Trying to Finish Well!

Loved "Phantom of the Opera" at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Shane got me hooked on Phantom by singing the song "that's all I ask of you", to me through our courting and this past year at the "Weekend to Remember" the played some of the songs from the soundtrack. So I proceeded to rent the movie. Then for Christmas sneaky Shane bought me the movie & the soundtrack. I finally got to see the stage production which was awesome and just a very neat experience to share with Shane & some very good friends. Seth making his preview Kelli being silly Daniel following suit Dakota and her pal Sherman

Happy Birthday Grandpa Dennis: From Daniel Happy Birthday From Kelli We love you very much, thank you for the rough housing, hugs, understanding. Thank you for the opportunities of riding horses, working livestock of various size, teaching me how to start and stop on the hill, and how to drive. Sure we butted head sometimes, which I'm learning you do when your kid is similar to yourself. But I wouldn't want you any other way Dad! Love you lots, I know you haven't had a birthday for a long time now but I have to say "Happy Birthday"

Daniel has lately been into using his imagination for playing. Which is great and fun for Shane & I. He has decided to hunt for Buffalo and rope them when he see's them. Ivan & Sherman unknown to us are buffalo. He places the rope around there neck and leads at least Ivan around. Sherman kind of drags Daniel around probably like a really one would do. He even did ariel tricks with Sherman on Sunday much to the heart stopping moment for Dad. I'm glad I didn't witness it. In other busy news tomorrow night the kids (Kelli & Daniel) start Awana's at our church. It should be fun for them and it's a good program. I vaguely remember going to Sparky's/ Awana's when our family lived in Twin. (I was four) When there doing that in October MUM's start. (Mom Uplifting Mom's) I let you all know how it goes when it starts.

I wanted to post this latest picture for all the relatives out there & friends that read our blog. Everything is going well, have some busy weekends coming up this month. We have our small group bible study BBQ to start off the season tonight, shopping with my girlfriend Denise tomorrow for maturnity clothes. Next weekend is "Phantom of the Opera"!!!! yippee It looks like I'll be dog sitting for Fred & Marie for a while. It will be fun to have Sherman's sister here. I can't wait to see the two of them play together.

So this has been a crazy weekend, and what looks to be a crazy month. So on Sat. we tried to get over the mountains one last time. Daniel came into our room Sat. morning with a low grade fever 99.4*, he gets up to the 100's when really sick. We kept an eye on it and decided we would continue on with the morning still planning on leaving. During breakfast after eating a bit, he got sick, fever broke but it was too late at that point which is fine. He slept on and off Sat. back to normal self Sunday. Midwives appointment went well today, heard the heart beat hip hip hooray. Neva & Jason found out last friday what they are having in Jan. and I was right!!! If you haven't heard . . . . ask them! :-) Shane & I find out towards the end of the month. I have a cousin, two nieces, nephew, friends, and father celebrating there birthdays this month. Happy Birthday to you respectively. Hope you all have a wonderful days & wonderful memories. Happy Birthday Uncle Steve! Happy Bi...

Well Kelli starts Kindergarten this afternoon, we met her teacher and saw her classroom last night. To add to the confussion her teacher goes by two names, her formal last name Jankowski, and Ms. Kitty. Of course the school supply list which I got school supplies for in August said only Ms. Kitty class needed Pencil Boxes, so I thought what's the odds? Hahahaa so last night after dinner I went out to buy a $ .75 pencil box at Target, spending how much on gas? Oh well it's pink and Kelli loves it. Thanks for letting me vent my oops! How big my little girl looks! New shoes Grandma's arent the pretty!

As you all might or might not know, Sarah and Todd Palin live in the same town as my parents. When I heard that Sarah Palin was chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate I told everyone that would listen: “There was absolutely no better choice that John McCain could have made as a running mate, bar none.” I am more proud of that statement today than I was when I said it five days ago. As an Evangelical Christian many would say that I am being hypocritical to say that I am emphatically supportive of a candidate who’s unwed daughter is pregnant. To which my response is, you don’t know what Christianity is about. Christianity is about forgiveness and it is about grace. It is about accepting the free gift that Jesus offers to everyone, regardless of anything that they may have done, will do, regardless of their gender, race, language, marital status, education or political party. That free gift is several things, first it is the gift of life. Let me explain what I mean when I say that ...

What a whirlwind weekend, to start off we found out friday that a friend & church member of Fred & Maries Church had accepted to run with John McCain as Vice President. So we got phone calls from siblings chatting how fun it is. Also on Sunday we got to talk about this more as our friends whom Shane mentioned back in the end of spring how she was considered on the short list for John McCain. :-) Go Sarah!! On Saturday we spent a busy day shopping! We bought groceries, clothes, shoes, picked up the carpet cleaner from sister to clean couch & kids beds. Sunday was church, cleaning, playing with kids (when it wasn't sprinkling outside). Crazy dad tipping Kelli What is he really chasing? Answer: Kelli I'm taller than the baseball Mom!! Monday was finish up shopping, bought a new set of dishes, wanted to preserve the remaining Moose dishes I had from the year I got married. I like the new set they are forest green. Visited Sister & husband, it was fun weekend. Kelli ...

Nothing much to report, it seems like we are on pause this week before Kelli starts school next Wednesday. It is a good thing, since I know it will be crazy this weekend with Shane home for three days. This last weekend was Shane company picnic at the Woodland Park Zoo. We probably spent more time looking for parking then we actually spent in the park. It was funny but once Shane dropped the kids & I off he found a parking spot. I of course thought we could take our time getting to the picnic sight, so the kids & I looked at the lions, giraffes, Hippos, gazelles. Then I persauded the kids the we should go find food. The had fun looking at all the different animals and riding the carosel . I tried to get a picture of Daniels smile, it was just perfect how he smile conveyed the joy he was having. It was a fun time but next time they have it there we will most likely decline. :-)

So this past week has been one full of surprises and of painful but necessary appointments. Kelli had her 5 year old checkup before starting kindergarten Sept. 3rd. The downside was we had to finish her immunization records. Which meant 4 shots! Kelli has never done well with getting shots, and it has not gotten better over the years. This year we had to have an extra nurse come in and hold her legs while I got the upper body. She sat in my lap, I don't know who it was more painful for her or me. Got a good wack to the upper lip. I know I was probably as bad in points of my life with doctors and such. But Gall I hope she out grows this like I did. She is 65% in weight and 75% in height for her age. Her vision is getting to the point that the doctor recommended going to see the vision clinic. We also talked about her ears, which looked good but she recommended rinsing them with warm water from a what I call a snurker. Big bulbed syringe thing. Daniel is doing good, still working on ...

37 Years and Counting It is hard to believe that my Mom and Dad have been married for 37 years, but considering that I am 35 years old almost 36, it is probably a good thing. A lot of memories come to mind when I think of my Mom and Dad, like the motorcycle that Dad bought to ride to work, and then promptly sold about two weeks later when he couldn't keep Wade and I off it. Camping on Red Fish Lake, paddling around in a borrowed canoe, sitting in our popup camper playing Sunken Treasure until Midnight. I remember the summer that Dad went to work on the forest fires and we drove up to see him, camping was involved of course. I remember when we drove to Mexico for Christmas my freshman year of college and the time that Mom, Dad and Wade flew down to Seattle, rented a car, and came and picked Misty and I up from college, we put about 5,000 miles on that rental car in about 10 days, great fun, great memories, we laughed until we cried, especially in Witchita, Kansas. Most of all I reme...

So thanks to Kelli's ingenious thinking this is how we are planning on getting 4 kids into the one bedroom. This is from our friend Bekha Carter's 2nd Birthday party. She is pushing Dakota around on the 4 wheeler her parents got her for her birthday.

Here are some pictures of Kelli & Daniel enjoying the warm weather we've been enjoying this week by jumping and splashing in the pool. Dakota likes to play in the water as long as she doesn't get splashed to badly. After she gets wet she goes in search of my chair and claims it as her own.

Hello everyone out in blogging land! So I guess it's time to make a few rules here on my blog. It happens no biggie! If there is something that you would like me not to share on the blog please let me know. Also If I say something offensive to someone in my blogging please take it up with me via email or phone call. I do not mean to say offensive things or over step boundries of propriety. I just get excited when I hear good news that I want to share with those who've been praying for others across this country, that I don't normally get to talk with on a regular basis. So I apologize if I over step in anyway. Now onto fun news!! Went camping this weekend, pictures to come later. Kids & I found a nice spot along the river about an hour from the house. The kids had fun playing in the sand and water. Had to chase down Shane since he didn't know we were at that spot. The kids didn't go to sleep very well but that happens sometimes. Woke up around 7:30 a.m., went to...

Been breaking out the rain jackets and boots this last weekend and into this week. Shane & I are in the process of decluttering the house & red shed. We started shorting through books last weekend before the rain started. We pulled down 12 boxes of books & sorted to make 3 boxes to sell, and to resort maybe selling some of the rarer ones on Ebay or craigslist. I've been working on the kids room this week sorting through toys in the room and in the shed, and kids books. I ended up cleaning up the shelves in the living room to have kids books in there since we will be getting rid of the book shelf in the kids room. With adding a toddler bed around November in there. No, I'm not ready to move Dakota into a big bed. :-) I will be tackling Shane & I's room later this week. Still not done just slowly moving forward in this process. Shoot I still have 6 months to go. We did have a sunny day yesterday, so the kids played in the pool.

Happy Birthday Wade, it is an honor seeing you become a great Dad, & Husband. We love you very much, and our proud to call you Brother & Uncle. Happy Birthday Sis! We love you very much and our proud of the Wife & Mother you've become. Keep up the great job! We are honored to be able to call you Sister & Aunt!

Not much going on as usual. Kelli & Daniel pushing eachothers boundries and my buttons. Dakota is seeing what kind of mischief she can get into and it overcast outside. We had Kelli's birthday party this last weekend. Sorry for the late notice, thanks to those who were able to make it. Got some great pictures. What any great uncle would do, help a girl with her ear rings :-) Bryn is getting some froggies for her birthday from her cousins & I. Kelli practicing cheering her name with help from Chad. It was so funny! So about the story, Shane has gotten 3 baseball games for free from a co-worker on the train. They are Wednesday afternoon games, so this one he couldn't make it too and I couldn't find anyone to go with me. Plus it's funnier with my spouse. So as some know Kurt's nephew is over for 3 weeks and I asked if they'd planned on going to a game. To sum up I gave them the two tickets for this Wednesday game. I guess they are both huge Red Sox fans a...

On the 5th we left the ranch to go to Rapid for Evie's & Andy's wedding. Before the wedding we took the kids to "Storybook Island". Jepito's workshop It is a must see and it's free!!! The day after the wedding we took the kids to "Bear Country" and of course "Flintstone Park". Yes that's a bear infront of our car. Randy didn't see him till Spencer pointed out about the bear wondering the fence line. In front is Ashton, Kyrsten, back Danaka, Dakota, Kelli, Daniel Dwayne is hiding behind the wheel We had fun touring with Wade & Anna +kids, Randy & Misty +kids, Spencer & Meagen, + all of us. We are back at the ranch for a couple more days. I had fun yesterday helping move some cows that had gotten out of their field with the ATV and my flipflops. Wade was driving part of the time, and grandpa was edging with his truck. Have to say that's the first time I've ever done either:-) The mom's doing the conga line...

Were at the ranch and the son doesn't want to get off any horse he's been able to ride. Monkey, Blackie, Beau, four wheeler. We had lots of visiting with cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandma, & Grandpa Cowboy. Heading to Evie's wedding today, and seeing some sights.