GO K STATE

We love going to the KState games here in Manhattan! Matt and Kelly Thomason our great nieghbors take us to all the home games. Matt is the Head Athletic Trainer for the college.

Brew to Shoe

It was a HOT day in August here in Manhattan when the girls and I ran this race! My friend Meggan and I did a 10K and the girls did a 1 mile fun run. They all did a great job - and earned every bit of their t-shirts!

Camping Trip 2009

Disney

I have been late to get our Disney Pictures up because it was too hard to figure out which ones to put on there - so many good times, so many good pictures!! We celebrated Braum's 37th birthday and Carla's 60th birthday in Florida. Went to all the Disney Parks and Clearwater Florida, to the gulf. Great times!!!!

In Memory of Grandma Duryea

How sweet it was to be loved by her!!!
1926-2009

Rylie, Brooke, Ashlynn and I spent a proud Memorial weekend honoring a wonderful lady!! We met my Dad and Wendy and my brothers with my sisters, Maegan and Jess and baby Reagan in Illinois to bury Grandma. She died on May 15th. I never felt more loved than when I was in the presense of her and my grandpa - they were always on my side! I was so happy to have gotten the chance to go up there and see the things that reminded me so much about them, we got to see her house that we used to spend our summers and her parents house. And spent a great day with everyone there. Family, no matter how much you do or don't see them is always there for each other - with a true, unconditional love surronding it!
May 2009

Rolling Hills Zoo in Salina Kansas

This is how we celebrated St. Patty's Day!! I would like to say we had a great time at the zoo, and though it wasn't all bad, we pushed Cade's limits. He was tired and bad - I forgot his silky and its hard to tell in the pictures but he cried for it most of our trip. Oh happy days :) But none of us got pinched on this day!!

Christmas 2008

Family pictures that were taken on our trip back to Utah for Christmas!!

Christmas

Here are some of the many pictures I need to post ... I promise to get some more up soon :o)

Red Rock Amphitheater

Here are the stairs up from the Red Rock Amphitheater Stage. Mike and I raced to the top and of course I smoked him :o)

I can't believe the many many times I have been to Golden we have never been here before - it was beautiful!! It's only like 10 minutes away from my Grameres house. - okay so I have to be honest - I didn't smoke Mike, he beat me - I wasn't that far behind him. I wish I could see the expression on his face when he read it. :o) That is a crazy workout - its like doing running lunges, the stairs (or seats better yet) were so far away from each other. Mike jumped them for a least half of the way. Our lungs were on fire - that is the first time I really noticed an altitude change. They need to take the biggest loser contestants there. There were a lot of people there just to work out - kind of funny being that it was a tourist attraction.

Sesame Street Live

At the last minute a friend called who had an extra ticket to the Sesame Street Live concert in Topeka. We are so glad we went. Cade paid attention the whole time and even got up and danced in the middle of the isle for the last part of the show. Don't worry dad, we didn't buy the $8 Elmo toy that is in his hand, his new friend got two free at the last Elmo show they went to so they gave that one to Cade. ------ Only 27 more days :)

13.1 miles

I would like to thank first my husband for always believing in me and supporting my dreams of the half marathon, I thought of him often during my training on how he would not of let me quit. I would like to thank Ms. Robin Burcham for giving my best friend the idea on her death bed that running a marathon would be a great idea, and Michelle for encouraging me to do it because she had already paid for her ticket to come and see me and if she could do a 26.2 I could run a measly 13.1 miles. I would like to thank my mom for calling me after every long run on my training runs to see if I made it or was killed over on the trail. But mostly I would like to thank my idiotic dog - who pulled me and the stroller to a faster speed and wouldn't let me stop or I would fall straight on my face. And God - thank you for keeping me healthy and listening to all my prayers as I wondered why each miles was longer than the last.

Running a half marathon is much better now that I have done it and don't have to think about doing it. I would make myself laugh when I ran thinking of what my exceptance speech would be if I had finished - so I promised myself if I finish it without stopping I would blog it - taking all bad words out of course. I ran the 13.1 in 2 hours and 10 min. without stopping. To do a run like this was really all the hype people put it out to be - it was an amazing experience - I would be sad if I didn't do another one. There was 9000 people in all that ran, some doing a full marathon and some doing a 5k. - it went through Kansas City with bands playing and tons of people out cheering you on. It takes 10 weeks to train if you can run 3 miles now - if you can't run 3 now you have plenty enough time to get there before next summer. Seriously, if I can do it.......... (luv ya Shell)

Pumpkin carving

We carved our pumpkins today. Rylie and Ashlynn did theirs all by their selves. Brooke did something a little harder so she needed some help. By the time we were done there were pumpkins seeds all over the floor, table and somehow Cade got them on the ceiling.

This dog is a pain in my bottom!!! But I am hooked what can you say

Girls Best Friend

Happy Birthday Gramere!

Okay my secret is out - I have been a little worried about myself lately and how I just don't feel myself. A big bawl baby actually which I can date back to the beginning of the year with Braum leaving in January. All those who have known and been a part of my year it seemed to spiral downward since then. Since I seem to treat this blog as our family journal I should blog this year and all the crazy just so one day when our kids look back on it they won't think I am making it all up. I feel like I could write a book, but I know we all don't have time to read it, and frankly those of you who have permission to get on my site have already heard it. I really have felt not myself, weak - sad - putting on a brave front - not dealing with things people put in front of me like I want to. Then - - I call my Gramere just to wish her a Happy Birthday ..... and I was blessed! Without her probably knowing what she was doing for me - she made me feel normal, strong, and most of all understood. Some years ago she herself left a strong supportive community in Japan to where she knew no one to a place in Colorado. She too had 4 kids and her husband left her to go to Vietnam. She couldn't talk to him everyday and writing letters was all she had. She was bound and determined to put 200 percent into taking care of their children. She didn't tell me anything anyone else already has, but I found truth in her words. There is nothing wrong with missing your husband you love deeply, and its not easy, one day at a time sometimes one hour at a time and the time will pass and we will make it through it. I haven't been broke. My kids depend on me and there is nothing wrong with them knowing I miss their dad. Jesus made tears and there is nothing wrong with using them. :)
- happy birthday Gramere ...... and thank you!

GO CATS!!

So when we moved here I was AMAZED at how much purple the town of Manhattan is swarmed in. Business do all there letterhead with KState wildcat colors and themes, people have wildcat heads in lights on their homes, signs everywhere, our trashcan is purple. If you go to Walmart on a game day, (or even not a game day), you would be amazed with all the KState shirts. So the Bartons, (we yet have to talk Braum into it - he hasn't felt the spirit though :) ), decided if you can't beat them you should join them - now we fit right in :). My first and great friend here Kelly, who is also my neighbor, her husband is the head trainer for KState so she has taken me to all the home games. Even Rylie, Brooke, Ashlynn and Cade have gone to one. Brooke was invited by a friend to sit in a boxed suite for a game.

Happy Birthday Aunt Valli

We are a day late - but we did sing to her on her birthday!! We love you Aunt Valli,... thank you so much for all your comments on our blog that encourage us to keep our head up and our heart strong!! We can't wait to see you soon - maybe at a wedding :)
We love you - Happy Birthday!

Rylie is a superstar

We miss you Daddy!! Come home soon!!

Rylie is a "SUPERSTAR"
Rylie received the best citizenship award in her class, (this is the third year in a row she has won this award, Leavenworth had done it also). I am so so proud of her, she won a free kids meal at Applebee's, so tonight we went out to celebrate.
She was also elected by her teachers (the only girl in her class), to be a part of the student council - isn't that awesome. She gets to miss a full day of school and attend a leadership workshop in RockSprings, Junction City. ~~~ (the next Sarah Palin) I am beaming for this little girl who is getting bigger and bigger by the day!! My little Rylie, who used to love to just sit on my lap with her red curls! We are blessed to have her!

~Spread your wings and fly baby girl ~




This is the three of them making a silly faces :)

me and bubbie

Okay this isn't the cutest picture of Cade - but this is the only picture of us together in a long time!
He is the coolest little boy!