Welcome Home Troops!

Sunday afternoon Charlie had the honor of escorting the troops who were on their way home from Afghanistan down Highway 60 through Sioux County.  I had the afternoon free & thought it would be neat to show support for our troops by welcoming them home as well.  Being that Charlie was working and the rest of my family was out of town, I thought it would be nice to have someone ride along with me.  So, I stopped by Crown Point (Assisted Living Home) where my Grandma lives in town and I thought she might enjoy getting out and going for a drive.  So, we took a little drive to Hospers, parked our car, got out and waited for the troops to come down Highway 60 shortly thereafter.  It was pretty neat to see the support from the surrounding communities.  There were people lining the off ramps and exits of Highway 60 all the way from Worthington I believe it was to Sioux City before the troops finally arrived home after being away for a period of time on active duty.  I can’t imagine the emotions the troops and their families must have been feeling that day as they were once again united.  Tears just came to my eyes as we welcomed them home that day by waving flags along the side of the road.  What a huge commitment not only for the troops but also their families.  I know it would be extremely tough on me for my husband or any family member to be away for an extended period of time off in another country fighting for our country and not knowing what danger they may be in daily and if they are ok.  So if you are a veteran or are currently fighting for our Country…A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU!  You are truly appreciated for your commitment, time, and for the work you have done for our country.

My grandma & I

Charlie escorting through Sioux County

The first two busses of troops

Family, friends & the community showing support

The final two busses of troops

Friday-Date Night!!!

Friday was a busy day for me.  I woke up pretty early as Charlie was out the door for work by 5:00 a.m. and I just couldn't really fall back to sleep after he left (so I layed in bed and and tried to fall back asleep off an on until about 7 and then I finally decided to get up).  I got ready for the day, ran some errands around town, and then ran to Orange City to hang some posters up in the local churches with my sister Kasondra.  This coming Sunday we are having a benefit concert in Orange City, IA to raise funds for a mission trip that our entire family is going on along with Rachelle Hope & her husband and professional BMX Rider, Jon Greer this coming January 2012.  Which by the way-YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO!!!

The rest of the afternoon I spent several hours on my computer doing some legal research for my criminal law assignment.  School has been going pretty good for the most part so far, besides learning the ropes around how LEXIS all works (LEXIS is an online legal research program).  But I am happy to say that I officially completed my first assignment today and am anxious to see how I did.

Then Friday night, I was pretty excited as Charlie & I had planned a DATE NIGHT.  Let me tell you, this was very needed and it had been quite awhile since we have been able to get away to just spend some quality time together- "just the two of us".  We headed up to Sioux City and on our way up we drove through some car dealerships and test drove a few vehicles (which we really kind of enjoy doing).  Then when we got to Sioux City, we went to eat right away as we were both pretty hungry.  One of the salesmen from the dealership we stopped at in Le Mars had suggested we try the "Japanese Steakhouse" in Sioux City (which is where the old Coyote Canyon used to be) as he said the food was really good and it's a pretty neat experience too as you are also entertained while you are waiting for your food.  He said that they chef's come out and cook on this big metal grill right at your table.  This sounded a lot like what we had at our resort on our honeymoon and we really enjoyed it.  We are always up for trying new restaurants and we both really like Chinese/Japanese food and steakhouses so we thought why not give it a try.  Boy was the food good and we had such a fun time together-it was just something differentt than your normal restaurant.  Anyways I just thought I'd share a couple pictures that I took that night.  (Yes I love pictures!  Funny story actually...one of the ladies we sat by at supper asked when we were taking the pictures below..."So, is it like your Anniversary or something?"  You would have gotten a good chuckle at Charlie's response I'm sure-I did anyways.  He said,  "No, she just really likes pictures.  Well he knows me well I guess right.)

School...

Well I'm happy to say that I have just about survived my first two weeks of paralegal classes.  The first class I am taking is Criminal Law.  So far I have enjoyed the topics that are involved in this area of law (maybe because my hubby is a cop so I like to tell him everything I am learning or quiz him to see if I know more than he does...lol).  But no really, I have enjoyed the text reading so far, and my instructor is great.  I attend 2 live lectures a week and so far they have been very informative and interesting.  My instructor has been so helpful to me as a new student in explaining things and walking me through several different ways to conduct legal research-which let me tell you can be quite confusing.  Who knew trying to look up a specific case would be so tricky.  I'm sure once I figure out how exactly to use LEXIS (an online legal research website program) things will seem like a piece of cake, but for now I'll keep on pushing through it.



Well I think that is about all that has been new in our lives lately.  I have off tomorrow so I think I'll plug away at completing my first paper/assignment, other than that we have a wedding to attend on Saturday night for some friends of ours (Josh Koedam & Jessica VanderWilt) and Charlie works the day shift this weekend so hopefully it will be a fun yet relaxing weekend & maybe we'll get to spend a little time together in the evenings!  I hope you all have a great weekend as well.

~Jamie~

Time with my Niece & Nephew!

Last night I got to watch my niece Gracie and nephew Jax for a couple hours while their parents had a party to go to.  It's been awhile since I have watched them and we sure had fun together.  We first watched a little Curious George, then we took a walk to the park and had fun running around playing on the jungle gyms and eating fresh cherries for a "snack", walked back home, made some cookies (and of course ate the batter), watched a little of Beauty and the Beast while the cookies were cooking and then got ready for bed.  They must have had a long day and played hard, because I don't think it even took 5 minutes and they were both out.  

I think Gracie was pretty excited because she got to crack the egg

The best part...licking the spoons :)

Yummy warm cookies!!!

I love my nieces and nephews and the time that I get to spend with them-I am one lucky Aunt!

2nd Time Called Out for SRT

For those of you who may not have heard, Charlie got called out as an SRT (Special Response Team) member for his second time to assist in a situation that took place at 370th and Jefferson just north of Orange City, IA yesterday.  I headed home for my lunch break at 12:00 p.m. yesterday when shortly thereafter I received a call from Charlie asking if I was home and if I could get his duty boots, pants, and SRT gear together...I knew what that meant.  Although, I got butterflies in my stomach I kept my cool quite a bit better than the very first call he received.  I don't know if it was because it was the second time around now, or if it was because I had no clue what was all involved in this specific situation at all.  Either way, I just tried to remind myself that he is trained in what he does, they have protective gear for a reason, and everything is ultimately in God's hands.  I was happy to receive a call from him shortly after 3:00 p.m. to hear that they were done and that everyone was ok.  Here is the report that was released regarding the situation if you are at all interested in hearing the story:

NEAR SIOUX COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV) -

     A tense situation came to an end Tuesday afternoon in rural Sioux County, Iowa resulting in a man taken into custody.

     It took a joint SWAT team with officers from Sioux County, Plymouth County and Le Mars police to get a man out of a home. That man was Gilberto Trejo-Olmedo.

     Authorities say Olmedo was wanted on several charges including operating while intoxicated, interference with official acts, and disorderly conduct.

     Trejo-Olmedo is an employee at a dairy farm, at 370th Street and Jefferson Avenue, north of Orange City and also lived on the property.

     It all began around 11:00 a.m. Tuesday morning when Sioux County officials attempted to server their warrant.

     When they arrived at the home, some occupants warned that Trejo-Olmedo, who was sleeping in the basement at the time, may have been armed.

     Officers proceeded to clear the home and employees at the dairy.

     Negotiators worked for more than an hour and a half to get Trejo-Olmedo out, with no success, until about 2:00 p.m.

     "Ultimately what the SWAT team did is administer some gas into the basement, which did bring him out shortly there after and we took him into custody," said Sioux County Sheriff Dan Altena.

     Trejo-Olmedo was taken to the Sioux County Jail where he faces an additional charge of interference with official acts resulting from the standoff.

     His bond has not yet been set.

     Tune into News 4 at six... to see you how the sheriff's department is using a new type of "tip line" to find suspects like Trejo-Olmedo.

There is also a short video that was shot by Channel 4 news out of Sioux City shortly after the arrest was made...and yes Charlie is in it, you should be able to spot him, just look for the tall guy ;)   Here is a link to the video if you're are interested in seeing it:  http://www.ktiv.com/story/15069912/update-man-arrested-identified-following-orange-city-ia-standoff?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6043984

I hope you are all having a great week!

~Jamie~



Zomermaand Reunion "Camp Out"

This past weekend we had a very fun, relaxing and laid back time spent with the Zomermaand Family.  Charlie and I were sad to see Sunday evening come to an end.  We had such a blast at the Zomermaand Reunion "Camp Out" this weekend that took place in Paulina.  It was so nice to see all of our family members, especially those that live far away that we don't get to see very often.  It was nice to catch up and spend some time enjoying the beautiful weather together.  We enjoyed swimming, the guys golfed, we played several outdoor games-Frisbee, bean bag toss, ladder ball and also enjoyed several bon fires as a family.

Here are some pictures I captured from the weekend that I thought I'd share:

Charlie taking his niece Megan's three wheeler out for a spin

Teresa & Jiff being pampered by nieces Erin & Lexi

Spending some time with my niece Zoey

Family gathering at Grandma's cabin for a potluck lunch...yum :)

Grilling the millions of burgers, hot dogs, & brats over one fire for the entire Zomermaand family

Bean Bag Toss & Ladder Ball Golf after the pot luck gathering

Beach time

Charlie playing Frisbee with some cousins, his nephew & nieces

Getting ready to take Zoey on a walk while some went to grab supper put on by the park

Time for a Frisbee Game

We're already looking forward to next years Get Together!!!

4th of July!

What a beautiful 4th of July weekend we had.  I look forward to this weekend every year.  I think this is one of my family's favorite holidays.  We all try to get a couple days off from work, head up to the lakes and enjoy the weekend as a family at my parents cabin on Silver Lake.  We had a great couple of days boating, swimming, skiing, wake boarding, tubing, sun tanning, doing crafts, having water wars, playing bean bag toss, watching fireworks and so much more.  I have an amazing family & I feel so blessed to have had the three days off that I did to spend it with them.

Here are SEVERAL pictures from this weekend that I tought I'd share with all of you.

Charlie, Jamaica & Coyer having a water war

Boat, Swimming & Beach Time

Charlie skiing

Coyer making "Pizza Pies" as he calls them ;)

Coyer having fun with Uncle Charlie

Myself skiing

On Saturday Mom decided she'd rather spend her day in the ER

(Ok not really...but she did go in at 4 a.m. Saturday morning and wasn't released until that evening)

She had sharp back pains, so they did multiple blood tests as well as a CT scan & couldn't find anything :(

She's looking a lot better here than she did earlier that day

(Our WHOLE family decided it would be a good idea if we all went to visit her...we were quite a big clan)

Charlie & Jeff spent Saturday morning playing in a golf tournament with a bunch of other guys including

Kelsie's boyfriend JD...sounded like they had fun-looks like Kedren wanted to go too.

Us girls, Danny & the nephews decided to hit

"Pirates Cove Beach" for the day

Picnic at the beach

Charlie & I took a fishing boat up, so we all took turns out on the fishing boat

Guy time

Girls Craft Night...while the men are out fishing

Coyer decided he wanted to join us and make his own little craft too

Kelsie's finished product (side 1)

Side 2

Mom & Jamaica's (Side 1)

Side 2

Mine

Kansas' (side 1)

Side 2

 Kasondra's (side 1)

Side 2

 

Bean Bag Toss Time & Relaxing

Dad & mom relaxing on the swing outside after being released from the hospital

Us girls decided to take the boat out on the lake

for the fireworks that were being

shot off on Silver Lake the night of the 2nd

(The guys took the fishing boat out)

Some quick family pics. before church Sunday morning

Mom & her girls

Charlie & I

Charlie had to work Monday (the 4th) so we headed back home Sunday night.

But...I just couldn't stand missing the family tradition of going to Arnold's Park & watching

the fireworks on the beach as a family.  So as soon as Charlie got off we headed back up for the night!

A little "cha cha slide" on the beach

Sisters (missin' Kels though)

Beautiful Sunset

We hope you all had a safe & fun 4th as well.  Tonight Charlie & I are looking forward to heading to Paulina when he gets off work as we have the Zomermaand Reunion "Camp Out" there this weekend.  We look forward to lots of swimming, fishing, bonfires, outdoor games & fun spent with the family.  Hopefully I remember to take some pictures to share with you from the weekend!