When life hands you lemons...

The last time I posted announced the addition of Lucy to our small Kansas City family.

It was summer vacation.  My brother and his family just left town after a visit. The Brewers were sadly on a four game losing streak but one of my favorite activities at the time was taking Bonzo to the dog park.

Emily has been on me to post again but as I told her I've felt that I have had very little to post about.  Perhaps it is just a poor excuse but nonetheless I stand by that excuse and argue that the stretch of time between July 31 and now has been one of the most difficult stretches of my life.  My good friend Bonzo got ill at a very young age and we were forced to put him down.  We've been separated from our families as long as I've ever been.  We've had other personal challenges that though they have brought Emily and I closer together I would never want to go through again.  There have been good things, but it seems a lot of those are overshadowed by the difficult times.

I don't want to get into it any further.  I just want to say that I will try harder to post on a more regular basis again.

Lucy

Then there were two.

Happy Birthday

The last few days have been very enjoyable for Emily and I.  Thanks to Tim and Sarah for coming down to see us with their kids!  Because of their visit, Emily and I were given the excuse and opportunity to visit some of the sites in the area that we haven't gotten around to seeing quite yet. We all had a great time! Thanks for the visit!

Happy Birthday to Emily today!

Here is a list and some pictures of what we did.

Union Station

Science City

Fritz's Railroad Restaurant

Soccer with Bonzo

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Plaza

Kaleidescope

(Not pictured: The KC Zoo)

Dressed Up Like Nebraska

Last February Emily and I walked away from the Bethany auction with a getaway to Omaha, Nebraska.  Since I'd like to some day make it to every state this country has to offer and since I can't seem to think of another reason to be in Nebraska on purpose (sorry Seward fans) we were looking forward to making this trip. 

Though I mean no disrespect to Nebraska my initial thought was that I couldn't quite imagine living in a place that has no top level professional sports teams.  They do have the Royals' AAA affiliate, but since the Royals themselves are close to a AAA team it makes it more equivalent to the Royals' AA affiliate. 

Ok... so this post seems to be getting off to a "bashing" start.  I apologize to anyone I offended. Please keep reading.

Having a great love for Milwaukee, I am rather biased towards anything in Milwaukee.  I admit that.  Even when it is painfully obvious that Milwaukee lacks in a certain area I will often claim to appreciate something from Milwaukee more.  So needless to say, after almost a year of listening to Kansas City area people talk about how great the Omaha zoo is I really didn't think it would be all that much better than Milwaukee's zoo.  Well, I must say I have been humbled.  Now I know why people drive three hours from Kansas City to go to the Omaha Zoo only to return the same day.  It really was amazing.  The exhibits were designed to make you feel as though you were in natural habitats from across the globe.  And you might think they could only do a reasonable job of convincing you of that, but you really could believe it.  If I had to pick what I was most impressed with, I'd have to say their desert dome was the coolest.

While in Omaha we also went to see a game of the previously mentioned AAA Omaha Royals.  This was my first time to a AAA game and also my first time inside Rosenblatt Stadium, the home of the College World Series.  It also happens to be the final year the stadium will be used.  At the game, Emily and I were picked to participate in an on field game in which we had to pop balloons and such.  We competed against another couple and needless to say we won.  What did we win you ask? A toy truck and a drawstring bag. Seriously? Yes, seriously.  I probably would have preferred a free soda from the concession stand.  On a related topic, if you are looking for a toy truck, check ebay.  I'll be posting.

It was a quick few days but enjoyable.  All in all it is nice to be back home.  Oh yeah, we went to botanical gardens too.

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday America!  You are officially 234 years old! Don't worry.  You don't look a day over 220.

Today was possibly the biggest holiday that Emily and I have spent away from Wisconsin so far.  We didn't exactly have a whole lot of plans so I'll tell you a little bit of what we did before and on this date to celebrate Independence Day.

A couple weeks ago Emily and I visited a site that I've beeneager to get to in Kansas City, The World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial.  I've been hearing since I moved down here how amazing it is and I must say that was no exaggeration.  The outdoor memorial itself is an icon in KC but it can't tell half of what you'll find once you get inside.  If you are ever in the area I highly recommend you make this one of you musts on your to-do list.

We came back to Liberty Memorial on Independence Day and crossed the street to see Union Station.  We had no real reason to go other than just trying to find something fun and cheap to do.  They have a miniature train display at one end that is sure to capture the imaginations of any youngsters.  You'll also find (for a fee) a dinosaur exhibit that we did not go to, but they lurk throughout the entire building.  Pretty cool day for no price.  So when you come to KC and go to the World War I Museum, be sure to cross the street and check out Union Station as well.

Wisconsin Trip

Last week it was great to make it up to Wisconsin to visit family and friends.  What we originally thought would only be a weekend turned into a long weekend.  That turned into an extra long weekend until we finally realized that it would become an entire week.

While up there we were able to attend Emily's cousin's wedding.  It was actually the first wedding we have been to since our own in November. 

I was also excited that this weekend also gave me an opportunity to check off a goal that I have had for myself the last several years.  The day after the wedding I participated in the Bigfoot Triathlon at Bigfoot State Park in Lake Geneva, WI.  I was most nervous about the swim but was able to get through that with a much shorter split than I had previously thought I would be able to do.  Not only that but my expectation of being the last one in my division out of the lake was apparently not giving myself enough credit.  That's right folks... THIRD LAST!  All in all it was a lot of fun.  I was also very excited to have Emily and my parents there to cheer me on.

The rest of the week included Cecil Cooper bobblehead day, grilling brats with the family, and just hanging out and having a good time.  So far the highlight of the summer!

Problem Solved

As I said in the last post, we had some problems getting Bonzo to actually go swimming.  The one time before today that he actually got in the water he fell under and lost quite a bit of his confidence.  Since then he's gone close enoughto get his toes wet. 

This afternoon Emily and I went to Tuesday Morning to look around and you won't believe what we found.  As we predicted, Bonzo was not too thrilled as you can see below.

I think he spent the entire car ride to the dog park worrying that the other dogs were going to make fun of him as you can see below.

But hey! The thing actually worked.  We have a swimmer!

Summer Thus Far

Got a ladder

Cleaned the gutters

Played golf

Hung a ladder

Hung shovels and rakes

Walked Bonzo

Mowed the lawn

Let Bonzo out in the fresh mown lawn

Gave Bonzo a bath

Took Bonzo to the dog park

Threw a ball. He couldn't get it. Ball is lost.

Watched as Bonzo fell into the mud pit

Gave Bonzo a bath

Played tennis

Took Bonzo to another dog park

Wondered the whole time why I didn’t just take him for a walk

Watched as Bonzo didn’t get muddy

Breathed sigh of relief

Took him home

He’s out like a light

Bonzo

The danger of spending money on a raffle is not that you are spending your money with nothing to show for it. The danger of spending money on a raffle is that you are spending your money with a chance to have something to show for it.

It all started out as an agreement to temporarily watch an Australian Shepherd/Labrador puppy for a couple days.  The plan was that someone was suppossed to win the chance to take this puppy home.  I agreed to buy a raffle ticket and the outcome was that we were the someones to take him home.  I really didn't see that one coming.  I never would have guessed that I'd some day become a dog owner but I must admit that this pup is pretty cute and nice. 

That being said there is a new resident of our house.  Being an Australian Shepherd we looked to the internet for Australian slang words to name it.  After narrowing it down from a few possibilities we settled on naming him Bonzo.

That being said, enjoy a few pictures of Bonzo.

2010 Update

When we left off I believe Thanksgiving had just come and gone.  So if you wish, join me on a trip back through the months on December and January and find out what has kept me from this

DECEMBER:
December started with Emily and I completing our first month of marriage.  To celebrate we went to a restaurant called "Thomas" in KC MO.  This happened to be the night of a Packers/Ravens Monday night football game.  We haven't found many Packer fans in Kansas City yet, but when the owner introduced himself to us we learned that his family was from Beaver Dam and that he too was a big Packer fan.  As we ate, we watched the Packers and occasionally enjoyed a conversation about Wisconsin people and places.  It almost felt as though we were back in Wisconsin.

Emily started a new job waitressing at Cheddars, a nice restaurant with great food at a decent price.  The restaurant is brand new and just opened in mid-December, so there was a bit of an adjustment period, but she's working good hours which has helped a lot with the bills.

We had the opportunity go home to Wisconsin for Christmas, however it was a pretty short trip as we had to be back for Emily's waitressing schedule.  Nonetheless we were able to spend time with both sides of the family.

JANUARY:
I guess you could say that Emily and I started some "New Year's Resolutions" this year.  The firstof which includes joining one of Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" classes.  Ramsey's big themes are living debt free and to simply control your money before it controls you.  Although we feel like we started with a pretty decent grasp on this we feel as though we learn a thing or two each of the weekly sessions.  We highly reccomend for anyone to go on his website and searching for an FPU class near you.  The younger the better but there is no age limit.

Another resolution has been for both of us to get in better shape.  I don't consider eitherof us to be out of shape but I can speak for myself when I say that I have definately felt myself getting older quicker in the last few years.  We both want to be proactive about not letting that happen too fast.

Several who may be reading this may know that a few years ago I decided I wanted to take on a triathlon.  While I started to train for that by riding my bike and especially running I learned that I wasn't going to be able to run a great distance until I took care of a bone spur and bone partical under my knee.  This sidelined the goal of competing in a triathlon and I have not done my part to pick it up again.

This is my avenue to announce to everyone that I am going to compete in the same Pewaukee Triathlon that I had wanted to compete in three years ago.  July of 2010 I will do this.  Keep me on task.

To finish the month off I have to admit that I broke my first bone ever.  While navigating through the dark I found a piece of furniture with my toe.  Sadly yet luckily at the same time my first broken was nothing cool sounding like the femur but instead was the distal phalanx (I think).  But it became very colorful.  I'll put a picture up here soon.

FEBRUARY:
The last few months have been greatly consumed with basketball. In the NBAless town of Kansas City there sure are passionate feelings about the KU Jayhawks, K-State Wildcats, and the Mizzou Tigers.  I can't say I care too much about any, but I do think it would be really cool to go to Lawrence to see a KU game. 

The truth of the matter is that I've been consumed with Bethany basketball.  I've really enjoyed the opportunities I've had to coach in the past and I appreciated every one of my St. Peter's teams that I was affiliated with.  This year I was still able to coach the Eagles.  With all the changes there have been in the past it meant a lot to be able to coach again as it has been something that I've enjoyed.  During the regular season my boys only two games.

The first week of February marked the last week of my 5/6th grade basketball season.  The Kansas City Lutheran Athletic League Tournament was held at KC Lutheran High School this weekend.  Ranked third going into the tournament I knew there was a good chance we'd face the two teams we prviously lost to.  I can't say I was anything but eager to see both of them.  I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking for this post.

Until next time... God bless you.

Thanksgiving

Well it's a little later than Thanksgiving but I wanted to wait until I had some pictures to show you.  So how did Thanksgiving go?

I was blessed enough to have Wednesday of last week off of school.  This meant that Emily and I were able to leave Kansas after Tuesday afternoon's basketball practice.  We were on the road by 6:04 with plans to stop once we became too tired.  Emily drove the first stretch with me taking over at 9:00.  Not knowing where we'd finish the night yet knowing of the existence of a hotel in the area, I was hoping to make it to Dixon, IL where we stayed on the way down after the wedding.  Once we made it there, however, I started to realize how close we were.  I had said at the beginning I wasn't going to push anything if I felt the least bit tired and I don't feel we did once.  Instead of Dixon, we pulled into her parents driveway at about 2:30 am. 

Wednesday was spent baking pies and ended up going to Thanksgiving church that evening at Immanuel.  BBQ Burgers from Pistol Pete's are recommended by me by the way.

Thanksgiving Day was spent at the Theine house with Emily's siblings and parents.  It was a fun time had by all which included a Packer victory (of which I missed an impressive amount of the second half while trying to smile for the many takes before the 'perfect' picture was captured), good food, good dessert, and no one can forget Band Hero.

The day after Thanksgiving gave us another Thanksgiving celebration to be thankful for.  It was very nice to be able to spend a whole day at both places.  Thanks mom!  We missed out on seeing all of our nieces but were pleased to see half of the Racine Lorenz's.  We missed you guys Sarah and Emma!  The food was again amazing.  It was great to see as much of the Lorenz side as we could.  Thanks for hanging out everyone!

Believe it or not my Saturday, the last Saturday in November in fact, was spent on the golf course.  My dad and brother were able to take advantage of some amazing November weather and hit the links for what I'm sure will be my last round of the year.

We got a late start on Sunday but nonetheless we were able to leave after 9:30 church at Immanuel.  It was a long drive of course but for the most part it was rather uneventful.

Here's a (short) list of things I am thankful for (in no particular order):
1) My faith God has given me.
2) Emily
3) My family that is full of parents, siblings, nugens, etc... on multiple sides now.
4) Safe travels
5) Good eating
6) Brewers baseball
7) Wisconsin
8) Kansas
9) Brats
10) Math
11) Cars
12) Sothwest Airlines which now services Milwaukee
13) Friends
14) Dr. Pepper
15) Guitars
16) The chance to teach
17) Rock Band
18) Snooze button
19) Vacations
20) The Red Box
21) Our house
22) Sports
23) Trivial Pursuit
24) Books
25) Music

Again I know that it has been a while since my last post.  Please accept my apologies as it has been a rather busy few weeks.

Nonetheless the wedding day has come! It came and it went and it brought us back to Kansas.  It's so nice to finally have someone else from home in Kansas.

For those that were unable to be there I'll tell you a little bit about the weekend:

For myself it started after school on Thursday when I flew home.  Emily picked me up from the airport and we drove to my sister's house where we had the pleasure of meeting Grandpa and his lovely bride Peggy for the first time.  We also got the opportunity to see my parents, Matt, Elise, Madeline and Carly. 

Friday was busier than I had thought it was going to be.  It began with several errands to prepare the groomsmen/ushers gifts.  I also spent some time at the reception hall trying to help to be sure everything was ready.  From there we went to the church for the rehearsal.  Many thanks to Dean and Cathy for hosting the rehearsal dinner.  Everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal and time to relax.  This still made for a long night before the big day. 

As I went to bed that night, forecast: High of 59, Partly Cloudy

Though there were some kinks in the plan right off the bat nothing major happened to cause any problems.  Right from the get-go I woke up and relaxed a bit in the morning.  The TV was on and I was waiting for the weather.  Today's forecast: High of 68, Sunny.  Looks like everything is going to work out after all. Rumor has it that the temperature actually got up to the mid 70s.  I don't have any confirmation of this. 

Emily was stunning.  The service was beautiful.  I could not have asked for anything better than what we got.  The reception hall was gorgeous.  Emily did a great job of paying attention to the details.  From the cake to the tables to the favors to the dance floor.  It was all amazing.  We were very pleased with our photographer, our hall, the church, the DJ.  It was all amazing. 

The other amazing piece was all the guests that made it to town for the wedding.  We both want to thank our guests for making the long journeys from Kansas, Oregon, Washingtin, Georgia, Costa Rica, Brazil, or the many other places you came from.  It was flattering that you chose to devote your time to be a part of our special day.

Here are just some pictures for those that maybe interested: