Family Portrait

Right before xmas we had our family picture taken again. It had been quite a few years.....probably 8 to be exact. These are just pictures of pictures so they aren't very clear but at least you get the idea.

Christmas Past 06 Past 07 Present 08

08

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06

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07

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06

I know you have heard the saying "time flies when your having fun"....well, I think the same is true for raising 3 boys. I downloaded the pictures from grandma linda's camera yesterday only to find that my boys are looking a lot older these days. Yeah, I watch them everyday but when you compare Christmas 06, 07, and 08 the changes are remarkable.

Halloween Goons!

Kirk, Kraig, Kurtis and Mike having a little fun dressing up before the Halloween Dance. Fat Sumo Pimp, Michael Jackson, Chris Farley - Beverly Hill Nija, and Austin Powers.

Fall at a GLANCE

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We have had a FUN filled football season. All three boys have played well and worked hard. Kraig was one of the Freshman Class homecoming representives. He and Shannon looked AMAZING!!

Ewwww....OUCH!!

So we spent a brief visit to the Emergency room last night after Kraig took a line drive (bad bounce) to the eye. He was playing 3rd base at the time. He had been picked up by a team from Adrian that was playing in the Hudson Tournament. Needless to say he didn't return to the game. The first picture is last night when we got home....the second one is this morning. OUCH!! He said it is more sore today than yesterday.

My dad asked me why I haven't blogged in sooooo long. Really haven't had the time or desire. But figured Kraig's mug was definitely Blog worthy. Other pictures are Konnor at his baseball game. He has been pitching and playing catcher most of the season. Our team actually made it into the 10U Baseball Districts this week. I think we won't fair too well with teams from all over the state but it's kinda cool that we made it.

Last picture is of my scary looking dog. We had her shaved when it was so hot about a month ago. She looks like an oversized Cocker Spaniel or the dragon from Never Ending Story for all you movie buffs.

K3 has been playing baseball this summer. Had 2 doubles and in the park homer last game. He has a game tonight in Sturgis. Kraig's regular team made it to Districts also this week. Busy summer.....and football is just around the corner. I am in charge of feeding 85 plus boys 3 meals a day during Fort Custer Camp this year. YIKES!!!!

Konnor + Kayla = KRAZY!!

These are just a few random shots of Konnor and Kayla on one of their many adventures to get Slushies. I am so glad that they can do some many fun things together. They definitely make each other HAPPY!

Back to BLOGGING!

Mother's Day, Konnor's 10th, Shirley's B-day, Grandpa Putnam's B-day Party at our house.


I figured I had a few extra minutes tonight that I should try to get back into the blogging mode. It's not that I haven't wanted to blog.....but rather couldn't find the time to blog. I can't tell you how crazy this Spring was. My last post was March 12 and many things have come and gone. Firstly, we had an amazing Spring Break in Florida at mom and dad's. We had great weather and even ventured to the East coast to Cocoa Beach for a couple days. The boys had a good time.....definitely got too much sun....but had fun. Kraig played on a DMS club baseball team this spring and now is practicing for Rec ball this summer. Konnor played probably his last season of Soccer. I think he will probably move on to football in the fall. Kirk3 sat the bench (with a fake smile....I might add) for the entire JV baseball season. He didn't want to jeopardize his 12 Season Award at the end of his Senior year. Got to give the boy a lot of credit.....not easy to watch everyone else have fun. We went back to Chelsea at the beginning of May for his follow-up. She was impressed how well he was doing and encouraged him to add back activities slowly. He even thinks he will try some Basketball this summer (shoot outs and camps). We will have to see how he tolerates that???? Konnor and I are playing kid pitch baseball....well, actually he is playing and I am helping to coach his team. So far we have mercied both of the teams that we have played. It definitely is a lot of fun and his skill level has greatly improved from last year. He can now hit the ball over 2nd base just about every time he is up to bat. He is also catching and pitching this year. I just had my 4th and 5th grade Track and Field days this last week. So much work....great amounts of fun. This week is the Puberty lessons for 5th grade and next week the HIV lessons. I always enjoy going back into the classroom for those lessons. I can pretend that I'm back teaching science for a few days. I'm most looking forward to dressing up! Well, I suppose that is it for now. I will try to keep up better. K:)

Finally made it!

Konnor shows off for the camera one last time this winter before the warm weather comes in later this week and melts our skating rink in the front yard (mother nature made skating rink that is). He was quit entertaining doing all the 360's and drifting.

I took 3 months to loose the last pound but I finally met my 10% goal for Weight Watchers yesterday. It was a constant struggle and Im very happy that it is over. Now I can just maintain my weight and be happy with loosing 14 pounds.

should be BACK to normal in 6 months!

these two Snowbirds spent 4 hours at the pool on Sunday.....boy do I feel sorry for them?! NOT!!



.....K3 had his appointment at the Chelsea Brain and Spine Institute last Tuesday. We met with a great lady. She told K3 that he could come out of this stronger, leaner, and tougher than he was going into the injury. She was empathetic about baseball but still said NO WAY. Kirk is now going to physical therapy 3 times a week and going to the college to use the recumbent bike and pool at least 5 times a week. I hope that he can settle into a routine that feels good for him. He is so used to playing and practicing "full out" that this less strenuous approach is nagging at him.

Who is more LAZY?!

Ok, so it is an injury induced laziness..... but it is still laziness no matter how you look at it. K3 and Hunter were enjoying watching a movie last night....and we were enjoying watching them watch a movie. Does that sound too confusing? Well, the sun is shining and spirits are lifting. Friday night was the last JV game that K3 had to sit through. I think he is glad it is over. We are waiting to find out what will happen to baseball season on Tuesday when we see the specialist in Chelsea. We are keeping our fingers crossed that things are healing quickly.

3 + 2 = CHAOS

OK, the old saying raising 3 Kids is just as easy as 2 definitely does not apply to 5 BOYS~ ages 9-16. I am looking back at this week and thinking....wow, how did you do it? I helped out a friend this week by keeping her boys while she was in the hospital. I was only supposed to have them on Sunday night....which turned into all day Monday (snowday) and 4 nights/days after that. They are great kids so that wasn't an issue but it is amazing what adding 2 mouths and 2 sets of clothes to the mix does. Glad we could help out and even more glad that it is over.

a major set BACK!

I just need to preface this blog by saying we have gone through all of the stages of emotion this week and things are looking better. K3 had been nursing a sore back for most of basketball season. We have been doing all of the things that we felt were necessary for him to heal. Unfortunately, after weeks of not responding to treatment we had an MRI ordered and found out that he has a broad base disk protrusion between L5 and S1 and he also had a vertebra fracture that had healed. The good news....with rest, exercises, physical therapy, and supplements he will probably recover to 100%.....the bad news....he has been pulled from all sports for 90-120 days. Yes, you read correctly! Now to a normal person this would not be devastating news but to a 16 year old that sports is the center of his life....it was an emotional blow. K3 equals SPORTS! So the remainder of this week has been spent meeting with doctors....setting up appointment with specialists...and trying to regain our positve outlook. We are meeting with a specialist on Feb. 26th in Chelsea....we start physical therapy on Monday....and will continue to help kirk heal. Please keep him in your thoughts.

Another frosty weekend!

As I sit here listening to the snow blower and wind whipping I have to stop and think....why do we live in Michigan again? It is soooo cold....how cold....FRIGID! That was a comment to help my parents appreciate what they left behind on Thursday. They are now basking in the sun....I believe she said 75 degrees and sunny! Now that is a place to live.

Hornet Basketball

K3 had another game last night. They battled to the end but came up short against Stockbridge. Kirk had a good game.

Such CUTE kids!

Took 3 tries to get one good picture!


Konnor and Kayla decided to make a cake the other night after dinner.....mind you this wasn't just any ordinary boring cake. They took their time to frost...decorate... and created the most delicious cake ever!

pssst! don't tell Kay but I think I'm secretly enjoying her being home and going to JCC this semester!

YOU gotta be kidding me?!

I can't believe we have another day off school! I could understand the 2 hour delay this morning because driving home from Harper Creek was horrible last night. Seriously couldn't see 30 feet infront of the car. It always makes you a little hesitant to take Jonesville Rd when it's

that bad because you never know when you are going to come up on an Omish buggy. Well, since the science fair project is done, laundry is pretty much caught up, cleaned the house this morning, I guess that leaves some other "sorting" projects for the day. My scrappin' table has turned into a catch all and needs some immediate attention. Hmmm....maybe I can finish my book today?

Ahh.....another snow day!

What a nice way to start a weekend....an extra day to get things done. Kraig has a science fair project due on Tuesday that he has been slowly working on for weeks. I know that he is my biggest procrastinator but give me a break! He has been testing different music selections to see how they affect peoples heartbeat and pulse. Now we just have to type all of the stuff up and put it on the board. Thank God I can do science fair projects in my sleep.....just think of all those other parents that are freaking out this weekend.


Found this quote this morning in an email and loved it!

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the

people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and

believe that everything happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."

Harvey Mackay

Happy as a CLAM!!

Konnor's first rabbit! (I think you will appreciate the Kitty pictures once you see todays. Hope they aren't 1st for long)

Konnor and Drew gutting the poor thing!
Digging the final dissecting phase!

"Happy as a CLAM!" That was my 6 AM quote after I found out that we didn't have school today! Tuesday's are my best day to have off because that means no more kindergarten for another week. I know that sounds horrible but really have you spent 40 minutes trying to corale 25 kindergarteners into learning locomotor skill benchmarks. It isn't much fun!! So here is the day after 6 AM recapped....woke up and weighed 1.5 lbs more than the last two weeks....(i'm sure you can figure out why)....decided to sit in the College sauna before weighing in...missed my 10% key chain award that I have been breaking my back to make by .8lbs.....yes, you read correctly not even one pound! I know there is always next week but I really wanted it today! I came home and started hussling around to clean.....do laundry....and then sent K2 to WalMart to buy a new carpet cleaner. Now all of the couches and carpets on the first floor are CLEAN!!

Konnor and his friend Drew rode dirt bikes and hunted all day. K2 decided to take them rabbit hunting before his dentist appointment. The good news is that Konnor got 1.....the bad news....I got to help Drew and Konnor gut this rabbit while K2 went to the dentist. How wonderful?!

NOT!! I didn't enjoy the gutting or dismembering of the poor bunny fufu....but got into the dissection mode once we brought it into the kitchen.