We just got home from a delicious Easter dinner at mom's house (see, mom, you can do Easter on Saturday) and had a great time. Dan's folks and our family and Ed and Jane were there and we had lots of laughs. Cora ate way too many hershey's kisses - she was even sneaking them behind my back. Then because she's so cute and smiled at Bop-pa (grandpa Smith) he gave her more of his chocolate bunny. Can anybody say "sugar high"?
Today was quite a day for the kids. Henry's first soccer game was this morning which Grandma and Grandpa Eckhoff were here to see. He scored two goals - way to go Henry. However, as is the case with 4-year-olds playing, one of the goal points went to the other team because he couldn't remember which goal he was supposed to head for. And he was so proud of himself when the ball went in. He looked at me and yelled, "I did it mom!!" I had tears streaming down my face as myself and all the other parents around me laughed hysterically. Then we had an Easter egg hunt at the local park which he thoroughly enjoyed. The best part is the bunny that was running around with the kids was a gal from church we have babysit for us occasionally so she tormented Henry and chased him all over the park. It was great. Cora didn't recognize her of course, because she was dressed up as a bunny, so she was terrified of the bunny and cried through most of the egg hunt. Oh well !!
Welcome Sheila. It's so great to see almost everyone finally getting on board - it's only taken a little over a year. But it is fun to see what everyone has to say. When we were in DC and saw Ranae she mentioned she would really like to be on and just needs to have Todd walk her through registering. So maybe you could call her sometime, Todd, and get her going. It was wonderful to see her and John and their beautiful house and we really enjoyed getting to spend time with her.
Tomorrow we head to Ames for IFDA convention. Dan will pass over the gavel and become a past president. He's had a good year and enjoyed it, but I think he's ready to turn it over to someone new. But we will have a fun-filled week of meetings, dinners, receptions, more dinners, some lunches thrown in, a few more meetings and more dinners. So I'm taking my "fat" clothes along. :-)
Hope everyone has a great Easter and it's so much fun to read your posts. Love to all --- Carin
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wow, the blog is running full force...Yeah
Great to hear from everyone and that everybody is healthy or at least recovering and soon on the way to the golf course. I had not checked the blog for a week or two and all of a sudden there was news, post, and information from almost everyone, kind of like getting the actual written round robin, except it was up to date information. Too bad the weather sucks in Iowa, been very nice here in Phoenix. We are not looking forward to summer but enjoying every day under 90 that we have left.
Kerri and I are still working at our current jobs and things are well. I have had an extremely busy first quarter, maybe the best start to the year I have ever had. The juniors are way down, parents are saving money on the kids I guess, but my adults are extremely busy. I changed the way we charge for lessons a little over a year ago (shorter, cheaper lessons more like a gym membership) and it has paid off. I have been working a more than ever and am hearing stories of other Teaching Pros being very slow and leaving the business.
Kerri and I (and Todd) will be moving in the next 30 -45 days. We have an offer on a house in the SW valley and hopefully will be moving in to a new house in mid May. We should find out in the next couple of days...maybe even tomorrow. Hopefully things will work out in our favor and we will be moving into a house with a pool (Kerri's only requirement for the new house). I will try to keep the GFRR up to date.
It is great to see lots of activity on the GFRR and hopefully if we continue to use it will become a more of a daily or weekly habit and entice the other cousins to join in.
Smitty
Kerri and I are still working at our current jobs and things are well. I have had an extremely busy first quarter, maybe the best start to the year I have ever had. The juniors are way down, parents are saving money on the kids I guess, but my adults are extremely busy. I changed the way we charge for lessons a little over a year ago (shorter, cheaper lessons more like a gym membership) and it has paid off. I have been working a more than ever and am hearing stories of other Teaching Pros being very slow and leaving the business.
Kerri and I (and Todd) will be moving in the next 30 -45 days. We have an offer on a house in the SW valley and hopefully will be moving in to a new house in mid May. We should find out in the next couple of days...maybe even tomorrow. Hopefully things will work out in our favor and we will be moving into a house with a pool (Kerri's only requirement for the new house). I will try to keep the GFRR up to date.
It is great to see lots of activity on the GFRR and hopefully if we continue to use it will become a more of a daily or weekly habit and entice the other cousins to join in.
Smitty
Monday, April 6, 2009
Mom and her dearly departed thyroid
I will tell you all that Monica and I were able to be in Greene with Mom and Dad a couple days surrounding her surgery last week. The three of us went to eat after her surgery, and then she sent us home at 8PM. The next morning we called to check on her before heading to the hospital, and she told me that Monica and I should head home, get on the road, rather than come see her. Needless to say, we ignored her directive and visited her anyway. I told her I'm not sure where her bossy gene is located, but it obviously was not part of her thyroid!
It's almost scary to see how we are our parents, but it becomes very clear when spending down time with them, without children around. I came home and told Matt to take me as I am, because there is so much Peterson and Grush hard wired in me that there's no hope for change! (Only the good stuff, obviously...!)
Todd, the 100's don't sound so bad, as it still feels like January here. The robins have got to be wondering which one of their "robin elders" screwed up and came back in the middle of winter!!
Take care, all... Sheila
It's almost scary to see how we are our parents, but it becomes very clear when spending down time with them, without children around. I came home and told Matt to take me as I am, because there is so much Peterson and Grush hard wired in me that there's no hope for change! (Only the good stuff, obviously...!)
Todd, the 100's don't sound so bad, as it still feels like January here. The robins have got to be wondering which one of their "robin elders" screwed up and came back in the middle of winter!!
Take care, all... Sheila
Spring???
Hello to all. I just wanted to make sure that those Arizona people knew that we in Iowa were lucky enough to have snow over the weekend. In Greene, we only had about 1" and it's all gone now, which is good. That way, the mole that is already working in our front yard can continue his pathways ( at least until the Uncle gets out his TRAPS).
Things are going well here--I spose most of you know that I was lucky enough to have my thyroid removed last Wednesday (what a way to spend April Fools)--home on Friday, no pain, no drain, low Calcium (Tums work great for that), and sutures to be removed this Friday. So, Life is Good.
Eldie is acting house husband, which I really appreciate--find that morning and afternoon naps are good things. He has followup appts in Mason City next week for knees, and Iowa City the week after for followup for his kidney---I am really glad that we are reasonably healthy, because all this doctoring does not fit into our schedule very well. We are anxious to start yard work, glad we waited until the snow was gone!!! Have a Happy Easter, each one of you--God's blessings continue to shower on you.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Catching Up
Greetings to one and all !!
Yes, I am behind in writing, but here it is!
First, welcome Sheila! It's really fun to read "anything" about our great Grush family.
Todd already brought you up-to-date on us, somewhat. We did return to Phoenix Feb. 26-Mar. 9 ---driving straight thro' in 24 hours each way. It seems bad at the time, but when you are at your destination you figure you have saved a hotel bill and about 12-15 hours. We did enjoy some great meals with the AZ "kids". Terry and I managed to golf 7 times in 8 days. We also looked at condos, etc. with our friends. I don't know that they have purchased anything, but it was fun to look.
This is a busy time at Preschool. We just finished up a Scholastic Book Fair that we run in our church -- sold over $1000 worth of books (we get to take out $400 worth of books as our incentive). Our "unannounced licensing visit" was Tuesday and we passed with flying colors -- his only comment was that we needed barrier masks so we could use our CPR skills. Tues., the 7th, is our night of conferences with our parents from 5:15 - 8: 45--we decided to go for one LONG night, instead of 2 shorter ones. Thurs., April 23 is our Registration Night for next fall -- so we are busy answering calls and getting forms all ready for new students. We are changing our schedule for next fall --- will go to 5 mornings a week. I've never worked Monday a.m.s in my whole career--so you can imagine how I am whining about that! But it may be the only way we will survive, so we have to try it.
Terry is busy at the funeral home -- retirement is looking better all the time. Convention is in Ames, April 13-16. Dan will finish his year as President and move to Past President. Terry also received an invitation from the SD association to come and be recognized for his 25 years of being licensed in that state May 12. He has had a license all these years, but hasn't actually conducted a lot of business in that state.
Carin and Dan returned last night from a trip to "George Washington" as Henry called it. They were able to spend time with Ranae and John and really enjoyed it. Carin also spent a day with her friend Heather and her new baby Katharine. So yes, we were in charge of "babysitting". I was the "mean" grandma and Henry couldn't wait for his "real mom" to get home! Funny how I didn't think that pushing friends around was an okay thing to do. However, the kids slept through the nights, which they don't usually do for Mom and Dad! I told Henry I really appreciated that.
We'll have Easter dinner here next Sat. night -- it's really hard for me to have an Easter egg hunt the night before Easter. I can do Christmas anytime, but it doesn't seem right for Easter. However, since we all need to head to Ames on Sunday afternoon, I guess we will adjust.
Hope that EVERYONE has a wonderful Easter and Spring. (As of tomorrow, we are supposed to have 10" of snow, but we're hoping that is wrong.)
Looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Love, A. Sue
P.S. the pictures weren't real flattering, Todd, but it does show that we played wii.
Yes, I am behind in writing, but here it is!
First, welcome Sheila! It's really fun to read "anything" about our great Grush family.
Todd already brought you up-to-date on us, somewhat. We did return to Phoenix Feb. 26-Mar. 9 ---driving straight thro' in 24 hours each way. It seems bad at the time, but when you are at your destination you figure you have saved a hotel bill and about 12-15 hours. We did enjoy some great meals with the AZ "kids". Terry and I managed to golf 7 times in 8 days. We also looked at condos, etc. with our friends. I don't know that they have purchased anything, but it was fun to look.
This is a busy time at Preschool. We just finished up a Scholastic Book Fair that we run in our church -- sold over $1000 worth of books (we get to take out $400 worth of books as our incentive). Our "unannounced licensing visit" was Tuesday and we passed with flying colors -- his only comment was that we needed barrier masks so we could use our CPR skills. Tues., the 7th, is our night of conferences with our parents from 5:15 - 8: 45--we decided to go for one LONG night, instead of 2 shorter ones. Thurs., April 23 is our Registration Night for next fall -- so we are busy answering calls and getting forms all ready for new students. We are changing our schedule for next fall --- will go to 5 mornings a week. I've never worked Monday a.m.s in my whole career--so you can imagine how I am whining about that! But it may be the only way we will survive, so we have to try it.
Terry is busy at the funeral home -- retirement is looking better all the time. Convention is in Ames, April 13-16. Dan will finish his year as President and move to Past President. Terry also received an invitation from the SD association to come and be recognized for his 25 years of being licensed in that state May 12. He has had a license all these years, but hasn't actually conducted a lot of business in that state.
Carin and Dan returned last night from a trip to "George Washington" as Henry called it. They were able to spend time with Ranae and John and really enjoyed it. Carin also spent a day with her friend Heather and her new baby Katharine. So yes, we were in charge of "babysitting". I was the "mean" grandma and Henry couldn't wait for his "real mom" to get home! Funny how I didn't think that pushing friends around was an okay thing to do. However, the kids slept through the nights, which they don't usually do for Mom and Dad! I told Henry I really appreciated that.
We'll have Easter dinner here next Sat. night -- it's really hard for me to have an Easter egg hunt the night before Easter. I can do Christmas anytime, but it doesn't seem right for Easter. However, since we all need to head to Ames on Sunday afternoon, I guess we will adjust.
Hope that EVERYONE has a wonderful Easter and Spring. (As of tomorrow, we are supposed to have 10" of snow, but we're hoping that is wrong.)
Looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Love, A. Sue
P.S. the pictures weren't real flattering, Todd, but it does show that we played wii.
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