KC got hit by a huge snowstorm last week, resulting in over a foot of snow. The boys didn’t have school on Thursday and Friday. I can honestly say that I didn’t go out once. Snow and cold just aren’t my thing:)
Now, we have another round coming, possibly up to 15 inches. Crazy. The boys may have another snow day or two if it gets as bad as they say. Eric and the boys went out to build a snowman tonight before the weather got out of control.
Filed under eric, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, my boys
Here are just a few things that I’m loving right now:
1. Starbuck’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Yum! Even better, we had to wait in the drive through for 5 minutes the other day and they gave us our order for free.
2. Dexter
I had three people, in just one week, tell me that I needed to watch this show. I did and loved it. It’s a little messed up (serial killer that only kills bad people) but different, in a good way. I’m waiting to get season 2 from the library.
3. Fork and Screen movies
What could be better than eating dinner while watching a movie in big, comfy seats? And the food isn’t that bad. I did make the mistake of ordering the fish the first time we went and it was definitely more difficult to eat in the dark. Eric took me to the Fork and Screen showing of Twilight two weeks ago. The beginning was so, so bad BUT the end completely made up for it. It had a little twist that I did not see coming. It was much better than the book.
I want to see the Abraham Lincoln and James Bond movies next.
4. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
One of my FB friends recommended it as a good read. At first, I was kind of put off by the fact that it’s about college students but quickly got over it. She is also writing it from the guy’s point of view (this one was from the girl’s) and it’s coming out in April.
I also read 50 Shades of Gray and I’m not sure what all the fuss is about (maybe it gets better in book #2 and #3). If she mentioned biting her lip or her inner goddess one more time, I was going to lose it.
Next, I really want to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I’m still #121 on the wait list at the library.
My book club is reading The Life of Pi for our January read and I really hope it’s good.
I would LOVE some more book recommendations. I need a new, good author/series.
5. Groupon
I’ve already bought three Christmas gifts off of Groupon.
6. Ebates
It kills me when I forget to go through Ebates when ordering on-line
7. Luke and Kenny’s excitement for Christmas
Luke has been talking about Christmas since September. Even though we’ve had to remind him a few times that Christmas is about Jesus’s birth, and not presents, it’s still really cute. I am really going to miss it when they no longer believe in Santa. I’m actually a little surprised that Kenny still does.
8. Longview Lake’s Christmas in the Park display
This is the second year that we’ve gone to it. The display is huge and they just really do a good job. We took my parents along this year and we decided to make it an annual thing.
9. Indoor soccer
I love soccer in general but I really love watching the boys play indoor soccer right now. I love how fast paced it is. Kenny’s games are just fun to watch because the kids are all starting to get to that stage where they are really good. His footwork is getting so good and the kid can seriously get the ball away from anyone. Luke is fun to watch because he likes to be the goalie. Kenny and Luke are so different in that regard, and it really shows their personalities. I feel like Kenny doesn’t like to be goalie because when he gets scored on, he takes it personally and feels bad. When Luke gets scored on, it doesn’t bother him and he says he didn’t have any help (with a smile on his face).
10. Eric’s schedule
I can’t believe I forgot this one at first. Eric is now working Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00 like normal people do, with holidays off. Unless a promotional process comes up, he’ll do this for the next four years.
Filed under books, eric, family, favorites, holidays, just because, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, me and only me, movies, my boys, sports, tv
My SIL got married on October 6th. It was a really, really fun weekend. Welcome to the family A.J.!
Filed under eric, family, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, my boys
I was really lucky this year. Kenny wanted to be a vampire again and Luke wanted to be a dragon again so I didn’t have to buy any new costumes.
I stayed home and handed out candy while Eric, Kenny and Luke went out with one of Kenny’s friends.
Filed under eric, holidays, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, my boys
We added these cute stickers to two of our pumpkins on Monday and then carved our remaining one tonight. There’s nothing like waiting until the last minute (once again).
Filed under eric, holidays, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, my boys
The boys didn’t have school last Friday due to conferences. After we talked to their teachers, we headed out to the KC Pumpkin Patch. It was so cold!
Get ready for a lot of pictures.
Filed under eric, holidays, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, my boys
Here’s just a quick update on what’s going on with us:
- Eric and I went to Vegas for a whole week for ASCA’s World Clinic (for swimming coaches). It was a lot of fun and we learned a ton. We got to talk to Olympian Tyler McGill, see Phelps’s coach and listen to great speakers. I took a Build a Pool class because we are really hoping to have our own facility sometime in the near future. Hopefully I will have more news on that in the next few months to year. A week was a long time in Vegas but we were lucky enough to have my parents take the boys Monday-Friday and then Eric’s mom took them Friday evening-Sunday night. We walked the entire strip, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, saw an illusion show and played craps. We did not come home big winners.
- Our dogs developed not only pink eye but some gastrointestinal problems after being at dog place for a week. It was not fun, not to mention an extra expense that we were not expecting to pay.
- Kenny and Luke are both doing great at school. Luke’s mid-term report card looked like this…
- The boys fall sports are in full swing. Kenny’s soccer actually started at the beginning of August and his football and Luke’s soccer didn’t start until mid-September. It was nice to have it broken up a little. Sporting KC used Kenny’s soccer team in a coaches’ clinic and it’s on You Tube.
- My work is starting to pick up right now after a nice month lull in August. Back in June, the owner of our team and I flew to Colorado to look at an infant aquatics program for babies as young as 6 months. Non-walking babies learn how to float on their back if they were ever to fall into water and the walkers learn how to float and then swim to the side of the pool (or wherever they are). Most people have seen the video of this. It shows the baby in pajamas or clothes falling into a backyard pool and then floating safely. I remember seeing it the first time and thinking someone should pick up the baby. When we went to Colorado, we honestly sat there all day just watching baby after baby and it was AMAZING. So amazing, the team has invested a ton of money to send one of our head coaches out there for 6 weeks to get trained. I would like to get trained some day but I just can’t be gone for 6 weeks at this point in our life; not with the boys being so young and Eric’s schedule.
- My SIL is getting married in less than 2 weeks! It still feels like it should be a few months away.
- Eric and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on September 20th (but actually celebrated in Vegas).
I think that covers all the big things. Now, off to do more work…
Filed under anniversary, camille, eric, family, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, mac, my boys, travel, vacation
We weren’t able to make it down to the Ozarks this summer, so we spent the day at Smithville Lake yesterday. I couldn’t find anywhere in KC that rented out speed boats so we had to get a big pontoon. And yes, this song kept going through my head:
We only lost 2 1 fishing rod (one was found wrapped around the anchor) and a pair of sunglasses, which wasn’t too bad.
Filed under eric, family, kenny, kenny - 3rd grade, luke, luke - kindergarten, my boys, vacation
We took a quick trip to Omaha on Friday to go to the zoo. I WISH we would have had tournament tickets because the Jayhawks were playing there that night. The zoo was fun – their indoor stuff is so much better than KC’s (but KC’s outdoor stuff is better than theirs). Luke was kind of funny because he’s not normally afraid of things. We saw the desert dome as we were driving up and he automatically said that he was afraid to go in it. He went in it later without any problems but it was a funny little start to our day. We ended up driving longer than we were in the actual zoo but it was a fun day and nice to get away.
Filed under eric, kenny, kenny - 2nd grade, luke, luke - preschool, my boys, travel, vacation
Eric started training to qualify for the U.S. Masters Swimming 2012 Summer Nationals. It’s July 5-8 in Omaha. He’s hoping to qualify in the 50, 100, 200 free and the 200 IM. He hasn’t done a long-course meet (meter pool) in a long time!
Currently, Eric swims the 50 free in :23.5, which converts to 27.33 in meters.
His 100 free time is :51, which is 59.1 in meters.
His 200 free is around 1:58, which converts to 2:16.
Finally, he swims the 200 IM somewhere around 2:09, which would be 2:31 in meters.
The qualifying times for Nationals for these events in his age group are:
50 free – :28.5
100 free – 1:03.98
200 free – 2:28.15
200 IM – 2:45.26
He should qualify for them all. He should also be able to qualify for the 14th FINA World Master Championship but traveling to Italy for it would be a lot more expensive than a trip to Omaha:)
I was going through my cell phone and found these pics that I never posted (and want to get on here).
Kenny and Luke playing RISK
They are definitely my kids
Royals game in September
I swear Kenny was there but all of the pictures of him were with his friend JT (and I don’t want to put someone else’s child on here)
Luke sleeping with his shoes because he liked the lights on them
Camille with a huge stick stuck in her collar
I have no idea how this happened but if she can get something caught in it (like here), she will.
Luke and his t-ball medal
Luke while eating at 75th Street Brewery
Kenny (and his medal) at his soccer banquet this fall
Filed under camille, eric, family, kenny, kenny - 2nd grade, luke, luke - preschool, my boys, sports
We started out a little worried about Christmas. There was a bad stomach virus going around Kenny’s school that we were praying we wouldn’t get. We really didn’t want a repeat of Christmas 2009. But, of course, Kenny got it on the 22nd. We made it through the 23rd and 24th without anyone else having signs of getting sick so we celebrated with my family on Christmas Eve.
Getting ready for church:
Christmas Eve at my mom and dad’s house:
Christmas morning at our house:
Santa may have forgotten to leave anything in the dogs’ stocking. Oops. We decided it was probably because they have been getting on our couch while we’re gone. Luckily I had two bones for them in the cupboard that we were able to give them.
Christmas morning at my parents:
See the stockings in these pictures? My Grandpa Bill and Grandma Dolly had one made for everyone back when I was little. This year, my mom made ones for Kenny, Luke and Eric so that everyone now has one. It took her a long time and they look great.
Christmas Day with Eric’s mom, Amanda and AJ:
Remember how I said that we thought that we had escaped that stomach virus? I ended up throwing up every hour on the hour Tuesday night and then Eric had a mild form of it. I’m not going to say anything about Luke not getting it because I’m afraid I’ll jinx us:) I’m just glad that it didn’t ruin our Christmas. And I’m really hoping we didn’t pass it on to anyone else in the family.
Filed under camille, eric, family, holidays, kenny, kenny - 2nd grade, luke, luke - preschool, mac, my boys
Mac turned four last Saturday (December 3rd).
I have to share this story while I’m talking about our dogs:
Apparently our dogs have something against the wise men in our Little People Nativity.
Luke was playing with the set and when he was done he left two of the wise men standing on their heads. They were on opposite sides and surrounded by the other figurines. Camille walked up to the set, looked at it, pushed over the first wise man, looked at the second wise man and then pushed him over too. Eric and I were cracking up.
Then last night I found Camille chewing on one of them (which I saved just in the nick of time) and found that Mac had chewed off the top of the head of the other one. We taped it back up but it will never be the same.
Eric ran the Kansas City Marathon on October 15th!
It was funny because, for the first week following the race, he swore that he would never run another marathon. Then, once the pain receded, he changed his mind and said that he wants to do another one. I think it’s kind of like having a child. You kind of forget how painful it actually was after a while.
We took our first Groupon vacation a few weeks ago. It was for a two night stay at the Lodge of Four Seasons down in the Ozarks and included free golfing (which we didn’t use), two free drinks and 4 free breakfasts. The rooms at the hotel were okay (nothing special) but the rest of the hotel was great. We rented a jet ski and boat from the marina there and used all the pools. We would go back in a heartbeat.
Day 1:
- drove 3 hours from KC to the Ozarks
- explored the hotel
- rented a jet ski
- swam in pool #1
- swam in pool #2
Day 2:
- breakfast in the hotel
- moved our 10:00 boat rental to 10:30 due to the storm that was moving out of the area
- 4 hours of tubing and riding in the boat
- swam in pool #3
Now get ready for a ton of pictures:
Filed under eric, kenny, kenny - 1st grade, luke, luke - preschool, my boys, travel, vacation
We celebrated the 4th a little differently this year. We watched fireworks the night of the 3rd and then went to Village Fest and to my parents’ on the 4th.
Filed under eric, family, holidays, kenny, kenny - 1st grade, luke, luke - preschool, my boys
Hi everyone! I have some exciting news – or maybe it would be more accurate to say that I have some news that’s exciting to us. Eric and I spent the last few days putting together a new website. It’s called My Daily Swim and as the name states, it offers daily swimming workouts for different levels of swimmers. Even better, the workouts are free.
Wish us luck!
Even better, pass the website on to any friends that might be interested. We would be very, very grateful!
Filed under eric, me and only me, sports
Eric was in Portland for his cousin’s wedding so we spent Father’s Day with my dad and at our church’s carnival. It was a fun day but we definitely missed Eric.
Kenny made this book for my dad as part of his gift.
Filed under eric, family, holidays, kenny, kenny - 1st grade, luke, luke - preschool, my boys
Get ready for a lot of pictures from our day at Worlds of Fun. Our = Eric, Kenny, Luke, me, my mom, Billy, Sarah (Billy’s girlfriend) and Mike.
Filed under eric, family, kenny, kenny - 1st grade, luke, luke - preschool, my boys
