Thanksgiving 2010

We had a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving with just us this year. Larry and Kaleb went and played football in the morning in the rain and mud and had a great time. After they got back, the two girls and I went and saw Tangled while the turkey was cooking. It was really cute and the girls have been talking about it ever since. After that we set the table and then piled tons of yummy food on to make a huge mess to clean up. You can see that Rhyan was impressed with the napkin rings, but thought that they worked better for earrings! We missed being able to see the family but had a nice time here by ourselves. We realize this year we have a lot to be thankful for. We are almost done and ready to move on to the next adventure in our life. We have four great kids, and after a scary summer I can't even tell you how grateful we are to have them here with us and doing well. We're grateful for how spoiled we are to live somewhere where we have such amazing hospitals and doctors right down the street. It's going to be a hard thing to leave behind. We are grateful for our extended family who is there to help when we need it! Urs, we can't tell you how much we appreciate your willingness to come out and spend a week in chaos with our kids so we can go and work on job stuff! I know this has been a really tuff year here for a lot of reasons, and I guess I can't speak for Larry, but I know we are both grateful to have each other to lean on. I for one am grateful for Larry and the great man and father that he is. We works hard to take care of us all, and is there to lean on when I need him! We are all grateful for our savior, and I am reminded of that constantly by my sweet little Rhyan who tells me that Jesus is one of her best friends. Our kids can be such good examples. So, enough of this sappy stuff. I will say, when I walked into my house the other day from our arctic below zero wind chills, I was awfully grateful to have a warm house, and that this would be my last winter I have to spend somewhere cold!! Yeah, here we come warm and sunny!!!

Texas Trip

So Larry and I went job hunting in Texas. We met with people in San Antonio, Forth Worth and COllege Station. It was like a big road trip driving all over Texas. Wes and Emily brought the boys and came to see us while we were in San Antonio. It was a lot of fun to hang out with them. We went to the River Walk and hung out at McDonald's so the boys could play and we could just hang out & talk. Not sure where we are going yet, but it definitely looks like we have some options. It's good to know that we're employable!! The pictures with the water were taken at the Fort Worth Water Gardens. It was a really cool place. The thing you see me sitting at the top of is an interactive one where you walk down those steps into the bottom of it. It's really a wierd feeling because you have water moving all around and under you so you kind of get off balance. I also spent a day exploring the Fort Worth Stockyards. It was so much fun, I had some great barbecue for lunch, and lusted after some really pretty boots that I couldn't afford! The best part, I had a day all to myself... doesn't happen very often. And of course, while in San Antonio we had to go visit my old stomping grounds. My High School has been rebuilt into this beautiful building that looks more like a small college than a high school. They were in he process of bulldozing the old buildings the day we were there. There wasn't much left. We also drove by my old house. Yep, that beautiful residence you see there is where I spent my high school years. Nice going mom! Just kidding, it didn't have quite so much "trailer class" when we lived there.

Halloween 2010

So this year we had a Ninja, The Wicked Witch of the West, a Butterfly, and a Firefighter.

Mayson knew forever ago she wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the West, and we've had the costume since she used it for her birthday party. I think she looked pretty good. She got all ready for school the day they did their character parade and was so excited until we got to school. At that point she was feeling a little self conscious about being green and that people were going to be looking at her. Yeah, I know, Mayson not wanting attention?? After a little coaxing I convinced her that really, that was the point and that everyone would love it, which of course they did. She looked great.



Asher got some galoshes from Grandma Ursi when she was out here the end of June that he wears everywhere. Even showed up to church in them one day because he put them on himself and one of the kids helped him get in the car so I didn't realize it til we got there. He looks really cute in them though and he loves them. So, when I saw the fireman costume at Costco this year I knew he had to have it. I matched his boots perfect and he loved it. I think I found the costume the beginning of September, and as soon as he saw it he told everyone he saw everywhere we went, "I firefighter for how-ween!" he was so dang cute. He still wears it around the house, to preschool, you know... where you would typically wear a firefighter suit.


Rhyan had known the butterfly was in our bin of old costumes and knew for a while that she wanted to wear it, so hers was pretty easy. We thought she was pretty cute too!


Kaleb decided he wanted to be a ninja, again. I think he likes being a ninja because he feels tough and gets fancy swords with his costume to play with! Rhyan had known the butterfly was in our bin of old costumes and knew for a while that she wanted to wear it, so hers was pretty easy.

The Kalke's at Play

Becky came out to visit us for a few days while working on her house, and she brought he little girl Addyson with her. Mayson was in heaven!
As you can see by Asher steri-strips, he had a run of bad luck. The one on his right eye came from dance class. He tripped and fell and hit the radiator. I hauled him down to Larry and one of the plastics guys stuck it back together for us. Later that week, we come home from church and somehow in the process of all the kids going up the stairs from the side door, he fell and hit the other side on on one of the steps. Needless to say, I felt like a real dummy having to haul my kid to he ER and ask them to fix the other side of his face for me this time, so instead Larry ran down and got a kit and came home and stuck it back together himself. I have to say, now that everything is off of them, Larry's is the better looking of the two. Good having a doctor in house!

Here's Rhyan and Asher hanging out... checking things out with the binoculars.

So, we went to Lake Farm Park and this sheep took a liking to Rhyan. If she even moved he would run to follow her in his pen. She thought it was funny so she was running back and forth along his fence, and he was running with her. It got better when she climbed up on the fence to look and him, and he obviously decided it was time to take the relationship to the next level. The first time he jumped up he startled her and she fell off the fence. No, of course I wasn't laughing, why would you even think that. After the initial shock of the sheep getting up close and personal, she thought it was great so she kept climbing up, and he kept jumping up to meet her. It was pretty cute to watch.
Here are the kids in the wagon at Lake Farm Park. We have such a fun time there!

Hanging with Dora and Boots at the Children's Museum.

This is what I found one day as I walked into Mayson's room. Apparently she forgot to get rid of the evidence! Oh... we are so in trouble in a few years.

And here are two of our cute guys showing off their stuff at the bowling alley. Not sure their bowling skills are up to par... nothing but a little eye candy for us ladies!!

Football

So, not only did we have practice four days a week, but football ended up being way to dramatic this season. We started off with the broken arm, and about the time the cast got off was when the game schedule cam out and all of Kaleb's games were scheduled to be on Sunday. After much discussion to no avail with the coaches, we left the decision up to Kaleb as to what he wanted to do. He has grown into such a wonderful young man. He decided he would go to practices with his team but that he didn't think he should play in the games on Sunday. It was tough some days to get to practice when he knew he couldn't play in the games, but he was such a good kid about it. At the end of the season he got the chance to play in a Saturday game with another team, and got to play in one post season Saturday game with his team. We of course went and cheered loudly for him. It was so fun to get to watch him finally get to play after all his hard work!
Here he is getting his trophy at the end of season banquet. We're really proud of him for sticking with it through the season despite all the problems that arose!

Cheerleading

Other than the four days a week of practice and games on Saturdays that kept us quite busy, cheer leading was great. The coaches were wonderful and Mayson was so cute. She is loud and bubbly!! She was born to be a cheerleader.


Other than the four days a week of practice and games on Saturdays that kept us quite busy, cheer leading was great. The coaches were wonderful and Mayson was so cute. She is loud and bubbly!! She was born to be a cheerleader.

Rhyan Starts Preschool

Rhyan started preschool this year. She did such a great job. She had always been the most reserved of our kids and the one who has had the hardest time being away from mom. She had talked about it for months and was so excited to go, but I was just waiting for the tears to start when she realized I was actually leaving her there. We did her orientation day where Asher and I stayed and she did great. On her first day by herself, on the drive to school we talked about how she would be there by herself and that mom would leave and come back to get her. She was very concerned and looking pretty sad but I of course assured her that I would definitely be coming back for her and that she would have a great time. Well, we got to school and walked in, hung her stuff up, and she gave me a hug and a kiss, told me she loved me and walked in the class without a second thought. She looked so proud of herself. Now, I will admit there was a small part of me going, "hey, wait a minute, you should be crying for mom and telling me not to go." But, the bigger part was so proud of her and happy for her and how much she has grown over the last year. She is such a big girl and is really such a sweet little person! Her little brother and best bud had a little adjusting to do. the first couple of days he had to be carried out screaming because he wanted to stay too. I think now he has learned to appreciate his alone time with mom. Every day when we pick her up though as soon as he sees her he runs for her and tackles her in a bear hug. It is very cute!

First Day of School

The kids (and mom) were so excited for school to start this fall. Our summer had been so crazy and it went so fast. I couldn't believe it was really over, but I'll tell you what, the start of school couldn't come fast enough. Kaleb and Mayson were very tired of one another and were needing a little more time apart! Kaleb started 5th grade this year, and Mayson started 2nd grade. I can't believe how big they are getting. It's crazy to think that Kaleb will be starting junior high next year. Let me just say, I am very afraid!!

Kaleb Breaks His Arm

So, in July football and cheer leading started. I can't tell you how glad I am to be done with that. The kids had fun and we had fun watching them, but practice was four nights a week. Again, I go back to, is it any wonder we didn't do the blog?? Anyway, the first week of August at practice one night, Kaleb broke his arm. Not very fun but he was tough about it and came home with this fancy camouflage cast. He was sad that he could play, but was a real trooper and went to practice every day anyway and helped the team with what he could. Great job Kaleb!!

Best Friends

Rhyan and Asher really are the best of friends. They are so cute with each other! They play together all the time and you can tell that they really enjoy one another. As you can see, Rhyan likes to help dress him up with her.

Rhyan's Fourth Birthday

Our little Rhyan turned four this year. She is such a sweet little girl and is really turning into her own, independent little person. She had a strawberry shortcake birthday party with all of her little friends and looked so cute!