My life with the 3stephensboys is exciting, trying, fulfilling, entertaining, amazing, tiring, inspiring... what God made me for & what I love. Therefore, you may not see many pictures of Darrin or me, but you will get an eye full of my 3stephensboys in all of their glory, amazement and cuteness! Thanks for visiting! Enjoy!

Friday, September 15, 2006

September Reflections

Hello Everyone!

Life continues to go by quickly here as I'm sure you feel the same where you are. I about freaked out a couple of weeks ago! Maybe some of you can appreciate this! I found my FIRST GRAY HAIR!!!!! I'm not even 35 yet, how is this possible???!!! It made me quite sad! And of course, I pulled it!!!! I frantically looked through my hair trying to see if I saw any more, which was a difficult task as my hi-lights are so grown out that I kept thinking I found one, but no it didn't go all the way to the scalp!!!

The boys' sports have started and after only 1 week I'm already exhausted. I have no idea how some of you with 3-4 kids into sports and such do it! I feel like all I do is shuttle from one place to the other!!! We wanted to give Kye as many chances as Dakota had when he first started playing sports, so we signed them both up for flag footbal and soccer. OH MY WORD!!!!! IT IS CRAZY!!!!!

You know that movie Friday Night Lights and now they have made a TV series about the same topic!?? Well, it's about fanatic football in Texas! And I can now testify to it!!!! You CAN NOT belive how seriously they take football here! I mean, it's just flag ball and it is unreal. At Kye's 1st practice on Tuesday, I sat dumbfounded, amazed, shocked, disturbed by what was going on with 4 year olds!!!!! Needless to say, Kye has decided not to play football!:)

If you are a parent, do you remember the first time that your child wasn't treated as you wanted them to be? I don't really remember the 1st time I felt that way with Dakota! It was too long ago and my brain can't remember certain things. And maybe it's a good thing that you don't remember that feeling. Let's just say that Kye doesn't like football and "I don't want to play FOOT-BALL again!" sums it up. Unfortunately, Kye was put on a team with some not so nice coaches, who were all about football and not really about the kids, if you know what I mean! We had to show up late last night to Kye's football practice because he had soccer practice! I know....it's insane!! Anyway, when we did show up, the coaches completely ignored Kye, didn't acknowledge him in anyway, but looked right at Darrin and I and did nothing! It's hard to express that feeling that you feel for your child, isn't it? I am just so thankful that Kye is completely unaware!! Thank God!!! He is oblivious! So, we have found that he is going to do much better with soccer and later in the fall we'll pick up swimming lessons again.

I know I have said this many times, but it never ceases to amaze me how children from the same people can be so different!!!!:) Isn't God amazing!?! But, Dakota had his first praactice last night and did really well. And his coach is great! He is the fastest on his team and when he was on defense, he was everywhere the ball was!!! His coach actually said once during the practice, "Now someone else besides Dakota get the ball this time." He is a fast little burger! Makes his dad as well as his uncle proud, I know! So we have 2 football games a week and 1 practice, and 2 soccer practices and 1 game for soccer and that's just for Dakota!!! Kye thankfully will only have 1 of each!

Kru is completely walking and has now for about 3 1/2 weeks! He's got the bruises to show for it!:) He enjoys being more mobile, not sure that I do!:) He is into everything!!! You name it! He loves to start the dishwasher, open and close any door, loves to dump the dog's water out all over and pick up a piece or 2 of dogfood to snack on! He isn't talking too much but has a few words or sounds down. He calls Dakota Da, I swear he says Kye, but I'm sure that is just my mother ears!:) He says "T" for Tag, "Kt" for kitty, ba-ba for bottle, although I'm trying to wean him of that! "Ba" for ball and he'll occasionally say da-da or ma-ma, but usually when he is upset or mad! He is growin' like a weed and is trying to cut some new teeth, but still just has 6. Speaking of growing! Kye continues to get taller and his feet bigger. When we went to get the boys' cleats, we bought Kye a size 12 1/2 and Dakota a 2 1/2!!! So bizarre!!!!

Not only am I shuttling the kids to practices and games, but Darrin to work and back home! His truck died again after only being well for 7 months! So we are doing the 1 car thing, which isn't fun at all!!! But we are dealing with it! Darrin was in Austin this week for a conference and it was a nice break for me and the boys, not to have to take him in the early am and pick him up! We're hoping to get a few hundred for the truck but aren't holding our breath!!!

We have found a church that we like and hope to call it our home one day, but we'll see. The kids go to Awana and like it and I have found a couple of Bible studies to attend, which I'm very thankful for! It's been nice to meet some people and not feel so lonely, but I'm still praying for a friend!!:)

Don't have too many pictures this time, but will have more once the games begin next week! Hope this finds you all doing well! Talk to you soon!

-Kari


Playing with Kru's toy! Kru loves Dakota and call him Da!
Learning how to brush his hair!:)
Kye loves drinking water, but it has to be from the refrigerator so it's cold!
Having fun in the kitchen being slid around by Dad!
Bath time fun!
When you tell Kru to swim in the tub, he'll turn his head to one side and get his ear wet! Have no idea where that came from!
Walking everywhere!
Kru's cute feet in his shoes!