today we did a lot of celebrating! First, James completed his first 1/2 marathon in something like 1 hour 50 minutes 18 seconds! The conditions couldn't have been better: 60-65 degrees, slightly overcast, no wind and lots of fans! He was really pleased with his time and we all are super proud of him! Thanks to all who phoned in their support and took time out to attended the event, it really meant a lot to our family! For more on the race and video clips see our running blog...


From there it was on to C.E.C.'S, for the princesses birthday! She had a wonderful time playing lots of games, winning lots of tickets and eating pizza! Quinn even got a picture with the mouse himself! Special recognition and thanks needs to go to Aunt Janie who saved the day and won like a million tickets so that Quinn could get the prizes "she really, really wanted"! I believe a good time was had by all and everyone went home tired!