It's Now 2020...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

from the 

Schmitz Mobile Chaos Unit!!

From our trashed house to yours!!!

Things To Warm A Parents Heart!

I likey!!  Robby helping Caleb with his reading homework!

Marshalltown Swim Meet

This is the second swim meet of Rob's that I was able to witness. There's going to be more than I'm able to handle with the ongoing matches of "My Back" vs. "Bleachers" coming up very soon.

I really like watching him compete in the waters and he appears to enjoy it as well but will not let on to that fact.

The team after their poolside meeting, just before the first heat.

Robby's somewhere in that photo but man, if I don't do these posts immediately after the actual event, I can't remember where the heck he was...

Pretty sure that's him in lane two.

Diving in for the Men's 50 Freestyle.

Got 1st place by a hair here...

After the final medley, the group that Rob (in back with arms folded) swam with, walking back to the team space.  

The two teams meeting after all was said and done.  And by said and done, I mean that Marshalltown kicked our butts!!  Not even close but still proud of both teams.

The SEP Rams boys gathering around their coach for a rah-rah chant at the end.  They also did a congratulatory chant for Marshalltown too!  Pretty cool.

Overall a very fun (and sweaty!) event.  The Marshalltown team treated our boys to a homemade soup supper afterwards.  I'm guessing that's just their tradition and wasn't anything special to SEP, but that makes it even more cool!

Robby wanted to ride home with us instead of staying for the team(s) dinner, but I made him stay as it's such a grand gesture.  He did and he was glad that he did.  He expected that it was going to be "school cafeteria soup" but he got homemade soups from "real Mom's"!!!  

The corn chowder was his favorite and he mentioned one of the Marshalltown moms as being his favorite as well!

Well done, Marshalltown.  Well done.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from our mobile chaos unit to yours!!

Su Chef C!!!!

Our house is in shambles currently as we redo flooring, but that's really no matter.  After a day of hard work, we were making some Shrimp Enchiladas.  Caleb (and Steve [the dog]) were my helpers.  Dinner was great!!

Swimming in a Sea of... Pool. It's a Pool

The SEP boys after their big entrance.  Robby's right at the pole holding the flags across the pool on the left of the photo.

He done good!

Not quite as good, but still good!

Rob in lane 6 adjusting his goggles.

His relay team came in 3rd on this one.

In lane 4 for this relay.  He's the one getting ready to dive in.

1st place for that relay.

The teams shaking hands at the end.

LCC Christmas Service by the Kids

The "Littles". The littler kids singing being led by mostly youth instrumentation.

Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus.  Rob looks a little far away from his wife and kid...  LOL!

I was trying to capture the kid who was REALLY getting into the had motions!  He's about halfway left-of-center with his arms up as he was REALLY pumping the air!!!

The full compliment of the stable.

Night of Worship at Teen Challenge

Of all the places I've played guitar in bands whether with a church or otherwise, Teen Challenge of the Midlands is my absolute favorite!!!

I've only played there once before, best guess, back in 2012 but it was and is, hands down, my favorite gig and worship experience ever!  Or maybe even EVAH!!!!

It was truly one of those moments when the stars aligned,  the Holy Spirit could be FELT in the room, and the guys went crazy worshipping with crying, praising, singing, shouting, collapsing, dancing and all kinds of other "ing's"!!

Amazing night that I will never forget!

Fast forward 6 or 7 years and another invite came to play.  I didn't want to as we're busy and schedules are nuts...  however, memories of that first experience kept tempting me, reminding me.  My friend Bob, who was heading this up, kept asking and checking in with me. 

I finally told him to send me the songs and I would make a final decision so they could get somebody in my stead if I did indeed back out.

I started listening to the songs and nearly every single one of them made me cry.  About halfway thru the songs, I texted Bob back and said,  "I have to do this!".

And so, it was!

This was from our practice.  I had not seen the other guitar player for about 1.5 years as he is going to Hillsong University in Australia.  He's back for Christmas so that's part of the reason why this gig was happening.   This is his pedal board...  YIKES!!!   I cannot imagine having to tame this beast!

Setting up...  so much to do and I got to the party late!

Wait a minute...  who is that drummer!?!?

Oh, I know this kid!!  He was a great roadie for the show, especially during the load-out.

Again with the pedal boards!  That's the bass player on the left,  me in the middle and the lead guitarists (from the earlier shot) on the right.  Amazing how much/many effects are at toes!!!

I was hoping to upload a few of the videos that I had Caleb record but they're too large for the site...

No matter, it was another amazing event and so glad that I agreed to it!

Xtra Credit Where Credit's Due!

Art class is ending with a bit of a bang... and by that, I mean that part of Rob's clay bust of Bake Mayfield ended with a large chunk falling off and things not going so well...

An extra credit assignment was available so we took advantage of it.  The assignment was finding 6 various things at the sculpture park in downtown Des Moines, which is near my work at Nationwide.

We parked in the Nationwide ramp and walked the 4/5 blocks to the sculpture park.

We walked around and found all 6 relatively easily.  It was cold, but no breeze so it proved to be a fairly fun thing to do! 

As we are wont to do, we went and got coffee at Zanzibar's Coffee Adventure afterwards and then the lad drove us home!

There was much rejoicing!

Larger American Boy is Working!

Shoveling sand into buckets for the upcoming winter season!

Getting the salt for the softener to it's new home.

Happy Got'cha Day, 2019 edition!

Eight years ago today we met this lovely God-created creature. He is our Caleb and he is LOVED!!!

After school and after some football in the yard with Dear ol' Dad!!  Get some rest before Tae Kwon Do me laddy!

2019 Mini-Vaca3(but really 1), Chicago, Pt 2 - Shedd Aquarium & Walking

Our day 2 saw us up and awake at a respectable time to have some breakfast and head back into downtown.  This time we really went into downtown as Rob wanted to see where the Chicago Bulls played (United Center, I think...).  So we went and found that, saw some other noteworthy business's such as the hospital where our Pediatrician went to school (Rush University Medical Center,  we LOVE her and what she has done for our Caleb {and Rob to a lessor degree} after bringing him home and her "building" as much history as she could, not giving a CRAP about how much time it took!) and I forget some of the other stuffs we saw and noted...   but, it was a cool drive around downtown without much traffic.

But, here's one that should probably have been explored more!

I do not recall what the actual business is, but it really doesn't matter.  The big white letters on the side of it say, "Sausage, Bacon and Beer".  WHATEVER they're selling, Teddy's buying!

The Shedd Aquarium!  Love this place!  Mama and I came here way, way, WAY back before kiddos and loved it then.  It's better with kiddos even tho they wear out faster than our old tired butts because they get bored quicker, but they both liked it.  Robby declared our Chicago trip the favorite of the 3 we took this year (stating he really enjoyed all 3!)  because we had time to "just chill" at the end of the day.  Sort of teenager'ish, but he's a teenager and is a good kid, so he's earned the right for "just chillin'"...  I think.

Hey buddy!

I cannot NOT take a picture like this. I don't know how they do it, but I think it is soooooooo cool that they balance on their tails like this with their mug out of the water and remain perfectly still!!!  I'll take pictures every time!

Smooching turtles.

Mama and Robby looking out the window at Lake Michigan.  Love, love, love this picture!

Dolphins and some sort of fishy looking blob.  That would probably be me if I were a fish...

This is my favorite because this room is the coolest where you have the dolphin pool with the wall of windows overlooking Lake Michigan!  Oh, and you get to see dolphins perform, which if you don't enjoy???  Your soul is dead.  Just sayin'...

Dolphins!

Dolphins walking on the water!

Leaping dolphins!

In the tunnel with fish of various kinds swimming around and above you.

Including sharks.

My loves!!!

We were walking over to the Harold Washington Library for something that Mama had found online and wanted to see.  I didn't know why we were going there, but didn't question it either as she usually finds cool stuff for our family to do/see.

Robby (adoring the little doggy!) with Dad and Caleb pretty much in the position to take the previous photo.  This one was taken by Mama.  I'm fat...

That's it for this one.  The next post will cover part deux of our deuxed...  deuxes, d...  second day.