Last Weekend

Cathie's Birthday Celebration!

Eli and I spend a night out together!

Last weekend Eli and I went out to celebrate Cathie's Birthday. We went out to Zuki Lake Tavern for dinner and then went to 2 bars afterwards. The first bar was like being a gentleman's club, well to be honest, more like whore house, anyways we left there and went to another bar after we dropped some of the couples home. We had a lot of fun and those nights don't seem like they come as often as they should. You can read more about the evening here and here and see the pictures from Cathie's birthday celebration and day at the pool here.....

Celebrating Cathie's 37th Birthday ~ 2007

The Agusti and Marshall Family Reunion

Dad and Uncle Oscar

Olivia and Lauren having some fun in the water!

Last Sunday, we headed out to Irish Hills for the Agusti and Marshall family reunion. Irish Hills is a beautiful area! We drove through Saline and I want to move there. The Agusti's are not blood relatives but were a huge part of my life when I was growing up. I think of my Aunt Mary and Uncle Oscar as true family. Our families did everything together. Kathleen and Diane are still very close. Peggy and I have drifted a little, but alway have a great time together when we see each other! We all have children now, except for David. It was nice to get all the kids together. Interesting that the oldest and the youngest child belonged to Eli and I. We are also the couple with the most children. David informed me that Eli and I are the reason for overpopulating the world. Still, sad to say, David was the only one that couldn't make it, and was missed.
Peggy is a teacher in Livonia and is married to Curt and together they have 2 year old little girl named Megan. Kathleen is a social worker and is married to John and they have 2 year old twins, Dillion and Katie. All the kids had a great time. They went jet skiing, played in the lake and sand box, and made s'mores. Erika loved playing with the little one's. Interesting the our parents left on the pontoon boat and were gone for over 2 hours. Maybe all the kids were too much for them. You can see more pictures here......

Agusti ~ Marshall reunion 2007

And they're off!

Erika's First Day of 2nd Grade!

Olivia is in the Duck Room! She's a big "kindergartener!"

Erika and Olivia off on the bus! (Makenna in the background, yes she is still in her pjs, at least she has shoes on)

Is this totally selfish to say? I'm excited for my girls to be in school. There were people sobbing at the bus stop and sobbing at kindergarden orientation. Oh Please!!! I was ready to get out the pom poms and start cheering. (Yes I was sad when Erika started kindergarten and I may have shead a tear or two, but I am so over that, plus I was pregnant and hormonal!)
It is really cute watching Kenna scream "bye bye ka ka, bye bye bia" and wave to bus all the way down the street. Then her and I run back home as fast as we can and snuggle on the couch and watch Finding Nemo together.

You can see the rest of the pictures here.....

School Days 2007

Makenna in her "Big Girl" bed!

Eli set up Makenna's bed today. It is sad to think the next time we set up the crib it will be for our grandchildren (wipe the tear). Makenna was so proud and she layed down for her nap right away and said......."GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO", and pointed to the door. Now I just have to get that stinkin binky away from her. Baby steps.

An Inside Barbeque

We had a welcoming party for Bill. It was crappy outside but we managed to hang as a family. The boys played cards, Bill learned how to play euchre, the kids played dress-up and musical instruments (which is great for the ears) and the girls, well we just talked, caught up and played ref. Eli and Bill are watching 300 and I'm off to bed, I have an 11 hours shift tomorrow.

Click on the album for the rest of the pictures!

A Schultz Party

You know your parents are getting old........

...when they start buying outfits for your children that look like this! Wow!

A gift!

Bill had borrowed this picture when he was here last year so he could scan it. Well, while it was in his hot little hands, he had it professionally framed and matted for me! I LOVE IT! Thank you Bill! I will cherish it, what a thoughtful and wonder gift, I am speechless!

The David Crowder Band

If anyone knows me I am a huge worship music freak! It's just how I roll and I probably know every song! My children listen too and it's always playing in my car and I sing randomly at any given time or place. My friends and family have repeatedly made fun of me and I'm totally proud of it! Chris Tomlin was one of my favorites. When I went to the Captivating Retreat with Cathie and Sherry, I was the only one without an iPod and Eli was nice enough to buy me a portable CD player and I took some worship CD's with me. At the airport Cathie gave me a worship CD that Dave had made for me (which nobody has ever done for me before, Thank You Dave). The first song on that CD was "All I Can Say" by The David Crowder Band. That was the first time I heard that song and it helped me the entire weekend deal with some of my issues. When I got home I had Eli listen to it and we used to play it and sing it in the kitchen during dinner time. To make a long story short, The David Crowder Band helps me connect with God in such an awesome way. I love their newest CD, "A collision". My favorite songs are "You Are My Joy, He Is Our King, Foreverandever etc, and Wholly Yours".
I had foreverandever etc on my myspace page and Diane now likes them too! She can now no longer make fun of me because she listens now too!

Glory, Glory

Erika joined the girls Worship Dance Team at our church this summer. Today was her first time dancing on stage at church and she was a little nervous. Eli and I told her not to be nervous and that she was dancing for God and thats all that was important and not to think about all the people. She did great and I am so proud of her and ALL the girls, they are like little angels all dressed in white! A good friend of mine, Jen, was the choreographer and she did a great job!

This is the dress rehearsal before church this morning.

Papa Schultz has arrived!

Makenna already loves her Papa Schultz!

Bill has arrived safely, without his luggage, it is somewhere in Chicago and hopefully will be arriving soon. Right now we are drinking "dressed up" corona's (corona with salt around the rim and a lime in the bottle). I'm not a huge beer person but it's not bad! Bill is telling Eli all about the new Harry Potter book he is almost finished with and about to pick up dinner at Mancino's.

Papa Schultz Is Coming To Town

We are all excited for "Papa Schultz with the big truck" to come and visit. It's been an little over a year and is much needed. I am curious to see Makenna's reaction when she see's him. Erika and Olivia are giddy and are hoping he'll take his teeth out for them again. The girls and I are gonna get his room ready for him today. This is my email from him this morning.

"It's thursday night and I can't wait. You are going to have to put up with me for a whole week! I'll try to be a good boy, Ha! Better clean that house Dana. I'm going to do an inspection. See ya soon."

Love Papa Schultz

My email back to him informed him that he will be doing all the cleaning and laundry while he is here. I love that my father in law is the biggest smart ass I know and I am is favorite (and only) daughter in law. We always have a great time when he visits and we eat like royalty. Did I mention that Bill cooks too! Almost better that Eli.
Eli is able to take a few days off the hang with is Dad. I have to work on Monday and start school Thursday night. My summer vacation is coming to a screeching halt. Wow that was fast!

We are outta here!

I was all set to go to the Toledo Zoo and stay at this awesome hotel, reservations were made and Cathie and Kevin called around 2:00 and said that they were free and clear of their unfortunate incident that occurred and begged for us to come. I'm trying to do laundry and pack and get ready to go so we are at Lake by at least 10:00 for some campfire time, it's about 1 1/2 hour drive. Eli is going to call work tomorrow and try to get Wednesday off, so we can at least have 3 days of sun! We are taking Titus because I don't have enough time to drive to work to kennel him and Diane's gonna come over and check on the cats for me. I'm going through my cupboards and fridge for food and Cathie I will make a run tomorrow to the grocery store. The weather forecast for Lake Odessa is sunny and in the mid 80's Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I totally need this! I just need to get away and be with Eli, my girls and great friends. I'm praying we will stay free and clear of the "incident". Pictures will come soon. LATER!!!!!!

Don't want to do that again....

The garage sale is complete. The final total including my Mom, Diane, Bridget, Cathie and I was $442.75. My total was $195.75. Friday and Saturday was pretty slow. Saturday the Brighton Art Festival was going on so I think that had a lot to do with turn out, because Saturdays have always been busy the past 2 years. While I was packing it up, a lady came by, I gave her 2 boxes of crap for free just to get rid of it. I then packed EVERYTHING up and headed to the salvation army. I'm done with it. There was not going to be anything left in my garage and was not about to bring anything back in the house. My house is now clutter and junk free.
Now that most of my baby stuff and all my baby clothes are gone (or will be gone after I take the last 3 bags to consignment this week) from now on it will be off to the salvation army. Garage sales are a ton of work and I just don't think I will have another......at least for a couple years!
Diane and I work so great together and it was fun to go through stuff and be together, but stressful too at times! My sister is now know as the "Sign Nazi". She was obsessed and checked on them frequently, buying new ones and analyzing the proper locations. Kudos to her, we had a great turn out on Thursday....considering we didn't advertise. We only lost Ryan once and for the most part the kids got along....especially for being together non stop from Wednesday to Saturday. Thanks Diane for all you help and doing this with me even though you didn't really want to!

It's 1:15 am, our garage sale starts in 6 hours and 45 minutes. Diane and I are exhausted. We have everything priced and ready to go. It was a long day. I'm still downloading some of my CD's so I can sell them. Wish us luck! Goodnight, or shall I say good morning!

Stanley

Stanley is not one of my favorite cats. Reason being.....he is a dirty cat. When I say dirty, it means that he is too fat to reach and clean very well in certain "areas". The only reason why I like this cat is because he is the most lovable with the children. The girls use him as a pillow and love to cuddle with him. Except Olivia doesn't like him on her bed.
Makenna and Stanley lately have had a pretty special bond. She loves to lay will him and pet him. She gets a little carried away and hits him and pulls his fur, but he takes it.
Kenna has a new scream and isn't afraid to use it and she was "screaming" and being ornery, Stanley rubbed up against her and she started petting him...About 5 minutes later I went to check on her and this is how I found them. Watching t.v. together. Just being lazy. Stanley has the touch. And yes Makenna is only in her diaper. Her new thing is to take off all her clothes. I'm just happy that she is leaving her diaper on, we've had a few accidents.

I'm Bummed

Eli and I were suppose to take the family up north with our "Livonia" friends (as Dave and Cathie like to call them). Well....the vacation fell through and I am so sad! Sad because it would have been an awesome time! The kids always have a blast together and it was a great way to get the kids away and to get to be with great friends as well. What was also a bonus was all we had to pay for was food, gas to get up there, and gas for the boats. Erika was crushed when we told the girls we weren't going on vacation and got all teary eyed. I felt so sad for them, they were totally looking forward to it!
Eli and I both still have the time off work but no where to go. We started thinking about camping at Camp Dearborn and going to the Toledo or Binder Zoo. Anyone know anywhere cheap and fun to go that I can plan in 5 days?

My grades are posted!

I've been checking the LCC website about 10 times a day for the past four day. Totally nervous about my grade in my Psychology class. I was right on the boarder for a 3.5 and 4.0. It all depended on the department final. I was feeling ok about the test, but not sure. OH YEAH!!! 4.0 !!!! So my GPA is still a 4.0.
All my hard work paid off and I am having a proud moment!

What a pain in the neck

I am just trying to enjoy my 3 weeks off of school. This morning I woke up and couldn't move my neck or my arm. The pain in so horrible and I just can't get comfortable if I lay down, sit, stand or anything. I took 2 darvocet before my doctors appointment at 10:45 this morning and then realized I was so drugged I couldn't drive. My wonderful and loving sister came over to pick me up and take me there and drove around Hamburg with 5 kids in the car while I was at seeing the doctor. I guess I am having some muscle spasms and a nerve is being pinched, I am now taking percocet and soma every 4 hours. Diane took the girls and I back to her house and helped me with the girls and took care of me. I felt useless and trashed. I am so blessed to have Diane, there's not many people I could be around in that much pain and acting so stupid on drugs. Erika snuggled with me tonight and read me a chapter in her book, she loves the Majic Treehouse books. Miss Maddie and Emily prayed for me and my awesome husband gave me a massage for an hour tonight and can turn my head a little more now.
Needless to say, I had to call in to work and my garage sale will have to be postponed for a week, which is OK since I heard Thursday and Friday it's going to be in the high 90's.
I'm just glad that Makenna is feeling better today. She was running a 102 fever yesterday and was not feeling good. Yesterday she was kinda ornery.

So You Think You Can Dance

So feeling a little "under the weather", due to the alcohol consumption the evening before at Bahama Bobs, Sunday was a pretty unproductive day. I managed to take a long and much need nap with snuggle bunny Erika. The rest of the evening I went through toys, toys, and more toys, to tried to get ready for my garage sale this weekend. So I parked my butt in front of my t.v. a bucket full of cleaner and baskets of toys and started my season of "So You Think You Can Dance" from my faithful tivo. I couldn't peel myself away. I ended up watching the whole season and went to bed around 3:00 am. I loved it!!! This is the 3rd season and I haven't missed a show in 3 years. Every year gets better and better.
Dancing was one of the biggest parts of my life in my younger years. If there was a dance class, I was in it. By junior high, I was at Bunny Sanfords School of Dance Monday through Thursday until almost 9:00 every night and also assisted in two children's classes, my junior year in high school. My mom was hoping for a ballerina........ballet was OK, but the couple years of dancing on my toes, bleeding toes and sore ankles didn't do much for me. I LOVED tap and the chorus line and contemporary, I love a story! I was the second shortest in my chorus line class, and in a kick line, just cuz your shorter doesn't mean your legs don't have to be as high as the taller girls in the middle, they have to be higher. In that class I danced with my instructors and I was an equal and I remember being so nervous I couldn't see strait. I ended up being second to the last in the kick line, side by side with my ballet instructor, who was phenomenal and I did it, and it was great, exciting, perfect, flawless, in my eyes anyway. It was a "jazz hot" number, kinda like some of the routines in the movie Chicago. I nailed that routine and I was proud! Needless to say, my senior year, some friends and a little partying later (sad to say I partied more my high school years than my college years). I quit dance because my social life and my party accessories were more important. 13 years of dance, done, just like that. I'm not saying I was all that, or that I would've done anything "big" with it, or gone anywhere special, l but it was one of those choices that you look back and cringe. I forgot how dancing made me feel.
Last night watching 13 episodes of that show, my emotions were going crazy! I love routines that tell a story. The dramatic routines that make you feel something in the pit of your stomach and you get a funny feeling in your throat. There was a day that I thought I would be dancing some little number on Broadway but dreams fade fast and are sometimes hard to come by. One of the forks in the road that you'd wished you'd at least attempted.  My favorite choreographers are Mia Michaels and Wade Robson. They are just awesome!!! I just can't get enough! Now that I'm all caught up, I can't wait until Wednesday.

Kimmy and Bobbie are..................

A GIRL :)

Congrats!!!! Marina and her baby sister will be 22 months apart, just like Erika and Olivia! I told her that I will keep her in my prayers!!!

A Life's Journey

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather a skid broadside thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "WOW, What A Ride!"

~Author Unknown

A day on the lake....

I was trying to post this yesterday when a storm blew right on through and we lost power until this morning~Our great day at the Jeffrey's a couple weeks ago!







It was a fun filled day. They bought this awesome mat raft thing that floats at the end of their dock and the kids had a ball jumping on and off it all day.

The "big" boys also had a great time on it as well. It's just a good thing there were no broken bones or heart attacks, due to someone's age, I won't name who.


We ended the night with some fireworks, smoke bombs, and sparklers. (That Eli was letting Olivia light on her own and I could have rung his neck). Some of the girls caught a bunch of lightning bugs instead of doing fireworks.

You can see the rest of the pictures here......Thanks to Dave! (click on album)

Jeffrey's Cottage

A light at the end of a LONG tunnel

Eli and I were lying in bed last night and he told me I was slacking on my blog and I might as well delete it, so I thought that I could catch up a little while Makenna was napping today. Sorry for my absence. Honestly besides the last 2 posts, my life has pretty much been eating, sleeping, making breakfast, lunch, taking care of my beautiful, yet argumentative girls, and studying. (Eli, of coarse is a an awesome cook, so I leave dinner up to him, I can't compete)

Officially, I only have 1 more week of school. Happy to say that I finished my MATH107 early, and I ended up with a 4.0! Yippy! Eli called me a dork and Diane called me a geek, and I'm alright with it! I am going to "early start" MATH112 and am going to try to get 2 tests out of the way so my 14 credit semester in the fall won't seem as heavy. Yes I know, aside from being a dork and a geek, I am insane as well!

I just wanted to say that I couldn't be doing any of this, without the tremendous support from so many important people in my life, especially GOD, Eli, Diane, Cathie, and of coarse, my girls. Eli is my rock, he keeps me grounded, he supports me like NO other, Diane and Cathie are there for me through thick and thin~to help me see the big picture, they keep me going when I feel like giving in. Oh my girls, my wonderful girls, they wish me luck on every test, high five me when I get home, and pray for me at dinner when I'm not able to sit with them at the dinner table because I'm at school. How blessed am I? WOW, I can't even being to tell you! SO.....Thank you! To all of you in my life! I am truly grateful for everyone in my life!

Some exciting news......Bill, AKA, Papa Schultz with the big truck, is coming to visit. He will be here from August 18th to the 26th. We are all very excited! He is trying to arrange a visit every 6 months! YEAH!

So, for a couple weeks, there may be more to read....don't expect much from September to December! I'll do my best!

My Special Friend

Cathie and Cathie's Mom kindly invited the girls and I out for a pool day. The thing I didn't know about Cathie was that she likes to excercise with some pretty nifty equipment instead of lounging around the pool!
It was a HOT (90+ degrees with a heat advisory). Needless to say, we didn't get out of the pool much! It was a great day. All the girls were like little "shishies" (as Kenna would say). Erika is much more confident in the pool and is now lovin' the diving board. Olivia was tossed in the water...and handled it well! Makenna just wanted to keep jumping in over and over again with someone counting with her.....1, 2, 3.....jump. She loved Jeannies taste in music and danced around the pool! We had to end the day early so I could take a test (the last thing on my mind that day), but managed to pull off an A.

You can see the rest of the pictures here. Click on the album.

Pool Day With All The Girls

DEEEEEETROIT!

On Friday 6/29/07 Eli, Jeff, Diane and I went out for the first time without children in 3 years! Yes.....3 years. We headed downtown and I had a GREAT time. I haven't been downtown in a while and it looks beautiful. I loved walking around Detroit. (Never thought I'd say that) We went out to dinner, went to the Tigers game (that I didn't pay that much attention to), and to the the bar after.

Here are the pictures.....Click on the album

Tigers Game 6/29/2007

*Yes I know this posting is really late, but I have had no spare time so excuse my tardiness!

Goodbye Cutie

So an update on our animal situation. The girls were given 2 hamsters two years ago, "Goody" and "Cutie". We lost one a couple of months ago because of a cage failure (meaning someone forgot to close it). With 4 cats in the house, I'm sure he didn't survive the night. Sunday night, "Cutie" died from old age. Erika was pretty upset. Olivia was just fascinated that blood was coming from his mouth and told Erika to "stop crying".
So last night, "the family" buried him in the garden of weeds by the shed in the back yard. Trying to dodge all the mosquito's, Eli and I tried to hurry up the funeral procession. Erika told us she needed some "private time" with Cutie. So we happily ran to the house. Yeah, rude, but again....the mosquito's, it was bad.
Here's a note she wrote to God and wants to but it by the grave...........

"Tittle: God wach out for my hamster. God I hope you wach over quty my hamster. I rilly injoyd having him in my family. I love him and I'll miss him. I'm glad he is in a beter plase."