Our Many Faces

What you do at a concert during intermission!

I'd explain

If I had the time, I'd tell you what a blast we're having on our trip. I'd tell you how wonderful it is to be with my family. I'd go on and on about the different places we've been and all the times we've laughed. I'd explain in great detail the pure beauty of Tim & Mallory's wedding. I'd fill you in on how happy they are and how blessed we are to have Mallory as a part of this family but I'm too busy laughing and loving to go into these things. You'll just have to wait!

Cockman's in Nebraska

We are 6 days into our 3 week trip to Nebraska. Today is the first day I've had time to get on the computer. It has been non-stop family, friends, parties and fun! The kids are starting to settle into mid-west living and I am certainly glad to be home. It's amazing how fast you fall into a new routine and how easy it is. I was a little scared to be gone for such a long time and now I wish I would have made the trip even longer. I've been away from NE for 9 years! It's about time I spend a little more time here....giving my kids a sense of where I'm from. They love the constant attention and everyone here is glad to give it. Memories from my childhood that I thought were long gone are flooding in like a river.



We're going swimming every day and boy can you tell! Joseph has turned into the fish that I was! He's swimming like a pro and looks like he's ready to race. Noah has made several attempts to take his floaties off. A few times he succeded. He took them off and jumped into the water (over his head) and swam to the side. Just like that. HELP! They're growing so fast. Joseph has made some neighborhood friends. He even found one that looks just like him. My dad bought him a bike to ride and they've been going on evening rides through the neighborhood. When I was gone the other day, they road their bikes to the gas station to get some candy (just like we used to) and then went to a pond to search for fish. It brought tears to my eyes as he talked with excitement about riding in the street and using his bike to get from place to place. I realized then, that as long as we make a better effort to get the kids to NE, they'll be able to experience some of the things I did as a kid. It makes me feel more complete as a mother to give them some of these experiences. Here are a few pictures of our trip so far. I hope you're all having a great summer and staying cool!
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4th of July

The 4th of July used to be my favorite holiday. As a kid, we would go to my Grandpa & Grandma's cabin for the week. We would spend the time together 4-wheeling, boating, wave running, tubing, skiing and eating potato salad! Best of all, we'd all be together. We'd use all of our allowance to purchase fire crackers. My cousin Shawn and I would jimmy rig the fire crackers to see how many we could get going at one time. One time we boobie trapped the whole house with the pull string fire crackers. Every door, cubbard and drawer was attached to the string fire crackers. Oh how we laughed as our Grandma chased us around trying beat the snot out of us when she found out. There are many times I get home sick but I think the 4th is the hardest. It's not just the loss of youth and those days in the past but also the longing for my family, mostly the ones that have gone on. Shawn, I miss you the most during this time of the year. I hope you knew how much I treasured those times we had together. Nothing will ever replace the memories I have of the 4th of July weekend. Looking forward, I need to pull myself together and start to make new memories. Memories that will be as close to my kids when they're grown as mine are to me. To all of the Vallier's reading this (even though there aren't many of us) I hope you have a great 4th of July. I miss you dearly and I'll be home in just 3 weeks! To everyone else, treasure this time with your family and don't forget to tell the ones you love just how much they mean to you. Love, Jessie