The Jungbauer Family Website

Happy New Year

Have you seen my mother?

"By the way . . . I brought home a stray kitten today. No one else would take it, so I threw it in the back of my Jeep and before I got home, he was sleeping in my lap. Isn't he cute?"

That was Steve!!!

When I discovered the "cute" little kitten was infested with fleas, Steve even ventured out to Wal-Mart at 8pm to get supplies. The kitten, of course was instantly quarantined into a box in the garage. But when Steve returned, the kitten was no where to be found. Steve searched and searched but went to bed forlorn.

Several hours later, the girls and I repeated the search and traced a pathetic meow to an open cabinet in the garage.

After a late-night pedicure, flea treatment, shampoo, fluff and massage, we tucked the little kitty into a box with a heating pad and finally went to bed.

Since sleeping beauty Steve missed all the fun, he walked into work the next morning and had to confess to everyone that he had lost the kitten :)

Daisy, of course, has been growling and hissing at this intruder since it first stepped on her turf. She runs away when it gallops her direction, but she keeps sneaking back to watch what it's doing. She seems to find the kitty annoying but irrestistable.

We think it's a boy, so the girls chose the name . . .

An Early Thanksgiving

Tracy and Nate made their first pilgrimage back to Indiana as a married couple.

Nate is obviously a very tolerant young gentleman. Not only did he endure that drive from Atlanta, but then 5 days of Indiana rain and gloom, sleeping in his teenage little sister-in-law's room, sharing the bathroom with three blondes and NOT having access to cable or satellite TV. He even watched one of Sarah's volleyball matches, two chick flicks and sat around the table with twenty of us to share an early Thanksgiving of togetherness even though there was no after-dinner football game as a reward his patience and perserverence. Whew!

Obviously, this guy is in love..........and as the photo attests, marriage looks good on both of them.

Nate even spent an afternoon shopping with the in-laws and Tracy.
(In Nate's own words: Happy wife..........Happy life.)
How refreshing to know there are still a few good men left: intelligent, charming and cute!

Thankfully there was also Rock Band and indoor go-cart racing! (He even got to watch a little college football that came through on our rabbit ears.)

A lot to be thankful for . . . .

Totally engaged

Today we celebrated Eric and Angela's engagment by gathering together both families and some of the wedding party for a wonderfully relaxing, enjoyable and perfect day at the lake.

We rented a tent, so of course, the weather was absolutely divine. And since we had the tent, I decided to make good use of it and throw a 50th birthday party for my friend Lynnette, the night before. Eric and Angela joined us Friday night, so they were able to enjoy both festivities . . . and the guitarist, Charlie, who added the crowning touch!

Nine months from today, Eric and Angela will officially tie the knot. At the engagement party, we guaranteed that Angela was our for keeps (I think we love her almost as much as Eric does) by making her put her permanent imprint on our Bubby-built cornhole boards! (Obviously, ALL our kids had to put their prints on!)

Robin Hood, Prince of Skis

The Lake City Skiers made their debut in the Division I Show Ski National Championships this weekend. After years of competing (and dominating) in the Division II level, our back-to-back D-II National titles in 2006 and 2007 launched us into a whole new tier of competition.

So . . . . while most of you were watching the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics, the Lake City Skiers were busy preparing for our "opening ceremonies" on Lake Wazeecha with 13 other teams. For the LCS members that have been faithfully building the team for over 20 years (and dreaming of competing with the "big dawgs" in D-I), it was clearly an olympic moment even though we were in Wisconsin instead of Bejing.

As the tournament logo implies, the flooding this year caused a lot of havoc at many ski sites and caused both D-I and D-II national tournaments to change locations. (LCS hosted D-II last weekend.)

Lake Wazeecha is interesting because of it's red sand "stadium" seating.

(Sorry I don't really have any photos from the tournament, but I was kinda busy.)

The entire tournament was webcast and is still available for viewing for a limited time at www.webcast-tv.com/sports/events/showskiusnationals2008 (Unfortunately, you won't even see much of our signature barefoot pyramid slingshot because the camera man cut out too soon, but you can always catch the clip at www.lakecityskiers.org)

The Lake City Skiers finished in 10th place. (We could have easily placed 7th based on our usual scores and performances, but we admittedly had a few jitters and glitches.

(Pardon me while I whine for a minute.)

Our signature act, the barefoot slingshot pyramid, was only scored as an 8 out of 25 by one judge. Though many have tried, we are the only team in any division that can do the slingshot. (That was just one of several scoring inconsistancies.) Our sound board died less than a week before Nationals so our sound guy made his debut on a new sound board during our D-I debut performance. Hence, our typically award-winning sound was less than stellar. I didn't even get to barefoot because my boat driver got cut off after my dock flyer.

Enough whining! We still put on an entertaining prime-time show and put Lake City on the map.

Here are a few glimpses from our home shows:

Hooked line but no sinker

Jeffery is hooked too and made his debut with the Lake City Skiers this week!

Deja vu

When Rachel joined the Lake City Skiers four years ago, Sarah watched the first few shows with a scowl on her face. At first she didn't even want to go to the "stupid ski shows." Then the transformation began: she "grudgingly" started going to the shows and started to laugh and smile. She knew all the dance routines in just a few weeks and before summer's end, Sarah was proud and excited to be a Lake City Skier.

In 2006, they recruited me. In 2007, they recruited Steve and now we have the other half of the family eating, breathing and sleeping LCS style: Samantha and Jeff are skiing. Penny helps Steve in the LCS pick-up boat and Rick helps wherever he is needed.

Gramma and Grampa remain loyal fans . . . so it really is all in the family.

New Recruit

The Lake City Skiers are back on the water this year with "Robin Hood, Prince of Skis."

Since we have moved up into Division I with the "big dawgs" this year, we are working hard to make our little team unforgettable.

Our newest recruit is my niece, Samantha. She is two years younger than Rachel and about half her size, but strong, agile and the perfect "topper."

Tonight, Sam slithered her way up to the TOP of her first three-tier pyramid. (Pardon the blur, but we barely caught the picture since we were running between acts.)

Sam was AWESOME and stood TALL. Keep climbing, Sam!!!!

Forever 16

. . . and forever celebrating!

Sarah's 16th birthday celebration continued this weekend with a special get-away weekend in Indy with Bubby and Sissy. Tracy drove up from Atlanta for the weekend and we all met for dinner (after a few gigs on Rock Band). Sarah, Tracy and Angela then had a girls-only day and looked for bridesmaids dresses (for Eric and Angela's wedding) followed by a trip to the spa and a girls-only dinner. (Can you believe that none of them took any pictures?!?!)

The next day, it was off to the races: The INDY 500. Eric assures me that he never let Sarah look at the infield with the binoculars.

Steve, Rachel and I drove back to Indy Sunday morning. Rachel surfed the cable channels while Steve and I cycled the Monon trail and then Rae and I shopped while Daddy surfed....

We had Bazbeaux pizza waiting when the crew returned from the race. They were so tired they acted like they ran the race, rather than watched it. Not much post-race commentary, but it was definitely a winning weekend. (I'm sure Rachel is wondering what Bubby and Sissy will do when she turns 16!)

We ended up spending the night so we could jam some more on Rock Band and we definitely ended on a good note.

My 16th Mother's Day

My first real Mother's Day was 16 years ago. Today we celebrated that anniversary by also celebrating Sarah's 16th birthday (again) with (almost) the same nucleus of family that welcomed her into the world.

None of us will ever forget Aunt Penny's first remarks upon seeing Sarah for the first time: "Wow! What a cone head!" She also proclaimed that even though she vowed to love Sarah, "All babies are ugly." Five years later I had the privelage of being in the delivery room when Penny delivered Samantha . . . . Penny's first words when she saw Sam were: "She's so cute."

Perhaps one of the reasons tradition has such a stronghold in our family is because some of us never forget.

So, in keeping with tradition, we celebrated with a dinner of Poppyseed Chicken and the birthday number made out of bread . . . . followed by presents and cake.

Grampa David helped uphold a tradition older than me by presenting Sarah with a "closet gift." The #16 brass key chain was an "artifact" from the famly rendering business that was founded in 1917. Grampa David was the third generation to own and operate the ultimate recycling business and so another three generations later, this bovine ID tag was recycled into a key chain for Sarah. (I'm still not sure if the brass ID tag was worn in the cow's ear or around its neck, but we lead Sarah to believe the latter.)

One of the best gifts I received for Mother's Day was that Sarah helped get everything ready for her own party while Steve and I were playing in Chicago.

She even made a 3-layer cake all by herself to rival the fruit-jeweled crostini Rachel made me for my birthday.

I've said it before. I'll say it again. Life is Good!

May Day Sweet 16

I knew this day was coming, but it still happened way too fast!

At 1616 today, Sarah turned 16. (I think this is more difficult than childbirth, but equally as miraculous.)

May Day started with plenty of sunshine. Sarah popped up out of bed early and without any prompting and was greeted by a new full-length mirror. At 7 am, her boyfriend, Dylan, greated her with fresh flowers......and chocolate. Breakfast was a freshly-baked, warm lemon poppyseed muffin with the obligatory birthday candle and a present from Sarah's favorite little sister, Rachel. So far, so sweet.

We kidnapped both girls from school and the four of us had lunch at everyone's favorite: Cerulean. The complimentary chocolate-mint gelato was divine.

When Sarah arrived back at school, she was called down to the office and for a bouquet of 16 ballons (and chocolate) from our friends Courtney, Barry and "little e."

A few hours later, we headed off to a track meet. At Sarah's first meet this year, she set a new school record in the high jump at 4' 10". The only thing better than icing on her birthday cake, would be to break the 5' barrier..............Close, but not tonight.

So we ended a nearly perfect day eating dinner at Wendy's with the track team and then warm, molten lava cake at home.

What more could a girl want?

Oh, yeah . . . .

I guess Sweet 16 does mean
some kind of driving machine,
but she'll just have to wait
while we procrastinate.

Remember poor Dad and Mom
still aren't ready for prom,
so please let us get through the first date
and then we'll negotiate.

(Sorry for the bad "poetry")

Aubrey and Eric

We took a quick road trip this weekend and went to Minnesota with Gramma Bev for Aubrey's wedding. This is Mike's second child to wed, (Josh and Sarah are expecting in July) but his first little girl to give away. It was hard to imagine that the beautiful woman that he walked down the isle was a tom-boy with a black belt in karate.

(It's also hard to believe that three grown men and one grown woman still enjoy the grade-school antics of rabbit ears and picking noses in family photos. Some things will never change.)

Meanwhile, Sarah and Rachel stayed back in Indiana for a two-day volleyball tournament. Eric and Angela were supposed to fly in on Friday night, but Eric had an emergency case at the last minute and had to stay home and work.

Ahhhhh........Akumal

Since this was our third year in Akumal, we didn't feel compelled to see and do everything possible within a 50 mile radius. We actually spent time relaxing...........in between morning runs, snorkeling, scuba diving (new for Rachel and Jeff this year), sea kayaking, card games, and trying to decide where to eat our next meal.

Still not too old to play in the sand...........

Not sure how fun or easy this boot camp would be, but it certainly sounds interesting.  (Sarah "studies" for Boot Camp by reading "Shopoholic." Surely, it's required reading.)

Still not too old to play in the sand --- or hold hands.  

The week always goes by too quickly and even though we are all together, it still seems like we still don't get to spend enough time together.  I guess that's a good thing --- and why we look forward to the next Ten Grand adventure.

The dog ate my homework

....and the hard drive crashed on my laptop while on vacation last week and the Mexican ISP is about as reliable as ESP and my 8-year old photo-editing software got the 7-year itch and twitch and then there's this thing called work and motherhood that consumes every other minute of the day...............so THAT is why there are still no Akumal '08 photos posted from the annual Ten Grand vacation.

Here, however, is a quick synopsis:

Boys will be boys

Doctor, lawyer, and Indian (YMCA) chief . . . PLUS a preacher, computer guru, 6-time BMX national champ/bicycle salesman, and a college student.

This unlikely mix of testosterone was actually a father-son ski trip to Steamboat.

Unfortunately, the doctor and the preacher arrived a day too late - the day after Steve and Eric arrived.

The GOOD news: this is NOT a picture of Steve.

The BAD news: this IS a picture of Eric's shoulder after his second run of the day. The rest of the day was spent in the Yampa Valley ER and then trying to dull the pain and sorrow. (Eric and Angela went to Utah to ski in February. They never got to hit the slopes because they both got hit by the influenza instead.)

So what do you think happened the next day? (Steamboat had a record-setting snowfall this year and unprecedented fresh powder even for spring skiing.)

Yep, Eric skied. (But he did admit to his lapse in judgment - and the painful price he paid.) Surgery is April 17th.

The Family that plays together . . .

ROCKS!!!

Four more GH addicts in less that 30 beats!

Even Uncle Rick was rockin' even though he "doesn't like video games." (That was pre-Wii GH)

(They even rocked Steve to sleep)

Memoirs of a Metropolitan Matrimony

Prelude to the Metro

Stay tuned . . . there's a lot more to come

Boomerang Tradition

The Boomerang Kid brought tradition back to Grandview Court today. We gathered around the table and gave thanks for togetherness, faith and healing. Everyone, was happy to be home.

The Ten Grand Clan

Benchmarks and the Boomerang Kid

To my faithful (though usually silent blog visitors.........hint, hint) I apologize for leaving you to ponder and squander your time on other venues. I attest that our life has NOT been quiet or boring but just that other matters have usurped my blog as a priority.

BENCHMARKS

You may recall from previous years, the annual photo of Sarah and Rachel with my niece and nephew, Samantha and Jeff. It benchmarks the amazing changes of childhood and now adolescence, but also pays tribute to their grandparents (my parents) for whom we placed a bench and planted a gingko tree at the library in North Manchester in 2000.

                                                                     Sarah, 15    Jeff, 7    Samantha, 10    Rachel, 12

In November, my Dad decided to set some benchmarks of his own as he describes below:

November 27, 2007: You can read about us every day: kids who leave home, then, for a variety of reasons, move back to live with their parents. I'm shooting for a place in the Guiness Book of Records as the oldest Boomerang kid at age 67! As you see, I'm now in the same recuperation unit as Mom & Dad at Peabody Retirement Community.

The femur repair was accomplished by insertion of a Zimmer titanium rod device. Everything is inside the bone; I need no external brace/cast. This type of repair is incredibly stable, but needs at least 6 weeks of healing before I can put weight on it. That means that I'm learning a bunch of new mobility skills and working some muscles that are not used to this effort. Yes, it's quite painful! I make sure I don't miss a single allotted pain pill!

Some of you have asked what impossible feat of athletic prowess or domestic clumsiness caused this incident? The fact is that I'd grabbed a late-night bite of licorice on my way to bed. As I turned from the snack drawer, I HEARD the crack of the bone, knew instantly what had happened, and hit the floor, ka-boom! Whether by luck of the way I landed, shock, or some combination, I did not suffer excruciating pain over the next two hours until Jane got a nature call before she heard me yelling!

So, what's next? As my family doctor said it, 'David, you've got a long road ahead of you.'

That journey has begun with incremental strengthening of muscles, and with tiny hops on my walker. I have a great team of professionals and a cadre of friends at my side. Here we go!

December 6, 2007: Fast forward (how long will that term still be in use?) nine days: It's amazing what 3 hours per day of ever-more-challenging therapy can do! If I can reach my walker, I am able to get in and out of bed, my wheelchair, my recliner, or the bathroom, basically unaided.

The meals here are very good and friends have made sure they're supplemented by ample licorice and other goodies!

December 12, 2007: Today was my follow-up visit with my surgeon. Everything is positive! The X-ray looks perfect, I can increase weight bearing from near-nothing to 25% tomorrow. I'm cleared to fly to Atlanta for Tracy's wedding on December 29. And I'm going HOME on December 23! It's no small irony that it was December 23, 1981, that I returned home following my coronary artery by-pass!

 

In 1981, I also received a novel graduation gift from my dad............a few shares in a treasure-hunting operation run by the now infamous Mel Fisher. As a share-holder, I actually had the chance to spend the day with one of his crews off the shores of Vero Beach, Florida. As we pulled away from shore, the crew faithfully proclaimed Fisher's mantra, "Today's the day," implying that today they would find the mother lode. I have a few Spanish coins circa 1700 from that adventure, but we did not find the mother lode. Four years later however, after many years, dollars, and personal tragedies, Mel Fisher hit the "Atocha" mother lode with over 40 tons of silver and gold.

Dad is going home today. The titanium in his leg is worth more than it's weight in gold and although he is eager to put this personal tragedy behind him, he has seen the silver lining in almost every painful step along the way. That is optimism............that is faith.

Today's the day  -  rejoice!

Ninety is Nifty

Nate is Great

The first time we met Tracy's fiance, Nate, was at Eric's graduation from law school last May. We were impressed by his quiet, gentle nature and the way he took Steve aside to profess that his intentions toward Tracy were honorable. We were a little worried though, that he was a little too quiet to join such an outspoken, opinionated and frequently ostentatious family.

Worry no more. Nate has proven that he can hold his own and that we will still love and respect him when he's gone back to Georgia!

Nate's Labor Day weekend challenge began with a tour of Tippy in the Boston Whaler. The look on his face as they departed was a little uncertain, but with Captain Rachel at the helm, Sarah as First Mate and scurvy dog Shadow just along for the joy ride, somehow, he managed to return without turning green.

Next stop: Lake Tippecanoe Country Club for a round of golf. No photos available, but Eric retreated to the men's bar after only a few holes to watch football instead. Nate lost (???) the lead on the 18th hole to let his future father-in-law win. Tracy says Nate is quite the competitor, so the next match might be a bit different.

Then for the REAL challenge: coming home to a deck full of "family."

Not only did Nate have to meet the parents, but also the grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and a few extras. We even had 8 Minnesotans. (Senator Mike and Vicki, Josh and Sarah, Aubrey and her fiance Eric, Ariel and Caleb) In all, we had a quaint group of 21 for dinner the first night and the crowd just kept revolving for the rest of the weekend.

We also tubed and ate and played Nintendo Wii and ate and went to "boat church" and ate and Jet Skied and ate and even gave Nate a hair cut.

. . . and of course there were just a few photos taken.

This is one of my favorite snapshots.

Josh, however, "Jungbauered" all of us (even my father) by proving to have the biggest toy in his backpack!
(Click thumbnail below)

Nate and the rest of the clan even formed their own cheerblock for the seaon finale of The Lake City Skiers. (It probably seemed a little hokey to a landlubber like Nate, but it was best for him to see all sides of his future in-laws before he says "I do.")

Obviously, Nate is to be commended for enduring so much in just 3 days. He was thrown into the midst of our family feet first and quickly learned to swim, but he really won my heart when he learned to barefoot too!

I told Nate that I could teach him to barefoot on the first try if he could just do two things: #1) Sit in a chair (What man isn't already a pro at that?!?) and #2) Listen (Ohhhhh.......not so easy!)

Well, Nate was up and barefooting on the first attempt and if he hadn't already endeared himself into my heart already, that sealed the deal!

Nate was not the only competitor in the crowd. Bubby took the gold at sunrise.

Josh also glowed with the sunrise.

.....but nothing compares to the glow on Tracy's face.

Welcome to the family Nate.

Pirateology

The Lake City Skiers had their final show of the season over Labor Day weekend before an overflowing crowd. Here are some highlights of the National Championship show.

In the exhibition "junior show" before the main event, Sarah decided to jump. She had tried it 3 times, so why not?

(Hey, we're a low budget club . . . so I don't get to quit my day job!)

 

Posted by Erin at 10:18 PM | Comments (1)

Back to school

School starts tomorrow. Sarah has already had 3 volleyball games and the girls have been "Back-to-School" shopping at least 5 times in the past week.

In between, they sqeezed in some time with Gramma & Grampa. Even though Gramma & Grampa always wander off the beaten path, the girls genuinely love the journey. The 2 most recent trips were to Auburn to visit the bronze sculpures and to South Bend where the exhibit at the art museum "was really cool!"

And if you know my parents, no trip is complete without something to eat.

School gets out early tomorrow. Gramma and Grampa are celebrating with Sarah and Rachel --- at Cerulean for lunch.

Back to Back

Division I, here we come!!!

All-Star

My 7 year old nephew, Jeff is one of the youngest members on his baseball league's all-star team.

He is already having a hard time keeping the girls away!

Rocky Mountain High

School's out for summer . . . and while everyone else was enjoying 90 degree weather in Indiana, we enjoyed an unexpected winter squall on our way to Steamboat Springs, CO.

The climate (and temperament) however, quickly changed.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Everyone says that if you love Colorado in the winter, you will love it even more in the summer.

I first fell in love with Steamboat as a teen. For almost twenty years, our family spent a week every spring skiing in and out of Townhouse 28 in Storm Meadows. We made moguls of family memories together and my dad and I celebrated many birthdays together on the mountain. Steamboat and I even shared our 40th together a few years ago --- and even though it had been almost ten years since we had been there, it still felt like home.

So . . . for a homesick, homebody like me, I was elated when our friends invited us to be their guests on Storm Mountain.

The unexpected winter weather proved to be short, but dramatic.

Our hosts, Bill and Marsha, redefined "all-inclusive" by showing us overwhelmingly genuine hospitality and 10-star accomodations. We quickly felt at home and immensely enjoyed their company over gourmet dinners, hiking, horesback riding, fishing and while simply enjoying the view. I truly believe that they enjoyed pampering us as much as we enjoyed being pampered!

Marsha and Bill in the kitchen --- one of Bill's favorite spots.

Brandy (and Rachel)

We were also blessed to share this time with my parents.

(Mac always goes on vacation with us too.)

HIKING

HORSEBACK RIDING

MORE HIKING . . . more challenging

TRADITION: Stones from June Falls

Along the way . . .

FISHING

CATCHING!!!

Life is Good!

ONTO THE NEXT ADVENTURE:

White-water rafting down Clear Creek in Idaho Springs.

Rachel had a BLAST and is ready for bigger rapids. Sarah doesn't like the wetsuits, helmuts or cold water, but still had fun too.

From Clear Creek, we headed to Longmont to visit our friends Brandon & Kim and their girls Sydney & Reagan. We were greeted with HUGE hugs and kisses from the girls even though the last time we visited, Sydney was just a baby and Reagan wasn't even a twinkle yet.

Our reception was so warm (94 degrees) that we headed to Water World for the day.

The Lazy River

The Lazy River ala Reagan & Steve

The next day was 50ish and raining --- a good day for 4-wheeling.

Steve and I chickened out when we hit these rapids the first time, but Brandon and Steve went back and powered through it.

Sarah and Rachel were content to stay on the fire trails while we chased in the Hummer.

We also amused ourselves playing Nintendo Wii on Brandon's BIG screen . . . . and playing with Sydney and Reagan.

Our last look at the Rockies: the view from Brandon and Kim's house.

Winners

Rachel recently entered an essay contest. In my opinion, she is the winner, hands down!

I get tears in my eyes every time I read this. What an awesome gift!

MAY DAY 15

" Messy Eggs" at the Brown Bag Deli for breakfast
New polka-dot shoes
Chocolate chip star-shaped muffins from Kaila
Birthday serenade from Mr. Shafer in the cafetorium at lunch
Four tests and a pop quiz in geometry
Flowers from Jamie, Kaila and Josh
Driver's Learning Permit (but after "beauty mark" on lip goes away)
New slippers for Princess from Daddy (Nike high jump shoes and Nike throwing shoes)
Track practice in the rain --- muddy new shoes =:o(
Dinner at Cerulean with Mom, Dad and Rachel
New clothes
Old movies: "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (Also one of Tracy's favorite movies)
New old movies: "Dream Girls"
Heartwarming movies: "A Walk to Remember" "The Noteboook"
Dance movies: "Step Up"
Silver cross
Steady faith
Chocolate cake

* * * CELEBRATE ! ! !

And we're not done yet!!!

Poppyseed chicken for classmates at school tomorrow
Family festivities TBA --- and TBSIS (to be squeezed in somehow)

Diversions

Sarah and I spent the weekend near Michigan City at a volleyball tournament. The girls played 8 games on Saturday and were so pooped that they could barely even shop the outlet mall. Even with three teens (Sarah, Logan and Kaila) in one hotel room, it was a quiet night.

This morning, while the girls were still sleeping, I headed to Lake Michigan for a run. I pulled into the park at Mount Baldy where I have been several times before, but was amazed at what I saw.

Full-grown trees were "swimming" in the sand. (The early morning lighting was so awesome it even made a great photo on my cell phone, but unfortunatley, I left my real camera at the hotel. I went back to Mount Baldy about an hour later, but the lighting wasn't nearly as good.)

My running trail . . . . .came to an abrupt halt.

The living dune smothers anything in its path; the shifting sand is stunningly and clearly powerful.

Don't let the 2-D photo fool you. These dunes are definitely, dwarfing 3-D!

I was surprised to discover that neither Logan or Kaila had ever been to The Dunes. I drove them by for a quick peek but I'm sure they still cannot fathom what is on the other side and beyond.

Meanwhile, Rachel stayed home so that she could go to her friend Miranda's house for the night . . . and spend the night on the town in the limo!

I left her my camera.

(There were lots more.)

Steve was left behind to do guy stuff --- clean the garage, fertilize the yard, play with fire . . . . .

Still not sure what happened, but soon after we got home tonight, the back forty was in the midst of a wildfire. The Jungbauer fire department responded promptly and decisively. No casualties or property damage other than an acre or two of burnt grass.

Benchmarks 2006

Sorry the postmark is a little late!

2002

2003

2004

2005

Yal-ku is very cool

Ten Grand returned to Akumal, Mexico. This year we were almost at the end of the road (Akumal only has one main road) and overlooked Yal-Ku Lagoon.

There wasn't quite as much solitude as the photo would suggest, but it was still very peaceful and a pleasant change from the pounding ocean-side surf of the past two years.

During the day, the lagoon swarmed with almost as many snorkelers as fish. Whatever your pleasure, there was plenty to watch.

Our "penthouse" view of the lagoon

Guess who was usually on the sun deck

Guess who you couldn't keep out of the water

Guess who was content to enjoy the water from the distance . . .

Gramma playing Sudoku. Grampa playing on his Mac.

. . . and when we needed a break from the sun, countless games of "Golf" and "Spite & Malice."

Samantha got to SCUBA for the first time

Jeff was content to stay on the beach . . . with the babes!

One of our favorite beach bars . . .

Steve and I got the bird's eye view from La Buena Vida

. . . and the kids got a swinging view

Another fun adventure: a day on Cozumel.

Two years ago we explored Cozumel by scooter. Last year, Eric and Steve ventured back to the island to explore the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. Not surprisingly, they rebuilt Cozumel very quickly. We were disappointed to see the quaintness of the "undeveloped" side of the island devoured by real highways heavily patroled by police.

Nonetheless, we were still carefree as we journeyed around the island topless . . .

Body surfing was great too!

A fun day . . . but we were glad to return to our placid little lagoon.

Time to go home . . .

Adios . . . . .

Rabbid or demented?

Annie (Auntie) Carol is so elated to have Ms. Bucky back in her posession that she created Ms. Bucky's Blog. Check it out at http://msbucky.blogspot.com/

You can see what Annie Carol does with the rest of her spare time at:

www.mnclayfans.com

www.clayaikenfans.org

www.wasupclub.bravehost.com

http://www.joysongpins.bravehost.com/

Belated Birthday Box

Auntie Carol had a momentous birthday in January.

BBB

Fifty is nifty
Because it’s the only word that rhymes,
But we still hope your birthday was happy
And filled with real good times.

Bucky’s had quite a few adventures
And made a friend or two,
But home is where the heart is
And Bucky belongs with YOU!

If you are rabid with curiosity, click HERE for more insight into our family secrets!

Court report . . . and more

Steve's brother, State Senator Mike Jungbauer (R) was sworn in again today. He was one of only a few incumbents (and Republicans) that were re-elected in Minnesota.

Here's Mike (and family) during his campaign at our house in November.

I just found this half-page spread in one of our local news papers!

(I guess everyone wants to be in the headlines!)

Ho Ho Ho

Christmas Wishes

May your Christmas be filled with love that keeps you warm all year long.

Christmas Eve Ski

Turkey 2006

No, we did not get hit by a freak snow storm.

These are the infamous Jungbauer potato dumplings --- THE most important part of a Jungbauer Thanksgiving dinner.

Father and son bond over the art of making the perfect dumpling.

On my side of the family, the only real holiday culinary tradition is trash . . .

This is the "trash" that Gramma Stands always brought to family gatherings along with her ginger-soy veggie dip. The tradition continues.

Today, however there was something even more appetizing ---- served chilled at 46 degrees but under a 60 degree sunny broiler:

Steve's brother Mike joined us from Minnesota with most of his family: Vicki, Aubrey, Ariel and Caleb. Add Eric, Angela and Gramma Bev and we had an even dozen.

Pre and post dinner entertainment.

Fusion 1 + 1: Tradition with a Twist

Tradition with a Twist

We began Rachel's birthday celebration last week at Winona Lake's newest Mediterranean-Sushi fusion restaurant, The Cerulean.

Rachel began planning her sushi celebration a year ago. Every year she puts a new twist on tradition, and every year the celebration seems to last longer and longer.

The traditional slumber party: complete with Poppyseed Chicken, Hide-and-Seek, facials, a dip in the hot tub, "The Worst of American Idol," charades, Silly String fights, ice cream "cake," cinnamon rolls and hazelnut chocolate chip scones for breakfast and a fresh bouquet of roses from Big Sissy, Tracy.

Rae ended the day with an afternoon of shopping in the city with Mom, Dad, and Sarah.

Just one of many rainbows we saw that day.

We closed the week-long celebration with home-made sushi and Gramma Stands' chop suey.

Since we somehow missed the traditional breadstick birthday photo, the chopsticks worked just fine!

More Headlines

From the Central Region Show Ski Association . . .

Lake City Skiers Win DII Nationals

The Lake City Skiers gave a stunning performance Saturday at the 2006 Nationals held at the Water Hawks show site in Evansdale, Ia.

With only two falls in their entire show the Lake City Skiers brought the crowd to their feet from the opening act as they did a barefoot pyramid slingshot around the jump. Things didn't stop there as act after act left the dock and returned to the main stage.

The Lake City Skiers won with a score of 1704. The team also took home every piece of hardware at the tournament with best male skier going to Jakim Wilson and best female skier going to Angela Malcolm. If you missed this tournament, you missed one of the best water ski shows ever performed. Congratulations to The Lake City Skiers from Warsaw, In.

The Ski Broncs finished 2nd with 1428 points and the Bayside Skiers finished 3rd with 1344 points. The Hartwick Huskies rounded out the competion with 1284 points.

Headlines from USA Water Ski

Lake City Skiers Win Malibu Division 2
Show Ski National Championships

The Lake City Skiers of Warsaw, Ind., won the team title Saturday at the sixth annual Malibu Division 2 Show Ski National Championships at Eagle Lake in Evansdale, Iowa. Lake City swept all of the team box scores and tallied 1,706 points to win the title in convincing fashion. Hosted by the Waterhawks Ski Team, the tournament featured more than 300 athletes.

So . . . we didn't make the front page of the Times Union, but we will have a feature article and photos in Thursday's "Leisure" section. Stay tuned.

Champs

Details to follow tomorrow . . . . . on the front page of the Times Union!

Dukes-2 wins D-II

Despite high winds, river currents, recreational boaters and a few unexpected guest appearances by the LCS swim team, the Lake City Skiers still held their reign as the Central Region Division II Champs.

Rockford or Bust

Beware Rockford: The Dukes are Back!!!

Off to Regionals . . . stay tuned.

The Dukes are Back

The Dukes are back . . . . . . . Daisy is gettin' hitched . . . . . . . . . and the Lake City Skiers were back on top again this weekend in their first tournament of the season.

Not only did the Lake City Skiers take home the big trophy, but they also took home the awards for Best Barefoot Act, Best Pyramid, Best Jump Act, Best Individual Act, Best Sound Crew, Best Showmanship, Best Tow Boat Driving, Best Pick-up Boat Crew, Best Dock and Equipment Crew, and Best Overall Show.
(The only award we did not take home was for Best Ballet Line, but that won't happen again! They just had a very rare, off day.)

Since we have only run through the show a handful of times, we are off to a strong start --- and Regionals on July 8th. In the meantime, you can catch the LCS show on Hidden Lake on Tuesdays at 6 pm and Sundays at 5 pm.

You may not catch as many pictures on my blog this year though. I have been "Deputized" to join the team and I can't seem to keep my head above water!

Meanwhile, Steve is nursing his hamstring back to health and serving as the team physician --- fixing skis.

A Dip on St. John

Thursday, June 1: The headlines of USA Today read:

That means the Jungbauers must be going on vacation. (And true to tradition, Steve injured himself 5 days ago. He tore a hamstring skiing with Rachel on his shoulders.)

Friday, June 2 . . . A long day of travel by airplane, taxi, ferry and finally by Jeep. Even though we were still on the same time, the sun set 2 hours earlier than at home (I hate DST!) and St. John was already asleep.

After 15 miles of steep inclines, sharp curves and rapid descents (Centerline Road alone, though only 7.5 miles long, has 179 curves!!!) we arrived at Estate Concordia on the southeast end of St. John at about 11 pm. Just like our "Cool Breeze" car rental, this was a self-serve check-in, deal-with-the-details-later island-style operation. (They don’t even leave the lights on like Motel 6 --- though they do remind you to bring your own flashlight.)

We grabbed our linen bag (no maid service) and before making the 104-step descent to our "Eco-Tent," I went to move the Jeep out of the middle of the road only to discover the transmission cable broke and wouldn't move out of Park. (Remember, it's a Jungbauer “adventure.”) The good news: at least we made it to our destination first!

Surprisingly, "Cool Breeze" had a replacement Jeep to us by mid-morning the next day and “fixed” the transmission cable with plastic wire ties before driving it back to Cruz Bay.

So WHY St. John in June? (Remember, I am a major homebody once the lake thaws!)

Last fall, Steve and I did a long get-away weekend in St. Croix. While there, Steve also did a triathlon and as the competitor that traveled the furthest, he won a one week stay on St. John. Sweet! (But it had to be used between June and September --- and it was for a campground.)

FREE is my favorite 4-letter word, so with a gift certificate for free lodging and free airline tickets (frequent-flyer miles), we ended up here, in the Concordia Eco-Tents. Fodor’s probably doesn’t give it a 5-star rating, but we gave it a 500 star rating.

The Eco-Tents are like a network of treehouses perched on the mountainside overlooking the beach and ocean. There are well over 100 steps from the top of the matrix to the bottom and once perched inside our Eco-Tent, we felt like we were on our own private island.

We had 3 bedrooms (including a loft), a private bath and shower, a kitchenette with running water and a porch. No electricity, but solar power for lights and a reservoir of solar-warmed rainwater for showers --- and for the techno-junkies among us, the office also kindly served as a charging station, if needed.

It was a vacation from the TV, phone, computer, hairdryer, traffic lights, sirens and fast food, yet we felt like we were in the lap of luxury with unlimited panoramic views, refreshing ocean breezes, pristine private beaches and casual, yet gourmet dining.

Amazingly, my very girly teenagers, who would love to be pampered all day at a spa, did not miss the modern conveniences of home either. Instead, they enjoyed old-fashioned pastimes like reading and playing cards when it was time to get out of the sun and did not complain once about our eco-primitive accommodations. They thought our “treehouse” was cool!

Four-wheel drive is essential on St. John. Even most of the paved roads require 4WD and revel any rollercoaster. The roads on the less-commercialized east end are particularly steep and winding. "They" say the reason you drive on the left side of the road in St. John is so you can see how close to the edge you are.

I won't tell you how close to the edge we were here, but it was a LONG way from everybody else! Remember, it's a Jungbauer adventure . . .

--- and we thought Sarah and Rachel needed to learn how to change a tire.

If we had paid closer attention to the signs, perhaps our fate would have been different . . .

(Duh! You dip sh.......)

This is the salt pond below our Eco-Tent. The salt content is so high that salt crystalizes along the shoreline. It is rich in the minerals of the sea and reportedly very tasty, so we harvested some salt to take home. The brown color of the salt pond is not because the water is muddy. It’s actually very clear, but gets its unusual color from red algae.

From the salt pond, we hiked over to Drunk Bay. It is covered with “bodies” and all visitors are expected to leave their mark behind. The girls made a turtle, Steve resurrected a cross, and I left behind my footprint.

We cooled off by snorkeling in Salt Pond Bay and swam with the turtles and large schools of fish.

After lunch, we went to Cinnamon Beach where I saw a 5-foot shark --- but didn't have the camera to prove it.

Cinnamon Bay was very crowded compared to all the other beaches we visted, like Hawksnest . . .

. . . and Lameshur.

We eventually returned to Cruz Bay to deal with the sharks at the rental car agency --- and left with our third Jeep in four days (and another spare tire).

Our favorite dining spot was Asolare which overlooked Cruz Bay.

Lucy's was also spectacular despite it's humble atmosphere (that didn't even warrant a photograph except for the view.)

. . . and Haagen-Dazs can always be found in even the most remote locations.

We spent one day with Captain George touring around St. John by boat. He took us to beaches and reefs that you can only access by boat. We had originally hoped to island-hop in the British Virgin Islands, but high winds and ten-foot swells kept us close to home.

Amazingly, St. John is only 9 miles long and about 5 miles across which makes it similar in size to Lake Wawasee --- but with a much greater surface area (the highest altitude is 1300 feet.) The island feels much bigger than it is because of its vast topography but is largely unspoiled since 2/3 of the island is National Park.

Ram Head is the cliff we overlooked from our treehouse. It's a safe, but spectacular hike to the top which takes you across a blue pebble beach. The rocks make a unique soundd of "applause" as the waves wash over them.

We give St. John a standing ovation and hope to do an encore soon!

Law and Order

We are proud to announce the graduation of Eric Steven Jungbauer
from the Mississippi College School of Law.

It was a weekend of celebration with an extended, blended family plus two special friends.

But there is something extra special about sisters . . .

. . . and that "something" is part of the reason why we also packed a U-Haul to move Bubby back to Indiana.

Not only will he be completing another year of post-graduate work in heal