News!

Isaac made the news!
Here's a link to an article from our local paper that Isaac was interviewed for regarding his billboard. I saw the billboard on Thursday and I'm going to take Isaac's picture by it to post. Sunday is the awards ceremony for the art students. Isaac is excited because he heard he'll get to shake the mayor's hand!http://www.htrnews.com/article/20090228/MAN0101/902280401&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSELDebbie, Addy and Faith are here visiting us and we're having a wonderful time.Isaac is looking forward to posting a video from his band concert last Monday night.
Love to everyone!!!Joy

Sweet Pea

Berkley High School Educator of the Year

We are so proud of Tracy today! She was honored at a Banquet for the Educator of the Year. She was also entered by her Principal Dennis McDavid for the Educator of the Year for Oakland County. She had several of her friends from her church come and many people from her school. We were very proud of what a great teacher she is.

MidWinter Break

It's Sunday Evening which marks the end of an overall wonderful midwinter break. I am fortunate and still have an entire week's time off in February. Tim had Wed-Fri off and Carrie had Mon-Tuesday. But I had the entire glorious week. Thank you Lord.

I rested the first weekend and had fun with friends at a pizza party on Saturday evening and a Chili party for Sunday Night Dinners (a once a month event my friends and I partake in). I lead our church in musical worship on Sunday morning in which the message concentrated on God's Knowledge. He knows EVERYTHING - even the things we wish He didn't know - He knows. He still covers us in His grace. I am so thankful. This is one of the messages in our latest series called Your God Is Too Small. After church and before chili dinner, Flat Adam and I had a great time with my friend Alli exploring some of Detroit. We even took a ride through the tunnel to Canada. It was a lot of fun.

Monday through Wednesday I spent most of my time working on my taxes (still not done yet), preparing for my trip to Africa, and getting things in order at the house. Housework never seems to stay put. I also had the opportunity to see Tim's new house in Troy - he placed a bid on the house and it was accepted. Hopefully he will soon tell us all about it here at the blog!

On Thursday, Flat Adam and I took the train from Detroit to Chicago to visit Pete, Emily, and Alaina. It was so much fun. We relaxed and enjoyed each other's company the entire time. Alaina is growing so fast!! She is really starting to get all over the place. You should see that way that Alaina looks at Emily - it's precious - she knows that she loved - what a secure little girl. Pete made homemade baby food: carrots and apples. Pete told us how Alaina started crawling into their room to find him and that it just made his day! I had such a wonderful time and I can't wait to get back again.

I hope you are all well - Miss you lots - Tracy

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you have a great day! We love and miss you all. Adam and I made a Valentine's Day Video for everyone!

Love, Isaac (and my whole family too!)

I just have to brag!

I'm a proud mom tonight and here's why...
March is Youth Art Month in Manitowoc. The local art museum features wonderful art from K-12 grades chosen by their art teachers. Both of our boys have had their artwork on display in past years. Well, to advertise Youth Art Month a local billboard company donates 3 billboards in town for a month and a contest is held...all 5th graders and Jr & Sr High art students draw a billboard design. The results are in! Isaac won! His billboard design was chosen out of all the 5th graders in the city!!! He's soooo excited! As soon as the billboard is up I'll take a picture of our artist by it and post it for everyone to see!
Congrats Isaac!

Happy Birthday Ken!!!

We had a birthday party for Ken on Saturday and Mom, Bob and Linda came from Ishpeming and Ryan, Joy, Isaac and Adam rolled in from Manitowoc.  It was such a pleasant day.  We had roast beef in gravy on rolls, caramel apple salad (delicious Joy) and teryiaki vegetables for our meal topped by Ken's favorite chocolate cake with thick chocolate frosting. YUM.  We had a nice visit highlighted by two vigorous rounds of clothespin in the bottle including prizes. It was such a fun day. I am thankful to have my wonderful hubby, Ken!

Our videos...finally.

Adventures of the Nadeaus .........----------------->

Me and Sock Monkey thought it would be fun to put together a map of all the places the Nadeau family has visited over the last 40 years. So we got a world map. We mounted it and took a few color pins and went to work. Black pins are for Paul's work travels, red Emily's, green are where Paul and Emily went together, white is where the whole family went. The big pins are places we have owned a house and blue are where family live. There is one lone yellow for Tracy by herself in South Africa. She has been the farthest south in the family and Paul the farthest north with Helsinki. It was a lot of fun to do and see. Paul really enjoyed the surprise! He got to add a lot of pins from places we did not remember. How he wants to go through all the boxes and boxes of old pictures we have and sort by decade. So look forward to the next addition with old pictures to come soon.

Emily Marie

Special Visitor Arrives in Royal Oak.

I have a very special visitor staying at my house for the next month. His name is Flat Adam and I am thrilled to have him. He arrived in the mailbox today. I hope he wasn't too cold - the temperature has been rising here - it's around 30 degrees. We welcomed him into the house and introduced him to everyone living at tracy's blue house: Not-So-Flat Tim, Not-So-Flat Tracy, Not-So-Flat Carrie, and Not-So-Flat Guinea the Pig. We are all going to get along smashingly (pun intended). Flat Adam was a bit tired so we showed him around the house and then he took a few minutes to write an e-mail to Not-So-Flat Adam.

(picture of the whole gang)

(Flat Adam meeting Not-So-Flat Guinea the pig)

Here's what Flat Adam wrote in his e-mail:

Dear Not-So-Flat Adam,

Thank you so much for sending me on this
adventure. It was a bumpy ride but I have made it safely to No-So-Flat Tracy's house. I'm tired and will write again soon. I wonder what I am going to see in the lower peninsula of Michigan? I heard that they have the first paved road in America right down the street and tunnel into a foreign country called Canada. I forgot to bring my winter jacket but No-So-Flat Tracy said that she'll pick one up from Target for me. Have a great day at school - work hard and have fun at recess. I am going to go to school with N-S-F-Tracy in the morning - I heard they don't have recess at the high school. Boo Hoo!

See you soon,
Flat Adam

Afterward, Flat Adam brushed his teeth and went to bed in the guest room. I wonder what tomorrow's adventures will be?

Love, Not-So-Flat Tracy

ps. Flat Adam is inspired by a book called Flat Stanley written in 1964. There is a large Flat Stanley Project going on that schools participate in. You can visit the Official Flat Stanley Project Website here.

Taking the Train.

This February I'll be taking a short trip to see Pete, Emily, and Alaina. I am so excited to see them. I'll be leaving on a Thursday and taking the train from Royal Oak to Union Station. The Royal Oak train station is about 1 mile from my house and Union Station is kitty-corner to the Sweet Pea's (Pete, Emily, Alaina). I don't have to do any driving. I'll just sit back in my chair; grade some papers; read a book; take a snooze. After six hours - I should be well rested and ready to visit!

The only problem might be that there isn't checked baggage! Here are my limits: Carry-On Baggage is limited to 2 - 50 lbs.(23 kg) @ 28" x 22" x 14". I think I'll go get my measuring tape out!