Live, Laugh, Love with the Eames'

Madison Zoo

2009-09-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Over the Rainbow

2009-09-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

This was irresistible! It had just rained! The kids came running in... "Quick! Get the camera! There's a double rainbow!" It didn't stick around long, but if you look had enough you can see it!

This was at our home. Our porch is on the left. Gorgeous!

Epcot!

2009-09-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

When we do Disney World again Epcot will be our first stop. This place was loaded with countries to visit. We spent more than $100 just tasting food! Yeah! Most of it was really good! We would get one item and all get spoons, then dig in.

Each place had shops. Mariah and Dave liked trying out the merchandise.

Looking for anything in doors!

2009-09-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

Can you tell we're hot? The boys worn their suits hoping to ride a water ride. Apparently, they weren't the only ones thinking this, because the lines were too long to bother with waiting. Plan B: Hang with Jess and find characters.

Meet the Wright's!
Greg, Melissa, Deb, Jon, Megan and Jenny. Jenny is Mariah's best friend. We went with them to Disney World to watch the twins perform. We all had so much fun!

Jessica and her characters

2009-09-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

We waited in so many lines . . . it was crazy. Jessica finally got tired of it all.

Belle was inside. Thank heavens! We were melting!

We got to cut to the front of the line to see Arial. I got talking to a character helper and told her how we went everywhere looking for Arial. She is Jessica's favorite. Anyway, this gal walked us to the front of the line and slipped us in to see Arial in her Grotto.

Meet Megan and Melissa

2009-09-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

Megan is the cute one with the parasal! Melissa is the cute one below! These two are twins and you guessed it, they look nothing alike! They are in our ward. Their singing group was picked to come perform on stage in Downtown Disney at Disney World. They were a crowd pleaser. They received a "Mouscar" like and "Oscar".
(I might have that all wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. So someone correct me!)

Melissa was Jessica's first best friend here in Illinois. They still are great friends.

Melissa is so good to her! Jess is lucky to have a Melissa!

We took on Disney World!!

2009-09-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

I need to have two of me! Our lives seem to be leading us along instead of the other way around.

This summer went by so fast. I had so many things to do and yet we did a ton!
Our family went to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The anticipation of it all was much bigger than the actual event. We were there the second week of June. It was so miserably hot we had a hard time enjoying ourselves. All in all, we're glad we tried it once. It will be a long time before we do it again.

We all agreed we wouldn't want to live in Florida!

Epcot was really cool! So much of it was just like Disneyland everywhere else. But not Epcot!

Denney turns 40!

2008-06-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

At this point, he has no idea what's about to happen!

Breakfast at Holland's, Denney receives the famous hidden Easter egg that was just found a few days before. Please don't open this one, Den!

Tyler did get to help blow all 40 candles! We sang Happy Birthday with Dale and fam, Sean and fam, Dave and fam, Jimmy and fam, Vaughn, Emily and Todd, Brittany, Mom and Dad Eames, Olivia, Rex and Vicki and Richard. Good Times!

Later, we all tested our skills to Rock Band! The boys challenaged the girls and the girls excepted the challenage.

Guess who won?? Yes! Girls Rock!

I'm posting this really late. But, hey, better late than never! Denney turned 40 May 13th. For his birthday we surprised him and decorated his office while he was gone on a business trip! He told us that he didn't want to celebrate at all! He even threatened to take back all his presents! What a stinker!!

So.... We wouldn't let Denney get away with it! Friday May 16th the kids and I showed up to Denney's office and... KIDNAPPED him! Here's our little script!

Jessica will distract Dad first! She will put a rope around one hand.

Jake will then tie the other hand behind his back.

Mariah will put a donut in his mouth. Jared and Dave will hold water guns at him.

Jake: “Dad we are here on a mission! We’ve been hired to kidnap you! Unless you are willing to cooperate! If not, on my command all agents will all let loose.”

Mariah: “Dad there has been a conspiracy going on. Mom has been plotting against you! You see, turning 40 IS a BIG DEAL! And we insist that there is a celebration!

All of you: “Yeah, DAD!”

Dave: “I will remove the donut if you won’t scream, after we tell you the deal! Blink twice if you understand?”

Jared: spray dad once, “I just want to make sure you are paying attention!”

Jake: “Mom is not the only guilty party! In fact, Mom is truly a great master mind! A pure genius at work! She is really good! (She made me say that, she’s the boss!)

Jessica hands dad a bag!

Mariah: “In the bag is a change of clothes. You have 20 minutes to close your office, talk with John and change. We then are taking you to dinner to celebrate.”

Jake: “That’s not all you have a top secret file with detailed instructions enclosed, because tonight you are getting on a plane with mom to go to Arizona!”

Dave: “Kent is waiting your arrival! You and mom will be staying with him this weekend. Saturday morning is breakfast at the Holland House!”

Jared: “Saturday evening is fun with the Eames and Parry’s.”

Mariah: “Sunday is Kent day. He’s made plans with the guys to come over and hang!”

Jake: “Monday is work as usual. Mom will fly home; while John has you do some stuff for him. You will come home on Wed.”

Dave: “Are you ready for the donut to be removed? Blink twice.”

Jake: “You know, it’s not often that we have Dad all tied up. Let him have it!”

It didn't go totally according to plan. BUT, he was surprised! Here's pictures of all the celebrating he didn't want to do!

It's GREEN!!

2008-06-24T06:47:00.001-07:00

Ten minutes from our home is this!! Hononegha Forest Preserve. This place is beautiful. Denney's office needed some color. So, for his birthday we got new shirts and took some pictures. They turned out great. and Denney's office looks so much better!

Hawaii in January

2008-05-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

We totally enjoyed Hawaii! thanks to my parents who paid for the trip and to Denney's parents who came to freezing cold Illinois to watch our kids so that we could enjoy paradise.

We stayed in a condo right off the beach 1/2 mile away from Turtle Bay.

Haleiwa had some of the best food. We loved the shrimp from the Big Wave Shrimp Shack. Down the road from here was a little shop with excellent shaved ice.

This was our view from the top balcony. We would open the door and just listen to the waves crash on the shore. It was so relaxing. There was a lot of coral on this beach so it wasn't the best beach to just hang out on, but it sure was beautiful.

We took a whale excursion. We saw lots of whales moving around. None of them were playing though. Darn it. I love to see them come up out of the water and splash down. Here we are swimming with the dolphins. This is my brother, Jim. He was surrounded. We all were. It was incredible. If you don't bother them you can swim with them for quite awhile.

Hananuma Bay had the best snorkeling. Denney and Grant got out past the reef and saw some gorgeous fish and sea turtles. Just look at this view. We loved it!

Of course, we made it to the temple. The temple faces the beach. Again just beautiful. The sister missionaries greet you and hand you a flower to stick in your hair. The Polynesian Cultural Center is just down the road. We spent the whole day as VIP's. Cousin Vette was our guide and we were the "Happy Family" (Hoppy Fam'i'lee)! If you have never gone to the PCC, it's a must! The shows, history, luau, and food were awesome.

There was so much more! But I can't post it all. So come visit! We love to show and tell.

Finally!!

2008-04-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is my first creation. It needs some work. But I'm out of time today. So just enjoy as is.

This was a little scary to take. We pulled off the tollway. We pay anywhere from $.40 to $1.20 to each time to drove down this roadway.

Home Sweet Home - this doesn't really show it but there is a slight steep driveway. Making it difficult when there is snow. The school bus picks up the kids right in front of the house. It is great. They watch from the window.

Water: There is an abundance of rivers and lakes. All we need is our boat. Denney can't wait to go water skiing. Neither can the kids.

Roscoe - Population 8700
We live in the sticks! There are corn fields everywhere. But the air is fresh and sometimes the sky is clear! I guess we can't have everything.

Downtown Rockton. Roscoe and Rockton are right next to each other. Rockton has a really quaint main street. We decided to take a stroll. The high school is located here in Rockton.

This is our side yard. It looks into our back yard. It's hard to see slopes because of all the snow. The kids are slipping all over the ice. I just know an ER visit is coming.

Prairie Hill School:
It has K-8th. Rumor is a farmer donated land to build a Jr. High. It is suppose to break ground this Spring. Anyway, they may all meet in the same building, but they function separately from each other.

Mariah has friends that spray water on their trees to create a beautiful icicle castle. It really is kinda cool.

Well, we've been here in Illinois now for four months. Can you believe it?? You might be able to, but for those of us here time has gone really fast.

Every time there is a change, there is an adventure to go along with it.

Here is a list of our adventures with dealing in really cold weather.

To get into elementary school you need a current physical, parents IL driver's licenses, closing docs and two other forms (electric bill, gas bill, phone bill, etc.) to prove residency before starting school. Our kids had a very long Christmas break! That meant they were in doors!

Ice storms are beautiful to look at, but not to drive in.

When temperatures drop below zero with winds causing it to go to -15 or lower you must have a heater in the garage or your water pipes will freeze.

When the water pipes freeze you get to wear shorts in doors as you turn up the heat to warm the pipes.

When it snows don't walk on the fresh snow in the drive way. You leave ice prints and the snow blower can't get them up.

When a storm comes be the first in line to get your salt for driveways. It goes fast.

Denney must call home 30 minutes before to give his boys enough time to clear the driveway so that he can get into the garage.

4 wheel drive is a must!! Denney's pretty new truck doesn't have it. Bummer! But the family enjoys watching as he goes down the street to get a running start to make it up the driveway when it's snowing. (He's been rescued by the street-scraper-truck dude.)

Watch out for deer! Haven't hit one, but have come close many times!!

Watch out for ice! There already has been too many times to count where we have found ourselves flat on our butts. Oh OW!

Now leave in the middle of January to Hawaii where the weather was perfect. And I do mean perfect to return back to snowy Illinois. (I didn't mind it too much, I found it refreshing... but...Denney, he sulked for days. In fact, he is still wondering or looking for an excuse to go back. It was fabulous!)

Jake's adventures
Don't juggle rocks near or around windows. It makes your room really cold until the new window comes in (wait time two weeks). Not only that you become truly enslaved to your parents.

Pepper spray will clear a house. Don't try it next to a "new" friend causing him to jump back taking the closet door with him. If you weren't already enslaved with the window incident you just ensured it with pepper spray.

And he wonders why all these things happen to him.

Mariah's adventures
Move into a new house, new neighborhood and new school and decide to do it all....Young Women's, school, piano, flute, choir, basketball, advance math, and still get straight A's!! We were ready to strangle her. If she wasn't on overload, the rest of us were.

She has made many, many new friends. This move started out to be something she despised, but now she feels it was one of the best things that could have happened.

David's Adventures
Taking a dare to run down the street in bare feet and shorts won't only make you cold, but find yourself scraping your frozen footprints off the driveway and sidewalk.

Become friends with the entire neighborhood and make your home the center of play. It is a sure way to drive you mother nuts. Don't tell her, though, that you friends drank all the milk. She is libel to go berserk!

Jared's Adventures
Have a teacher that is Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde and see if that doesn't send you to the child psychologist! Poor Jared got stuck with a very strict teacher that inflicted what she thought was the best resolve to all of Jared's academic problems. It sent him spirally downward. After having him academically tested, poked and prodded, we have discovered that Jared is one smart kid (a high IQ) with a reading disability. With proper intervention he should be cured in a few years. Yes!! That meant that Jared got a new teacher. The youngest, hottest looking and fun, new teacher. He is doing much better. We see lots more smiles and a lot less tears.

Jared's made lots of new friends and is enjoys his new popularity.

Jessica's Adventures
Jessica has learned to pick favorites and get what she wants by telling them they are her best friend. It works, every time. Even on me. I love it when my little girl wraps her arms around my neck and says, "Mama, you are my best friend." I'm putty in her hands.

One of Mariah's friends was over telling us how excited she was, "I'm so excited! I'm going to be an aunt!" she said. Without missing a beat Jessica looked right at her in all seriousness with some excitement and said, "I'm going to be a butterfly."

Jessica is at the age of all kinds of funnies. Last night she told us that she was soo full after dinner that her stomach was going to touch her legs. We all laughed.

Honestly, I've loved it here in Illinois. I miss all my family and friends. I want to keep in touch. I'll admit I'm not very good at this but I'm going to try. They say the first time is the hardest.

Love you all. I'll write soon.

Jonnie