The End Is Here

Well it had to happen, although I always wish it wouldn't!! After a wonderful fun filled summer, school starts this Friday. I really am excited in a wierd sort a way. The class is all ready - new locker tags in place, all the pencils are sharpened and the bullentin boards are done. Michele has been a big help in getting it all ready - what will I ever do without her. David moved this weekend to Arlington Heights which is about 7 minutes from our house. We get to see him on a much more frequent basis which I love. Also with his job, he might be gone for an extended period of time which means I will have to go over and take care of his "woggie" Bear. I love that dog, but love him so much more when all the fur stays at David's place. This Thursday is Michele's 25th Birthday. I love that my sister Susan has started the tradition of posting things we like about the person who is celebrating a birthday. I have been making a mental list of things to put on Michele's B.Day list. Here they go in no particular order:
THINGS OF LOVE ABOUT MY DAUGHTER MICHELE:
1. She is always kind to everyone and as far as I know never been mean to anyone (even her brothers who often made her life a living Hell!!)
2. The way she gets all teary eyed when she goes into Sam's Club and sees the old people giving out samples. She thinks they should not have to work - we tell her they probably enjoy it.
3. That she brought Nathan into our lives - he truly loves her and respects her and that makes us so happy.
4. What an amazing teacher she is. I sometimes listen to her listens in Young Womans and I wonder who this child is and how did she get to know so much.
5. How she loves to read. She always has and if she has a book, you will find her with her nose in it.
6. How organized she is. I though I could always make Martha Stewart look like a slacker, but Michele can organize circles around me.
7. How she loves watching stupid kid movies and television. I know she would not want everyone to know but she loves Nick at Nite and watches it when she thinks no one else is watching her.
8. What a righteous young woman she it. She makes going to the temple a priority in her life and always strives to do the right thing. She will have a Christ centered home.
9. HOw she loves sports - especially football. She knows more about the players than most men. She wanted to be part of the male part of our family and knew this was the way - so she reads everything she can so she is informed and knowledgeable about the sport.
10. How she loves politics like her father. She is also very well informed and she will have lively dicussions with her father about world and current events.
11, She has promised to come and visit me each June and help with the pageant.
Finally, she will make a wonderful mother. She has read a lot about mothering. However, she has so much love in her to give to Lincoln and other children that they are going to be very lucky children to come to the Devlin Family
THINGS I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT MICHELE
1. She turns off her cell phone. I have NEVER in my life done that, even at church it is on vibrate.
2. She is leaving to follow her husband to grad school. While I am happy for this decision they have made, it also makes me so sad to lose my best friend. I think I'll get a dog to replace her!!!

With tears in my eyes....

AS I write this blog, there are tears in my eyes. A piece of my heart left yesterday to return to Idaho. Matt, Cort and Kyle were here for 2 weeks and we had a great time with them. Matt is doing good, working at the Rexburg Fire Dept and has stated a little business :Matt's Mowing" while he is not working. Cort recently graduated from College and has choosen to be a stay at home mom - I am proud of her for taking on the hardest job know to man. Having them all leaving was not so much fun. Today I have cleaned my house, had a massage, helped Michele move, and done some shopping. None of these activities has helped my mood. I decided to share my thoughts with you all, so you could also feel my pain - !!! I have titled my blog entry THING I LOVE ABOUT KYLE. Here they are:
1. all dogs are "DODGES" after Marcia's dog Dodger
2. he could swim all day and I mean all day and not get tired of it.
3. he likes to dance when I sing the Poop Poop in the Potty Song.
4. the way he picks up certain rocks on our morning walks - and throws them back the next day
5. how he loves to swing on Grandma's swings, but wants me to swing next to him.
6. how he loves, loves, loves pudding, just like his grandma
7. how he smells after his bath and a massage from grandma
8. how he loves to fall asleep in the car - we drove him around several times to experience this first hand
9. how he goes to Nursery at church even when he is tired and stays the whole two hours and plays non stop
10. how he tells everyone where to sit and then is pleased when we all move according to his seating arrangements.
11. how he waters grandma's flowers. He loves anything to do with water and especially if it is coming out of a hose. A future firefighter perhaps!
12. how he has to feed himself and does a pretty good job of it.
13. how he loves to go to resturants, especially if they have balloons.
14. how he loves his blanket, even when no one else in the house can stand the smell.
15. how he learned, little pea, penny roo, rudy whistle, mary hosial, big ol gobble, gobble on his toes and especially liked it when Grandma did it.
THINGS I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT KYLE
1. He is not hear!!!!
All you grandmothers out there can relate. They take a piece of your heart when they leave. I am counting the days (3 months) until he will return for Michele and Nate's baby blessing.

Family Gathering

This Sunday was a red letter day for the Bond's! I had all three of my darling children and spouses/significant others over for a family Sunday dinner. It was so much fun. As you can see by the attached pictures, Kyle, age 21 months, was the star of our show. Matt, Cort and Kyle are visiting from Idaho for a few weeks. I am having so much fun with him. My daily walks now consist of walking to the park to play on the playground equipment. He is such a boy and enjoys being outside when ever possible. Michele, as you can tell, is now in her seventh month and growing appropriately. She is a very cute pregnant lady, but does not feel very cute most of the time. David and Kelly also joined us and they are both busy with their jobs and careers. He started a new job this week with Gift of Hope and is now involved in the organ donation part of life. He has so far found the work to be very good and as usual he is learning a lot and growing as a professional. I love Summer - can I just say that!!!

4th of July

Happy Fourth of July! It has been a very eventful day for all of us here in Chicago. We started early with the parade. I managed to wave and embarasse our family name for the entire 2 mile parade route. I have posted a picture of my colorful, American celebration outfits including my toes!!! We then went to watch the queens throw out the first pitch at the all star game, a picnic with our ward and finally the fireworks tonight. Busy day and Michele looks a little tired, but we are hanging in there. After all - 4th of July in Vernon Hills is Americana at its best!!!

New Queens

Well the pageant is finally over. It was such a success. We got beautiful queens and the positive comments from everyone made the whole process seem a lot less painful. Michele did an unbelievable job of organizing this event. All I really had to do was show up and look cute. (that is my speciality!!!) Last night I judged the Miss Mundelein Pageant for our neighboring town. It was fun, but required that I be there from 1:30 pm until the conclusion at 10:00. I was very tired. While these events are over and I feel very satisfied with the results, they came at a cost. As usual, when things are in an upheavel in my life, my diet takes a hit. While I am still working hard on the program, my exercise has really taken a back seat. I thought I would get back to it today, but it is so hot, and this house really needed some attention. I know it is an excuse, but I feel like I can get back to at least walking tomorrow. This battle continues and while I made 55 pounds last Saturday, victory is not yet in my grasp. We booked Matt, Cort and Biggie's flights and they will be here on July 19th. I would love to be able to say I had lost 60 pounds by then, but I am just not putting any undue pressure on myself right now. I need to take it one day at a time.

Pageant Pictures

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!!

Happy Father's Day to all those Father's out there - Rich, Nate, Matt, Dick, Lynn, and the numerous others who work so hard at being good fathers. Michele helped me post these pictures taken at Whit's wedding. It was so much fun it is good to look back on them and remember. All I can say, is someone else in this family needs to get married so we can have another fun time!!! This is pageant week so I will probably not post for this week. However, I promise lots of pictures of our new Little, Junior and Miss Vernon Hills next Sunday after the pageant on Saturday night. Michele has done a fabulous job of getting this event organized and keeping me sane. Sunday will come and what will we do with our extra time.


Mom and Me after Whit's party
my two favorite girls all made up...
Kyle at his best
Matt, Cortney, and Kyle at the reception
the five Waalkes children with mom
Kyle eating mashed potatoes...yum!