Category: General News

Due to the usual obsessive nature of my blogging, I sometimes wonder if things actually happen if I didn’t write and post photos about them.  Would Christmas really have been Christmas if there was no post on dotzourfamily.com?  Did we ever all really go to Jack’s house on a warm weekend in July/August?  Or was that just a figment?  Some passing fancy?  Well, if you were feeling like maybe your memories were faulty, worry no longer!  There was indeed a trip to Jack’s house this summer, and I’ve got the blog post to prove it!  The full album of pics is available in the gallery.

Here’s our group (except for me) ready for our float down the river.  From left to right, we have Terry, Jack, Josh (kneeling, Betsy, Kyle, Melanie, Michael (sitting), Lisa, Tom (kneeling), Joe, Andrew, Sylvia, and Bryan.

The Wisconsin River was so high this summer that it had gone well over its banks in many places.  The photos below Bryan took of the kids swimming in what is normally a small grassy field next to the river.  The slightly submerged vegetation is at the edge of the banks, and usually the river is 2-3 feet below the banks.  This year, the grassy spot became a good splashing/swimming hole for the kids!

We enjoyed our dinners out on the patio.  The bugs were out, but they weren’t terribly hungry.  What pretty sunset light.

Here’s Jack’s home as seen from the street at night.  I just love knowing that the warm light coming from those windows is illuminating my family as we all enjoy a slow summer evening together.

Now a few people pictures.  Here are the kids being themselves.  Sylvie in our suitcase with paci.

And here’s Andrew following in his mother and uncles’ & aunt’s footsteps, swinging himself around the pole.

Kyle is doing the dishes.  We were so glad that he made the trip down even though Maretta wasn’t able to come because of her (awesome) play.

Here’s Sylvie acting a little cooky.

Andrew explores the world of reading books on Uncle Bubba’s iPad.

Jack’s prairie is stunning.  Really amazing.  It’s come so far in the last 5 years!  Here’s a few images I took while swatting mosquitoes.

Jack’s parents both passed away in the last couple years, and a group of friends commissioned this bench for his land.  It’s a really beautiful piece…and so fitting.  There are also a variety of saplings planted in their memory.

Here’s the view from the bench.  We’re looking down toward the Wisconsin River and the bluffs on the other side.

The river at sunset.

Melanie and Sylvia on the front steps of Jack’s home.  It was so fun to have Melanie come out to Jack’s with us this year!  Out trips to Jack’s are such a happily anticipated aspect of my family’s history.  It was great to share it with her:)

Pretty balloon flowers.

Dad came out to join us on Saturday.

Flowers and a view of the river beyond.

Our nightly traditions include Trivial Pursuit and (new in the last five years) poker.

Jack took us in the pack of his pick-up for a tour of the prairie on Saturday night.

Here Dad is enjoying Jack’s beautiful property.

Andrew and Sylvie loved getting to ride in the back of the pick-up truck.  EXCITING!

My sisters!

Sunset between big bluestem and yellow coneflowers.  Ahhh, summer!

Back in August, I biked the kids to the downtown Farmer’s market.  Here’s Sylvia embracing life (and the impatiens):

It all went great until my girl didn’t want to put on her seatbelt for the bike back home.  Thus began a half-hour tantrum.  Here I am photographing the start of it.  Somehow, she calmed down and was convinced to ride nicely.  Patience paid off!

Bryan’s parents came to town for a quick visit on their way to the PGA tour in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  We really enjoyed seeing them.  Here Sylvia is sitting on Grandad’s lap at Red Robin.

We had a lot of big storms this summer.  Here we’re driving with Terry and his cousin’s daughter, Brittany, in Columbia County just northwest of Madison.  The storm clouds were just amazing.  And we drove through some major downpours.  The kids loved driving through the flash floods that filled the roads!

Another morning at the farmer’s market.  Sylvia has worn a swimming suit about 85% of the time this summer.  Here she is (again) sporting the Kitty Cat suit, backwards.

We stopped to run around and to sample our purchases.  Andrew’s cheeks are filled with delicious sungold tomatoes.

Sylvia is (finally!) wearing the adorable dress that Granny made for her!

Such a cute kid she is!

Ahh summer…you’re fading into a warm, happy, active, delicious memory.  I’m so glad to have been home with the kids to enjoy it so thoroughly!

After his 9-day visit to Texas, Andrew returned home late on a Thursday night.  Here’s my boy running happily toward me at the airport.  What a happy feeling to see him again!

Here’s Andrew and Aunt Mel at the airport.  We were really excited to have Melanie able to visit us for a long weekend!

The next morning, Andrew was soooo happy to see Sylvia.  And Sylvia was so happy to see Andrew.  Here’s a photo (snapped off my phone) of their happy reunion.

And a couple other random images.  Here’s Sylvie.  A little girl with a a little curl right in the middle of her forehead.

We moved their car seats to the back of the minivan.  So exciting!  They can touch each other while driving!

Andrew and Melanie flew in on Thursday night (Sylvia and I got back from St. Paul earlier that day), and on Friday morning, we packed up and drove out to Jack’s house for our semi-annual pilgrimage.  This time, we were excited to bring Melanie!

Big news here at DotzourFamily.com today.  Since I started this blog in May of 2005, I have shared the highs and lows of our family’s life.  And here, today, I am posting the 1,000th post.  That’s a big number!  If I had advertisers/if this blog brought in any money, this would be the time to give away fabulous prizes.  But I have no income, and there are no fabulous prizes.  Hooray!

So instead, I’ll thank you for commenting.  In addition to the 1,000 posts, my dashboard tells me that I have received over 1,500 comments.  And each one of those comments makes me happy.

Being a parent, I have often felt adrift at what to do next <or> amazed and wanting to share my miraculous kids.  While Mom was struggling and not struggling and then struggling with cancer, this blog was a great tool for sharing and connecting and feeling supported.

I wonder what 1,000 will grow to?  Stay tuned.

While Andrew was in Texas, Michael and Lisa bravely took Sylvia for the weekend while Bryan and I drove up to the Upper Peninsula for a wedding.  One of Bryan’s past co-workers and good friend was getting married at a beautiful site on Lake Michigan.  I’m so glad we were able to get away to attend!

Here’s me and my handsome sweetie before the wedding.

I neglected to bring my camera (“How did this happen!?” you ask?  “How could you let this happen????”). So the only pictures I got are taken with my phone.  And for some reason, I took no (zip, zero, zilch) of the bride and groom.  I think Bryan was enjoying being with me at a wedding where I wasn’t zipping away every few moments to get a few more pictures:)

So here, compliments of my phone, is Bryan at the beach at sunset.

And here are the bride’s shoes.  She made her dress herself.  The wedding was held on the beach, and the clouds sprinkled rain down on the personalized umbrellas off and on.  Family members made lovely toasts and one friend recited pi as far as he could.  A young boy said that when he heard that Adam was a scientist, he thought that he must be a mad scientist.  It was great!

Cupcakes were so lovely and were made by a friend of the bride’s.

Here’s the bride’s pretty wildflower bouquet.

Such a beautiful sunset!  Such bring and brilliant stars!

The bride and groom met at the Burning Man festival.  And because they are quirky, independent thinkers, they decided to create a bride and groom (modeled on themselves) whom they burned in effigy at the end of the reception.

There they go…up in smoke and lots and lots of fireworks.  What a great party!  And how fun to get away for a couple days with my husband!  Thanks to Michael and Lisa for taking the kiddo!

Oh my dear friends, so many things have happened, so many photos have been taken.  July.  July?  I don’t honestly actually remember July.  Let’s look back at the photos (mostly taken on my phone) to see what we did that long summer month.  Let’s see, my last post was on July 9.  The next day I started exercising.  And my blog writing ceased.

We took the kids to the Dane County Fair.  It’s always so fun to see all the animals and get a cream puff.  Sylvia loved feeding the goats.

And for a special treat this year, the kids got to do a pony ride!  Here’s Andrew (with his face all self-painted) looking at his pony with some skepticism.

Sylvia was really excited (and a little worried).  She wanted me to stand right next to her.  But as soon as her pony (Blue) started to walk, she tipped back her head and laughed with delight.  I have not-so-secret hopes that my girl will come to love horses so we can ride together:)

Here the kids are eating a cream puff. Or rather using their fingers to scrape all the cream off the puff.  It’s nice that one cream puff can feed a family of four!

Here are my fierce and adorable children.

Andrew asked me for several weeks to give him a short haircut like his daddy.  So finally I gave in and agreed to lop off some of his beautiful curls.

Here’s the curly carnage.  Fortunately his hair is cute short or long (so says his mom), and it grows back!

Here’s a note Andrew gave me asking (I guess it’s pretty self-explanatory) to have a sleep-over with Alivia.

In late July, Andrew headed to Texas for a nine-day visit.  Granny flew up for a quick visit, and then she flew back home with her very-excited grandson.

I don’t think it is possible for Andrew to be more happy and content than he is when he gets to spend time with his relatives.  He absolutely relishes his visits to Texas, and I think I talked to him once or twice the whole time he was gone.  From all reports, it was a great vacation.  For me too!  One kid is much easier than two!

A shy voice in the ether.

“hello?…”

Friends?  Family?  Curious acquaintances?

I’ve left you for oh, so long.  My last post was a month and a half ago.  And you know the weirdest part (for me)?  I haven’t even spent much time thinking about this electronic journal into which I have poured so much of myself these past five years.  Truth be told, I haven’t spent much time thinking at all.  Instead, I’ve been enjoying the summer and – drumroll please – I’ve been working out.  Apparently my brain and body and soul have room for one or two obsessions (this blog being one of them) but not three or four.  So I’ve put all my energy into getting up at 5am to go to my boot camp work out and then dragging my sorry body through the rest of the day…writing down everything I eat…before I collapse at 8:52pm.  I’ve had fun with some photo sessions these last weeks, and our family has spent lots of time outdoors (much of which was spent donating blood to the local mosquito mafia that have taken over Madison this summer).   But I haven’t even been composing blog posts in my mind much less typing them out.

I just logged on to my blog and had to update the software, and I almost forgot my password.  Crazy crazy.

I’ve got lots of things to share from our July and August, and we have exciting things on the horizon (Andrew’s first day of school is on Sept. 1!), but to start out, I thought I’d write to say hi and come on back.  Thanks for the emails and calls I’ve gotten from friends either concerned for my non-posting welfare or friends who’ve let me know that their days are better with a little dose of this blog.

Love ya all!

Peace,
Althea

Grace and Tim…thank you for a wonderful visit!  We spent a lot of time just hanging out.  The boys played street  hockey…much to Bryan’s delight…  We went to Sylvia’s first play: If You Give a Pig a Pancake. We walked to Great Falls in Maryland.  We spent a lovely evening at Heather and Michael and Evelyn’s house and got to see their new home and the place Joe will be staying for the next couple months.  We watched the fireworks on television.  And we read and cooked and ate and played.

Here are some photos of our visit.  I only wish I’d ventured outside to take some photos of the boys as they exuberantly played street hockey.  What fun!