The Snowflakes Glisten on the Tree

Welcome back to the Scheu Family Blog. It was a unique week; but then it seems they�re always a little different�It was pretty frigid, as our main temps were in the lower teens as a high and in the single digits for lows. The energy companies should love this weather�them, polar bears and penguins! On Monday, Ann & I had to drag our backsides back to work. The kids were still off, as teachers had a work day to complete report cards. Abby went back to dance classes that night. Both Ann & I died that night. Poor Matt battled with the decision of whether or not to continue with band. He is truly torn, as he loves to play the drums but doesn�t necessarily like to play in the school band. He has a couple friends who are still in it, but most have already dropped out. He is the only percussionist, so he feels obliged to continue on for the other members and his instructor � especially for contest. He has already made it clear that he will not play next year. He also enjoys playing for his Grandma O� He went back and forth for about a week and then decided he was dropping it. Then he reconsdered. He agonized over this decision for about 72 hours. Ann & I helped him make a pros & cons list. In the end, he decided to play one last semester before giving it up. We had the kids clean out their cubby holes during break. We found a neat art project of Abby�s and her Smile Safe card. Matt and I enjoyed watching the bowl game on the big screen in the play room, the first of the last week of college football�and there were a couple really goods one this year! While we were watching the game, I worked on our babysitter�s computer. They said it was dead in the water and were thinking of replacing it because they were so frustrated with it, so they gave it to me that morning. I worked on it for a couple hours � on and off during the game � and got it running pretty well. I found nearly 600 viruses on that machine – the obvious issue with the poor thing. When I finished, it appeared to be no worse for the wear and to their surprise; I brought it with me the next morning when I dropped off the kids�

The kids were less than thrilled to get up Tuesday morning for school, to say the least. However they were excited at the talk of all the snow we were forecasted to receive later in the week. At that point, they were saying 4 � 8 inches! Matt started back with wrestling practice after school. Now, he will have practice or a meet every night after school from now to Spring Break. He was so tired that night when he got home. He took an Advil after dinner and struggled to stay awake with me to watch the bowl game that night. When we got home, we surprised Ann with her birthday presents from the kids. She received nearly 50 lbs of popcorn!! 🙂 Molly is a true Scheu; as she loves Hot Wheels. Whenever the kids get them out, she always comes running. She loves to try and catch them as they scream down the track!

On Wednesday, we took the dogs to a new groomer, over in Columbus near the Simmons winery; right on the route we take to and from work. The dogs did pretty well in the car, although they were like farts in a skillet! We took them to the Double K Pet Hotel in Columbus. The dogs were groomed very nicely this time. Lola�s hair wasn�t actually long enough to groom her appropriately, but we had Molly groomed like a Westie also and they both turned out really cute and were even sent home with matching pink scarves. We were very pleased with the work of Tina and her crew and will most likely utilize their services again in the future. The kids brought home their report cards with mixed results. Luke got all G�s and one S. We are very proud at how hard he works at home and school with his class work. Abby finished strong this last semester and finished with all A�s and 1 B. We are equally as proud of her; as she has really turned it on since we had her last parent-teacher conference. Good job, Bu!! Matt struggled a little this semester, as he pulled home 3 A�s, 2 B�s and 3 C�s…which isn’t bad, considering he does very little. We expect much more from him. To his credit, he only missed A/B honor roll by a few percentage points; but he really needs to apply himself because he is capable of so much more� After work, Ann went scrapbooking with her friends. That night it started snowing while we were watching that night’s bowl game and also flipping over to watch the Purdue game�which the #4-ranked Boilers won again, tying a school record of 14-0 record to start a season. They share the record with the �93-�94 team that featured Glenn �Big Dog??? Robinson, Matt Painter (current head coach!), Matt Waddell, Ian Stanback and Cuonzo Martin. I’ve got a couple sets of team cards from that year and the previous. They went to the Sweet 16 (and maybe the Elite 8?) that year, after capturing the Big 10 title. I still have most of that season taped on VHS out in the garage somewhere�

On Thursday, we woke up to about half an inch of snow. I got to try out my new snow shovel (I broke our old one last year on the ice). By the time we got to work, we had about an inch and half on the ground it was falling pretty hard. During the first two hours at work, we shoveled the grounds 3 times. I took in the old snow blower that we had up in LaPorte (Dad B gave it to me years ago). It hadn�t run in three years and was just setting in our shed. JT � my mechanical guy at work � was able to get it running and it was a godsend that day. We used it several times (I think we shoveled the walks and drive six times by the time I left). It saved us a bunch of time and effort, but my entire department still got a good workout that day. The snow wasn�t the worst part, it was the cold temps and wind that made it our first real winter storm of the season. By the time we got home that night and I got our drive shoveled out, it was almost time for bed. I didn�t even need to get on the treadmill! Matt was supposed to perform with the pep band at the home junior high basketball game, but it was postponed due to the weather, as was his wrestling practice. In fact, all the schools in the area were closed with one exception � Greensburg Community schools! It was really pretty that night; with all the snow (about 4 inches fell that day). I had to snap off a couple pictures of the front of the house before we took down the Christmas decorations for the year. Matt and I both fell asleep during the championship bowl game that night, as the marquee player was knocked out in the first drive for Texas (QB Colt McCoy). It was a sleeper after that�

On Friday, it was still snowing. At this point, we had about 5 inches all told. The kids were on a two-hour delay; the first I can remember in our kids� school careers. It was actually really good timing, as I had an eye appointment to address the increasingly reddening of my left eye. It turned out to be nothing that a few steroid eye drops couldn�t solve. Ann and Abby went to the country club that night to go scrapbooking. Abby did more than Ann did that night! She is a natural at it, like her mom. She was very proud of her work. The dogs are so funny outside; they both love the snow! Molly could dig all day and night if we let her! Lola jumps and runs back and forth, as she loves scaring off the birds and rabbits we have out back. The two buddies love it out back; in fact we sometimes have to force them to come in due to the cold. I was late getting home that night, so I picked up McDonald�s on my way home and the boys snuggled up on the couch, ate our Micky-D’s and watched Return of the Jedi. I had been feeling guilty ever since Luke told me at the start of Christmas break that one of the main things he wanted to do was watch a Star Wars movie with me. He enjoyed having me to translate all the words on the screen to him. Matt had trouble with his Xbox again that night, as his Halo 3 multiplayer disc wouldn�t load correctly. When we looked at the disc itself, we again saw a ring scratched in to it, like the other one a week ago. We’ll have to call Microsoft sometime this week to determine if we have a box issue or just bad luck with the two games Santa brought. We tried tinkering with the network, originally thinking that was the issue and I ended up knocking out our whole network. It was down all night and into the Saturday morning before I finally broke down and called Comcast. I was pleasantly surprised that the diagnosed my issue immediately and bought it to resoltion. I may have spent five minutes on the phone. I know I knock their cable side of the business, but the internet side has been very good to us through the years. That night, we dropped down to about 3 degrees overnight�

On Saturday, we took down the Christmas tree and decorations. It always takes so long to set it all up and tear it all back down. We spent nearly 5 hours taking everything down today; which wasn�t too bad. We made the kids help us this year, which cut down on the time. Dildo Claus says goodbye until next year, Grandma! 😉 I promised to take them sledding if they helped. Matt & I both forgot about the Boilers playing during the day and missed the game. I told Matt that was the reason why they lost. I didn�t even catch any of the highlights on ESPN of that game. So, they ended the week at 14-1; still a great start to the season�but Matt and I know that we can�t miss any other games the rest of the year! 😛 So, true to my word, we no sooner had all the Christmas stuff packed up and out in the garage; than we were gearing up and heading out to the slopes! Matt learned his lesson and decided to listen to Mom & Dad about dressing in layers to keep warm. He didn�t have one complaint this time out. His brother on the hand only lasted a few trips before doing a pretty hard face-plant with Matt on top of him before he was done�unless it was with me. I took a few more pictures / video and then put it away to enjoy some quality time with the kids. Luke and I were exclusive the rest of the time there. The kids didn�t like it much that there were about 20 � 30 others on the hill. They said they enjoy it more when they have it exclusively to themselves. Someone had built a fire at the top of the hill, which helped; again the temps were still in the teens. We were out there over a couple hours. You know; they had been bickering and fighting all day until we got out there. While were there, I didn�t hear any arguing, back-biting, or fighting of any kind. We played until it started to got dark, Luke couldn�t feel his fingers and Abby couldn�t feel her buttocks! 😉 Since I knew Ann was napping (that was her goal when we left!), I treated the kids to McDonald�s hot chocolate (we even brought one home for Mom). We warmed up to that and watched a little pro football playoffs until late at night. Mom made popcorn as Matt and I were again in the playroom (soon to be renamed the game room, since Matt and I have been spending a bunch of time in there, watching football games for the past couple weeks now!) to watch our Cowboys take it to the Eagles again � the third time this season! It is so hard to beat a team three times in one year and with it being Philly, it made it all that much sweeter!!

We chilled out on Sunday, staying in our jammies and cleaning up around the house and doing our regular chores before Matt and I settled in for yet another afternoon / evening of football in the �game room.??? We loved seeing the Patriots get spanked by Baltimore and looked forward to the Simpson�s 20th Anniversary special. Man, it�s hard to believe the Simpson�s have been around that long. I can honestly say that I�ve seen every single episode they�ve ever made�not sure it that�s a good thing or not� I also thought it was cool to see that our homepage counter hit 2112 visitors today (one of my lucky numbers)�Matt just said I was a computer geek. 🙁 Here is a video from this week. Clips include Molly “playing” Hot Wheels with Lukey, Lola jumping for treats, the newly groomed dogs, Ann’s 40th birthday presents from the kids and the 1st sledding day of the New Year…

OK; let�s switch on the Waybac machine and see what we have this week. Leading off we have a couple real oldies! The first one is in the neighborhood of 1939. It features a young, lovely, Grandmaw Brown as well as who I assume must be Uncle Keith M. and my Great-grandma & Great-grandpa Morgan. The second one is from about 1943 and has a very young Owens family, with a very cute Grandma O and Ann’s Grandma & Grandpa Owens.

Next up are a few from the sixties. The first is Keith at about 1 year of age in approximately1964. The second is Mom B., Karen, Cathy and probably Brenda from July of 1966 in their “swimming pool!” 🙂 The final one is my second Christmas. I’m with Grandpaw Brown and some little puppy…Mom, whose dog is that? This has to be in the living room of our little yellow house on the hill.

Next up we move on to the seventies. The first one is a rare one of my Great Grandma Brown playing euchre with Grandpaw Brown, Mom, Dad S. and Marilou in the spring of 1970. We are at Great-grandma Brown’s house to celebrate her birthday. The second one is Ann & Keith in Greensburg, also in approximately 1970. Keith had a cool pedal car! The next one is me with Grandmaw & Grandpaw. Not sure where we are here. It was taken 8.31.71 during my folk’s anniversary party. How cute is that picture of Dee Dee in kindergarten around 1977?? 😉 There is also a picture from Aunt Norma & Uncle Ralph’s house that must be a family reunion in August of 1976. The one after that s Ann & Deana with their dog around 1978. After that is a funny one of two good friends, Mom & Vickie Crum on 6.9.78. Wrapping up this decade is Ann in her dance picture around ’79…how sweet!

Next we’re on to the eighties. The first couple are from February of 1980 and feature the Bryan side of the family; first Vird & Belinda in the old Bryan home in Lafayette and then Dan, Sharon, Nathan & Katie in the living room of their Kokomo home. The next one is Rob & the Showbiz Bear in October of 1983, I think. The rest are from approximately 1984. There’s an old school picture of Ann’s best friend, Amy. Then Rob sleeping with his gun & handcuffs (much like Luke does nowadays). Grandpa Bryan with his old buddy, Peanuts. Both of those pix were from the Fall in our living room. Rob would’ve been right at home with us this week in his snowsuit and shovel. I had my confirmation in that year and here I am with a bishop or cardinal in LaPorte. I don’t even remember taking this picture.

We end in the nineties. There’s one of me with my beard in October of ’91. I had to put that one up in honor of me growing out my beard for the first time in several years. It is now very gray… There’s one of Aunt Marilou in her basement in Rossville in that same year – ish. Next is one of Ann, Keith & Dee in a church. May be Keith’s wedding around ’93. There’s a classic one of Mom O & Gigi. I think this was taken shortly after they moved out to the Ryle Addition. The last two are from ’96. The first is Grandpa B. and Matt at Kenny & Marilou’s Brown Family Reunion (fish fry), in their back yard…and the last one is Matt with his Bryan grandparents and Joey in their first home in Rossville. That house was so cool!

Well, that wraps up another episode of the Scheu Family Blog. Thanks for hangin’ out with us for a little while and gettin’ caught up with us this week. We’ll see you again next time. Until then, have a good one.
Later, Scheu