Holy Ikeness Batman

Editor's note: Since I already had this all typed up, I decided to go ahead and post it. I just didn't have the picutres layed out. Enjoy the old news :)



These begonias were purchased in the summer of 2007. Dan took them to school and placed them by the window in his classroom for the winter. This summer, they flourished! Aren't they purty??

Here is Baleigh performing a corner kick in her first soccer game of the season. She is playing middle midfielder in the other picture. Lately she has been playing either midfielder or goalie. She had an awesome, diving save yesterday.

I couldn't get this text back to the top for some odd reason.

We just got power back at our house. Ike has been quite distructive in Carbondale, Illinois! We have several power lines and trees down. Baleigh and I went driving around after church to check the damage and we should have brought the video camera. We have been under a high wind warning since early this morning. We have had 60 mph wind gusts. Luckily, we aren't flooding on top of it. The rain has been moderate. Thankfully, next week's weather looks beautiful. Let us all take advantage of the lovely weather, for soon the north winds will blow and keep us indoors :(

From the archives (of summer). Here is Baleigh's favorite picture of her and Ma-Ma. We were celebrating Ma-Ma The Great's July 3rd birthday.

New Blogger

Attention Everyone! Baleigh is a new blogger! I just got her set up and she is typing in her news. You can view her blog at

http://www.bouncintobaleighsblog.blogspot.com/

After she is finished, I will add to my blog anything she did not include.

WE WON Friday night 42 - 14!

INEFFABLE!

While looking for a creative title for my loooooonnnnnnnng-overdue post, I came across the word INEFFABLE. It's a funny time to find such a word because I think I am in shock that I'm NOT IN-EFF, I'm in IN-CARB! My brain is experiencing ineffable (incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressable) overload...but I'm recovering. I actually know: a few names, where to park, how to get to the math and science wings, how to battle with the "SIU parents" who insist that there child should be placed in upper-level classes, and the tricky little route I have to take to drop Baleigh off at Giant City School.

Baleigh's first two days of school resulted in a few minor injuries. On the first day, she hit her head on some playground equipment in the morning and fell down the rock-climbing wall a couple hours later. On the second day, it was pouring down rain and she took one step inside the building and both feet flew up in the air as she landed on her tush! On both days, she had worn flip-flops to school. So, after picking her up on the second day and hearing about more injuries, I took her directly to Dick's to buy some tennis shoes. She's a happy camper now. She loves her teacher and she loves having P.E. everyday!

These are all of Bay's school supplies!

Here are Baleigh and Camryn at the Effingham County Fair riding the all-time classic Scrambler!

Baleigh and Maw-Maw went to the rodeo!
Bay's favorite fair treat - funnel cake!

We went to the Beach with our new Canadian neighbors! Here is Rachel and she's not sure what Baleigh is going to do with that turtle she found in the parking lot.

Here are Baleigh and Camryn on their

way to their annual trip to Holiday World

in Santa Claus, Indiana!

July...Waaaaaaiiit....don't leave me!

"Hey! I'm not done with summer yet!"

This is it, my final week of summer vacation. Normally I would have 2 weeks left, but I am a new employee whom must attend orientation next week - wah, wah, wah.

What to do on this final week???

1) Organize the disaster in the playroom

2) Take Baleigh to the beach

3) Find and organize all of my work clothes and shoes

4) Find our tennis rackets and play!

5) Take Baleigh (and whoever else will join us) on a road trip to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri. I know it sounds exciting, right? lol! I'm thinking Owensboro, Clarksville, and Cape Girardeau. This may have to wait until a 3-day weekend. I'd like to hit a festival week or something.

6) Go canoeing in Missouri with the K5 plus Krista.

So, obviously we can't get to all of this, but it's good to have a list! Baleigh has been soooo bored. Luckily, VBS started last night.

And now, drum roll please.......... I am joining Megan's video club! Check out just how bored Bay is. She drew Spongebob and his pineapple hut, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs and she used her Hannah Montana Kleenex box to put on a show. She did the filming too!

I know most of you don't watch Nickelodeon, but there is a Kraft Macaroni & Cheese commercial starring singer Jordan Pruitt. This commercial was filmed at The Rosebud Theatre in Effingham. Baleigh is in the commercial! She is in the front row holding her hand out. It's dark, so you just have to believe me - that is exactly where Baleigh was standing and I can pick her hand out of the 5 hands that they show. Pretty cool! We are going to try to record it so hopefully I will have it for you on the next post.

Also cool is the fact that I got my first recycling bin!! Carbondale has curbside pick-up of glass, aluminum, plastic, and paper for a measly $1.50 a month. I am so pumped!

Trying to curb Bay's boredom, I bought a fine easel, paints, palettes, and brushes.

Jamming to Miley Cyrus, Bay creates a scene from the underground railroad -I don't know, it just popped into her head.

Sadie is still taking Prednizone, which has drastically increased her appetite. I don't know if you can tell that she is getting tubby. She likes to lay her head on her lamby and nap - all day. She seems to snore and snort more now that she is Puppa Tub.

Week O' Fun, Sweat, and Tears

The Week O' Fun began with Dan's 25th-year class reunion. We spent the weekend with our good friends Ted & Jenny and various other EHS class of '83 chums.

Here are Ted and Jenny at the KC Hall, where we started on Friday night. We were at an 80th birthday party for the Dad of one of the classmates. It was a pretty rockin' fun 80th - well at least one table was havin' fun :)

Sunday morning Dan and I took Jensin and Kaid to Niemerg's for breakfast and then Baleigh and I headed for Kendallville. We arrived at the Pillers' ranch just in time for the DELICIOUS Sunday night supper. People would pay good money for that meal! Fine cuisine I'll tell ya. It's worth the trip up there just to eat off of the Pillers' dinner menu.

Monday began the two-day American Girl camp at theWayne Center One-Room Schoolhouse. Baleigh had so much fun! Here is a picture from the back of the schoolhouse. The school marm (LouAnne) was conducting Show & Tell and I caught Baleigh peaking back at me.

Here the American Girls are learning various napkin folding techniques before their tea party luncheon.

Tuesday after camp, Baleigh and I went shopping in Fort Wayne while LouAnne went to her exciting literature class. We bought every Hannah Montana school supply available :) I guess it's better than some of the other crazy stuff I saw on the shelf.

And on Wednesday, we travelled to Indianapolis to the Stevenson's to enjoy, as most of you have already heard, the sweltering Indianapolis Zoo. Although it was hot, it was great for all of us to be together. There are a lot of miles in between us and it has been difficult to get together, so I choose to only have fond memories of the day :) Here is a pic that maybe you haven't seen yet. The cutest toddler in the world kept saying, "I see walrus". That Landon is one smart cookie and as you can see on Megan's latest video, the tyke knows his aminals!

Thursday night, Baleigh and I travelled to Greenup to get some of the fastest growing trees in the world from John. I would have taken a picture but our camera pooped out on us. We visited with John, Rhonda, Krista and Nikki for awhile and then headed to Ma Ma's to crash for the night. Finally, I headed back to Carbondale to see how Dan and Puppa Sadie made it without me for a week. The weekend flew by. Dan and I started a new landscaping project in the back yard in the extreme heat and humidity. Who needs to work out when you're landscaping in 98 degrees?? There is no better way to sweat out those impurities than working in the southern Illinois humidity. Wooooo Doggies!

On Sunday afternoon, Kaid and Baleigh rode the Amtrak down and we began Kaid's birthday celebration. We ate at Moe's Southwest Grill, had his favorite DQ ice cream cake, and played cards until bedtime. Monday night we grilled out and watched a movie. Today, Kaid's actual birthday, he had to take the algebra proficiency exam so he can get into geometry as a freshman at CCHS. After the 1 1/2-hour test, we had lunch, played tetherball (more on that later), and then Kaid just now got on the Amtrak to go back to the Ham.

Here we are at Moe's. Baleigh is decked out in her new SIU Saluki gear while her doll, Kit is wearing her new Hannah Montana outfit. Yes, it's true.

Kaid gave me permission to post the "thumbs-up to finally turning 14" picture!

I am off to call all of the football players' Mom's to see if we can get the "Football Mom's" program going down here. I cannot believe how close we are to the first kick-off under the helm of "Coack K".

Southern Illinois Football, Birthdays, and Artwork

These guys went 4-1, winning the Silver Bracket Championship at the SIU 7 on 7 Passing Tournament (18 player maximum) last Saturday. We lost the first game - seemed a little nervous and unsure - and then won 4 in a row. We defeated EFFINGHAM in the 3rd game of the day. Kaid and I were very nervous about that one! The Terrier players and coaches had a really fun day. Apparently it was the first time that they have ever won a game in this tournament!

Jensin - proudly displaying her special birthday crown, created by Miss Baleigh of course.

Krista, Roger, Carissa and Sister J

Some of Bay's SIU Craft Shop artwork. She had the best SIU bear painting - fo' sho'!

Bay's hand - first put in wax, then pulled off of her hand, then filled with porcelain and the wax was peeled off. Pretty cool!

The Art Camp kids made the Museum News. They are supposed to be posted on the SIU website but I haven't seen it yet. I will send the link when the pics are posted.

Baleigh made MaMa this fabulous birthday cookie. She made a rough draft of the decoration on paper, just like she learned from Aunt Lou. Baleigh and I are travelling to Effingham today to celebrate MaMa-The-Great's Birthday!!

Enjoy the 4th Everyone! Be careful Rob Pillers! :)

It's 6:30 am on Friday, June 27th - record-breaking morning - $142/barrel of oil. People are talking about riding horses to work on Fox News. Something's gotta give people, something's gotta give. On a lighter note, today I will be preparing to host Jensin's 17th birthday party, which is tomorrow. Attendees include the Koester 5, cousin Krista, friend Carissa, and boyfriend Roger. By request, we will have hamburgers, hotdogs, green bean casserole, and a DQ ice cream cake - crack me up. I think I will supplement the meal with some corn on the cob and a fruit salad. Also requested are activities such as washers, Foosball, Apples to Apples, Kemps (card game) and a water balloon toss and fight (requested by Baleigh, unknown to the teenagers). I will ask permission to post action photos of the party.


We have many critters who visit us in the Bradford Pear Estates. Our first critter was none other than a groundhog affectionately named Bradford Pear Pierre. Much like LouAnne's experience, I fed him a banana and the next day there were 5! We have even seen them in our FRONT yard. Below is Pierre. I'll have to catch the 5 later.



Another visitor, Snappy the Snapper gave Baleigh a new turtle experience. She felt sorry for it because it looked very dry and he was obviously trying to get back to water as he was headed for the creek in our back yard. So Baleigh brought out a pitcher of water and poured it on him and he jumped at her and hissed. We had warned her to keep her distance of course and now she knows why.


I haven't yet been able to capture the deer in our yard and I am too scared to photograph the black widow spider under our TV hookup thingy in the front yard. I saw the red hour glass on her little abdomen and bolted. Next, I told Baleigh to get her shoes on and never roll around in the grass. Now I know why the neighbor girl always has tennis shoes on and not flip flops. Other critters that I hope to never be able to photograph but that we have been warned about include rattlesnakes, copperheads, and bobcats -oh my!

This is a view from our back yard and of the place where the deer come from.


Baleigh has been a busy bee, attending soccer camp, basketball camp, ceramics, art camp, and softball "open field"(hitting drills on Tuesdays and Thursdays). There is a place called The Craft Shop in the basement of SIU's Student Center where they offer kids activities all summer long. Baleigh has really enjoyed going there. I will post pictures of her work when I found the camera cord.