Rebro Family

Cedarburg Triathlon

2011-07-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am officially a triathlete!! Saturday July 23rd I finished my first triathlon in 1:34:21. Not too shabby for a first timer!! The 3rd place winner in my heat finished in about 1:29 something (just about 5 min ahead of me), so I had a pretty average time (there were about 12 people per heat). All I know is that not only did I finish, but I didn't finish last! After swimming and biking I was worried that my legs would be jello and not want to run, or I'd collapse on the side of the road & need Joe to start an IV to give me fluids, but somehow I kept going!! It was a proud moment during the awards ceremony to be recognized as one of the three cancer survivors to finish the race!

Florida Vacation

2011-07-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

In June we flew to Florida for a much needed family vacation. The perks of going to Florida are that we get to see my parents, grandparents, and my sudo parents papa Joe & MamaLu. The weather was so wonderful so we of course spent most of our time in the pool. Cody was loving that Papa let him drive the golf cart and every evening we all sat outside with some of my parents friends and played the card game "golf."Cody loves that game!
Delaney made herself right at home and her and Buddy had a great time playing together. She enjoyed floating around the pool in her little bumble bee floatie. Papa made us some beer can chicken, we walked over to the shell factory for some fun, Cody, Joe, & Papa went to the golf range and we all went out to eat a couple of times with friends & family. We were able to see Auntie Debbie at the end of her trip there before she headed back to WI. We had a great visit with my Grandma and Grandpa Courtney and they got to meet Delaney for the first time and it was precious. Grandpa still has a "healthy" appetite and Grandma was as spunky as ever. I cherish the visit and made sure to take pictures of all the generations that were there together.

Father's Day, 2011

2011-07-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

Joey,
Every morning I wake up and see the mot handsome many lying next to me. You are the one that I cherish and love, my heaven sent blessing. I love you faithfully and promise to do everything that I can for you. I am grateful for the two children we have, you are a wonderful husband and father.
Happy Father’s Day!
Love you!!

Dad,
You may have thought I didn't see, or that I wasn’t listening to the life lessons that you taught me, but I got every word. Without you Dad, I wouldn’t be the woman that I am today. You built a strong foundation; I’ve grown up with your values and am glad I did. Here’s to you Dad!!
Love your forever grateful kid!!
Opa & Grandpa C,
You brighten up my life with memories. You are someone I can count on any time I have needed a helping hand. I am very thankful to have Grandpa’s like you, there is no one else who could ever fill your shoes.

My Godfather (Uncle Bill), my second Dad Papa Joe Z., and all of you Dad’s, Happy Fathers Day!!
Love to all!!

Delaney's 1st Birthday

2011-06-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yeah...Delaney had her first birthday, and what fun we had celebrating with family and friends!! There was a pinata for the older kids, funny thing was Uncle John hovering over the area to get himself a little treat too!! Delaney was not into eating her cake at all. She had more fun smooshing her hands into it and then tossing it on the ground, oh well...she still made a good mess of herself. It was really cute to see the older girls and Delaney together, each of them had to pick her up and carry her around & Delaney was loving the attention! The other highlight for Delaney was the balloons, she loved them! She got a ton of clothes which she desperately needed, and some really fun toys too! The weather was great and it was a lot of fun, needless to say, she slept great that night & mom and dad did too!

Cody's 15th Birthday

2011-06-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

My little man turned 15 on May 23rd. Having Delaney around really reminds me of when Cody was her age, but is also a huge reality check in that the years go by so fast and they grow up so quick. He finished up with lacrosse for the season. He is finishing up with exams this week and then will officially be a sophmore! I feel like I was just sitting at his 8th grade graduation....geez! He finished up the year strong and all he keeps talking about it drivers ed!He is really looking forward to summer and is always on the go with his buddies.

It is strange, as he gets older he doesn't want us to really do anything for his birthday, but we still made him his favorite dinner and got him his favorite snickers ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Uncle Tony, Aunt Genell, and the kids came over to wish him a happy birthday too! It was a year of many changes for him, and we are very proud of him!

Mothers Day 2011

2011-05-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

Mom,

The way I feel I cannot explain, the gratitude I have for all the days and nights you spent right by my side. I love you for all the hugs & kisses, always putting me to bed, loving me through the hurt & holding on to me so tight. I love you for never letting go of the hope you hold for my life and for always keeping me close to your heart. Believe it or not, I love you for yelling at me when I was out of place, for telling me the truth, forgiving me for the things I’ve said and done that hurt.
When the whole world is against me, I can turn to you and you are always there with open arms, ready to catch me when I fall, ready to wipe my tears away, and ready to cheer me up. You understand me more than anyone else (well…most of the time anyway). You are simple, yet wise and I love you for the fact that you love me. You have always showed your love through everything you do. Love is not about money, but feelings and you have showed me that.

You are my hero Mom, through the good and bad days of our lives. You are strong and showed me how to be a survivor, to have great vision and hope. I am so grateful for the friendship that has blossomed between us as I grow older. Having you for a mother makes me want to be a better person.

Love you Mom, Happy Mother’s Day!
Neasy

Grandma,

I was thinking of you today and a smile tickled my face. Your love knows no bounds; a room takes special warmth whenever you’re around. Every day with you is precious and I’m so grateful for the time. I remember the goodness you instilled in me though it doesn’t always show, but you should know that you played a very special part in my life. Your smile can light up a room and your presence is of grace. Your touch is gentle, your heart is as big as the moon, and your spirit is kindhearted. You made baby clothes and quilts for all of my babies and taught me to always work hard-no ifs, ands, or buts’. Of all the grandparents in the world, I am ever so thankful that you’re mine, and most of all I love you. A love that always stays.. stays inside my memory and is often on my mind because a woman like you Grandma is so rare and hard to find.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Love,
Denyse

In loving memory of Grandma Rieck, thinking of you today and always.

Nov through April pics

2011-05-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

pics

2011-05-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

more pics

2011-05-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

even more pics

2011-05-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

and more

2011-05-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

more and more pics

2011-05-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

even more and more pics

2011-04-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

6 months in review

2011-04-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, tomorrow is May 1st already and I cannot believe that it has been about 6 months since we've said hello and let anyone know what we've been up to. Since there is so much to talk about, I think I am just going to highlight some things to catch everyone up to speed.

After our trip to Phoenix I went ahead and enrolled in Graduate school. My ceremony was so inspiring and got Joe & I talking about it. Right now with me being home with Delaney, it is a good time to do it. Why wait? I am already in my 4th of 12 classes that I need to take.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Tony (my brother & sis in law), Genell, & the kids and it was really nice, but unfortunately the weather was not good enough for us to go out and play our football game. It's probably good for them since this time I wasn't pregnant and would have been able to show them my awesome football skills!

Delaney's first Christmas was so much fun. We celebrated over a few days with the Rieck family, my brother & family, and my parents too. Us kids chipped in and bought my parents airline tickets so that we could all be together for the holidays. Unfortunately my Opa (Grandpa Rieck) went in to the hospital on Christmas day giving us all a scare. It took a little bit for him to recover, but he did and is doing well. I also wound up in the ER the day after Christmas because my gastritis started acting up getting so bad that my esophogus was spasming. I guess that it was good that I had to go in because they did a chest Xray and a few days later I received a phone call from my primary physician who asked me to come in for a follow up to my ER visit. Needless to say, they found a spot on my lung on that chest Xray that was taken. As of now my physician and oncologist are just going to monitor it. I will have to get another chest Xray done in June to see if there are any changes. Many times scar tissue can develop on the lung for one reason or another, so it is nothing to worry about (at least that's what they told us). That is unfortunately easier said than done after everything that has gone on with my health. I have also had some issues with my ovaries and I have those scanned every 6 months (and have been since my cancer diagnosis in 2004). It is difficult because every 6 months that I have the tests/screenings done we hold our breath until they say everything looks okay and to be back in 6 months. You just never know how long we can go until they come back and say that this time is "the time".It's not like we can just forget about it because by the time we wind down from a screening, the anxiety begins as the next one approaches, 6 months comes around quick for us. As much as Joe & I try not to think about any of it, or worry about it...it does sit in the back of our minds and it does weigh on us. We just take it all a day at a time and focus on us, our kids, and school.

New Years was uneventful, but the highlight of January was no doubt the Packers winning the Super Bowl!! I turned 38 in January and we kept it pretty low key. Delaney went to her first birthday party for her future hubby Hayden. Cody was deep into basketball season during this time as well. Joe celebrated his birthday in March along with my nephew Jason. I bought Joe a trip to Washington DC for his birthday present so that he could visit with his friend Tom and family. Joe very much misses them and so I knew that it would be really special for him to be able to go. It was a bummer that all of us couldn't go,but I know that it was a great trip and both Joe & Tom were really grateful for the gift. I even got beautiful flowers as a thank you from Tom & family for sending Joe their way. Just goes to show what an affect Joe has on people and what a great guy he is that someone would be so happy to see him that they would send me flowers for sending him. The Cooke family are great people whom we truly respect and are so grateful for their friendship. It was really hard to be apart from Joe since it was really the first time in almost 6 years, so when he got home we gave each other a big hug and neither one of us wanted to let go. I'm glad I could do that for him, but I am really happy to have him home!!

We've been doing a lot of praying for my Grandma Courtney this past month because she has not been feeling up to par. We have a trip planned to go and see my grandparents and parents in June and cannot wait to see them all along with good family friends that live there too. Easter was good for us, we all got into the spirit of things, even the doggies. Cody was not too thrilled to have to look for his easter basket, but we helped him out by telling him if he was "hot" or "cold". Watching him look for it brought back memories of having to search for my basket when I was in high school too. We went to a really nice brunch at the Fireridge in Grafton and we were able to spend some nice time with Opa, aunts, uncles, & cousins. Everyone looked happy and it was great to see them.

Delaney has been getting teeth since December. She is growing like a weed and is continually developing as babies do! We took swimming lessons together and she did awesome! She jumps in and goes under water. She's a good kicker too and loves to be in the water. She started walking at 9 1/2 months, she waves hello & goodbye, claps for herself, puts her arms in the air when we say "sooo big", gives kisses & hugs, she's eating all kinds of foods, still loves her "bubba" (bottle) and is not taking to a sippy cup quite yet. At the moment, she has 4 of her upper teeth coming in, already has 4 on the bottom and is also getting 2 more in on the bottom! She says Mamma, Dadda, and bubba but the rest is just screaming as she just loves to hear her own voice!! Her facial expressions are priceless, She is a very ticklish little girl and loves to do patty cake, the little piggies, and play peek a boo. Her favorite video is "Elmo's greatest hits",She loves music and likes to dance with me when there is music on. She just started dancing by herself this week, doing the oh so cute baby bounce. She is quite the menace to the dogs but has a blast rolling on the floor with them. She pets them and gives them hugs & they like to give her kisses too. It's just crazy to us that she's going to be 1 soon.

Cody is now done with basketball and has started lacrosse. He has really improved since last year and truly enjoys playing the game. He is another one who is growing like a weed. Geez...he has "man" legs now, he is shaving on a regular basis, is taller than both me and Joe, and we've been buying him shoes like crazy because his monster feet won't stop growing. Pretty soon I'll need to get a job just to afford feeding him. He's really putting on muscle and is growing into more of an adult body. He works out at the weight room at school and goes to the YMCA too. He'll be 15this month and we are looking into him taking drivers ed. He also will be starting training soon for his first job at an athletic center, he just has to work out the schedule because lacrosse is Monday through Thursday and then games on various different days. His grades are good, behavior good, and is so awesome with Delaney. It is such a neat thing to see them together because you can see how much they both love each other. They may have an age gap, but they will have a great relationship!

I have gotten into a really good routine getting up at 4:30am to get to the YMCA by 5am so I can work out, be home and shower before Delaney & Joe even wake up. The Y is doing a "Summer Shape Up" program and I started a team for some friendly competition with other Y members. It's been a good thing because it has gotten Joe back in the gym, Cody goes when he doesn't have to do lacrosse, and my cousin has been working really hard too. I am glad that I did it because it seems to be that motivation that they needed to help them jump start back into a healthy life. We are really looking forward to spring and cannot wait to start going to our camper in Plymouth. Hopefully I will find more time to update this so that so much time doesn't pass us by without keeping in touch. I'm going to post a gazillion pictures from the last six months, enjoy them!

Love to all!!
Joe, Denyse, Cody, & Delaney

Phoenix, Arizona

2010-11-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

My parents and us had such a great time in Arizona!! It was the first time Papa has seen Delaney since she was born and my mom since her baptism in July. Papa wasted no time in giving Cody a hard time and introduced Delaney to the "Booga Booga" game. She took to them like she'd never been away from them at all. I'm sure you're wondering why there's a picture of Cody changing Delaney's diaper, but it was the first one so we had to get it on film! We all had so much fun and rather than go into details I will let these great pictures speak for themselves.

Denyse's Bachelors in science of psychology

2010-11-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

Nineteen years ago (1991) I graduated from high school. From there, not too much went according to plan in terms of education. I started a full time job at Kinko's that was supposed to get me through college, but 12 years later it ended up being more of a career. I left an emotionally and verbally abusive relationship of 8 years in which I have a beautiful son. I worked 60 plus hours and sold partylite candles to get by as a single mom. I proudly owned my first home on my own and Cody and I had Sunny (a yellow lab) and Harley (a chocolate lab). I soon realized that I was as high up on the corporate ladder as I could go with Kinko's and had to take a long hard look at our future and my career. I knew that going back to college was a must, but I didn't know what I really wanted to do. I knew that I liked to help people and was looking for stability and so I decided that nursing would be good because at the time there was such a huge need. I went to night school and received my Certified Nursing Assistant license. Thanks to my parents who picked Cody up from day care and watched him at night for those 6 weeks so I could finish it. From there I made a critical decision to leave Kinko's for a job at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. I took a $5.00 an hour pay cut to get my foot in the door and thought it would be good for me to work there, gain experience and make sure that this was really a career I could do. My next step was to enroll at Alverno College where I began the weekend program part time while working full time. I had been out of school for so long so I had to take a lot of what I like to call "fluff" classes before my nursing program began.The pay cut hit me harder than I expected and financially I fell apart. I was scraping by to make ends meet and then Sunny (our yellow lab who was only 5yrs old)got sick, had surgery but went septic after surgery and died. Unfortunately, financially that was the last straw, now owing $3000 for a vet bill. I put our house up for sale and Cody and I moved to a town house. It was a really depressing time for me because I felt like a failure and moving backwards was not what I had in mind, but I knew that I would have to make some sacrafices in order to reach my higher goal. One week after moving into the town house, as you all know is when I found a lump in my breast and began my battle with breast cancer which forced me to take a leave of absence from Alverno. I did return to Alverno, but after my cancer my priorities changed and just before I was about to begin my nursing program, I decided to switch my major. I explored other schools and other options that would fit our life now that Joe was in our lives and we just bought a house and were planning our wedding. I discovered the University of Phoenix and decided to leave Alverno and try and do my education on line. I had no idea what I was in for!! On line classes are very demanding, fast paced, and a lot of self teaching. You have to be really well disciplined and organized in order to really succeed at this. I earned my Associate degree in Human Services and since have been working on my Bachelor degree in Psychology. During my educational journey I lost my beloved Sunny, sold my first home, battled breast cancer, bought our first home as a couple, married Joey, had a major car accident, was trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant, Joe had surgery, Cody had surgery and spent 2 days in the hospital from dehydration, I had emergency gall bladder surgery, went through another financial pit fall from the car accident, moved to Grafton and went back to renting, found out I was finally pregnant (Alleluhah), and gave birth to Delaney. Needless to say...19 years after high school and 8 years after taking the first step into Alverno college I finally reached my "short" term goal and earned my bachelor degree in the science of psychology. I am very proud to be the first in my family to receive this honor and am ever so thankful to my parents, my husband, and Cody for standing by me and allowing me to do this. I know that everyone of them had to make adjustments and sacrifices just as I did. After everything that it took to accomplish this, we decided to go to Phoenix, Arizona so that I could take part in the commencement ceremony and it was so amazing to be able to go with my family and have my parents be there to see it too. I hope that I can be an inspiration to my children and Mom, Dad...I hope you're proud. The bus isn't stopping here though....as I said, this was a "short" term goal, now I will begin planning for my long term goal in completing my Masters program for Psychology. No one can ever take your education away from you and never stop reaching!!

Stole of Gratitude

2010-11-11T15:34:00.001-08:00

Every graduate has a special person who, through moral or financial support, made a big difference in his or her life. The Stole of Gratitude is an opportunity to say, "Thanks for helping me make it through, thanks for making it possible for me to succeed!"

After the ceremony, I presented the Stole of Gratitude to Joe who provided me with extraordinary support and words of encouragement. I took the stole from around my neck and placed it around his as a symobol of love, appreciation, and academic accomplishment. Thanks Joey...I love you!

Commencement Ceremony Photos

2010-11-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

Tickle me Joey

2010-11-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post this one just for kicks! We've all heard of tickle me Elmo?? Well this is tickle me Joey. Instead of going into the little shake and full giggle that Elmo does, Joey can't speak or move! You can't see it in the picture, but he really does drool when he's tickled :)

Delaney's 5 months

2010-11-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Well, like father like daughter....Delaney puts her foot in her mouth all the time now that she's discovered she has feet. She's reached the stage of everything going in the mouth and drools about as much as Joe does when he gets tickled. She hasn't cut a tooth yet, but it's coming soon because those gums are really bumpy! Rolling over is the new game and it's fun until she does it when your trying to change her diaper.She's cooing a lot and just loves music and sesame street. She's still a good sleeper, but it all depends on the day and how much her gums bother her. Some days she has a hard time staying asleep if her gums really hurt. All in all she's a good girl and we are just loving watching her grow and make her own new discoveries. She is still a Mama's girl and only seems to calm down for me, but more and more she's starting to calm down for Cody and is getting much better with Joe. Cody's great with her and she is so intregued by him. She likes to play in her walker while I clean up or do the dishes. Baths are super fun now,but super messy!! She seems to think that since she has to sit in the water and be wet that Mama should be just as wet too. Halloween was fun with her, as you can see from an earlier post we went to a pumpkin farm and we when we carved pumpkins we decided to put her in one because she was just so darn cute in it, and of course is our little pumpkin! She will look when we call her name now, she recognizes herself in the mirror, and she tries to sing along with other songs and it is so adorable. A smiley baby she is and also like her dad, she is very ticklish, but at least her drooling isn't from being tickled!

Halloween party

2010-11-10T12:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween

2010-11-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

I love Halloween, it is such a fun time of year! We actually got really creative this year and made most of our own costumes. Cody went as some kind of DJ from MTV, I don't know...but we made his costume and it turned out really good. Delaney went as a strawberry for her first halloween and we went trick or treating with Tony, Genell and the kids. We were pretty tired after the long walk so we stopped by Uncle Bobs house for a rest and a visit. Our last stop was by Aunt Irene's place where we were able to visit with Uncle John, Aunt Irene, Cousin Brenda & Vicky and all the kids. Joe & I went to a halloween party and this year was a bit more exciting than last year since last year at this time I was pregnant, super tired & really nauseated. I made my costume and went as a headless bride, Joe went as a vampire. All the hard work on the costumes paid off when we won 1st place in the costume contest. We won tickets to the Packer/Bears game on January 2nd!!! How freakin' cool is that!!! The party was a great time and it was really good to get out and spend time with family since most of the Rieck's were there. It was our first time really going out without Delaney too and we all survived it. I'm already trying to think up ideas for next year!!

Delaney is 4 months

2010-10-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

Everyday we are noticing new things with DD. At four months old now she is certainly becoming a little character already! I don't know how it happened since Papa, my dad lives in Florida, but somehow she has his shit eatin' grin???!!! Weird...she burps like him sometimes too, and for those of you who know my dad's burps, it's a pretty big accomplishment, so coodo's to DD for tackling that one. She likes to have bare feet, not a huge fan of socks or shoes, but don't worry, I'll get her liking shoes before you know it, and then daddy will be soooo happy! Her hair is starting to fill in since she lost about everything she was born with, but it is coming in dark brown and her eyes have changed to brown. She enjoys her swing and her play mat, and it seems like she can't get enough fingers in her mouth at once to suck on. She is starting to teethe already, I thought it might be a little early, but she's has the flush cheeks, low grade temp, and bumpy gums. Her sleep patterns have been all over the place and was super crabby while she was awake, until we started giving her some infant drops. She's not napping like she used to, but she's not crabby when she's awake anymore. Actually she's pretty silly and loves to play and laugh. She can't get enough attention and can go pretty wild with excitement when we play with her. She really likes to look in the mirror, just loves sesame street, and loves music. She still likes when I read to her and is really focused on the pages. She's a handful some days and it is hard to do school work, but boy is she fun and I wouldn't miss this time with her for the world!!

Homecoming 2010

2010-10-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

Grafton High School recently had their homecoming. Cody stayed after school most of the week to work on the freshman float for the parade. I was pretty excited to see it, but I'd be lying if I didn't say it was a little bare. It will be fun to see how the class improves on them each year. Also a must for the week was toilet papering (tp-ing). Ya...not exactly on my list of things for him to do, but all the kids were out doing it and had fun. We got hit the first night, but luckily I have 3 dogs and I caught the little varmants in the act. Of course I made Cody go out and clean it up too! The homecoming peprally and football game was after the parade on Friday night. Grafton played whitefish Bay, and the score was....um, well...oh who needs to know the score? It was homecoming, a night of friends and fun times right??? Ok, we got wooped! Cody took his girlfriend Cailyn to the homecoming dance on Saturday..awwww, they looked so sweet together! Cody got her a wrist corsage, & they wore black and silver. Joe had to work so I had to be the chaufer for the night, and little miss Delaney accompanied me. We went to Cailyn's house to pick her up and take pictures. She looked adorable in her dress and her most awesome boots. On the way out, Cody opened the passenger door and I went right in putting Delaney in her seat, then I realized that my son was not opening the door for me, but for his date! Oh what a proud mommy moment! Yes...I ruined his moment, but I was so proud of him for being such a gentleman. I think that with Delaney's car seat in between them, the mood was lost anyway. I mean come on...his first official date and his baby sister is in between him and his date with his mom dropping him off? Hey, wait...this could work!!! Maybe Cody not getting his license next year is a good idea. Delaney and I could chaperone all of his dates!! Oh how he would love that! I dropped the kids off at a nice restaurant for dinner and then after they went to the dance. They seemed like they had a wonderful time. I did get a little teary eyed on the way to pick her up, but held it together. My son's first homecoming and first official date. He looked so handsome and was a perfect gentleman (at least from what I saw)! I am so proud of him and proud to see him growing up!

Race for a Cure

2010-09-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, September 26, 2010 we walked in the Susan G. Komen race for a cure. "D's Tumornaters" team members were: me, Joe, Cody, Cailyn, Bill, Nadine, Maggie, Conner, Dan, and Beth. My BFF's Krissy and Tammy walked with us also and Delaney went along in her stroller that we decked out for the occasion. It was sunny but cool. There were over 16,000 people there, it was crazy. I do want to thank my team for participating and the family and friends who made donations for the cause. It is truly wonderful to see how many people came together for this. It is sad to see the shirts that read "in memory of", but it is inspiring to see all of the survivors. I am proud to be one and proud to have taken part.

Delaney is 3 Months old

2010-09-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

3 months old! Whoo hoo!
Delaney is getting so big so fast! She's just about rolling over, she hasn't quite figured out how to get her arm that she rolls on out from under her to get all the way over. So she rolls almost all the way, gets stuck and just stays on her side. She is scootin' all over her crib! When she wakes up in the morning, she plays for a while in her crib before making any noise to come out. She scoots around with her feet using her heals to move herself around. We had her ears pierced, and I cried before she did!! But she was great, yes she did cry, but not much and was smiling about 10 minutes later! She loves when I read to her. Everyday we read the book from my parents called "How do I love You?" and her eyes are glued to the pages. She kicks her legs and flaps her arms around while I read. She is making all kinds of noises, blowing spit bubbles, and making weird noises by rolling her tongue. Her head is getting more steady, but she still doesn't have full strength in her neck yet. She likes to put her fist in her mouth and suck on it. Sometimes she just sucks on her fingers, but she's starting to drool like crazy. She's been sleeping through the night for a while now, and usually takes great naps during the day. She doesn't do well when she gets thrown off her schedule though. We've found a couple of her tickle spots and she has the cutest giggle when she's tickled. It is so great to see what a happy & smiley baby she is!

Plymouth Rock Campground

2010-09-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

Labor day weekend...brrrrr!!! We went camping at Plymouth Rock camp ground with my brother and his family. We arrived Friday afternoon and left early Monday morning. The weather was chilly willy, but we did get one day that was warm enough for some swimming. The sun was really warm, but there was a cold breeze that kept us in sweatshirts & blankets for most of the weekend. Sunday night we had some rain, but Monday morning it was more of a down pour, so we decided to pack up and come home. Cody and his cousins, Jason & Josh were busy playing basketball, football, going to the game room, and checking out the chicks! Kayla, Courtney, & AJ had fun doing arts & crafts, egg baseball, face painting, and candybar bingo. They had a live band on Saturday night that was really good, we were all dancing and singing! Then on Sunday night they had a DJ, so there was more dancing & singing! Tony took 4th place in the horse shoe tournament and Joey became quite the fire starter. Delaney had a rough time this trip taking naps which made for a crabby baby once in a while, but for the most part, she did great. She sleeps through the night in the camper no problem. We had a really good time, lots of food, and Tony and I had a trip down memory lane since this is one of the places that we came as kids, and that our parents were seasonals at for a while. We may squeek one more trip in this year yet, otherwise we'll be putting the camper in storage and start planning our trips for next year. We are just loving this and can't wait to go more!

Apple Creek Pictures

2010-08-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Apple Creek Campground

2010-08-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

This summer we decided to get a pop up camper. As most of you may know, I grew up going camping, so for me it is really great to be able to now do this with our children. Joe likes camping too, so he was up for it as well and we packed up this past weekend for our very first camping trip to Apple Creek Campground in DePere, WI (near Green Bay). We went with our cousins Mark & Lisa and their kids, Marissa & Josh. Thank goodness they were there to help us out!! We were off to a great start, while Joe was working Cody and I managed to get the camper all packed & closed up. Joe came home and we hooked it up to his Jeep and realized our lights weren't working. After messing with it for a little while, in the rain..suddenly the lights went on. One of the break lights/turn signal was still not working, so..Uncle Bob rushed over to try and rescue us by changing the bulb for us..in the rain, but that did not do the trick. We decided that since all the lights were working but that one we would go and deal with it when we got home. It down poured the entire way there and man was I nervous. This was Joe's first time hauling a camper, so it didn't help that the wind and rain were so bad. The camper had a lot of sway and we did have a couple of close calls with going off the road a hair. We all had a lot of anxiety during the ride there, but Joe did awesome handling it and did get us there safely. With all the delays we didn't end up getting to the campground until 9pm. The rain finally stopped, but setting up for the first time ever in pitch dark was no treat. Like I said, thankfully Mark & Lisa were there. Once Joe finally was able to back the camper up on our site with guidance from Mark, we were able to set up. Needless to say, Joe got thrown into learning how to drive, tow, back up, set up, and close up a camper and learned real quick. Lisa took Delaney for us and Mark helped us get everything up quickly. Once we were set up we had some snacks and a drink and then hit the hay. The next day was hot and we spent most of the day at the pool. Cody and Josh had a blast jumping into their floaty things they bought. Joe got in to razz them a little. Marissa found that the slide was the funnest thing ever. Mark & Lisa joined the fun in the pool too. Delaney went in the pool for the first time, not long of course because of the sun. But she went in both Saturday and Sunday. Initially she cried getting in, but that lasted only a couple of seconds. Once we would hold her close she did great and actually seemed to like it. I was able to get into the pool and show Cody who's boss too. That backfired a bit...when did he become a teeneager who is taller than his mom and stronger now too??? I did pretty good at first, I was able to dunk him a few times...but I have to admit that the kid got me twice. I think I did a pretty good job considering he does weigh more than me and I am kinda old now! Later Saturday night, Cody started playing some quarter game in the game room where you win a different amount of tickets for each quarter/play. Next thing you know he's coming back to the camper with handfuls of tickets. Cody & Josh were counting them and Cody wanted to try and get 2500 tickets to win a digital camera. Josh had a bunch of tickets and because he didn't have enough tickets to win anything cool, he was generous and gave his tickets to Cody. About $25 later he won his camera, but wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of Josh. It was really cool to see them working so hard for it though and it kept them busy for hours. They had stacks & stacks of tickets and lost count having to start over a couple of times. Josh & Cody really had a good time though. The rest of the night was puggie pie pizza's, smore's, and campfire cooking. Marissa did a good job making a mess eating her roasted marshmellows and Joe struggled a bit making his first puggie pie, but got better as he went along. Delaney konked out for the night and we sat around the fire for a while having a good time with Mark & Lisa. Joe & I couldn't stop talking about how much fun we had with their family and how cool it was to know that Cody and eventually when she can remember, Delaney have these fun memories. The ride home was much better not having to brave the elements. The camper still had some sway to it, but not as bad and Joe did fine with it. On the way home we decided to detour over to visit Lambeau Field & picked up a couple of things and took a couple of pictures. We noticed some really souped up vehicles in a sectioned off part of the parking lot and from a great distance saw some really big guys walking into Lambeau, we couldn't make anyone out, but are pretty sure they were Packers. On our drive out of the parking lot though another big truck passed in front of us while we were at a stop sign and wouldn't you know, AJ Hawk was behind the wheel. It's so funny how excited you get when that stuff happens, we were acting pretty dorky so it's good that no one else saw us. Since this is where Joe proposed to me, we thought it was pretty cool to be able to bring the kids there. We took a family picture in front of the Lombardi statue in front of the Atrium exactly where he went down on his knee and asked me to marry him. We safely returned home to our puppies who were thrilled to see us. We had someone come to the house to care for them so they were sooo happy to be able to stay at home rather than be shipped off to a kennel. We can't wait to go camping with Mark, Lisa, & family again. We all pretty much crashed early last night from all the fun we had over the weekend. We are so excited for our next trip in two weeks for Labor Day. Fun, fun, fun.....

Updated pictures

2010-08-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

Camping with Tony and Genell

2010-08-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from visiting Tony & Genell camping. We spent the day at the lake, had some dinner and enjoyed the camp fire. Cody, Jason, and Joey went out in a row boat for a while...yikes! It took Joey just a little while to get going (hee hee). We had a great time & Delaney did good for such a long day.

Delaney is 2 months old

2010-08-14T11:10:00.001-07:00

Baptism

2010-07-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

Delaney was baptized on July 25th, 2010 at St. Joseph's parish in Grafton. It was a really beautiful service and she did pretty good. It was really warm in the church because the air conditioning was not on. The church does a full emersion baptism, so she was brought out in her birthday suit and wrapped up in a big towel. She did manage to pea on my dress while I was holding her before she went in the baptismal fountain. She screemed through the fountain part but once that was done I was able to dry her off and then put her in her baptismal gown, which was the one that I was baptized in at the very same church. My brother Tony and his wife Genell are her Godparents. My Mom was able to fly in from Florida to be here so we asked her to read from the scripture during the service.Once again we were surrounded by family and friends who came over to our place after the ceremony for some food & treats. We had beautiful weather and it was a great time.

Fun family pics

2010-07-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Delaney 6 weeks

2010-07-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Delaney pics

2010-07-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

4th of July

2010-07-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Summer has been so busy!!
Cody is finally done with lacrosse! He has been having a great summer going to Florida for a week with his Papa & Grandma & his cousisns. Since he's been home he's been a permanent fixture at the Grafton pool. He is really awesome with Delaney. He makes sure to give her a kiss goodbye, goodnight, and hello everytime. He holds her and feeds her often. When she wakes up and cries during the day, he will pick her up and comfort her...it's so sweet!! He's trying not to think about starting high school in about a month..hee hee hee!

Delaney is just about 2 months old now (8 weeks). She goes in this week for her 2 month check up and shots (that should be fun). She's really getting big and is doing great! She is sleeping through the night, anywhere from 7 to 8 hours :) She really focuses in on things and is starting to smile. I love how she looks for me when she hears my voice when someone else is holding her.

Joe is back to work, but just got a new job at St. Mary's Ozaukee which is so much closer to home. He's not back to school yet, but that will come soon enough. He had a very good Father's day. We had gone by my Uncle Bob's house for my cousin Ryan's graduation party & had a great time there. My Grandpa Rieck was there and got a chance to hold Delaney for the first time. My maternity leave from school is over and I am back in class (yuck)! This is one of the three I have left before graduation. It is challenging to get any homework done and to focus with a baby at home, but Joe is so supportive so I'm able to manage.

The 4th of July, Delaney was a month old. We had a great time at the park and fireworks with my brother and his family. Cody had a good time with his friend & cousin. Delaney did great! The first firework that went off, she opened her eyes as big as saucers & then closed them again & slept through the rest of them. We're all doing good and enjoying the summer!!

Time to say goodbye

2010-06-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

The past week and a half went by so quickly. Just 13 days ago Delaney was still in my belly and now she's already 2 weeks old. My parents got here from Florida the day before she was born and already it is time to say goodbye to them again. We are just so happy that they were able to be here for the birth of our daughter, their newest grandchild to make 9 now total. Having my parents here makes me very happy, it reminds me of many wonderful memories growing up and doing family things together. So often we take things for granted, but when you no longer get to spend Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner with your parents, you realize just how important and precious those times are. This makes their trips to Milwaukee/Grafton that much more special. I could not have asked for more than to have them here for the birth of Delaney and to see Cody graduate. My parents happiness is the most important thing which is why although I miss them terribly, I know that they love living in Florida and just because they love living there, it does not mean that their hearts are not still in Milwaukee with their children and grandchildren. So as sad as it is, we had to say goodbye until the next visit. We will anxiously await the next time that we will get to see them.

Mom, Dad....you are wonderful parents who have always been very supportive and giving. I can speak for myself when I say that at times I really gave you guys a run for your money and made you wonder what you did wrong. It was never what you did wrong, only what I needed to learn on my own and was able to get through it because of what you did right. I am very proud to have you as parents and know that not everyone is so lucky. I feel very blessed that Cody has had you as Grandparents, and now Delaney is blessed with you too. Thank you for all that you did for us during your stay and thank you for being here for such a very important time for my family.

We miss you & love you,

Joe, Neasy, Cody & Delaney

After baby baby shower

2010-06-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, Delaney was born on the 4th, but Joe's Aunt Loretta wanted to do something for us for from his family, so she held a baby shower for us on the 13th and since Delaney was able to be there, family got to meet her and our guests gave us a ton, and I mean a ton of clothes to help us out now that we know it is a girl. Aunt Linda Rebro (Uncle Mike) was there and Brenda Rebro who was not able to make it went in on a gift with her. Aunt Jane Rebro (Uncle Larry) was also not able to make it, but since she was at Cody's graduation party the day before, she gave us a gift for Delaney/the shower then. Eleanor Benvenuto, Donna Benvenuto, and Aunt Joyce Rebro (Uncle Milt) were also not able to make it, but were kind enough to send gifts for us. From the other side of the family we had Cousin Diane, Ashley, Theresa, and Chris. Aunt Rosie was able to be there and we got a great picture of her holding Delaney. Aunt Loretta worked really hard to try and give us a special day with the help of cousin Theresa they made up a ton of magnets, pictures and frames for us and the guests. The cake was really cute and as usual was Joe's favorite part of the party. I cannot tell you how many clothes, baby items, and shoes we got and I am amazed at the generosity of everyone who came. It was a wonderful day and we are just so thankful to Aunt Loretta who is like a mother to us and is always there for us the way that family should be.

Thank you to Aunt Loretta, Theresa and the guests that were there for us or that still gave a gift even if they couldn't be there. We really appreciate everyone's kindness. It was a wonderful shower and we had a wonderful time with everyone.

Cody Graduates

2010-06-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say? My baby boy is no longer a baby and nothing made me realize that more than when I saw Cody hold Delaney for the first time. Cody is growing up to be a fine young man and he has now graduated from John Long Middle School (8th grade). The school had a ceremony on June 10th and it was great to have my parents there for it as well as my Godmother, Auntie Debbie & my Uncle John. They had a huge 8th grade class and the ceremony was really nice. If you remember, Cody's friend Cody Reetz was murdered back in November, the school gave an honorary diploma to the Reetz family and the class pitched in with the help of many others to donate a skate board bench that will go in the Cody Reetz skate park in the future. Cody will be a freshman at Grafton High School next year. We had a party for Cody to celebrate this milestone for him on the 12th. The weather was not what they had said it would be and was pretty cold, but depsite the weather, friends and family came out to be there for him. It really meant a lot to us so we are very thankful to those who shared in his special occasion. Some of Cody's friends came and they were all off playing basketball while the adults tried to stay warm under the shelter eating all the good food and the chocolate chip graduation cake.

Thank you for being there for Cody!

More pictures

2010-06-17T13:05:00.001-07:00

It's a girl

2010-06-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

With joyous hearts we introduce Delaney Denyse Rebro, born on Friday June 4th at 5:40a.m. She was 6lbs. 9oz. and 19 1/2 inches long.

I began having contractions on Tuesday June 1st and I was dialated to 1cm. My contractions continued thru Wed. June 2nd and Thurs. June 3rd, but they stayed a half hour apart. Thurs. afternoon Joe and I went to the airport to pick up my parents who flew in from Florida. Later we had get together with my parents and my brothers family. My contractions continued and that evening at 8pm we went in to St. Joe's in Milwaukee. They began to soften my cervix and I remained dialated at 1cm for the full 4 hours that I had to wait for my cervix to soften. It was around 1a.m. June 4th when they began to give me the pitocin and for 2 more hours I stayed at 1cm. Finally at 3a.m. I went to 2cm and had them give me the epidural. The nurse had to turn off the pitocin for a while because I was contracting too much. A little bit later they started it up again. My contractions were lasting 2 minutes long and I was getting about 20 seconds in between them. The resident said that given the progress I would probably deliver around noon on Friday. They checked me again at 5:20a.m. and I was now at 4cm, so they said that I might deliver at 8a.m. instead of noon. About 5 minutes later I told Joe that I wasn't pushing, but I could feel the baby coming out during the contractions. The resident and nurses rushed in and the resident checked me again to find out that I was fully dialated and the baby was in the birth canal. They tried to get me to wait until the Dr. arrived because she was on her way in since they had paged her previously to come. The baby's heart tones were dropping from 150's to the 40's and the deep breathing was no longer helping so the resident had me start pushing. My Dr. arrived after the first 3 pushes. The baby got stuck under my pelvic bone, but they were able to guide the baby past it with their hand. 10 pushes later we had ourselves a beautiful little girl. In 20 minutes I went from 4cm to giving birth as Delaney was born at 5:40a.m. so needless to say those 20 minutes were pretty intense. Ironically, I got her out in 10 pushes which is exactly what it took to get Cody out 14 years ago. Joe got to cut the embilical cord, and they laid her on my stomach to hold while they wiped her up a little. She needed some oxygen so they took her and did what they needed to do to get her going. My parents were called at 5:20 when I was dialated to 4cm and they came with Cody missing the actual birth by 10 minutes. But they got to come in right away to the birthing room and see her and us and get pictures. A little while later they transfered us to a different room where no matter how hard I tried I could not get sleep. I was just so excited and couldn't stop staring at Delaney. I ended up being awake for about 48 hours. I felt great other than my eyes being on fire from no sleep. The epidural wore off and I was up and walking a few hours later. The cramping that kicked in later was unbearable and was the worst part of all of it. Nothing that a little percocet and ibuprofen wouldn't take care of. I finally fell asleep at 11pm Friday night.

We were discharged home Saturday evening. Cody is just loving her! He holds her before & after school and before he goes to bed. He feeds her and took a couple of pictures in to school to show her off to his friends. Joe is also doing great, much better than he gives himself credit for. Sure he's a little akward with some things, but this is all new to him and he's doing wonderful. He does have a bit of anxiety though! I finally got him to stop standing over her crib while she sleeps holding out the pacifier just waiting for her to wake up. As the days go by he is getting more relaxed and comfortable as well as Cody. The dogs are just awesome around her. Lola sleeps in her room with her at night and Harley, Miles and Lola follow me around when she cries and lay on the floor in her room when I'm in there with her. They are not jumping up at her and like to lay by me while I feed her.

As a family we just could not be happier. We have been so blessed and we are all so grateful to experience this miracle.

Love to all,

Joe, Denyse, Cody & Delaney

The waiting game

2010-06-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my last class and am now officially on maternity leave from school. After the baby is born I will have 3 classes to complete and then be DONE!! Joe finished up his class and is not taking a summer class, he'll get a paternity leave that begins once I give birth and will be off for about 5 weeks. We are all getting really excited and going a little stir crazy waiting. We just cannot wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl. We will update the blog to let everyone know when baby Rebro enters the world.

Cody's 14th Birthday

2010-05-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Cody's 14th birthday yesterday (May 23rd). I just cannot believe that he is 14 years old. I know that every mother probably says that, and that time just flies for all of us, but being so close to giving birth again really brings back memories. He had two lacrosse games this weekend, they won the first & lost the second one, but both were great games & the weather was great for it. My brother Tony flew my Dad in from Florida for the Veterans Memorial at Lambeu Field in Green Bay, so it was great seeing him. My Dad & Tony's family came to Cody's game & then all came over for some ice cream cake to celebrate his birthday. He's really getting excited for school to be done so he can officially say that he is in high school. It sure will be weird to have a freshman in high school and a newborn, but we just laugh and say that we at least won't have two in college at the same time! My Mom called while everyone was over and we passed the phone around so that everyone got a chance to talk to her. Cody is flying back to Florida with my parents after the baby is born and vacationing for a week along with his two cousins Jason & Andy. He's pretty psyched about it & is really looking forward to celebrating his birthday out there by going to Bush Garden's. He's looking forward to lots of swimming, spending time with Grandma & Papa, and also with his Great Grandma & Grandpa Courtney. He didn't want us to make a big deal of his birthday so we kept it low key, but he had a good time & it was a great weekend.

St. Francis Baby Shower

2010-05-24T06:19:00.001-07:00

We have to say that Joe works with some pretty amazing people. Danielle & Crista from his work threw a baby shower for us on May 15th. It was really great and a lot of people showed up, bringing food and many gifts for the baby. It really meant a lot to us because some of his co-workers came off of 3rd shift and others scrammbled to get there after they worked a full day shift. Some of them chipped in and got us the swing, which is awesome, and others went above and beyond with their thoughtfulness too. Lots of guys turned out for it which was cool and they even got into one of the games. I give these guys credit for being such good sports about it and helping to make it a good time. It never gets old saying how blessed we feel to have such support and good people around us. We thank each and every person from St. Francis Hospital's ER who have been so wonderful to us with the shower, gifts, and well wishes. Thank you so much!

Happy Birthday to Miles

2010-05-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

We realize that we go overboard when it comes to our dogs and that most do not quite understand this. I'm not even sure if I understand it sometimes, but we just love them so much!! Miles, our golden retriever turned 4 years old on May 5th. The doggies enjoyed some birthday cake & Miles got a couple of new toys. They had a good time eating, playing, & then napping!

Showered with love

2010-04-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, time is just flying by. The last few weeks have been a little hectic, so I can't tell you how wonderful it was that my sister-in-law Genell (Rieck) and my Auntie Kelly (Rieck) gave Joe and I a baby shower on the 17th of April. We had such a wonderful turn of of family and friends. We are so grateful to them for doing this for us since it is our first child together, and well...Cody is going to be 14 in a month so we are definately starting brand new. The cake was so adorable and given as a gift from Aggie at Aggie's bakery in Milwaukee. There was a great spread of food and the best baby shower punch ever according to Kathy (or google), who was so right! We received all the baby necessities like bath supplies, bottles, diapers, onzies, clothes and so much more to some of the bigger items like the bouncy chair, baby monitor, high chair, bassanet, car seat, and stroller. We got so much more than that to help get ready and the baby's room is just about set. We've had the crib, bedding, and furniture set up and now we're just putting things away and getting organized. Joe has been busy putting things together!

Only six more weeks until June 4th, the big day! As soon as I hit my 8th month I instantly became really uncomfortable and have been just watching my belly grow by the second. I've been having braxton hicks contractions and am having major pelvic pain. The baby is turned and is head down kicking the crap out of my ribs. All of you who kept telling me I was so small...well now, not so much! I get short of breath pretty quickly, but not in the pool, so I am still swimming and it is the one thing that really eases any pain and discomfort. I am starting to retain water and swell somewhat now too. My blood pressure is great, labs are good, and weight is good. No complaints, this experience has just been so wonderful and honestly one of the best parts is that we get to share it with the family and friends that are very special to us.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love you all!

Our little Princess

2010-04-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, our last few weeks have been crazy!! As if keeping up with homework, work, and family doesn't keep us busy enough, our doggie Lola felt that she needed to make things more exciting for us. Lola is a shepard/collie mix and is our little protector. We know how some of you like to call her Kujo, but that's just her front. Although, when it comes to the mailman, she does get a bit overzealous! When he pulled into our driveway to deliver the mail about 3 wks ago, Lola went to the side window to hollar at him and managed to put her paw through the window and shatter it. She cut herself pretty good and so I called the vet and they were able to see her that day. I called Joe and asked him to meet me at the vet just in case I needed a hand with her and then me and Lola headed to West Allis to see Dr. Troy. I was only 4 blocks away from the vet when someone pulled out in front of me at an intersection. I grabbed Lola so she didn't fly through the windshield and slammed on my breaks. Unfortunately I could not stop in time and ended up in an accident. Thankfully it was not serious at all, minor damage and no injuries. After calling the police, I called Joe who was waiting at the vet and he came to get Lola so she could still be seen at the vet. I stayed to handle the accident, but because I am pregnant and was jarred a little by the seatbelt, I had to go to St. Francis to be checked out. It turned out that Lola needed surgery on her paw and had to stay overnight. Joe and I went to the ER and they put me on the baby monitor for 4 hours to make sure I didn't start having contractions. Everything was just fine, but it was better to be safe than sorry. We didn't get home until after midnight, so I was glad Lola was overnight at the vet.

We picked Lola up the next day and she had her bandage off a few days later and two days later her stitches were supposed to come out and she must have known this because she decided to lick her paw so much that she pulled them out herself. I'm guessing they weren't ready to come out because her wound opened right back up. So we took her back in to see Dr. Troy and a week after the first surgery, she had to have it all done a second time, which all went well, her bandage is off, stitches are out and she's doing great. My jeep will be fixed soon and we're working on getting the window in the living room fixed too! It was not the kind of excitement we wanted, but...for us, that's par for the course!

Bret Michaels Concert

2010-03-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

This year for Joey's birthday I took him to Potawatomi Casino's Northern Lights Theatre to see Bret Michaels. Yes, Joe is a big fan of Bret's from his "Rock of Love" show to his music with the 80's hair band "Poison", and most recently "Celebrity Apprentice". Bret had a really good band called "Attention" open up for him and I was able to get a shot with the band after they played. We figured since it was the baby's first concert we should get a photo of it. The concert was awesome and the baby was rockin' right along with us.

Yeah, it's spring!

2010-03-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hello again family & friends,

We have been crazy busy but things have been really good. I think I say this in every post, but man I cannot believe how time just flies by. How exciting that it is finally spring time! We've been loving the warm days and really cannot wait for summer. We're back to walking around town & Cody can bike again. You don't realize how cooped up you were until you can get outside again.

Joe celebrated his 31st birthday on March 23rd (yesterday). My nephew AJ helped me bake him a bday cake. When Cody got home from school we gave him his gifts and then took him out for a nice bday dinner. Once his stomach was rested from the half of pizza he ate, he dug into 2 pieces of bday cake. He likes to blame it all on me, saying that it's all so he can gain some sympathy weight; hmmm, I'm not too sure about that. Unfortunately because of school, he couldn't escape homework entirely, but he did have off of work and otherwise seemed to have a really good day.

Cody is all done with basketball and moved right into lacrosse. He started electric guitar lessons about a month ago and loves it. So as usual, he is busy which in return keeps us kind of busy, but it also keeps him out of too much trouble. I'm really having trouble believing that he's going to be 14 soon and graduating 8th grade.

I have only 5 classes left until I graduate, but because of my maternity leave I'll graduate in Oct. instead of Aug. It would be nice to just be done, but I am also looking forward to a break. I'll have 3 classes to finish after my leave, then I'm done...at least until graduate school in January. With summer not even being here yet, I don't want to think about Jan. yet. The weeks seem to be flying by though, it seems like I just let everyone know about the pregnancy and now I'm 29 weeks and already in my last trimester! About a month back at my oncology appointment a couple of my labs came back abnormal. My hemogloben was one of them, but it is nothing to worry about because it's pretty normal during pregnancy. The other one was my platlets had dropped quite a bit and that is the one that they are keeping an eye on. It is not harmful for the baby, but a tad concerning for me depending on how low they drop. I've been getting labs done every two weeks to monitor it and the good news is that they are starting to come back up. The first trimester I was so so tired, nautious, and had horrible headaches. The second trimester gave me back some of my energy, and the nausea went away, but not the headaches. My sciatic nerve began giving me trouble very early on and the hurniated disks in my lower back have been a huge problem as my belly grows. In my sixth month I began having horrible hip, back, and pelvic pain that is bad enough that on bad days I cannot walk much less stand up. Due to comfort, I am not able to work out anymore now that I'm in the 7th month, however I have been swimming and I cannot begin to tell you what a relief that is for my pain. It's like going to the chiropractor, everything feels less compressed and so good after. Baby and me do a mile in the pool about 3-4 days a week and we are feeling great. The baby is growing well and is just the right size for how far we are. Baby moves around like crazy too, sometimes it is a kick, other times it's a huge thump, and sometimes it's the smooth roll where you can see my stomach stretch and move along with the baby. I had to giggle in church last Sunday because all through the homily the baby was thumping and it was really distracting to see my stomach constantly jumping. Joe & Cody were a little weirded out, but totally excited to be able to feel the baby move, now that you can see it without feeling it's kind of funny. I'm up 17 pounds with two months to go! Depending on if we make it to 36 or 40 weeks, we can't believe that the baby will be here in only 7 to 11 more weeks!! How crazy is that??? We do not know the sex of the baby and are not going to find out so everyone will have to be suprised!

Christmas & New Year 2009

2010-01-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you all! December is always a crazy month preparing for the holiday's, and it is hard to believe that another year has flown by.

As always, healthcare doesn't stop for the holidays and Joe had to work both Christmas eve and day this year. The Rieck's Christmas was held on Christmas eve as always. This year it was hosted by the soon to be newly weds, cousin Jason & Rachel. Joe, Cody, myself and our doggies celebrated our Christmas late that night since Joe had to go into work again on Christmas day. It was a long day & night, & we all fell asleep in the living room. It was a great day though. After Joe got home from work on Christmas day, we had my brother Tony & family over around 5pm for a dinner. The kids had fun tearing open all of their gifts and then playing together afterwards. We watched "A Christmas Story" and "Elf" and then called it a night. I'm not sure what happened, if my brother miscounted heads when he left, but some how we ended up with one of his. My nephew Jason stayed with us the next couple of nights and Cody and him stayed up giggling like two little girls til all hours while playing the new Mario Bros game that Cody got for Christmas.

After Christmas, we kept my niece Courtney for a few days while my brother Tony & family went out of town for a hockey tournament. I think she was a tad bored since Aunty Neasy does not have the energy she normally does now that she's pregnant. I did take Courtney, Cody, and his friend Romeo sledding. We were also able to attend a Christmas/New Year gathering at one of Joe's cousin Lori's house. Lori & her husband had an open house and we were able to go which was great since our schedules do not always connect. We had a great time visiting with family, talking with Aunt Jane, cousin Dan, Uncle Larry, Uncle Frank, cousin Lisa, and many, many other relatives that we just don't get to see enough. Most could not believe how tall Cody had gotten, and it was great to hear all of the congratulations and well wishes on our pregnancy.

Cody was invited to a friends house to celebrate New Years. Joe had to work a 12 hour shift, so I baked him his favorite dish (baked zitti) and we had a quiet, relaxing evening. Joe crashed about 9 o'clock, but I managed to stay up past midnight. With all the hussle & bussle of the holidays it was kind of nice to end the year quietly.

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-07T11:19:00.000-08:00

After a sad start to the month of November, we ended it quite well. We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We cooked dinner at our house and my brother Tony & Family came over for dinner and football. Later after our food settled a bit we all went outside for a friendly little game of football! It was pretty chilly out there, but we all bundled up and played a great game. It was tied 21 to 21 and that is where we had to end it, which was good so the kids were all happy knowing nobody lost. Hopefully we can make that an annual event. After the game we all came inside to warm up and have some dessert. The kids had so much fun running around playing hide & seek. The older boys were busy playing video games. When all was said and done, we have to say that this was one of the most fun and memorable Thanksgivings in a very long time. We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

Sad November

2009-11-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday November 15th the parents of Cody's good friend Brandon came over to talk to Joe and I. They told us that one of the boys friends, Cody Reetz was missing and wanted to know if our Cody had heard from him at all. It had been rumored that the stepdad had killed him, but we all remained calm and worked with the police to make phone calls to friends and try to and see if anyone had heard from him. Cody Reetz did call our Cody that morning, but he missed his call. He tried to call him back several times that day but could not get a hold of his friend. We were in contact with the other parents back and forth to see if there was any news, but unfortunately all we could do was pray and sit and wait. None of us got a good night of sleep Sunday night. We all said many prayers hoping that Cody Reetz would be found safe and that the rumor would not be true.

On Monday morning the Grafton police confirmed when we called to follow up that Cody Reetz had been murdered that Sunday night. Most of you have seen this in the news and have watched as this awful story had unfolded. Cody wanted to go to school on Monday, but we had to pick him up for a doctor appt. for later that morning. When Joe and I got there, we walked into a scene that no parent ever wants to see at their childs school. The school office was filled with crying students, grief counselors, and police. Grief counselors were taking students one at a time into the library while other students were on the phone asking thier parents to come and get them. Cody was quiet, not saying much or showing much. While he went to his locker to get his coat, Joe checked him out for the appointment and I just began to cry and went out to wait in the jeep. When we dropped him off after the appointment, Cody went to see a grief counselor and did not go back to class the rest of the afternoon. On Tuesday, Cody had a breakdown and he stayed home from school that day. His friend Brandon who was also having a tough day stayed home, so the boys got together and made a big poster in Cody Reetz's honor and it distracted them for a little while. We cannot say enough how wonderful Principal Greg Kabara has been and what a great job he did in handling such a horrible event. The school has been doing everything they can to see that the students get through this the best they can.

I won't go into specifics about the event. If you have not heard this story by now, you can find it on jsonline or on any of the news stations web sites. Cody Reetz was a very kind, very respectful and very fun kid. He was one of the boys that I described in an earlier post who was sitting at my kitchen table sucking down the mt dews and inhaling food. These boys had become very close playing xbox, skateboarding, having sleepovers, tech decking and playing football. Cody Reetz had a smile that made you want to just grab his cheeks and tell him what cute little dimples he had. Our Cody felt that he was the nicest friend he had and the nicest kid at school. The Reetz family is and has been in our prayers and we can only hope that they can some how find some peace and comfort in this very difficult time.

Slowly, Cody is realizing that Cody Reetz is not just "out sick", but that he will not be coming back to school, calling any more to hang out or be able to have anymore sleepovers. All of Cody Reetz's friends and the parents have been devistated by his murder and the entire week has been so sad and so difficult.

We attended the funeral services and burial on Friday, November 20th and it was very difficult to get through. Cody smiled when he saw that the poster that him and his friend Brandon made was displayed at the funeral. Cody placed a little tech deck skate board that the boys would play around with in the casket with his friend as did other friends. Later in the evening the town of Grafton had a silent walk and a candle light vigil in honor of Cody Reetz and his family. It was absolutely one of the most sad, but beautiful things that we could have been a part of. The boys were all interviewed by every news station, it was strange as a parent to see Cody with the bright lights of the cameras in his face and knowing that he was having to describe the memories he had of a good friend that is dead. These kids are so young and it is just awful for the family, but also for these young kids to experience the murder of a young friend. The boys had all gotten together at our house before the walk and made t shirts to honor their friend. Some of them wore buttons that had Cody Reetz's picture on it. Cody Reetz had left his blue adidas jacket by our house after a sleepover, when our Cody told his mom that he had it she told our Cody to go ahead and keep it. Cody wore it with his button on it to the walk & vigil. It really meant a lot to him to be able to keep the jacket.

After the interviews the parents of Cody Reetz along with his brothers and sisters lead the way through a lighted trail and started the silent walk. Once at the park, candles were handed out and a choir sang. At six o'clock the bells from St. Josephs church rang and that began the vigil. The lighting of the candles began with Cody Reetz's mother and spread around while family and friends lit bag candles that were placed on the ground and spelled out "Cody". There were special speakers that read poems, our Cody and other friends spoke about what a great friend Cody Reetz was. The choir sang a beautiful version of "Amazing Grace" and then the vigil ended with a balloon release, and the balloons twinkled, so you could see the cluster of twinkling lights go on for so long.

Cody was on channel 4's 10 o'clock news and he did such a good job. It was really hard for him and he said it was really hard not to cry while speaking on camera. He said that when he spoke at the vigil he started to cry so he handed the microphone to another friend to speak.

Attached is the link for the news clip, and I'm not sure if it will work. If it doesn't work then you can get to it on http://www.todaystmj4.com/ and click on the Cody Reetz vigil to view it.

http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/70676487.html?video=pop&t=a&bctid=clip_ID_150279

Thank you to those who have prayed for Cody Reetz and his family and who have said prayers and sent condolensces to our Cody. Every time we hear the bells ring at St. Josephs church we will think of Cody Reetz who's life was ended way too soon and we will all miss him.

God Bless!

Fall, 2009

2009-11-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Fall is our favorite time of year! We love the colors, the cool weather and the change in season. Not such a fan of cold and rain, but we have really been liking the Indian summer!

We had a good time at the pumpkin farm with my brother and his family. We couldn't get the older boys to come with because they were having more fun with thier friends so we just went with Courtney and AJ. We got some nice pumpkins and hot apple cider! It was a good time.

October is also our anniversary, but after the news of the baby, that was as big of a present as we could have given each other, so we enjoyed sweetest day and our anniversary basking in the happiness of our news.

Cody and his friends went trick or treating on halloween. Cody dressed up as a banana, it was pretty funny. We went trick or treating in Grafton and my brother/sis in law met up with us and we all went together. Once the Grafton time ended, the older kids went to Cedarburg to do more damage there. Joe & I went to a halloween party later and Cody hung out with his cousins over night.

On a much sadder note, Joe's family dog Alex passed away on October 25th. We had just recently found out that he had cancer and he did not have much time. Joey really loved Alex and it was really hard for him and the family. Alex is in a good place now and cancer free, but we sure do miss him!

Baby Rebro coming June, 2010

2009-11-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Just when I said that things could not get anymore perfect, they do!! We found out early October that I am pregnant!! This has been a very personal, long and heartbreaking road for us. Some of you know what we've been through, but because it is so personal, I realize that not everyone knows what a true miracle this child is.

Our first obstacle was my breast cancer because the treatment killed my ovaries, put me through menapause and I was never supposed to be able to have any more children. We knew this going into our marriage, but after a year of chemo, mother nature came back to visit me and although we were shocked, we thought that it just had to happen for a reason. Long story short, we had been seen by 4 different fertility doctors trying to see if we could have children. I am at a high risk for a cancer reoccurrance if I got pregnant, so Joe and I made the decision that if we couldn't do it on our own, then it wasn't meant to be, we didn't want to force the risk and we would explore another option because any fertility treatment was putting me at a higher risk by taking hormones. We were blind sided by the news that Joe also had a fertility issue and he went through a surgery that did not improve things for him afterwards. We explored everything from egg donation, to even having my sister in law Genell offer to carry for us, but when we found out that we couldn't concieve biologically, we decided to go another route. From here we sat through hours and hours of adoption meetings on domestic, international and embryo adoption. Finally, we had decided to become Foster parents to adopt a foster child. Cody being older, we just felt that it was a good fit for our family and there are so many kids without homes. We attended the classes and had our reference packets out to family and friends and those were all ready to go. We needed to have a home study done, but we had to put it on hold because of our move to Grafton. Keep in mind that over these 3 years, we have been on an emotional roller coaster every time I was late, we were slapped in the face with a negative pregnancy test. I was irregular since it returned and so it really made for a lot of false hope at times. Once we moved so much was taken off of our shoulders. I had gotten the body aches, chills and felt like doo doo. It was a little unusual since I don't get sick often at all. Jokingly, Joe bought a pregnancy test and asked me if I had taken a test. I did not want to given how the last 3 years of them had turned out. Monday morning after Joe left for work, I got up for work and decided to give it one more shot while I was getting ready and the results turned positive right away! I thought that I had gotten a false positive, so I used the second test about an hour later and that too was positive. I was now in shock and disbelief, thinking the whole box of tests were bad. I left for work but instead of going to work I played hooky and drove myself to my Doctors office instead. With no appointment, I went in and they were nice enough to run a test for me. When my Doctor came in she confirmed with tears in her eyes that I was pregnant. I put my face in my hands and cried for about 10 minutes! Happy tears, but ones of shock and disbelief as well.

I called Joe who was working and told him things were fine but since I was on this side of town I'd meet him for lunch. I bought him a baby gift and presented it to him at work. It took a second to connect the dots, but he got it. We laughed, cried and sat there sort of speechless because we just couldn't believe this was happening. We took Cody out for ice cream later and got him a book of stories about brothers. His first response was "Did we get a foster child?" We said, no not exactly, then he said "adoption?" and we said, no not exactly...then with tears in his eyes, he looked at me and said "You?" I shook my head yes and we all cried a little more and once again had few words other than this is just some serious divine intervention.

Just after finding out, we heard from my parents that they were going to come in from Florida in November. We had decided that this was too big of news to tell them over the phone or email and since they were coming, we just had to tell them in person. This is why the news may be getting to some of you late, because we were afraid that the surprise would leak out somehow, so we kept it a secret. Now that our parents know we can share the wonderful news with everyone. We did ask our parents to help spread the good news just in case we missed someone.

I am now 3 months along and our expected due date is June 12th, 2010. I've been very naucious, which is a good thing for pregnancy, and have been extememly tired. I am high risk and will be followed throughout by my oncologist. It is just such a miracle! No fertility help after all was needed. Three out of the 4 fertility Doctors had told us this would never happen, and the 4th Doctor gave us an 8% chance with fertility drugs. I guess we proved them all wrong. Had we known, we would have moved to Grafton sooner!! We are just so happy and are really feeling blessed right now. And no, we are not going to find out what the sex of the baby is....we'll all just have to wait and be surprised!

Our Move to Grafton

2009-11-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

For those who do not know this already, we are now living in Grafton and just love it here. Unfortunately things with our house and move did not go as planned and really turned into one huge nightmare, but family and friends were there to help us out.

Before we could even move into our new place it needed a serious scrub down because it was not left for us in move in condition! We had a huge dumpster in our driveway for a while until we got the previous owners property out, then we began the scrub down. Uncle John, cousin Vicky and her daughter, my brother Tony, sis in law Genell and the kids all came over to help Joe, me and Cody clean and paint so that we could move in. This was just the inside of the house, the outside needed much work as well, but we had to be out of our Milw. house so the inside and getting moved was the priority.

The move was not as smooth as we would have hoped, but thanks to Uncle Bob, cousin Ryan & his friends, Uncle Richard, Aunt Kelly, cousin Dan Rebro, Brian Lerch, and Tony & Christa, we did mangage to get everything into the basement of our house. Why the basement? Well, the carpet was not being put in until after the move so we had to leave the bedrooms and living room open for them to install it. Once the carpet got in we were able to move our things from the basement upstairs and I can't tell you how good it felt to sleep in our beds again.

My Aunt Kelly (my cousing Tyler) and her sister Kathy came by the Saturday after we moved and suprised us by volunteering to be our landscaping crew for the day! They worked soooo hard all day, it was unbelievable. We had weeds up to our knees everywhere plus a crazy tree that was growing where it shouldn't have been. They cleaned everything out, did flowers and made it all look great. We are so grateful to all of their hard work.

This whole experience was so stressful, but with everyone's help and generosity we managed to get settled in. We moved in August and just love it. Cody is in 8th grade and is going to John Long Middle School. He wasted no time making friends! He is able to ride his bike, skate board or walk to any one of his friends houses. He rides his bike to school everyday, his grades are great and we have not seen him this happy in a while. He has made some really incredible friends and it is hard to get him to stay home with us because he is always on the go with them. He's really gotten into skateboarding and tech decking. The boys get together to play football or basketball at one of the near by parks, or else they just hang out at somebody's house, but it always seems to be in groups. Sleepovers consist of a couple of friends and usually all weekend. I have to say that these teenage boys can really inhale some food though!! Joe and I really enjoy having the kids hang out over here though because they are all so nice and really a lot of fun. Joe will go out with them and play football once in a while too. I usually do the cooking and listen to the crazy stories they tell while downing mountain dews and inhaling the food. It is all worth it though. This is exactly what we had hoped for by moving here and nothing could be more perfect!

Happy 4th of July

2009-11-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hello family and friends,

Things have been pretty crazy since our last blog update, so we will do our best to get you up to speed with what's been going on. We're going to do this in sections so hopefully we won't forget anything.

In July we were just trying to enjoy our summer. Cody went to a basketball camp at Whitewater University and had a really good time. We were really proud of him for going because he did this without any other friends going and it was the first time he'd spent a weekend away from home, literally all by himself.

For the 4th of July we headed out to Saukville and had a nice cook out with my brother Tony, sis-in-law Genell and their family. We watched the fireworks in Saukville too, not as good as Grafton's last year, but they were nice.

I am still plugging away at school and work, Joe is working at St. Francis ER still and we have been having showings like crazy on our house that we are selling. It has been a real treat keeping the house clean and driving around with 3 dogs in our jeep and then having to clean all the dog hair out of the jeep. We have had a couple of showings a day at least 3-4 days a week, so this has really monopolized our time and made work and school a challenge.

Other than that, all is well and we're all happy and healthy.

Easter and Mothers Day

2009-05-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Easter came and went really fast, especially with having my surgery so close! The adorable bunny photo is my Uncle John, he is a silly wabbit I tell ya! We were able to spend Easter with my Mom while she was still in town and had a good time in Grafton with my brother, his family and other family!

Mothers day was very peaceful. Joey & Cody spoiled me as usual and we went out for a really nice dinner when Joey got done with work. Cody had a make up soccer game that day, so all of us Mom's froze on the side lines at the soccer game. Unfortunately, I do not get any breaks with my schooling, so I also had some homework to do, but other than that I was able to put my feet up and relax!

Cody's 13th Birthday!

2009-05-28T19:47:00.001-07:00

Cody also had a birthday on May 23rd! 13 YEARS OLD! Oh my, we have a teenager in the house. The funny thing about that day is that when Joe & I looked in the mirror, Joe had a lot of gray hair, and I suddenly noticed all the wrinkles around my eyes!! What on earth is that about? I have to say Cody is a pretty darn good kid! He is finishing the 7th grade at St. Roman's and had maintained honor roll all year. He is now in soccer season, and is finally done with the very long basketball season. My younger brother Tony turned 32 on May 13th and so we had a get together with his family to celebrate both Tony & Cody's bday's. Cody also celebrated with some friends who had a great time keeping Joe & I up all night. He is really looking forward to his bday present from us, he is going to a weekend basketball camp at Whitewater University. I just cannot believe what a little man he is turning into, we are very proud of him and ready to embrace this new adventure of teenage years!

Joe's 30th Birthday!

2009-05-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how time has gotten away from us! So much has been going on since the last post, some good, some bad, but all in all we are all well and happy! March 23rd, Joey turned 30 years old! We celebrated this mile stone birthday with a wonderful surprise party at the Grafton Ale House. Joe was very surprised and really touched by the family and friends that were there to enjoy the event with him and everyone seemed to have a great time. It was really nice to see him have some fun and unwind a little. He works so hard in the ER and is always working long and crazy shifts, if anyone deserved this it was him!

April fools day I had emergency gallbladder surgery! What a day to go under the knife, but I figure if my twin uncles were born that day, it couldn't be all that bad =). It is a long story, but the short of it, I am feeling better and recovered very well. I was really glad to get back to work because I love, love, love my job! No, seriously, I love my job! I have been working as an Activity Assistant at an elderly residence and they are just awesome. I feel like I'm volunteering, but I actually get paid! I can't begin to explain how precious each resident is and how much they tug at my heart strings. During my recovery my Mom came in from Florida to help out. I did ok, but she helped fill my shoes, like taking Cody to & from school, soccer and other events, not to mention helping so that the house didn't fall apart and so Joe & Cody had clean clothes to wear! It was a really good visit and we are very blessed that she loves us enough to come and help!

Our Chocolate Lab, Harley had a minor surgery in April as well, to have a small cancerous growth removed from his gum. He got his chompers cleaned while we were at it and he's great now. Miles (our Golden retriever) turned 4 in May & as usual we all celebrated! I'm not sure who ate their cake faster, Joe or the puppies =). Lola is doing great too, they are sassy and full of spunk! We love em'.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We sure do have a lot to be thankful for! We had a wonderful thanksgiving. Joe had to work, so Cody and I prepared a nice dinner (that took 6 hrs.) and we all ate when Joe got home from work. After dinner and a little football, we headed out to Saukville and had dessert at Tony & Genell's (brother and sister in law) and then went to see a movie. It was a really nice and relaxing day. On Saturday we went out to Grafton for the Christmas parade at my Uncle's shop (Heinz 57 auto body) and we spent the day with the Rieck's. My Opa, Uncle John, brother Tony and nephew AJ were all in the parade. The weather was great, a little cold, but the sun was shining. We had a really good time and a great thanksgiving weekend.

I have wrapped up my first class for my bachelor program already and started another, it goes really fast and is very intense. Needless to say it is a little stressful, but well worth it! Joe was accepted into the Masters program at Concordia and will start next year sometime. We are all excited about that, he will use that to be a Nurse Practitioner. Joe is still going through physical therapy, but the sessions have gotten much better for him and he isn't in so much pain after. Cody is doing well. He made honor roll at St. Roman's and started basketball. His goal for next quarter is straight A's, which he's not far from, so he is doing awesome! Our puppies are good too, Lola turned 2 in Oct. and Harley will be 6 on Dec. 3rd. Miles is good, had an ear infection but is doing better after seeing Dr. Troy!

We hope everyone enjoys some of the pictures from the Christmas parade and that you all had a great Thanksgiving.

Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary

2008-11-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

On October 21st, Joe and I celebrated our 2nd Wedding anniversary and to celebrate, we planned a special weekend in Door County. We stayed at The Landing Resort in Egg Harbor, who by the way has the absolute best hot apple cider!!! We were really lucky because the weather was fairly warm and it was not too windy, so we were able to enjoy walking through town to all of the shops outside. Among the many things that we did, we really enjoyed wine tasting, and Door County's Raspberry Razzle Dazzle was our favorite!! We drove in to some of the neighboring little towns and spent time all over the place trying out new foods and window shopping. It was a great time away to spend together celebrating our wonderful memories and hoping for more to come...

Summer update

2008-11-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

Greetings Family and Friends,

Wow, time flies, and so much has been happening that I do not know exactly where to start. I guess we'll try to give you the gist of how our summer has gone to just start from there and move forward.

This past June, literally the day that Cody was done with school, we left for a road trip and went on vacation to Washington DC. There we stayed with friends, Tom and Jen and thier beautiful children. We were able to so many monuments, memorials, museums and tons of historical sites. Tim McGraw was in concert and all of us went, for me and Cody, it was our first country music concert and it was really a fun time. Tom and Jen were the most gracious hosts and we are so glad that we had the time and opportunity to see them and also see some of the United States in the process. What a beautiful drive it was!

In July we enjoyed the fireworks and some picnics with friends and family. My sudo parents were in town from Florida (Papa Joe and Mamma Lu) and we were able to visit with them which is always nice when you don't see loved ones often. Other than that, Cody had a summer basketball league and soccer, I was still in school and Joe was working many hours in St. Francis Hospital's ER. We did some house hunting because we would like to settle down somewhere other than Milwaukee, but our plans fell through with the housing market being the way it is right now. We are going to stay put for a little while longer and do some sprucing to our house in the mean time.

August was more uneventful, but nice! My parents were in from Florida for a visit adn we were able to get to Irish Fest with some family to see my cousing Ian perform with his Irish Dance School and my other cousin Vince, ( I like to call him "Vincy", but he doesn't like that so much), play with a band. It was a great visit as always and we did many family things during this time. Cody started a brand new school, St. Roman's this year and is in the 7th grade.

September began volleyball season, and I helped coach the 5th grade girls team at St. Roman's. Cody was able to come to practice and was a huge help to us when doing drills. This month we celebrated some family mile stone birthdays; our Aunt Joanne's 50th and our Uncle Larry's 60th. We were able to attend both parties and had a great time celebrating with family and friends.

That brings us to October, this was a busy month for us. We decided to have our house painted, my brother Tony did it and we are so glad we did it, we cannot believe how nice our little house looks. On Oct. 12th I graduated the Associate degree program in social work, and on Oct. 28th I already started the Bachelor degree program in psychology. Joe and I happily celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on the 21st, Our puppy Lola turned two on the 23rd, and Cody dressed up as the "Burger King" guy for Halloween. Unfortunately, Joe has had a reoccurance with his neck injury from our car accident last January and has had to return to physical therapy for it. The physical therapist is really good and it is really helping him, although the sessions are pretty rough for him.

I hope that is a pretty good update. I am sure I missed things as there were other birthdays, weddings and gatherings that we did throughout these months as well, that were all very special to us and we always love being able to share these fun events with everyone.

Until next time.....

Welcome

2008-10-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Family and Friends,

Welcome to our family blog! We are hoping that this will help us to stay connected to family and friends since life keeps everyone so busy and we do not get to see or talk to everyone as often as we would like.

We hope you enjoy our adventures!

Love to all,

Joe, Denyse, Cody

Harley, Miles & Lola