Reality Blog

My blog was looking kinda "Brady Bunch" - so I decided to throw in a few hints of the reality of raising teenagers. Randomly included in Blog entries of this past week... Viewer discretion is advised......

J.K. L.O.L. :)

I also have had to learn the above lingo .... and more.

I can't include the sassy mouths, squealing tires, co-ed parties, awful music, curfew violations, and late night "discussions" that accompany the teen years - but there is one comment that really gets my blood boiling...

I'll title this like June and Dawn do: "Heard in Wisconsin..."

"SHUT UP MOM !!!"

Yeah, that one makes 'ole Mom crazy! Fastest way to get grounded in this house.

Actually, I'll take all this over my child leaving home. Still trying to deal with this concept of reality coming soon...

4 a.m.

Rather than doing something intelligent - like SLEEPING ! My daughter and her friend Kylie decided to drag out the digital camera and take some crazy photos..... so, here's t0 life at 4 a.m.!!

Jake and friends occasionally like to take photos also - this is how I found out about a little unauthorized party held in the basement. I picked up his camera and was flipping thru the photos, only to find a couple of "shots" with some "funny" looking bottles on hand.

Yeah, those of you with those adorable little ones just wait! Your time is coming!

Kayaking

Amanda, Jocelyn and Amy kayaking on the Lake yesterday.

Summer Fun!!!

Awards Night

Amanda had her awards night for soccer last week .......

... here she is getting her certificate from Coach.

A few words to the team and celebration of a winning season.

Volmar Family Picnic

Last Sunday was the Volmar family picnic. This event is supposed to replace the annual Christmas party, because there is not enough space in our homes for the extended family - unless we rent a meeting room somewhere.

Amanda and Jocleyn being silly in the food line - and Aunt Marge with her grandson Greg.

Joanne's son Justin is in the background.

My Dad and his brothers and sisters. I don't even know how many relatives there are on this side of the family, but I do know that there are 20 children belonging to these 6 and their spouses. I am grandchild (of Russell & Margret Volmar) number 4.

Jake and Hannah. Aunt Evelyn looks like she is having a great time in the background ...

Craig came without Tara today. She had a family event also.

Nice hat Craiggers!

Luke, Jake and Craig - the three grandsons of Ted and Sandy.

Sandy and Ted (aka..Mom and Dad)
Luke and Amanda made the journey down from up north...

Ron and Candy
Teddy and Kathy

My parents put a lot of work into hosting this bash. They had a great turnout and a pretty decent day. There were two quick storms that blew through, but it didn't seem to dampen any spirits. I think that there were about 65-70 people there.

I would post more photos, but I seriously don't know the names/faces of a bunch of my cousins kids. Hey, at least I know my 17 cousins and their spouses, and most of the kids.

Mom and Dad are not in charge again until 2014 !!!

Two Things......

Amanda got her temps yesterday - :)

... and she also found out that her teeth are going to be released from prison
on August 4th - double :) :)

Yippee Skippy

More Lake Water

The photos I posted of the lake running down Wisconsin Avenue were the calm before the storm. It really got bad after that. Here is a shot from the bakery that made Jake's graduation cake - looking out to the lake. There is supposed to be a road and a beach here. Instead you can see a bit of how they lined the snow plows up going all the way across the lakefront to try to stop the water. The sandbags needed help. There must have been 20 plows lined up end to end.

This business was lucky - most lakefront stores had water all the way up inside of them. Being on the far east side spared this bakery.

(The plows are in the street and you can see the life guard chair where the beach is.)

The local paper had a photo of people spear fishing for carp - as they were everywhere - swimming down Wisconsin Ave.

Tis the Season...

Late night bon fires....

Midnight (and later) swimming....

Jake and friends a few nights ago.

Amanda asked if she could have "some" friends over the next night. At last count, there were 6 or 7 girls and about 5-6 boys here. Boys out by 11 and then a sleepover in the basement for the girls.

I don't have a problem with the parties-- it's the mess in the morning that I have issues with.

Towels everywhere, bags of open food, pool toys laying around, chairs everywhere, clothes everywhere, soda cans, water bottles and litter everywhere.

And NO VOLUNTEERS to clean it all up!

Oh, and I forgot my favorite thing..... the kids have a habit of leaving the pool gate open all night because they are too lazy to close it!!

This really makes me crazy.... so after I stop ranting about the gate and the liability of it being open. Then I have to start jumping all over them to clean up. Asking nicely doesn't do a thing.

Yelling and threatening to end all priviledges is what it normally comes to.

Yeah, it's 2 in the morning and World War 3 broke out here tonight about the condition of the pool area, basement, garage, etc... Nothing has been cleaned up.

But, I did ask Jake very nicely to mow the lawn for me........because "they say" that I should ask "nicely" for things. Oh, did I mention ??? that I asked 4 DAYS AGO !!!

Sunshine for Sunshine

Despite all the rain that has fallen in June, it was sunny and warm for my son's graduation party. So, my "Sunshine" had sunshine for his big day. There are a gazillion pics to follow here, but the kids and their friends like them for Facebook, and the rest are for the family and friends who tune in to my blog........

Steph and his brother Robert posing with their sons ... Jake and Nick.

The Zilli's who attended the party - minus Candy who arrived late.
Jake's friends decided to dump a barrel of icy water on him.
Trevor trying to get every last drop of water out of the bucket...

The Ted & Sandy Volmar family members who attended:

Dad, Mom, Bub, Candy, Tara, Craig and Teddy.

I never took a photo of the whole tent and the awesome food that was catered in by our favorite catering service.
The extended Volmar family with Mom, Dad, Teddy and Jake. My Dad's brother Russ, his wife Linda, Aunt
Evelyn, and Aunt Mary on the right with her husband Don in back.
Jake and Hannah in the middle, with Amanda and her friend Jocelyn on the left. My friends Judy and Toots on the right.

Representing the Henriksen family: Aunt Lynne and her granddaughter Kaitlin. (front right)
Jake and Kyle - friends since third grade.

It's so hard to believe that all the days of these guys running around with squirt guns, riding on mini bikes, driving remote control cars down the road, and just hanging out.......are over!

They are both going out of state to college.

Cousin Kaitlin (Bill's daughter) from Pennsylvania is visiting for the summer. It was great to see her again.
Directly from the Fox Valley: the Morton's. As always, my friend Sherry was "here for me". She even came down a couple of days before to help me get ready for Jake's big day.
Two trips down and back up again with gas at 4 dollars a gallon....there is a true friend.

Jake and Hannah with Craig and Tara. It was so great of them to drive down here.

My sister's sons have always been Jake's heroes. He never wanted to be like Spiderman, but he did want to be just like Luke and Craig.
My mother-in-law Ellen (middle) with her friend Florence, sister Mary, Florence's daughter Joanie, and Amanda. You can tell by Amanda's hair that it was a bit windy!
Jake and friends.
Don't drop him!

Who invited these clowns???
Teddy Bear with my friend and neighbor, Bonnie. She and her family came from all the way across the street. They beat the gas prices...
Jake with my bro and sis.
Taking it all in.....the graduates.

Actually, they were trying to dry off. Hannah was on the receiving end of a barrel of water also.

All in all .......a great Graduation celebration !!!!

Coke Meets Auntie Jeri

Last week Aunt Jeri made the journey from Iowa to Wisconsin to visit family.

I was lucky enough to be on the list of "stops"!

Yep, Aunt Jeri got to meet our Coke.

It was so nice to visit........

Thanks for stopping in, Aunt Jeri!

Four Point Oh!

Amanda's report card came in the mail today ...... Another 4.0 !!!!

WOW !!!! Way to go Peanut!

Promotion

Jake was given a promotion and pay raise - He now works for Best Buy Mobile -- selling cell phones.

Congrats, Bub !!

Daytime Flood Photos

Yesterday, I made it into town during the day. The water levels had gone down, but not much.

This is the parking lot and drive thru of the bank on the corner right in down town. The ducks are swimming where cars normally form lines for the drive up windows.

The parking lot is to the right.
The lakefront public pier - floating off shore.

There are signs for no wake and actually I believe that no boats are allowed on the lake right now.

This is a scenic walking path along the river.....see the bench where you can take a rest?

The beach - normally filled with sun bathers and swimmers.....now closed.
Looking west on Wisconsin Ave.
The water went through the sandbags and into the businesses here.
Kids riding down Wisconsin Ave. going east.

More rain in the forecast - anyone know how to build an Ark???

Rain

The wettest June - EVER !

It just keeps raining and raining and raining....

Our court is flooded again with waves of water flowing through.

I am sure glad that I live on higher ground.