OK, so I’ve admittedly been terrible about blogging about all the events going on in our lives. I spend lots of time editing and posting new pictures, as you can sometimes see in the Recent Photos widget, but I never seem to get around to writing about it. Honestly, I think the photos tell a better story anyway (not to mention I’m already writing when I do the captions…).

The Vandermarks, Sept 2010

I’ll try to get better about posting simple updates when a new batch of photos have been loaded (like the remainder of our April trip to AZ that uploaded last night), but in the meantime, here’s just a straight list of the albums that have been updated/created since last Sept:

• Sept-Oct 2010 – the Scarecrow Festival, the circus, Halloween
• Visit with Auntie Mary Ann – who came to visit us in Sept
• Infiniti Crash II: The Deer – the results when a deer runs in front of a car doing 65 mph.
• Nov-Dec 2010 – Christmas decorating, Thanksgiving in Chicago, big snow storms
• Christmas 2010 – yep, pictures of presents and family at Christmas
• Jan-Feb 2011 – Cole’s 16th birthday, fun birthday parties, making cookies and craft projects
• Zach and Alex’s 5th birthday – including their 1st “friends” party
• Mar-Apr 2011 – Karen’s birthday, planting a garden
• Spring Break 2011 – a few days of fun in Chicago
• Arizona – April 2011 – a family get-together

Tags: Alex, Belouseks, birthday, booms, cars, Chicago, Christmas, circus, Cole, family outing, friends, GG, Grandma Marilyn, Grandma Pat, Grandpa Dan, Halloween, holiday, Joe, Karen, museum, Papa Bob, party, playtime, Santa, school, Thanksgiving, Tucson, Vandermark family, Zach

Joe got into an accident today

The car was annihilated on the passenger side. I was driving in the left lane of 169 going north just past of Co Rd 21 in Jordan when a Ford pickup smashes into me. The collision forced me into the median and into oncoming traffic. Fortunately the truck stopped in the median so I was able to swerve back into the median before another car could finish me off. See the pictures here. Joe’s feeling ok, just a little sore.

Tags: booms, cars, Joe

We have finally succumbed and traded in my cute little Lexus SUV for – gasp! – a Toyota Sienna minivan. After watching poor Cole climb in and out around two sets of carseats and plenty of struggles trying to get the carseat carriers around open doors, we decided that it was time to bite the bullet and get a minivan with sliding doors and an easy-to-access third row for Cole. I hate to admit it, but I actually enjoy it. It’s so much more practical and convenient with the boys, and it still has all the bells and whistles that my Lexus had – plus a DVD player! It’ll be great for our trips to Chicago!

Tags: cars