Our Story - 10 years of wedded bliss!

10 years ago today, I married the man of my dreams. Most of you know my history, but I was married once before Brian and for reasons beyond my control, it didn't work out. Brian and I had known each other in college as we had all the same classes together. However, Brian had a long term relationship going and I was engaged to be married. The first time we hung out, I thought to myself, maybe if we had met at a different time, we could have gone out on a date. But both of us were committed to someone else, so we were friends. Not like super close tell each other all your secret friends, but there was a connection there. Years later after we were actually together, Brian would tell me he had the same thoughts running through his mind about if we'd met under different circumstances there could have been a relationship there.

In college, we spent many hours in the student union "doing homework". In reality, we spent lots of time with our friends laughing, drinking smoothies, eating cinnamon rolls etc... Brian spent lots of time trying to teach me to succesfully play Archanoid (hopefully I spelled it right) which is very similar to Pong or Brickbreaker. Those that know me well understand the difficulty I have with hand eye coordination with moving objects. So we had tons of laughs focused about my not so mad Archanoid skills.

One class we had together, I'll never forget was called "Soils". We had a teacher named Colby Swan who was one strange guy (and wouldn't you have to be to teach a class called Soils?). We would often sit in the back row and complete the crossword from the DI together. We had lots of running jokes about our teacher and class topic and I just remember spending most of my class time laughing with Brian. Another time we had to complete some project that required computer analysis. After doing the work and looking at the numbers, I said to him, "Those are some small ass numbers!" He thought I said "those are some suave numbers!". It has been something we still joke about to this day.

Right after graduation, I was getting a divorce, and our study group decided to take a trip to Hilton Head to celebrate our graduation. One our friends' parents owned a condo there and we only had to pay the $100 cleaning fee to stay for the whole week. Brian and his girlfriend were breaking up because he was moving to Chicago and she was moving to Kansas City. We had so much fun on this trip and I think it was because we were both free to think of what a relationship together could look like. I have so many memories of that trip: dancing on the beach at night to Prince's greatest hits, getting locked out of our condo because Tom put the key in his swimsuit pocket (that didn't close) and then went swimming in the ocean, having someone yell at us from their condo because we were too loud in the pool at 4 am, having treats at an ice cream shoppe where my favorite sundae (brownie with ice cream on top) was actually called The Amy Sue, crab races, playing golf, KC & Jo Jo, and the dolphin ankle bracelet Brian bought me.

After we came home from the trip we decided to go on a date. We ate dinner at the Wig and Pen (which we still do every year to celebrate our anniversary), played some pool and then went to the movie Hope Floats (not such a great choice when one of the people is getting divorced because her husband left her), but it is still one of our favorite movies. Two days later Brian moved to Chicago. Because of my divorce I had missed the hiring window for new graduates and I didn't have a job or have any idea where I wanted to go. I was thinking St. Louis, Kansas City or Chicago as they were all about the same distance from home. Rationally, I told myself Chicago would be best, I had other friends there and a cousin I could lean on for support. A friend of my parents owned a restaurant in downtown that I could work at until I found a full time job. But in my heart, I knew I was following Brian. Which made absolutely no sense because here I was getting divorced and he was getting out of a 5 year relationship.

So I moved there and we dated for a few months and I knew in my heart that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and have children with (which was huge for me because I previously had not wanted children). We both commented on how easy it was to be together, something neither of us had experienced in previous relationships. After 6 months of dating, we moved in together and the rest is history!

Brian asked me to marry him on Halloween in 1999. We had a picnic at the Morton Aboretum in Lisle, IL and Brian wrote me a poem titled Candy Corn (my favorite halloween candy). He also had a trick or treating plastic pumpkin full of candy corn and amongst all the candy corn was a ring box. So so sweet he is!

Miraculously, it was a beautiful day on November 4, 2000. I had a sleeveless dress so I was worried about being cold, but God took care of us that day and has every day since then. It really was a perfect day, the wedding was great, the reception was awesome and we danced the night away! We honeymooned in Maui and that was wondeful! We vowed to go back on our 5 year anniversary but the boys threw a little wrench in that plan since I was staying home and we didn't have any money. At that time we said we'll go back on our 10 yr anniversary. Here we are at our 10 yr and we're still not in Maui. Just didn't work out schedule wise this year, but we'll get back there someday!

So many memories of the past ten years, although both of us have trouble remembering what we did before we had kids! :-) I could write for hours I think. But certainly the most noteable is the birth of our three children, building our dream home, following the Hawkeyes and most importantly both of us growing in our faith and finding the purpose God put on each of our lives.

Getting divorced sucked, but I believe God does not cause bad things to happen to us. I believe he takes the bad things and turns them into good. If I hadn't lived through that relationship, I would never had been able to appreciate a man like Brian. I believe God used Brian to bring me back to him. Here I was a woman who had little to no faith, didn't want children and had very little direction to my life other than I was following a man. God gave me Brian, then he gave me the desire for children, then the desire to find a church and then the desire to live a life like a woman of God. And that's what I will strive for always, to be the woman God intended me to be.

I love you baby and thank you for supporting me, helping me find myself, being a wondeful father to our children, your committment to our family and to helping others and most importantly for walking out this life with me!

A Boy's Dream

Kinnick and Carver took a field trip to the West Branch Fire Station a couple of weeks ago for school. Of course, they had a blast and had many details to tell us about that night.

One of the volunteer fireman we are friends with took this picture of Kinnick in full gear. He told me our boys are smart little kids, as they were figuring out how everything works the whole time they were there.

Down......Set.......Hike

Carver just finished playing his first flag football season, in which I was also the coach. Let me tell you, trying to teach 8 or so pre-K and kindergarten boys the basics in football is pretty entertaining.

Kids constantly running towards the wrong endzone.............

Pulling their own teammates flags off........

And diving after each other's flags.

Carver actually did a really good job. He had a lot of fun and was really trying to understand the strategic side of football (not surprising). We had a fun time and look forward to next year, in which I think Kinnick will be joining us after watching his brother.

The Beautiful Black and Gold

We enjoyed another Hawkeye filled weekend last week as we tailgated at our house throughout the day prior to the Penn State game. After that, I headed off to the football game and enjoyed the awesome display of black and gold at Kinnick.

We then followed that up by taking the kids to the Hawkeye women's volleyball game on Sunday with our friends the Clarks. Go Hawks!

Many First's

This past month has been full of a lot of firsts in the Boelk household. The biggest of them probably being that all three kids are now going to school!!!!! Almost as important, if not more, is the fact that we no longer have any daycare costs!!!!!!!

Pictures of first day outside of school

Inside classroom

Taylor at her own locker!


Off to school.....

Another first was the boy's visit to the eye doctor for a full appointment since they were one.

Check out the cool shades they got after their eyes were dilated.

Kinnick also recently lost his first tooth! Grandma Pat ended up being the final puller. Thanks Grandma! Kinnick thought the tooth fairy was pretty cool.........well, at least the money the tooth fairy left.

And last not but not least, Amy who refuses to ever ride on a "murder"cycle and keeps telling the boys they never will, took a ride on our friend Dave's Harley. Dave has been bugging her for a long time about this and finally she gave in. It was only a 3 block ride, but the agreement was she would never have to do it again.

Twin Boys, 20 Minutes, and a Long Rope

This weekend, while I was trying to get the lawn mowed, the boys were out playing in our treeline while the girls were shopping. Shortly into the mowing Carver and Kinnick asked me for some rope, in which I provided with much curiosity.

A short time later, Carver comes running after me and the mower with much enthusiasm. I stop the mower hoping nothing bad has happened and Carver is overly excited and telling me that he launched some wood REALLY far and I had to come see.

When I get back to their project site I see the rope wrapped and tied around an old stump, then swung and looped around a branch of a downed tree, and then being held by Kinnick on the other side of a triangular pattern.

Yes, they had created their own giant slingshot/catapult with the rope and nearby surroundings and were slinging sticks and pieces of wood.

It was totally cool and I had to join in as well. We ended up launching some old cereal boxes folded up 20+ feet. I have some video of Carver demonstrating his launching techniques that I hope to add to the blog soon.

A Mouse in the House?

Nope, not in the house but in the grill! I opened up the grill to start cooking a quick dinner before Taylor's softball game and just as I was about to fire it up I looked down and saw this!

Yes, that is a nest of baby mice, curled up in a nice little nest at the bottom of our grill. What is crazy is that I just used the grill on Sunday for Father's Day so that little Momma' Mouse did not waste any time building a nest and having the babies.


There were six little, pink, ugly babies in the nest. Though, if you would ask our children they were really cute. Mama was sitting right there in the nest with them as the babies were all whimpering with their mouths open. So, I grabbed a shoe box with intents on capturing both the babies and Mom and moving them out to the field behind us.

That is actually a picture of Mom coming up to my phone (used as camera) as I tried to take a picture. When I went in for the rescue Mom took off and I couldn't find her. I put the nest and babies in a box and set them on the deck while I grilled. Every time I went in the house and came back out to check on the meat there was one baby missing. Mom would hope up the deck stairs and crawl over to box, grabbing one baby at a time in her mouth and moving them to their next "home". The kids and Amy made it home in time to actually watch the Mom make one of her extractions.

It was just another pretty cool "National Geographic" moment at the Boelk house.

Forever Friends

This past Sunday our family took a trip to Davenport for a visit with a group of close high school friends. Amazing as it is, we have continued to stay in touch for the past 17 years since high school graduation.......yes I said 17 years! What a great group of individuals and friends, and we always have a wonderful time when we are able to organize our various schedules and get together. Making that even more difficult is the fact that we are now spread all over the country in Seattle, Appleton, Pleasant Hill, West Branch, and Rock Island. Unfortunately we were unable to get everyone all together at one time, but at some point during the weekend everyone was present.

This recent gathering was the first in quite some time when we were able to get whole families together and kids were able to play together as well. We enjoyed a picnic outing to Vander Veer Park on a warm but beautiful day.

Our kids had a blast climbing and playing on the cool evergreen trees.

At the end of the festivities, a couple of our families enjoyed cooling off in the beautiful fountain.

Here is our friend's daughter soaking up the rays while enjoying the water.

Of course, my boys were mostly interesting in splashing, jumping, and climbing.

My daugher, in her soaking state, prior to getting back in the car to head home (without towels). Little did we know that you aren't actually supposed to be wading, swimming, or playing in the fountain. Nor did the other 20+ kids and families. We later found out when the police officer politely asked us to get out, in which we then noticed the large sign stating such rules.

It was a great afternoon and we cherish those times together with friends.

The Sky's the Limit

On the way home from the Quad Cities a few weeks ago we travelled through a severe thunderstorm that produced hail, heavy rain, and some very cool cloud lines in the sky.

Once we arrived home and were putting the kids into bed we looked out of Taylor's window and saw this!

As I went downstairs and out to the deck to get a better look at the rainbow we witnessed the brightest piece of rainbow we had ever seen. The picture below doesn't even do it justice. The kids thought for sure we were close enough to get the pot of gold at the end!

Roller Derby

Last Friday we took all the kids to the Roller Skating Rink in Wellman, Iowa, a small town west of Kalona. Our church rented out the facility for the night for some family fun and we had a blast. It was the first time the boys had been rollerskating, second time for Tay, and an awful long time since either Amy or I had gone.

Needless to say, there was a lot of falling by the kids but they were real troopers. Not much complaining at all. They would get right back up and try again. By the end of the night all three were doing really well and getting around with no assistance.


Of course, what is a night at the skating rink without a visit to the concession stand.

BTW, everything there was $1. $1 for entry and $1 for all concessions (pizza, drinks, candy, etc.). Two hours of entertainment for the whole family..................$14. We love small town Iowa!

Added note, Amy and I skated together during the Couples Skate......with Amy skating backwards and us holding each other's hands. Ooohhhhh, how sweet!

Hittin' Claire's

Catching up on blogs of the past, I realized that I never did share pictures or the experience of Taylor getting her ears pierced for her 7th birthday. She was very excited to say the least, and counting down the days to her birthday for this event to take place. Now of course she is counting down the days left until she can take the original's out and starting where all the earrings she got for her birthday and has purchased since. Only one week left!

She was definitely a trooper through the whole thing. They shot both ears and she just sat there with a stone look on her face. We then asked her if she was okay and that results in breaking down into tears and some crying. I personally don't know how she lasted that long, it hurt me just watching.

Of course, while Tay was getting her ears pierced the rest of the family had to have some fun in Claire's!