The Esselman's Blog

Hobbies Galor!

2011-04-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Since moving to WI and buying our first house, we have been relieved to be able to finally have the room. After a great weekend with family over Easter, Eric was able to bring his project car home- 1985 Trans Am. It was pretty neat to see him drive it into his own garage :) Something he has been dreaming about for quite a time now. (He's actually out there right now reving it up...just picture the scene from Old School with Will Ferrel- LOL!) Anyways...Here's a few pictures of the car

While visiting some family this weekend, I was introduced to the Creative Memories by Eric's Aunt. I was so interested that I have booked to host a party and become a consultant! I figured I needed something to do with my time since Eric will be working on the car most of the time now :) Creative Memories is a company that sells scrapbooking supplies along with digital programs to make organizing you photos a lot easier! You can also create invites and many forms of gifts, or simply organize all your digital photos. I'm pretty excited to plan parties and help people get their photos organized as well as creating gifts, invites, announcements!

My Photo Solutions party is on MAY 14th at 1:00pm at my house! Bring a friend and get a FREE gift!! If you can't make it and would like to see what it is all about, visit www.mycmsite.com/cindyesselman . If you have any questions, feel free to call or e-mail me at 715-505-1190 or carrie.esselman@hotmail.com

Home Sweet Home

2011-04-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it! Eric and I found our first house and are all moved in. We wern't expecting to find a house so soon, but when searching for houses consumes your life, we were destine to find one sooner or later. We closed on the house on March 2nd and moved in that same weekend. The house was built in 2008 and has only had 1 owner so it was pretty "Move-In Ready". Eric has his 2 car garage and the doggies have room to run and play as loud as we allow them to ;)

Our trips to the mall have turned into trips to Home Depot, Menards, and Fleet Farm. Summer is coming and we can't wait to get outside and utilize our yard and patio. It's taking awhile for me to decide what I want on the walls and what color scheme I want for each room, but since we are going to be here for awhile, I'm in no rush. I will make sure to post some pictures of the inside once I have it more organized.

Housewarming party is not planned yet, but will be in the near future so keep tuned for updates ;)

Back to Wisconsin!

2011-01-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

The move was a success...in more ways than one! We have been settled in Wisconsin for 3 months now and still getting used to the new place.

Eric is loving his job at Oshkosh Corp. in Oshkosh, WI. Eric decided to sell his small car and drive his truck to work. We all know how much Eric likes his truck, so he is excited to be able to drive it daily.

I had planned on working in Sales when moving over to WI, but as it worked out, I landed a position at Valley VNA Assisted Living as a Life Enrichment Assistant. I LOVE my job and get to play everyday:). Like any job, it has it's challenges but being able to bring Recreation & Leisure into peoples' lives everyday, is worth every struggle. I am utilizing my degree and am looking to get certified as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist within the next year (I guess you can say that's my New Year's Resolution).

Mia and Toby have been adjusting to life in WI as well. They went though some barking times and we put a stop to that habit real quick. They now have a new cage equipped with bedding & toys. We all had to get used to bundling up each time to let them out and have both on a leash. Eric and I have gotten pretty good at synchronizing walking to dogs :)

One of the biggest joys of moving back to Wisconsin is and was being able to spend time with our Nephew Drew and to be able to meet our new Nephew Noah, the day he was born. Eric's sister, Pam & her husband Andy, live about 10 minutes away. So having some family close, is just as comforting as we had imagined.

Noah John Sabatke

Holiday Parade in Appleton with Drew

It has been difficult getting used to the apartment living since we had it so good in Mankato with the Duplex/house we were living in. So we have been working hard at saving for a house. We have started looking and talking with the banks as well as viewing a few houses. As we are just starting out, we are trying to take small steps so we don't rush into anything. We are very excited to have a home to call "ours". Stay tuned for updates on the house hunt!

The BIG Move

2010-09-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

One door must close for another to open. Eric and I are venturing our way back to Wisconsin. From living in Mankato, MN for the past 6 years, Eric and I are very excited to get back into Packerland :).

Eric found his dream job at Oshkosh Trucking Corp. where he is a Design Engineer. He has been living in Oshkosh, WI since August 1st, as I have been searching for a job. Eric has met many new co-workers and is excited since they all have the same interests, CARS! Big thanks to Pam & Andy (Eric's sister) for taking Eric in for the month of September.

As for me, I have found a position in Sales. It's not my area of expertise, but I needed a job to get over to Wisconsin. I start on September 27th...crossing my fingers that it is something I enjoy.

We have signed a lease with Irish Spring Apartments in Neenah, WI in hopes to start the house hunt in 6 months.

The doggies are holding up and don't seem to be too impacted by the change. They are just as excited to see Eric when he visits, as I am.

So this week I am organizing, doing all the address changes and misc. tasks as I wait for the moving company to come Thursday and Friday. We were lucky enough to have Eric's company hire a moving company to pack & move our stuff. Very thankful for that!

It is sad to leave Mankato, since it is where Eric and I have had many 1st and where we met, but excited to move to WI and start our lives together there....Oh and to feel like we fit in with all our Packer attire!

We're Back!

2010-05-17T06:33:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy 6 months! I've been updating Caringbridge for Mom, but not the family blog. Priorities I guess :)

2010 So Far:

January:

Eric took his snowmobiling Trip to Michigan with his Dad (Snowmobiles held up & John got to play on his New sled!) Eric & I had the opportunity to go to Vegas and we went! We got to see A LOT and it worked out that Jamie was already living there! She was able to show us some great eats, drinks, and music! It was a very nice get-away this Winter.

At the end of January, Mom had her double mastectomy. It was a tough road for Mom, but with all the support and prayers that came her way, she survived!! I spent the time with her in the hospital, and the night that Eric decided to stay and keep Mom and I company, he got the stomach flu, which I had to take him home and take care of him then...Oh the preparation for motherhood :)

February:

Eric and I enjoyed some weekends in Mankato and catching up on some cleaning and relaxation.

March:

Eric and I had company! Pamela and Drew came to visit...It's always so nice to have family come and visit, but it makes it harder to say "Goodbye" and not knowing the next time you're going to see them. Hopefully it's sooner than later ;) wink wink.

April:

This was a busy month! I had made many trips home to help with Mom's benefit that our Family and friends were putting on April 17th. One of those weekends that I had made a trip back home, Dad convinced Eric and I to make an addition to our family! His name is Toby. A 3 month old Yorkie! Mia has a new playmate and a little brother! They play all the time and cuddle just as much!

The Benefit was a BIG success!!! I don't think there was one time when I looked at my Mom or Dad and they didn't have a smile on their face. We had some entertainment at the end of the night. Ike & Tina, Donny & Marie, Elvis, Micheal Jackson (Thanks bodyguards!), Girls with their fishing rods!! It was a very very fun night and one that my family will remember forever!

Eric's parents & sister came to visit the weekend after the benefit and helped cheer Eric and I on while we ran a 5k race for Scheels in Mankato. It benefited LEEP-where I used to work and coach Special Olympics. It was a gloomy day and cool out, but perfect weather for running!
May:

Eric went on his annual fishing trip for the Wisconsin opener and brought back some great fish to fry!
While Eric was fishing, I was at the hospital with Mom, as she got her reconstructive surgery. This surgery went well and Mom and I found ourselves bored at the Hospital. We caught up, watched some good movies, and when we needed a laugh, we watched YouTube videos of Will Ferrel. Mom's healing fast and is excited for Perky!!!!

And here we are...already May! Eric and I have many plans this summer to go camping, traveling, and weddings with friends and family. We'll keep you posted!

Xoxo,

Eric, Carrie, Mia & Toby

"Your Gonna Miss This"

2009-09-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

"You're gonna miss this, You're gonna want this back, You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, These are some good times, So take a good look around, You may not know it now, But you're gonna miss this." Trace Adkins

You never realize how well you had it until those times are gone. This is what Eric and myself are going through right now. We want more, we want to be somewhere else, we want, want,want. But when we look back, all we can think is how we miss "those days". We haven't even lived half of our lives yet, but yet we think we have seen and gone through so much. We only get one life to live and we all need to slow down and enjoy the day. No more living for tomorrow...Carpe Diem! I was looking up the lyrics to make sure I got the Trace Adkins lyrics right and after that song played, Sugarland's "It Happens" lyrics came up. Coincidence?

"Ain't no rhyme or reason, No complicated meaning, Ain't no need to over think it, Let go laughing, Life don't go quite like you planned it, We try so hard to understand it, Irrefutable, indisputable, Fact is, IT HAPPENS"

Matectomy Law

2009-09-03T05:37:00.001-07:00

Proposed Mastectomy Law Change (written by a surgeon);

I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the insurance companies.

So there I sat with my patient giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank you' they muttered.

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

This Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now. It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important. Please take the time and do it really quick! The Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill is important legislation for all women.

Please send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times. If you're receiving this, it's because I think you will take the 30 seconds to go to vote on this issue and send it on to others you know who will do the same.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support.. Last year over half the House signed on. PLEASE! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition

Family Times

2009-08-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend my family came down to visit Eric and I in Mankato. Friday night we had some plans to attend a house warming party when I got a call from G-pa, wondering if my parents were on their way down. It was planned that the rents were going to come down on Saturday morning, but now I got skeptical! I called and called my parent's phone but no answer. When I finally got a call back, my Mom was appalled that my g-pa would call and ruin the surprise. My parents arrived in Mankato at 10:30pm Friday. It takes them 3.5 hours to get from Menomonie to Mankato which is only a 2.5 hour drive. ha. I don't care how long it takes them to get here, as long as they make it safely.
Saturday morning we all got up and enjoyed a pancake breakfast and coffee on the deck. Mom & Dad got a taste of some high speed Internet and caught up on their facebooking! It was Eric's idea to take my family to Hazzards bar & grill. There were no daisy dukes but every one enjoyed their food and Mom enjoyed 2 beers! She was good to go for the day :) We then made a stop at the Scheels in the mall where Mom and I purchased matching pink sweatshirts to sport our fight with Breast Cancer.

When we returned home, Mom and I made some delicious chiscabobs while the guys napped. Of course they all woke up once they smelled the food on the grill. It felt great to cook and serve a meal to my family at my house instead of always getting served at their place.

WWE Wrestling was on Saturday night in Mankato. Luke was excited but a little disappointedWWE shows when they are taped and there's much more show then there was on Saturday night. Luke still got to see some great matches. He purchased a program book with some great pictures of his favorite wrestlers and a very big chain "John Cena" necklace. He was very proud of it!
Mom, Dad, & Luke headed out on Sunday around 1:00pm and made it home safely. It's always sad to say goodbye and not know the next time I will see them. But we all went back to life.

Mom has surgery on Wednesday to take some Lymph Nodes out and put in a port for her Chemo treatment. Her set date for Chemo is now August 27th. We are all keeping strong and reading up on certain diets she should be on and how to cope and support her through out this. We have all had such great support so far during this journey and will be holding on to that support through out. Thanks to all!
to since we are used to going to

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

2009-08-13T06:08:00.001-07:00

So here we are, a family that's fighting Breast Cancer straight on. Mom seems to be down in the dumps each time I talk to her. She's being brave but at the same time expressing nervousness in her voice. I received an envelope in the mail from my mom with a "Mammograms save lives" bracelet and a pink ribbon sticker. At this time I realized I woke up from the dream and life's looking me straight in the eyes. Times like these make you live day by day differently. I never go through a day without the thought of my Mom.
It's the hardest for me right now is to keep living life and going to work every day when I know I should and want to be home in WI. It's only going to get harder. As I have done my whole life, I've envied my Mom and how strong she can be. She's been back to work, camping, and is still planning on coming to Mankato this weekend to visit and have Luke go to WWE with Eric and I. So this weekend will be a great weekend. I will make it a great weekend.

Speed Bump

2009-08-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

My Mom, Lori Leohner, found out 2 weeks ago that she has Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (aka Breast Cancer). She has been keeping up on her yearly exams and went in after she noticed one of her breast taking different shape. They performed a biopsy and concluded the diagnosis of Breast Cancer. The Doctors have been conversing and trying to determine if Chemotherapy or Surgery will be the first to do on my Mom. She had an MRI on Monday and an ultrasound today. They determined that the Cancer has not spread into her lymph nodes and/or her Chest Cavity. The tumor that is in my Mom's breast is 5cm big. It is localized so they should be able to remove the breast or shrink the Tumor through Chemo.

As we all know, my Mom is one tough cookie. She has been the rock and glue to my family and everything we have went through already in life. Now it's time for my Dad, Luke, Jamie, Joel, and I to be the strong ones and pay my Mom back. The shock is over and it's time to fight this thing. My Mom is looking forward to uploading skits from Comedians like Dane Cook and some off of Bob & Tom Show to get through the Chemo Treatments. So if anyone has suggestions, please share!

Please keep my Mom and family in your thoughts and prayers while we start this long journey.

Weekends away

2009-07-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

The past few weekends we've been in WI camping and visiting family. Last weekend we went Air-boating and camping with Grandma & Grandpa Cotts at the "Bottoms". We made our way to the sandbar that we were going to sit at all day and Grandpa had to take the air-boat back to get something and the darn thing wouldn't start. So with Eric and Grandpa in the middle of the river looking at the boat, they determined the fuel pump went out. So, grandpa takes the cell phone out to call my uncle to bring a pump and grandpa's cell phone was water-logged. He had put the cell phone in his shorts and when he was in the middle of the river it got wet. Grandma heard the news and wasn't too happy. The grandkids all had a good laugh when grandpa took the cell phone apart and laid it on the cooler to dry! All in all we had a great day on the water and in the sun.

Summertime with the Esselmans

2009-07-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Summer has flown by so far. Eric & I have been traveling back to WI a lot to camp, watch Luke's power lifting, and parties. And here we are in July already! This past weekend we celebrated Drew's 1st birthday while camping at Deer Trail campground. We got to see Drew eat his first birthday cake and rip open his presents. He's ALWAYS on the go! Eric and I found out that we don't have the energy or patients yet for children. But props to Pam & Andy, they're amazing parents. While sitting around the campfire, Eric and I got to see the surprised look on Kelli's (Eric's younger sister) face as her boyfriend, Andy, skipped out on work and surprised Kelli on the 4th. We traveled a half an hour to Wisconsin Rapids to watch fireworks. They were pretty as always. On the way back to the campground, we all danced to "Shout" as Eric drove. In the back seat was Kelli, Andy #2, and Cheri (Eric's Mom) swaying back and forth and almost driving the car off the road. Let's just say we make a pretty great vocal group! It's always sad to leave family after making so many memories in only a couple of days, but we are grateful that everyone was able to be there. This weekend we're heading to Meonomonie to go Air-boating with Grandma & Grandpa Cotts and camp. Back in the day, g-ma & g-pa never let the kids go air-boating all day with them. So having the honor to finally be old enough to get invited to go with is a great feeling! I'll make sure I post some pictures from our weekend to come!

Working Couple

2009-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Eric and I are getting used to the working world. Since we've known each other, we've only had the part-time jobs that we could get off anytime and we had free time like no other! No it's day after day of going to work. I work until 10:30pm on Monday & Tuesdays, so we don't get to see each other until Wednesday night. It's different, but it let's Eric catch up on his car shows and I get caught up during the day with family and friends. It's nice to have the pay checks, but hard to know that they are all going to paying our debt and school loans. We realize no one gets everything handed to them, we all have to work for it. Eric and I are the kind of people who want everything right NOW and we're impatient. Which is weird because neither of us grew up with having things handed to us. We both support each other with telling each other that we need to sit back and enjoy because before we know it, we'll be looking back and saying "I wish we were that age again and things were that simple".

We're Bloggers!

2009-05-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hello!!
Here we are! Bloggers :) Eric and I have been married for almost a year now! We are living in North Mankato, MN in a duplex with our lovely dog Mia. Mia's a pom, shihzu, & Chihuahua and very spoiled! We're in the process of getting life straightened out. We're excited to pruchase our new house, but yet wanting to travel. So keep in touch with our blogs and we'll keep you updated!