School is in

Okay it's been months since I posted last. The boys are ALL finally in school. The transition has been a bit strange but I'm getting more use to it. I can embrace the silence now and when I can't music is good. Except the whole house speaker system that plays music has issues now and we had to pull it's plug so to speak. Nothing like being woken up in the early morning hours to a blairing radio. So now a good sound systems sounds good but it can wait. Wants and needs right?
Thomas enjoys school. He may need a little speech therapy which is no surprise to me. His "snake" sounds like "nake" and he drops his s's alot. Jonah is doing great at school this year in first grade. He's making friends and is having a much better year. He's also a good reader. Isaiah is doing very good. His teacher had nothing to say but good things. Hooray! And well Nicholas being in 7th grade now doesn't have parent teacher conferences. So many teachers and classes and all. He's doing good grade wise and just keeping up with all the projects, Bass practice and homework.
Kirk is working with the Young Men at church again. He actually works with the boys Nicholas's age, the deacons. He loves it. And I have officially been released as the Wolf Den Mom. I did enjoy working with the boys. They are a good bunch.

July

Our family has been praying for Kaci as she endures her leg lengthening surgery and for Grandpa Pinky as he goes through Chemotherapy. Strange to think of them suffering together but I imagine that right about now that is about the short of it. On a happy note Happy Birthday to Grandma Janet. We hope she has a good day!

Well this year we spent our Fourth of July running many errands in the morning. Isaiah needed shoes (his had holes in them and he didn't want to go to a store-boys) and Nicholas has finally gotten his first pair of glasses. Kirk went to Northern Tools and I had a few minutes at Joann Fabric & Craft. We spent the evening in Boerne at the church parking lot there watching Boerne's City fireworks. One of Kirk's friends from work invited us along to watch and enjoy the dessert exchange that involved 2 wards (lots of people=lots of desserts). Thomas and Jonah ran around wildly enjoying the company of the other children, while occasionally getting a sweet treat. We were impressed with the view and all the fireworks. It turned out very nice.

Afterwards we headed to a "safe zone" but this year was much tamer than last. Apparently due to fire restrictions in place the fireworks were limited to ones that could go no higher than 16 feet. It had quite an impact on the options people could buy. The boys still enjoyed sparklers and the bangs and pops. Jonah got a little sizzled by some embers but he's fine. Sure to remember to be careful around fireworks though.

Thomas and Jonah fell asleep after the Boerne City fireworks before the "safe zone" fireworks so we had to wake them up.

There were mostly sparks on the ground or hand held ones with some loud pops and bangs here and there and some screaming like things too. Occasionally we'd hear a big bang firework that would go up in the sky.

Kirk and Nicholas next to the blaze of sparklers.

Nicholas without and with his new glasses. He only needs them to see long distance and his vision isn't too bad so he doesn't have to wear them all the time so far.

Summertime Begins

Well it's officially summer break now.


Thomas looks forward to Kindergarten this Fall.
Nicholas is "employed" with an official babysitting job.
Isaiah has had his Cub Scout Day Camp.
Jonah is loving the chance to swim, do his reading and workbooks and play Wii.


We had Family Home Evening with a grandmotherly Sister from church one night. The boys enjoyed seeing all her things and brought home a puzzle to do, as she loves puzzles and wanted to share hers. They promptly set up a card table and put a puzzle together in record time. She's an awesome lady and we love to hear her talk. She has the most classic Texan accent we've ever heard and an incredible testimony of the gospel.

The boys enjoyed a fishing trip awhile back at Calaveras Lake.
It's next to a power plant so there was no intention for us
of eating anything caught there. Here are some pictures.


First here is Thomas.


























Nicholas is in the red t-shirt, our biggest fishing fan.

Here is Isaiah with the orange cap casting his line.

And here is Jonah enjoying his rare chance to fish.

One little adventure this summer. Still need to plan out and embark on some more! There's a whole lot of Texas we still haven't seen. We're thinking the coast would be good to go see and the east side of Texas (we've seen the west in part and after seeing so many oil drills and tumble weeds we've had our fill).

What have we been doing?

December- Isaiah hurt his knee at school, falling onto a rock. So I get a call from the school nurse (I think she has me on speed dial), the nurse didn't know if he needed stitches. So I went to the school, and took a look. I didn't know how they'd stitch it all together and just figured, "He's going to have a scar". I took him home and kept it clean till it healed up. I've seen enough to get an idea now what is stitchable.

Christmas- Our first Christmas away from family (besides our first one in South Korea as a couple), it was quiet, slow and relaxed. We missed family but not the traveling and bustle we usually have. We also enjoyed a nice fire in the fireplace.

Valentine's Day- Jonah enjoyed and had good time in Kindergarten, Isaiah decided not to do cards (passed out kisses instead, Hershey's that is). I kept asking him about doing Valentine cards and he insisted that they weren't doing any (like his big brother Nicholas). Then I find out he wanted a box for Valentine's Day to put his stuff in. What?? I sent him to school with the chocolates because there was no time to fill out cards and I didn't even have any more. Silly. No box for him. Kirk said it was like a replay of Charlie Brown's Valentine Show.

Nicholas played basketball with YMCA in Jan and Feb, and is getting better, and is one of the tallest players.

I am still a Cub Scout Den leader (it's been one year now) and we had our Blue and Gold Banquet. Survived it. All went well. Everyone was well fed too. The boys did a little funny skit.

Lately....To buy or to rent that is the question. With these uncertain times it's not a simple task.

Layoffs and stress at Kirk's work. He's been reassigned to another team so some adjustments going on and is watching his former boss being "let go". It's sad and stressful altogether. So we continue to rent and enjoy the blessings we currently have.

Nice weather here...update....okay not anymore...this week is Spring Break. So the boys are home all week. We've had one excellent day, one good day, and a ton of rain and some sprinkles and more rain and some mist and major clouds. With forcasts of rain and more rain (which we do need but come on this week?) It would be nice to get out, to do something else besides shopping, which the boys hate of course. But we are here at home saving money by not vacationing or driving around much, and have been watching movies, playing Wii, cleaning house, eating, and cleaning up some more. Oh well, yes, fighting too.

So far no visits to the ER this week but Jonah did experience staples the other day instead of stitches. It was a Sunday not long ago. We came home from church and went to change out of our Sunday best clothes. Jonah decided to play on my elliptical machine upstairs and somehow fell off hitting his head. I heard the crying but was busy changing. And well crying doesn't necessarily get me that interested anymore. Okay so it was the blood that caught my attention. Why kids think they can wipe blood off their hands is beyond me. It wasn't a ton of blood but enough and he had a gash. It was decided he needed it stitched to lessen the scar (who knows if he'd be like Uncle Jake and be bald someday) and aid in healing so off to the Urgent Care we went. We had been before when Thomas slashed open his gums falling on the wood steps outside and exposing the tooth root (ewe, no stitches that time though). It was decided after sitting in the waiting room and sitting in the patient room that he'd have some staples put in. Three staples. Okay four but one was removed because the nurse didn't like how it went in. (Poor kid, I could tell taking it out at that point in time HURT) Anyway now that all is said and done, Jonah has a scar. I would say stitches would have been much better. The staples didn't really help put the skin together well. But since we weren't given an option and didn't know any better and I suppose the nurse person thought it wouldn't matter since his hair was covering it, and it was easier! Live and learn. I guess he will have a story to tell someday when he is older. Oh that scar there well let me tell ya... Oh and Kirk and I are wondering where we can get one of those kits ourselves. For the times when scaring isn't a big deal of course. Taking the staples out was a cinch with the handy staple remover gadget they gave us. Walgreens? He he.

My Daylight "Savings" Time Perspective

Okay so I haven't been on for awhile. I am feeling better and just catching up on lots of areas. This is one of them. Before I talk about the past I wanted to touch on the present. Coming from Arizona we struggle with this whole "Daylight Savings" Time change thing. I find it quite annoying. I prefer to wake up with the sun shining, not get up in the dark. Yes I do love the sun. My children, Thomas especially, does not think that going to bed while the sun is still shining is right. And well I do agree. I just don't get it. Those in Arizona who felt the need to get up early, like my brother David, got up early. They didn't disturb every man, woman, and child with their work schedules. So I just don't get it. Probably never will. I have struggled with the time flips every time. People who have migraines are suppose to go to bed and get up at the same time everyday to help prevent migraines. Children have to re-adjust as they are getting off to school an hour earlier. Changing the time seems wrong and is annoying. Well that's my take. I'm not sure why so many Americans put up with it but I'm glad Arizona had enough sense to just say NO! Kirk hasn't accepted yet just two things about Texas... Daylight Savings Time and rooting for the Spurs. Other than that he's really enjoying it. If you have any brilliant ideas or persuading arguments why I should whole heartedly accept changing our clock twice a year please feel free to enlighten me. I'd be curious to hear it.