Halloween Highlights!

As always, we carved our pumpkins the night before Halloween. Darrin even participated this year! Dakota was sick, but ventured out for a few minutes to carve his pumpkin. Kru was wanting to help a lot more than last year, but still with not much success. However, he did manage to ruin one of the eyes that Dad had cut! :)


On Halloween night, our Hope Group helped out at the Trunk or Treat at Northview's church. Really all I did was make some cupcakes and the kids went around to the booths and got candy! They had a nice time and it was fun socializing with friends.

This year the boys went as:

Elmo a.k.a. Kru Burger King's King a.k.a. Dakota and The Human Torch a.k.a. Kye

Later, we went to Christ's Way's carnival. We went there last year and the boys remembered and wanted to attend again. So on our way home, we stopped by!

Dakota takes his shot at the pumpkin!

Kru makes a cross this year!!!

Kye loved the slide!

Kru was so cute, he didn't wear Elmo's face up on his head much at all. So I had to capture the moment. Isn't he so adorable!!! Dakota and Kye didn't wear their face or hair much either as they were making them too hot!

We had a fun time!

Oh and by the way, if you didn't get to see Kory's costume in the post below, here it is again! It's just that cool to be posted twice!!!

A Soap Box!

Warning:
This is me getting on my soap box! You may want to stop reading or you may be curious!!
There is a really cool picture at the end. So if you don't want to read my stance on playing Christmas music already, skip down to the picture!

I love Christmas music, I really do..... BUT

I feel so sorry for Thanksgiving!

I was in Toys R Us, the day after Halloween, and do you know what I heard?????

YES!!!

Christmas songs!

I couldn't believe it!!!

I mean come on... we haven't yet even put away the costumes and the jack-o-lanterns.

At first I thought, well it just must be a toy store and trying to subliminally tempt people to begin their Christmas shopping.... BUT, later that day I was at another store, don't remember where exactly, I heard more!

Thanksgiving, in my opinion, gets jipped. We jump directly from Halloween to Christmas without even blinking. I love Fall and Thanksgiving! I love being able to stop and purposefully think about all that I'm thankful for and count my blessings. Yes, I do this often, not as often as I should, but there is just somethings special about Thanksgiving, to me!

I remember when my father would make us all go around the table to say what we are thankful for. I acted like I hated it, but I love those memories now, and on any given year, I find myself being tempted to make my boys do the same now! Isn't that bizarre!?!

You know, I think the Canadians have the right way of doing Thanksgiving... it's in early October. So before you even think of Halloween, you have Thanksgiving! Then Halloween and then you can zoom ahead to Christmas because you have already had your Thanksgiving.

Sorry..... just had to share!

I'm so excited, because this year we are driving up to be with my extended family for Thanksgiving in Iowa! It's been a year or two since I have been there and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! It just isn't T-day if I'm not with my family in Iowa! It is so special to me and truly the 1 constant in my life since I can remember. I'm counting the days!!! 18 :)

Kory & Shelley, my brother and sister-in-law, are even going to be there this year as well!!!! YEAH!

Eat tons of yummy food, play endless hours of cards, watch a parade, catch up with family, and just be with the ones who have known you forever! I love you Granma and Granpa!!! I'll see you soon!!!!

PS
Speaking of my brother.... Completely Off Topic.
I had to share with you what my brother was for Halloween!

He Rocks!!!

Yes, that is actually him!

Ozone Warning

This morning driving Kye to school, I was listening to the local Houston Christian radio station, KSBJ.

"Ozone Warning today."

I'm not quite sure what that means?!!!! As I tuned in even more attentively, the DJ said it was most hazardous for the elderly and the very young, causing them to have breathing issues.

Huh!

"As it heats up this afternoon, if you are elderly or have younger children, it may be best to stay inside."

Now I know this is a Houston radio station and I'm a little ways away from Houston, but it made me pause.

What does one do after hearing that we are having an ozone dangerous day!?!

I don't know, but I pondered.....

and then went on with my day....

Things that make you go hmmmmmm!

My Busy Kindergartener!

Kye is loving school!!! Everyday he wants to stay for lunch, (he gets out at noon.) "And mom, can you not pick me up so early?" :) I'm so happy that he enjoys school! And I'm so thankful for Covenant School! They are fabulous there!!!!

Many of the kids there he knows from last year and he has made new friends too. Kye likes everyone and plays with everyone too! It amazes me how he is learning and how he remembers specific things he is learning about at school. They just finished a unit on Dinosaurs! Kye was thrilled! For Parent Night at school, they built dinosaurs out of boxes and then painted them! Kye's was terrific and he named it "Rainey."


He is becoming quite the little artist as well and I just couldn't help but put up a few of his best!

The Family Portrait!

Polar Bear

And my favorite, his self portrait!

Kye did this himself!!!!

At school, one of the centers is a writing center. Kye LOVES the writing center and is becoming quite prolific! He is writing/illustrating at least 3 a week if not 3 books a day. I wish I could share his pictures with you, but my scanner isn't hooked up and I have no idea when it will ever be hooked up, but I wanted to share a few of his stories with you!

If you really know Kye, you will really appreciate his stories!!!

Kye Looks at Animals
I am looking at all the animals around me.
I am looking at a T-Rex.
I am riding on a camel.
The brown cow is jumping over the moon.
While I was watching, the chicken ate the butterfly.
I am getting out of my space ship so I can get to Earth.
I am getting eaten by a dinosaur.

The Flower Book
I read the flower book. There was a turkey in it.
A leaf is falling so spring can come.
A dog ran away.
This cow is jumping over the moon.

Animals and Boats
An airplane is flying over a dinosaur.
The dinosaur is growling at a mouse.
I am looking at farm animals. I am the squirrel.
I was riding on the boat. I was going to save Taggers.
I was petting Shadow and a bunny jumped over me.
A pteradactyl was flying over me and I was on a camel.

He is dictating these to a teacher who writes them for him. He has begun to write the word "the", but he loves dictating! They also do on every book an About the Author page. This is what cracks me up the most. On one book he said his middle name was John. Here are a few of his author pages.

Kye Stephens "got bit" by a lot of fire ants in Nebraska and his mom

was scared and put him in the bathtub so the ants would die.
He likes writing books. This is his fourth book.
He wants to write lots of animal books.

Kye Stephens is 5 years old. He likes to eat vegetables.
He likes marshmellows and s'mores. Kye likes
boats and helicopters. He likes to eat spaghetti but not
green beans. He likes sharing a room with Dakota, his brother.

We went on another field trip last week, to the fire station. It was fun and Kru and I enjoyed it as well.

A Few More Images of the House!

The bunk beds finally arrived and Kru is now sleeping in a "big" bed!!! So far (knock on wood) he hasn't ventured into our bedroom during the night! I'm crossing my fingers that that will continue!! I also have hung a few things up and wanted to show y'all!


Doesn't he look so tiny in that "big" bed!?!

Our Dining Room Wall

I Have A Cross Wall!!!! I have wanted one now for almost 4 year!
And now I have one!


The Backyard from a different angle!

Our Great Trees!

Kru playing with water!

Dakota's Party

A Ben 10 Themed Cake!


Dakota, Kye and Darrin enjoy watching the cartoon Ben 10. So Dakota wanted a Ben 10 cake. Having made cakes now since Dakota was 3, I still had no idea what to do!!! This character/alien is CannonBolt. I think he looks pretty close to the real deal, but I'm obviously biased.



Dakota invited friends from church and school to a neighborhood park for his party. Playing 4 square and football were among the activities. Anson's present was super popular, a blasting off bomber man that shoots 30 feet up into the air. The best part was it required no batteries, all done armstrong, so we were able to enjoy this immediately. Kru, Kye and Kye's friend Daniel loved this!!! It is way cool!!! Thanks Anson!!! :)


Having a party outside, can have one downfall, you can not light candles especially when there is a nice breeze! So we faked the picture for scrapbooking purposes, of course! Count them, 11!


Connor had a fun time making sure that Dakota REALLY enjoyed his cake!

Among the gifts was a PSP. Dakota was incredibly thrilled to receive this. And he also became the owner of his first ever CD, The Jonas Brothers. He has downloaded it onto his PSP along with Newsboys. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this next phase, but here it is!!!

He had a great day and like every year he continued to say, "This was the best birthday ever!"

Rainy Days on Mondays....Nice Reprieve!!!

Ahhh.... the rain...

Today we woke up to an overcast rainy day. I LOVE it! I'm actually wearing a light jacket!

I feel a little bad, I sent the boys to school in shorts, but it's not that cold!!! :)

It's a nice reprieve from the hot Saturday we had. During Dakota's soccer game, my face got sunburnt. So bizarre! My right side of my face was a little more red than the left!! But it has already faded.

We had Dakota's birthday Saturday afternoon and it was hot, but breezy. Last year it was hot no breeze, so this was a little better. We had a good time at the park with some of Dakota's friends from church and school. It was so great this year to have a few of the moms stay and visit. I have friends!!!!! Last year, I didn't know anyone, so I was so blessed to have some fellowship time with other moms during Dakota's party! So thanks Kelly, Erika, Mayra and Stacy.

I will add pictures from the party soon, Kru just woke up from his nap and it's near impossible to blog with him wanting the computer!! Have a grand week!

Eleven Years Ago, I was Blessed!

On October 19, 1996 at 9:10 a.m., 11 years ago today,
I became a mother of a perfect baby boy, that was named Dakota!I had no idea how my life would instantaneously change, but it did. I no longer thought of myself first, but of my precious babe. At the moment I first glanced at him, I was in love. A love that I had never experienced before, an unconditional love. He was mine and came from inside of me. God had placed this little man into my arms and into my life to teach me so much; lessons I didn't even know I needed to learn, about my heavenly Father's love for me, about what it meant to sacrifice, what it meant to love, what it meant to trust in God's love for him more than my own love for him and much more.

From the very beginning, Dakota was special and has only amazed me more and more every single year that he has lived. I stand back at times in wonderment of his intelligence, helpfulness, thoughtfulness, tenderness and love. He is growing into a tremendous person. He loves Jesus and knows that Jesus loved him! He strives to be good at all he does. Getting straight "A"s, keeping a relationship with Jesus, playing sports well, being a helpful big brother are just a few things that makes Dakota so special.
God has blessed us with this young man, who informed me the other day that he is now a "tween." How did that happen??? Time flies by and I pray that I stop taking the moments forgranted and that I would live in each moment to soak it in. I pray that as another year passes that Dakota would continue to love the Lord and mature in his faith and relationship with Christ.

Eleven years ago I was blessed and I thank God that He chose me to be this little man's mother. May I continue to learn from him the things God would have me and be the kind of mother that God would want me to be.

Check out Our New House!

I know y'all have been waiting to see pictures of the house, so here it is!!! Most everything is finished, they are planting the tree today and I don't know when the shutters will be up! The inside isn't as complete as I would like, but it is coming along. Bunk beds should arrive next week and I will add a picture of our bedrooms later, but here is the house from the very beginning until today!!!

Ya'll versus Y'all

Did you know that there is a difference between the two?

It has taken a little over a year for me to figure it out, but I believe that there is a major difference, well ok maybe it's just a little difference.

My mom's family was originally from Arkansas before moving to Colorado. And she would go back in the summer to her grandmother's to visit.

I grew up with my mom using Ya'll quite often. Thus, I used the word often. In Oregon, Colorado and Nebraska, my students or youth group kids would look at me weird when I would use it, but ya'll was a part of my vocabulary influenced by my mom.

Now living in Texas, it is different. It is y'all! It sounds different, and who knows maybe it even means something different down here! I wish you could hear me say each of them to understand that I'm not mental and they really do sounds different. But for those of you who have heard them both, hopefully get it and me! :)

Have a great week, y'all!!!

Is It Really ok to Wear White in October!?!

Seriously, I need to know!!!!

Down here in Texas, we don't really have seasons, well I know that some of my Texan friends would disagree, but we don't have seasons that make us put up one set of clothes and untub another one that would have sweaters, coats, cords, etc... I tried very hard last year to figure things out down here, but 1 year later and I still am not sure about what is and what is not ok to wear. Truth of the matter is that you see pretty much everything and anything all year round, so maybe that whole white after Labor Day thing doesn't exist anymore?

So I ask, "Is it ok that I wore my white flowery high heel sandals today, October 9, to teach my class?" Everything that my mom taught me was screamin' NO, but I'm pretty sure it was ok! I actually received a few compliments on them!

It is so hot here still!!!! So I haven't even bothered to begin to look through my tubs with my winter clothes in them. Truthfully, last year I didn't get most of them out, well not completely true, I took most of them out, but didn't wear many of them. So I think that I will skip it this year and leave my short sleeves and shorts and flip flops out instead!

I know I need to get pictures up of the house, but things got crazy right before closing and I never got pictures of the house finished before it had our stuff and boxes everywhere. So I will try to get things put in their places soon and take pictures of our house with stuff in it. Just know that we are so thankful to be in the house and even more so grateful that it is ours! God has blessed us greatly and I just can't praise Him enough for all He has done for us!

Have a blessed day!
Kari

Cotton Boll, Cotton Bowl or Cotton Ball????

Do you know what a cotton boll is?

I didn't until Kye's field trip today.

He is holding one.



It's what the cotton comes from. That boll finally pops open and then you see white. I learned quite a lot about cotton today! Did you know that Texas produces more cotton than any other state and that that equals the square footage of the entire state of New Hampshire! I know! Amazing! And did you know that 80% of U.S. cotton is exported!

You see, I'm not from the south and have only seen cotton fields on the way to Louisiana during college. So the cotton fields here are still new to me and the whole process is fascinating.



I remember the first time I saw a cotton field back in 1993. I can't remember if I made Darrin stop the truck, but I know I made him slow down. I had never seen cotton in it's natural state. So today was probably more interesting for me than Kye, but he did have his own fun as well.







And I just have to say that it is October and still 95 degrees. It is so bizarre to me that you can just be standing outside and have sweat dripping off of you. I will never get used to that! We had an exciting and hot time today! I have been quite jealous of Darrin enjoying the coolness up in Chicago this week. He has been wearing sweatshirts and pants!

The House is Officially Broken In!

I should be in bed getting ready to teach my class tomorrow, but I just had the most bizarre thing happen with my child, Kye. It is 10:30 pm on a Monday night and I was finishing preparing for my class when I heard this noise like water from the fridge. The noise continued and led me to Dakota and Kye's room, where I see Kye looking just like this statue!



SERIOUSLY!!! Well, minus the cliff and greenery, AND.....

HE WAS PEEING ON THE BRAND NEW CARPET IN HIS ROOM!!!!

WHAT IN THE WORLD?????!!!!!

SERIOUSLY!!

This has never happened before and I'm shocked, but at the same time I am not. You must remember, this is Kye, and... well it's Kye.
Attempting to stop him but not wake the other boys, I said something quite brilliant!

"What are you doing?"

In which this blank stare replied!

"Kye, you are peeing on the floor, stop."

Blank stare

I was still in shock, I didn't know whether to laugh, get angry, or cry wondering what is wrong with my Kye?!

Seriously! Lord, what are you wanting to teach me about myself and YOU and Kye by giving him to me?
Lord, give me patience and the ability to bite my tongue!

Oh and he finishes, and it goes everywhere. By the time I had gotten over the shock and turned to go get some towels, he pulled up his pajamas and crawled back under the covers!

How does one really clean up pee, anyway?

Will the cat and dog now have to pee on it to mark it their own?

Someone told me that I would get over being extra cautious about the newness of the house and that it would be broken in soon. HOWEVER, I did not expect it to be broken in in this way!

I want to add pictures of the house, but I am trying to wait until it looks presentable, but we are so thrilled and thankful to God that we are finally in our wonderful house.

We moved in on Wednesday, right after closing. The kids are great and loving having all of their toys back. The dog is happy to have a yard and we are happy not having to lease him up 4 times a day to go do his business. I still can't believe it is ours, but that same friend told me I would know that as soon as that first mortgage payment is due! :)

Darrin is in Chicago for 5 days at a conference, so he didn't get to enjoy the house but a few nights. I will get some pictures up of the first day of schools and some other going ons while we were in the apartment! It is so great to have internet again!!!!

So really what do I need to do about the pee thing???? :)

And We Have Paint!!!!

YEAH!!! The house is coming along and as of last Thursday, we hope we only have 2 1/2 more weeks!!!! Everything is painted and the cabinets are hung! Again, I wish I could put up a picture.

I don't know if anyone is even reading this as I can't send out an email to my friends and family, cuz I'm not on my laptop, oh well. So we hope that we will be in sooner than October 1! But still not counting on anything as this whole building a house thing is quite unpredictable!

Hope you all are well and enjoying a cooling in the temperature where you live, we here aren't! Darrin and Dakota went to the A&M game yesterday where people were falling over from heat exhaustion! It's still so hot here! Enjoy the changing of the seasons if you have some change!

Will write again soon!
Kari

The Walls Are Up!!!!

YES! The walls are up, as of Friday. They aren't textured or anything like that yet, but I can't see through my house anymore and it actually feels like a real house where I could live and wish I was living in it right now. But as I'm always reminded that God is Sovereign and His timing is perfect, we will be in when we are supposed to be. The builder has told the appraisers October 1, but I pray that he is wrong and that if it does finish before the 1st, that we will be able to get in sooner!!!

I don't even know if that can legally happen now that he has given them that date, but I'm still praying. My friend, Toni, told me to always go 4-6 weeks longer than they tell you and it looks to be as if she was right on with that!!!

The good news about the apartment is that they brought over a brand new out of the box dishwasher and installed it on Monday! WooHoo!!! And they even put in a deadbolt for me too! The other great news from our hot part of the country is.... that Dakota loves school! I cried on Monday and Tuesday as so many prayers were answered. He told me on Tuesday afternoon, "Mom, I think I'm going to be ok here at Cypress." I'm so proud of him! He is attending a intermediate school with more children in attendance than any school I ever attended including college! Wow! Seriously!!! He is so brave and mature! He likes his many teachers and comes home daily with plenty of stories to tell! Praise God!

Kye begins 1/2 day Kindergarten Tuesday. We went yesterday and bought him new shoes! He is stoked! He can't wait. Both Kru and Kye have missed Dakota terribly this week and I'm not sure what Kru will do once he is alone! But we will have a good time. I begin teaching on Tuesday as well and am looking forward to that. I'm going to be teaching on Thursdays too as my class on Tues. filled! I'm praying that this is a door that the Lord has opened and can flourish by next year into more classes, but who knows, we will wait and see how this semester goes.

I just wanted to update you all as I am here at the library as my hour long session is almost expired! They should begin painting this week and I will try to have some pictures up next week, but who knows!

Talk to you soon!
Kari

We have Shingles!!!

YEAH!!!

We have shingles on the roof!!!:) That is very exciting and I haven't driven by today to see if we have drywall, but I'm praying we do! I wish I could show you a picture of our house! I just might have to sneak over to Darrin's office and put one up for ya'll to see.

One week down and only 4 to go!!!!! Yesterday, I went to lovely WalMart and bought some ant traps! The whole ants in the peanut butter, sippy cups, etc.. was getting too much for me! And we also purchased a rubbermaid tub thingy for Kru to take a bath in from now on. Kye will have to take showers too. The tub thing is just too much for me to go into now, but just trust me, that the boys can no longer sit in the tub!

Dakota has meet the teacher at school tonight! I pray that we both will be encouraged and excited for Monday.

I will update again from the library! Take care and have a great weekend!

5 LONG WEEKS!!!!

Hello Everyone,

I hope that this post finds you well! I am sitting at the public library checking my emails and I had to update you on our latest. As of last Tuesday, we are residing in a 2 bedroom furnished apartment waiting the completion of our house! It's going to be a long 5 weeks!!!:) The good news is that the builder tells us that the drywall will be up by Wed. and that it is 3 weeks from that point on until completion, unless hurricane Dean has other plans!! The plumbing and electric are complete and the venting system is done and the insulation is finished!

The good news about our current place is that we have a roof over our heads, there is running water, and we have beds. The not so good news is that the whole place smells of smoke, the ants are taking over :), and when you do shower the water comes up past your ankles! :) But I am reminded repeatedly everyday, that it could be worse and how much more we will appreciate our house when we get in! I am also being taught specifically about "being content in all things," :) The boys are doing fairly well with the changes, Dakota and Kye are sharing a double bed, which is going surprisingly well!!! We are actually considering keeping that arrangement in the new house, well except 2 twin beds. Kru is sleeping in the play n pack and is getting more and more used to that and not coming into our bed in the middle of the night! The dog and cat and settling in as well.

I wish I could show you pictures, but you will just have to use your imagination! I hope this week to be picking flooring, counters, and paint for the house and we hope that the brick begins to be laid as well. Will update when I can! Take care!
Love to you all,
Kari

A Change of Plans/Summer Happenings

As many of you know, we were planning on moving back to Lincoln in June. We had things all set to go, Darrin's approval to work at home, a real estate agent who was finding a house for us to buy, an approved home loan, etc... And then God said, "Wait a minute! This is not what I want you to do!" It's amazing the difference when God gives us choices and when God says this IS the only choice! If you know what I mean!
"The Lord makes everything go as He pleases" Prov. 16:4

In a matter of a few weeks, EVERYTHING changed! God completely rearranged our plans, attitudes, mindsets, everything! And the big thing, WE WERE OK WITH IT!!!! AMAMZING!:) I won't bore you with all the details, but lets just say that God is Great and is Sovereign!!!

That picture is our house!!!! Yes, we are building and are going to have a house of our very own for the first time, ever! 13 years is a long time to wait to own, but God has perfect timing! We are so excited, we can't wait! So is about 6 weeks that will be where we'll be living! Our new address is: 4209 Whispering Creek Drive all other info stays the same. We are already getting mail there, so you can once again change our address! Have you learned to write ours in pencil yet?!

I also wanted you all to know that as of this weekend, we will be living somewhere else. Our property management is making us leave here before the house is ready. So we are looking at some temporary housing for us. Don't know where that is exactly, but God does and I know HE will reveal it to us soon, I'm hoping today!:) Our phone #s will be the same, but for those 6 weeks, I will have limited internet access, but Darrin will still have his at work. I will try to get to the library every now and then to check mine! So the next time I update this, we will be in our house! YEAH!!!!!

School begins soon and Dakota is excited about trying it again. 5th grade! Can't believe it! Kye is going to go to a 1/2 day Kindergarten this year and then go to public all day Kindergarten next year. Kru and I will hang out and hopefully have more time to take walks again! Before all of that happens, I wanted to update you on our summer happenings!



We spend a ton of time at the pool! We bought a summer pass and are getting our moneys worth! We try to go everyday, but the weather hasn't wanted to cooperate all summer! We all have nice tans and Kye and Kru's hair gets blonder and blonder! Kye is swimming better and can go off the slide at one of the pools by himself now and Kru is CRAZY!!!!! He jumps in alone, goes under water all the time! He loves the water as much as Kye ever did. I wish you could hear Kru sy swimming and other words, he is too cute! Dakota with his crazy long hair, likes to bring a friend along to play in the deep end!


Have you ever heard of Blue Bell Ice Cream??? Well, close to us here are their headquarters. And in July, Blue Bell turned 100 and they threw a party! Free ice cream and lots of it!! It was super hot, but we had fun. We had our picture taken with Daisy the cow and ate way too much ice cream. The boys were able to make their own and see farm animals and play some games!




We were all very tired by the end of the day, but had lots of fun and it was free!!!!

Then last weekend right before shark week of Discovery Channel, we went down to the aquarium in Houston. They had a bunch of extra stuff there to promote shark week and we had a good time!

We rode on the train that took us on a shark adventure! Kru wasn't so sure about the sharks that were swimming around us and over us, but Kye and Dakota thought it was cool!

We saw many different kinds of fish, white tigers, and many sea animals! We even got to feel some stingrays!

It was a hot day!!! And they have a really neat splash pad there that the boys enjoyed playing in and cooling off! There was even live music!


We are going this weekend to Austin and San Antonio with Kory and Shelley. They are flying in to Austin and we are driving over to go to Sea World with them! It has been almost 18 months since seeing them and the boys are WAY excited! I will update that in September sometime! Until then, I hope you are staying cool somewhere! I don't know when I will ever get used to this heat here! I mean seriously, my eyebrows sweat!!!! Have you ever had your eyebrows sweat? That is hot!!! Thanks to all of you have kept us in your prayers! We really have appreciated it! Take care!