Life In An Instant

End of seasons

2012-01-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Kobe's last regular middle school basketball game. League tourney starts next week. He has had a frustrating year with a new coach (who actually only coaches soccer), and not much playing time. However, tonight he played almost the entire game and did rather well with 7 pts and 8 rebounds! I'm proud of him and happy he ended his season on a high note.

Haven High's homecoming is tomorrow night. Looking forward to some great basketball at one of Caden's last few home games of his high school career. Time is moving so fast this year! Rupp Tourney is all next week. We play Tues against Moundridge. Today was celebrity day for Spirit Week and Caden dressed as Paul Pierce in uniform including diamond earrings. Jess told me he was the best dressed... haha

Mia is coming to visit for the week. Mom and I are meeting Steve in OKC to get her. Mom is off all week and she is looking forward to spending it with lil miss Mia. She will go back to her parentals on Thursday as they are all taking a trip to Vegas over the next weekend.

My boot is really driving me crazy. I put a heel cup in to help alleviate pain after working all day. Now the straps are loosing their velcro and it's not as secure and makes strange noises when I walk. PT is going well, but limited due to the boot. Ugh...so ready to get out of this thing! Hopefully next Wed will be the day.

This week we have had games every night. Kobe had 2, Caden 2, and last night, Caden and I went to watch the HCC girls game. I received free tix. So, I am ready for a relaxing weekend...

Peace

Big Re-Cap of 2011

2012-01-07T15:17:00.001-08:00

So much time has passed!

Caden's Sr year is halfway over! Football season went well with a new head coach. Ended with a 2-6 record with the highlight of beating Nickerson in a district game. Caden was selected for All League D-Line 1st team and All Area 11-man Honorable Mention. He ended up 4th in the area for tackles. He was also recipient of the Wendy's Heisman Athletic Award, which was a big honor. He won Homecoming King and survived College Algebra and Comp I. We are now full force in basketball season. Had a slow start before Christmas, but things are looking better in the New Year. Decisions about colleges have been occupying lots of his time these days. Still working at Famous Footwear as seasonal help, and reffing the little kids games every so often.

Kobe had a good FB season as well. Basketball is almost over for the middle school. His ankle has done great, with no problems. He was selected to State KMEA and will perform in Feb. He is also singing a solo and doing a trombone quartet at contest soon. He is also in Quiz Bowl again this year. He is looking forward to Track, as he was unable to participate last year due to his broken ankle.nn

I had a mishap the last week of VB season. Playing with the girls in practice, I planted my R foot to jump, and tore my achilles. Long story short, had surgery on my bday, was in a cast and didn't walk for 8 weeks. 11 weeks later and am now walking in a boot. Started PT and hopefully will be in a shoe in a few weeks. While off work, I had a hysterectomy and was able to get back to work very quickly.

Mia turned 3 and we were all able to celebrate with her! She is getting so big and is very smart! Got wonderful news that my brother and his wife are expecting a BOY in March. We are so excited!!! Just wish we could see them more often.

It has been a trying year for us, but we are looking ahead to whatever awesomeness 2012 will bring!!! We are ready for a great year!

Spirit Night 2011 was a sucess. Both boys scrimmaged, Kobe as an 8th grader and Caden a Senior! Weather was hot, but tolerable.

2011-08-26T23:59:00.001-07:00

2011-08-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

2011-06-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

It has been too long. So much has gone over the past many months. It's full force summertime and I have been busy with a capital B. This week has been refreshingly slow due to both boys being out of town. Kobe is at Camp Mennoscah with his Mennonite buddies, and Caden is currently in Vegas. He went to Arizona with Tim, Kristy, and Jess, Nana, and Papa Ford to watch a couple of Giants ballgames, and then to Vegas for some extra fun.

Caden has had a really crazy summer. Boys State was all last week at KSU. He came home on Fri and had to take the ACT on Sat. Then turned around and left again on Wed for AZ. The rest of his summer includes LIFT camp, basketball, and more basketball. His calendar is pretty booked. Would have liked him to get a job, but there is literally no time.

Kobe will go on the Middle school road trip in July, but is otherwise busy with basketball and softball all summer. I pick him up tomorrow and I'm sure he'll be glad to see me. 7 days without tv, ipod, computer, phone is probably about to kill him. Kobe and I took a trip to DC/NY the end of May. Same school trip that I went on with Caden. It was exhausting but great!

In Feb, I started working Fridays at Prairie Star in Hutch. I absolutely love it. It's a nice change of pace considering it is a governmental dental clinic versus a private practice. I only work 1/2 days so that's nice also. Looking forward to another trip to Vegas with my office at Dr. Jensens. 11-11-11 is the date, sounds lucky, you think?

That about covers the most recent doings around here. I will now attempt to note some not so recent moments that are worth remembering...

Both boys had good basketball seasons. Kobe started on the 7th grade team and usually led in points and rebounds. On most occasions he was the tallest kid out there. Caden played primarily on the JV due to 8 Sr's on the team. He got some varsity court time, and really helped the team out during the Rupp tourney while 1 player was injured. It was unfortunate that he didn't get more opportunities, but he still had a great attitude and was a great leader on his JV squad. Looking forward to next season for sure!

-Caden had a successful track season, with increasing PR's in all events. He received many medals this year! Jr Prom was fun. He took a good friend and went will several other couples to dinner. We helped with after prom at All star sports till 4 am. Took a couple trips during school, St Louis with Wildcat Singers, and Dallas with the Band. Being chose for Boys State was exciting, and even though he's not big into politics, he had a great time and made lots of new friends. He even signed up to be on staff next summer.

In Feb, we had a pretty significant blizzard, and Kobe fell walking home from school. Making a long story short, he took a ride in an ambulance to Hutch, and had surgery to fix a broken left ankle. Dr Lairmore placed a plate and 4 screws. Poor kid had 6 weeks with no weight bearing, and since crutches were scary (for me), we opted for a knee scooter, which Kobe mastered in no time. He could really get around on that thing...faster than his normal, healthy walk! Had a few weeks walking with the boot, then on the last day of school had 2 pins removed. He actually went to school for an hour with no restrictions. Our trip to DC was only a week after, so all the walking was a little bothersome and painful, but he did well. The plate and 2 pins will stay forever...which he thinks is cool. Needless to say, Kobe was the track manager and will have to wait till next year to participate.

Our school district has been under fire the past couple of years due to budget cuts. The board voted to close Mt Hope grade which had created some emotional debates amongst towns. It is sad to see a school close, and with a new board coming in, it will be interesting to see what is the final result is.

Until next time...

Kake play of the week

2010-09-21T01:07:00.000-07:00

Haven is up for the KAKE football play of the week. Voters have till Thursday to submit votes. http://www.kake.com/highschool/headlines
Caden is in the video, during the play and the TD celebration.

Haven Wins!!!

2010-09-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Haven football won it's first game in 2 years! We beat Belle Plain 27-18. The game began last Friday night on the 10th, but was postponed to tonight due to weather. We were up 20-12 at the half. So, it was a great ending to a huge drought for HHS football. Caden did great, and the boys were very excited.

Went to Pizza Hut after. After eating I discovered a fly in the cheese shaker that I had been using all night. We all got a big kick out of that. Honestly, I didn't even care, cause, We Won A Game!!!

Good job boys! Finally a payoff to all the hard work and dedication. Well done!

The weather was perfect

2010-09-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

for some football tonight! Kobe's first game of his MS career started with a huge win over Hillsboro. 36-14! He started at center and played an entire game of offense. He played defense for the 5th quarter and showed some intense drive as he took out some of their lineman! It was nice and cool out, around 65 degrees.

Looking forward to Caden's opening game tomorrow night against Kingman. They are talking about him over there...possible double team coming his way.

I am blessed with great kids and their God given talents!

Black and Gold Scrimmage

2010-08-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Spirit night was last night. Booster club hosted a big carnival, silent auction, and raffle. There was a hamburger feed, performancse from the chorale and band, and a dance. Both boys scrimmaged. Kobe went against the 9th graders and won! He was pretty excited. I think he enjoyed throwing down a Jr. Caden did well with a recovered fumble. Overall a good showing. Michael won a Sony Reader for me, which was awesome!!! Been wanting one of those.

Today was our varsity volleyball pre-season tourney in Pratt. Saw many good things, but unfortunately didn't get the wins we wanted. Needless to say, I am exhausted from 2 days of little rest and lots of business to handle.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill

Back to school

2010-08-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

School has started! Caden is a Jr and Kobe is in 7th gr! I am so shocked how they have grown up right in front of me. My eyes see, but my mind remembers how small and helpless they used to be. Now, they could probably survive on their own...well, for at least a week. Once the food ran out and the underwear was all dirty, desperation would set in! Anyway, football is also underway. Had a cooler week to start, thankfully. Temps in the upper 80's all week, with some rain. Sat, they both had their scrimmage. Along with the O line, Caden will also be playing Def end and special teams. He had a good showing on defense at the scrimmage. Kobe will more than likely start center, and has been exhibiting a great attitude so far. I wondered how a daily practice would work for him, and so far, no complaints. He showers and crashes everyday when he gets home. Ha! I am coaching volleyball at the high school this year. I have the C team and it works pretty good with my work schedule and the boys' games. The other coaches are great to work with which makes it fun! We have another week of practice before matches/games start. Friday night is Spirit Night with the Black and Gold Scrimmage and lots of fun activities hosted by Booster club. Sat, the varsity squad has a pre-season tourney. I'm excited to see what we can do.

Looking forward to a busy season with 2 football games a week and 2 volleyball dates a week. Michael and I are also directing Cubbies again this year. A replacement wasn't able to be found, so I was led to continue. It will be a little stressful during VB, but we will make it work. Maybe next year we will be able to take a break.

End of another season

2010-07-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

This week was the end of the kids' church softball seasons. Kobe is on the 12 and under team, while Caden moved up to the 18 and under league this year. Both of our teams placed 3rd and ended with double header wins the last night! It was a great summer!

We are in the middle of re doing our entire yard. Had a well put in on Wed. Will kill all the grass, level the yard, install a sprinkler system, seed, and landscape. We are bartering services with a friend who needs a roof. He runs a landscaping company. This has helped with the expense of it all for sure. Can't wait to see the final result.

We are praying about what to do with our roofing company. This summer has hit us pretty hard. Business is non-existent and we are contemplating closing shop. The extra income from the company gave us comfort, and at this point we are beginning to feel the pressure. Just unsure what to do. It costs every year for insurance and licensing, and when we aren't doing any jobs, it doesn't pay to even be open. So, we will see! In the end, we know God will provide.

A couch and a truck

2010-07-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

The boys are all on a scavenger hunt with the church youth group. "The Great Couch Event" is an annual event involving a truck with a couch in the back. The groups must complete a list of tasks with the couch and a video cam. Sounds like a good time.

I am so sad to see summer go by so quickly. Less than a month till school starts. Trying to get things organized around here before the craziness of football and school set in. Kobe is excited for Middle school and is ready to go. He can't wait for me to buy his new calculator. Ha! That's all he talks about these days.

Not sure we will be able to get to Dallas before school starts. That was the original plan, but with everything coming up so quickly, not sure we will have the time or the money. Steve, Steph, and Mia were here last weekend. We were able to have a big family lunch at Gambino's. Both sides of the fam came to eat and fellowship.

Grandpa had some scary times last week. His pacemaker wasn't functioning correctly, and once they finally figured it out, a new lead wire was placed. At one point his heart rate was dangerously low. He spent some time in the hospital and is home recovering. Darian and his fam are coming to visit this upcoming week from Indianapolis. I think we are all getting together next weekend for a Mexican meal! Duane's were here a couple of weeks ago from S. Carolina.

Another work week ahead. Michael's company is on shut down, but he is working. 7 days a week! Whewy! Looking forward to a rewarding week!

Ciao

2010-07-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Caden got home from LIFT camp last night. He was excited to tell all about it. Sounds like he had a great time and met some new friends. He is speaking in church tomorrow. I think they are doing a skit of some type. Anyway, it's good to have him back home!

Tomorrow is July 4th. We are having a special church service with music, video, and a patriotic sermon. I'm singing the Star Spangled Banner with a trio. Michelle and Lizzie are here for the night and will come to church with us in the morning.

I have to work on Monday. That's sucks. Kobe and Michael head off for the Jr High Road trip on Tues. They are going to Denver to do a service project, attend a Rockies game, go to an amusement park, and do some hiking. Should be a good time. It's definitely going to be quiet around the house that week.

Weather is rainy and dreary out. Hope it clears up for the 4th. Gotta blow some stuff up around here!

Michael's lucky day Thurs, June 17th, 2010 as seen in Hutch News

2010-06-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

Two men injured in porch collapse

"Two men were injured Friday evening when part of a roof they were working on collapsed at 1406 W. Second Ave.

Acting Battalion Chief Jason Holland said two men were working on the roof of the house and a third was standing on a ladder. One of the men had just stepped from the roof of the house onto the roof of the porch when the porch collapsed to the ground, also taking the man on the ladder with it, Holland said.

The man who fell from the roof, Michael Littlejohn of Haven, was flown by helicopter to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Sgt. Bryan Stephens said Littlejohn's injuries were not life threatening. Holland said Littlejohn had been in and out of consciousness immediately after the fall, and Stephens said Littlejohn was being taken to Wesley as a precaution.

The man on the ladder, Gary Vincent of Hutchinson, suffered an ankle injury and was taken to Promise Regional Medical Center."

God was definitely protecting him that night. It's truly amazing that with the fall, and the roof falling on him, that he didn't have more serious injuries. He is still sore, but walking and breathing. Praise the Lord!

Team Mexico 2010

2010-06-18T07:14:00.001-07:00

Let's try this again. Was trying to blog our Mission's trip the other day, and the power went off. So, here goes:

I'm 36 and Caden is 16. We are headed to Merida, Mexico with 13 others to help build a church! We are excited and ready for whatever the Lord has for us there. There are 11 from our church in Hutch, and 4 from Grace Baptist in OKC. Me, Chase, and his mom Shelly are the only adults. The rest are teens. Amber, Lyndsay, Mallory, Lacey, Ashley, Lindsey, Caden, Jeff, Jonathan, Caleb, Chris, and Wes.

Day 1, June 1
Bus picks us up in Haven. Kobe was sad to see us go. We are driving to OKC to meet the others and get to know them a little before we fly out tomorrow. Once there, we play games, some VB, have dinner, and a Bible study. Girls spent the night at Shelly's and guys went over to Chris'.

Day 2, June 2
Up for breakfast at each house. Loaded up and headed to airport for flight at 1:10pm. Lengthy layover in Houston, and finally arrived in Merida around 10pm. Took awhile to get through customs and had an hour drive to the church where we will be staying. First thing I noticed off the plane were the heavily armed guards and how stinkin hot it was! OK Lord, get me through this. We all know how much I LOVE the heat of summer...not! We met the local Mexicans and had sandwiches for dinner. Vickie is the Smith's 15 yr old daughter. She will be will us for the entire time to help with translating. She immediately fit in with our group, which was great. Most of our team slept in hammocks, but there weren't enough hooks so some of us, including me, got beds. Pretty sure the hammocks were cooler, with the extra air flow, but I was OK with a bed. I kept running the scene from Gilligan's Island through my head. Took a cool shower and got to bed around 1:30am.

Day 3, June 3
Didn't sleep well. Noises of nature all around, and the heat...oh my goodness...was bad. Up at 6am, to begin our first day of work. There's a huge load of dirt (or should I say rocks), that has to be moved into the floor of the new building. I helped with that. We had to shovel into wheelbarrows, then transport up a ramp, and dump. A couple people leveled all the dirt. This was pretty intense work. Chase and his group mixed mortar, moved cinder blocks, and began to build the walls of the new auditorium. This was very intense work. Add in the high temps and 100% humidity, and it was downright difficult. Some painted chairs for a bit, but the majority of the day was spent moving dirt and building walls. Stopped for breakfast at 8am. Had eggs n ham with veggies, beans, and OJ. It was delicious! The wonderful ladies from the church have volunteered their time to cook for us, every meal, all week! We are blessed. Worked till noon time, had some sweet bread which was cooked over a fire pit. It was yummy. It was break time as the heat of the day was at it's highest. We walked to a local swimming hole which was located underground in a cave of limestone! It was the most amazing place I have ever swam. We wore our nasty work clothes and just enjoyed the crystal clear water and coolness. One of my favorites places in Mexico for sure! After the swim, we enjoyed another great Mexican meal of fajitas, rice, and beans. The siesta follows lunch. We relaxed, napped, and got some much needed rest. Back to work around 4pm. It was so hot and muggy! Stopped at 6pm. Everyone showered, and unfortunately we ran out of water! A couple kids had to use a cup and bucket! The heat is so crazy that I would sweat constantly, while I ate, slept, or showered! CRAZY!!! That evening we headed downtown Motul to the square where all the action is. Some of the kids rode in the back of a truck, standing! Walked around, went into the Governor's house, and had some ice cream. Got back around 9pm, had a dinner of tostadas that were to die for. One weird thing is the eating schedule. We eat breakfast early, then late on lunch, then really late on dinner. I asked if this was typical, and Vickie, said not really. Bed by 10:15pm. Our roommate the little lizard, is quite noisy, so little rest again for me.

Day 4, June 4
Up 5:45am. Worked till breakfast. Pancakes and fruit. Really good! The am was cool, but after breakfast, the torturous heat arrived. Some teens stamped Bibles, while the rest continued on with the walls, and dirt. Today was our last day in Motul. Swam again around 1pm, and actually got a little chilly in there! Lunch was fried fish with a wonderful carrot sauce, tortillas, COKE. It really does taste better here! After siesta, we passed out the Bibles (Books of John), to the locals. We split up into groups, Jon was with me, and we went up to the homes and shouted, "Buenos Tardes!". It was quite the experience for me. Completely out of my comfort zone for sure. But the people were nice, and didn't laugh to much at our Spanish. Had a Spanish church service that evening. Caden and Wes gave their testimonies. 4 of the kids that Caden's group gave a Bible, came too. And they got Saved!!!! PTL!!! Enjoyed their choir, and singing with them. Dinner after, tostadas with a cream sauce. Got to bed around midnight. Lacey and I decided to sleep outside, due to the heat. I was still very restless.

Day 5, June 5
So we got eaten alive overnight. Lacey has little bites (chiggers) everywhere, and the mosquito's feasted on me. It's Sat. Worked till 8am, finished 2 dump truck loads of dirt!!! The kids did an awesome job of working hard, with no complaining. Even when it seemed impossible, we kept going. Definitely with some help from above. The pastor and missionary were very impressed with all we had accomplished. Breakfast was cheese empanadas, which was a favorite for many. We relaxed till 10am, then headed to the beach. Stopped at some ancient ruins for around 30 min. Kids climbed the pyramid, and we walked around. It was off the beaten path, and no one was there. It was beautiful, my mom would have loved it. Playa De Coco was the beach we ended up at in the Gulf. Swam for a bit (once again in our clothes), and then went to a place where we could swim with big, freshwater fish. Cost around 880 pesos for all of us. We rode in boats down a forest covered canal, powered by a man using a long stick. This trip took at least 30-45 min. The mosquito's were ridiculous! We tried to use bug spray, but it didn't matter. I, once again, got attacked. Big time. I counted over 100 bites later that evening. Thankfully, Richard took me to a pharmacy to get some calamine. I am eternally thankful for that! So after the long boat ride, we get to the swimming area. It's not freshwater at all. It's slimy from all the algae, and the fish are huge! I got in for a short time, but it was pretty gross overall. Kinda reminded me of Lake Cheney. EWW! Rode the boats back, and headed back to church. I rode with Kique. He stopped on the way home to get us a Pepsi. Here he has very little, but gives it all. This is how we should live. Had lunch around 4pm. Pork with tortillas. Amazing again. Showered and go on the road to Merida for a youth rally. Mallory and Jeff gave their testimonies tonight. Service was in Spanish again. We sang for them. Trading my sorrows. Went pretty good considering we didn't prepare much. After church, we hung out in their outdoor fellowship area. Played games, mixers, and had some really good Mexican pizza. Got to bed pretty late.

Day 6, June 6
Woke up with my right eye swollen shut from another stupid mosquito! I'm pretty miserable with all the bites. We packed up and cleaned. Breakfast was corn flakes, fruit, and choc cookies. HA! We sang happy bday to Amelia the head cook. She is truly amazing! Had church, and after we were presented with a couple of banners telling us thanks and that we will be missed. It was a wonderful moment for our group. The fact that we don't understand each other, yet can communicate, was awesome. Had lunch and then our group and all the Mexicans all sat around the table and played games. They taught us one, and we did them. They played "down by the creek bank". The connection was made. People exchanged emails, took lots of photos, and said their goodbyes. Vans were loaded, and we were on our way to Merida, and a hotel!!!! AC and WIFI!!! Had church that evening in Merida. Chase preached and Richard interpreted. Lacey, Jon, and Lindsey gave testimonies. After, Richard and Valarie took us to a restaurant where they have the world's best tacos (according to Valarie). She was correct, they were great! We also had coke in a glass bottle. Went back to hotel, and the teens all walked to town square in Merida. Us adults were exhausted. Bed by 11:30pm.

Day 7, June 7
Up at 7am. We have rented cars to travel. Each adult has one. Plan was to go to breakfast at the Smiths. Had no address or directions. Vickie would guide us. Except she wasn't in my car. We all got separated. I had no idea where I was, or where I was going. I knew they lived on the same street as the hotel, so I just started driving. Needed gas, so stopped. Ended up giving the gas attendant a really large tip, as I had no idea how much was normal. Ha! I guess it's usually 5 pesos, but I gave 50! Oops. The speed bumps in this country are insane. There are different types and are located randomly everywhere! Pretty sure I caught some air a time or two! Anyway, after getting lost, returning to hotel, and calling Richard, we were finally able to make it to their home. 1 hour late. Had mango muffins, cereal, fruit, and yogurt, with some really amazing mango juice. I was able to call Kobe from their vonage phone. He was still a little sad, but it was good to talk to him. Ten of us traveled to Tahdzibichen to help build again. Chase and Jeff did concrete walls, while me, Caden, Lyn, Mallory, Vickie, Chris, and Wes dug a foundation for a wall, and mixed mortar. So digging was hard. Huge lime stones had to be pick-axed and then dug. Wes had to physically lift gigantic boulders out of the way. He was impressive to all, including the Mexicans. And we forgot our gloves! So this first day here was trying on us all. I did get to use a machete!!! That was fun, for like a second, until I couldn't breath....ha! Lunch was some amazing bbq chicken, noodles, beans, and ice cream. YUM! The other group stayed and helped out at the church in Merida with painting and cleaning. On our way home, I was leading and missed our exit. Mainly because we were all laughing hysterically due to me hitting a speed bump at a high rate of speed. But Chase got us home. Hotel by 3pm , showered, and rested. Went back that night for a volleyball tourney with all the guys. I had 3 Mexicans on my team, along with Mallory and Lyndsay. We pretty much rocked! It was a cement court, but lots of fun! Dinner was tortas. The bread was so good.

Day 8, June 8
Breakfast at Smiths. Pancakes, bacon, fruit...so good. The bananas in Mexico are excellent! Worked again. Lunch was chicken fried steak, rice, beans, COKE. They filled their pool for us, so we were obligated to use it. Most of us just put our feet in. We were not clean! A couple swam. Got to hotel around 4pm. Walked down town, had dinner at a coffee shop. Had a great time bonding as a group. Did a little shopping. Bed 11:30pm.

Day 9, June 9
Slept in till 8am! Met as a group to talk about trip so far. Everyone spoke of unity, and teamwork. This experience has definitely changed the hearts of all involved. Breakfast at Smiths. Cereal, cranberry bread. Left Kobe and Mom as message. Drove 2 hours to the Chichen Itza ruins. It was so awesome! Saw the sinoche (altar) where the Mayans did virgin sacrifices. So hot again. Just us and the sun! Had tortas that the Smiths had packed for us. Valarie came along. There were lots of vendors, so did more shopping. Got Mia a Mexican dress! Got into some heavy rain on the way home. These rental cars are a pain. Not power steering, or tilt steering, and little leg room. I'm more sore from driving than from all the intense manual labor I've been doing. Church tonight at Tahdzibichen. Chris, Amber, and Ashley all gave testimonies. Home by 10:30pm. Gave the kids a 1am curfew. They want to spend time with Vickie before we leave in the am.

Day 10, June 10
Up 4:15am to get to airport. Lupe took our luggage. Richard and Valarie came to see us off. It was especially hard to say goodbye to Vickie. We were her favorite group ever. Took a few more group photos, then boarded. In Houston, customs took forever, and we were cutting it close to making our next flight. Caleb ran to stop the plane. We had to run through the airport and made the 10:20 flight at 10:19am! CRAZY! Once again, we were sweating! Got to OKC around 11:30pm. Chris' dad took us to Panera for lunch. Even though the authentic Mexican food was amazing, it was great to eat "normal" food again. We all shared our favorite moments. We will miss the people most.

All in all, this trip was for one thing. To show God's love to the people of Mexico. To do whatever they needed. That's what we did. In the meantime, we made friends, built relationships, and saw decisions made. We want this same unity and commitment here in Kansas. We want to all be on the same page. We want to win the battle we're in, not just complain about it. We live in a wonderful country. A country with power tools, air conditioning, proper transportation, safe water, sewer systems that can handle toilet paper, etc. We have everything, but give very little. The people of Mexico have little, but gave everything. We learned a lesson while there. Don't take anything for granted, and live for God, not yourselves.

So I can't remember who all gave testimonies and which day! If you know, tell me please!

Camp

2010-06-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Dropped Kobe off at Camp Mennoscah yesterday afternoon. He was pretty excited cuz his buddies from school will be there. Camp ends on Sat, so this is the longest he has ever been. His cabin was small and stuffy. Very hot. It stormed last night, and the river was already really high, so I doubt they will be doing any river play this week. Praying for good weather and fun memories.

Home sweet Home

2010-06-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

So we are home from Mexico. Full of God and His glory! Many awesome moments and stories to share. Lots of great food and so many wonderful people. Missing them already! It's great to be home to recover from 10 days of hard work, hot temps, bugs, and no AC! My ankles have never been bigger than they are right now. Sunday the Missions team will present testimonies about our adventures in the Yucatan. We all kept journals, and very soon, I will document some experiences on my blog. I'm ready to get a great night's sleep for now. I appreciate all those who gave and prayed.

Team Mexico

2010-05-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Team Mexico from WBC will be off for an awesome, inspiring, experience on the Missions field in Mexico. Caden and I are among a group of 15 headed to Merida, Mexico in the Yucatan peninsula. We will be leaving from OKC on Wed, the 2nd, and will return on the 10th. I will try to blog updates for my own personal benefit, but all depends on the cellular service available. Anyway, I'm pretty excited! I know I'll be changed as a result. Just hope I don't melt in the meantime.

2010-05-11T19:01:00.001-07:00

Tonight was Kobe's last concert in grade school. He played in the band, and did a steel drum act, sang with the choir, then danced the night away. I was impressed with the marching band! Even earned a standing ovation! Hard to believe there are only 2 more weeks left for my babe to be in grade school. Never thought I would see the day!

I traveled with Caden and the high school band to Branson this past weekend. Unfortunately, I got sick and was unable to partake in all the weekend's activities. Did enjoy seeing Dixie Stampede and eating a huge meal without utensils. Caden had a great time with his friends and is now saying how sad he will be to see some of them graduate. Caden will now give you the run-down on this past weekends events:

Well Branson was fun....we rode on a bus for more than 13 hrs of bus riding to and from there....our hotel was crappy....My friend Marilyn fell and cut her toe walking back from Olive Garden which was probably 2.3 miles away from our crappy hotel...I taught my friend Josh the "black hand" and my friends Marilyn and Oliva some BP!...I also went in a house of mirrors...I also broke my glasses and took lots of cool pictures...also SNL with Betty White was on in our hotel and that was probably the best part of the trip...I even bought the episode on my ipod....also Silver Dollar City was pretty sweet...I went around the park with my friends Emily, Brooke, Preston , Josh, Jessica, Madison, and Bri...we had a blast. so....be jealous. BP FTW!!!!! :)

As you can see, it was full of teenage who-knows-what. Anyway, good memories, right?

Tomorrow night is the AWANA awards. This will be my last night to present as director of Cubbies. I am stepping down as this is Kobe's final year also. I'm planning on coaching vb at Haven High next year and won't have the time to put into it anymore. Kobe will be receiving a big award tomorrow night. The Timothy award is presented to someone who has completed every book in AWANA. 9 total books of Bible memorization and application. I'm not sure what the total number of verses he has memorized, but it's A LOT! Caden got this award nearly 4 years ago! It is very difficult to earn this, and both of my boys did it! Proudy proud!

Encore

2010-04-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Haven High's variety show "Encore 2010". Caden will perform several acts, his favorite being the Wildcat Singers rendition of the Blue Man group.

State music was a success with his trumpet trio earning a "1" rating and the Wildcat singers a "2". In order to qualify for state, each ensemble had to get a 1 at regionals.

Track is coming to an end. Seems to go by fast. Caden has PR'ed in all events this year, which is great. At least he is improving. He was excited to break 100 ft in Javelin on Tues. His weight man' s relay, AKA, 4 X fat, has competed in 2 meets. It's quite the entertainment. Caden is actually pretty speedy, I clocked him at 12.5 for his split. He starts for the relay.

Kobe is the king of dodge ball these days. We have to construct a castle for a class assignment, which is just one more thing to add to my list of "stuff to do". Sounds like a job for Michael...

My dad is recovering nicely. Has his last PT tomorrow, but still has 4 more weeks off work. I think my mom is dealing with him pretty well. She hasn't flipped out publicly yet...lol.

The wind is outrageous right now. The boys and I have suffered with crazy allergies the past few weeks. The temps are wonderful though.

2010-04-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

My dad had knee replacement on Monday and is coming home tomorrow. Of course, I will be taking him home and to therapy when I can. Thankfully I am able to do this for my mom since she works all the time. I am feeling a little bad for her considering the type of patient my dad tends to be. She has probably been enjoying these last few nights with the bed to herself and someone else taking care of him. LOL. Anyway, thankfully the surgery was a success and he will be on the road to a full recovery with less pain and suffering.

Bring on the pain meds!

2010-04-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Caden placed 4th in Javelin and 5th in Discus today at the Moundridge meet! He PR'd in both as well!

Kobe started another season of dodge ball tonight! It's fun, wild, and he loves it.

As we go through the rest of this week, I am a proud mom. I pray my boys' futures will be full of achievement, honor, and integrity. I pray they grow old, be healthy, and love life. I pray they will not go with the flow, not succumb to peer pressure, and that they try to always do the right thing. Time is too short to take dangerous risks. I pray I have raised them to succeed.

Circumstances surrounding us this day prove my point. Do good. Try hard. Be smart. Make good choices. Don't play with fire. Be free. But, mostly, love God.

2010-04-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

First skype with Mia last night. Talked to her tonight as well. It's wonderful having technology to keep us in touch from such a far distance. Love the kisses too!

Another track meet today in Fairfield. Caden did well and the team got 1st overall. We've been having warm temps, but it got downright cold toward the end of the meet. Looks like we might be getting our first bout of spring thunderstorms soon.

Kobe finally ordered his guitar he's been pining for all year. He saved up most of the cost, and used a little from his savings to pay for it. He will be replenishing his account as soon as he starts earning some money from helping with his dad's lawn care business this summer. It's a Les Paul something or other...no idea. Anyway, it should be here any day now.

Springtime

2010-03-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Caden's first track meet where he will be throwing the Javelin, shot, and discus. It was 82 degrees today and I look forward to a wonderful day tomorrow at the meet. It's crazy that it's already April. School will be out very soon, and we only have 5 more AWANA club nights. WOW!

We will celebrate Easter with the Littlejohn's on Friday night with dinner and family. Not sure what we will do on Sunday, but the boys will go over to the Shadoin's to be with their dad's family. We have 2 busy church services Sunday morning, with special music and video. Looking forward to it. He is Risen!

Spring break

2010-03-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

Last week was spring break. The boys and I left on thurs the 18th to go see the 1st rounds of the NCAA tourney in OKC. We were able to see both KU and KSU win. It was a long day, from around 9am till 10pm that night. We decided to make the 3 hrs drive to Dallas instead of getting a room for the night. Steve and Steph are in Los Colinas and we wanted to get there asap. We arrived around 2am.
Fri the 19th, we hung out with Mia at the apartment. Went out for some dinner when Steve and Steph were home from work, but were still recovering from the tiring day before.
Sat, we all just hung out, watched the KU game. Had to watch via computer cuz they were playing the Baylor game instead. KU lost and it was a horrible game. This was supposed to be their year, but they seemed to play less and less like a team toward the end. Anyway, we were pretty depressed for the rest of the night.
Sun, after Steph got home from the hospital, we went shopping at the outlets in Allen(sp?). The weather was cold and windy with some snow/rain. I guess Kansas got hit pretty hard with lots of snow. We also made a stop at IKEA where we got Mia an easel. She had a great time with the chalkboard.
Steve and Steph had to work all week, so it was just us and Mia. Mon we took a picnic to a nearby park, fed the ducks, and blew bubbles. Mia quickly caught on and was blowing bubbles everywhere. Temps were in the 70's! Tues we took Mia to the Ft Worth zoo where she rode the carousel, petted an armadillo, and saw lots of animals. The weather was awesome getting into the upper 70's again. We spent 5 hours there and were exhausted, but had a great time. Mia and I had to sit on a bench on the carousel cuz she wasn't too sure about the horse. Wed, we decided to go to Chuck E Cheese for lunch and some fun. Mia had to do a little warming up to Chuck E, but eventually gave him a fist pound. She refused to ride anything automated, but loved running around looking at all the games and rides. Of course, Caden and Kobe were able to use up all the tokens in a timely fashion. I think, Kobe even refilled his game card once. After we got back to the apartment, the boys took Mia swimming in the non-heated pool. She loved it. Caden about froze to death, but it was fairly warm outside. We spent half the day on Thurs playing with Mia. We left around noon, and Mia was not a happy camper. Neither was aunt kimi. Anyway, we had a wonderful time with them. Mia is getting so big, and is still a very happy child. She will be going to daycare part of the time, which I'm sure she will love. We missed her the minute we drove away. Thank God they are closer.

2010-02-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

Kobe's 6th grade team placed 2nd today in their last BB tourney of the season! They won 3 and lost 1. Kobe also perfomed at KCDA yesterday for the Treble Honor Choir. As the were singing one of their songs, the lights went out. The funny thing is they all kept singing in the pitch black and even cut off together! Talent, for sure! They restarted the song only to have the lights go out a second time. Crazy! The choir sounded great.

Kobe's last Grand Prix

2010-02-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

This is Kobe's last year in AWANA. Our church doesn't have a Jr High program. The Grand Prix was last night and Kobe's car won 3rd place in design. It was a Hershey's bar with a bite taken out of it. Pretty cute. He was happy, as this was the first time he had ever won anything in the Prix.

Once again, another last event for my kids. (Sigh)

Caden's great news and Kobe's new journey!

2010-02-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to tell of some more exciting news in our world. Caden found out yesterday that he made the sub-state team! This is big for him. Only 12 can suit up. He wasn't able to suit up for the Rupp tourney in Jan., but has been playing well and consistent. He was picked above a junior player and the other soph who has been on var since the beginning of the season. Needless to say, he was so happy. He has gotten some playing time on varsity, depending on the score of course, but this year has definitely been good for him.

On Feb 1, 2010, Kobe set out to get strong and healthy. He will be entering middle school next year and is excited to make an impact. He has struggled with his weight since 1st grade and I can tell it is beginning to affect his confidence and self-esteem. So, we have started to eat healthier. He is doing amazingly well, as this is quite the lifestyle change for him. Since the 1st, he has lost 5 inches and 4 lbs. We will continue to monitor his measurements weekly, throughout the summer, with a 40 lb weight loss goal in 6mos. I am also trying to be as supportive as possible, with Caden and Michael following along. We will see what happens!!!

Caden suits up for varsity!

2010-01-05T19:44:00.000-08:00

Caden learned last evening that he would be suiting up for varsity for tonight's game. This was exciting news for him. He understood that actual playing time would be minimal or more than likely none, but he was happy non-the-less. So, we played Lyons tonight and had a pretty good lead throughout the entire game. 5 min left in the 4th quarter, and Caden goes in! Of course, I wasn't expecting this at all, so I didn't have the camera with me. He finished the game having 2 great shot attempts which was awesome! All in all, he got his chance to play with the big boys and he did reasonable well. I am proud!

Goodbye 2009. Hello 2010!

2010-01-02T13:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! It's 2010, and I'm excited for what this year holds. I'm pretty sure it will just fly by, so I plan to take it all in and enjoy myself. My brother is finally in Dallas with his family! We are just thrilled to have them closer! I think they are planning a trip to KS this month as Steph starts her new job in Feb. Steve will be on the hunt for a job. He is ready to get back to work for sure. As for Miss Mia, she is growing fast! I hear that she has been getting more ornery also. I can't wait to see her, it's been 3 mos...too long indeed. I don't see how anyone would want to discipline that sweet little thing...lol.

Well, only a few more days off from work and school around here. Then it's back to the old bump and grind. Kids go back on Tues. They've been staying up till the wee hours of the morning and sleeping till after noon everyday. I've actually enjoyed the quiet mornings with Michael out hunting and the kids snoozing.

Lastly, we experienced a "first" this past week. On New years eve, Caden drove ALONE to his Aunt Kristy's house. This was a little frightening for me as I watched him back out of the driveway and go around the corner. Ha! Their house is literally AROUND THE CORNER! Anyway, I was nervous and proud to say the least. Now I know what my mom was going through every time we left the house. Bless her heart!

Wishing you all a blessed 2010 full of love, joy, and happiness!

Christmas Letter 2009

2009-12-23T18:14:00.001-08:00

December 2009

Are you like me? Do you blink and it’s Christmas again? I know I say this every year, but I really feel like I just sent out these letters not too long ago. It has been a wonderful and busy year for us. Kids are growing up leaving us adults to quieter times at home. This time of year is always a little crazy with basketball games, band and vocal concerts, parties (Christmas and birthday), and just the awesome festivities of the Christmas season. We hope this letter finds you and yours healthy and happy this Christmas.

Caden is a sophomore and is turning 16 in a little over a week. He was a varsity letterman in football and is playing JV basketball. Wildcat singers and band occupy some of his extra time, and he was selected to District choir again this year. He earns a little income by umpiring in the summer and refereeing youth basketball. He is excited for a missions trip to Peru in June 2010. His highlight this year was seeing his Steelers play in KC.

Kobe just turned 12 and is a 6th grader. He had a great football season and has started basketball. Hard to believe this is our last year for youth sports. Kobe plays the piano and trombone, but his newest passion is the electric guitar. He loves music and was so excited to be recently selected for honor choir.

Mia, my beautiful niece, turned 1 in Sept. We were able to fly to Cali to celebrate with her. This past summer, we made the 35 hr road trip through the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Vegas, LA, San Fran, and Yosemite. It was a long trip, but we got to see Steve, Stephanie, and of course, Mia. We are looking forward to them being closer as they are moving to Dallas this month. I know my mom is excited for sure but, she really did enjoy her many trips to the sunny state of California over the past year.

The girls are growing up fast. Sara (16), and Valerie (15), both had great volleyball seasons. Emily (12) is the only one playing basketball this year. Sara manages to be a responsible driver and all three girls are a little “boy crazy”. We don’t get to spend as much time with them as we would like, but they are turning into gorgeous and confident young women.

Michael is still working for Agco is Hesston. The company has laid off many employees, but so far he is still safe. He is currently off for a 2 month shut down, but is keeping busy with our roofing company and our bathroom remodel. I really don’t want to talk about the remodel. This is a happy letter… He is enjoying his time off hunting as well. I am still working 3 days for Dr. Jensen in Hutchinson. Most of my extra time is occupied with the kids’ activities and sports. I realize that my time with them is short, so I try enjoy every moment I can. I get to travel to Peru with Caden in June, and am really looking forward to sharing this experience with him!

God has truly blessed our family this year. We know that no matter what happens, God is good. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2010!

Love,

Michael & Kim Caden & Kobe Sara, Valerie, & Emily

Read our family blog - klittlejohn2008.blogspot.com

Caden 15
Kobe 11

Valerie 15
Emily 12
Sara 16

Mia age 1
photo taken by Aaron East

Caden's Sweet 16!

2009-12-23T18:03:00.000-08:00

So, Caden turned 16 yesterday! Last Friday was the last day of school till the new year, so we decorated the yard in honor of my oldest child. It was adorned with skunks and a sign saying, "Our little stinker Caden is turning 16!". I still can't believe he is that old. I remember his childhood like it was yesterday. He always wanted you to look at him and what he could do. He loved being photographed and especially videoed. When Kobe came along and Caden had to share in the spotlight, he had a time adjusting. He loved his baby brother and was always looking out for him (not always the case nowadays). Even though I am sad to see him grow up, I am proud of his wonderful compassion for life and those he cares about.

2009-12-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Caden had his first bball game last night. He is playing JV. They played @ Clearwater and lost by 6. Caden had 6 pts.

Kobe's 1st 6th gr game is today. Hopefully he will be able to use what he's been working on, the drop step.

This evening is Caden's mixed choir KMEA performance. He has been @ WSU all day practicing.

Happy Thanksgiving! Unless your name is Kobe.

2009-11-25T19:37:00.000-08:00

So, Kobe is sick. He has strep and is down for the count. Non-functional, and in pain. I feel so bad for him. I have had my share of this sickness until I finally had my tonsils removed when I was 25. Haven't had it since. Not sure how he got it. We went to the KC - Steelers game last weekend. Did some shopping in Lawrence and in KC. Could have been exposed pretty much anywhere. Praying the antibiotics kick in SOON. Poor guy.

Non-the-less, I am so thankful for my family and loved ones. We have lost some dear ones this past year. But the memory of them still lives strong in our hearts. We are blessed to have so many of our family and friends nearby. God has led us to a wonderful church and some amazing pastors. We have a place to call home, food on the table, and clothes on our backs. Thanks be to God for the greatness in our lives!

Kobe is 12!

2009-11-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Twelve years ago today I gave birth to my youngest son. I can remember it like it was yesterday. He was a good baby, and loved to watch his older brother dance and jump around him. He's grown into a young man whose sensitive side makes him an awesome kid! He got straight A's this quarter, is musically skilled in piano, guitar, and trombone, and is friend to many! He just learned he made honor choir after auditioning in sept. I am proud and full of joy to have him as my son!

Both boys have started basketball. I was unable to attend Caden's football award banquet cuz of a CE trip to Vegas. He earned a letter this year, which was great! Caden was also selected for district choir which is a big accomplishment!

Thanksgiving is a week away, with Christmas not far behind. Time is a flyin by! Birthdays definitely make you realize that...

Another last day...

2009-10-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today is Kobe's last football game in grade school. We are headed to Kingman in a bit. I know he is ready to be done, but there is something about this being it. No more youth football for me...ever. Caden has one more game left also. My children are growing up too fast.

Caden has 4 friends over last night for a movie. I was up till midnight baking cookies and making pizza. Caden played really well, and had a great solo tackle. Even though we didn't pull out a W, there were no injuries!

We are excited to go to the Chiefs/Steelers game in Nov. Tim was able to get us tickets! I haven't been to a Chiefs game in a long time. Caden is super excited cuz he's a big Steelers fan. We will see KU play MU after Thanksgiving. Mom's coming too. Now that Kobe is done with Sat. games, we can actually do stuff.

Tomorrow is my 36th birthday. Not that thrilled. It's not fun anymore. Happy Birthday to me...whoop-ti-doo...

I have PT conferences on Monday. Kobe got straight A's, with a few A+'s! Not sure about Caden. We will see.

November is a busy month, so not sure I will blog much. I have to work in Colby, then Kobe's piano recital, then on to Vegas for TBSE(dental convention), then Kobe's 12th bday, then Chiefs game, then Thanksgiving and Black Friday, and then the KU game. I'm tired just thinking about it.

On top of all that, basketball starts! YES!

2009-10-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Caden's last JV football game. It's a game that they have a pretty good chance of winning. His sophomore year of football has been trying. But he has been able to get a lot of playing time and experience out of this season. The last 2 games will be quite difficult as they are playing Andale and Buhler to end the season. Honestly, I wouldn't be too upset if Caden missed both of these. He is going to be up against some rather large guys on the line and frankly, I'm a little nervous. I'll definitely be praying for his safety, as basketball is right around the corner. Caden finished up his bball league today. I think he enjoyed it, and he made some new friends.

Kobe has one more game and he is ready. He has been injured most of his season and finds himself not ever getting healthy before re-injuring himself. Both boys have made many trips to the chiro and hopefully once football is over, they can recover quickly. Kobe is excited for Halloween. He is going to dress up as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. His costume is comical and I'm sure he'll be able to play the part well. I am sad that I will miss the Halloween parade this year though. His last march in the parade...I'll be at work.

My dental office will be headed to Vegas again this year for our annual seminar. Luckily, I will be home for Kobe's 12th bday! I had to miss it last year. He is already planning for it of course!

The weather was beautiful today! After a week of bitter cold temps in the 30's, it was great to see and feel the sunshine! It was also a great day for the KC Chiefs as they finally won a game! Sadly, KU had their first loss of the season yesterday against Colorado. Not sure we will end up making a football game this year! Might get to see the Chiefs and the Steelers play, but not sure.

The boys and I get to go see Wicked at the end of the month. We really wanted to see this show in NYC on Broadway, but couldn't get the tickets for our group. The show is on tour and is in Wichita! We are very excited!!! Michael didn't really want to go.

Time for bed.

2009-10-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

Caden and I are going to Peru in June of 2010! It's a mission's trip for Westside's youth. Caden really wanted to go, but not alone. So, now I'm gonna tag along! We are excited and are starting to save up for the trip. Caden is doing childcare at the church during small groups and will eventually send letters asking for contributions. I think this will be a great opportunity for him to grow in Christ. Looking forward to it.

Today is also my grandma Unruh's birthday! She has been such a great inspiration to me and my kids. If it weren't for her and my grandpa, our family wouldn't have the strong faith in God that we all have. Praise the Lord for them!

Can we get into a routine already???

2009-09-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Trip to Cali was great! Mia was taking steps, 15 was her high while we were there. She was attached to nana at the hip of course, and I'm sure is having a bit of withdrawal now that she's gone. My brother said that all she wants to do is walk...with support...all over cuz that's what my mom did with her the entire week. We celebrated her 1st birthday with a gigantic cake and gifts. It was a good time. Walked around Stanford campus one evening, drove to Big Basin (redwoods), and went to the Aquarium at Monterey for Mia's bday! The trip was short, however, and we miss them so much.

Caden marched today at the fair and the band received 1+ ratings! They have a great marching band, and this year's theme is the Beatles.

Caden started his first Varsity football game on the 4th, and had a great JV game tonight. Even though they are struggling to get their first Win on the season, a visible improvement can be seen. Kobe has his first game this Sat, as last weeks was rained out. He is pumped for sure.

I wish we could get into a routine around here. It seems like it's busier than ever. AWANA starts this wed as well. Crazy thing is, Christmas is right around the corner. Enjoying my time though. It's precious.

We had Sunday school this past Sun in our newly built children's dept. Adult classes met also. It has been a year since we put a halt to all SS to begin the expansion project. "Kidstown" looks great!

Peace.

More to note...

2009-09-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that Caden has officially moved into his room. I can't even really remember how long ago we started it, but thankfully he is in. Michael still has some final touches to do, and the bathroom to complete, but that's it. The girls can finally have their room all to themselves.

Speaking of the girls, I went to Sara and Val's matches last night in Halstead. Was very impressed with Val's improvement since last year. She is hitting and serving with great control and power. Sara did awesome as well. She had some great plays at the net and stuff blocks. Her team struggled with passing so she didn't get as much opportunity to hit as she could. I enjoyed watching! Em hung out with me while I was there. Great night!

Caden's first Varsity game

2009-09-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight Caden is starting in the Varsity game against Smoky Valley. He is playing on the D-line, but is second string center on offense. I'm excited for him, but really, I'm quite nervous. I pray for his safety out there. I know he can compete, it's just he's young, and smaller than a lot of those guys on the line. I don't worry as much when Kobe is on the field...except for the kids on the other team.

We fly out to Cali tomorrow for the holiday weekend and Mia's first birthday! Everyone is ready...well...not quite done packing yet. We enjoyed having Mia here a couple of weeks ago when they all flew in for Steph's interview in Wichita. Mom kidnapped Mia from the airport as soon as they landed. They were only here 48 hours. A friend of mine took some photos of Mia at Dillon Nature Center, which turned out so good! Mia spent 2 nights with nana, and part of the day with meemee and papa Unruh. She is getting so big, and finally took her first steps just a few days ago! She'll be one on Sept 8th.

Time is flying.

1st day of the last year of grade school

2009-08-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Kobe's first day of 6th grade went by just as it came...uneventful. His teacher is Mrs. Napier, who he wanted, and he had a great day. Caden starts tomorrow as a sophomore! I've said it before, time is going by so fast these days. I can still remember both of them starting pre-school. Seems like yesterday. Even my niece Mia is getting so big! We get to see her in a couple of weeks as they are flying to Wichita for an interview for Steph. It will be a short visit, but non-the-less, great to see them.

Looking forward to a great year.

Back to School!

2009-08-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

Only 5 days till school starts here! Kobe goes back on Thurs and Caden on Friday. Finally some order around the house and food in the fridge! This also means that it's time for some football! YAY! Kobe will play for Haven's 5/6th grade team again this year. They just finished up pad camp and will start practicing next week. He isn't overly excited this year for some reason. I know he doesn't enjoy the "conditioning" part of the sport. Especially when it's close to 100 degrees out and dressed in full pads. UGH. Caden will probably play on the JV squad as a sophomore. I'm excited to see if our team has improved this year. Anyway, school shopping is done for now. Got supplies, and some new gear. I'm not a big fan of buying a whole new wardrobe every school year. Just the necessities. I'm just always on the look out for a bargain!

Michael and I celebrated our 4th anniversary on the 4th. He surprised me with new diamond stud earrings. Kobe picked them out. Bigger than my older ones!

Michael is back to work after 3 weeks off for plant shutdown. He was able to get several roofs completed which helps out with him not working as many hours. The weather has been very hot this week. We have had an unseasonably cool summer.

Headed to Cali again next month to celebrate Mia's 1st birthday. We are all going by plane this time around. This will probably be the last time we will ever visit them in CA. Can't wait!!!

Peace

Rest peacefully Aunt Elsie

2009-07-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, my aunt Elsie passed away. She lived in South Carolina and even though we didn't get to see her often, I remember her wacky sense of humor and smile. My mom and my uncle Derick's family are driving the 20 hr distance for her funeral on Sat. Unfortunately, I cannot go, due to previous plans for a trip to KC to do some shopping with some friends. We have already booked our hotel. Elsie was my grandma's sister. My grandparents were able to be with her during her last days here. She battled illness over the past 5 years or so and had been under-going dialysis over that period of time. Her last several years were spent hooked up to a machine, and not feeling the greatest. Even when I could tell she felt horrible, she managed to smile and joke with all of us. She will be missed.

Go USA!

2009-07-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

So, we had an awesome experience this weekend watching the USA men's volleyball team play the Netherlands at WSU for the 2009 world tour. I went on Friday nite with some friends, Tiff and Brenda. We had great seats on the 1st row on the end line. Many power balls came our way and I even laid a hand on one! Sat. eve we took the boys, Sara, Val, Michael's bro Zach, my cousin Kayla, and my mom. We sat with Tiff. We also were able to move down to great seats. We stayed after and got autographs and photos with the players. Most of the team were also members of the 08 Olympic Gold medal squad! I particularly enjoyed visiting with Tom Hoff! He is my fave. Tiff and I got a pic with him! All in all, a great weekend.

Changes - some good, some not so good

2009-07-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

Changes are being made around here. Slowly but surely things are getting accomplished. Caden's room is painted, and Michael has started on the floor. Once that is done, he can move back in and finally have his own room after almost 2 yrs of sleeping in the girls' room. Michael tore out our front porch step and cement patio and laid a new concrete step and path. We still have to figure out what we want on the porch itself. Right now, it is tiled, and we will probably do something similar. We also have to do some landscaping, but it looks good.
Michael's job at Agco is beginning to shift some. Layoffs have been going on for awhile now, but recently major stuff is happening. Michael is off for a total of 10 weeks before the end of the year. He is currently off for 3 weeks this month, then 2 in Sept. and finally the 5 weeks right before Christmas. He will also have a shortened work week for the rest of the year. We are trying to budget carefully since all 5 kids' b-days and Christmas are coming up quickly. We are trusting in God to pull us through as always. It's quite amazing how things just seem to work out, and even though it's sometimes a struggle, we usually come out ok in the end. Thankfully, God has given our roofing company some great business to keep Michael busy while he is off.

Finally, I've been itching to go back to Cali to see Mia. It would be great to be there for her 1st birthday in Sept. I feel so guilty going alone since the boys and Michael would also like to go. Been looking at flights, and it's so expensive. Not sure what we will do. It's only money, right? Easy to say, but hard to do. Anyway, I've been praying for some guidance with this. I really struggle with being apart from my loved ones. If I could, I would spend every last dime just so we could all be together. With that being said, I also have to consider the well-being of my family and our financial stability. So, yes, I'm basically waiting for some cash to fall from the sky!???

Peace

Caden has a new ride

2009-07-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

Caden purchased a '98 Mustang on July 3rd! He is very excited and can't wait to drive it. It's a standard, so he has to learn first. The car is nice and will be perfect for him. He got a great deal and I can't believe I am the mother of a car-owner!

The King of Pop is dead

2009-06-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Worth mentioning, this sad news. Only because one day I'll will look back and read about this day in music history.

Michael Jackson died on Thursday, June 25, 2009, of cardiac arrest. Final autopsy results haven't been released, and speculation of a drug overdose is being reported.

I have always been a big fan of MJ and his music. Every time I hear one of his songs, I flash back to days long ago. Back in the day. Even my kids' middle names are "Michael" and "Jackson", haha. Many people don't understand all the hype over his death, but just look at Elvis.

Music impacts people. His music impacted the world.

RIP

2009-06-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

So, Kobe came with me to Hutch today. He needed to get allergy shots, I had a dental appt and trio practice. Caden started his babysitting job today. He is watching 3 boys, ages 11, 8, and 4. He's great with kids so this should be good for him. Anyway, back to my story. Kobe and I are in the van going from one appt to another and he says...out of the blue..."I can't wait to go back to church". He has been gone for 3 straight weeks so far this summer. I say, "I've never heard you say that before". He says, "Ya, well it's boring without it". I just couldn't help but smile a little bit. Seems like church can sometimes be the "thing we do every Sunday". Especially for the kids. We are in the middle of a huge expansion project in our Children's dept. and we haven't had Sunday School for 6mos or more. So, they have to just go to "big church" each week. Not as exciting. So, for Kobe to say this, well, it was just priceless. I'm glad he sees the value in worship and not just the routine.

Trip to California (and 9 other states)

2009-06-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so our road trip was delayed a little. Kobe's flight from NY was late.
DAY 1:
We got on the road around midnight on June 5th. Stopped at the Petrified Forest in Arizona and the Meteor Crater. Purchased a National Park annual pass for $80 since it costs everytime you drive through one. UGH. We decided to go ahead to the Grand Canyon in order to get an early start on Sat. It was amazing and beautiful. It was also surprisingly very cold. Kobe had to bundle up in a blanket. Drove throught the park and stopped many times for pics. Kobe stayed in the van half the time. He was worn out.
DAY 2:
Up early and drove to Vegas. Took a tour of the Hoover Dam, which was interesting (to us, not the boys). Checked into Circus Circus in Vegas and drove the strip. Took boys to the indoor amusement park to ride some rides. Kobe got a day pass, Caden just rode the coaster. While there, we saw Criss Angel sighning autographs. Got some pics. That was cool. Had tickets to see "La Reve" that evening. Walked the strip some, the show was great. The boys really enjoyed it, we had seats in the splash zone, 2nd row. Went back so Kobe could ride more rides, then bed.
DAY 3:
On the road early toward Hollywood. On the way passed through Death Valley (which is another national park). Walked up to the top of a small mountain and had a great view. Once again, Kobe hung out in the van. Temperatures can get to 120 there, but we had mild temps in the 60's. No need to turn off our air conditioner as recommended. Drove through LA and stopped in Hollywood. Walked Hollywood Blvd. and saw many stars. Also saw the handprints. Caden was in heaven. Took some pics with characters. Saw the Hollywood sign and Kodak theatre, and where Jimmy Kimmel is taped. Stayed around 3hrs then continued on to Steve's in Menlo Park. Got to his house arond 11pm, and were greeted by Mia, all wide-awake! She was excited and would not go to sleep until like 1am. LOL.
DAY 4:
This day had no plans. Up, fed Mia, did a load of laundry (we had Kobe's suitcase from his trip), hung out with Steve. Mia had a dr's appt and then we drove up HWY 1 so the boys could see the Pacific Ocean. They found some clams, shells, rocks, and jellyfish. It was still really chilly out. Ate lunch at In-n-Out Burger, which is now my children's favorite. We would eat there again later in the week. Animal style, YUM-O! Visited Fishermans Wharf and about froze.
DAY 5:
Toured San Fran on a bus. Mia's first bus ride! Saw the Golden Gate Bridge, Twin Peaks (view of the city), Hoit Tower, City Hall, downtown San Fran, the crooked road (can't remember the name of the street), China Town, Little Italy, Botanical Gardens, and Fisherman's Wharf again. Kobe slept half the time. Steph was able to join us for the tour of Alkatraz. She was off work. We took a ferry to the island and had an audio tour of the prison. Interesting, but very crowded. This was Mia' s first boat ride too! Mia of course, is so good, and rarely gets upset. So, it's easy to take her along.
DAY 6:
Slept in. Hung out. Steve played video games with the boys. He also took them to the park to shoot hoops. Made them sprint, and do lunges all the way home. Kobe pulled his groin and had to be treated with ice. You'd a thought he needed surgical attention or something. Went to IKEA. Kobe stayed with Steve. Steph had been very busy with work and a lecture. She hasn't been around much. At this point it seemed our vacation was flying by.
DAY 7:
Drove to outlets about an hour away. Did a little shopping. This was the day we had In-n-Out again. Out to eat that evening with Steph too. Ate in downtown Palo Alto at a 50's diner. Mia got some too! Drove by Stanford's campus. Hated that we had to leave in the morning. Mia was so excited to have company over. We blew up her new pool from Nana and she played inside. It was too cold out. She is crawling her own special way, and gets into everything. She giggles, squawks, and is so happy. She definitely has her mommy and daddy right where she wants them!
DAY 8:
Left around 8am. Drove to Yosemite National Park and its awesomeness. Breathtaking view of God's creation. Had lunch by a river in the mountains. Drove through the park and saw amazing beauty. Got to hotel in Winnemucca, NV around 11pm. This day was trying on us. Very tiring.
DAY 9: Left around 7am. Drove through Salt Lake City and saw the Great Salt Lake. We also drove throught the Salt Desert. Looked like snow on the ground. There was an accident that closed the only hwy around SLC for 4hrs. We sat at a dead stop for 2.5 hours. There was no other way out. Deidra, our GPS, couldn't even help us. Finally after about 12 hrs on the road, we got to our hotel in Denver around midnight. Didn't set the alarm...
DAY 10: Slept in till 9am. Kobe wanted to swim. Left hotel at 10am and decided to go to Casa Bonita. Boys or Michael had never been. Stayed 2 hrs there with all the entertainment and arcade. It was fun. Got home at 9pm. Unloaded, and hit the hay.
This vacation was one of a lifetime. I was glad we decided to see all we did. Most likely, we will never go back. Out of all the great things we did or saw, being with Steve, Steph, and Mia was the best. Mia is getting so big, and turning into a little girl! Being so far away from them, well, just sucks.

All in all, we drove over 3500 miles, through 10 states*, and over 10 days. It was quick, short, exhausting, and WONDERFUL!

*Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Utah, & Colorado. WOW

California dreamin

2009-06-03T18:10:00.001-07:00

We leave tomorrow night, late, for California. This will be the longest, farthest, busiest, road-trip ever. We are stopping at the Grand Canyon for the first night. Will head to Vegas where we will tour the Hoover Dam and hang out in sin-city. Yes, we are taking the boys, but only for 1 night. Shouldn't do too much damage, haha. We will drive the next day to LA and Hollywood. This was a request by my oldest, star-struck child. After the day there, we will end up at my brother's near San Fran around midnight on Sunday. It will take 35 hours of driving to get there. We plan on staying 4 days with them. I will update later on all the activities we have planned. Maybe... Our trip home will begin on Friday the 12th. We have tentatively planned on going home through Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe. After a hotel there, we will drive through Utah and the salt flats. 34 hours of driving later, good-ole Haven, KS. Whew. I'm actually tired just writing it all. Anyway, will have fun NO MATTER WHAT! Wish us luck and safe travel!
Peace.

Trip to Indiana.

2009-05-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Gonna re-cap our (Caden and I) trip to Indianapolis this past weekend. It was short, but fun. We left around 6am on Thursday from my grandparents home in Burrton. My cousin Kayla came along as well. We had to stop 3 times before leaving their drive-way as someone apparently had cat poo on their shoe. It was grandpa...lol. We made 4 stops on the way, once of which was at Valapria(sp?) which is the oldest courthouse in Indiana and where Pres. Lincoln once presided. Took 11hrs to get there. Friday, my uncle Darian drove us around downtown Indianapolis. We visited the Indianapolis Speedway museum and the Indiana Colts stadium. Shopped a little at the half price book store, which was awesome! Ate lunch at Chick-fil-a. Oh and we also ate that the night before for dinner. Went to Brandon's graduation that evening and ate pizza afterwards. Saturday, I took all my cousins and Caden to the NCAA Hall of Champions Museum for the morning. It was a lot of fun. Lots of interactive displays. Would recommend for anyone. We had B's reception that afternoon. Caden, Kayla, and Jordan went swimming in the neighborhood pool while I snoozed on a towel. LOL. B had a lot of people attend his party. Went to J's baseball game that evening and had a BBQ at home with all the family. Carol's family was in from Pennsylvania. Watched the Stanley Cup as Carol's fam are huge fans of the Penguins. Had some stormy weather later, even the sirens went off. Sunday we were on the road bright and early. Stopped 3 times and made it home in 10.5 hours. Interestingly enough, we were passed on the interstate by a large, orange cat going over 70mph. It was a great time for all.
On a more somber note: Dr. George Tiller was shot down today at his church. Unfortunate for his friends and family; fortunate for thousands of un-born babies. The suspect in the murder was caught outside of Gardner. We saw what was possibly the scene of the arrest as we were flying down the highway. It's interesting how this incident has sparked lots of comments and facebook status dedications. Where were all these people when innocent, living babies were being brutally murdered? Hmmm. God be with us.

2009-05-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Why do they even have school these last 2 days? What's the point? All they do is play and party...
Caden didn't even have to go today, cuz he doesn't have to take any finals. He did well this year, grade-wise. Algebra was his hardest, but in the end, proved himself. In track he was awarded the "Most Improved" award! He was excited. I have to say, he did quite well in Javelin for his first year. Hopefully he will continue...
Kobe is getting a few awards also. His assembly is tomorrow. Unlike Caden, Math is his favorite. It comes easy.

Making a run to town, for Caden's ortho appt., and some errands. But before I close, a funny story, out of Kobe's mouth...
He's watching TV this morning before school, and I'm in the kitchen. I hear, "Mom, come here...hurry! You got to see this." I say, just tell me, I'm trying to clean up. He says, "There are these new slimming pants, this girl lost 6inches with them. You should get some." Then he proceeds to tell me the website. Wow. He really cracks me up. However, speaking on slimming....I am trying to do just that. Will let you all know how that works out for me. haha.

Peace and sunshine people....it's summer!

The end is near

2009-05-12T19:54:00.002-07:00

School is officially out in 8 days. Caden will be a sophomore, and Kobe a 6th grader.
Summer plans are building. Will let you know later. I'm ready for bed.

But, a couple of milestones to announce. Caden threw a PR in Javelin on Monday. Of course, I wasn't there. He threw 100.11 ft. Yeah! His coach was even impressed. He has really enjoyed this track season. Who knew?

Oh, and the infamous Mia said the precious first words last week. She said, "DADA". I can hear it now. I can't wait to see them in 3 weeks. Our trip to Cali is slowly taking shape. Much planning is going into the exact route. I'll let you know about that one later also.

G'nite. Peace. And do you even realize how long ago my kids said their first words? I definately need to get to bed.

Wait! Is it May? Already???

2009-05-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

Today is my parents 36th wedding Anniversary. We celebrated by taking them out for lunch at Applebees. My dad forgot about it, until I reminded him @ church. 36 yrs is quite the accomplishment. Yay!
The school year is winding down. The month of May is ridiculous. Concerts, class trips, parties...etc. Caden's academic banquet is tomorrow eve. He maintained a 3.5 GPA, and was one of his teacher's TOP 10 students. Good job! The high school variety show, ENCORE 2009, was last week. Caden performed with the choir, jazz band, and he was in a skit. The skit was humorous as Caden played a patient who mimicked the symptoms of others. Was probably one of the best acts of the night. Caden also gets to travel to St. Louis with the band on Friday. They are performing and having some fun time as well.
Kobe's art show and vocal concert is on Tues. He is quite the artist. If anyone wants to check out his artwork, go to Artsonia.com. His name is Kobe86. His concert is featuring songs by the Beatles, and Elvis. If I hear "I wanna hold your hand" one more time... Kobe leaves for DC/NYC at the end of the month. I'm a little nervous about this, since I am not going along.
Our month is also full of graduations. Valerie has 8th grade promotion, my cousin Kayla graduates from HS, and another cousin, Caleb, from the 8th grade. We also have gotten a couple other invites from church youth.
I travel to Colby for work this week. I will be missing the AWANA awards. This has been a trying year, as we are in the middle of a big expansion project. Kobe finished his 3rd book and gets to go to laser tag on Friday. He has only one more year of AWANA. Sad, really.
The month is busy, and the time is flying by.

As Usual...

April 15th

2009-04-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

Well, today is tax day. We got ours done YESTERDAY! Whew. Having a business kinda stinks when tax season rolls around. It's not like the old days, when we got them done asap, and got a real nice return. Oh well. The law is the law.

2009-04-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Caden's 1st high school track meet. He is throwing the shot and discus. With that being said, the weather stinks right now. It's freezing, windy, and has already snowed all morning. No news yet whether the meet is still on or not. I vote..NOT! At least his events will be over at the beginning.
Had lunch with Kobe today. Chili and cinnamon rolls were the perfect meal for such a cold and depressing day. Made me smile on the inside, if you know what I mean. We had the luxury of sharing our meal with Haven's Superintendent and the Curriculum Director as well. Kobe was on his best behavior. Yay!
Gotta get tax stuff done. I have one last pile to go thru before Greg, our accountant, can get busy. I feel bad for waiting till the last minute, and every year I vow to be more efficient, but it seems to creep up on us. So, I guess I should go. The 15th is right around the corner...

Peace

2009-03-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

I'm home. California was great. The weather was absolutely amazing, especially since there was a blizzard here while I was gone. Mia is getting so big, and still so happy. She practically has a smile glued on that little face all day and night. My mom was also there. We drove over the Golden Gate bridge, and spent some time driving up Hwy 1. It was beautiful. Mom left on Sat. and we went downtown San Francisco. It was hard to find somewhere to park, and we had to walk a distance to get to Old Navy. We wanted to check out the 3 level store. Crazy big store. Lots of designer stores as well. We were grossed out big time by a bum doing his "business" on the street in a bucket...that's all I will say about that. They live in Menlo Park and we also walked around the area almost every day. It's a neat neighborhood town with adorable homes, parks, and a great atmosphere. We even went to the local Goodwill a couple of times. Designer clothes, nothing like our Goodwill here. Anyway, it was great to visit and hang out with everyone. Now I'll just have to count down the days till June when we head back...

Peace.

Not so much luck

2009-03-24T15:27:00.001-07:00

Stomach flu has come again for the 2nd time this year. Kobe and I were sick on Sat. and he is still recovering. I had the 24hr fun stuff, while the boys got stuck with the "it could take a week to clear" fun stuff. I leave tomorrow night for Cali and even though I am so excited to see my brother and his family and kiss all over Mia, I am slightly concerned about leaving Kobe home since he still isn't feeling well.
We are headed to Caden's basketball banquet tonight. Last hurrah for the year...
KU did win against Dayton last Sunday. It was pretty effortless. ON TO THE SWEET SIXTEEN!

Peace.

KU on to 2nd round!

2009-03-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

KU beat North Dakota State by 10 yesterday. I was a nail-biter, with a good ending. They will play Dayton on Sunday.

Kobe is sick. Caden started it. I leave Wed. for Cali, and I am praying this stuff passes over me. It's not fun having the runs...

Rock Chalk!

2009-03-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Caden gets his braces on again tomorrow! I will try to post a pic soon. He is soo thrilled.
I booked a ticket to Cali. Leave next Wed. Will only be there for 3 days, but it will be great to see everyone, especially Mia. She is growing so fast.
Report cards are out. Both boys did great. Time to dish out some good job $. I couldn't have it much easier. Both are excellent students.
Caden finished his interim today. He went to the Juco National Tourney and followed a team's progress. He would love to be a sports journalist someday, so this was fun, yet educating for him. If only he enjoyed the writing part...
Track is in full force. Complaints also. Caden is a thrower, so the first few weeks of conditioning, he hates. At least he gets some new shoes out of it...
Kobe is playing dodge ball. That's his new career choice also. It went from a "pro-football player to a pro-dodgeball player...or last resort is an orthodontist"...lol.
We are sooo excited for March Madness. It starts tomorrow! Our annual family competition is underway. We all have completed our brackets and the winner gets to choose a restaurant of their choice to go along with the bragging rights. Can't wait. It's my favorite time of the year!

Rock Chalk!

Wow, time really does fly by

2009-03-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Finally able to post. I thought I would have all of this extra time now that basketball is over, however, I have realized that I have a ba-zillion other things to do in order to catch up from lost time. March Madness is right around the corner. Our Hawks have done well this season, surprise to many. Their presence at the Big 12 Tourney was short-lived as they were upset by Baylor. I hope they can make more of an impact in a couple of weeks in the NCAA tourney.

Hard to believe it's already been a year since that historical victory and the National Championship. Hard to believe Caden is almost done with his 1st year of high school. Hard to believe my baby, Kobe, is old enough to take care of himself, and will soon be in Jr High. Hard to believe I have worked for almost 8 yrs, and been married to Michael for 4. I really envy time. I honestly have a grudge against time. Time is my biggest enemy. There is never enough, it likes to go by faster and faster, and it's hard to keep track of. We were scanning old pics just the other day, and even Caden commented on how he couldn't believe how fast time is going by. I heard today that my niece, Mia, is scooting around...geez...can't they just lay there for awhile? Can't they just rely on us for a little longer? Can't they just NEED us a little more? I guess that's the unfortunate reality of life. Thankfully, we can enjoy time as we have it. Why waste it being sad, right? Well, just tell me that in say, 3 yrs, when Caden goes away to college...

Peace

Ila Mae Waller - strong, dedicated, & faithful to the end.

2009-02-25T11:03:00.001-08:00

It has been awhile since I posted. A lot has been going on around here.
Sunday, the 15th, the nursing home called the family in because my grandma wasn't doing well. We visited and waited, and grandma seemed to improve. She wasn't alert, but her stats were better. Stopped by on Monday evening, spent 5 hours watching and waiting again. No change. On Tues., I went by in the evening, and grandma wasn't doing well at all. Her body just kept breathing, even though it seemed she was already gone. She didn't respond at all, and at one point opened her eyes and starred at me for a min or so. I thought that was the end, but she, (being the stubborn, strong woman she is), kept going. Most of the family was there, my mom, aunt Sandy, many cousins, and once my uncle Greg and Aunt Darla arrived, it was late. The hospice nurse had visited as well. It was just a matter of time. Right before midnight, my grandma opened her eyes, looked at my uncle Greg, and let go. It was her time, she had lived a long, prosperous, and eventful life. She had inspired many, and taught us all the value of hard work, strength, respect, and faith. We all shared many memories and stories over those few last days of her life. Her funeral was nice, with many people sharing memories. She was featured in the Hutchinson News on Sunday with a very nice article about her life. She can now be with her family, friends, and son Marc, who left us a month ago.
My brother, Steph, and Mia were able to come home for the funeral. Mia has grown so much and is so active. She is still a very happy baby, and easy to please. She rarely fusses, and usually it's due to hunger. It was great to see them even under the circumstances.
In the midst of our family's loss, I was scheduled to have knee surgery. I went ahead with it, as I had already taken the following week off from work. My surgery was on the 19th, the funeral was on the 21st, and my bro left on the 23rd. Needless to say, I didn't get much rest until Tues. I practically spent much of Monday in bed, and am feeling much better.
Caden had his last game of the season last night. He didn't get to play, but was excited to score 4 pts in the JV game last week. I think he saw about 3min of playing time...
Our lives are so busy, but time keeps on going. Time is precious, and I hope we all can appreciate that. Losing a loved one makes us realize how important it is to share the time we have with those we love.

RIP Grandma. We love you.

2009-02-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Caden finished his career on the freshman team on this past Saturday. His final 2 games were not as we hoped, but he did his best and had the last rebound and shot of his last game. Even though the season was frustrating and trying, he battled through it. Final record was 3-12, I think. He did receive some exciting news as he was moved up to the JV squad for the remainder of the season. He will practice and suit-up for the last 3 games.
Kobe's season ended on the 7th, but he will play in another tourney next weekend. I vow to not yell at the ref's, unless my child gets punched again...
I am scheduled to have orthoscopic surgery on my R knee on this Thursday. The Dr. knows my meniscus needs repaired, however, it is a possibility my ACL is damaged. I have a week off from work, and am not looking forward to it. Anyway, Michael has been working like a dog today...He has done many loads of laundry, finally put away the Christmas decor, paid some bills(which he NEVER does), and is even cleaning up. He claims it's to be ready for my surgery, but little does he know, I have a list prepared for the 2 days he is off to take care of me...
Went to visit my grandma Waller today. The nursing home called my aunt Sandy and told her she wasn't doing so well. My mom, dad, uncle Greg, Aunt Darla, aunt Sandy, and Carrie were all there. She wasn't very responsive, very sleepy, and wouldn't eat. Hospice said they thought she was just exhausted. It's hard to watch her like that. She has lived longer than any of us ever thought she would.
I am so excited because I might be flying to Cali in March to visit Mia...oh and my bro and his wife. I hate that I am missing out on her life, and it kills me not being there. So, I might try to fly out on a Wed eve. and return home on Sun. Not sure yet, but I just don't think I can wait till June...

Until later-

2009-02-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

Things have been so chaotic around here the past couple of weeks. Here are some highlights, which are not all proud moments. 1. Michael and I were ejected from a 5th grade basketball game in which my son was punched in the face with a fist (long story)... 2. Haven girls won the Wildcat Classic for the 1st time ever!... 3. Haven Boys won the Rupp Tourney in like a decade... 4. I get to have knee surgery on my GOOD knee soon... 5. I have started using a LASER on patients (ok, I know, who cares. Well, it's really cool and if you want to hear about it, then just ask)...6. LOST is back on tv.
This is what I do.
Peace.

A SMILE in the midst of sadness

2009-01-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

Kobe had a ballgame yesterday that I had to miss because of my Uncle's funeral. I rarely miss my kids' games, but I had little choice. So, I anxiously awaited news of his game results when I received the following text...as written by my 11yr old son:
"We won on a last second shout in doble OT! And it was a shot that I assested!"
It had been a very long day, in fact, 4 days. I smiled when I read this. It was just what I needed.

2009-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

My uncle Marc Waller passed away on Wednesday, January 14th, in the afternoon after a short battle with cancer. He was diagnosed in Sept. 08 and tried to fight it with chemo & radiation. The treatments wore his body out and he decided to stop chemo just a day or two before he died. His service was on Saturday and was attended by many family and friends. The chapel was full, the music played reflected some of Marc's faves. We all know that Marc is in a better place where there is no suffering. I know that one day I will see him again. Rest in Peace Uncle Marc. We love you and you will be missed.

Long week, this was.

2009-01-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know it's not even Friday yet, but this week has been a killer. Time has passed slowly and I am exhausted. Our other hygienist was sick Mon and Tues, so I had to take on the extra load. It wasn't too bad, but the days seemed long. I'm off through Tues. so I should recover. However, the laundry is crazy and I still haven't taken down the Christmas tree. WOW. That is my weekend goal.
Kobe taught me how to play "Smoke on the Water" tonight on the guitar. I serenaded Michael and Caden on the acoustic, and even the electric guitar. They weren't too impressed. Maybe I'll just stick to singing.
OU is playing Florida in the BCS National Championship tonight. It pains me to cheer for the Sooners, but hey, Big 12 Pride, right? It's a good game, tied 7-7 at half. I told Kobe I would let him stay up for it, but it's already 9.15pm, and only half time. We'll see how that goes.
Sounds like a nerf war in the other room, and not the requested quiet time spent watching the game. Time to go do some refereeing of my own...
Peace.

Back to life

2009-01-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it's back to reality tomorrow. Of course, I am dreading it. But getting back into a routine will be nice. Hopefully I can get the boys to actually fall asleep on time. They have been staying up late and sleeping till noon over the past couple of weeks.
We are busy this week with 4 ballgames. Thankfully I don't have to make the trek to our Colby office this month. I have 2 months off. Our office is for sale out there, so maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be gone by March.
Caden plays Tues, Fri, and Sat. Kobe on Sat. also. Jessica has a game 2moro so that means 5 games in 7 days. Yea, this is the life. I love it.
2009 has arrived. Peace.

CYA 2008, HELLO 2009!

2008-12-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

It's 10pm and I'm ready to go to bed. I would love to write about the past year and all it has brought. But, I barely can remember much, it has gone by so fast. I briefly was thinking of possible New Year resolutions, and I have decided to try to blog more. This way I won't have to re-live the past year by memory. The older I get, the less I remember. So, I figure this is an attainable resolution. Yay for me!
As for our New Year's Eve celebration; it started with the Jayhawks winning the Insight Bowl! Michael, Kobe, and I played some cards and ate high-calorie snacks while Caden went over to the Shadoin's to hang out. Kobe ended up over there around 8.30pm since his cousins called and his dad was also there. I figured out our financial plan for 2009 while Michael watched TV. If we are able to stick to our plan, the snowball plan, we should be debt free in like 43mos. WOW! If only it were that easy, right?
Wishing all a great 2009!

Christmas has past.

2008-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas has past. The sounds of Rock Band flow through the house. Snow is falling outside, and the aroma of sweatiness is all around. Brandon and Jordan are over to spend some time with the boys. They spent the night and Caden and Jordan were still up close to 6am. They were all alive and jamming at 11am. I'm sure it will hit them sometime late this afternoon. My cousins are here from Indianapolis and are heading back on Monday.
Michael is entertaining himself today by tearing down a house near our church. We are in the beginning stages of a large renovation and Michael got the bid to remove the house. Yesterday it was 65 degrees outside and today it is snowing and around 30. Michael and his dad are doing the job, and should get done today.
Received a couple of videos of Mia eating for the 1st time and celebrating her 1st Christmas. She opened her gift from Nana & Papa Waller. It was a Cabbage Patch baby! So adorable, that Mia.
I'm debating getting a CP baby for myself and I can pretend it's Mia. Yeah, I'm a mess w/o her.
Trying to clean a little and do laundry. But, who am I kidding. Cleaning and laundry never ends around here. I need to bake some more, I was invited to a cookie party tonight. I guess it depends on the weather, if I go or not.
Gonna start on Kobe's 750 piece puzzle of the NYC skyline. It's like 3 feet long.
Peace.

For Unto you is born this day, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord

2008-12-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

Santa hasn't arrived. It's midnight and we are finally getting kids to bed. We celebrated with my family tonight. The boys also went and had Christmas with their dad and family. Michael picked up the girls and we all are together this early Christmas morn.

Kobe was sick early last week, then I was hit hard over the weekend. Michael is still re-cooperating, and now Valerie is feeling icky.

The kids are anxious, and we let the boys unwrap a gift early. Rock Band entertained us all this afternoon. Our band name: Nerda!

I am sad that my brother and his family are so far away. I know he is missing family, and now that they are in California, they don't even have close friends to be with during the holidays. I wish we could all be together, but thankfully we are healthy and happy this Christmas.

Out of the mouth of babes...

2008-12-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

So, I'm in the kitchen baking Caden's birthday cake. Caden is at the table doing homework. Kobe is in the front room watching tv, when he yells, "Mom, what is natural male inhancement?". Yep. Welcome to my world.

This weather is depressing, kinda like getting a detention

2008-12-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

Caden's game was postponed even though it really didn't do much around here. It was a very depressing day with mist and fog. We traveled to Halstead to watch Valerie play against Jessica. Both did great. We ate at the restaurant in Halstead with Michael's parents, Zach, and all the kids. It was a pretty good eat.

I was able to wrap some gifts, and get most of my letters mailed. Yay for me! I need to get a few more stamps to finish up. I think I sent a total of 120 letters this year.

Today is a laundry day. I was going to run to Maize for some shopping, but Michael is going to Wichita on Sat. so he will do it for me. He is taking Sara in to order her letter jacket. (Christmas gift from us).

Caden is serving an after school, 2-hour detention tonight. I don't remember ever getting a detention in HS, but it has been 16 yrs. His detention was for missing a mandatory meeting about his interim course over spring break. The punishment is a little over the top, but he should probably be more responsible. After all, he is almost 15 (in 3 days).

Kobe has a game Saturday, and then no more basketball till next year! It will be a nice break.

Laundry, wrapping, mailing, and partying are on my to-do list for the rest of the day. Better get busy!

One Week Before...

2008-12-18T07:23:00.000-08:00

So Christmas is 1 week away from today. I'm feeling better about it, however, I haven't wrapped one, single gift. So, my goal for today and tomorrow, is to mail my Christmas letters, and wrap gifts. I am waiting on some address clarifications before I can print my labels, and I am procrastinating the gift wrapping idea. I really hate to wrap presents.
The weatherman calls for freezing rain today. Hasn't done much yet. Caden is supposed to play in Hoisington tonight. It's like 2 hours from Haven. I have a feeling if we get any winter weather, we won't be headed anywhere.
Tomorrow evening is my office Christmas party. Actually, we just have dinner at a restaurant and give Dr. his gift. This year we got him a basket containing wine glasses etched with the KSU powercat, some Christmas wine, a monogrammed cork screw, and various yummy accents. He gives us our gifts as well. Us girls always go out to lunch and exchange gifts. We will probably do that after the new year. Oh, and we are eating at Marcella's tonight. A somewhat new, Italian restaurant in Hutchinson. YUM!

Winter is here

2008-12-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

So the weatherman says, "tonight a trace of snow, with no accumulation". Then I wake to 5 inches of the white stuff piled up and still coming down. It didn't stop till 3pm. Geez. Winter is here.
I also awoke to what I thought was a healthy child, until I was ready to walk out the door. He calls me on my phone and says he is sick. Except not the throwing up kind of sick. He manages to miss another day of school, due to the fact that he has difficulty making it to the bathroom on time. Poor guy. I hope no one else gets it.
Caden's games for tonight was postponed, as was most other area basketball. This of course means that he dressed up for NOTHING! And, that I ironed for NOTHING! He did look nice, though.
I came home today, made dinner, took a shower, helped Kobe a little with his AWANA, and was in bed by 7.15pm. Actually napped a little. Haven't done that in like forever. It's 9.30 now, and I'm wide awake. Nice.
Weather forecast. No snow till Thursday night. I guess we'll see about that.

Joy to the World

2008-12-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Caden's Christmas vocal concert. I thought it was nicely done, and only lasted an hour. Of course, Michael slept throughout most of it. Caden is in chorale, but the middle school sang, as well as the Wildcat singers.
My mom was able to make it even though she is swamped at work. Packages need delivering. Oh, and did I mention it was about 5 degrees out today. I'm pretty sure people have no idea how hard she works as a courier for Fed Ex.
Snow is in the forecast for tonight. I hope it doesn't last. Not a big fan.
Ball games tomorrow eve. Go cats!

"Mom, I don't feel so good"

2008-12-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

So, these were the 5 words I hear, just before my child pukes in our church parking lot. This was after I had just had a conversation with a friend, who is a nurse, about how they have been swamped with sick, vomiting children. GREAT! Kobe is still suffering with a headache, and tummy ache, but hasn't vomited again. Pretty sure he won't be going to school tomorrow.
Michael and I did manage to run into Wichita and finish up Christmas shopping. Caden hung out with his sickly brother. It is sooo cold outside. The temperature reading in our van said 19 degrees, but I heard the windchill was -11. It started to snow/sleet on our way home.
Caden turns 15 on the 22nd. I cannot describe how fast his life has gone, and before my very own eyes. It's quite frustrating because I feel like time is going by faster now that he is older. I feel him slipping away into adulthood, and there isn't much I can do about it. Enjoy the time we have, I say.

Today was long

2008-12-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

Today was long. Had to get to Target in Maize by 9am to get some items I was holding. Kobe had an 11am game in Sedgewick, then we went back into Wichita to do some shopping. Needless to say, we spent about 7 hours out and about.
The mall was crowded, and we barely found a parking spot at New Market Square in Maize. I even saw 2 cars fighting over a space...nice! Thankfully I had Kobe with me and not Caden. Kobe likes to shop. Caden would have been complaining after about 30 mins.
I got some shopping accomplished, but Michael and I might venture out again tomorrow after church. I need to go without kids, so they can at least open one thing they don't already know about.
Kobe and I ate @ Players and watched KU suck it up. At least the food was good. Now that I'm home, we are gonna watch a movie. I made a giant PB cookie(too lazy tonight), to satisfy Michael's urge for something sweet, and am ready to relax.

Caden's permitted to drive

2008-12-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. Caden has his learner's permit. He passed driver's ed last summer but really had no desire to drive. Until now. His friends are all getting licensed, and he is ready. Hard to believe it, but he is 14. Where does all the time go?

The countdown to Christmas is on. I feel a little anxious with shopping left to do. The kids are not as helpful with ideas as much now that they are older. This used to be easy, because they wanted everything. Now they want cold, hard cash, or very expensive electronics. So much for being creative, or a surprise.

We have a busy weekend. Caden has his first basketball game to officiate tomorrow. He is reffing the 3rd graders. Kobe plays at 11am in Sedgewick. I think we will also make a trip to Wichita to do some shopping. I would LOVE to get it all done. We celebrate with Michael's family on the 21st.

Old Blog from Xanga dated Feb 07 to April 08

Saturday, April 12, 2008

So what did I tell you? I am still feeling the effects of last weeks historical game. KU is #1! Wow, and what a game to end on. Mario is amazing. This game gave me a perfect example for my children, who were oh so sad with 10.8 sec to go. I, actually trying to talk myself thru the situation, told them to not loose faith, and to not give up on the hawks. This is what happens when you have heart, and faith. No regrets, just keep going, trying, pushing to the end. Yes, sometimes it doesn't end the way we would like, but many times it does. KU deserves this title, as they are the best "team" out there. There were plenty of other great teams with 1 or 2 standout players, but we had 7+ great players, which constitutes at great "team". We are the champions, who kept fighting to the end. Hallelujah, yipee, woof woof, ROCK CHALK, yeah...WE DID IT.
Let's just hope it's not another 20 yrs before we do it again...

Friday, March 28, 2008

KU plays tonight. Yes, this is it. This is my life. It (my life) basically stops this time of year. It's madness I say. This is potentially a very important time, as I may look back in the future and remember this time, the year it all fell into place. I can recall being the 8th grade the last time KU won the National Championship. I was only 13, but oh the impact. I admit, I did have a slight crush on Danny Manning, but KU has always been my team, well, except for a period in my youth when I liked the color purple so much, it clouded my judgement and had me rooting for the Wildcats, (and Mitch Richmond...another crush). I'm getting off the subject and getting depressed. Anyway, seriously, this is it. The Jayhawks have what it takes to be #1. You name it they got it. Talent-check, skill-check, speed-check, heart-check, knowledge-check, and they are soooo good this year. I mean, can anyone deny their ability, their depth? Didn't think so. So, as I prepare to see another great game tonight, I ask you all to be ready to watch it all happen. Besides, Caden is in 8th grade this year, it's time.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Well I'm not surprised, it's been 2 mos since my last blog. Things are slowing down around here. The fundraising for Caden's trip to DC/NYC is coming to an end. We had our silent auction last weekend, and after much planning, preparation, and stress, it's finally over. My son was auctioned off for 2 hours of service...ha. That should be interesting. Anyway, not much to say today. All I can think about is Spring Break in a week. Kobe and I are headed to Houston to visit my brother and his wife. Caden is going to TX with a friend. Kobe has the countdown posted on the fridge, as well as a "to-do" list. Michael has to work, and he hopes to finish Caden's remodeled room soon. It will be fun for Kobe and I to spend some alone time. We might even take in a Rockets game. School is almost out, so I'm off!

Sunday, December 30, 2007

My brother and his wife made it down this weekend. Even though their stay is short, we are spending as much time as possible with them. The boys plan to stay the night tonight, and we are headed to Wichita tomorrow. They are leaving early Tues. am, and then its back to normal life around here.

This is the time of year for New Year's Resolutions and the most popular around here is too lose weight. My brother and Caden have made an agreement to try to drop the pounds by June 1, 08. I imagine we will all give it a go at our house, and see how long it will last. We vow to try to eat better, drink less soda, and increase our activity. I'm thinking that if I continue to blog weekly, I might be able to encourage myself to stick with it. So, another year down the drain, and another one to go by oh so fast. So, here goes. Bring it 2008.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Today was the day everyone had been waiting for all year. Christmas came and is almost gone, and our family has experienced lots of emotions today. Excitement, curiousity, patience, happiness, sadness(we miss Steve), stress, compassion, anger(yes, it did occur), and fullfillment all describe our day today. The kids were surprised and satisfied, and my family was here to share the day with each other. Many came from out of state, but unfortunately my brother was unable to make it home from TX. The boys showed him their gifts on the webcam, and that will have to do for now. Aside from all the craziness and excitement, we did pause to remember the Christ child who was born long ago. My uncle read the story of the birth of Christ from the Bible, and we reflected on all we have to be thankful for. God is good. We hope the new year brings us all continued health and happiness.

Friday, May 11, 2007

The rain has stopped for now. Now if only I could get out of this town without touring the countyside. Flooding rivers make me crazy. However, my prayers go out to those affected by the tornados this past week. I can't even imagine what they must be going through. Everyone, enjoy your stuff, cuz mother nature doens't discriminate. Later...

Friday, April 20, 2007

This is the last weekend before I need to have my kitchen completely painted. I actually painted it a couple of weeks ago to discover that I can not possibly live with walls the color of baby poo in my kitchen. So, after spending more money to get tinted primer and new paint, I have yet to actually do the work. Procrastination is my specialty. You should have seen me in my prime... Plus, all other business around here won't just stop so I can accomplish this task. Caden has a track meet today, Kobe has soccer practice. They both have softball practice tomorrow, and thank goodness, Michael and I are escaping to dinner with some friends tomorrow night. Sunday is church, a make-up soccer game, and there's always laundry to do... oh and did I mention I have a kitchen to paint? I guess all's well that ends well. Our family is healthy, and that's all that matters! Have a great weekend.

Monday, April 09, 2007

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Church services went well. We had special music and video presentations along with the message. I believe between the 2 services we had around 750 people. Sunday lunch with my parents and grandparents was delicious (thanx mama). Decided to paint my kitchen (not sure what I was thinking)... Visited my grandmother at the nursing home. She is 89 and so precious. The boys are adored by all of the residents every time we go. Had Michael's girls from Thurs to Sat. They all decorated eggs and went to the hunt in Haven. With the weather being down right cold, and (I can't believe I'm saying this), snow...we were stuck indoors most of the time. Amazingly, I still have a head full of hair! lol
Saturday, March 31, 2007

Final Four time!!! Sad for the Jayhawks, but we all watch no matter what. I'm thinking Georgetown. My bracket has seen better days since Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas all went down. However, I did pick Ohio St. Kobe is winning our family contest. He already has his restuarant picked out. (the winner decides)

It has been raining FOREVER lately. I love the rain, although some sunshine would be nice. Easter is next weekend, and it's always great to see the sun...Hope everyone has a great Easter. It's a wonderful time of year.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Tomorrow is the big day! Caden will be tonsil and adenoid free as of 8am! He is not too excited, just anxious to get it over with. It is his spring break and I have the entire week off at his service. Anyway, just figured I would try posting the more major events of our lives, since it is too difficult to keep up with this every day. Thanks for reading!

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Wow! Happy March everyone! (everyone being the 2 people who actually know this site exists)

Friday, February 23, 2007

Yes, its me again. Can I just say I LOVE THIS WEATHER!!! Apart from the wind, it is gorgeous out.

Why am I here, you ask? Not sure. My friends seem to be interested in whats going on, so I will aim to please.

Not much time right now, however. Need to get to the school to pick up the Kobester. I think I will walk.

Have a great weekend friends.....