Weekend Getaway

Lee and I have not had a getaway alone since August 2009. At that time, I was very pregnant, and we went to French Lick for our 5-year anniversary. But due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, we both had a 3-day weekend, and my sister was watching Amelia. So, we headed into hiding for a few days.

Our trip took us to Springfield, IL - maybe not the most romantic place on earth, but certainly one filled with history, an interest for both of us. Lee takes interest in the Civil War and used to reenact when he was younger. He is also very interested in Abraham Lincoln. As a surprise for Christmas, I planned this getaway weekend to Springfield! We had a wonderful time. It was a much needed vacation for us, and we had an amazing time touring the sites.

On Saturday, we visited the Lincoln Tomb, which was intimate and amazingly beautiful. We then headed to the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, where he was once a lawyer. Lastly, we toured the presidential museum. Saturday night we had "date night" and headed to an 1850s mansion that is now a seafood restaurant. Not only was the food good, but the ambiance was fantastic. We took dessert back to the hotel - Red Velvet Cheesecake - yum! On Sunday, we toured the Lincoln home, which is the only home he ever owned. Such an amazing piece of history. We also toured the Dana-Thomas house, which was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

All in all, the trip just what we needed, but it also allowed us to see such an important part of history - Abe Lincoln's history. I grew up near Lincoln City, Indiana, where Abe grew up and lost both his mother and his sister. He truly was an amazing man who came from nothing and proved that dreams can come true by becoming President. I recommend the trip to anyone who loves history! It truly is a must-see.

Holidays 2011

So I haven’t kept up on my blog as much as I wished the last few months – 3 months to be exact, since I last posted. I guess that means I’ve been busy :-).

The holidays were wonderful for the Lawmasters. This year we hosted the Lee family Thanksgiving. With a table full of family, it was a great celebration to show how much we have been thankful for this year. And, as usual, we celebrated with Lee’s family at Basswood, which is our Thanksgiving tradition. We never know who will be in attendance, but it is always so good to see family we haven’t seen since last year or even longer!

Our Christmas was fantastic! I think it might have been the best Christmas we have had so far. Christmas Eve was spent with the Lee family, as usual. We had a great time – shared laughs, presents, and good food! We hosted Lee’s family for Christmas Day – his mom, grandma, dad, uncle, and aunt! It was great to have all of the family together. Santa brought Taylor and Amelia lots of gifts, but the presents from me and Lee were the best. Taylor received an autographed Taylor Swift songbook framed with her concert ticket from the July concert, and Amelia received a play kitchen! But before we knew it, Christmas had passed, the tree came down, and life moved on.

Time seems to pass so much quicker now than it used to. I suppose when you are a kid, a year is a huge percentage of your life. If you are 5, 20% of your life is 1 year. So time seems to stand still. But when you get older, a year is such a small part of your life – 1/32 of your life in my case. But I think since having Amelia, the time has flown even quicker. Milestones come and go, memories fade, and she grows up. But we do our best to document all that we can with our blogs, pictures, and video. One day I’ll be an old woman saying, “It all goes by too quick.” I’m working on trying to enjoy the moments as they happen. Wish me luck!

4 Months Flew By

I can't believe it has been 4 months since my last blog post. My goal is to write at least once a month, but life has gotten crazy, and time flies by quicker than I can keep up.

After the death of Oreo, our lives still feel as though there is a hole in our family unit. We have not gotten a second kitty as of yet. In time, I'm sure that will change, but for now, we are still healing.

Now to catch you up.......

Over July 4th weekend, Lee, Taylor, and I went to Holiday World for a much needed fun time. It was great! Holiday World is such a family friendly place with so much to do. We spent the morning in the water park and the afternoon was spent in the dry park. We had a great time on the water coaster, water slides, and lazy rivers (Taylor's favorite). And, we got Taylor to ride some rides she was initially scared of - the Liberty Launch, The Raven, and Frightful Falls. It was a great time away, and Amelia got to spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa Lee.

In late-July, Taylor and Lee went to the much-anticipated Taylor Swift concert. Taylor loves Taylor :-)! They made their own shirts, created a poster, and had great seats! It was a concert neither of them will soon forget, and I'm so glad they got to make Daddy/Daughter memories!

Over Labor Day, we went to visit my sister in Indianapolis for the weekend. While Saturday was a girls shopping day, Sunday was kids' day! We spent the afternoon at the Children's Museum. Taylor loved the exhibit on Anne Frank and Ryan White, and Amelia had a great time at Playscape. We all were exhausted by the end of the day, and Aunt Brenda and Uncle Doug got to spend some much needed time with their nieces.

In early October, we took some time to go to Freeman Family Farm here in Bloomington. Amelia got to meet some animals - cow, horses, donkey, goats, and pigs, and she enjoyed playing with the pumpkins. It is a great place here in town to spend some family fall time, and I hope to make it an annual tradition.

And, finally Amelia turned 2 years old 1 1/2 weeks ago. Honestly, where has the time gone? She had two parties - one for Lee's family and one for my family. I made her a turtle cake because she loves turtles! It amazes me how much she has changed in her 2 short years on this planet. She seems to learn new words every day, and just last night, we removed the gate from our stairs. It seems to have opened up a whole new world for her. She went up and down those stairs more times than I can count, even playing with Elmo on the landing.

I hope to keep up better on my blog from now on. It's hard to stop and write down the great memories we make, but for our family, I will do my best. Happy Fall to you all!

The Healing Begins

I can remember the day I got Oreo like it was yesterday. It was 2001. I was fresh out of college, had my first apartment, and had no intention of getting a new kitty. My Furby had just spent the last 2 years living with my parents because I couldn’t have him in my previous apartment. I had him back around a month before this fateful day.

My then-boyfriend and I went into PetSmart, and low and behold there were kitties. There are always kitties at PetSmart because many humane societies use it as a vehicle to display their cats. One black and white 10-month old cat had spunk and kept playing with Matt’s finger through the cage. He was a troublemaker but adorable!

We left PetSmart and began talking about getting this mischievous cat. As I said, that was never my intention. After talking about it and calling my sister to see if she could take him if it didn’t work out with Furby, we headed back to PetSmart. The humane society had already caged up their animals to take them back to the shelter. They refused to let us adopt him then, but they said we could follow them back to their location, and so we did.

“Roger” was known as “The Intimidator” at the humane society. He would go up to other cats’ cages and antagonize them. He was beautiful and loving and sweet, but he was certainly the troublemaker of the bunch. That made him that much more endearing. “Roger” got a new home that day, and he became “Oreo”. Not only was he black and white, but if you flipped him on his back, he had a white stripe of fur running down his belly – just like an Oreo cookie.

From then Oreo was a member of my family. Furby had issues with him at first, but they soon became the best of friends and brothers. For better or worse, through two moves, a marriage, a stepdaughter, a daughter, a female kitty, and a bunny, they have been “my boys” and the furry loves of my life.

Oreo was always so patient, loving, and kind. When Taylor was little she would dress him up in her Build-A-Bear clothes and put ponytails on his tail. He just laid there as though nothing was going on. He had a heart as big as the ocean and was truly the best kitty!

Last Saturday, Oreo’s fight with kidney failure came to an end. My heart broke into a million pieces as we had to put him down. We buried him under the dogwood tree in our front yard, and we plan to make that a “nice” area with a bench or swing and flowers. A picture of him is now in our house so he can watch over us, and we can have his presence in our lives.

I miss you, buddy. You were a great kitty, and I will love you forever!

Pure Michigan

Amidst all of the drama of bad weather, we had a family vacation planned for Memorial Day weekend. We debated whether we should go several times, especially since our power was still out. Ultimately, Lee left the decision up to me, and I decided we should go. It would be our only chance this summer to get away + we needed to get away.

Our vacation was planned for St. Joseph, Michigan – a quaint little resort town on Lake Michigan. Its twin city is Benton Harbor, which I had heard of several times before but soon learned has lost its luster and small town appeal. We left Bloomington Friday night and stayed about ½ way in Lafayette; then we reached our final destination Saturday morning.

When we arrived, we explored the bluff area overlooking the lake, which also housed some historic markers and items. Amelia needed a nap, so we checked into the hotel, and once she was done we headed back to the bluff area. This time we ate what is possibly the best pizza I had ever eaten at a local pizza place in the St. Joseph Amtrak station. The station is made up to look vintage and was very cool. Then we headed to the Silver Beach Carousel. Silver Beach Amusement Park sat in a nearby location from 1891 to 1971. The amusement park left, but last year, St. Joseph wanted to recreate that magic, so they installed a beautiful indoor carousel. The girls had a lot of fun!

On Sunday we explored downtown St. Joseph. Along the streets are 40+ concrete painted animals that each tell their own story. Taylor’s favorite was the Cash Cow that sat in front of the bank and had dollar bills glued all over it. After another nap for Miss Amelia, we took the girls to the Curious Kids Discovery Museum and Discovery Zone. Amelia loved the water tables! Then it was back to the hotel for a night in the pool.

On Monday we visited the beach at St. Joseph, which was amazing. The sand was so soft, and the girls had fun scaring the seagulls, getting their feet wet, and playing around. On our way back to Bloomington, we stopped at Fair Oaks Farms. It is a dairy farm in northern Indiana that families can visit. We went on a bus ride tour of their farm – straight through a barn - , got to see two calves being born, and watched a very interesting rotating milk station. Amelia liked the “moo cows”, and I think us and Taylor all learned something we didn’t know.

All in all, it was a nice family trip, and I’m glad we decided to go. Even if we don’t go on a large or expensive trip, I will always cherish the memories we make. Happy Summer to you all!

Tornado May 2011

I have talked on my blog before about phenomenon caused by Mother Nature that have touched our lives – Ice Storm 2007, the small earthquake in 2008, Hurricane Ike’s strong winds in 2008, Snow Storm 2009, Icepocalyse 2011 – but nothing quite prepared us for May 25, 2011. On that night, our neighborhood was hit with an EF1 tornado, and the aftermath of that night will remain with us for years.

Southwest Indiana was in the “high” risk for severe weather that day. “High” risk days only come a few times a year across the entire U.S., if that. Indiana is rarely included, so I knew we could be in for a rough day. During the late-afternoon/early-evening hours several storms popped up with tornado warnings. Bedford was hit with a tornado, but all calmed down in Bloomington by mid-evening. Then, upon closer look at the radar, bad news was coming. A HUGE squall line of thunderstorms was heading into Indiana from Illinois, and there were tornado warnings up and down the entire state.

Just after 10:00 p.m. Bloomington received a tornado warning, and the winds started to pick up. Our power flickered off and on, and I turned to Lee and told him I was heading downstairs. The light in our garage was on, so I opened the door and immediately felt suctioning. We lost power for good, and Lee looked outside and saw our trees twirling in the wind. He grabbed Amelia from her slumber and joined me in our utility room in the basement. The duct work was shaking. The lightning coming in our front door was changing colors, and in less than 30 seconds, the wind subsided. We waited for the rain to calm a bit before heading upstairs. It was the first time since we bought our house that we used our “tornado” room. The above picture is the last image on my computer before our power went out and the tornado hit.

When we got back upstairs, we put Amelia back to bed and surveyed our backyard. A large part of our one tree had fallen on our neighbor’s fence and snapped our cable line. We called our neighbor and met him outside to survey the damage. Then Lee noticed a large number of trees down on our property line, including our beloved apple tree. Our neighbor mentioned the trailer park at the entrance to our subdivision. Oh my God – the trailer park! Lee took off towards it, and what he saw has haunted him since. Firemen, flashing lights, overturned trailers, bad news!

We were trapped on our street for several hours due to downed power lines, downed trees, a gas leak at the trailer park, etc. When daylight broke the real damage could be seen and news of a confirmed tornado came. Luckily no one died! Many, many trees came down – many homes were damaged – the trailer park is uninhabitable – power lines were down – power poles snapped – trees uprooted – etc. Our street was lined with news vans, and news helicopters flew overhead.

In the days following, we kept busy with tree cleanup and preparing for our vacation that was already planned. We went to IU and Steak N’ Shake to get internet access and updates. Our power did not come back on for 3 days, mainly because so many power poles and power lines needed to be repaired. We lost much of the food in our fridge and freezer, but we had our lives! On June 10, the Worthington Amish Youth Group came to our house and cut up the 6 downed trees along our property line. What a blessing!

All in all, we were lucky. 2011 has been a record year for tornadoes, strong tornadoes, and tornado deaths. And in the end, our property damage was less than most people’s. But as I said, we all lived to tell our tale, and that is the biggest blessing of all.

A Month of Friends and Family

Although this post is a bit late, a lot happened in April that I wanted to share and document. The girls from high school and I spent the day in French Lick enjoying the good food, good wine, and good weather :-). They continued to party late in the night back in the DC while I came home to my hubby and little girl in Bloomington. We are really working hard to see each other semi-regularly (every few months). While the distance between us is not far, it is nice to set aside girl time away from "real life". Good seeing you all again!!

Unfortunately, April wasn't all fun and games. My only living grandparent, my grandmother, passed away shortly before Easter. She lived a long 96 years and survived breast cancer in the 1940s, when nearly no one survived. She and my grandfather leave a legacy of 6 children, 21 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren. Imagine how many lives would be non-existent if they had not decided to marry back in the 1930s! It was also nice to see members of my extended family that I only seem to see when these types of events occur. It was great to reconnect with those I haven't seen in years or possibly decades!

Amelia enjoyed her first Easter egg hunt this year. The weather did not cooperate so the Easter bunny left his eggs in grandma's basement. We had a hard time convincing her that more than one egg can go in her bucket (AKA basket). She had a great time, and I think she let us adults refind the kids in us.

My sisters and I rang out April with IU's Straight No Chaser's 15th anniversary concert! It was a fun concert and a nice girls night out with my big sisters :-). The Atlantic recording group Straight No Chaser also performed as they are the original members of the IU group. We all soon made plans to see them in concert this December!

April was a wild month filled with friends and family. But also a month filled with devastating weather across the eastern U.S. Tornadoes hit the south in record numbers. Flooding has not only hit the Mississippi River hard, but also the smaller rivers and lakes here in Indiana. Let's all be thankful for what we have in life and what we take for granted - our health, our family, and our friends.