Playing Auntie and visiting friends!

Well, I have had a great week. Well, except for the losing of a softball game 12-0, that is!

Wednesday I headed to Madison, WI to play auntie for a few days for my niece and two nephews. I did this out of the kindness of my heart so my sister could go to Disney World without any kids and only her husband. It wasn't too much of a sacrifice because I believe she, of all people in the world, deserves a break. It also wasn't that hard of a job. We basically lounged around in the mornings and then Kristopher and I would take Elijah and Rebecca to camp for the rest of the afternoon. It was really nice to be able to spend one on one time with Kris. He and I went to Transformers the first night I was there. Then the four of us went to Harry Potter the next night. It was fun.

Rebecca and I headed back to Rhinelander because I had planned to have some friends come up for dinner and games. Kim, Jeanette, and Marla all came up to visit us in the Northwoods. It was a good time. We ate some great steak(I really love coming home and being fed well) and then played Ticket To Ride. (A fabulously fun game!)

Saturday, I traveled back down to Wausau and hung out with my friend Morgan, her husband and their little guy, Henry. We first visited the Mcbains from our home ward(which is a Mormon congragation for those of you who aren't familiar with Mormon vocabulary!). It was fun. Then we went to eat at The Mine Company(it is now my favorite place to go in Wausau for food!) and then went to ice cream at Briq's. Maybe all this great food is the reason I am not losing the weight I wanted to this summer! I guess it is worth it!

Today I went to church. I do have so say that it is an adventure going to the Rhinelander Ward, but I am getting used to it. Of course, I am getting used to it just in time to shortly go back to Utah. Oh well. They are good people and church is church, no matter where I go. That is a big draw to me about my church!

Well, not much else going on here. I have read two good books this summer. Night, and Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Very good books. I have also stared The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Very good as well. I like reading. Did you know that the motion of the eyes going back and forth across the page stimulates the memory part of your brain? This explains why people who read often retain information better(this is why my favorite librarian remembers EVERYTHING!).

Later,
A

Demo Derby Video

Well...I mastered the video aspect of the blog. I hope you enjoy this white trash event as much as I did. Demo Derbies are one of my favorite things! Peace!

Check out my Slide Show!

Well, I think I finally figured out my blog picture dilemmas thanks to watching my other friend's blogs. (Thanks Mel!) Here are some pictures this last weekend. I have decided that being an aunt can be exhausting work sometimes. But I sure do love those little buggers. There is Elijah sleeping on the floor of my room. He was there when I came home from the demolition derby on Saturday. I guess he had gotten into a bit of trouble that night and was a sad boy. Luckily, I can help him feel better sometimes. I think I freaked him out when I came home and turned the light on, but he goes back to sleep very fast. I liked hearing his little snores throughout the night!

The demolition derby was fabulous as always. I went with Kim, my friend from high school, and her family. Her little boy Ty is one of my favorite little people. He is just so cute and so happy all the time. We had some great food from the park and enjoyed the show. That orange car was my favorite because its back end literally became the back seat. The back wheels didn't even touch the ground anymore. It was very amusing.

Yesterday, was low key and today was more of that. I went biking and then finished season five of 24. You all should really get addicted like me, then we all can go to 24aholics together! :) Great ending as always!

I cleaned my room as well. I know you are thinking...wow, how can one person have so much fun in one day? I am kinda glad my life is boring. It makes me appreciate my other life in Provo more. And when I am in Provo I appreciate this life more! I like my life in general, I guess!

Tomorrow, I am off to play softball again and then Wednesday I am off to Madison to be on kid patrol while my sister goes to Disney World. I think she is definitely getting the better end of that deal!

Well, I hope all is well. I am going to try to figure out how to post videos on here too. So, come back sometime to see the minute and a half video I have of the derby. It is way cool!

Later,
A

Happy Birthday.....AMERICA!

Some of the pictures come from the 4th of July Celebration we had at the Koehne Farm in Little Suamico, WI last weekend. Actually, all the pictures come from there except the first one that is from the Rhinelander parade. That was a cool looking Fife band eh? Then my dad is lighting a firecracker on my grandparent's grave. Kinda a weird family tradition but my grandfather loved the 4th of July. He also loved to wake us all up at 5 in the morning by putting firecrackers off on the windows of our bedrooms. So, we honor his tradition each year by going and remembering him at the cemetery. It was a fun little trip because my nephew, Elijah, asked lots of questions about death and about our family. There are quite a few of my relatives buried in the Little Suamico Cemetery. Then there is a picture of my new friend Sal(as in Salisbury Steak). He is a calf on the farm, who enjoys to suck fingers. I forgot what it was like to have a calf suck on your fingers so I stuck basically my whole hand in his mouth. It was fun and disgusting all at the same time...Sal liked it though. The next pic is of a great full moon as pictured from a lawn chair as I enjoyed a great bonfire. Then the last two pictures are of my niece, Rebecca, and nephew, Elijah enjoying the farm animals. The first is of them feeding the calf and then Rebecca is enjoying a organic chicken. She really wanted to bring one home. I don't think any of those chickens would like city life in Madison!

It has been a very laid back kinda day. We all slept in and then went to the parade at 11am. After that, we came home and ate sandwiches for lunch. Then my sister, mom, niece and I went to Hodag Park for what was supposed to be a flea market. There were only three booths set up and it started to rain so we didn't miss much by leaving before we got drenched. Tonight, we plan on having a BBQ and then watching the fireworks. A low key kinda 4th is a good way to spend it, I think!

Do not go and see "License to Wed." It was done in very bad taste and was really stupid. I only went to see John Krasinski...and he is cute in it but pretty much I thought it was a waste of money...good thing I didn't pay for it...Thanks mom!

It is good to have my sister in town. We went for a walk on Monday and have done little errands together quite a bit. She is funny and I like her. Funny how you always like your siblings better when you are adults. We plan on going on a shopping trip on Friday.

Friday, Andi's family will come for the weekend so it will be a zoo at this house. I will escape for the night on Saturday to go to a demolition derby in Wausau with a bunch of friends. It is a tradition for us.

I feel like a slug lately because all I seem to do is watch tv, cruise the internet, and sleep. I really need to start getting more written in my novel and do a bit of planning for the upcoming school year. I wish I had more motivation. I am becoming a victim of summer lazy disease!

Well, I hope everybody has a fantastic 4th. Be careful with those fireworks and be safe!

Adios,
Alice

Roadtrips to Iowa!

This blog frustrates me sometimes. I really wanted a picture of me at the world's largest truck stop to be upload but it would not cooperate. Oh well. Here are some fun pics from Iowa though. I got to go to an Iowa Cubs game with my friend Ben(1st two pics). We also celebrated Carmen's(my sister in law) birthday in a fancy Italian restaurant. I also got to hold a very cute baby a lot. The last pic is of my new great-niece, Summer Rose. She is a major cutie.

It was a great adventure to head to Des Moines with my mom, sister, and niece. It was a true road trip with our constant picking on my mother and stopping at the World's Largest Truck stop along I-80. That place was impressive. It had a huge truck store where you could buy anything imaginable for a Semi. It also had a large food court and a big souvenir place. It as worth the stop. I was kinda surprised I had never noticed it as I drove to Utah. I guess that I was just too busy driving or something.

We only had one meltdown with my niece which is better than usual. I think the trip back to Madison was just too long. Maybe it was because I missed a turn. Maybe!

Well, it was a blast and it took way too long to write this post, because now I have to get all my pictures from the celebration of the 4th at my uncle's farm. That was a good time too! Happy Trails! A