A couple photos

So we have been promising more photos of the boat and I have successfully managed to not take any pictures while were on the boat and only have some photos of when we first cleaned it out - so this is what you get for now.


The back transom, very exciting.

A slight view of the interior, hardly does it justice.


Had to throw a Megan photo in - she now climbs on the big side of Bonker's - that is until the meltdown before nap time and you have to climb in and retrieve her.


Here's Tim cleaning out the boat after Pollard's bachelor party at Mark Twain Lake. We took the boat out this past Sunday as well with Tim's parents and managed to not have that many issues with the whole putting in/taking out scenario. It's a busy boat ramp so there isn't much room for messing up which doesn't help the nerves, but we survived. Tim does the trailer, I drive the boat. It works out - at least for now. I'm sure my day with the trailer will come. Both girls fell asleep on the boat. Tim managed to ski with the wake tower, but I'm not sure I enjoy the rope being there.


On Saturday we attended Vince Kaimann's wedding in Old Monroe, MO. Vince and Tim were college roommates their last year of school together.

The happy couple.

The traditional take away in the tractor - reminded us a lot of Carrollton, IL.

Tim and I did get one night to ourselves though at the Ameristar hotel and Casino. We have both stayed there for work, but never together so we enjoyed a kid free evening with dinner at Bugatti's and then old St. Charles for a walk and their free concert series was that night as well. It was very nice - we even tried to sleep in......we made it to 7 AM.

This weekend I'll be heading up to IC to visit my parents with the girls and it's my 15 year high school reunion. Tim will be heading to IL for dove season. Then I bet you see us on the water on Monday if I had to guess.

First Day of Pre-School

Today is Abby's first day at the T-Bird Pre-School. She has been waiting for this day for quite a while. Last year she was very sad when all her friends went to school and she didn't. This year it was Megan staying back at daycare, so hopefully she does okay. But as she was pretty much the only one left there I am sure she is getting a lot of play time and attention from our babysitter.


Here is Abby with her preferred breakfast before school - blueberry muffins and chocolate milk.


Of course Megan got a couple too, she had eaten all of hers before Abby ate one - then took Abby's cup of milk and dumped it on the floor - good start to the day!

Here we are looking all tough before going in to school, rocking the Tinkerbelle backpack of course.

Waving goodbye - I was told Mommies didn't need to come in, but you can guess that I of course did.


Already with her friend DJ from daycare. She knows about 4 kids so she is already well on her way. I can't wait for the recap today when I pick her up after work!!


My radio station talked about this poem - so I decided to read it. Even though Abby isn't in Kindergarten yet I thought it was befitting for the day.



Dear World,

I bequeath to you today one little girl... in a crispy dress... with two blue eyes... and a happy laugh that ripples all day long... and a flash of light blond hair that bounces in the sun when she runs. I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning...and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine. Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "Goodbye" and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in lines... and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school-bells... and deadlines... and she'll learn to giggle... and gossip... and look at the ceiling
in a disinterested way when the little boy 'cross the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And, now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn and kiss lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she'll worry about those important things... like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friend is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and father and friend. Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers... which is only right.

But, no longer will I be the smartest, greatest man in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time... she'll learn what it means to be a member of the group... with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

Today I will watch her start out on the long journey to becoming a woman.

So, world, I bequeath to you today one little girl... in a crispy dress... with two blue eyes... and a flash of light blond hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

It's Official!

We're boat owners!!! Last night Tim brought home our new (used) Tahoe 204 WT.
The test drive went fine, it's loaded with all the skiing accessories we would ever need (or know how to use - anyone for wakeboarding??).



We should have her all cleaned up and re-organized and on Mark Twain Lake on Friday!! As if we aren't busy enough as it is - now here's one more reason to not stay at home :)

Bridal/Bachelorette Party

This weekend was Suellen's bridal shower and bachelorette party. We hosted the bridal shower at our house. As both Justin and Suellen are Mizzou fans and their wedding colors match that we went with the Mizzou theme as well.



Cake and brownies - Abby had a piece of each and wanted more so that is a pretty good testament to how they tasted.


Our bride-to-be with the goodies.

Opening presents.
Our festivities then led us to the Les Bourgeois Winery. I'd have to say we had a pretty good time there to say the least. Then the traditional Black & Gold visit, Whiskey Wild Saloon, then wrapped it up at The Diner for breakfast. Our sober driver Wendy was kind enough to stick it out until 2:30 in the morning - if we had some award - she would have won it.

As for Bachelorette party photos, there is a camera, it's not developed yet, and I have no idea what the photos look like.

Sunday was slow moving - but who am I really kidding, I think it was just me who was hurting. I'm out of practice and was in rare form. Thankfully Tim was kind enough to pick up my slack for the day. This weekend is the bachelor party and if I had to guess will be a little more out of control than ours was.....we'll see.

Weekend Update

It was hot. Very hot.
Saturday we went out to Twin Lakes park for Tim's work picnic. Thankfully they had some fans set up at the pavilion which made being outside very tolerable. Of course our kids wanted to be out in the sun where the bounce houses were, so that is where we were. 3 hours, 1 outfit change for Megan due to an effort to eat a Push-Up in 100 degree weather and we were on our way home with crashing kids.
Sunday we decided to do some art projects in the garage before it got really hot.


This is pretty much the before shot - before the arguing over sharing paint, Megan not painting on Abby's board, etc. There is no after photos since I had to clean off some messy kids.


Megan was figuring things out. In the end the paintings are just one big gray area because I said to put paint everywhere, and they did. Megan was going through her "pink paint" phase.

This photo is more for my family as this blanket was from my Grandma Powers'. Abby pretty much refuses to sleep with anything else. I had her covered up and had the blanket on top and you can see she has kicked all the covers down and is sleeping just with her "Great Grandma Powers blanket".

The heat definitely takes a lot of the girls and us. This weekend is Suellen's bridal/bachelorette party in Columbia.

We're still here!

So you take a couple weeks off without posting and boy do you hear about it!!
The Schmidt family is still here, still busy, but apparently I'm not taking any pictures! We've been at the Lake, birthday parties, and lots of swimming. I did have a few photos to share though and the promised WI Fishing photos.


Here is Tim with Megan on her first jet ski ride down at the Lake. It seemed like she liked it, but was ready to get off when they came back in. She has many more summers to get used to it.


Then there was this fish......

Here is my brother Andrew observing and Tim reeling in his 45 inch muskie.

There it is - it's a big one. Wouldn't want to put your hand in that mouth!

There is Tim, my other brother Tony, and Andrew (and my Dad's thumb) doing the official weighing and measuring. I think they are all pretty happy about the catch, and of course there will be fish stories about this one for years to come......