Kuczora Family

When I was in college at Indiana Wesleyan, I nannied for the Kuczora's. They were really wonderful to me when I was in school. Their family is really a great family and down below you will see how full my hands were with these kids. Actually, they were some of the most well behaved kids I have EVER watched. Except Matt beating up Meghan (punching her in the face) in the back of my ford escort, in 1993. The whole family was in Cascade Co. just outside of Colorado Springs because Matt is entering the priesthood, and taking vows. This was a 6.5 hour drive for us, so we loaded up the kids and took off for the weekend to visit with them. We got there Friday night, and Pam had dinner ready for us and the kids actually stayed up til 10pm and did fairly well. Then the next night we met them for dinner at a restaurant, and Sofie was not so good. So we had to eat and run. I really wished we could have spent more time with them, I got very emotional on the way back to our cabin. I can't tell you how unbelievable it was seeing these "little kids" after 12 years. The connection I had with this family so long ago, I immediately felt again, even after so long. Amazing. It was like 12 years had never passed. Then, back to the same old, and after being in the car with a very rambunctious 21 month old yesterday, I was ready for a day of work at the hospital today, goodness.
This is Paul, he is now a little more gray than I remembered, Pam though has that wonderful Asian heritage and hasn't aged a bit.
So here are my kids, Meridith is in the front almost sitting she is 14. I watched her as a newborn. The twins are standing on either side, and I still can't tell them apart, but, Maddie and Molly they are 17. They were the sweetest little girls in the world. One of them is #1 in their class and the other is #4. Out of, I think, 400. The boy is Matt and he is now 25 and went to Notre Dame, he is becoming a priest, (sorry ladies, that cute boy is not available), and Meghan is on his right and she also went to Notre Dame and now is at IU for medical school, she just finished her 1st year. The twins are graduating from high school next year and I think we are definitely going to go to their graduation party. (if we are invited) ;) I can't let that much time fly by again without seeing them.
Sofie's first carousal ride. We went to Santa's Workshop amusement park.
I couldn't go on this one, I definitely would have puked. Sofie loved it.
I almost puked on the ferris wheel for goodness sake. We were stopped at the top and I was a little scared. Heights are not my thing but we got through it.
Here is Sofie with her lollipop looking at the goats. All she could say was "pee you"
There was this rinky dink roller coaster. Sofie loved it as it threw her all around the place. Ryan had to hold his hand around her head to keep her from bumping it on the side and on the bar in front.



Down the big slide, Ryan got an arm burn. That he whined about all flippin day. What a wimp! :)
She actually went on this ride all by herself. So I go in with her and I proceed to get my big ole butt on this tiny little motor cycle. So I finally get myself wiggled on, and buckled in, quite the site as you can imagine, and then the teenage boy working there, tells me this ride is for kids only. After I squeezed in that seat. I am sure he got a kick out of me getting my big butt off the small seat, after watching me get in the small seat over the course of 3 very long minutes. And then falling flat on the ground. So, luckily there was only one other parent there to witness my humiliation along with my husband who laughed with the teenage boy, both, who got thorough enjoyment out of the spectacle. Can you see how small those seats are? North Pole post office
There was this elf puppet and this was Sofie's look on her face watching that thing and not knowing what to think of it.

The Crazy Elf that she wasn't sure of, singing Christmas carols.



Big Butterball in the big chair
My friend Alex and her little girl having a bath in our sink cause Aunt Cherie gave her her first oreo that got all over.
Our neighbor girl that babysits, finally got permission from her mom to have a belly ring, so Ryan brought home the stuff he would need and performed surgery on our kitchen table. I guess that is one of the perks of living across the neighborhood from a plastic surgeon. We got a date night in exchange for services rendered.
Finished product.

Michigan Good Times

I just returned home from a long weekend in Michigan and I took Jack along with me. It was my cousin Brad's graduation party from high school and family came from all over the country to help celebrate. My little butterball-Jack, had just happened to be cutting a tooth, but he was a trooper and other than a major poo accident on the plane on the way home, and me not having any change of clothes for him, all went well. (He was being carried all around Denver airport in just a diaper and his oh so lilly white skin--I felt like I had to explain to everyone that, no, I don't normally carry my child around in just his diaper). Here are some pictures and if you scroll to the older posts you will find, that while I was gone, Ryan became quite the little blogger. My daughter ended up on the blog sitting on the potty with her shorts around her ankles. No, that wasn't me who took and posted that picture that I am sure she will definitely appreciate one day.

Aunt Linda and Cousin Andrea

My lil' sis Grethe and Uncle Carl (Andrea's dad)

Me and my little cousin Lauren, she is starting her 3rd year at Michigan State and she got into the Nursing program there, I like to think of her as my little "Minni me", except she is definitely way cuter.

Aunt Elaine ( Brad and Lauren's mom) me and Lauren. I had such a nice time with Aunt Elaine I wish I could have stayed one more day so we could have at least one day of shopping. I stayed at their house and had such a great time.

Uncle Steve (Lauren and Brad's Dad) he is my dad's brother and is married to Aunt Elaine
On Friday night we all went to Uncle Carl and Aunt Kris' house and cooked out. They had such a spread of really yummy food. This is Casey Mae, she is Andrea and Jim's daughter who is a month older than Jack (and half the size of my butterball), she is exactly one year younger than Sofie. I hope they grow up as close and as great of friends as Andrea and I.
Sleeping during the party.
Fireworks the night of Brad's party. Uncle Steve and a friend had way to much fun blowing this stuff up and almost blowing themselves up a few times.
This is Sara, she was married to Tony who died of ALS last September. Such a great friend and oh so beautiful. It was so great to see her and the girls.


Aunt Grethe
Uncle Carl (Andrea's Dad), Grethe and butterball
Allysa, Sara, Brad (the only pic I took of the honoree all weekend), Lauren, Aunt Kris, Butterball, Grethe, and Brianna
Sara, Allysa, and Aunt Linda (Tony's mom)
Casey Mae

Sofia Gets The Job Done!

Yes, here is the proof for all the world to see. After much time, trial and error Sofia successfully completed her first pee pee on the potty...and, for daddy! She tried once before this morning and insisted on a return trip. I made her stay there until she could tell me that she had gone (hence the reading material...she gets that from mom). SUCCESS! And, you know what they say, "One good deed deserves an Oreo!" Much fun ahead and hopefully no more accidents in the tent!

Ryan's Turn!

Yes, after all this time of letting Cherie Blog along I finally
have something to write about! After 3 long years of slow
mechanical repairs and piecing together parts from the internet
from California to Maine -- my '76 Toyota Land Cruiser is in
her final phase or reconstruction.

Though in a million pieces and various stages of welding holes closed and priming the overall idea is starting to become a reality.
Not sure this baby is street legal at the moment, but it's getting there
The bed liner is in and the fenders are ready for undercoating. After that, it's on to priming and painting. The guys doing the body work is as much into reconstruction of cars as I am into the human body. I really appreciate the forethought, planning and tedious work it takes to make a nice outcome! Stay tuned for the photos of the finished product and hope Cherie allows me to post them here if I don't screw this whole Blogging deal up!

Fourth of July

A very patriotic little girl.
Of course "NoooWah" was there and he had Sofie's undivided attention and lots of hugs.

Our friends Amy and Scott came from Co. Springs. Amy ran the 10k w/ me on the morning of the fourth. Here she is trying out the bow.
Our friends Gordon and Heather came with their son Nicolaus, they were so much fun. Here is Heather enjoying Jack. When she was asked if she wanted another, she said "no way", but she likes to play with the babies.
S'more face

Our camp site on our property in Silverton
Boys playing the golf ball throwing thingie game
Gordon, Ryan and Scott
Larissa and Amy. Larissa is our neighbor girl who babysits for us when Micah can't(she is on her honeymoon). She was a pure God send, I don't think we could have done it without her.

Scott went for a "little" 2 hour run and then bathed in the freezing river. Besides the 100 miler ultra marathons he does, this reaffirms how crazy he really is.

Cute boys.
Aunt Becky, ummm, gave my daughter soda pop. I am still very upset by this. Sofie has NEVER had soda. So next time Becky's kids come over, they can have all the chocolate and candy they want. Paybacks.
Eating lunch after the parade.
This is our view out of our bed in our newly acquired pop up. Can't beat that view the river is right under us and I was afraid Ryan and I were going to tip the camper and fall into the river so we went and slept on the other side.
Jack in his jumper . There is video of this down below, how about that view?

His first ear of corn.
Figuring it out.
The 10k Amy and I ran the morning of the 4th. (I am on the right side of the road, Amy on the left)The run is basically 5k out and 5k back right through our property, so we had a cheering section twice. The run was really fun other than the hill at the very beginning. That hill was terrible at 9600 feet elevation. But we got through it and we actually had fun doing it together. I wish she lived closer so we could train together, we were well suited running partners. We did it faster than we thought we would and had a negative split 35/30 so that was cool. Good training in that altitude.
Parade on Main st in Silverton

Maddie the very patriotic girl

Jack's make shift jumper