We’re still here . . .

This a repost but I like it and I have been very busy lately.   Worked 72 hours this week.  Not fun!  Hope you enjoy it.

Hunter’s Photo Shoot

Hi Everyone,

I’ve really been slacking on the blogging.  There hasn’t been too much news around here but with the weather just starting to change it seems like things are starting to pick up.  I’ll make this a fast one.  Nick has just started track.  Kalee has just started drivers training . . . oh joy.  I’m working more than I should.  Piper is working harder than she should and still running way too many miles per week.  Hunter has been in a really good space lately and nothing but pure fun for probably the last two weeks straight.  Every day he both amazes us and makes us laugh out loud.  We don’t know what to teach him next.  He now knows all 50 states without a problem.  Can recognize and name all 44 (?) presidents by their faces and says “Jimmy Caaaartuer” with a southern accent.  Lately, he’s been wanting to learn the state flags and can now recognize 11 of them.  But, seriously, when do you ever need to know your state flags?  Maybe I’ll get him hooked on state capitals or we’ll start math flash cards?

Piper and I took on a little photo project because Hunter just turned two recently.  We had a blast doing it!  Hunter listened surprisingly well.  Here are the results.  Prints, without the cheesy logo, to be sent out to grandparents within a few weeks.

Family Update

Hey Everyone,

Everyone has had a bit of news since I last made an update:

Me:

My surgery went fantastic!  It was the first time I had ever been “under”.  It simply amazes me how perfect they have the process of anesthesia down pat.  “David, take two deep breaths . . . “  The last thing I remember is starting the second breath and the next thing I remember is the nurse telling me it was time to get up.  I’m in a completely different room and for the most part feeling amazingly well.  I was on the table at 7:30 A.M. and walking out of the hospital at 11 A.M.  I went home, took a tap and actually went to Kalee’s basketball game that same night.  The nurse told me a gall ball surgery used to be a standard 5 day stay in the hospital when she first started nursing.

The doctor told me that I had 20 stones in my gall bladder.  He looked at me like I was insane when I asked if that was a lot.  Apparently, so!  The not so impressive fact is that to this day the medical community still has no idea what causes them.  Beer drinkers rejoice, your hobby is still safe.

Piper:

Yet another 5K run from Mrs. fitness.  And once again she improved her personal best time.  She now has one run a month scheduled for the next 5 months.    Whether or not she is running the 1/2 marathon in May is still undecided but she’ll need to commit soon because you just don’t wake up the morning of and decide to run 13 miles.  We are all so proud of her and what’s even better is she is truly enjoying running.

Kalee:

Kalee is doing well and feeling great.  Tom & Cathy came down for one of her recent basketball games and she hit a 3 pointer with 1.3 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.  Kalee’s first 3 pointer ever in a game.  Now she thinks she can’t miss a shot and is shooting constantly.   Oh what a bit confidence can do for you.

Nick:

Well, it’s almost official that Nick has been offered the job to be a counselor this year a Pretty Lake Vacation Camp.  We’re all very excited, because they receive so many applicants and it will be such a great experience for him.  He has been getting some great letters of recommendation and they’ve been very inspirational to read.

I’m still chasing Hunter around with a camera in my hand and going through the couple of pictures (that is an understatement for anyone not paying attention) I have of him.

Take care…..David

Could you put him to bed?

Hey everyone!

Is it bad when the emergency room knows Piper on a first name basis?  I’m exaggerating of course, but just this past Sunday, Kalee ended up in the emergency room.  Just like my visit, it’s probably not that serious and we’re doing our due diligence to follow-up.  Rest assured Kalee is just fine and she was out the same day and back home.

In some better news, Nick was once again asked to be a guest speaker at Pretty Lake Vacation Camp.  This time it is was for their annual board of directors dinner.  The camp uses this dinner as a means to get the word out to prominent members of the community that the camp survives on donations and volunteers only.  Nick and I got the chance to have dinner with some wonderful people.  Nick did an excellent job speaking and it was obvious that he felt more at ease this time around.  He really did do a great job and several board members and attendees came up to him afterwards to let him know the same.

That’s it for now.  In our near future we have Tom and Cathy coming down to catch one of Kalee’s basketball games and we’ll be hosting a small get together for the Superbowl.

Until the next post….I ask you this.  Could you put him to bed?

Spanky of the “Little Rascals”

Hey Everyone,

Hunter just wanted to say “Oh tay!”

Kalee Playing some Hoops

Kalee had a game Monday that I got a chance to go to.  I watched the first half and then took some photos during the second half.  Kalee had 6 points and played very well I thought.  Unfortunately they lost.  Here are some shots of just Kalee and then a couple that I thought were pretty funny.

There are seven players in this shot!  Now that is going to the ball .

A visit from Emily

Hey gang.  I’ve been trying to post more but it just seems with family life, work and other things that I never seem to have enough time.  So I’ll try to keep the updates quick and short.  Our dryer called it quits so I was out buying a new dryer today and it should be delivered tomorrow.  It’s amazing how fast laundry piles up for a family of five.

A big problem we have is working on the computer when Hunter is home and awake.  He gets really cranky and into a lot of things he should not be into,  so we bought him his own play desk.  I just finished putting it together and hopefully this will allow him to play peacefully along side myself or Piper while we are on the computer.  I’m quite the dreamer, huh?

Here is a couple shots of Emily from her last visit.  Take care . . .

Jeff and Alicia Visit and A Hockey Game

Sam had a couple hockey games in Holland this past weekend and Jeff and Alicia were nice enough to visit the night before.  They even brought Grandpa with them.  Everyone had a good time visiting with each other and Sam and Emily kept Hunter busy.  We played some euchre.  The girls are getting much better but just couldn’t win a match this weekend.  I went to watch Sam play on Saturday.  We even got a surprise visit with Uncle Tom and Aunt Cathy.  I got chance to be on the bench and take pictures during the game.  I ended up with a lot more good ones than I expected.  Here are just a few of them.  Sorry, there are so many.  Jeff and Alicia, I’ll send you a bunch once I’m finished with them.

The blizzard started slow allowing this wrap around goal . . .

But that was the end of any scoring from the other team as the goalie got in his groove with many great saves like this one . . .

This series of pictures ended up a bit out of focus but it’s a five frame series of a goal scored by the blizzard . . .

Close, but another good save . . .

Severson rips one from far out . . .

In between period “how-to” from the coach . . .

This is going to be scary . . .

Preparing for impact and closing the eyes . . .

The New TV is Up!

Hey everyone! It’s been pretty quiet around here.  Only a couple things of importance.  I have surgery to remove my gall bladder scheduled for February 2nd.  It should be straight forward and it’s usually outpatient.  The only drawback is that it’s the day after the Super Bowl and I have to be at the hospital at 6 AM.

I finally got around to getting the new TV installed on the wall in the bedroom.  I thought it was going to be quite the project but it turned out to be relatively easy.  The hardest part was running the cable for the internet down to the basement.  We decided to move the computer down to the basement to make some more room in the bedroom and this required running the cables to a new spot.

In a lot less interesting news.  Piper and I went to a free ballroom dancing lesson.  It turned out to be better than I expected but I really have no interest in learning ballroom dancing.  That’s it for now. . .

This is what I started with and needed to install

This is a bit of the mess I had going for awhile.

The completed project!

A couple of Hunter, just because.

Just after his bath and helping with a puzzle.

Happy New Years!

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope you all are enjoying the day.

This morning Piper and her friend Melissa ran in a 4.4 mile race for charity.  It was 28 degrees out.  We were pretty surpised when about 500 runners showed up.  Piper said it was the toughest run she has done to date because of a monster hill.  The course was a 2.2 mile loop that they had to do twice so she had to climb that hill both times.  She ended up with a great time of 46:16 and ran the whole race with her friend.  I’m off to watch the Rose Bowl.  Happy 2009!

Piper and her friend Melissa just before the race

The run was sponsored by Gazelle Sports and they brought their mascot.

You pretty much have to be crazy to run on New Years Day.

The winner. He actually went around three times before Piper and Melissa finished their two laps.

Out on the course running.