Saying goodbye is never easy

We lost our Sweet Louise to cancer.  She was diagnosed with a nasal tumor in November.  There wasn't much we could do to stop the growth, we just loved her while we had her.  

We are sure going to miss our sweet girl.  She was always smiling, wagging her tail and a best friend for Ruby, Nick, Sam, and Ben.  

Quarantine and remote learning at home gave us all more time with her, which I will be forever grateful for.  We took more walks, had more time for her to swim, one of her favorite activities,  and just got be home together, hanging out. 

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!

48 is feeling OK!

Eric and the boys took me to a Japanese Sushi restaurant, Sakura for a delicious meal!  The boys were good sports and even liked the sushi they sampled.

This past year I've realized a new appreciation for my family.  Life is precious and can pass by too quickly.  I'm very blessed to have Eric and the boys to live my life with.

 

First day of School!

It's the first day of school!  For now, I am driving the boys to school. 

They had a great first day.

I had delusions of meaningful conversation and listening to music together on our drive.  It didn't quite turn out as I had planned.  Haha!  

They are all growing up and have so much independence at times.  

They make be very proud at all times!

This is their last year of all being at the same middle school.

The next time they will all be at the same school, Nick will be a Junior in high school.  

Time, slow down!

 

Getting Away!

Eric and I spent a few days away in Brown Co. in early August.  We had orginally planned to go to Napa Valley, but Covid 19 had different plans.  So, we brought some Napa Valley wines with us and rented a sweet little cabin for 2 in the country.  We enjoyed quiet mornings, afternoon hikes, a couple of romantic dinners out and ended the nights with a bottle of wine and a few games of Cribbage.

While we were enjoying our time as a couple, the boys were entertaining their Aunt Angela and Uncle Aaron at our home!

We toured the Indiana artist T.C. Steele's studio and home, The House of the Singing Winds, in Nashville, IN.  The grounds were absolutely beautiful.  We learned that T.C. moved to this hill top location at the turn of the century to paint landscapes of Indiana.  His wife worked tirelessly on the gardens to provide a beautiful scene for T.C. to paint.  The flower garden has recently been restored with plants that were current at the time of his life.  There was also a beautiful new visitors center and many different hiking trails that we enjoyed.

 

Garden harvesting

I'm ready for the State Fair with this huge zucchini!  

We had a really successful garden this year with tons of tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchinis, peppers, and butternut squash.  Not to mention a large herb garden.  

Gardening has been a fun hobby for me to pursue.

 

Summer family party!

We hosted the Schraufnagel side of our family for a pool party, one last hurrah before school begins!  Aunt Joy, cousins Jake and Nick, Aunt Lisa, our cousins Alex and Angela, Uncle John, and our cousins Grace and Jack all came for a day and night of fun!  We swam, ate lots, played games and just enjoyed being together!  

The grownups, enjoying a late night!

Who can resist a game involving a spouting toilet?!

 

Back to School Days

The kids are gearing up to head back to school.  Things are going to look a bit different this year with the pandemic still going strong.  The kids will start out the year on a hybrid schedule, in class 2 days a week and home for 3 while attending classes online.  

6th, 7th and 8th grades, ready or not, here we come!