More Halloween 2009 pics . . .

Halloween 2009

Well, what do you do on Halloween with a bunch of great kids who are to old to go trick-or-treating???? You throw a party of course! With Bonfires, Carmel apples, fog machines, really loud music, crazy games and fantastic costumes . . . they're already planning next years event!

Mark and I are just so proud of how wonderful these kids and their choices in friends are.

That's Hannah as the Queen of Hearts, Gus as The Riddler, Ryan as Two Face, Ryan's friend Sophia is a Muse (I asked if she knew what that was . . . she told me "someone who plays music" . . . I love teens!).

Ryan's Bass . . .

A quick update on Ryan's music; he is in the advanced Orchestra this year in school, and is First Chair with his Bass. I don't have a pic right now, but will get one on here soon. I just wanted to update everyone on how fantastic he's doing.

Hannah & her Guitar . . .

Hannah has taken on the music world this year as well. I bought her her first guitar a year ago for her birthday and she has been taking lessons ever since . . . her teacher says she is great and of course I think so too! I'm amazed at how much she can learn in only a year. She is too shy to sing in front of other people yet, but she's talking about joining choir next year so I think it's coming - I can't wait to hear her play and sing.
Here she is a year ago when I bought her the guitar, and the next picture is of her and her teacher.

Gus's choir concert

Gus has always proven himself a musician, but this year he has really gone speeding ahead with his progress. His beloved piano teacher Miss Elaine retired this year and Gus took that little break in his efforts towards piano to take on a few new instruments; so far this year he has bought and taught himself the Ukulele, the Bass Guitar, & the Harmonica; and he is now working on his voice! He's in Choir, and Music Composition & Theory in school, and was just invited to join the Advanced Men's Choir as well.

We were very proud to attend his first Choir concert this month and are looking forward to several more this year. Here are some pics of that day!

Grandkid update . . .

Trinity lost a tooth . . . and is still most beautiful little girl in the world!

HOMECOMING 2009 ! ! !

"Beauty is not caused. It is. " Emily Dickinson

We have the most beautiful kids, both inside and out, but when they clean up . . . man do they look good! You know, these kids are really great. Mark and I had so much fun on Saturday helping them get ready for their school dance.

This was Gus's first dance and he was intent on being the perfect boyfriend and doing everything just right . . . he did, he was the star. And boy did he look great doing it!

Hannah of course had to pick this moment in time to try hair extensions for the first time, and the search for the perfect shoes covered every shoe store in three towns . . . but it was worth it, she's the most beautiful girl in the world.

Ryan put in his two cents worth wherever he could and Mark again posed with kids who towered over him -he's just the best dad making all of this fun in our lives possible.

A busy fall . . .

Coming together is a beginning;
keeping together is progress;
working together is success.- Henry Ford

I haven't posted much lately, we've been so busy around here as a family. We're renovating the upstairs of the farm house for Hannah and Gus, it'll look great when we are done. Drywall is in and painting going on now, then carpet and new furniture, I'll take some pics then.
The other HUGE project around here is my new chicken coop, LOL, we've been almost 4 weeks building it and probably have another 2 to go (I estimated that it would take a weekend). The kids have been working their tails off, I swear Hannah could become a building contractor! She is so smart when it comes to figuring out how to put something together, and can she use the power tools!!!

Well, we will have it done in time for our annual BBQ . . .

. . . which by the way is October 17th! If you haven't received an invitation yet, call me to make sure that I have your correct address. See you there!

Here are some pics of the "Coop de Ville" in progress:

A great husband!

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. M. McLaughlin

The best thing about our marriage is how much we truly appreciate each other . . . It's been almost a year now, and here we are still so goofy happy we have to laugh at ourselves. We try to take a few days to ourselves once a month or so. Nothing fancy (who can afford that right now?), but at least a road trip where we can get away from the everyday pressures. (who knew that the 20 somethings would cause you more stress than the teens! LOL)

So, this past weekend we drove up to Spokane to take Ryan to his dads and deliver a pick-up to our good friend Ken. Along the way we got a flat . . . at 70 miles an hour . . . towing a car trailer with a truck on it. My great husband just said "uh-oh", and calmly pulled over to the side of the highway, then proceeded to hop out, with semi's roaring by, and changed the tire.

We were back on the road in 15 minutes! Ryan and I were laughing our butts off, remembering the last time we had a flat in our little Scion; he and Mandy had the instruction book out trying to figure out what to do first LOL! Having a man like Mark for a husband is pretty darn cool!

Mark and friends . . .

Mark and I have spent a lot of time this year talking about what constitutes a real friend. Here are few shots of some of his best . . . John Iverson, Ken Henderson, and Jeff Dunham. It makes our day to have these guys around; the kind of friends who wouldn't hesitate if you called with a flat in a snow storm. Just the best of the best.

First day of school for Hannah and Gus . . .

Ohhh, my little babies are growing up so fast . . . lol! So fast they're bigger than me! Just though I would share a few shots from the first day, new clothes, new backpacks and much to their complete horror . . . I took pictures of them getting on the bus! These two goofballs are off to a great year.

Gus turns 16 . . .

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."- Henry James

What a great day spent with family and friends. Celebrating the pleasure we have shared this year watching as Gus grew from a boy to a young man. The kids and their friends floated the Boise river then scarffed down Gus's special request of BBQ Lemon Chicken and Lemon Cheesecake.

Mark and I got him a bike that will go with him to college . . . practical yes, but . . . It's a hand- made/painted/designed by George Barris of Barris Kustoms (the guy who did the Batmobile) and if you know Gus - you know that went over well!

"Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero "

At times one must embrace Horace!

A long while back when my kids were still small; I had the chance to go listen to John Denver, live, in the park, for free. I loved John Denver, and had I known this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity I would have been there in the front row; I would have made sure to shake his hand and tell him that his words found a spot in my soul. But, I was young, and thought that there would always be a tomorrow, so I waited until "next time"; He died just a few weeks later.

Never again will I make that mistake. Thanks to that awakening, I have heard some of the greatest speakers; Mary Robinson tops that list, and listened to some of the greatest singers from B.B. King to Elton John.

SOOO, when I heard that my most favorite singer of all time was going to be in Utah . . . just a short 6 hour drive away . . . I packed up Mark and the kids - all who thought I was crazy - and took them off to see Steve Earle.

Now let me tell you about Steve Earle . . . When I was just around 22 or so my little brother Johnny said to me, "Katy you gotta hear this . . .", then he pulled out a funny little record. When I asked him what it was, he told me it was a "CD". He said the sound quality was unbelievable, and that I was going to love this new singer Steve Earle. So, Copperhead Road was the first song I heard on a CD. Pretty powerful. I've followed the man's career and have every "CD" he's made, my kids have grown up with him in the background.

Just to have the opportunity to hear him live was incredible, but then we got there; the setting was in a canyon between 11,000 ft peaks, the weather was perfect, there were only 150 people at most, I was in the front row with my loving husband, my kids were in awe of the spectacular talent before them - it was day that was worth the sacrifices it took to get there. We had to drive the 6 hours back that night for Mark to work the next day - I truly am married to one of the hardest working men out there.

Here are some shots from the day . . .