Jensen & Lauren

We got to spend a week in Wisconsin at Lake Geneva with my mom, siblings and cousins.  Here are a couple of great pics that Johanna caught of the oldest girls.

Center of Attention

Janie has a way of becoming the center of attention!

Hoppin' Fun

Saw the Grasshoppers play last night.  A fun way to spend the evening.  Plus, it's not everyday we get to see a starting pitcher strike out 14 batters (in 7 innings of work) and take a no-hitter into the 7th inning.

Jensen & Miller

Allegedly, Jacob and Jensen are hanging out with Miller today.  Has anybody seen Miller?

Rainy Day Fun

If it's rainy, obnoxiously hot or just time for some inside fun, there's a good chance Jensen will be playing with her doll house in the sun room.  While playing, she keeps a running narrative of the action.

For several weeks now, Jacob and Jensen have been taking all the magnets off the frig in the garage and placing them of the back of our cars only to immediately put them back on the frig minutes later after taking in their handy work.  Literally they do this on about a daily basis.  Jacob and Jensen desperately wish we'd put magnets on our cars but we've decided to refrain.  I guess this is their practice for one day decorating their own vehicles.

Curious George Socks

For the past 2-3 years, these have been Jacob's "go-to" socks.  The first pair worn again after laundry was folded.  They've been worn to bed, to school, to church, to basketball and football games.  I chuckled this past basketball season when all of Jacob's teammates had white athletic socks on while Jacob went Curious on them.  However, if they were on top of the sock drawer, they were the next pair on. 

Jennifer, ever nostalgic, has been reluctant to let them go, so they've gone well beyond well-worn.  Finally, last night, I told Jacob to put them in the trash at bed time.  All 3 sets of understanding eyes were immediately directed towards mommy wondering how she'd respond.  Sure enough...tears rolled down her cheeks.

It's funny that a silly pair of socks can conjure up such emotions, yet those feelings are real as we confront the reality of being unable to slow the pace of growing up.

I'm not sure who gave Jacob these socks and I'm not sure what was paid for them.   However, I feel pretty comfortable suggesting that no pair of socks Jacob will ever own will have a better return on investment!

Piano Duet

Janet Lee (Gauss) Schrader (7/18/12 - 7/3/12)

A week ago our (Jason's) sweet Grammy passed away just couple weeks shy of 100.  We’re going to really miss her.  She was all you could want in a grandmother.  It’s been fun for the past week wondering  what her initial moments in Heaven have been like.  I wish I could be a fly on the wall.

As you may have heard, she had a stroke 11 days prior to her death that debilitated her.  Yet, in a testament to the strength of her 90 pounds, she somehow managed to go 11 days without food and nearly a week without water before finally giving up her battle early on the morning of July 3rd just 15 days before she would have turned 100.

On 7/21, during what was planned as a 100th birthday party, we'll remember her with a memorial service in Wheaton.  It will be celebration different than intended but a celebration nonetheless.

It’s really a blessing to have all positive memories of her.  She was a delight.  3 words come to mind immediately when I think of her…service, contentment and prayer…if those three words are spoken of me one day by a grandchild, I would be thrilled. 

Below is the obituary written by my mom that was in the Daily Herald (Chicago).  It's a nice little biography of her life here on earth.

Janet Lee Schrader, age 99, a resident of West Chicago, IL, died July 3, 2012, at Wynscape Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Wheaton, Illinois.

 

Janet Lee Gauss was born on July 18, 1912 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the first of two daughters born to Joseph Henry and Olive Montgomery Gauss. Janet was raised in St. Louis and its surrounding area. Her father founded the Brookes Bible Institute in St. Louis which is where the family lived for several of Janet’s growing up years. The family also lived in Kirkwood and Clayton, both suburbs of St. Louis. Upon completion of high school, Janet took kindergarten teacher training and taught kindergarten in the Clayton public schools for a number of years.
 
Her family was active in Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis and that was where she met John Milton Schrader whom she married in June of 1941. Their first home was in Oak Park, IL. Not long after they were married, Milton went into the army which brought them back to St. Louis. Janet followed Milton and the army to Greensboro, North Carolina, Salt Lake City, Utah, and back to St. Louis. After the war, Milton and Janet returned to Oak Park. Milton was employed by Moody Bible Institute and Janet took care of her parents who lived with them in their home in Oak Park. Janet once again used her teaching skills and taught preschool at the playground facilities in Oak Park.
 
The family was also active in the River Forest Bible Chapel. Milton and Janet moved to Westfield, New Jersey so Milton could represent Moody Bible Institute on the East Coast. They were very involved in the Woodside Bible Chapel in Fanwood, New Jersey. Janet expanded her enjoyment of the little ones by working in a children's clothing store. Upon Milton’s retirement in 1976 they moved back “home” to Kirkwood, Missouri. Milton and Janet jumped into life at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church where Milton was on the staff as visiting pastor and Janet taught 4-year-old Sunday School.
 
With Milton’s health failing, Milton and Janet made their final move in February of 2000 when they came to live with daughter Martha in Wheaton. They became involved at Bethany Chapel. Milton passed away in August of 2000 and Janet chose to stay in Wheaton as she had made that her home. Janet spent many years volunteering at Repeat Boutique.
 
Janet’s life has been spent faithfully encouraging others with cards, letters and notes. She has been an adopted mother to many. She was a constant support to Milton and a prayer warrior for family and friends. She cannot remember a time that she didn’t know the Lord as her Savior and he has walked with her throughout all her almost 36,500 days!
 
She is survived by two daughters Ellen Montgomery Schrader and Martha Walker Huitsing; four grandchildren Jason John (Jennifer) Huitsing, Jeffrey Lee (Jill) Huitsing, Jessie Lee (Aaron) Bloss, and Johanna Walker (Grant) Hendrikse. and eight great-grandchildren, Lauren Elizabeth Huitsing, Jacob Henri Huitsing, Andrew Jeffrey Huitsing, Jensen Jeanne Huitsing, Caden Zachary Bloss, Kate Elizabeth Huitsing, Addison Riley Bloss and Janie Grace Huitsing.
 
She was preceded in death by her parents, Olive Montgomery and Joseph Henry Gauss, and seven brothers and sisters: Esther, Henry, Paul and Frank Gauss, Annie Kean, Olive Haw and Jo Garven.
 
A memorial service will be held July 21, 2012 at 11:00 am at Bethany Chapel, 404 N. President St., Wheaton, IL 60187. Memorial gifts may be directed to Brooks Bible Institute 3465 South Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63118.

City Swim Meet

Here in Greensboro, there's excitement around town because it's City Meet weekend.    Going back to 1959, neighborhood swim clubs have competed against one another in the final event of the swim team season.  Certainly there are swim meets all over the country every weekend of the summer, but this event seems to offer something that is distinctly Greensboro.  For the traditional City Swim Meet, each pool sends its top 3 swimmers for each age and stroke to the 2-day competition spanning Friday and Saturday. As a 7-year-old, first-year swimmer Jacob didn't qualify from the pool of 7 & 8 year old boys that call Green Valley home.  Instead, he competed Thursday evening in what would be described best as the junior varsity City Meet.  It's a meet for all swimmers in town not quite fast enough to qualify for the Friday/Saturday main meet.

It's really difficult to describe the logistics and environment of a swim meet with probably close to 2,000 participants.  However, the fact that the City Meet is now hosted by Greensboro's brand new state-of-the-art swimming facility makes it even more interesting.

Jacob was entered into 4 events by his coach and had what turned out to be a memorable evening in his nascent swimming career.  By placing in the top 10 of each event, he contributed valuable points to his team's total (some events had more than 100 entrants).  Individually, he set personal best times with each stroke.  The icing on the cake was a 2nd place finish in the 25 Fly...just 0.03 seconds from first!  With a time of 24.28 he bested his previous time by 2.7 seconds.

It was loads of fun to watch the exciting swimming.  Now, we're looking forward to spending some time at the balance of the meet cheering on some fellow GVP swimmers.  Having not been a competitive swimmer growing up (Jennifer was), I didn't realize how fun this could be.

A wave to the crowd after swimming an event...

Evidence of his 2nd place finish in the Fly...

Not a real high quality feed but here he is swimming the back stroke in the nearest lane.  (I'd recommend expanding it.)  He ended in 9th place overall having shaved 4.5 seconds off of his time.

Here is a video of his freestyle.  He's 2nd from the left in the green cap.  He finished in 10th place overall having shaved 1.1 seconds off of his time.

4th of July Sprinkler Fun

Swim Cap

I think watching Phelps and Lochte on TV during the Olympic trials convinced Jacob to give the swim cap a try (only one, rather than the two caps worn by the Olympians!).  He told us that he feels faster with it on.  We could see the seconds falling away!

Good friend Blake and Jacob waiting for their next swim...

The latest Sharpie Tattoo

Jensen Shrank!

Janie Asleep

We never grow tired of watching our kids sleep.

Jacob & Janie in the Pack N Play

Jacob recently asked to get into the pack n play with Janie...

(Jacob got a bee sting near his eye.)