The Wild-N-Wacky Wines'

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T16:58:00.001-08:00

Cassidy creating cookies that would make any of Santa's elves jealous.

Brooke and Autumn got in on the action.
Autumn was being a little more artistic using her gifted talent.

Cassidy's masterpiece. See the red nose on the leader?

Dylan and Autumn

Getting carried away!
(Pun intended)

He thinks he is Eddie V.

Volleyball

2011-09-13T13:53:00.002-07:00

Mission Valley JV team took 1st in the Osage City tournament.

They are the only team in Mission Valley history
to make it into bracket play.
Totally awesome!

Labor Day camping

2011-09-13T13:53:00.001-07:00

At the beach. It always seems to make the kids hungry and thirsty.

Emma, my sisters foster child.

Brayden Tyler, Christy's grandson. He is all boy.

Bleacher section.

Eva, my sisters foster child, was our cheerleader.
Look real close at her pom poms. She was very proud of them.

The rest of us who love this sport.

"Go Chiefs"

2011-09-13T13:52:00.002-07:00

I know this is a late post but the pictures were too awesome not to share.

Chet, Christy, Dylan, Corey and Leslie. Tim was behind the camera.

Very very hot day! Wasn't worth getting fried.
The Chiefs haven't had a very good season.

1st game of the season and the 10th Anniversary of 9/11
These jets flew over before the game and at half time.
Way cool!

1st day of school

2011-09-13T13:52:00.001-07:00

Glacier Park

2011-09-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Tons of pictures of Glacier Park.
Hard to choose which ones to post.
Most of the beauty speaks for itself, so not much commentary.

ENJOY!

This is how the boys went through the park. Part of the way they had to put jackets on.

Heaven's Peak

Check the road out along the mountain. "Highway to the Sun"

Heaven's Peak

"Weeping Wall"
Did you know, if you drive close enough to the wall everyone gets wet?
Thanks for the refreshing shower, Kainaan!

Check out the mountain goats walking on the edge of the mountain.
They were knocking rocks down on vehicles below. Ours being one of them.

Big Horn Sheep. Right on the continental divide at Logan Pass.
People were stopped on both sides of the road waiting for this guy to get done
eating whatever he found in the hole.

Another shot of the "Highway to the Sun".

St. Marys Fall
Breath taking

Virginia Falls

This is what our paths looked like when going to the falls.

Various water falls from snow melt.

Ahhhhhh!

2011-08-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

Vacation!
What an awesome thing!

We vacationed in Montana.
What a beautiful state!

First off, a big thank you to Melody, Kainaan and the girls for letting us invade their home.

This trip made it our 6th time visiting.
Each and every time we go, we visit some place new.

This year we went up Hungry Horse Reservoir to the Spotted Bear area and took a hike to what we thought was going to be a waterfall when actually it was just a nice hike.

It didn't hit me until after returning to work and telling coworkers that we saw a bear. We saw a BEAR on our way to where we got out of our vehicles for the HIKE! What the HECK were we thinking? Oh well, we made it back safely, so did the bear. At Spotted Bear there is a people bridge over the river that we got to cross. The girls were not too sure about it but they both crossed. Cassidy said she held her breath the whole way across and Tim and I had to put Brooke in between us in order for her to cross. After they made it across the first time they thought going back was nothing. We all had a wonderful time.

Aunt Mel spotted this bear eating Huckleberries.
He just stayed long enough for us to get pictures and then he decided to vanish.

Always the pack mule.
This time he is hauling around his youngest cousin
while helping her sister cross the bridge.

Tim's sister the photographer.

The girl is a real crack-up.

Travis (Michaela's husband) took Tim and Dylan huckleberry picking. Thank you Travis! We came home with about 1 1/2 gallons of huckleberries. I can't wait to make some jam and syrup. Yum yum! If anyone wants to try it you will have to come visit me. Sorry, it is so good I am not giving jars out.

More to come...

Summer!

2011-07-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

July

Where is time going?

It seems just yesterday Brooke kept asking, "How much longer until vacation," but I kept telling her, "Don't rush it, it will be here soon enough and once it is here and over then it will be time for school to start." She didn't care for that statement to much.

It seems like it went that fast anyway.

We are having a normal (busy) summer. Work, softball, work, softball... That's pretty much what it consist of. But, one of them is coming to an end, nope, it's not work, darn! But if you guessed softball you are right. The girls have their tournaments this week. Yipeee!

Other than that, we are car shopping, senior picture preparing, gardening, and I am busy trying to get my homemade items made for the Montana nieces. Thank goodness there are only 5 of them. Although, I am truly enjoying my time at the sewing machine but can't wait for.......

VACATION

We will leave for vacation July 23rd and return August 2nd.

Phone call...

2011-06-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Division I Football

Do you know what Division I means?

We didn't and had to look it up.

Let me help you out, Division I is the top of all colleges.

Big 12, Big Ten, Big Sky just to name a few.

The reason for this description is because Dylan received a phone call from a recruiter for Division I football inviting him to a camp in July.

What a confidence booster. He was getting frustrated because he hadn't been contacted by anyone and then only to find out when he was, it is by the best. WOW!

Taking one more step on his road to success.

Summer life!

2011-06-08T05:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing at the Wines household.

Dylan is working construction in and around the Topeka area and dearly loves it.

He has said to his Dad numerous times, "I could do this forever."

I hope that doesn't stick because I want him to get an education so when he is older and not able to do the laboring work he will have his education to fall back on.

Other than that is he trying to figure out his work schedule so he can squeeze in weight lifting. The boss initially told him they would work from 6:00am to noon everyday. This would allow him time to lift weights in the afternoon. Let's just say, once the boss figured out how much of a hard worker he was he has been working from 8:00am to 5:00pm. We will see how much longer that will last because our temperature are starting to hit the 100 degree mark. Other than that, he is busy mowing lawns and trying to fit time in with his girlfriend.

Cassidy and Brooke are busy with softball. Cassidy plays on Tuesdays and Fridays and Brooke, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Both the girls love softball and enjoy playing. Pictures coming soon. Cassidy plays shortstop and 2nd base, although last night she played outfield on game one...all of her games are double headers. Just like Tim and I have mentioned in other blogs, Cassidy's continues to give us her beautiful smile the whole game.

So far, Brooke has only gotten in one game do to all the rain. In fact, she is to have a game tonight but rain is to start around 3:00...murrr. The down side to having rainouts is making the games up and in order to do that we will be playing three nights a week. In my opinion, that is way to many games in one week, but my only other option is to forfeit and I don't want to do that. Brooke is one of the older girls on her team, therefore she gets to play the important spots. Her favorite is pitcher and 1st. She could really play any spot on the field and do a good job BUT when your mom is the coach and has such a competitive side, she will play the important spots to benefit the team. Brooke has begged me to play catcher but at this age all they do is get the pitch if the batter misses, which is often, and throw it back to the coach - maybe it's because they get to handle the ball often.

Cassidy also has a summer job - washing dishes. She works at the Lake Wabaunsee Steak house. Washing dishes has evolved to helping out where ever needed. Like her mother she does not like to sit still very long. She was only to work on Saturday evenings but has been called to work on Wednesdays and Fridays as well. We are constantly getting compliments on how much of a hard worker she is from the owners. In fact, I received a phone call on Sunday from the owner, he wanted to let Tim and I know how much of a hard worker Cassidy is and they really appreciate everything she does for them. I guess they were really busy on Saturday evening and Cassidy stepped up again. I think the only two things she has not done is cook and serve alcohol. Thank goodness for laws! She has even worked on a night where they had Karaoke. Boy did we hear stories that evening. And the best part is we don't have to take her or go get her. The owners daughter works the same nights so she has a shuttle.

All in all she loves her job.

Tim and I, well, we are going day by day. Still trying to accept the fact that next year we will have a senior and freshman. It does seem weird but I have a feeling it will be an exciting year.

The thrill of victory ends with the agony of defeat.

2011-05-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Cassidy has done very well in her field events.
She has grown to love the triple jump and the long jump.
She has seen 1st place in both events at the same meet.

At the beginning of the season, she struggled with which
foot to start with and which foot to jump from.
Jokingly the coach told her to write a "S" on one foot and a "J" on the other.
It worked!

It's always a joy to want her do anything with her classic Cassidy smile.

Another event she tried this year was the mile.
Some meets went well and others, not so much.

As you can tell by his face expression, he puts everything he
has into throwing the shot.

Regional track meet with the top four participants going to state.
Dylan made it to the finals round of the top eight throwers.
His best throw was only one foot shy of his personal record.
Unfortunately, it was also one foot shy of 4th place.
His throw was 43'6".
We are very proud of all your hard work and determination.

At League track meet, Dylan got 1st place, beating 2nd place by
nearly 30 feet, with a throw of 140' 6". We had very high hopes of this
being his path to state. Once again, he made it to the finals.
There were seven throwers (#8 doing long jump).
Dylan's best throw was 128' 9" and he was setting in 4th place.
This meant state bound!
When the 8th thrower showed up, coach said,
"Don't worry this kid only throws 114'."
I would give anything to forget the look on Dylan's face when the
kids first throw went 129'. Dylan was crushed! Needless to say,
it was a long quiet drive home. He worked so hard and went so far....
We are thankful he still has one more year to work at it and were also
glad that he has been able to work through the pain of his bum shoulder.
Next year Dylan, next year!!!

8th Grade Promotion

2011-05-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Can you believe our daughter is going to be a high schooler already?
We will have a senior and a freshman next year.
Not sure what to expect other than
T R O U B L E !

Thanks to her Dad, she is last in alphabetical order in her class.
As you can see she is parading in by herself because of the odd number
in her class. Personally I liked it this way, we didn't have to worry
about the other person in the picture.

Officially a FRESHMAN!
As her Dad likes to say, she had been hit with the 'stupid stick'.
He says this happens to every 8th grade graduate. It takes one year to wear off.

Look at how tall they are all getting.
Before too long Brooke will be passing her mother up as well.

These are the pictures Cassidy choose for the slide show.

Cassidy and her best friend Morgan Wayman.

Promotion party packed with pasta in the park.

Cassidy loves anything Italian, so we had her very favorite alfredo, spaghetti with hugh meatballs, two kinds of lasagna and we started it all off with a wonderful Italian salad.

2011 PROM

2011-04-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

What a handsome young man!

He was so excited about his first prom.
He borrowed his cousins (Brandon Tyler) hot rod truck.
He enjoyed being able to drive around and rev the engine, just to turn heads.

His date Mandy.
She is really growing on him....

You got to admit, they do look good together.
Mandy is good people and we are very proud of his choice.

Brooke's 9th Birthday

2011-04-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Can you believe our baby is "9" years old?
Brooke is absolutely her own person. Her personality continues to amaze us. She has a very sharp sense of humor but does not use against people.
You know when you can joke with her, but she will let you know when you can't.
She has a very kind soul and does not like to see anyone being bullied or made fun of.

She and her inseparable friends. Grace, Gracie and Hope. A little ornery action from her Aunt Christy in the background.

Anxious for summer, though the weather wasn't quite cooperating they went to the park and found a puddle of water to play in anyway.
Oh brrrr!

Trying out her new birthday bike.
This girl would probably ride it to school if we would let her.
She really loves bike riding.

The last second butterfly cake that she waited until 3 hours before
the party to request. Thank goodness Aunt Christy showed up in
time to help me decorate it.
Thanks Aunt Christy!

Everyone enjoying Brooke's "No dishes meal".
She has requested this for the last several years.

Cassidy sent Brooke on a treasure hunt. The first present had a note which sent her hunting through the house for another note which then in turn led her to several more notes. The 'goose chase' ended with her in her bedroom and the last note said just press play. That's when she discovered the Taylor Swift CD she has been wanting that Cassidy gave her. She had a great time with this adventure.
Way to go Sis!

Thank you to everyone who showed up to help Brooke celebrate her 9th Birthday.

8th Grade Senior Prom

2011-04-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

This Prom is where each 8th grader has to invite someone over the age of 50 (a senior) to a dance. They dress up as if it was a high school prom.

Cassidy, Brooke and Mom had an awesome time shopping for a dress.
We only tried on about 4 dresses before coming to the dress she chose.

Dylan's girlfriend, that is not his girlfriend and one of her friends volunteered to do Cassidy's hair for her. We think Cassidy was a little awe stricken by the high schoolers as they talked and curled her hair and talked and sang and talked, oh and talked.....

They kept commenting on how beautiful Cassidy is.

We agree!

The classic Cassidy smile lighting up her face as usual.

The theme was Luau.
Mom was on the decorating committee and Tim (well, I volunteered him)
smoked the pork roast and what a wonderful job he did.

Youngest

2011-02-23T07:18:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how much she is growing up and maturing.

These pictures aren't very good because I took them with my phone this morning. But, good enough to brag and show off.

She is showing off the shirt I made her Monday evening.

I made the mistake of taking the girls to the cloth store with me a while back.
I was there to buy material to make my niece a baby blanket.

Once they realized pattern were on sale, it turned into a shopping spree for them.

We were in the cloth store for over 2 1/2 hours.
They each had a pattern book going through it and picking out patterns of items they wanted made. Little did they know, I had already thought about it and I was going to make them pick
out their own material. I love to sew but picking out material is the worst.
Brooke would pull her pattern from the drawer and walk through the store looking for material.

The next time I would see her, she would be carrying 3 to 4 bolts of material wanting me to help her narrow down her selection. Honestly, it was fun and I would do it again in a heart beat.

Not only did she pick out the pattern and material,

I showed her how to lay the pattern pieces on the material and she cut them out by herself.

I can not express how wonderful it is to teach the girls to sew.

The time we spend together will never be forgotten.

This is the first one I have made for Brooke but there are more to come.

I am dearly loving it! (Mel I compare this to your picture taking)

I have bragged about loving to sew at work so much that I have three projects at home

that I am either hemming or making something for co-workers.

Valentine Surprise

2011-02-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

I love this man so much! He always seems to surprises me.

My Valentines day started off really well.

He had a card and a little wrapped box stored in a place he knew I would find them.

On top of that, he sent me a dozen beautiful roses at work.

There is an interesting story to go with this.
Tim has never been in favor of this day.

For some reason, he has spoken more freely about it this year than prior years.

Cassidy has been struggling with it.

She was consistently questioning him about what he was going to do for me (Mom).

On the evening of February 13, she and her Dad were on their way up the stairs for bed, she stopped him and asked, "Are you going to at least get Mom a card?"

Little did she know, he had already taken care of the card and then some.

Tim and I do not see Dylan and Cassidy before we leave for work so I asked Brooke to let Cassidy know that her Dad did get me something.

Cassidy called as soon as Brooke told her and asked if I would take a picture of the bracelet and send it to Dylan's phone so she could see it.

She was just as shocked as I was.

Then she was really shocked when I told her about he flowers.

Family

I have always made this a special day for my family.

I cook a gourmet meal and the adults have wine while the kids have kids wine over candlelight. This year we forgot the candles, darn, but the meal was awesome! It consisted of chicken cordon bleu, twice baked potatoes, salad and chocolate pudding pie. Now I can't take all the credit for this years meal. Each of the kids helped out.

They each got a little something from Mom.

We had a relaxing evening without the TV, just the Wines'.

Thank you Tim for a wonderful Day and thank you kids for helping make the meal a big success.

Yipee Kay Yay Cowboy!

2011-01-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

Every year my sister Cheryl does a party after the holidays.
It usually has a theme. Last year was a Luau and this year
was a Cowboys on the trail with the Chuck wagon.

This years party was a great success.
Rewards were given to those who would "Cowboy up"!

Leslie made this skirt just for the party.
Thank you to Cassidy for letting her Mom wear her boots.

Tim was the only one who was wearing an old western six shooter.

Air banjo!

Chuck wagon Menu
Brisket,
Cowboy beans,
Fried taters
Homemade biscuits.
Tim also smoked cheeses as one of the appetizers.

We brought one of our wash tubs to hold the drinks.

Aunt Audry with her husbands over sized Cowboy boots.

My Dad watching the K-State-KU basketball game.

Tim working for a quick draw. (Leslie's Uncle Bill)

Doug's costume was really something. He made a belt buckle that
was about a foot in diameter. Wrapped in foil that read,
World Champion Rodeo,
Paxico, Ks
With nearly a whole box of Kleenex stuffed underneath it, which make
Christy run and hide.

Our plates and cups were tin. Just like they were back then.
Can't wait to see whats in store for us next year.
Thanks for a wonderful time and all you do, Cheryl.

#1 Son

2011-01-30T08:16:00.000-08:00

I know he is my only son but in my opinion he is the best anyone could ask for.

He is always full of it and wiling to do what ever needs to be done.

In fact, look closely at this picture, yes, believe it or not he even does dishes.

Dylan decided that he needed a chainsaw for himself because
it killed him to stand and watch as Tim cuts the trees up.

You know, his way is always better.

Dylan and his first tree.
Our log splitter motor quit so Dylan is having to split wood with a maul.
The other evening he came in the house stating the maul broke.
Very disappointed!
So, on our way home from work Friday evening, Tim stopped and
bought him a 16 lb one. Before reaching home Friday, Tim and
I had to stop at the high school to do our
duty of working a concession stand to raise money for
Afterprom. When we got there Tim told Dylan he bought a maul.
Dylan immediately left the school to come home and split wood.
He got up Saturday morning and split more wood.
This time the truck bed was heaping full.
I can't believe how much he loves to use the maul.
This is what I am talking about by 'he can't sit still'.

What ever will we do when he goes off to college?

Dylan got a Wii game for Christmas where you are the pilot of planes
fighting in the WWII battle. He and Tim love to play this game together.
They are wearing crowns made by the girls.

Dylan's love of his life, Heidi.
He and Heidi have an awesome relationship.
In fact, Saturday when Dylan was out splitting wood he left
her in the house and she was so mad she had gotten into then
things just to make him mad. It worked, Heidi spent the rest
of the afternoon in her kennel.

Beginning for another

2011-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

I had to talk Brooke into playing basketball
but after the first practice she was hooked.
She came home that day and kept asking everyone,
"Will you go shoot hoops with me?" Then later in the evening she
was laying on the couch and tossing the basketball up in the air
and catching it again, and again, and again....

Warming up.
It's good!

Brooke is the tallest girl on the team so she gets to do jump ball.

Brooke has become THAT girl on our team. Several times throughout the game
you can hear the coach say, "Pass it to Brooke".

Tim had to explain to her why when her teammates pass her the ball,
she is immediately surrounded by the opposing team.

Last week, the other team had a girl that was pushing Brooke around
under the goal. Brooke wasn't sure what to do and was getting
really frustrated. After the game she was talking, complaining
about it and Cassidy was telling her that is
her favorite part about basketball.

This week Brooke pushed back and you could tell she was really getting into it.
Now we need to work on her aggressiveness toward the ball.
If Brooke's teammates pass her the ball and the opposing player reaches
for the ball, Brooke will not fight for it. She will let them have
it and immediately run to the other end of the court
to get ready for defense.

These games are fun for the kids but sometimes get really
stressful for the parents.
We feel like we just got done playing ourselves.

But its fun and rewarding watching Brooke's skills and enthusiasm
improve every week.

Ending for one

2011-01-30T06:36:00.000-08:00

Cassidy's thought her basketball playing ended after
the "B" team tournament but oh how things changed because the
"A" team tournament was still to come.
Keep in mind, she has been a bench warmer the whole
"A" team season except for about 3 minutes.
The first tournament game was on a Tuesday afternoon
and knowing she was not going to be playing, I had chosen not to go.
Then, I get a phone call at work around 10.
"Mom it's Cassidy, are you coming to my game?
One of the subs is sick and I think I might get to play."
I could hear the excitement but yet nervousness in her voice.
She left me no choice but to go. Well, lets just say
the team didn't play very good so the coach didn't do much subbing.
Then we had a couple snow days, which pushed the whole tournament
to be played on the following Saturday. By doing this it left the
team two girls short.
Now the excitement,
nervousness,
excitement,
nervousness
really set in.
Cassidy did get a lot of playing time in and by the end of the tournament
she was relaxed and enjoying herself.

Warming up before play.

This is the beautiful smile we see on her face on and off the court.

Cassidy loves battles with the opposing teammate.

Not only has basketball come to an end but so has cheering.

This is how much Brooke gets into the games. She wasn't feeling well so we took her pillow and DSi for her to relax. She is laying in between two bleachers.

He came! He came! Santa was here!!!

2011-01-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas indeed

Brooke really loved this jacket, you will see her wearing it in the rest of the pictures.

"Peace out y'all"

Santa must have been watching Cassidy very closely this year.
Though she didn't receive any coal,
she did get a gift wrapped box
containing a gift wrapped box,
containing a gift wrapped box,
containing a gift wrapped box,
containing a gift wrapped note.
The note was tightly taped and folded very small.
In tiny letters in the center of the paper
it instructed her that her gift was still
inside of the very first box, taped to the lid.
It was a lot of fun watching her open this one.

Tearing the box lid apart to find her iTunes card hidden within.

He bought himself a roll around tool chest on Black Friday that was empty.
He was so excited to get this 200 piece set of Craftsman tools.

Caught up in the spirit!

Thanks Montana and Washington!

2011-01-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

It's a ritual on Christmas Eve that the kids are allowed to
open gifts from the Montana families and Grandpa Forest.

Thank you very much Grandpa for the cards with money.

The kids were shocked and are very excited to burn through it.
I'll bet more iTunes cards will be coming soon.

The kids couldn't wait to get to these gifts.
Thank you Aunt Melody and Aunt Michaela and their families.

Don't think she's excited do you?
She did nothing but play with her new games the whole week off of school.
Cassidy and Mom even got in on the thrill of these games while
traveling in the vehicle to our next destination.
If you have two DSi's, some games allow
you to connect so you can compete against each other.

The picture says it all!

Wasn't to sure at first, but the shirt quickly grew on her.
She got nothing but complements while wearing it.

Preparing the Goodies!

2011-01-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

With school Christmas parties and holiday treat trays coming up,
you know there is always some wonderful
baking going on in Leslie's kitchen.

Love and kisses to all!

These are one of Dylan's favorites.
Peanut butter cookies with kisses in the middle.
He even chose Cherry Cordial Kisses.

Brooke was getting into the fun with sugar cookie candy canes.
She made these with Mommy for her class party.

Dylan being Dylan!

"Darn things won't stay!"

The girls take turns putting on the tree topper.
Thank goodness for her big and strong brother,
no ladder was needed.

Korney Cassidy saw this shirt and had to buy it for her Dad.
She made him wear it all day on Christmas.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Christmas Concerts

2010-12-31T14:22:00.000-08:00

Another year of singing and blowing into a horn.

It was a short and sweet program for each of them.

They DID actually incorporate a few Christmas songs
to remember that this really isn't just a "winter" concert.

Unfortunately, Brooke didn't get to sing one of those Christmas songs.

There are always actions with the songs which make it more fun for the kids.
Beats just standing still and singing.

What a beautiful little lady this one is turning into.
Her flute playing has taken off
to the point that she actually did a duet with another flutist.

J-U-M-P

2010-12-31T13:38:00.000-08:00

Jump, Cassidy Jump!

Basketball has grown on Cassidy and she dearly loves it.
Her most favorite part is pushing people around on the court.
This is so unlike her but she does an awesome job at it.

At the beginning of the season, Cassidy was afraid to handle the ball.
By the end of the season she loved hearing the other teams coach yell,
"You got to figure out how to stop #15!"

This game is very special to Cassidy.
She had 9 of the 11 points scored.

Going in for a lay-up.

Cassidy got a big boost of confidence the other day at practice.
The coaches husband was filling in for her.
He took Cassidy aside and told her how good she was,
and that now he understood what his wife was talking about
when she would go home and praise Cassidy's basketball abilities.
He told her he would make sure she went out for basketball in high school
because she will be awesome!

"Leader of the pack"
Brooke and friends cheering for big sis!

Rambling......

2010-12-08T05:55:00.000-08:00

I do apologize for not posting something sooner.

Life is so busy for the Wines'. Yea, yea, yea, I know it's that way for everyone.

But for me, this year was going to be different.

I had it all planned out and even got a head start.

I make homemade gifts for the Montana nieces and all was going great until...

Well, lets just say, I broke my new sewing machine.

It has been in the shop for over a week.

Called Monday and he still hasn't received the part. I am really bummed out!

I guess our gifts for the Montana nieces will, like always, be late.

Sorry girls!

As for the Wines', it's hunting season for the men of the house which means they are not included in anything the girls do.

The Brooke and I are trying to keep up with Cassidy playing basketball two nights a week

and squeezing Christmas shopping in on the weekends.

Shopping is not going so well.

Last weekend, the girls wanted to watch their cousin wrestle in an all day tournament at Mission Valley and this weekend Cassidy has a basketball tournament on Saturday.

That leaves Sunday for hitting it hard. Look out Topeka!

I am struggling this year with Christmas shopping.

The older they get the fewer items they want which is GREAT but those few items are more expensive. Decisions, decisions!

Our computer is in the shop but as soon as we get it back we will have several posts.

Got wood?

2010-11-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Dad and his four daughters getting ready to load his truck with fire wood for the winter season.

Cassidy working hard at getting out of work.
"But she just showered"
Why-we don't know.
We said get ready to go, she thought that meant go shower.

The big man giving orders and calling the shots for
dragging the logs out of the timber with the truck.

High atop a Kansas mountain.

The first of our four loads today.

Nephew Justin and friend Chris helped out.
Do you see Cassidy working, neither do we.
Hmmmmm!
Oh well, she did make a huge pan of brownies when we got home.

Little Viking Cheerleader

2010-11-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

Every year the cheerleaders at Mission Valley do a fundraiser in which they have a clinic to teach the younger girls from Kindergarten through 5th grade to
learn and perform cheers for a home football game.
With Cassidy being a cheerleader, Brooke has really gotten into this sport.
She drives us insane doing her toe touch kick, cartwheel and ending with splits.
Yes, this cool and admirable, but
please Brooke not in the kitchen while we are making supper!

Showing off her toe touch kick for the camera between cheers.

She had somewhat of an advantage because she already knew all of the cheers by heart.
Practice was a boring waste of time for her.

This tattoo lasted days and earned her several complements everywhere she went.
There is no doubt in our minds that she will be a Viking cheerleader.
She has enough spirit for the whole squad.

We're dynamite, we're dynamite we're

tick...tick...tick...tick

BOOM!

Dynamite!

"Say what"

BOOM!

DYNAMITE!

Trick-or-Treat

2010-11-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

One year ago today we adopted this beautiful little brown eyed girl.
She's not so little anymore, but boy what a difference she has made in our lives.
Having a dog that lives in the house with us and is truly one of the family,
is such a rewarding experience.
Heidi is such a well behaved and brilliant dog.
She is a great joy to have around.
She wasn't too sure about this whole Halloween thing.
We actually let strangers walk right up onto her porch.
They were even dressed up in hideous clothing and wearing makeup on
their faces and she was not even allowed to sniff them.
What a confusing night for her.

Miss Brooke went as the corpse bride.
She really got in to character.

Gutting and carving her very own Jack-O-Lantern.
Dad drew the pattern but she wanted to do everything else all by herself and she did.

Playing with pumpkin intestines was her favorite part.
No squeamish girly stuff here.

You just have to figure this one out on your own.
Cassidy is her own thing.

An awesome friend, Katie Mulkey, assisting Cassidy with her long eyelashes.
Notice the nails.

We all had a wonderful and safe Halloween.
Small towns make nights like this great because you don't have to worry about things like homemade treats. Our kids brought home things like carmel apples and popcorn balls, each made with love. Much like the carmel corn and puppy chow Leslie made to give out. All the kids in town know where to come for the puppy chow.

Vikings

2010-10-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Our Fall sports are coming to an end.

We are so proud of Dylan and Cassidy.
They have each improved their own game tremendously.

Dylan had his last home game on Friday.

Cassidy's volleyball season came to an end a couple weekends ago.

They finished 5th in the tournament.

Michael "Mad Dog" Mayo

2010-10-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

This ones for you Mickey!

Cassidy's 14th Birthday!

2010-10-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Our big 8th grader is almost in high school.
She picked out a pair of cowgirl boots when we were on vacation in
Branson and has been very excited to finally get to open and wear them.

Since she already knew what she was getting, we told her that she had to
at least act surprised when she opened the present for pictures sake.

How'd she do?

Her band of misfits.
This was her "street gang" that terrorized the town with toilet paper.
First stop, cops house.

As much as she loved and anticipated the boots,
her ever-so-loving brother stole the show by one upping us.

He bought her that stinkin iPOD Touch that she begged her parents for.

Pure gratitude in its most sincere form.
(Out of the way Brooke.)

The Boys (and Girls) of Fall

2010-10-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

GO VIKINGS!

We are learning more about cheer than we ever thought we would.
The effort it takes to learn these cheers and perform them correctly is surprising immense.

Showing their stuff at the Harveyville Fair.

Cassidy's aggression is really showing on the volleyball court.
She is not afraid to exert the extra effort to continue the volley.
Just like Momma use to do.

"Ace... Ace... in your face!"

When her serves are on, they can be
quite troublesome for the opponent.

That's right QB, 75 is ALL over you,
despite the obvious block in the back from 50.

Dylan has known this quarterback since 2nd grade.
Tackling him was quite the pleasure.

Dylan's football skill level and knowledge has increased so much over the past year.
He is three times the player that he was last year.
It doesn't hurt that he is one of the biggest kids on the field
and it takes quite an effort to make him move backwards.
Even the upperclassmen are finding this out.

This one is going to be quite a story all on her own.
Not sure that we are anxious for that.
Whew!

Annual Labor Day Camping

2010-09-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

The kids look so forward to this camping trip every year.

Tim and I do until it's time to start packing and then we start to second think it.

After making it through all the grumbling of packing we made it to Melvern Lake and settle down and enjoyed camping.

If Kansas wasn't so damn hot, we could camp more often.

Until we decide we have had enough of this Kansas weather, I guess one camping trip a year will have to do.

Believe it or not, we all have our own tents.

Brooke even had a tent on her Christmas list last year.

Santa came through, the little red one on the left side of the big tent is hers. I think it was just for show, when it came time for bed she was always sleeping with someone else. That poor little tent was lonely.

Tim preparing food for one of the meals.

Come and get it!

We were blessed with a beautiful sunset one of the evenings.

Not only does this lake have a sand beach, but our camping site had a sand volleyball pit as well as a playground with swings and a slide. Cassidy still communicating with her friends back at home.
This is going to be one funny looking tan.

We had beautiful weather this year, upper 80's, lower 90's. Evenings cooled down enough we needed several blankets to sleep. In fact the first night Cassidy said she froze so she had someone sleep with her the second night.

We have camped in temperatures from 100 to 105, and not cooling down at bed time. I remember it being so hot we pulled our bedding out of the tents and slept on them on the ground. Even then we really never slept.

I also remember it raining so hard we have to move into the vehicle because the rain runoff was flowing through our tent. Oh, the memories.

Yearly ritual, S'mores! At least this year it was cool enough that the bonfire was more than just for S'mores, we needed warmth.
Even Heidi got to go on her first camping trip. She did wonderful.

Dylan, poor Dylan was feeling a bit under the weather, except for the last day, but I did manage to get a smile out of him. This is pretty much where he roosted the whole time.

Until next year.

Loving sisters

2010-09-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

I decided to upload the pictures from my camera the other night and asked
Cassidy if I could do the same with her camera.

It was amazing what I found.
Some of the pictures I had already seen but others were a surprise.

Check the fingers out above Cassidy's head.
Brooke can be so full of it at times.

The more that I uploaded, the more I laughed.

These will be treasured for a long time.
Just hoping I don't get in trouble.

Peppers-O-Plenty

2010-09-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Not bad for a single days picking.
The tomato plants are still progressing slowly but as you can see
my six jalapeno plants are quit prolific.
These are only the large ones I have picked
there are this many and more yet to come, not counting the blooms.

Cassidy started some cantaloupe from seed and transplanted them to the garden.
There are having a very rough go at it, but we are doing our best.

A lesson in Monarchs

2010-09-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

One day while working in the garden with her Daddy,
he saw something and had a great idea.
Tim told Brooke about how he used to catch Monarch caterpillars
as a child and he and his Mom would put them in the window.
Between the window and the storm window they would
make magic. This of course had Brooke's attention.
She wanted to see what this magic was all about.

The bindweed flowers near the garden were very aromatic
and full of every pollen loving insect imaginable.
Amongst the wasps, hornets, bumble bees, honey bees, ants, moths, and
butterflies of every color including Monarchs, Brooke and Tim found
seven Monarch caterpillars.
Brooke lit up when she told me she had the perfect cage to put them in.
As she dashed to her bedroom to fetch the butterfly house
Tim harvested some of the weeds and collected the caterpillars
to meet her on the porch.

In the next couple days, things were happening.
Chrysalis were forming and color was already changing.
Notice the freckle face grin in the back.
We tried describing what was to come and then Brooke
suggested to google it.
http://www.monarch-butterfly.com

We found lots of time lapse footage of Chrysalis formation
and butterfly emergence. The happy dance was amazing.
She was thrilled at the color changing that took place before hatching.

She learned how to tell the difference between male and female butterflies.
Notice this one on the lower set of wings, has a dark spot or "ball"
in the middle of each wing. This indicates a male. (of course)
The wings are not quit dry on this one yet and still are growing.
Brooke couldn't believe how large they get.
We also showed her online the migration destination
with thousands of Monarchs.

Proud as a Mommy!

Fall sport kick-offs and aces

2010-09-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

Football scrimmage was a smash!
Admission fee was Gatorade, which will be disbursed to the players throughout the season.
The scrimmage was wildly frustrating because they did not wear game jerseys.
We had to pick our child out by one of several ways;
sock length, stance or the way they walk.
This of course made it easier to pick out our child
but hard to tell who they were up against.

Dylan is the one in red!

He is in the middle of this picture with tree trunks handing from his shoulders.
He has thinned out and beefed up a lot over the summer.
He is so ready for football, he can't stand it.
This year it all clicked for him. He understands the game better
and his skills have improved dramatically.

The seniors that go up against him hate the way he plays.

The seniors that rely on his blocking love the way he plays.

Down!

Set!

Crunch!

It's hard to believe that last season we were only hoping that
Cassidy would just get the ball over the net when she served.

My what a difference in her game now!

Her love and desire for this game has soared.
Tim has flashbacks of watching Leslie play in high school.

Cassidy can place the ball just a hair over the net to drop in the front row,
then do a change up and drill it to the far corner,
earning an unexpected "Ace".
Her serves really frustrate the other team.

"Just like Mommy used to make them."

When she is on top of her game, she knows it and she feels it.
We see pure joy in her smile as she digs for the ball
that no one else thought would be obtainable.

The two volleyball camps that she attended this summer
have truly made an impact.
She was a setter last year until coach saw her vertical jump
and said, "Girl your going to be a spiker!"
What an honer for Cassidy.
This was as much of a confidence builder as anything for her.

First day of 11th, 8th & 3rd grades

2010-09-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

This is a fortunate picture.
It seems the older Dylan gets, the less he thinks he needs
to waste time with things as petty as pictures.
One more to go and we will have them all.
Let's see if Mom can catch him again next year.

So far school is off to a good start for Dylan.

As you can see, there are no bandages, crutches,
splints, slings etc... but the year is still young.
(and he is Tim's son)

A whole new year, a whole new girl.

Cassidy is evolving more into the person that she wants to be.
Very exciting for everyone. This beautiful cowgirl/cheerleader is
turning more heads than her father is ready for.
She now rules the school!
She has waited her whole life to be a big bad eighth-grader.
No longer the meek, mild, timid little girl.
If you cross her you can bet your sweet little bippy she's going
to let you know about it and put you in your place. We are liking the fact
that she is not afraid to stand up for herself anymore. Except when she puts
her Dad in his place; which is quite necessary at times.

Little Miss Independent.
Talk about changing over the summer.
A few inches taller than she was just one year ago.
She enjoys being self reliant as well as a great caretaker of others.
Now in the 3rd grade, she has moved over to the "Big Kids" hallway.
She can see down the hall to where her
sister's (the mighty eighth-grader) locker is from her classroom.
I think we're in trouble with this one!
Her ideas and creativity are definitely all her own.
She is as much her own person as her sister is.

Next year Brooke will be the only one entering these doors.
More frightening still Cassidy will be entering the High School with her Brother.
WHEW!

The bathroom project that never ends......................

2010-08-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

Da wittle Wines women working away.
Sanding down the trim for the dining room.

Yes, all three.
Brooke was very proud of herself for doing the stain all by herself.

Nice job Brookstar!

Time for R-n-R.
Check out the orange sky in the background
everything turned yellow this evening.
It was quite erie.

Friday night storm

2010-08-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

Just a few quick shots we took the other night as the storm was clearing.
As the sun was setting, the real magic began.

Summer adventure.

2010-08-12T18:40:00.001-07:00

This years trip we went to Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri.

This is a village in the Ozark mountains that shows how things were done 200+ years ago.
We saw blacksmiths, glass blowers, leather workers, soap makers and even old fashion candy makers.

The town was originally built to house the people working at marvel cave. This cave was discovered hundreds of years ago by Native Americans and then turned into a tourist attraction.
The very first cavern you enter was so large that they once inflated 5 hot air balloons and flew them around inside it. Our trip through the cave was over 600 feet below the surface and over one mile long.
The kids were more than a little apprehensive at first but they actually got used to it as the passageways got smaller. One of use got claustrophobic as the passageways got smaller but we won't rat out Dylan. It really was an amazing adventure.

The train up and out was excited in itself. The seat were built at an amazing angle due to the steep incline exciting the caves tunnel.

The City has evolved into an amusement park with a hand full of roller coasters and other various rides.
Here the kids are in "Grandpa's Fun House".

One of the roller coasters, Wild Fire, soared HIGH above the tree tops.
Tim could see down the mountainside to Table Rock Lake way, way, way down below.

More fun!

This float ride offers likely chances to get drenched.
Leslie is assessing her own damages.
Notice she's the only one wet.

This water park area had water guns that would shoot water 50 feet toward targets that would react in all sorts of ways.
I've never dreamed there were so many ways to play in with a stream of water.
Our daughters had lots of fun in this area and came back soaked.

Busted!

Another squirt gun ride where you shoot other boats, other squirts, and the occasional unsuspecting passer bys. You don't get off this ride dry.

They end the day with a good ol' time country western show. Something like you would see on Hee Haw. Just a few of the country babes.

Fourty-one!

2010-08-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! 41, where does time go?

I didn't think this birthday would be eventful but my friend Jenny thought I needed to have a party...and boy was it.
Thank you so much for being who you are.

My very dear friend brought her husband and son, all the way from Topeka.
Thank you Dimatri for making the best Snickernoodles in the whole world. It was such a great surprise to have these three at my party. Land Shark, ahhhhhh!

We can't have a party without Eric and Kristin. They had a ball tournament out of town but fortunately made it to the party just in time.

Master woods craftsman, Chet and his old lady Christy.

Thanks to everyone for the good time.

Summer Ball

2010-07-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Brooke has been into ball more this year than any other year.

She has had an awesome season. She showed her competitive streak. (Thanks Mom)

She finished her last season game tonight to end with a 10-2 record.

Tournament coming next week.
We'll git'em.

HEY, BATTER, HEY BATTER

Getting ready to knock the stitches off.

This hit was an awesome line drive.
1st base coach (Mom) had a great view.

1st base umpire was watching the haps also.

Check this out!!!
This is the tornado from Wednesday nights game in Carbondale. Not much of a tornado but still enough to get everyone's attention. The crowd nominated Tim as the storm watcher so we could finish the game. No lightening Play Ball! We didn't even get rain. Kansas, gotta love it!

Newest post is under the kitchen remodeling, Sorry

2010-06-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

Our new Kitchen, Yipee!!!!

2010-06-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

I am so relieved and grateful that they are here and installed.

Thank you very very much to Chet Tyler (great friend that also happens to be a brother-in-law) for delivering and installed them.
It took him 4 weeknights to install them due to the fact that our house is 100 years old and the floors/walls are not level.

Close up pictures of what the Hickory cabinets really look like.
They are beautiful!

Counter top. This pictures doesn't do it any justice. It really looks awesome!
Broom/trash pantry with storage up above.
My refrigerator does not match the rest of the appliances but I need to get my living room furniture paid for before Tim will allow me to invest in a new one.
It will come soon.

Our lovely bar/pass through. We are really loving it.
I called it the bar therefore I needed to move the alcoholic beverages inside it. The kids gave me a hard time, telling me that just because it's a bar doesn't mean we have to keep the alcohol in it.
Whatever!!! Old kitchen
Old kitchen

Kitchen sink with the dishwasher.
I moved the sink to be in front of the window.
I love it there. I can watch the birds while I do dishes.
Tim just ordered trim tonight for around the windows, doors and pass through/bar.

My awesome pantry.
Much like Tim it's full of shit.
I had no idea it would hold this much.
Now I just wish I would have ordered all the shelves to be roll outs.
They are so handy. You are only seeing the bottom cabinet.
I have one above that has two shelves in it also.

New stove and cabinets. We decided to go with a gas stove. I have never cooked with one before but I will have to learn. The kids were a little more excited about the stove than I was because they got to use the stove and oven before me. I was completely shocked when Dylan called to tell me the oven works great. The door to the right of the picture goes to the basement and I need to strip and refinish it, just haven't had time. It will happen soon.

Can't remember if you have seen this picture before but I think the floors look amazing. We have a few scuffs that need fixed from installing the cabinets but that is minor.

Isn't doesn't look like the same kitchen.

Break from the Kitchen

2010-06-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

We went over to Chet and Christy's house for a day away from the Kitchen.
What a relaxing time we had. Chet got the horses out for the kids to ride. They thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks Uncle Chet.

Cassidy has always had a thing for horses.
When her Aunt Christy kept talking about horseback riding through creeks and how much fun it was, she had to ask Uncle Chet to get the horses out.
The rest of the day was spent on the horses in the sun.
The best part was we didn't have to listen to the kids say, "I'm bored."

Cassidy was thrilled that she could get the horse to weave back and forth through the trees.

Brooke wasn't too sure about it at first so Cassidy gave her a ride.
Her seat was uncomfortable where she was sitting now, so she wanted the front seat.
Cassidy wouldn't trade instead she handed over the reigns.

As you can see it didn't take long for Brooke to gain control.
Here she is trotting not just walking.

Dylan of course just wanted to know how fast he could run him.

The next three pictures really show the beautiful view that the Tyler's get to enjoy all the way around their house.

Tim's tea has a strange peculiar smell of Tequila.
That starts with a "T".

They're here!!!

2010-06-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2010

Starting install tonight.

Family Project

2010-06-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

When the work gets fun, the kids come run.

Helpers were scarce when the work was dirty, heavy... but now it's time to paint.

As you can see, there is always someone who wears more paint than they put on.

Everyone had their hands in it. It really is a fun time when we can all be in the same room and not hear any arguing. Dylan deserves lots of credit for being around for the whole project. Doing much of the heavy/dirty work all on his own. He helped with gutting and hauling the old kitchen away whether it went to the dump or the garage. Whenever I (Mom) needed someone strong or tall to help me, I always called for Dylan. There wasn't a single time that I remember him responding with, "Do I have to?"

This shocked me. In order to remove the glue and the backing from the old linoleum, we had to dump hot water on the floor and let it set for about 7 minutes. Then we used a putty knife to scrape it up. It came right off. Little did I realize that the water was soaking through to the basement floor. Oh well.

Even cousins chipped in and helped.
Thank you Corey and Brandy.

This is the 5x5 section of flooring that Chet installed while Tim was installing the new windows. This is where the bathroom use to be and it had no hardwood. We were concerned that it would not blend well. Not only did Chet do an awesome job of installing but it took the stain well and you can hardly tell the difference. You will see soon enough.

The Star Shining Bright

2010-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Cassidy has always excelled in everything she does.
This year of course is no different.
Her performances from classroom to athletics
continually proves to be at the front of the pack.

The one thing that sticks in my mind most from the awards banquet, was the fact that Cassidy's class has more students competing in academics than sports.

In fact, when it came time for the math state assessment test, Cassidy and one other student were competing over who was going to score higher than 98% (the highest anyone has ever scored). Unfortunately, neither of them made it but Cassidy did beat the other student by scoring a 97%.

Students received certificates for having A's all year

They were also recognized for not having late assignment the whole year. Cassidy's was in Math and English.
Tim and I both got a chuckle out of the fact that she did not get all her assignments in on time in Science. This is especially funny because the science teacher happens to be her Aunt Debbie. When asking her about it she stated, "Of course, she's my Aunt, I can slack off in her class."

She received certificates for A's, all four quarters, in English, Science, and Math.

Cassidy and her best friend Gavyn receiving awards.
Notice any similarities?
Cassidy received her metal for 1st place in the League volleyball tournament. She was a sub for the varsity volleyball team and didn't see much playing time, but when she did, you could tell she really loved the sport. What an awesome feeling for parents. We are so proud of her.

Spring Concerts

2010-05-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

Our music teacher loves to teach the kids signs to their song.
They pantomime like Mr. Bojangles.
Brooke sang,
I Love the Mountains,
Mommas Little Baby Loves Shortening Bread
and Chicken Parts.

Chicken parts, chicken parts, all those yummy chicken parts.
Chicken parts, chicken parts, I love chicken parts.

Cassidy choose to quit music and do band only.
The sad part is that she is also a beautiful singer, but she is doing what she wants.
She has really excelled in band too, though.

Check out Cassidy's clothes. She has decided that she wants to change her wardrobe and dress like a cowgirl. She borrowed the boots from someone in her class (until Daddy buys her some) and the rest she already had. This isn't quite the cowgirl wardrobe she wants but... We will have to see where her new change of heart will lead us. Daddy has some serious concerns about a very cute little countrified chic for a daughter, but he is slowly learning to let her be whoever she wants to be. She definitely could make worse choices.

Rocked out!

2010-05-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

That is what Tim tells me.
He never wants to remodel another room again.
Like I have said before, if it wasn't for our friend Jack we wouldn't be this far.

Tim hates doing things he doesn't know how to do!

This wall is where the stove will be with upper and lower cabinets on each side. The door you see off the right is the basement door. I plan to refinish it when the weather cooperates. It has been rainy and cool here for weeks.

Tim did this all on his own. I must say he did a mighty fine job!
Tim could do this himself but doesn't want to waste wood by making wrong cuts so we have a friend that plans to trim it out for us.
Obviously, oak cost more than sheet rock.

Tim also added a two-way switch to the light so we can turn it on when entering either side of the kitchen.

Where the ladder stands will be the pantry extending from ceiling to floor. Beside it on the left will be a counter, sink, dishwasher, and another counter.

I am excited to have my pantry in the kitchen.

Our refrigerator will be on the left hand side and another small pantry on the right that will be a trash/broom closet.
This little wall had to be built to enclose plumbing that went to the upstairs bathroom.
The wall is deep enough that we plan to make a built-in cabinet which will hold our keys and junk and maybe even a telephone.

My son got such a big kick out of me that he had to have a picture for the blog.
Yes, I am in my temporary kitchen/laundry/bathroom standing on a small stool doing the dishes. It sucks being short!

We have a Date!

2010-05-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

June 2nd

Delivery date for our cabinets. (Actually, they are done but we are not ready.)

This isn't right! Christy and Chet have seen our cabinets before Tim and I. How unfair?! Christy says they look good... I'm taking her word for it. I am so excited.

The pressure is really on now.

We have the ceiling to sheetrock before the mudder shows up. Hopefully next week if not this weekend. It is all coming together. MY new stove is in and picking it up on Friday. Yipee!

It's about time to empty the dining room to resand and refinish the floor in there at the same time we do the kitchen hardwood floor. Planning that for next weekend. I hope to upload pictures tonight.

Tim is still working Saturdays, otherwise we would be a lot further. Not sure when overtime will end but I can't wait. I want so bad to tell him to pass up working but it will be nice to have the xtra moolaw! Do you think I can talk Tim into using it to buy me a new refrigerator?

Poof!!!

2010-05-06T05:40:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel about money lately!

As the kids grow the demand for money get more and more. One day, Dylan needs money for football cleats for next years football season. Then, Cassidy needs money for cheerleading camp that is over the summer and that's the just beginning of her expenses. The cheerleaders have picked matching outfits for camp (which are required). We should get that bill tonight. Can't wait!

Dylan has done a wonderful job of keeping our mowers running for the past year. He got one mow in before the mowers decided they had had enough. We have no option but to buy another one. Joy! Joy!

Our grass is about 8 inches tall. Pressure's on!

DID I MENTION WE ARE REMODELING THE KITCHEN?

I thought it was the right time to start the kitchen remodeling project but I have decided that there is no right time. It's the same as with having kids. I have to laugh at those who say, "We are going to wait until we have money to have kids".

If that was the case, we wouldn't have any.

Just needed to vent, thanks for listening. Enjoy your day!

Deadline approaching..

2010-05-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

Our cabinets will be ready in just 19 days but we are not even close to being ready for them. Tim has one more electrical box to hook up and then he needs to finish hanging sheetrock. We have the west wall and the ceiling still needing rocked. With the plumber being a relative it is so hard to tell when he will show up. Tim and I decided on a gas stove (yipee!! he's letting me get rid of the old one) so we are needing him to put in a gas line as well. It shouldn't take him long once he gets here, it's just the getting him here that is the problem. Then we can move on to the floor. We need to insert hardwood boards where there isn't any and then sand down the old stuff in the kitchen and dining room and finish it off with stain and poly. We have someone giving us a bid on mudding and taping. I originally thought I would be able to do it but I got tennis elbow from cutting sheetrock, so mudding is out the window. Window, that reminds me, we need to get two new kitchen windows. After the mudding is done, we can paint and then hang the cabinets. Tim has been very productive on weekends until this past weekend when we found out our friend Jack, who has been helping him, took a job in Arizona. On top of that, Tim has overtime, of all times, why now? When looking at the May calender every weekend is full so I guess that means evenings will be longer and nights shorter. It looks like my Mothers day will be spent in the kitchen. Not cooking this time!

Let's Play Track!

2010-04-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Dylan throwing the shot put for the first time competitively.

He was afraid he would injury his shoulder but Tim and I convinced him to try.
Let's just say, he didn't do very well the first time. He had only thrown a couple times at practice before he had to throw at this meet.
It didn't help that there were two schools from Kansas City attending this meet that had two boys who threw in state.

Tried another way to throw but still no luck.

Tim and I are very proud of Dylan. The only reason he went out for track was to stay in shape. He would come home telling us how he ran 3 to 4 miles at practice. He and the coach decided he would run the mile at meets. Now, you know as well as we do that Dylan is not built for the mile. He does the best he can and that is all we can ask of him. His only goal is to beat his last record, and so for, so good. After his second meet he decided he didn't mind coming in last because it's not just your team cheering for you it's everyone in the stands. One of his text home said, I got 3rd in the 4x800 relay and 4th in the mile and still come in last.

Cassidy was struggling on her practice jumps because her footing was off but figured it out before her third jump and did her best so far this year.

After injuring her left elbow and she sprang her right ankle, she decided to try the shot put.
She threw it for the first time and got 2nd place.
She was so proud of herself, she used Aunt Debbie's phone to call home and tell everyone.

This Old House remodeled by This Old Man...

2010-04-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Kitchen before remodeling started.
Metal cabinets with an 8 foot ceiling.
Old stove with two ovens.
Boy, I honestly will miss that.

This Old Man decided to get creative.
Raised the center of the room back to 9 foot.

Adding a bar.

Let's Rock!

This is looking to my kitchen windows. The previous sink was in between the windows. We are replacing the windows and moving the sink so it in front of the right window.

Heidi loved to play with the shop vac when it was on.

Removed linoleum to refinish the hardwood floors hidden beneath.

More pictures to follow.
As you can see we have a lot to do before May 18th.

Grandpa (Wake) Forest is back in town again!

2010-04-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grandpa Forest for a wonderful week.
We all had fun!

Grandpa's "day bed"!

Brooke keeping her promise of making a batch of cookies for Grandpa.
He claims some of them made it home but we wonder.....

Tim took this picture while Grandpa was here. Just because he thought only in Kansas would you see shirtless boys playing in a snow pile. Notice one is even wearing shorts.

The Great Eight!

2010-04-13T11:22:00.001-07:00

Our youngest is now 8 years old. Where does time go? She had a fun filled weekend. Tim and I have decided that the kids don't have a birthday, they have birth-weekends. Hers started off with 3 friends staying overnight with her on Friday. Saturday we had her famous dinner with her Godparents and some friends. The grand finale was a Royals game at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.

A lady I work with, Lisa, went to a Taylor Swift concert. Lisa pulled strings to get backstage and took pictures of Taylor. She later found out that Brooke loves Taylor too. She framed some of her pictures and gave the collage to Brooke.
As you can plainly see, Brooke loved it!

Grace, Brooke, Gracie and Hope

Brooke discovering her DSi that she wanted so badly.
Now she can hook up with her sisters DSi to play the same games.

This is the famous finger food feast Brooke request each year for her birthday.

Wyatt Glotzbach, son of Michael and Sara (Leslie's oldest nephew).

Nose bleed seating at "The K".

The closest thing they had to beautiful cheerleaders!
Brooke and Cassidy were scared to death at first but by the end of the game, 3 hours later, Brooke didn't mind the steep setting of seats.

Easter Bunny!

2010-04-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a wonderful and beautiful Easter. It's always great when the whole family can get together and relax and just have fun. The older the kids get, the easier and more laid back the holidays are. Julie had Easter at her house this year. She lives out in the country, north of St. Marys. Big house with lots of yard. Even the weather cooperated. Sunny and 80. Doesn't get much better than that. The girls could wear their spring dresses and not have to worry about covering them up with coats.

I don't wanna stay dressed up!

Brooke got to ride a dirt bike for the first time.
Keep in mind she is the one who likes speed!
We might be in trouble with this one.

Sweet Sixteen!

2010-03-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Dylan Lee Wines

4 months

14 months

2 1/2 years

16 years

But not necessarily always sweet.

We hope you have enjoyed the gun show.

Daddy-Daughter Date Night

2010-03-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

Last year Brooke was sick and couldn't attend. This year Cassidy decided she didn't want to go. This made it even better. They each had their own date with their Dad.

Brooke had her hair done at a beauty salon. She also decided how she wanted the beautician to put it up and it looked great.
What an energetic little girl, whoops, lady.

Look out world, here comes Brooke!

She loves being the center of attention.

Now that's what I'm talkin about!

There is never a dull moment when Brooke is around.

Remodeling

2010-03-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

What a project. I don't think either of us knew what we were in for. This is looking into the kitchen from the dining room. As you can see, we now have a bar, well not completely but close enough.

Yipeeeeeeeeeee!

There is no way we could have done it without the help from my Dad. Thank you very much Dad. Although, I am still wondering if we shouldn't hire Tim's brother-in-law (Kainaan), from Montana, to help us finish the project. There is no doubt in my mind that it would go a lot faster.

One of my favorite stories is, the same evening we framed the bar in, Tim and I had gone out with some friends and it was killing Dylan to not have a counter top on the bar. He went to the shop and cut a 1x12 and nailed it in place for a bar top. He even located our two bar stools and put them in front of it as well. What a wonderful son he is.

Dylan assisting again. He always seems to show up when we need someone strong. He had just finished splitting wood, and, stacking it on the front porch. He has been such a big help this year. Tim and I are starting to wonder what it will be like when he goes off to college. I don't like to think about it very often, it makes mom sad.

We are trying to cut the center out of the eight foot ceiling to raise it to nine and make it kind of dome shaped. Tim really hopes that this turns out right, he is just going to "wing it" for the framework.

This is what happens when we are not working.

Dylan and Cassidy are always picking on each other. Cassidy wasn't putting up much of a fight here, but she did refuse to let Dylan get her all of the way into the kennel. They were horsing around with each other all day and this is where it ended up. I think this was in retaliation for some kind of ice in the britches thing that she had done to the plumbers crack. It is a joy to watch them. We have such wonderful kids. We wouldn't know what to do without them.

TeEnAgErS!?!?

2010-02-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

Is it teenages or teen-angers, either way they are so hard to figure out these days. One minute they are having fun with friends and the next minute. . . . I don't like to see them so down but that is how life rolls. I would like to be able to tell them it gets easier the older they get but I am not to sure about that anymore. Unless you drink alcohol and have a car to run around in, or away from the cops, you don't fit in. It's sad that kids think they need to have these things to have friends.

I do remember the feeling when I was a freshman, getting ready to go to a new school, in a new town and wondering if I would ever fit in and have friends. It took a long time before I could really trust anyone but it did happen. I do remember all the talk about going to parties but thanks to my parents I was not allowed to but this didn't keep me from fitting in. I played sports and that is what I loved the most. If you played any sport, you were not suppose to drink but that didn't matter to a lot of them. Playing sports meant more to me than drinking. On the court, I got along with everyone and had fun but off the court, it was a different. Team mates had other friends they hung out with and I did my own thing. This didn't keep me from being both the Queen of Courts and the All Around Girl my senior year. I just wish I could get my kids to understand that.

As you can tell we have been having some drama around the house with the teenagers. I don't know why but this morning my head was spinning and I thought about my sister-in-law Melody, who blogs every time she needs to vent.

Don't get me wrong with this blog because I do love my kids very much and wouldn't trade them for anything.

Snow such thing as global warming here!

2010-01-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

The wet weather made the corn grow to record heights

but also disallowed the farmers to harvest.

The precipitation continues.

This is the highway going into Eskridge.

They can't seem to keep this spot clean.

Blowing and drifting like we haven't seen in 30 years.

Can you find the fence post?
Brooke and Heidi standing in a canyon of snow on a side road.
Brooke standing near a drift.

Just another pile around the corner from our house.

Bronc rider road, no bucking way.

Roads like this guarantee snow days! (for kids, not Mom's and Dad's)

Annual Christmas Gathering

2010-01-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

Aloha!

Leslie's sister, Cheryl, holds a Christmas party for the adults only.

Each year has a different theme but it is always gourmet cuisine.

This years theme was a Hawaiian Luau.Leslie was in the spirit.

Leslie forced Christy to be, but Debbie needed no coaxing.
She came prepared with this outrageous costume. It was a big hit.
She played the roll of the drunken tourist exceptionally well!

Sara was defining Hula dance moves.
Tim wanted her to repeat the seductive ones.
Didn't happen!

Do you suppose Debbie remembers this picture????
She is not acting the part. Blackmail material???
Jennifer was keeping her from hitting the floor.
Thanks, Jennifer.

Sisterly love.

Can't wait till next years party!

These are always great.

Ringing in Twenty-Ten

2010-01-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

We held our own New Years Party at the house.

A couple of our closest friends joined us as well as my sister and niece.

Waiting for time to tick.

Tim sampling dried fruits we got for Christmas.

Thanks, D.O.D.

Ewww! My best friends Mom, how gross.

Get away!

Taylor wanted to play poker but it ended up being 21.

I won so he threw in the towel.

Brooke's magic was no match for Kristen's dark hair,

but it was still fun for both of them.

Cassidy toasting Ritz. She though she was smoking food like her Dad does.

Dylan and Taylor trying a different kind of cracker to roast.

We ended up at the Buffalo Inn for the midnight toll. They had a live band. Someone even road a horse in and onto the dance floor. Let's just say the horse left his mark there. Girls dancing on the bar to the live band and Tim stumbling everywhere. It was great!

Best wishes and a Happy New Year to everyone.

GOD BLESS.

Christmas Break

2010-01-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas break went really fast. I always take the week off to spend with the kids. This year we got nothing but snow. The kids wish it would have been earlier or later so they would have missed school on snow days instead of scheduled vacation. We got another 5 inches last night.

Wii were very excited to see that Santa brought us this. Brooke is a pro.

If she had it her way, this is all she would do all day.

Dylan enjoying his new ipod touch that he is glued to.
OK, it is cool.

Brooke and Jennifer experimenting with Brooke's new hair color kit.

It is now common to see Brooke with blue or pink stripes in her hair and on occasion the rest of her family members as well.

Queen Cassidy is her new evening gown (house coat).

She, Dylan and Leslie each got one of these warm and snuggly items for Christmas.

Christmas morning, during the blizzard, Tim saw a small herd of deer bedded down. These were the two bucks.

Busy Beavers

2010-01-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

It would take us a long time to cut wood if it wasn't for my strong son. After Tim cuts the trees down, Dylan takes his turn at pulling the cut trees to the clearing to be cut up farther. OK, not really but he does lift the heavy logs and puts them into the truck.

The truck wouldn't move this one so Dylan thought he would give it a try.

This tree has been down for over one year, and it still green (heavy).

We now have a new respect for oak.

Dylan was shot putting these little pieces.

This is like the one that early broke my finger.

Maybe, the very same one.

Notice the whole family is working,

except for the one taking the pictures,

from the warmth of the truck cab.

Our four little girls had a very exhausting day.

Snow sliding smiles

2009-12-26T12:46:00.000-08:00

You want a piece of me?

Just having fun jumping into the drifts. If you look really close you can see that Cassidy has horns.

Angel?!?

Heidi had great fun playing in the snow too.

This is how we started sledding until the tube popped! Then.......

Kansas style kayaking.

Redneck sledding at its finest. Uncle Dennis' kayak works for more than just flowing water. Thanks, Uncle Dennis.

Look out Cassidy! This is just before Brooke nailed her with that huge snowball.

Nice shot Brooke!

Not sure how much snow we got but it's still coming down. We haven't seen drifts like this since we were the kid's ages. This was taken on our way home from Paxico. The drifts went all the way across the road. The snow was blowing so hard it was almost creepy to see as it traveled down the highway like an erie ghost.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T12:25:00.000-08:00

Wines' Christmas Eve Dinner 2009

Brisket, Texas Hashbrowns, Corn, Homemade Dinner Rolls, yum, yum!

Guess who is tiptoeing?

Christmas morning, love the cheesy smile.

Fun was had by all. Thanks, Santa!

Holiday Happenings

2009-12-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

The weather had delayed our Christmas tree hunt until last weekend. Sunday morning, we made our way to Harveyville to the Converse Tree Farm. This years tree is much better than last years. It only took us about 15 minutes to find the charming little tannenbaum. Brooke also found several trees that she tried talking her Mom and Dad into letting her get just for her bedroom....but it didn't work. I wonder if she was thinking that she may catch the jolly old man in the process of his crafty works by having another tree right where she sleeps. Perhaps more loads of loot was the incentive. Most likely she was just filled with the spirit of the season. I have to admit, last years tree looked like Charlie Browns tree. Cassidy was sitting at the computer when the screen saver displayed a picture of last years Christmas tree. She asked, "Is that what our tree looked like last year?" "Unfortunately, yes." I said.

Little Miss Brooke was baking cookies. She wanted to help me out, so I told her to make cookies. She did all the measuring except for the peanut butter. Cassidy helped her out. She really felt special using the hot pads to put the cookies in the oven AND taking them out all by herself. As you can see she meticulously arranged them perfectly on the wax paper.
Bakers pride, a gift from Mom. Some things are just plain hereditary.

Cassidy got in on the fun as well.

Our second snow fall of the year. As you can see it was so beautiful. We received about 5 to 6 inches of the white wintery wonderland fluff. Then moved in the typical Kansas cold. This actually allowed the snow to stay for a few school free snow days of super sledding.

Big Buck for Bubba D, Baby

2009-12-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

Dylan and Tim, along with our friend Jack, have been deer hunting since December 2nd. The first day, Dylan and Jack each shot little ones. The third day into it, I get a phone call from Dylan stating he got a 9 pointer and a big doe. Wow, was he excited. Not only did he get two big ones but he outdid his Dad. That made it even better. The first deer season ended December 12th. They are already talking about the 2nd season.

Christmas Programs

2009-12-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

The girls each had their own night for Christmas programs. The first night is Pre-K through 4th grade, second night is 5th through 8th.

Brooke sang a song about "Snow day, playing in the white stuff". They have a very good music teacher that choreographs motion with singing. The kids really get into it and it makes the program really fun to watch. Very cute.

Try to hard to see if you can detect any attitude from these 7th and 8th grade girls.

Cassidy not only sang, but she played her flute in the band.

Teenagers Turkey Treats

2009-11-29T16:52:00.000-08:00

Tim and I decided we wanted to have our own quiet Thanksgiving meal in our own home. Saturday we got a bird out of the freezer. This morning we went into town to do some quick shopping, came home and put the bird in the oven. Little did we know that this beautiful chef had decided to prepare all the trimmings HERSELF. She quietly asked her brother and her sister what their favorite side dish was. Fortunately, they both said the same thing - Green Bean Casserole. She made candied yams, mashed taters, green bean casserole, crescents and here she is stirring the gravy to put the final touch on things. Not only did she not ask for help she was refusing help.

Brooke lit the candles and we had a beautiful family dinner together.

I hope everyone had as wonderful of a time as we did.

Howdy, Heidi!

2009-11-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Ten p0unds later, this lazy little brat is slowly stealing our hearts. She actually drags her pillow to her food dish to lay down while she is eating. Hard to believe she is the runt of the litter. Picking up new tricks in no time at all, she is really proving how smart she is. She is somewhat unsure of her occasional shower with Mommy and Brooke but we sure appreciate them. Dylan has decided she sleeps in her room and he doesn't complain about the 2:00 AM potty break.

Heidi and Brooke are still discussing dominance. Brooke made lots of headway today. She was teaching her to lay and stay. She also worked with shake, something Dylan taught her a couple days ago. It takes her no time at all to figure out what you want from her. Making her want to comply is what we must learn ourselves.

The prefect combination of insanity and serenity.

Putting the lack in "Black Friday"

2009-11-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

Leslie and her kin are at it again.

These insane ladies all hit the town bright and early to hassle with the crowds and sales again. This has become an annual event that they really, truly love, and look forward to. They spend Thanksgiving Day shopping through the ads, psyching themselves up and preparing their war faces. They scheme plans of who hits what store first, and how many to buy, so that everyone hopefully gets everything they want. This is usually an outrageous success. Money spent verses money saved has no comparison. Most Christmas present are purchased on this one day--yet somehow we seem to continue shopping until around December 24 and a half. After their long day of trampling the stores floors, the husbands meet the women for dinner, usually wherever the women choose. This year was different though, for some odd reason Chet got to choose the locale. Olive Garden .....murrr. This is time to unwind, maybe have a drink, and share battle stories. Usually ending with the men driving the women home as the women snore in the back seat. That was you last night Debbie.

____________________________________________________

May all of your shopping experiences have been Merry and Bright!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

We hope you all had as good of a Thanksgiving as we did. The Wines family spent the day at Leslie's Dads house. The weather was a little chilly, but definitely nothing like years past. I made Tim's favorite pie, Pecan. . . thank you to his mother for the recipe. There are several people at my Dads house who look forward to my pecan pies. Out of two pies we brought only one piece home. That pleased me more than ever because now I'm not tempted to eat it. . . . but Tim did.

Close call......

2009-11-25T05:51:00.001-08:00

Tim was in a fender bender yesterday evening. Thank God, no one was injured. He was on his way to pick me up from work. I was waiting outside when Dylan calls me and says, "Mom, I was talking to Dad and he said, 'Oh Shit' and the phone went dead." I told Dylan I would try to contact his dad and hung up the phone. I stood there a couple seconds trying to collect my thoughts and try to decide what to do. At this point I didn't know if he was injured or not. In the short time I stood there Dylan calls me back to say, "Dad was OK". He called his Dad back because he couldn't stand the unknown.

Someone had backed out of an automotive mechanics shop, blocking both lanes, just over the crest of a hill waiting for another vechicle to back out. He didn't take into consideration that traffic would still be coming. Idiot! Tim had another vehicle beside him and a school bus behind him. His only route was to take the sidewalk and into the parking lot of the mechanics shop. By this time the idiot decided to pull back into the parking lot and they hit front end. Thank goodness the auto shop had a camera facing the street and it caught it all on video tape. They played it back for the police officer and the idiot got the ticket. He will need someone to read it to him as he "no obla Englais" Fortunately, he is insured and all will be ok in that respect.

We drove the car home. Has a dent in the hood and front fender. Broke the headlight cover but we still had headlights. Dylan was most disappointed because he like the stereo system in the car, not to mention it has speed.

Minor start to the holiday.

The Wines Family wishes all of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

White stuff.....

2009-11-17T06:23:00.001-08:00

We had our first snowfall yesterday, November 16. What an exciting time. Not only was it our first of the season but our first treacherous drive to work. Thank goodness Tim is back to work because he was the one with the white knuckles, not me. The snow started falling about 6:00 am when I took Heidi out for her morning duty and by the time Tim and I left for work at 6:35 am the ground was white. The flakes were big and fell straight down from the sky. It was beautiful. It snowed on us all the way to work and off and on all day. . . . no more accumulation, darn! After school, Brooke put her snow clothes on and went out to play in what little snow was left. It's unusual for us to get enough snow on the first fall that you can play in. Normally the first snowfall melts when it hits the ground.

Cassidy's was suppose to play basketball in Council Grove yesterday afternoon but the game was cancelled due to the snow. Our districts always goes overboard when they see snow because the roads were clear when Tim and I went home. That's OK, I was feeling guilty because I told Cassidy I wasn't going to go to her game because I would have to leave work 2 hours early. The minute I got to work guilt had set in but it was to late. . .I had to stay. So lets just say, I was very excited when I got the call the game was cancelled.

It truly would have been a good day to stay at home covered up on the couch watching all those chick flicks that Tim and Dylan won't let us girls watch very often.

Handsome, I might say!

2009-11-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

The last of the Wines men and definately the best looking as well.

Dylan had to dress up for a school function and he looked so good we decided to take advantage of the situation and have a photo shoot.

Lucky for him, he got his looks from his Mother.

We couldn't ask for him to be a better person than he is.

Thanks, Dylan for being you.

Daddy, pleasssseeeee!

2009-11-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

"Welcome" to our newest family member.

"Heidi"

The scarf is her halloween costume thanks to Cassidy. As you can tell, Heidi wasn't to sure of it.

Heidi, is a full chocolate lab. She was the runt of the litter and cutest. Very laid back and mellow for a puppy. Hopefully that doesn't fade. She is very smart and easy to train. Tim has spent the most time with her, not sure how tomorrow will go when he has to go back to work. Yes, Tim does have to return to work. He did tried talking me into letting him be a stay at home husband. Ha! Ha!

Who's training who here?

Scratch my tummy! Hurry scratch my tummy!

Pumpkin Guts and Goofy Butts

2009-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

We purchased the pumpkins one week in advance and Brooke begged us every night to carve hers. We finally decided it was time. She was so excited to rip it's guts out. After cutting the top off, her comment to her Dad was, "This is my favorite part". She enjoyed pulling the guts and had to make a comment after each gooey grab of glob. Dad got the lucky job of washing and baking the seeds which turned out awesome.

Cassidy on the other hand was not as much of a fan of having her prissy little fingers covered in punkin entrails. She worked her way through the heebie jeebies for a while then got used to it. Dad told her that if she doesn't gut it, she doesn't get any seeds. That was all the convincing that she needed.

RAAAARRRRRRH!!!

Here the evil little blood sucking vampiress is posing with the silly smiling squash that she and Dad ceremoniously sacrificed. Scary, huh?

I'm really not too sure what to say about this picture. I guess frightening belongs here somewhere. This is what you get when you have a teenage girl that designs her own costume. If you look really close you will notice the huge eye lashes she sported with her costume.

The whole gang of misfits.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Her Dream.....

2009-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Future Cheerleader!

Brooke has loved to cheer for years. When she was three I made her a cheerleader uniform. She was so cute! Not only did she wear it for Dylan's ball games, she also wore it for Halloween. Brooke has had the chance to participate in cheerleader clinics for the past two years, but chickened out when it came time to perform in front of the crowd. Believe it or not, Brooke was shy. Wow, how time changes you. If you remember a couple post back, I put a picture of Brooke and her friend cheering at a football game. After that game, she has gotten a lot braver. It doesn't matter if a friend is beside her or not, she is cheering.

Practicing for four hours, you would think it would warrant at least 4 cheers, but no, they did two. Brooke was disappointed but at the same time excited, she got to participate. Let's just say the cheers she did learn, she knows very well and did them the rest of the game.

Last week Brooke was sick (flu) and home with Tim. When she would get a burst of energy she would get up and do a cheer. At one point she would have Tim sit in front of her on the couch and she would do the motions to a cheer and he would have to guess the name of that cheer. After a couple cheers, she would crash again...poor thing. I had to laugh because when I got home from work the items on the coffee table beside the sick girl were; a thermometer, a cup, a box of Kleenex's, the lamp and her pink piece of paper that had the cheers listed on it. Then I heard all about Tim's day. Tim did learn a cheer and he just can't say the name of the cheer, he has to put the motions with it. Big G Little o GO (clap) Go (clap clap)! Haven't been to a ball game with the both of them to see if Tim will stand and do the cheer with Brooke. I guess this post will have To Be Continued...

Can they do it?????

2009-10-18T07:23:00.001-07:00

YES, THEY CAN!!!

WE'RE NUMBER ONE

The Mission Valley Jr Viking Volleyball team, coached by Aunt Debbie, took 1st in their league tournament yesterday. They were 5-2 going into the tournament. One of the losses shouldn't have happened (against Chase County) but everyone is entitled to a bad night and I think the whole team was having one. The second loss was just this past Thursday to West Franklin. I would have to say this was truly their toughest games all year. The girls went into the tournament knowing they could bet Chase County but were leery about West Franklin. The first set Mission Valley put them away. West Franklin come back to take the second set and the third, well we showed them we were the best. The girls played awesome games. Excellent team work and you could tell they all wanted the same thing. Thank you, Aunt Debbie for all your hard work into these girls.

Cassidy digging and making an awesome pass to the setter. She made several awesome sets for the hitter and one being a kill from the hitter. She doesn't get to play much varsity but when she does she fits right in and her drive to do her best is AMAZING! Way to go Cassidy!

Playing the back row beside Kasi Kraus. It will be an interesting season next year. There were only three 7th graders that dressed out for yesterdays tournament. Thank God Cassidy got to be a part of this. It brings joy of tears to her mothers eyes to see Cassidy play the way she does. She has natural talent that she is still discovering when she makes awesome plays, like the one above. We love you Cassidy, keep up the hard work.

End of 1st nine weeks!

2009-10-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Parent Teacher Conferences

The kids are all doing well in school. Tim and I are very thankful that our kids are in tune with their grades and they care.

Lets start with Brooke, she is an outstanding reader and a very good helper. Her teacher had no complaints. Brooke is really liking school this year. Her teacher is a mother to a little girl, Lea, who I babysat for 2 1/2 years. I have to admit, I'm glad those daycare days are over but I do miss the kids. Brooke's dibbels test have her scoring extremely high. Her second favorite to reading is math. She has a math worksheet to do every evening and does it with no complaints or help. Whenever Brooke tells me she is bored I tell her to go get a book and read it to me. She does without hesitation. It shocks me every time this happens, but makes me proud. Check out the angels kisses on these two girls. Gracies, the girl in the picture with Brooke, has a sister who plays volleyball with Cassidy.

Cassidy's 1st year in junior high is off to a good start. It didn't take her anytime at all adjusting to different teachers every hour. Cassidy is always on top of her grades checking them at least twice a week to make sure she has all A's. She is frustrated because she keeps seeing a B in computer/typing. At conferences with the computer/typing teacher, Mrs Browning, Cassidy said she couldn't do better on her timed test. The teacher, in her teacher voice said, "Cassidy, if I knew your middle name, I would use it right now, you can do it." Tim and I at the same time said, "Rae!". The next day Cassidy said the teacher used her full name in class. I have this feeling before to long Cassidy will have an A in that class. Getting in to see every teacher takes quite a long time. Parents are not given a scheduled time to visit teachers. You stand in line outside the classroom door. When we got to Aunt Debbie's classroom door (Science) we had 3 parents in front of us. Cassidy said, "Mom, you can talk to Aunt Debbie any time", so we went on. Debbie caught me the next evening and said she was waiting for us to come visit her. Sorry Aunt Debbie, maybe next time.

Dylan, where do we begin. His first teacher Mrs. Spoon (English) said how Dylan can do better than he is if he would just applied himself and he needs to read more. He will flat out tell her he doesn't like to read. This is the teacher that said last year that she doesn't have teachers pets but in that class she did and it was Dylan. Dylan, on the other hand would come home saying how he disliked that teacher. After we told him what she said, there weren't too many more complaints. On to the next classroom, Chemistry, the teacher commented on the fact that he is the class comedian...he can thank his dad for that. Very outspoken and will flat out tell her if he doesn't understand something in class. Dylan and this teacher get along very well. The rest of the teachers were very pleased with him too.

Happy Teenie Bopper Birthday, Brat!

2009-10-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

Doctors News!

Tim's knees should be 100% improved. He scraped behind both knee caps and mended a couple torn cartilages. Goes back to see the Dr on Monday for recheck. Tim is hoping for a couple more weeks off. Time for Leslie to start her list, or add more to it.

THIRTEEN

WOW!!!

Two teenagers in our house, what will we do.

One's never wrong

and

the other is always right.

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY, Cassidy Rae

Yummy! Kansas Dirt Cake. Thanks Grandma Vicki for the recipe.

Cassidy had a sleep over with several of her friends. We can't forget, she did have one boy (Willis) show up, just for the bon fire. They all had a great time. Guitar hero was a good entertainer. That is not all, they also had to do their annual birthday TP-ing. Not only did they do Aunt Debbie's house, but they also decorated the Wayman's, twice. Morgan Wayman the girl playing guitar hero with Cassidy had left some clothes behind so we dropped them off before taking everyone home. While Cassidy was delivering clothes, Tim found another roll of toilet paper in the vehicle, and the game was on again. By the way, Morgan had just finished cleaning up from the night before. It was hilarious watching Morgan chase Cassidy around the yard and through the vehicle. Cassidy passed the roll of toilet paper to Dakota and she finished the job.

Cassidy is playing the flute in the parade at the Auburn fair.

Whenever Mom will let her, Brooke loves to use the camera to take pictures of her friends and friends take pictures of her. This pictures says it all. Tim and I think Dylan is a hand full at times, but truly our toughest is yet to come.

Right now, the only pictures of Dylan are with him in uniform. He runs a pretty tight schedule. During the week he gets home around 6:30 pm we eat supper, he does homework, and sometimes he get to relax and watch a show with those of us who have time, and then it is off to bed to begin his day again. On Saturdays he works at the local Cafe either from 9-2 or 2-9. Sundays he spends time doing whatever he feels like doing and before he knows it the weekends is over and its time to hit the books again. The Mission Valley Vikings varsity football team is undefeated after a HUGE win against the "unstoppable" Osage City last night. It was our homecomming and we were pumped and ready.