Growing up in the Mid-West...

Dan tells so many vivid tales of him growing up in Iowa... He paints a fantastic, fun picture of a good wholesome upbringing. Anyone that listens to his stories of Iowa walk away not only with a clear picture of him running around all hours of the day with nothing but a pair of shorts, but also with a longing to have been there or at least visit all the old stomping grounds. .....

Mom sent some pictures of the house Dan grew up in in Alton, I think it's so cool that there are pictures of all the years...
Matthew would give away his most prized possesion to be able to do the things Dan has told him about!!
Dan misses Alton and the Good ol' Days, I'm so glad none of those Alton girls were able to steal his heart before me!!! :)

Pool Update:

Well... EVERYONE, (including us) has the same question:
When is the Pool gonna be done? And while I wish I had some good news, I don't. The whole delay boils down to our contractor DID NOT have a clear picture of what Dan envisioned for the pool. He wanted a ledge out over the spa that created a waterfall with a place underneath for the kids to sit or stand under to have the water cascade over them. Well, the spa ledge was built too close to the water level so instead of having to raise the spa after all the plumbing had been set, THEY chose to build us a Grotto. A Grotto that was never in the plans and the city did not approve. So for weeks Greg has promised that it was all going to be resolved and that he had it "under control" and apparently he did not. After many attempts to "politely" request any update possible, it has come down to this conversation below:

P.S. Being that Greg told Dan "You scare me" I have been doing most of the communicating in order to not intimidate this grown man... A lot of good that has done right?

Greg (Pool contractor) said:

I will be tearing the grotto down ASAP. It wont fly. Just very disappointed as to what went on in the field. Guess I just did not get what you wanted at the contract table. That is a rare situation. Whatever it takes at this point will be done. I am totally burnt out with this. Thanks Greg
Dan responded:
We are also disappointed in what has taken place. The grotto will be torn down and rebuilt? Is that the plan? We were very happy with the look and design of the grotto, just not the color as of yet. What are we looking at as far as a time table?
Greg responds:
We need to meet. That’s all I will say at this point. Thanks Greg
I say:
Greg,

To say that I am disappointed would be a HUGE understatement... And while telling you isn't going to make the situation any better, I felt I had to at least share my feelings as a consumer. If you are burnt out by it all can you imagine us??? We, or at least I feel completely powerless. Regardless of the misunderstanding, it is what it is and what needs to be done now is to get on this like you said, ASAP. With that said, I am requesting we meet tomorrow, and not put this off any longer than we already have. Whatever else is scheduled is not important, as we should have the priority now since it has been so long. Please don't let this week slip away and nothing get done, all it does is delay the project even longer and fuel the frustration fire. I know Dan e-mailed you already, but I just feel that we have not got the service we deserve for the amount of money we've have paid. Please Greg, I've been as patient as I can, tolerating the non-returned calls, and the no-shows, and all I ask is that we get this back on track with the drive and attention it received at the start. Please respond with a time for tomorrow.
Suzie

So... I am so sad. =( The excitement and anticipation has been so intense I can't explain it! It is my childhood dream to have a pool of my own and this just breaks my heart... I know things could be much worse, but for this moment I am engulfed in self pity. =( Poor me. Anyway, just wanted to share my afternoon... Someday we will have our swimming pool...someday.

Missing the Family...

It's almost creeping up on our One Year Anniversary and this time of year brings back so many floods of emotions... I can remember planning all the festivities for the wedding and being so excited about having all the family down to be a part of it all! It was a great feeling to know everyone would be together and planning everything we would do was the best part!! Now that the time has come and gone, we are missing the family... It meant so much to us to have you all so close, living so far away from each other is hard!! The kids all growing so fast... :( So, we just wanted to say that we think of everyone often and miss you so, so much!!

Baby Alex!

I love babies, and Baby Alex melts my heart... He is soooo sweet! I think he belongs to me but really he is my good friend Julie's first little boy! She is such a good Mommy and you can tell.. He is a darling little boy!! He NEVER cries and always has a smile or grin on his face. I love to stop by for lunch and a visit...He makes me want to give him a friend... SOMETIMES!! Anyway... Baby Alex ~ you are a sweetheart!!! Great Job Luis and Julie! (When you gonna have another???) :)

My Friend Heidi

Heidi and I have been friends since I can remember. I grew up with her and her family and have so many fun, enriching memories! I can't tell you how many times I have counted on Heidi's support through life, she is the good angel on my shoulder. She inspires me with her devotion to her family, her faith, and her friends. Her soul is such a special one! I am so lucky to be able to experience life with her. How she does all the things she does in a 24 hour period, I'll never know!? Always managing to take the time to put others needs ahead of her own, and making a difference whether she knows it or not. She is so kind and gentle, her fragile spirit keeps you calm. However the roaring laughter we burst into at times, is hysterical in of itself! I cherish those times over and over!
Today I wanted to say Thanks for the memories, my dear, dear friend and there will be many more to be made!! I am thinking about you today and everyday a prayer is in my heart for you and yours... You are a wonderful friend... LYLAS 4ever!

My Greatest Love of All...

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a mom. Being Matthew's mom has filled every expectation I ever had for motherhood. He is a remarkable little boy filled with so much love, I wonder what I ever did to deserve such a great kid. I am so overjoyed to be able to be his Mom and looking back at all these pictures reminds me of how much fun I have had raising Matthew through the years. He makes me laugh and cry all in the same scene! Thank you Matthew for being you... I Love you, Mom.

I miss you...

My husband is everything to me... He is my rock, my best friend, my hero, my dreams come true, my sunshine, my warmth, and he is the person I had been looking for all my life. I don't see much of him lately, his training calls for long hours away from us. I miss him every second he's away, and wait vigilantly with my phone for the "BEEP" that always has a loving message from him. Whether it be a "Good Night" or an "I Love you" my heart skips a beat and I smile "He never forgets."
Tonight as I rest my head in our bed, I will fall asleep thinking of another silly story of us, or maybe a quiet memory of a night in Cambria, or it's always fun to recall our long talks up on the parking structure at work (what did we talk about till 2am!?!?!) Everything! It was in those nights that I fell deeper and deeper in love with you. I will never forget the way it felt to walk down the aisle to be your wife. You still give me butterflies that remind me how much I am in love with you...
Before you know it I will drift off to sleep until that welcomed "BEEP" that warms my heart and sends me back into dreamland...
He is the city's hero in the night, always looking to make it a safer place to be, even just for 10 hours (sometime 20!!). I can't put into words what I feel for Dan, I just know that I am the luckiest girl in the world. Matthew and I are so thankful everyday just to be his son and wife... We love you Daddy.