ALL ABOARD!!!

Well, of course I downloaded all of these pictures in the wrong order...and I don't want to go through all that again, so I will do my best here!
You ever wish you could travel back in time so you could experience some great things. One of those great things that I would have loved to do is to ride on the old steam engines back in the 20's-40's. Dressed in those old style dresses and have big trunks to carry...or rather have hired help to carry them for me.

So anyway, here in Omaha we were able to go to Train days where we paid $10 for the family and went to 5 different places to learn and experience the history of Omaha and Union Pacific. It was so great to go to all the different locations and learn so much. Some of the time I had to take a picture of the information page because the kids wanted to get to the next thing! We went to Durham Museum which was actually and old train station. I love going there. They got a ticket from the counter and they had to go to 6 different stations and get punches from men that were dressed as ticket masters. The kids thought that was so cool! They got to color trains, find a bow tie in trunks full of clothes, get on trains and look through all the rooms, watch a movie about trains, and finally they got to see a real train outside that Union Pacific made one just for the Boy Scouts of America. The Union Pacific has only made 12 commemorative locomotives in its nearly 150 year history. It was so cool to see it up close and to know some of the history behind Union Pacific and the Boy Scouts. Kaitlynn took the picture of us...she did a great job!

We also went to Lauritzen Gardens Here in one of the many themed gardens, they had huge model trains. They also had buildings from Omaha's history. Mikey loved watching the 7 different trains go around on the tracks. He wanted so badly to have one and get up close to it and touch and play with one. He was rather bummed when we told him "No Way"!! The other cool thing to see is two of the largest locomotives ever made! The "Big Boy" and the "Centennial". They were not kidding when they said the largest made. The rail wheels were taller than I was by quite a bit...I would say at least 6 feet tall. It was so cool! I REALLY wanted to get into the Big Boy and look around. It's too bad they had it all sealed up.

We went on mail cars which were neat! I couldn't imagine sorting mail in that tiny area and have to do all the work in such a warm car. I'm sure there were many workers getting the job done. How interesting! It would have been fun to try and do it for a while though!

We didn't have enough time to go to the Union Pacific Museum or to the Dodge house, but we were able to see an old and very small train station that was full of artifacts from over the years. There was acutally a lot of information about Sun Valley, Idaho which was really cool! They used an old locomotive engine to power the ski lift for skiing there! The first chair lift ever recorded was for the lift in Sun Valley and was made by a man and his engineering group here in Omaha!

I hope to one day go throught these places and spend a bit more time there learning and soaking it all up instead of rushing to the next thing! The kids had fun, and it was a great evening and day. We had a wonderful time and I look forward to when we can go again!

Homemade Raspberry Jam

So I have a raspberry bush out in the yard and it has turned out to make some very lovely raspberries this year! I am so proud of them! So I this year I decided I was going to try to make some freezer jam! So instead of freezing all the raspberries for the BEST smoothies ever...I used the first few weeks of pickings to make jam. So here it is and I have to say that it is rather yummy! Thanks Aunt Lorrie for posting about the new easy Pectin (LOVE IT) and thank you MOM for teaching me so many things!! I look forward for all the many more lessons you will teach me! I thought it was going to be hard to make and it was so simple! You shouldn't say easy as pie...because making pie is a lot harder than jam. The saying should be easy as jam! LOL!!! Give it a try! Try out the new Ball Instant Pectin! It's wonderful!

Happy Birthday to Ammie!

We Love you Ammie! We hope that you have a wonderful Birthday! Talk to you when you get back! Hugs and Kisses from us all!!!

Hailey's 5th Birthday

Time has gone by all too fast my little one. I remember these earlier days like they were hours ago! Happy Birthday Princess!!

New Born:
She was such a good baby! She has a smile that is so contagious! One you can't help but smile when she smiles at you! She lights up a room and lights up my heart!


One years old

Two years old

Three years old

Four years old

And NOW..... FIVE YEARS OLD!!!! We went to the "Birthday House" Red Robin! The kids love going to RR for their birthday's. We had a wonderful lunch and then headed down town to Rosenblatt stadium to watch the Royals take on the Cubs. Thank you to Papa and Gwamma and Ammie for my new bike too!! I love riding it and feel like such a big girl! (I will post some of those soon). Thank you for the cards From Great Grandpa and Grandma Amandus and Ammie! I got a new movie, Mermaid Barbie, and Strawberry Shortcake with a friend Raspberry Tart, they both smell "Berry Good"!!! My new bike is my favorite! I loved all my gifts this year and will have new things to keep me busy and out of trouble...at least for now...






My Girls

THE FOURTH OF JULY

You know, when it comes to certain holidays, I turn into a big bawl baby! I believe the 4th of July is one of those days. I guess for more reasons than one. When I was a young child, I HATED the fourth of July! I would sit on Grandma Bleazards lap wrapped in my favorite blanket and hide in her shoulder with anything that lit up, moved, cracked, banged, or smoked! I couldn’t stand it! I think finally one year I was coaxed into going out and holding a sparkler and learned that it wasn’t soooo bad…. I was still rather hesitant with big fountains and the Whisleling Peets so it took a few more years to warm up to those. I think to this day I still cringe at the loud horrifying screaming sound those things make, finding myself looking more from the corner of my eye! LOL!!




I have many fond memories of the 4th of July with my family growing up. Many family picnics and BBQ's, filled with swimming in the hot sun either in the back yard or at the Natatorium, baseball games at Ivy Wild Park or home-ward derby in the front yard, and then sitting in the front yard as the air filled with colored smoke and bright popping lights eating home made ice cream. I can still see my brother's faces with each strobe of light flickering across with bright broad smiles and their eyes large with excitement. I'm sure my face mirrored theirs. Barry got rather adventurous when we went to the Taylors one year for fireworks. Came up a cool Batman costume and gun type thing that would launch fire crackers. Barry and Mike Drury were always creative when it came to things exploding or errupting with light and loud sounds! I also remember the first year I discovered a razor, that was the 4th of July so many years ago when we had my Dad's good friend over, Les. I fondly remember them laughing and joking about things I didn’t understand and knowing that they had Illegal fireworks in the back of the Cordoba and being so terrified that the Police would come and take them away. That BBQ was one of the best I ever had and the fireworks, although illegal, were amazing to watch…so much better than the genaric "legal" ones!!! Anyway that evening after playing so hard outside and getting so dirty, I took a shower and tried to shave my legs and ended up saving layers of skin off instead. I had no idea that taking a razor to a bare, dry leg was not such a great idea. I freaked!! Not so much of the blood running down my leg or how bad it hurt, but the fact I would have to tell my Mom and Dad what I did. In the end I think they realized I learned my lesson by doing and still have the scar to prove it! Yikes!

Being a parent now of three kids, our 4th of July hasn’t really followed a true tradition, except ONE…that we are together. While we were in Okinawa, we were not allowed to have fireworks, so instead we would go down to AmericaFest! Well, the only year we went to was right before we left. Mike was deployed the first one (2004), Hailey was just born for the second (2005), so the third was THE one and it was wonderful (2006)! Lots of family activities and we saw and met up with good friends of ours Jon and Ember and their two little ones! We had a great time eating yummy food, letting the kids play, and listening to bands play music that was fun to dance to and interact with. It was great celebrating our freedom with those that make it possible for us to be free on a daily basis, our fellow service men and woman that sacrifice so much for what so many take for granted. We wore shorts, tee-shirts, and flip flops and didn’t have to worry about saluting or being formal, we could be Americans celebrating our Liberty and our Military Families! Since our families were so far away. The best part…the fireworks.

One of the LARGEST shows that I have ever seen! It was amazing to sit next to Mike and with our two kiddos sharing fireworks together for the first time as a family. The show was spectacular. It was also accompanied by patriotic music that brought tears to my eyes! As the large bursts came and went smaller and larger with each climax in the song it gave me goose-bumps!

I can't listen to the national Anthem without crying. I used to be one of those that took my Liberty for granted. It wasn’t until I saw what Mike went through and still to this day goes through to understand what it means to be an American. I then broadened my view even more and looked around at ALL those that wear a uniform. I am not a service member, but I am the wife of a service member which for me was enough.

I wish everyone could somehow get a taste, a glimps, or open their hearts and minds for what our Service Members do for us each day. Although methods may not be the most logic or comfortable, we still need to believe in our Service Men and Women and support those that are making us safe! Those that respond to disasters, those that support other countries without question. Those that put on the uniform every day with pride and stand tall to make Freedom reality. Where is the PRIDE of America today? When I stand at a baseball game or other events and see so many with hats on and goofing around. It makes me sick! There are thousands today living that song on a daily basis. Past Wars...


that went through so much for what we have today. So with all of your picnics and family time this holiday weekend, take a moment and remember those that have fought so hard that have sacrificed so much for our country and all that we have today!



Other special 4th of July moments have been with friends and last year we had my parents come for a visit! We celebrated Hailey's birthday with my parents and friends and had a little kid pool party in the back! We went to a Baseball game (July 3rd) at Rosenblatt stadium and got completely soaked while singing Sweet Caroline as we tried to seek shelter!

"Sweet Caroline…(da da da) good times never seem so good. (SO GOOD.. SO GOOD..)"

It was a lot of fun! We also had an amazing dinner on the 4th. One of my favorites. I wanted my Dad to make his BBQ turkey with his AMAZING homemade sauce! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! We then walked up to the main road by our house that kinda overlooks the main part of Omaha and watched fireworks from all over the city. Some over by the Missouri River, Down town and out West! It was hard to decide which to watch! We had a great time and the kids loved having their Papa and Gwamma there visiting! We will miss you so much this year as well as the rest of our family and friends that we so dearly love and have such fond memories with!

So there it is…a few of my most favorite memories of the 4th of July! The best part…Family and Friends and the Freedoms that I am so very Thankful FOR!! I will add some photos from this weekend on Monday or something…so Stay Tuned for another great 4th!