Klein Family

2009-11-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the hike back to the visitors center

2009-11-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

After many "first" photos - we hiked up to the base of the mountain

We ran into Miss South Dakota on the way into Mt. Rushmore - great photo oportunity for the girls - the boys were too shy!

2009-11-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

We went to Mt. Rushmore cave - fun - Eric experienced a touch of Clausterphobie -and had a slight panic attack - what we do for our loved ones - he didn't even tell us until we were done!

2009-11-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

Courtney and Shelby with their souvenir rocks from the mountain we bought - The kids were getting ready to pitch money and make wishes!

Courtney and her friend Shelby had fun exploring

You can see the people up on the mountain working - funded by donations and admissions - no government help - they truely want it owned by the people!

We went to the Crazy Horse Monument -similar to Mt. Rushmore - honoring the indians - it was amazing - the story is absolutely incredible. Definately recommend a visit! The statue shows what it will look like when it is finished - you can see the mountain in the back showing what has been done.

2009-11-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

We stayed in Rapid City ND at the Fairfield Inn - great time for the kids to play after so many hours in the car!

Fort Myers

2009-10-05T17:39:00.001-07:00

Eric and I flew to Fort Myers for a few days to relax and get away - the beaches were great and as you can see - someone has a hard time detatching from reality!

We flew over a rainbow in the flight on the way home - really cool to see.

Mothers Day

2009-10-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

The kids/dads hosted us ladies in a lunch for Mother's Day. They cooked, served and cleaned up. The kids did a song before the lunch for us.

Adam is such a treat!!!!

Springfield Illinois

2009-10-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

We went to Springfield Illinois with my mom, dad, and Chris and his family. Went to the Lincoln Museum, his home, law office, tomb and many other sites in town. Lots of fun and so much history to learn!

Annie Get Your Gun

2009-10-05T16:54:00.001-07:00

Adam was in the Lincoln High School Spring Musical Annie Get Your Gun - as you can see he had multiple parts and had a great time with all his older friends -

Day on the Lake

2009-04-18T20:03:00.001-07:00

We got a boat last month and finally had time to head to a lake today and "practice" the kids had a great time tubing and playing on the lake. Eric was a good teacher and I got it on the trailer my first try - I told him I must have been a pirate in my other life since I never learned any of that as a Gelb! Courtney took a friend and we had a lot of fun watching them try to get back on the tube after being ejected :)

Teenager!

2009-04-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Adam turned 13 - where has the time gone - seems like yesterday......

and more Friends!

2009-04-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Adam and Nick Holt had a great time playing airsoft - while the others played on the trampoline.

Friends

2009-04-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Our friends the Howells came in for a few days. We spent lots of time playing and having fun in the back yard. The kids enjoyed playing with Natalie on the swings and the trampoline.

Linda, Courtney and Katie Holt went and got pedicures/manicures - they were so CUTE!

Willy Wonka

2009-04-18T19:37:00.001-07:00

Both Courtney and Adam were in the Clark play of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Courtney helped with the backstage and had a blast - Adam had the role of Charlie - both did a WONDERFUL job and I was so proud of them - I cried at the last performance!

Snow!

2009-04-18T19:14:00.001-07:00

So When the town of Vincennes gets snow - they shut down. The kids missed a week of school but had a blast in the process. It took them 7 full days before they plowed our street - thankgoodness for 4-wheel drive or we would never make it up our driveway/road. The kids even got their grandma Sharon to sled a couple of times once they plowed the roads. We even had (2) 4-wheel tow trucks get stuck in front of our house while one was trying to get the other unstuck - Can you tell that Adam is almost a teenager - wears what he wants when he wants!

There's no place like home!

2009-02-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite part of the trip. When we all pile in the car and the kids "crash" They are so cute when they are sleeping! I just love it!

Pirates!

2009-02-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

Matthew had fun doing the limbo pirate style!

We went out for a "cruise" on a pirate ship. The kids had a blast (even tho it was cold and windy) They had watergun fights, face painting and a treasure hunt. They all pooled their find and won the "grand treasure"

Mexico

2009-02-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

We went to Mexico for a day, went and parked and walked across the bridge into Mexico. The armored cars and Mexican Army were what greeted us on the other side - I truely believe what the news it saying now.
We found a bar that had a mechanical bull and Eric, Courtney and Adam had a good time riding it. The banana splits on the American side were the best!

Horseback riding

2009-02-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

Poor Matthew - he waited all week to go ride horses on the beach - we arranged to ride for two hours. That night, he began throwing up - he felt a little better the next morning so we let him go. He started out ok - after a short while he was tired and ready to be done. Any other day he would have lasted forever. It was a great ride tho.

Fishing

2009-02-26T17:33:00.000-08:00

We went fishing - had fun and enjoyed being together - didn't catch anything (maybe a cold :)

Beach

2009-02-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

Matthew got an airsoft gun for Christmas and had fun playing on the dunes. Adam spent some of his Christmas money buying a "trick" kite that he really enjoyed flying on their windy days!

We had fun playing on the beach - the kids even tried to bury their grandpa's jeep. It did take a few tries to get it out!

Matthew enjoyed the frigid water more than once - he was the only "brave" one that stayed in. Courtney only took a "photo op"

Christmas 08

2009-02-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

We went to South Padre Island in Texas for Christmas. The condo was fun and we had a great time decorating a gingerbread house and playing guitar hero that they got for Christmas.

Our little tree that we brought from Vincennes - what memories!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-12-07T18:09:00.001-08:00

My mom and dad celebrated their 40th Anniversary over Thanksgiving. We had family over and "relived" their experience thru stories and memories of their "life" together with their children. It was fun being with most of the family - Sorry Dawna that you couldn't be there (it wasn't that fun :0)

Twilight!!

2008-12-07T18:04:00.001-08:00

The nation is in a craze for Twilight. Courtney is trying to get the book finished. She was waiting for her friend to get back from Florida so that the their group of friends can go see the movie. I went and saw it - good teenage love story. Isn't she cute - I love that smile!!!!

Chicago

2008-12-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

So we took a weekend and headed for Chicago. I had been trying to get Eric to take us to see "Wicked" and he gave in and bought the tickets. We spent the weekend sightseeing and having fun. We stayed at the Palmer House and ordered pizza at 2 in the morning both nights- the kids loved it. The play was amazing (I had seen it in St. Louis 3 years ago) and I don't think that the kids hardly moved a muscle. Courtney's comment was that it would be hard not to sing along with the songs during the play. They have been listening to the cd for 3 years now. The production in Chicago was amazing - Glenda was SOOOOO funny. I definately recommend seeing it before they close the production. Got to see the "sights" and definately can't wait to go back with the kids when it is warmer and do Navy Pier.

Natalie

2008-12-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

Our friend Natalie came in for a few days to stay with us, she has grown so much - the kids had a blast playing with her.

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-07T14:20:00.001-08:00

Dawna and her family flew in to attend the Franklin School Chili Supper. We also celebrated Katie and Mom's birthdays.

Murphy's Law

2008-12-07T13:50:00.001-08:00

So, when something can go wrong it will. With the miles piling up on my van, Eric and I had discussed getting a "newer" car. We purchased on off of ebay and were in the process of waiting for it to arrive, knowing that the tires on my van needed to be replaced badly. I took the kids to school and suddenly heard this LOUD dinging in my tire. After consulting with Eric, we found this large bolt in my tire. Fortunately they were able to patch it to last until our car came.

Fun! Fun! Fun!

2008-12-07T13:39:00.001-08:00

I helped with the automation of the Franklin Library this summer and told the kids that if they helped, I would buy them a trampoline. After long hours, we finally made it to Evansville to purchase it. They had fun helping their dad put it together.

I Hate to be Tagged!

2008-10-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

4 TV Shows I watch: (DVR- who has time to watch when they are on - I have about 70 hours saved!)
1) Wife Swap - my new favorite - maybe my family would appreciate all that I do for them (or maybe I will be the bad mom and they won't want me back!)
2) ER - I hate that it is the final season
3) Days of our Lives - I actually forward through about 45 minutes of it - my addiction that I can live without!
4) Extreme Makeover - Home addition - Makes me CRY!
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4 Favorite Restaurants
1) Steak and Shake - Love their chili and onion rings!
2) Texas Roadhouse - I truely could eat just the rolls!
3) The Brick Oven - a must when I visit Utah
4) Bobe's Pizza (6th street only!)
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4 Things that Happened Yesterday:
1) Went to church
2) Took a nap - coming down with a cold
3) Visited with my Mom and Dad
4) Yelled at Eric and Adam at 10:30 for doing laundry when they woke me up!
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4 Things I'm Looking Forward to:
1) Franklin Library to be totally automated and I can get a life!
2) Dawna coming to visit (with her family of course!)
3) Christmas - I love snow and cold weather - then it can turn into spring!
4) RETIREMENT! I'm tired of working! :)
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4 Things on MY Wish List
1) A vacation away with my husband
2) A trip with my sisters - New York or somewhere warm would be nice
3) Forget the nanny - I want a Masseuse (sp) that lives here and rubs me down daily!
4) Peace among my two "teenagers"
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People to Tag: ( people that I think might actually do it)
Courtney
Shelby
Sarah R.
Heidi R.

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4 Little Known Facts about me
1) I am way OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder )- Don't even go there but I can't stand ODD numbers!!!!!!!
2) I am insecure about my self - I am just a good faker
3) I love to be alone - don't tell my family though
4) I love a challenge and can't say NO - that's what my mom says

Courtney's Smile

2008-09-03T13:13:00.001-07:00

Courtney got her braces off the end of May. Doesn't she have a beautiful smile?!!

Matthew's Birthday Fun

2008-09-02T15:54:00.001-07:00

On Matthew's birthday, we went to Casey Il to celebrate Riley's 4th birthday. The kids had lots of fun swimming in his Grandma Carla's pool. We have a tradition of going to the rodeo every year for Matthew's birthday. This year was special because he always participates in the kids portion of chasing a baby cow and trying to pull off the ribbon for a prize. There are 3 calfs and around a hundred kids that chase them. This year he left his cowboy boots and hat at home so that he could run "faster" by golly, he got one of the ribbons. He had the rodeo clown Rudy sign his shirt and ribbon after it was over. He said that he was going to save the dirt in his shoes because it was "prescious" and would remind him of that night forever (and no, I didn't save the dirt :)

What Adam does for money!

2008-09-02T15:51:00.001-07:00

In the lake, we found some mussels, with Adam's phobia's I told him that I would give him $50 if he would eat it. I told him that he had to chew and swallow it. I couldn't believe that he did it!

Kentucky Lake - Fun in the Sun

2008-09-02T15:38:00.001-07:00

We had lots of fun playing in the water and on the shores - the kids loved knee-boarding!

End of Summer

2008-09-02T14:07:00.001-07:00

The last weekend before school started, we went with Eric's family to Kentucky Lake. Courtney worked on her scuba diving open water certification while the rest of us played. It was such a fun relaxing time. Great before school started.

Fun While Mom's Away!

2008-07-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

I have been volunteering up at school alot this past week. I left Adam in charge of Matthew and when I came home, this is what they had been doing. Mud Baths. They had hosed off before I could get my camera out and truely do them justice. They had such a good time.

Matthews Game

2008-07-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Matthew got tickets to an Evansville Otters baseball game so he took his dad and two friends and had a boy's night out. He LOVED it. They had so much fun and being minor league, they got to go out on the field and get their souv. signed by all the players and then run around the field. My baby's growing up!

Natalie

2008-07-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

We had such a good time with Natalie. She has grown so much. It's sad not having her around all the time. The last picture is of her trying to wake Courtney up for church. She is such an angel!! (Courtney and Natalie)

4th of July Fun

2008-07-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

We had the Lough's over to dinner while the Howells were here. We did sparklers and some fireworks for the kids. It was such a beautiful night!! Perfect for fireworks. Afterwards, we had a water fight with my boys. I think that Adam got the worst end between him but he knows how to dish it out! It's all good though :)

4th of July Parade

2008-07-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the parade with Mike, Linda and Natalie. She loved the parade and them throwing the candy. Little kids are what makes it so fun!

Natalie

2008-07-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Howells came in to visit for the 4th of July. This is Natalie meeting grandma's new kitten - she called it Max, but it hasn't been named yet.

Meeting Nathanial

2008-07-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Eric's cousin's Melissa and Rhonda and her baby Nathanial came in from North Carolina to visit. We got to meet him for the first time. He has the biggest, cutest smile!!! Adam was playing around with someone's sunglasses. Nathanial was baptized during his visit. This is him with the kids and their cousin Kyla. We ran into them at the 4th of July parade. He is just the cutest!

Adam in Hilton Head

2008-07-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

While I was in Utah, Adam went with Lorren and her family to Hilton Head South Carolina. The first is on an Alligator (one of many)that they saw during their trip.

Them in the car on the way there.

Playing miniature golf and Adam playing the real thing.

Grandma's Funeral

2008-07-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from Grandma Ray's Funeral (thanks to downloading Lorren's camera onto my computer. The first is my mom, cousin Jeff, my brother Jeff and my uncle JJ.
The second picture is my sister Lorren and my cousin Janice.
The third picture is my cousin Janice and my uncle Richard.
It really was a great trip - even under the circumstances

Katie

2008-06-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Katie is just the cutest! She loved chasing after the balls that Sam hit with his tee-ball set.

Flossing

2008-06-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

Sammy's dentist told him to floss, it is so cute because he lays his head in "Dr. Mom's" lap and patiently lets her floss.

Sammy's 4th Birthday

2008-06-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Sammy's (aka Superman) 4th Birthday at a park on Saturday. When he got up, I let him help me make the cupcakes. He loved whipping them with the mixer. This is a swimsuit that he got for his birthday and spent the rest of our trip changing in/out of it at a moment's notice. It was hard to remember to call him by the right name! (depending on how he was dressed)

Wedding Pictures

2008-06-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

My mom and Dad even danced at the reception. They had an amazing chocolate fountain. The strawberries were amazing! My mom's brother Jim did the ceremony and this is him dancing with his lovely wife Linda. Dawna is dancing it up with the cousins Jamie and Mindy. I don't know how I got away without any pictures of Vaughn!

2008-06-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Some wedding photos, Dawna with my cousin Jamie (New York) Jamie and Jenny before the wedding (sorry Jenny with the lights and window it didn't turn out as well) My cousin Jeff walking his mom (Elesa) down the aisle and the chair that they set up as a tribute to my grandmother. There was a purple rose (that was her favorite) and a corsage that Dawna made for her.

2008-06-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Dawna did such a lovely job on the wedding flowers! I never take enough pictures!

2008-06-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

While Dawna worked on the flowers for the wedding, Mom, Dad and I took the kids to the childrens museum. They had a lot of fun, especially Katie who was under the watchful eye of Grandma (drinking the play water :)

Utah #2

2008-06-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Flew out to Utah again for my Cousin Jenny's wedding. I stayed with Dawna and the kids. I had fun getting up with them and letting Dawna have some mornings to go back to bed.

First True Day of Summer Vacation

2008-06-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today is the first true day of summer vacation. I have noticed that there IS a difference in teenagers!

I love the Mountains

2008-05-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

One of the many beautiful waterfalls coming down the mountains. We stopped and let the kids throw rocks in. There were large amounts of water flowing since the snow was melting due to the heat. It was almost scary to see the currents on the otherside of the waterfall.

Snow

2008-05-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is the trail sign that is around the lake that would be about waist high

SNOW!

2008-05-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

Monday, after we went to temple square, we met Dawna and drove up to Silver Springs Lake in the Mountains to hike around the lake and let the kids play. It was 95 degrees in the Valley, so we weren't expecting all the snow when we drove up. DUH! As you can tell, we weren't exactly dressed for hiking in the snow. The kids had fun for a short time, Katie loved eating the snow, Matthew climbed the "mountain" that was in the parking lot, Adam made a snow angel. We were walking on top of the snow since it was so packed.

Temple Square

2008-05-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Monday, we left Matthew with my sister Dawna and went back to Temple Square. Eric, the kids and I went to Beehive house, Lion House (for rolls - yum) and just walked around the grounds. Here are some of the "tourist" pictures that we took. Isn't it beautiful this time of year?

Adam's ER Visit

2008-05-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is Sunday Evening, on Thursday Adam had started complaining of knee pain. We would give him Ibuproffen and by Sunday, he was really uncomfortable. A friend of the family who is familiar with bones, ultrasound etc. told us that she felt that we needed to have him checked out. After x-rays they determined that his diagnosis was "Osgood-Schlatter" which is where the tendons detatch from the tibia and sometimes take "pieces" of the bone with it. His x-ray showed a piece of bone that had chipped off. Knee brace, ib/tylenol and ice are the remedies for now. Poor Matthew just laid on the floor and slept the whole time. I don't know if the doctor even noticed that he was there.

Matthew in the ER

2008-05-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Not a very good picture, but it was such a funny story. Matthew was so good to ride around in the car all day while he was sick and throwing up. We ended up in the Emergency Room that evening and He was on my lap crying that "he won't survive" A lady with a young baby had sat across from us and when he got done saying that, she got up and moved to the other side of the ER. It's funny because we weren't even there for him.

Courtney

2008-05-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Courtney was such a joy to have around this week. She was so helpful and willing to do whatever was needed or asked of her. She is working on homework that was due when we got home from Utah. She is so CUTE!

Matthew's Sick

2008-05-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Matthew spend the whole time at the park asleep on the blanket while everyone played around him. It was an awesome park and around 90 degrees that day - you know he has to be sick to be missing out on the fun.

Liberty Park

2008-05-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

After Matthew got sick, we ditched our plans and drove around for awhile. We met the rest of the family at Liberty Park for lunch. Eric is helping Katie climb a tree.

Music and The Spoken Work (or the "unspoken"

2008-05-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, we got up early to go to Temple Square and see Music and The Spoken Word. Last time President Monson was the featured guest and this time it was Dieter F. Uchtdorf. My Uncle Richard (mom's older brother) came with us.

Matthew told me that he didn't feel well when he woke up.

After the lovely service we went to the visitors center to start "touring" the grounds (always need a bathroom break first) Eric was amazed to see a pay phone - so we had to take a picture since he is sure that Salt Lake City is the only city in the US to have pay phones left. This was the last time that Matthew smiled!

2008-05-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Courtney and Matthew at the dinner after Grandma's funeral. It was so yummy and she would have loved the white starched table cloth and napkins. Very Classy!

2008-05-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Katie and Sammy playing with my kids at a restaurant when we got to Salt Lake City

That evening, we went to Gardner Village for dinner. They have really cute "novelty" type shope and a petting zoo for the kids. A great place to go when you visit and the food is WONDERFUL!!!

My new haircut - fun and easy

Lodging

2008-05-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

We stayed with my sister Dawna and her family in the basement of her in-laws home. It was so fun to be close and have them to hang out with. Her father-in-law set up extra beds so that we wouldn't have to sleep on the floor! How we loved "Hotel Henderson" - all the comforts of home (except that all of the kids were in the bedroom with us) This is the kids watching the large screen tv that is in the basement.

Utah

2008-05-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

With the passing of my Grandma Donna in Salt Lake City, I packed up the family and flew out for her funeral. We left Vincennes at 4a.m.! I will never book a flight that early in the morning again. Matthew and Adam haven't flown since there were babies, so it was a treat to experience it through them. Matthew LOVED it. Here he is relaxed, reading to his horse and eating pringles.

2008-04-04T13:25:00.001-07:00

I have had this page for months and never took the time to get it ready - well, here it goes!