Merry Christmas!

Today is the first day of winter, and appparently mother nature wants us to take notice! It's been crazy here the past couple of weeks. We started off the 2nd week of December with a horrible ice storm that the thousands in the dark. We were fortunate and never lost our power, although we did lose our internet for a few hours. After that storm left we had a day of respite only to receive about 9 inches of snow! That melted and we enjoyed fairly nice temperatures for a few days, 40s and even low 50s. This morning we woke up to 35 mph winds and blowing snow. Yay!

In the ice-storm, My in-laws lost their power. They have been staying with us for the past 12 days. All in all it hasn't been too bad. This morning they went out to the farm to check on things and feed the animals, as they have done every morning, and found the electricity is back on! Yahoo! They are going to spend one last night here tonight and then get groceries and head out tomorrow. Now, as long as the roads don't drift to the point of being impassable we'll all be happy campers!

Ice Storm Damage

Here are some pictures from the damage at my parent's house.

The dog ate it

So what do you do when you tell your child to eat their supper....and he feeds the dog with it? LOL! I told Ryan to finish up his hotdog. He ran into the kitchen and then came back and told me that Casper at it. I about died laughing! Note to self - When asking Ryan to finish his supper, make sure Casper is with me or in his kennel. Also be sure and tell Ryan NOT to give his food to the dog.

What can be better than hand made?

I have found that I really enjoy making altered items with my scrapbooking things. The last thing that I've been making are ornaments to give away in our goodie bags this year. Although, I think I might have to make some for home too! I found this idea on another website, and it looked easy, but very pretty. Hope you like them!

Plane Ride

Well...after belonging to the plane club now for 8 months, Kerry finally got me up in the plane. We used to go flying all the time when we were dating and before we had Lenae. Then she came along, and the last time I went up with him was when she was 6 months old. Lenae and Ryan have both been up with him in the plane. Anyway, I wanted to go see the wind farm that is being constructed south of Lincoln, KS and Kerry suggested we fly up there and view it from above. You forget how beautiful the land is when you keep your feet grounded on it, but seeing it from afar reminds me just how amazing Kansas really is! Enjoy the photos.

Veteran's Day

First - Thank you to all those who have served and are serving our country. I am forever grateful to you. I have many in my family who are vets, including my Dad who was in the Navy, and my Husband, who was in the Army Reserves. Both did tours during wars, My dad fought in the Vietnam War, and Kerry fought in the Persian Gulf War. Thank you for risking your lives for the people of the United States.

Boo!

Okay, so they aren't really that scary, but they sure are cute! Lenae was a Medieval Queen this year, and Ryan was Thomas the Tank. The weather was great for Trick-or-Treating! We went out around 6:30 and it was nice and crisp, but not too cold, and the wind had died down from earlier in the day. This was the first year that Ryan really knew what was going on, and boy did he have a great time! Lenae showed him how to say "trick or treat" and he layed on the charm! He was "choo-choo"ing at everyone when they passed us. And he figured out a way to get double treats...(Kerry must have taught him this, I take NO responsibility!). As the people would hand him candy into his bucket, he would reach in the bowl with the other hand and take more. I was so embarrassed! Anyway, we had a great time, Lenae looked beautiful and we have WAY too much candy in our house right now!

Sunny Side Pumpkin Patch

We loaded up the kids and took them to the Sunny Side Pumpkin Patch this afternoon. We were looking for something to do this weekend, and since we've never taken the kids to a patch before, we thought it sounded like fun. Ryan had a ball playing in the corn box with the little tractors and trailers, and Lenae enjoyed the horse tire swings. They both had fun in the haybale maze and seeing the farm animals. Dad and Lenae tried out their aim with the gourd sling-shot, and we all went on the hayrack ride around the pumpkin patch. Afterwards we took the kids out into the patch in a wagon and picked us out 4 pumpkins. It was a lot of fun and we'll definitely have to go back next fall!

Our 2007 Family Photos

Too cute

Just had to come and post this one photo...it's too cute not to share! He won't let us cut his hair, so I put in some gel and styled it.

Road Trip

Kerry and I took the kids on a road trip this past weekend to Kansas City. We went to the Renaissance Festival (which was a lot of fun, but REALLY REALLY hot and humid) and met up with Lenae's friend and her parents. We walked around and let the kids play some games, took in a few side shows and looked at the crafts that were for sale. We would have probably stayed longer, but with the heat, cranky kids and Kerry's knee hurting from walking on the uneven ground, we decided go find a place to relax.

A teacher from school had told me about a restaurant that her kids really enjoyed, and so we thought we'd try it out. It's called "Fritz's RailRoad Restaurant". It's a hamburger joint that serves your food by train. We knew Ryan would be in heaven, and we figured Lenae would have just as much fun. However, Kerry and I enjoyed it just as much as the kids!

This coming weekend we are getting our family photos taken by a local photographer. I hope the weather holds out, as we are supposed to have an outdoor session. When we get them done, I'll post some. I'm looking forward to having some new ones of the family. Until then....................

How could I forget?

Ryan's newest spot to relax....

You got it...on my dresser watching "Cars" on the portable DVD player. ROFL!

Fall breezes are blowing!

First off...I've really got to keep up better than this.

We haven't had any "big" things happen during my hiatus. However Ryan did go for a plane ride with Kerry for the first time. He had such a good time, and was quite disappointed when it was time to go. I was worried that he wouldn't like it once they were up in the air, but Kerry said that he was really good.


This week, we've gotten a welcome taste of fall. The nights have been cool enough that we've opened up the windows to let in the fresh air. Yesterday was almost down right cold! I thanked my lucky stars that I didn't have recess duty since it was raining and I would have had indoor recess. 57 10-12 year olds in one classroom is quite crowded, let alone noisy.

This past weekend Kerry and I loaded up the kids and went to the Kansas State Fair. We had a ball! We met our friends Mike & Debbie and their foster kids and spent the day roaming the grounds. We even ran into Lenae's friend that moved away this summer. She was SO happy to see her! They rode a couple rides together, and we talked about setting up a date to get together during Christmas vacation. She's looking forward to it.


Later that evening Lenae decided to share her tickets and take Ryan on the carnival rides with her. It was his first experience riding them. They both had a great time.

My Last Offical Day of Vacation

I haven't had a good update in a while, so let me think.
Lenae finished up YMCA/MRC Summer Fun Camp last week. She had a great time this summer attending camp during the day. The last session there were only 6 kids, and she said that was the best one of the summer. She always enjoys Thursdays the best, since they go to the water park that day.
Ryan turned 3 on the 22nd of July. We had a "Thomas the Tank" party for him. He was such a hoot too! In the middle of opening his presents, he showed off his muscles for everyone. It was too funny! He blew out his candles like a champ - last year he was kind of afraid of them.
Kerry and I celebrated 13 years on the 30th of July. We didn't make any special plans prior to the day, however Kerry did take the day off from work. In the mid afternoon we finally decided to go to Wichita and see a movie and go to dinner. Since we had the kids, we decided on the new Disney flick, Ratatouille. It was pretty good too! This was Ryan's first experience in a big theater. And we did it right by going to the Warren. He was amazed at the screen, and the sound caught him by surprise. I think he held his hands over his ears for a good part of the show. Of course right after the previews were done he told me he was ready to go. However I convinced him to stay and he sat on my lap and watched the movie. Afterwards we went to Hog Wild Pit BBQ. It was yummy and we all had a great time.
We just bought a good cheap car for me to drive back and forth to school. Kerry wasn't really impressed with the almost 20,000 miles I put on the Avalanche this past school year. So...we got a 1998 Buick Century. It's a fairly good looking car...except for the front grill - which screams "OLD LADY". But, I'll survive. No car payment, and good fuel mileage. What more can you ask for?! Oh...of course the first week I had it (this past Thursday), I got nailed in Walmart parking lot! Oh yes...a fender bender! I went and got estimates yesterday... about $1500 in damage to the rear bumper & quarter panel! Holy Canolies! It doesn't look THAT bad. Good thing it is fully insured. Oh yeah, it was both of our faults. And the bright side(if there is one)...I didn't get a ticket.
Well, I suppose that's enough excitement for now. I need to get some photos taken of the scrapbook pages I've done this summer. I also need to get some of the kids too. Hopefully this weekend I'll have those ready to post. Ta Ta for now!

A Tribute

It's been one year since you left this earth and I still can't believe you are gone. For some reason I've been more touched by your passing than any other. Maybe it's because you were so young, and your death was so sudden. Maybe it's because like me, you have a young family. Maybe it's because I hear Kerry talk about your adventures together and so I feel that I know you more than I really do. Regardless, I know I think of you quite often and I continually pray for your 3 beautiful boys, and your amazing wife. Rest in peace, Rick. We love you, and we miss you!

P.S. The music is for you, Rick. This song always makes me smile and think of you!

Tiny Town Video

Here it is! The kids had a blast!

Home from Colorado

What a trip! We had a great time visiting Kerry's cousin, Beth, and her 3 boys. It's been almost a year since her husband died, so we wanted to go and visit. We spent a week with her at her home in Aurora. It was a LOT of fun! We took our kids and her youngest for a day of running around. We went to Tiny Town and the Coors Brewery. We also took a nice drive through the mountains. We spent another day in Glenwood Springs with my friend, Karen, from college. We ate lunch, checked out the shops downtown, got some ice cream, went geocaching, and grilled out on her deck for supper. We also got to meet her boyfriend. We decided that he's a pretty nice guy!

Lenae said her favorite part was going to the lake and being on Beth's boat. She also helped the boys catch minnows. Ryan had a ball running up and down the shore helping me get tiny seashells. I rode a jet ski for the first time! I was pretty unsure of myself, but after a bit of getting used to it, I had a ball! Even managed to get a few jumps in. Woo-hoo...go me!

Unfortunately, I was not of sound mind when it came to bringing our camera along. We'd always be on the way to where ever and I'd realize that I left it behind. I did manage to remember it on our trip to Tiny Town. So I hope you enjoy the couple of photos from there. I think I'll try and upload the video as well.

Jeanne tagged me!

Instructions: These are the rules…. each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

1. I LOVE summer, but I also love when school starts up and I get a new class!

2. I have to make my bed each day...my husband thinks I'm weird because of it.

3. My favorite holiday is Christmas - I love the decorations and the lights!

4. Geocaching...it's teaching me to be a little bit more adventurous. Although I still have a ways to go to get brave enough to do some of the harder terrain stuff.

5. Wasps...they scare the hell out of me!

6. I need to scrapbook a whole lot more than I do. I gotta make some goals in that area.

7. I'm afraid of dying while my kids are young. I want to see them grow up, and enjoy their lives as adults. Of course one day I want to meet any grandchildren they might bless me with.

I'd tag seven people....but I think everyone I know has been tagged!

Half way there!

I can't believe that we are already half way through summer vacation. *cry* It's gone extremely fast so far, and will now only seem to go faster! We are getting ready to head out to Colorado for about a week. When we return, I'll have a couple weeks of rest, a week of college classes, and then I'll be getting back to my classroom. It seems like it should still be weeks and weeks away though. However, come August, I'll really be excited to start the new year. I always am. Right now I keep thinking about how many days we have left. You know...the whole, "the glass is half empty" thing! Somebody tell me to think positive - like I usually do!

Hope you enjoy the photos! Two are of our return trip to Coronado Heights. This time I was prepared with the camera, but of course the batteries didn't last long. Oh well, I got a few shots anyway. One is of the picture of the kids that I *tried* to take for Kerry's Father's Day card. Of course the batteries acted up again. I got one taken, then they died; dead-er than a doornail. So...I ended up using a totally different picture. Oh well. The last photo is of Ryan being a ham. Gammy taught him how to make faces, and well, I'll let the photo speak for itself!

Treasure Hunting!

We got our new GPS this past Monday in the mail! Last summer my friend, Karen, introduced our family to geocaching. It is a fun hobby/sport of "seek and find" over the earth. Check out Geocaching.com if you're interested. So of course we had to try it out! We took the kids and loaded up. Of course I didn't have my camera (bad Cheri, I know) but we went out by Lindsborg and Coronado Heights. We ended up finding 2 of the 4 we hunted for. We'd been using Kerry's aviation GPS, which is awesome for flying, but for GCing, it was time consuming to load the waypoints in. Now we can do hundreds at the push of a button. I also took a class this past week in Wichita and did a little caching during my lunch break. We also have a cache that we have hidden, but it was "muggled", so we are in the process of getting it fixed back up. I think we might go out later tonight to find some more, but first Ryan has to wake up from his nap.

Summer Vacation is officially here!

We traditionally end the school year by getting together as a staff for lunch. This year was no different. We met at the home of one of our teachers, and had a great time enjoying each other's company. This year we had a group of staff that decided they needed to form a Barry Manillow fan club complete with T-Shirts. They even coerced Fr. Jarrett to join in, the poor soul. Of course, many of us "younger" folks decided that we could not just stand by and watch. We ended up with a Journey group, complete with our own T-Shirts with "Just Say No to Barry Manillow" on the back. It was a fun way to end the school year, and next time we'll make sure to snag Father before they do. Oh yeah...and we had a bigger group!





Today was my first official day of summer vacation. And you'll never guess what I spent my first day doing....CLEANING!!! LOL! Oh well, I felt like I got a lot accomplished.

Medieval Festival

Well the weeks and weeks of planning and organizing paid off! It went off with out a hitch. Well, there were a couple of small snafus, but nothing that wasn't expected. The 6th graders had a great time, and those that visited did as well. I think everyone really enjoyed the hands-on aspect that was offered. It sure makes the whole thing more meaningful for those that attend. Here are just a few pictures. I had 15 different stations in all, and over 250 students that attended the stations.




The groups were:
Medieval Food
Siege Weapons
Small Weaponry
Castles
Medieval Clothing
Shakespeare
Knights
Feudalism
Medieval Games
Maypoles
Medieval Art
Famous Medieval People
Medieval Music
Medieval Myths & Creatures
Medieval Church

Mother's Day Weekend

Well, it's Saturday and early this morning I got a delivery! Aren't they pretty? The flowers are from Kerry and the balloons, bear, and chocolate are from the kids.

I've been working on my mom's "card" for a while now. I finished up putting in the ribbon on all the little cards today. It's an altered box that has 20 cards inside. On the cards are things that I love about her. I think it came out really cool. I hope she likes it!

Lenae had a friend over last night. Aside from playing around at home we went to the carnival, watched our fireworks display for our city "All School's Day celebration, went to the carnival again and finished up by playing in the sprinkler. I think we'll be taking her home soon, both girls are getting tired. I know I am!

That I know of, we don't have any BIG plans for Mother's Day. Maybe I can convince him to take us out to eat. It won't be too hard to do. Otherwise I've got to get a good night's rest so I'll be ready the "Medieval Festival" on Monday with my 6th graders. I'll try to take some pictures and share them with you. Until then...

24 hours to post huh?

Well here I sit. Updating for a challenge on scrapdawgs.com. It's 10:49 pm, I should be in bed, but I am waiting for clothes to get done in the washer so I can put them in the dryer. Ryan is still up and screaming his head off at the moment. He wanted a chocolate egg...needless to say, he didn't get one. You'd have thought his world was ending. I guess to a 2 year old "No" is the end of their world. LOL! Right now he's yelling "MOMMY HELP" between the tears. Oh, what fun! On a much lighter note, we only have 6 days of school left! 4 of those are with my sixth graders. I have to say that although I am looking forward to summer, I will miss my group of kids that I have this year. Of course there have been many challenges, but as individuals, they really have a lot to offer. I've enjoyed watching them grow and contribute to our classroom. It will be sad to see them leave for the last time this coming Wednesday. I hope I've made a difference to them in this small part of their lives.

Well, the tears have ended, along with the cries for help. My washer just buzzed that it was done. I guess I ought to go move the laundry and head to bed.

Oh...one more thing...I weighed in at school today (we are doing our own weight loss club there) and I was down 4 lbs! SHOCK! My total lost is 18.5 pounds! Wish me luck that it keeps dropping off. :)

Snow day? No! FLOOD day!

What a weekend! From Friday through Sunday we dodged tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. We also got TONS of rain. We did find out that Ryan does not like our tornado shelter! We had to take cover on Sunday, and it took him a good 15 min. to settle down and get used to the small, dark little room. Today we woke up and got ready for school as usual. Lenae and I headed off like normal and on our drive we heard on the radio that school was cancelled for the day. Of course we were almost there by then so we went ahead and went. I got four hours of uninterrruped work done! The pictures are of two of the local "flood" spots here in McPherson.

Altered boxes

I made these for our school secretaries for "Secretaries Week". I filled them with Hershey kisses, and I also made a set of note cards for them as well. I hope they enjoy the gifties! I had fun making them.

Wish us luck

Lenae is supposed to go for allergy testing on Wednesday. This will be our second attempt. Last time on the final day without her Zyrtec, she started getting hives all across her back. We were doing cold packs to help with the itching while crossing our fingers that they'd leave. Then they started errupting on her face, I decided to give her what she needed to get rid of them, Zyrtec. So I called to cancel her apt. Now, with all this wind, I'm worried that we'll have another repeat. So, cross your fingers for us! This will be the 3rd time she's had testing done. Hopefully we'll see some of the outdoor triggers that she the testing didn't show a couple years ago. I also just want to get it over with!

Only 4 more weekends!

Or if you prefer days....25! I can't believe that it is getting so close to the end of the school year. Yesterday all I did was prepare for the Medieval Festival that we will begin preparing on Wednesday (or maybe Tuesday if I can be real convincing to another teacher). I thought for sure the kids would get a full 4 weeks to work on it, but it looks like they'll have just a little over 3. I think it will all work out just fine. They always seem to impress me with big projects.

Today was "catch up on laundry" day. I still have a load drying and one waiting to be dried. It's been a pretty good day though. I tried out the trampoline in the back yard. That was fun! LOL! Once I got the hang of it, I don't think I did too bad. Lenae and Ryan sure enjoyed my "tricks". HA HA HA! Lenae had half the neighborhood (or I should say all the neighborhood) for playmates most of the afternoon. I think we had a total of 7 other kids over today. At least it was nice enough for them to be outside, and stay outside!

Oh...the pictures....Friday it was only 39 (or so) degrees, and we were supposed to get about 7 inches of snow. I took this picture at the start of the snow storm. However we really didn't get much. Maybe a couple of inches. Then Saturday it warmed up to over 60, so everything melted. Today we were in the 60s again. Typical weather for this place. If you don't like it, wait 5 minutes and it'll change!

Alleluia! He is Risen!

Happy Easter everyone! We had a great day. We started out by going to Mass in Lindsborg. When we got home I began cooking up a storm. My parents, my brother, and Kerry's parents joined us for dinner. It was pretty good too! After we ate, the kids opened up their Easter baskets, and of course we had our annual egg hunt in the back yard. They kiddos had a great time finding the eggs! And this year, Ryan knew what to do with them. Last year he would pick them up and throw them back down. LOL!

Around Town Challenge

Here it is...a little late, you know what they say! Anyway, this is a picture of a statue that is near our courthouse. It is of General McPherson. He was a Civil War general that was killed in Atlanta, GA on July 22, 1864. He is the namesake of our town. I also have a photo of the back side of our courthouse (because I couldn't get a decent shot of the front from where I was at...) that shows the clock tower.

Happy Birthday Lenae!

She's 7! Wow, I can't believe how fast those years have gone by. I think she enjoyed her "family party" today. She picked out her cake, and also decided she wanted cupcakes. So when we came home, I made those. Kerry put together her new trampoline! She was quite shocked to see it. Of course, with the snow on the ground, and our wintry temperatures it made jumping just a bit cold, but she braved it anyway. Ryan joined her as well. She ended the night by falling asleep in Uncle Rick's arms. What a day!

It's time for PRETTY TOES!

I just LOVE spring! I love watching everything turn green outside, and seeing the flowers bloom. I love the balmy weather, and being able to open up the windows. I love being able to wear just about any kind of shirt - long sleeves or short, and feeling comfortable in either. I also love breaking out my sandals! So...this weekend I put on a fresh coat of toe-nail polish. Of course Ryan was intently watching and he wanted some to. I started with just his big toes hoping that would satisfy the need, but alas, he wanted them all done, just like mine. LOL! So here's the result. Kerry wasn't too thrilled, but he'll live.

Lenae's Spring Picture

Here it is! She looks so grown up already. Hard to believe she'll be turning seven in 6 more days.

I'm surviving, but I miss sleeping in.

Well...two days down and three to go until the weekend. These early mornings are kicking my butt. However, maybe if I would go to bed earlier it wouldn't be so bad. LOL! Monday was madness. I ran around constantly, and at the end of the day I felt like I hadn't gotten anything done. I did however spend 45 min. after school cleaning up my classroom. We are making bean mosaics for our study of Ancient Rome in 6th grade social studies, and I had dried beans EVERYWHERE! I'll have to take some pictures of the finished product and post them when I get a chance. They always come out so cool! Tomorrow is a easy day with the 5th grade social studies classes, we are watching a video on the Declaration of Independence. 3 classes of that...hopefully I can get some other stuff caught up while they are watching. Oh, I did have an AWESOME lunch today. The Spanish teacher takes the 6th grade classes on a field trip to a local Mexican restaurant where they have to speak in Spanish to the wait staff. So, I had a GREAT meal, and didn't have to pay for it either! WaHoo! It was just the two of us, and my 18 cherubs. They were pretty well behaved too. Too bad we can't do that more often. :) Lenae got her casual spring pictures...I'll scan one and post it later. They came out awesome! Until next time......

It's Sunday!

What a beautiful day too! Not much going on today, although I did add a few more pictures to my slide show. I had done some more pages, but hadn't taken pictures of them until last night. I'd like to go through all of my albums and get photos of them. That sounds like a good summer project. I'd scan them...but lately my scanner doesn't like all the lumpy stuff, and it scans wierd. Well, I'm being called to get juice for my boy. Until next time.......

An old one of Lenae

She was 2 years and 9 months in this video.

Spring break is almost over

I knew the end would come quick. It's not that I dread going back to work, it is that this is the time of the year that gets VERY STRESSFUL! Crunch Time...The time to FREAK out that we only have 38 days of school left (as of Monday)!!!! I've got so much to get done! Not only is our music teacher and I putting on a big performance with our 119 5th & 6th graders, I have also decided to have a Renaissance Festival with my 6th graders this year, instead of the traditional "Medieval Museum". And of course the culminating events of both the musical and the festival happen about a week apart. Someone's gonna have to put me in a padded room come May! Oh yes, and I was also told that I have to give the social studies state pilot assessment as well. When the heck am I gonna get all this done? Oh well...I'll survive as always. And when May 18th comes, you can come find me - I'll be running for the hills.