Love my parents

Have been thinking about my parents a lot today.  How much I love them, how much they have given up for their children, how much time they have given to us and the love that I have ALWAYS known...how they raised me to be a lot of who I am today.

I pray that our children understand how very much we LOVE them.  I pray that the boys know that without a doubt.

Some days are harder than others to be parents...

Love you MOM and love you DAD!

XOXO

Home Sweet Home

We are home from a LONG day of driving.  We left Columbus this morning.  Thank goodness for electronics on road trips.

Off to bed...

We had a great week together!  I feel blessed!

Heading out...

The bags are about packed, the iPods, DS's, DVD players are all charging....we are ready to head out in the morning. We have been at the farm since Monday. The boys have had such a fun week.

Jack is now Mr. Farmer. He helped Daddy and Gpa Shisler "sell seed" all week, which translates to delivering seed Gpa already had sold. They delivered "sillybeans", or soy beans and corn seed. HE LOVED every minute. Loading, the bobcat, the pickup...checking out the farm equipment at the deliveries...all of it. He has been in heaven. He has riden the bobcat, dump truck, 2 different tractors, the pickup truck...wow. They finished the final deliveries today.

Drew is now the resident "dog whisperer". He has watched that show this week for the first time and Gma and Gpa have a new puppy...9 months old, Cindy, who he has been training. He loves to walk her, play with her, give her treats and more treats. It has been fun to watch. He feeds the cats too and Buck, his favorite one, loves him.

Tommy is Mr. Pedometer. He has been wearing a pedometer for school...and today alone has over 24,000 steps. FYI most of us probably take around 5000 steps in a normal day including exercise. So he is working HARD...competing with his Dad. Beating him royally right now. He is outside all day shooting hoops on the new hoop Gma and Gpa got for the boys this fall.

We will head out in the morning for Columbus and spend tomorrow in Columbus....watch Ohio State win tomorrow night at our good friends, the Townsleys, before heading back to Iowa on Saturday....

We are having a fun time...

The Shisler Family Road Trip continues....

I am back to a computer where I can access the blog. I will catch you up on the Spring Break road trip so far...

We drove to Chicago on Friday after school. We stayed outside of the city in a Suburb and got up on Saturday morning to drive into downtown. The boys were mesmerized by the size of the buildings. I hadn't really thought of how big those buildings are...guess I have seen big buildings and big downtowns throughout my life so I don't really realize it. Fun to see it all through their eyes.

Saturday we went to the Field Museum which was fun. A lot of explaining to do for the boys. There is a lot to explain about science vs. biblical views on things. Cool dinosaurs to look at, a Pirate exhibit Jack liked....lots of "stuffed" animals. Probably wasn't the boys favorite museum ever but we had fun. The highlight for Tommy and Drew came after the museum...we went for a late lunch at the ESPN Zone. Of course the Buckeye game was on too so we watched it there on a HUGE screen, like a movie theater really. Then following some arcade games there we went to the LEGO store which was Jack's highlight. After all of that we were beat and heading to our hotel...

We stayed at the Hilton Chicago which was right on the lake on Michigan Avenue. A huge, beautiful hotel. The boys were so excited too. We decided to stay put for dinner and had Giordano's Pizza delivered. (Makila great tip thanks) Chicago Style stuffed pizza...YUMMY! We then all went in the pool, yes even Mom went in the cold hotel pool.

Sunday we hit the subway and rode it to Wrigley Field. Just for the subway experience and to see the field.   The subway was such a fun experience for the boys.  We made friends with the man who was "working" the subway.  He was so excited to show the boys how it all worked. Put his picture on here too.  So many wonderful life experiences we are gathering up.  Rode it back to the bus ride and took the bus to the Museum of Science and Industry. THAT museum was terrific. The boys loved it and there was so much to do. (we even ran in to the Rosberg, Wolfeswinkel, White families there..small world) We had a great time there....

Sunday night we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner in a taxi, which was fun. Then we took a horse carriage ride around downtown. Then back to Ghiradelli's for a hot fudge sundae and back to the hotel by taxi. (Tommy and Scott walked 3 miles back to the hotel for fun :) )

Monday went for a walk by the lake in the morning and took some pictures with the skyline behind us...and of course...the boys found rocks to throw in the lake.  What is it about rocks, boys and throwing? Then we headed towards Ohio.

We would highly recommend staying at the Hilton Chicago or the Hilton Towes as the taxi drivers call it...great hotel.  Clean, newly remodeled, great service, kind people and wonderful location.  Probably the fanciest place we have ever taken the boys...they loved it.  :)  The boys enjoyed our bellman too...he was a fun guy.  He even let Jack try on his hat, the picture didn't turn out of that one but the one below is pretty fun.

Stopped for brunch at Bob Evans, Scott's favorite, and then drove the rest of the way to Ohio. Got to the farm, aka Grandma and Grandpa Shisler's, in time for dinner. Grandma Shisler had made everyones favorites, mashed potatoes, pot roast, creamed spinach, salad, gravy, homemade applesauce. YUMMY...and the best part a Homemade Peach Pie. Just what we were hoping for...

Boys are all up and running this morning. Drew is busy playing with their new puppy Cindy, Tommy is shooting hoops, and Jack has dug up all of Daddy's old toys and is playing with those...

This got really long...will update tomorrow....

On the Road again...hoping for some homemade pie

We are getting organized to get on the road again.  This years Spring Break is a little different for us, no beach, plane or sun we are heading on a Shisler Family Roadtrip. The DVD players are charging as are the video game players.  The DVD's are packed, the boys are packed....by tomorrow afternooon we will be on the road.  After school we are heading out.... 

First,we are heading to Chicago for a few days.  We have never taken the boys there.  We plan on hitting a couple of museums, the Shedd Aquarium, the ESPN Zone and staying at a hotel downtown.  The boys are really excited to be in Chicago.  Maybe we will drive by a baseball stadium or 2 as well for fun.  We don't have anything set in stone, which is kind of a nice treat for us.

Monday we will leave Chicago and head to the farm in Ohio to see Scott's parents.  That is where we are hoping for some homemade pie.  mmmm.... hint hint Grandma Shisler.  For those of you who don't already know...Scott's Mom is probably the worlds best pie maker.  (sorry Mom I like yours too, but it's hard to compete with those crusts of hers)  We will spend a few days there, meet their new puppy Cindy and just do farm stuff.  Jack is hoping to ride the tractors with Daddy and the boys are looking forward to seeing the new hoop they bought in the fall.  We may swing by Columbus after the farm...we have the end of the trip pretty open now.  A couple of ideas and options for the way back to Iowa but we will see what the week brings.

We are hoping Drew does okay on the trip.  He seems SO much better today even than yesterday, so hopefully we won't wear him out.

As much as I love the beach and the sun, I am really looking forward to this trip and to something a little bit different this year.  My 2 beach/sun trips in February probably helped me get that fix a bit.  :)

....as Willie Nelson says best "on the road again...just can't wait to get on the road again..." and can't wait for that PIE.  The diet starts AFTER spring break!

The Hamster Funeral

Drew went back to school this morning, for the first time since Wednesday.  We just tried the morning and it went well may try a little but longer tomorrow.  So now he is home with me and planning the funeral for Scruffy, the hamster.  He even found a scripture he wants to read at it ( the scripture is from the Lord's words to Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit)

Genesis 3:19 

       "...you will eat your food 
       until you return to the ground, 
       since from it you were taken; 
       for dust you are 
       and to dust you will return."

 I think it is great he spent time searching for the scripture he wanted to read for him.  

The hole is now dug in the ground, thanks to Daddy. Drew and Scott chose a spot underneath a tree since Scruffy always liked to be hiding underneath things.  :) We will have the Funeral after we get the other boys home from school.  Drew plans on making a cement tile with Scruffy's name written in it to put over the spot where we bury him.  Sweet thoughts....

Short Night

It was a short night for sleep here, not just because of daylight savings, but more because of Scruffy's death.  Drew did wake up around midnight to find that I had taken Scruffy out of his room.  He died sometime between 10 and 11:30 last night.

Sad Drew, and a sad Jack.  Tommy is doing all he can to comfort his little brothers and being a great kid all around with the situation.  Drew's health seems a bit better today, just tired.

Scott gets home tomorrow around 1:00.  He has had a terrific time in California, feels badly he hasn't been home to help with the ill and the loss of Scruffy.  But time away was good for him.  We can't wait to see him here.  Always good to have him home.

Scruffy

Scruffy, our hamster, really more Drew's hamster than anyones...is dying.  It has been a very sad night here at the Shisler home.  Last night we noticed Scruffy wasn't in his normal, cozy hiding spot and I asked Drew how Scruffy had been this week.  And he said he hadn't left that spot for a couple of days for anything.  I knew that was not good. So tonight I checked on him, and sure enough he is barely alive and barely breathing.

These are the days when your Mommy heart breaks or shatters into small pieces.  I wish I could make the pain go away for Drew...and for Jack who is so sad as well.  Tommy wasn't as attached to Scruffy but is sad for his brothers.

Scruffy was a great hamster...he was friendly and loving and never crabby.  He especially loved his home in Drew's room.  They were 2 of a kind in a lot of ways.  I told Drew he would probably not make it through the night so that when Drew woke up he would know Scruffy would be dead.  Drew put a washcloth over his little body so he would be warm and comfortable, we put his favorite treat by his nose to smell and he hung his little Christmas Stocking back up on his cage.  Ugh rip my heart out...and before all of that he asked if he could hold Scruffy one more time and if I would take their picture.  Ugh...so we did.  

Drew's last question before bed was "Will Scruffy go to heaven because he didn't really know Jesus Mommy"  ...these are the times when the right words are hard.  I said that I know God loves all of His creatures , He made them and He knows how special Scruffy was to Drew and that I hoped that there was a place in heaven for the loved pets we all have had, but that the bible doesn't tell us that for sure.  Drew agreed with that.  So tonight we thanked God that Scruffy wasn't suffering that he was just falling into a long, sound sleep.  And Drew prayed that Jesus would welcome him to heaven and hold him there.

I am posting a couple of pictures of Scruffy from last year...some of my favorites.

Please pray for Drew.  He has had a rough week with the mono and now this...he is exhausted.

 At Drew and Jack's request; there will be a private family funeral service held in our backyard on Monday afternoon, the burial will follow soon after in the garden.  :) 

Update on Jack's tooth