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

Girls Best Friend

Boys Best Friend

Pumpkin Patch

Ashlynn had her first field trip to the Pumpkin Patch with her kindergarten class. It was a great time! Isn't she such a pretty little girl. She is doing so good at school. I have been very impressed with her teacher lately. Ashlynn has decided that it isn't much fun not to have Dad around. Her teacher told me that she got sad at school the other day about it and asked me if we could bring a picture of Braum to put in her backpack so she could look at it when she gets sad. Last Friday she brought the picture to show-n-tell and cried when she told the class about him. They have started a group with the social worker at school where all the kids with deployed dads can get together and do fun stuff together. I think this has helped her open up at school about her dad being gone. But not to worry she is doing great! I am glad that she is not afraid to tell people she misses her dad, we all do. Only 6 more weekends to go :). She is still a little fire ball that just has a really big heart! I love her!!

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!

Brooke is 8

Brooke had her birthday party at her new gymnastic gym. She had a great time. There were 12 kids in all that came.

Happy Birthday Brooke!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE!

Happy Birthday Brooke! We love you so much - thanks for being you for the last 8 years. Our little girl that can let stuff roll of her back and has no problem speaking up when she feels the need. She loves to have fun catching frogs, playing with her friends, and is able to entertain herself! She loves to stick up for her family and hates to see people get hurt. You fit right in with our family and we wouldn't be the same without you!

Happy Late Birthday Green Team!

Pure Joy

Happy Birthday Lincoln - I am sorry we are so late, but I love the first picture of you and couldn't resist putting it up on your birthday month! We love you and miss you!

Brooke's Soccer

AGILITY

DETERMINATION

AGGRESSIVE

CELEBRATION

It was really hard for me not to make a slide show out of all the shots I got of Brooke during her game. Braum said it takes to long to load them up, but somehow Braum if you click on the picture it should take you to our web albums and you should see the rest of the pictures. If I am wrong in this will someone please post a comment on how you get to my web albums?? Brooke did great - she had one run where she was near her goal ran to catch the person who was already half the field up from her took the ball turned it and controlled it all the way to the net but the goalie stopped the goal. In the picture of her celebrating the other girl actually made the goal but Brooke took it and made the pass to her - she was so excited as you can see. It's so fun to watch the girls play soccer! We miss you daddy and cant' wait for you to come home - we hate that you miss it, but your girls are doing you proud!

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.

Rylie's Soccer Game

Here is a slide show of Rylie's soccer game. She played great but they lost the game. They were all very disappointed - they were hoping for a perfect record. In this game I have decided that a coed team isn't such a good idea. The boys tend to dominate and then you have the ones who are nailing the ball into girls or the ones that you can tell will act differently when a girl has the ball because he doesn't want to be to pushy. But Rylie had a great game! There is a picture of Cade in there with his favorite new toy he has to take everywhere - its a stuffed pug. Every time he sees the camera he has to run in front of it and get a picture with him and the toys around him. Speaking of Cade - 5 minutes left in the game, he has to go potty - I tell him to try and hold it... it takes 10 minutes to walk to the bathroom - I am taking all these pictures I look down his pants are down to his ankles peeing 1 foot away from the field line. - Nice....

This slide show is mostly for Braum - of course everyone is welcome but fair warning - there are lots of pictures :)

Happy Birthday Maegan!

Happy Birthday to You!! We wish we could be there to celebrate with you - (as you scroll down the blog I guess there would be no way to be in Utah, Mississippi, and North Carolina at the same time). But we sure are thinking about you - make all those boys take care of you today. I bet you look great as always with a bump in your belly - hopefully we will see you in Denver on Thanksgiving! And beware of my camera when we see you - I have learned I have so many pictures when I know you were there but for some reason you are never in the shot??
~ Happy Birthday, we love you ~

Happy Birthday Tata!

Happy Birthday Tata!! Wish we could be around to help you celebrate!! Thanks for always being a great aunt and sister! We have our fingers crossed we can see you in December :) Have a great day!! We all love you so much!
~Happy Birthday ~

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!