Potty Training?

Nope! Logan just likes to sit naked on the toliet reading books...

Go Bears!

Jesse dug out this old Bears hat to wear today and Logan decided he wanted to wear it around too! Look who is wearing it in the last picture!

Me, wearing the same Bears hat when I was Logan's age!

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is an awful disease! It can make people sick beyond belief, it can destroy lives and it can lead to death, but there are many things cancer cannot do. Five years ago my mother passed away after a seven-year-long battle with cancer. She underwent multiple surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy and she lived her life to the fullest up the very end. This last summer, my dad was also diagnosed with cancer. Today he completed his 38th and final radiation treatment. Throughout his treatment he has remained positive and hasn't let cancer dictate his way of life. Cancer may have led to sickness and death in my family; however, cancer has not and will not destroy the lives of my family members. Recently, I was going through some of my mom's belongings and I found this poem:

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is so limited...

It cannot cripple Love

It cannot shatter Hope

It cannot corrode Faith

It cannot destroy Peace

It cannot kill Friendship

It cannot suppress Memories

It cannot silence Courage

It cannot invade the Soul

It cannot steal eternal Life

It cannot conquer the Spirit

-Author Unknown

I love you, Mom and Dad...you are both my heroes.

Simple Things in Life

We thought that the year 2011 was going to be a year of great change in our lives, but it turns out that 2011 will be a year to appreciate the simple things in life:
1. Logan saying, "I love you Mommy/Daddy"
2. Date nights
3. A night on the couch with good T.V. shows or a good movie
4. A good laugh (the kind that makes your stomach hurt)
5. Dinner together as a family
6. The moment when I finish a really good book
7. Eating lunch with my co-workers and laughing about our work day
8. A text message or phone call from a friend
9. Garage sales with really good stuff
10. An Illini win
11. Sundays: church together as a family, a nap on the couch and a good meal
12. A trip to the library
13. Snuggling with Nemo (our dog)
14. Hearing Jesse say that something I made for dinner is good
15. Seeing people's pictures that they post on Facebook
16. Opening a package of something that I have ordered online
17. A good hair day
18. Sunny days
19. Snow days
20. Visits with family and friends
21. When I take a really good picture of something/someone
22. Completing a puzzle
23. Pampering and grooming: haircuts, waxings, pedicures and manicures
24. Crossing something off a "To Do" list
25. A clean house

Christmas, 2010

Santa Claus visited our house the day before Christmas Eve since we were going to be out of town on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...wasn't that nice of him? Logan must have been good in 2010 because he received many presents and he became a pro at opening them (ripping the paper off and pulling out tissue paper from gift bags). Christmas was more magical this year in the Bowman household...I guess having a children around makes everything more magical!

Logan and his new Woody doll

Logan, opening his new scooter

Riding his new scooter

Logan and his cousin, Ryder

Logan and Ryder, playing the piano

Merry Christmas!

Hope your Christmas morning (and all your mornings in 2011) are filled with joy!

Love,

The Bowmans

Jesse, Erin, Logan and Nemo

Notice the p.j.s and "bedhead"

A picture where Logan is actually smiling

Dear Friends (and a little tailgating mixed in)

As a special education teacher I have never had a classroom all to myself. I always share a classroom with another teacher or teachers. While most people might think it is not desirable to share a classroom, it has been an absolute blessing for me. At my first teaching job I had the pleasure of sharing my office/classroom with Angie. Sharing a office with Angie was just the beginning of a lifelong friendship. After I was no longer working at that school, Angie and I continued to meet weekly for lunch. She has since moved away, but we still keep in touch. Angie and I have shared many, many laughs and I will always have a special place in my heart for her. After leaving that teaching job, I was hired at my current position and met my then-roommate, Lesley. Lesley and I became fast friends and she was a valuable mentor to me. After two years of sharing a room, Lesley and her husband moved out of the Bloomington area, but we have continued to get together with her and her husband. In fact, 4 years ago we purchased season football tickets at the University of Illinois with Lesley and Tim. We have enjoyed tailgating and cheering on the winning/losing/winning/losing Illini team. Last weekend was our last home game of the season and it was a memorable one...Illini lost, but we still managed to have a good time. Lesley has always been someone that I feel comfortable telling anything...she is an amazing person, teacher and friend. My more recent roommate, Lyndsey, has also become one of my best friends. We have shared ups and downs together and she has taught me so much about being a good friend and being a good teacher. I am so incredibly blessed to have been paired up with these amazing women and I will be forever changed for the better because of them. I love you Angie, Lesley and Lyndsey!

Tailgating with Lesley and Tim