Oh, What a Night......Stacy, Me, Chris and Jon

Stacy and I had a girls night out going down to the Palace to see Daughtry and Bon Jovi. And what a night it was. I ended up working that day and got out late but after we finally got off we heard towards the Palace and decided to eat near Great Lakes Shopping Center since there is so much to choose from there. We first wanted to go to Max and Erma's but there were no parking spaces and it looked like a long wait inside. So, we went further down the road and Stacy chose "South of the Border" It was a cool Mexican place and I loved the food. It seems like the place was full of people, mainly girls, heading to the concert. I used the restroom at the restaurant as I thought it would be a lot quicker than the palace. Well, I had to stand in a short line there and everyone in there was going to the concert so we were all talking about it. Then off to the show we went. Since I have been going to the Palace so much to see the Piston's, I have come up with my own way of getting there. I take the 2nd exit that isn't labeled for the Palace and then I cut across my exit lane to another entrance lane (ya, I know, illegal but so much worth it because I can part right near the exit that puts you on 75 north) and paid the enormous parking fee. Off to the concert. Of course, Daughtry was the opening act and he was so good. He should have finished a lot higher in American Idol. He is truly a rocker and even though he was the opening act, a lot of people were there to watch and most everyone stood though his set also. He came across as nice as he did on Idol, too. After his set it didn't seem to take as long as normal to get set up for the opening act. Bon Jovi then appeared and everyone went crazy, especially when Jon hit the stage. We had seen him once before in 2003 at Tiger Stadium and we thought it was great being in the big stadium. But I think it was better indoors because of the sound. The light show was unbelievable outdoors but so was theirs last night. They had so many big screens and I never knew which to watch, the screens or the stage. Every song they do is produced like it is the encore and the goes on and on and on. And of course everyone was singing and singing. Jon really knows how to work the crowd. There was one downside to the concert........there was this high maintenance princess that was next to me and she brought her very expensive coat in with her along with her very expensive large purse. Well, she held onto them the whole time and the extra large purse was 1/2 way into my area and kept hitting me in the back. I was getting so mad but I wasn't going to let her ruin this night. Bon Jovi was on stage for almost 2 1/2 hours and everyone still wanted more. But Jon was probably dehydrated as he sweat the whole time, badly. The big picture screens were so clear, that you could see his sweat flying all over the place. It was so hot in the Palace that even Stacy had a hard time with it and she was down to her tank top. Now, off to the car and since I had crossed the roads, we were parked right where I wanted to be and near the exit we needed. Well, people we so nice and let us in and we were out of the parking lot and on the express in maybe, about 3 minutes. I don't think that will ever happen again in my lifetime. The Palace also raised a banner for Bon Jovi at the Piston's game the night before....as Bon Jovi has sold out the Palace 10 consecutive times. It was a great night and worth all the money. Check out the pics and videos!

My Day With Aenne

Aenne made a trip to Grand Rapids to visit her boyfriend, Simon. It was a short trip so she wasn't able to make it to Durand, so on a day when Simon was in school I went to visit her. She called the night before to ask if I was still coming because of the roads and I didn't know what she meant as the roads were fine here. But the next morning I found out why she called and asked because as I got close to Grand Rapids, the roads were horrible. I was a nervous wreck and I was so glad that I took the suburban and not my car. Come to find out there were 200 schools closed in the area, but not Simon's. After I picked her up we loaded my GPS to get us to Meijer Gardens, which most of it is outside at the better times of the year. But what we did get to see was beautiful and they had lilacs, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips in bloom. And since it was so cold and the roads so bad, it made me long for spring time. All the plant life was wonderful and Aenne and I were fascinated by the little birds. It doesn't take much to get us excited. :-) After the gardens we headed off to lunch and a big mall area as I was sure we could find something to do around there. But on the way we were going through downtown and I had read about an art gallery there so we changed the GPS and headed to the gallery. Well, we found it and a lot of it was pretty cool, but the prices weren't even anything we could fathom. Everybody that worked there were real nice though. So, now back on the roads, the slippery icy roads and even though the sun had been shining on them, they were still a mess and there were still all kinds of cars in the ditch and accidents. But we did make it to the mall area and Aenne chose the Olive Garden to eat at as she had never been there before. And it was such a good choice. We had a great lunch and then we head over to the mall. We didn't shop much but what we did do is go to the movies. I actually had a girl with me and I could go to a chick flick. We went to see "Fool's Gold" and I really enjoyed it. I was so happy that Aenne went with me. I wish she was still here because there is another chick flick I want to go to and like me, Stacy does prefer to watch them at home. After the movie it was off to Wall Mart to find something from America for Hanna . Hanna is Tino and Aenne's younger sister who I think she is 10 now. Well, Aenne said she is really getting into cooking shows and wanting to cook so I got her a cook book with lots of pictures and some measuring utensils. I would love to be able to watch her cook with all of this. I then took Aenne home and made the trip back to Durand. The roads were a lot better but I still had to very cautious. It was a great day and I am looking forward to her return visit this summer when she is able to spend some time in Durand. And as promised Aenne, we will play Cranium. All we have to do is convince my Mom to come up and play with us. :-)

Introducing #10----Hokan

Yes, you read write, number 10, and it's only January. We have never chosen anyone so early before. And I think Jannik holds the record of the latest pick, around July 13. Joi doesn't count even though it was August, he was all ready here and we didn't plan on taking an exchange student. I think it was a good thing that it worked out so well since we are continuing on for our 10th year. So, the newest member of our family is Hokan Martin and don't hold your breath because he isn't from Germany, but Sweden. But after reading his letter, it sounds like he will fit in with all of us very well. Of course, he has the main interest of soccer, but then you could figure that out. He also likes long distance running, bandy (type of Swedish style hockey), skiing and we saw a picture of him holding a fish. He has been chairman of his class and does well in school. He favorite classes are math and physics, right up Floyd's alley. He has an older sister,21, and a brother, 25. His father and brother are engineers, his mother a dentist and his sister is studying to be a dentist. Right now Hakan has plans on going into engineering. So, if some of you are able to visit you will get to meet him. He sounds like a well rounded person that will do well here. You know how hard it is for to tell the existing student that we have chosen a new one but I did tell Simon last night. I told him it was the second hardest thing for me to do, the worst sending my boys home. I just don't want anyone to ever think I'm replacing them or maybe it's more that I don't want to replace the existing one. He told me he understood.
On another note, Jon Simon's family has started a group to raise money to build a 2 story press box with dug outs this summer in memory of Jon. It looks like we will be selling raffle tickets to a car and the drawing will be on my birthday. I'm sure I will keep you updated on this. Isn't this just the way to do things, we have lights at the field and now the press box, but what ever happened to making sure we have a good field for the kids to play on. Maybe someday. Take care and I miss everyone!

Simon and the Casino

We finally were able to celebrate the third part of Simon's birthday. On Thursday and Friday, we had no school due to a recent snow storm, around 15 inches of the snow. So, on Friday we left for Mt Pleasant so Simon could try his hand a poker. We got a room which I thought I might enjoy as I took 2 books with me and imagined that I would be near the pool and read. But as it turned out, Floyd became very sick with a cold and he used the room. After we checked in we took Simon over to the casino and looked for Floyd Seder's mother as she had a couple of extra tickets to The Orchestra, formerly known as ELO. We had a nice visit and then Floyd took Simon to the pitch table, which is one deck black jack. Simon picked up the game very quickly and they finished ahead. So, Simon's first experience at gambling was successful. We found the poker room and signed Simon up to sit at the $1-$2 blind tables and but didn't realize that the bets were unlimited. We made sure he was set and Floyd went to the room and I found Other Floyd's mom and sister. They were at the pitch table and the dealer there told me that wasn't the right table for Simon to be on due to the unlimited bets so I got very nervous for him and I went to talk to the people at the poker room front desk. They also told me that wasn't the best place for him to be and I didn't know what to do because I didn't think I could go in and talk with him. But the guy told me it was no problem so I went and got him. He was happy to get off of that table and we signed him up on the list for the $3 and $6 blind table. We had enough time to get him a sandwich and then it was his turn to play. After I while I went to check on him and he saw me and he waved and gave me a thumbs up sign and I was happy for him. I was so trying not to to embarrass him the whole time but you all know how worried I can get. He was still playing when I went to the concert so I gave him a ticket in case he wanted to come after he was done. I have seen ELO in the past but it was almost 30 years ago and I didn't know what to expect, especially since it wasn't many of the founding members, but it was very good and I really enjoyed it. There was an older couple sitting next to me and he tapped me on the shoulder and ever asked me if I had heard of the band. He said that since it said orchestra, they thought it was going to be something like Tommy Dorsey. After a while, they got up and left. I hope Other Floyd's mom was enjoying it because his sister and I were. I had texted Simon and told him that there weren't many people sitting around us so he could come when he was done and he wrote back and said he was coming and I was glad I did. He was there for the last 35 minutes and got to see all the old people up dancing, clapping and singing. I'm sure it must have been a sight to see. All in all it was a very good day and night and Simon said he had fun. All I know is that I slept on the floor as I thought Floyd had pink eye and he was running fevers and I wanted no part of catching any of that. Simon insisted that if anyone was going to sleep on the floor it was going to be him but I didn't tell him that I was going to. There was a law from the fire marshal that the room we were in couldn't have a roll away, boo. But it was still a good time. And right now, Floyd is starting to feel better.

Super Bowl Sunday ......or not...A Girls Night Out

On Super Bowl Sunday, Jakob's sister, Janna had a friend flying into Detroit Metro to visit her for 2 weeks. A couple of days before she was suppose to pick her up, her friend from Central told her she couldn't take her so she called me. So, on Sunday at 1:45 pm I left to go up to Mt Pleasant to pick up Janna. We stopped back by home to pick up Simon's friend, Simen to drop him off near home after Simon's party the night before. So, we got to Novi and Simen's host sister met us there to pick him up and at the same time Janna got a call from her friend's mother and said that Annika, her friend, had missed her connecting flight to Detroit as her plane from Frankfurt was late. The next plane to Detroit was in 5 hours. So now, instead of her coming in at 6:30 pm it would now be 11:30 pm. We were right by Twelve Oaks Mall but since it was Sunday and 6pm it was closing. So, we drove around the area a little bit to decide what to do. We ended up eating at Potbelly's and then went to see the movie "The Kite Runner". It was such a good movie. We both cried and laughed, I'm so glad we went. When we found the theater, we had never heard of many of the movies and we were a little confused but when we got in side we saw advertisements for Indian movies and Indian businesses. After the movie, we went to an Irish Pub nearby and sat near the fireplace (Janna wanted to get warm) and we watched the end of the Super Bowl. It didn't end the way I wanted but it was fun seeing the exciting finish. Poor Janna was trying to understand it all. I think that will be one American thing she won't get used to. :-) It was finally time to go and get Annika and everything seemed to be going good now. But that thought was soon vanished as when we were near Lansing we hit bad weather. The driving became very slow. It was snowing so hard it made it hard to see and then when the crazy semi's went flying past, it was like a white out. But we made it safely to Janna's and I made it safely home, at 5am. It was a long day but it was fun to spend the time with Janna and it was like she said, "A Girl's Night Out."
Thanks Janna.

Simon's Surprise Party

With a lot of help from Eivind, we were able to pull off a surprise party for Simon and he says he had no idea what was going on and was really surprised. It started out with me asking Simen, his friend in Novi, to ask Simon if he could come and visit on Saturday and Simon told him no. We were busy all day Saturday with YFU so Simon thought it wouldn't be worth the trouble for such a short time. (During our meeting on Saturday, Simon texted Simen and asked him if he still could come up and Simen told him he was busy. Ha, Ha.) Well, we put another plan in place and were able to get Simen here so that was also a surprise to Simon. Simon came down the stairs and saw his friends and he had the biggest smile on his face. They were able to play a little poker and then we left for soccer zone so they could also play some soccer, two of Simon's favorite, soccer and poker. And after soccer, they came back to the house and finished their poker and ate. Simen, Eivind and Trevor stayed the night and I guess they played poker until 5 in the morning. I was long in bed before then. Now, all we have to do is finish the 3rd part of his birthday and that is going to the casino. We had such bad weather on Friday, we weren't able to go. But I know we will get him there. I'm sure this wasn't a traditional Norwegian 18th birthday celebration, but an American one and Simon did say he had a good time. :-)

Simon's birthday and Poker

Well, I think today turned out to be a good day even thought it was Simon's birthday. We took him to Eastwood Towne Center in Lansing where there are several restaurants. Simon actually made a quick decision, (he is usually worse than me about making decisions) and he chose Bravo!, an Italian restaurant. We really loved the decor of the place and the food was excellent. Simon made a very good choice. After a little shopping at Sam's, (such a cool place to shop on your birthday but we did buy the first season of Hero's to watch) we came home and Simon blew out the candles on his cake. Then he opened up his presents and replied to all of his well wishers that wrote to him on line. Since he got poker chips for his birthday and also heading up to the casino in the morning, Simon had an urge to play some poker. He had to settle on playing with Floyd and I and it will be an experience he will never forget. In fact, he said he can't wait to play with someone who knows how to play, referring to me, not Floyd. But who cares if I know how to play or not because I beat him..........I won 2 of the 3 games we played. Floyd won the last one but I did go all in on a hand that I never would have but it was midnight and the guys were tired. We are expecting there to be no school in the morning as a snow storm is coming but as of now, it hasn't started so they thought they should be prepared, just in case. I had my good luck charms, my German bear and my Norwegian moose. (Sully, I guess I need something French or Irish to complete my collection.) But it was my night for cards, especially on the river. All in all, it was a great night and I hope Simon had a good birthday. Happy 18th, Simon!

New York with Magne

Magne was in New York for 10 days with a group from his school checking out different Norwegian companies and they also went into the stock exchange. He said he enjoyed seeing how the businesses ran from the inside. So, while he was there I flew out for 2 days so I could see him. We did a lot of walking and riding in the subways and it seemed like Mag was a local because he was very good at getting us around. It was also his birthday when I arrived so we celebrated by taking a helicopter ride and also going to see the play Grease. The next day we spent shopping. Once again, it was great shopping for him due to our falling dollar.
It had been 17 months since I had seen Magne and he is still the funny and very considerate young man that I remembered. I had forgotten how much I love hearing him say, "It's ok, Vic." He always wants take care of everyone else but he doesn't always want it returned.
We both agreed that we don't want it to be another 17 months before we see each other again.

Christmas 2007

Floyd and I were very fortunate to have Sullivan visiting for the holidays. After he was here for 24 hours last August he knew that he needed to come back for a longer visit and we are so glad he did. Even though we do e mail and text each other and talk on the phone, we still miss his wonderful personality and his good sense of humor. We are so glad that he decided to spend this time with us.
Floyd's family was over on December 23. Everyone was here except for Ric and Tracy as they were at Jeremy's in Tennessee. Nancy's children, Jayden 6 and Jolee, 4 were are so cute and so much fun.
For Christmas Eve, we spent the day driving to my Mom and Dad's. The weather was great while we were there and on Christmas day, the golf course was closed so Simon, Sully, Dad and I went out and played the 8th hole behind their house. We played that hole 3 times and Dad was giving the boys pointers. The day after Christmas, Mom and Dad rented a condo on the water for us to stay in for 3 days. It was a great place with heated out door pools and Jacuzzis but I couldn't talk the guys into going in with me. Dad had found a place that had opened up that had batting cages so we went there and even I got in there to try and hit some balls. They also had an air hockey table and I challenged Simon and Sully to a game. I'm very competitive when it comes to this game and I needed to take Simon on again. We did find another table the next day and I did get one game against Simon. What I don't know is if he let me win so I wouldn't be pestering him to play. :-) Just kidding, I know I beat him fair and square. And as usual, we did play miniature golf. After playing the course once, we decided to play again but Sully came up with some new rules and we also played as teams. We were paired up from the scores of the first game and I was lucky enough to get Dad. With a team like us, who else could win? We killed the others. We also did some shopping with Sully since the Euro is so good against the dollar. He said it was like getting everything 50% off. I think Simon and Sullivan enjoyed going to the driving range the best. They sure were getting a lot better. There is always a lot of driving involved in this trip with it taking 14-15 hours one way, but it is worth it to spend the holidays with Mom and Dad.
Sully was with us for 13 days and it seemd much too short but he did have to get back to work. But we were glad that he came and we are awaiting his next visit. When we dropped him off at the airport he did told me that he would come back and visit and I'm going to hold him to that.

Eulogy for Aunt Jean

Hi. Yesterday was Aunt Jean's funeral and Floyd delivered the eulogy. I couldn't find a more fitting way to remember her on this blog than to post Floyd's words. Aunt Jean was a very special person and made everyone feel as if were the most important one to her. I will miss her greatly.

I consider this a privilege to deliver these word on behalf of Virginia “Jean” Kelly, a remarkable person by any standard. These words are not only mine but the words of family and friends, to express the many memories and thoughts of Jean. But more than that, these words express our love and sincere gratitude for everything that was Jean.
We all knew Jean in different ways and we all know Jean in the same ways. She was an excellent role model for young and old alike. Kelly said it the best - Aunt Jean was never just an aunt to me, she was always wise and compassionate in her role as mother, advisor, career cheerleader, friend, and overall mentor. Repeatedly I heard the words, “she taught me this“, or “we learned that.” She was always teaching because we were always learning. Many of you have know about Tuesdays with Morrie, well with Jean and her family it was Wednesdays with Jean. On Wednesdays she would have family go out to dinner and she would impart her life lessons.
One example of her values was about independence. When Jean was planning to attend Bob and Diane’s 50th wedding anniversary in Myrtle Beach she knew she didn’t want to have any help at the airport, so she began a personal training program with Marian Shea by walking at the mall. In addition, for many years Jean attended the spa twice weekly to stay fit. And when she could no longer drive Marian saw to it that Jean’s weekly routines continued. Whether it was going to the doctor, shopping, picking up flowers, or running errands- this was huge in allowing Jean to continue with her day -to-day independence. This was paramount in allowing Jean to live her life as she wished and maintain her independence as much as possible.
Her priorities in life were in the order of faith, family, education, and career. She did not just preach these moral imperatives, she taught them by every word, action, and deed. Jean attended church religiously, treated her family like they were the most important people on Earth, was well educated herself and personally helped finance the formal education of many, and was extremely successful with her personal career at Erickson and Lindstrom.
Family was everything to Jean. The importance of family was another one of her great lessons. She would say- all you have is family because family is everything. And Jean made all of us part of her family, whether born by blood, married into the family, her best friend, or the child of her best friend, she loved us all unconditionally.
She was overly generous of time and attention, always willing to lend and ear or what ever was needed. Jean was always ready to provide a helping hand with babysitting, doing the dishes, folding laundry, canning tomatoes, or picking up the house so when the parents got home all the work was done. She helped the family with their many activities in Eastern Star, even though she was not a member. Jean helped with Jackie’s political campaign. She was there for people whether needing company at the hospital or someone to hold your hand during a doctor visit. Her door was always open to those who needed a place to stay. She even provide medical care and attention in her home for Ma Berry, Kenny, and Becky. She was the Florence Nightengale of our time.
Jean taught us that age is just a number. It is how you feel inside and staying active both mentally and physically that matters. She was always in on the action and actually wanted to be at the “kids table.”
Jean was meticulous about details. Today was a planned event for years. We all know her wishes to be in the mausoleum. She even had her place moved higher up so she would be able to direct traffic from up high.
Other fond memories of Jean include hosting the many family gatherings with a big feast on the table and ice cold orange juice to drink. She was an excellent cook and loved to show the younger girls her cooking techniques. She always provided answers pertaining to proper etiquette. She loved to dine out and was always willing to try someplace new. She loved attending plays and especially dining at four-star restaurants after the show. She had a great love for books, reading, and movies. When asked what her favorite movie was she responded the next one you were going to take her to. She was always ready for a card game, especially pinochle. She was meticulous about her carpet. She would vacuum and rake the carpet several times a day to eliminate any footprint. And yet she and Ken took in a stray cat (Kitty Gregory) and made it a part of her family. She always had to have a green car. Jean stressed quality over quantity. Buy quality because if you by the best it will last. Fresh flowers adorned her home every week. She loved the beauty they brought to her life.
Jean was the kind of person who would want Jackie to know the important role you played in her life. She knew you before you were born and loved you like her own child every minute of her life.
Just as important were her brothers and sisters. Rena’s entire family were central figures
in Jeans life. She shared equally the joy and love Rena has for her children and grandchildren.
To Greg, Brad, Kim, Kelly, John, Pat, and Mary- you all spoke about the immense love you received from Jean. She would want you to know that your love for her was equally important. This is what truly brought quality to her long and wonderful life.
Jean is a legacy beyond any other. We all know Kelly feels extremely honored and proud to be named after Jean, so much so that she vowed as a young adult that if her life was blessed with a daughter she would honor her as well. And so Laura Jean can now carry such a wonderful legacy forward.
In summary, she was positively infectious, affecting the emotions and attitudes of everyone. Jean was everyone’s Guardian Angel and she still is.

NO WATER!

Sunday didn't start out as a good day for me. I went down to start laundry and the dryer quit working. Now, it had only been a week since the Floyd's fixed it that last time. So, I knew I would be heading back to the laundry mat. About 15 minutes later I went to check on the washing machine as I never heard the final spin and I went in and it quit working because there was no water going in. Upon checking other faucets, I found out we had no water at all. So, Floyd went up to the field and got all the water jugs and filled them up so we could have water to flush the toilet and water to clean up with. Monday morning Floyd called Greg Lintz to see who he would recommend and Floyd made the call. Well, they couldn't come until Tuesday and that ended up being around 3:30 pm. After checking things out it didn't look like our well had dried up and that he would be back Wednesday morning to start working. Well, Wednesday morning he returned and the first thing he was wrong was ok. So, he decided to change the point, something we had done when Deb and the kids lived here and Stacy was 1, a long time ago. So, after the point was changed we still didn't have a lot of water so he thought that sand had caked up around the point and he dropped acid down and he came back today. At first, he still wasn't getting much water but I guess things changed and he says we now have enough. So, right now he is running water outside to get all the black out. I can't use any in the house except to flush the toilet but just to flush it now seems like such a luxury. It's amazing how we take such little things for granted. I'm hoping to be able to take a shower tonight.
Simon has been a trooper through all of this and has never complained once. I have offered to him that we could stay at Carol's but he likes staying at home and I take him to Carol's to take his shower.
And my parts for the dryer have arrived so Floyd Joe can now fix that. I will be happy just to be back to normal.

Alicia and Josiah's Wedding

On Saturday, October 6 Alicia and Josiah were married at St Mary's Cathedral in East Lansing. Friday evening started with the rehearsal which Floyd and I were in a hurry to get to as Floyd had practice until 5 and the rehearsal started at 5. So, Floyd did leave practice early and I drove as he changed his clothes in the car and practiced his readings for the wedding. All went smooth except the priest had a hard time with Josiah's name. After the rehearsal, Josiah's family invited all of us to Clara's for dinner and fellowship. The food was very good and I was able to sit next to Aaron and since he moved to North Carolina, we don't get to see him much. Then on Saturday morning Floyd got the suburban ready to use for the bridal party transportation and then off to the soccer game and we had to leave that early to make it to the wedding on time. So, once again I drove and Floyd changed his clothes on the way and we made it with a few minutes to spare. Floyd was suppose to read twice and he did very well with his first reading but the priest skipped over the second one. It didn't bother Floyd but he was afraid that the priest would realize it and go back and Floyd wouldn't have the correct cue to go up to the pulpit, but he didn't go back. One good thing was that the priest got Josiah's name right every time. The wedding went well and Alicia was a very beautiful bride. The reception was at the Kellog Center at Michigan State University. The banquet room was surrounded with windows and beautiful scenery outside. The room was set up in such a way that it was easy to see everyone there and also easy to mingle with everyone. The party was so much fun and I had a great time. Not only did I have a good time, but Travis was the life of the party. I told him that now we got to see the "real" Trav and he responded that we were seeing a "drunk" Trav. Of course, Floyd sat in his chair and enjoyed the music there. He did get up and dance twice even though is intention was only to have to dance with me once but then a Styx song came on and he knew he didn't have a choice. Sunday morning was a brunch at the Kellog center and it was delicious. I would go back just to have the brunch there. There was also a lot of time to visit with everyone again. It was great to see a lot of people that we don't get to see much anymore but most important was to spend these days with Alicia and Josiah.

Simon's Surgery

Simon went to Ann Arbor this last week end to visit his friend from Norway that is an exchange student there. His friends Americanized name is also Simon. Well, they went to the Michigan football game on Saturday and then came home for dinner. Around 8pm, Simon started to have abdominal pain but still went out and played pool and table tennis with Simon and his friend. At 1am Simon woke up with severe abdominal pain and vomiting After being that way for 2 hours he finally called me. He at first told me I could pick him up in the morning but after talking a little more he said that I could come then. I arrived in Ann Arbor about 4:30am and saw there was a light on in the living room so I went to the door and noticed Simon's host mom was on the couch and I didn't knock as she was getting up. Well, she opened the door and I said something to her and I scared her half to death. She hadn't seen me she was just letting the cat out as the cat had woke up. Simon had never talked with her and she didn't know I was coming. I went upstairs to get Simon but he was in the bathroom, poor kid. I got his stuff and when he was up to it, we left. On the way home I was debating if he had a bug or what. But Simon was in the hospital in March with the same abdominal pain and vomiting and they couldn't find anything wrong and then told him that if it happened again that he should go to the hospital. So, I debated in my head what to do, home, Hurley or Mott Children's in Ann Arbor. I decided against home so now, Hurley or Mott Children's. I would feel more comfortable at Hurley and it's closer to home but I don't really like the pediatric surgeon at Hurley and if there is something that is hard to find, what better place to go than Mott, one of the best hospitals in the whole country. So, back to Ann Arbor we go (I was only about 10 minutes away.) After I finally found the ER I pulled in and they had free valet parking and someone from security was right there also. Simon wasn't walking very well and security got Simon a wheel chair and insisted on pushing it himself. We were triaged right away and sent to the peds er. Once we got there, they offered to put Simon right in a semi private room with a 2 year old or we could wait 5 minutes for another bed to empty, and that's what happened. When they asked Simon how much pain he was in on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the worst, he said 9. I was very surprised because he never complained at how much pain he was in and he just lies there. He is one tough cookie. Since he was having abdominal pain they had to put in an IV and give him fluids and drew some lab work. When the tech was going to start the IV he was doing in the part where all the hair is and I couldn't believe it. I almost said something but I figured that isn't the best thing to do just before he poked him. I didn't want to make him nervous and not hit the vein. Well, he didn't get the vein and had to poke Simon again but at least away from the hair in his arm. His lab work came back and his white count was elevated (13) so they wanted to do a cat scan to rule out appendicitis. Simon was suppose to drink one cup of contrast and then in an hour drink another. Poor Simon as he had been vomiting for hours but the last time had been 3 hours ago so maybe it would work. He was able to get the first cup down, only saying something about the taste once. After he finished the cup he was nauseated and in a lot more pain. So, when the doctor came in, I asked if Simon couldn't have something for the nausea and he also apologized for not giving him something for pain yet. Before the next cup of contrast Simon got his nausea medication(Zofran) and some Morphine for the pain. The morphine was a super small does and the nurse pushed it very slow, over 4 minutes but it still gave Simon the weirdest feeling and a headache. That only lasted about 5 minutes and then he started to drink his 2nd cup of contrast. After drinking a small amount, Simon asked me for his bucket and then to remove his hoody that was on top of him and he was so non nonchalant about it I didn't worry too much. Simon then puked up all the contrast. After the nurse called radiology, they said for him just to drink a couple of sips and then take him for his CAT scan. After he returned, the ER resident said that his appendix was thickened and that they were calling surgery. It didn't take too long for the surgery resident to come in and he was talking with us and he got paged and left the room before he was done. While he was out they came in to wheel Simon to surgery and we didn't even know he was going then. Simon had a question to ask the doctor (if the surgery could wait until after soccer season which the answer was no) and we hadn't talked to Simon's parents yet as I wanted to have all the test results back and what they were going to do first. We got a hold of Simon's mom, Liv before they wheeled him out and off to pre op holding for surgery. They let me sit with him there but he wasn't there long and off to surgery he went. It was about 12 noon then but I thought it could have been only 8 as everything seemed to go fast. I was so sure the clock was wrong that when I called Floyd, I asked him the time and I was the one that was wrong. After surgery, the surgeon came out and talked with me and said that everything went well and he had acute appendicitis. I guess that Simon's appendix was pointed downward and that is why he didn't have the typical abdominal pain for appendicitis and had they done a rectal exam he would have had excruciating pain. I was finally able to see Simon again at 2pm when they were taking him back to his room. Once we got to his room we could hear his room mate yelling, moaning and crying and that never stopped the whole time we were there except for when he had his morphine and went to sleep. It made for a very long 24 hours. Of course Simon slept quite a while as he still had a lot of anesthesia in him so he wasn't able to hear his room mate then. When Simon did wake up I ordered him a tray and he sat up and then had some abdominal pain and nausea but he still tried to take a few bites of jello. He then took a pain pill and went back to sleep and was able to sleep through his room mates antics. When he woke up this time, he was hungry. He ate his yogurt, macaroni and cheese and finished his jello and he was still hungry. We thought there was a Wendy's in the hospital and he decided he wanted the big sandwich, the baconator. Well, they closed the Wendy's and he didn't want me to leave the hospital so he had 3 bowls of cereal. He was finally full but now he was awake and all we could do was listen to that guy. We had the tv on and watching poker but in the background, was the guy still yelling and being very rude to the nurses. Simon had told me to go and get a motel room so I could get some sleep the nurse in me couldn't leave, I know the difference when parents are around and not. Finally, at about 2:30am I wasn't able to get any rest with the screaming kid and I knew I had to drive home and had only slept 4 hours the night before I had to do something else. The charge nurse was getting me a list of motels but she offered me a small bench in an empty room and that is what I did and I was able to sleep 2 hours. Simon was asleep at the time so I didn't feel so bad. When I got back he was still asleep but I found out that he hadn't slept the whole time as the kid was yelling again. That room was horrible. When the surgeons made there rounds at 8am they said after he ate breakfast and walked he could go home. I informed him that he had done all that very well and that we wanted out as soon as possible because of our room mate who was yelling at the time and they all laughed and understood. After an hour the nurse came in and I told her if they didn't write the orders soon, that I would just take him home as we had had enough. We finally left at 1 and we were so anxious to get home and have some peace and quiet and some good rest, which did happen. Simon got home and went to the couch so he could have Tivo once again (he really missed that in the hospital) and the OC was on. Right now it is 7 in the morning and Simon is sleeping. He had so much pain yesterday that we decided he was staying home another day and we will take each day at a time. He is out for soccer but will be back before the end of the season. He says he has had such bad luck with soccer so far.
Simon's friend had called Simon while we were in ER because he never knew Simon had been sick and Simon didn't tell him he was leaving so when he woke up and found Simon gone, he couldn't figure out what happened. And he was very nice and came and visited Simon after surgery, along with his host dad, Tom.
Simon has talked with his mom a couple of times but his Dad has been in Denmark so we left messages on his cell phone. Simon had a number for is Dad in Denmark but it was in an e mail and he hadn't written it down. Who would have expected something like this. But he will be able to call him today so he can hear Simon's voice and know that all is well.
This has been quite the experience for Simon and I once again was somewhat of a nurse, poor Simon. :-) But he is now on the road to recovery and should not have this abdominal pain again.
Our experience at Mott Children's was a very good one except for his roommate and I'm glad I decided to go there.

Meganck Wedding and Alicia's Shower

We had a very busy week end with Lindsay Meganck's wedding and Alicia's wedding shower. Saturday started very early with us being up at the VFW hall at 8am to help Marlon set up the tables. Marlon had a diagram all drawn up but Floyd, Floyd Carol and I had our own ideas and we just went to work. All of the hard work paid off as the hall looked very nice. The table decorations Cindy had were very pretty. The wedding was in the church the I went to when I was younger so it was cool to go back there. The food was very good and the party was a lot of fun. I left at 12:30 to come home and get ready for the shower and Floyd stayed there until 2:30 to help clean up.
Then we were up very early Sunday morning to get the basement ready for the shower. Since we aren't down there much, there was a lot of dusting. It didn't take us long to get it set up and it looked very nice.I ordered flowers from my favorite florist and thy helped make the basement look nicer. We played a couple of games, ate and then Alicia opened up the gifts. She received a lot of very nice things and it was so nice to see her so excited. Alicia is a very special you women and I feel very privileged to know her. I can't wait for her wedding that is 3 weeks away.
I am going to post some pictures of Simon and his friends at the wedding and some from the shower so make sure you take a look at those.
Update on my Mom.....when I called yesterday to talk to her, she was making dinner. So much for listening to her doctor.
When I wrote about the updates I should have also included 2 sisters. We feel like Aenne, Tino's sister, is part of the family also. She was an exchange student in Michigan last year and we did get to see her during the year and for her last 3 weeks here in the states, she lived with us. Aenne is back in school in Germany and has 2 more years. She said that school had started easier than she had expected but she hadn't had her math class yet. She is very sweet and does keep in close contact with us. Her nickname is Kimo and we only have fond memories of that and our trip together for spring break.
Jakob's sister, Janna is going to Central Michigan this year and we are looking forward to seeing her during the year. Janna got a job with the school newspaper as a sports writer, which I'm sure Jakob would love to do. She did come down and took the train to Chicago to see one of her friends. It was great seeing her again and we are looking forward to seeing her again soon.
Floyd's brother, Matt's son, Eric is getting married Sunday so it's off to another wedding.
And as always......there is soccer.

My Mom

A few weeks ago my Mom was cleaning a light above the bathtub in her room and she had put a stool in the tub so she could reach it. Well, I guess getting down or out of the tub she fell and hit her head but her left arm took most of the fall. She couldn't use her arm after that and was in pain but she thought it would get better and wouldn't get it checked out, even with lots of encouragement. It's funny because when she thinks Dad needs to go to the doctor or ER, she calls me and has me talk him into it but when Dad calls me for the reverse, she won't listen. Well, when we got to Florida, a new bruise showed up and new swelling near her elbow so she said she would go to ER. Well, they took xrays and said they couldn't find any broken bones. Her arm still was not improving after all these weeks (about 3) so she called her doctor and she went to an orthopedic surgeon and her elbow is broke. The doctor told her if he would have seen her in the beginning, he would have casted her but since it has been a while and the bone isn't displaced he decided not to and she has to wear a sling when she leaves the house. She has strict orders not lift anything heavier than a feather so now Dad will be waiting on her. He has to take over the cooking details so I guess they will be eating out a lot. Mom says she will have to hire someone to clean the house but who is going to do the laundry? I don't know if Dad has ever learned how to turn on the washing machine yet. I wish I had a video camera set up in the house as this should be interesting. :-)
I'll keep you updated on her progress.

Updates on All

Things in the Lincoln household are the same as usual for this time of year. School has started along with soccer. For once, there were a lot of guys who went out for soccer with 19 being on the Varsity and 20 on the JV. On Tuesday, the varsity lost to Mt Morris, the first time ever. So, I'm sure you know what kind of mood Floyd was in. And then last night, a parent suggested to him that there are parents who think he isn't putting the best team on the field. Leave it to parents to think their kid is better than everyone else's. So, now Floyd is hurt and says he will not be coaching next year. I'm sure they will realize how good of a coach he really is when they get a new one.
Well, I labeled this as updates so that is what I will do. To begin with, I was awakened this morning by Stacy telling me she passed her LPN boards. What a great birthday present for her. She still has 1 year of nursing school to go and then she will take her RN boards. But right now she is working as an LPN making much more money than she did doing nails. She is also engaged to Graham and will be getting married on June 7, 2008.
Clayton is starting his second year as the athletic trainer for Byron. He also is going back to school to get his 2nd major as a gym teacher. He became engaged to Melissa 2 weeks ago but they said they won't be getting married until 2009. Melissa started as a special ed teacher at Carmen-Ainsworth this year.
Johannes, Jo or Joi, graduated this last summer and is now an architect. He found a job as soon as he finished and is working in Kempten for the same firm he did his internship for. In fact, they called him and wanted him to come work for them. He and Carmen are now getting an apartment. I don't know what Carmen's job is but she has a degree in Chemistry.
Sullivan or Sully, graduated this last year also with his MBA. He did an internship for Air France this last summer as a flight attendant. That is how we were able to see him twice, visiting him while he was in Toronto and Detroit. Since the beginning of this month, he has been working for Google Ireland in Dublin.
Mikel is in Frankfurt and is going to law school. The last time I talked with him I asked him how much longer he had to go and I don't remember what he said. I was thinking it was something like 4 years. I will have to check with him again. I guess I get confused with 9 boys.
Magne is going to school in Bergen and will be finishing with his bachelors this year and I think it's some kind of economics degree and then he will be going for 2 more years for his masters and I'm thinking that will be accounting to be a CPA. Even though he has explained all of this to me several times, I still get confused.
Aydin has finished his social service year and he will be starting at Berlin Technical University for a degree in engineering. He did very well after our reunion last year he completely recovered from what ever was keeping him from walking. Which I still believe and will always believe, was caused from a virus.
Tino has started is social service year and from what I heard from his sister, he is really enjoying it. He still plans on attending a university in Hamburg next year. He is still with Jule and she is studying to be a teacher.
Jakob was just here for 6 weeks for a visit and is now back home finishing his last year of school. He passed his physical for the service as a T2. They said he was too tall to be a T1. So, now he is trying to figure our what he wants to do for his social service.
Jannik is back in school in Germany for 2 more years. He was just injured in a soccer game so he is now on the sideline for a few weeks. This is his first week back to school so he will now have to get used to German school again.
That brings us to Simon who Tuesday was back on the soccer field for the first time since May. I don't think he really has played much since December when he was first injured. Simon is very thoughtful and has a good sense of humor. He might not bring in the papers, but I can see the carpet in his room. Unlike some of you. :-)
There is one part of my family that I haven't mentioned yet and that is my parents. They are both doing well. They took a Mediterranean Cruise and spent time with Joi's parents in Rome and Kempten. After getting home they both had minor surgeries but now are back at all of their activities. They sure enjoy their retirement. Hopefully, Floyd and I will enjoy our retirement as much as they do.
I miss you all!

Simon's Arrival

Simon arrived to Flint tired but excited and with another exchange student from Norway, Eivind, who is staying with the Telford's. Simon was injured playing soccer back in Norway last December and he had some disturbing news just before he arrived that he wouldn't be able to play here until December, when the season is over. Ken examined him yesterday and he thinks with some therapy that here is a good possibility that his injury will heal in a few weeks. Simon was actually happy to hear someone be optimistic for a change. Simon has been very polite and offering to help all the time. When he first saw the laundry room he said that he would be spending a lot of time down there, can you imagine that one of the boys would do laundry here? :-) And when I have cooked, he has been out in the kitchen every time offering to help. If he keeps this up, I could get real spoiled. We are looking forward to a great year with Simon and hopefully some of you will get the chance to meet him.

Sully's return to Durand

Sullivan had a flight into Detroit and Floyd offered that we would stay at the same hotel as him or he could come home and he wanted to come home. It was his first time back to Durand and we were all very excited. Carol and other Floyd joined us for dinner of a typical American summer meal of grilled steak and corn on the cob. Sully was able to stay awake for some visitors and to watch one of The Floyd's favorite tv shows, So You Think You Can Dance. I'm sure we all remember when the Floyd tricked Hannah so Sullivan could steal the soccer ball. They were so sneaky and Hannah didn't know what was happening. When Sullivan first came to live with us in 2000, Floyd and Sully would go for breakfast in the morning at Nick's in town and that's what he wanted to do again. He was able to have the same breakfast that he had 7 years ago and he said it tasted the same. Then we took a tour of the school and the soccer field. When Sully was here we were in the process of building the concession stand so he never saw it finished, so we went and checked it out. The problem was, when we went inside, the pop cooler is missing and I don't have a clue where it is. Oh well, the the first game is soon, so I hope something will turn up.
Floyd had forgotten something at the restaurant so when he went back to get it, he saw the Parks, (minus Jesse as he was working) so Sully was able to see them. Hopefully, he can see Jesse on a return visit.
It was hard again saying good bye but I was happy that he chose the Lincoln's over the Ritz Carlton. And I did warn him that I could show up in Toronto at the end of the month as he will be there again. I hope he is able to visit us again.

Niagara Falls, Toronto and Sullivan

Floyd, Jakob, Flo (Jakob's friend from Germany) and I just returned from a trip to Canada. We were going to Toronto to see Sully as he was going to be there for 24 hours and since Floyd hadn't seen him in 6 years we made the trip there. Flo had never been to Niagara Falls so we thought we would take him there first. I don't know how much he enjoyed the trip, but I love it every time I go. We stayed at the Hampton Inn since I was impressed after being in one of the rooms Dad had. Floyd loved their bed, comforter and pillows. I'm sure that is where he will want to stay when ever we travel. The next day we left for Toronto to meet Sully, who is working as a flight attendant for Air France this summer. We had to meet him at the hotel since he has to stay with the flight crew until then. It was so good to see him and I am so glad that he and Floyd got to see each other. That was a long time coming. The 3 of us had dinner on top of the CN tower and it was delicious. After dinner, we walked along the harbour on the way back to the hotel. It was a great evening and one I will always remember. The next day we went for a walk through part of old town and to a market and ended up at Eaton Center. It was hard to say good bye to Sullivan even though he will be in his "American home" Saturday night as he will be flying to Detroit and Floyd and I couldn't be happier that he will be here.