Spring time in Wichita

Hellooooo everyone,

I'm finally back!

Sorry I haven't written for so long. Besides being so busy, I was sick with a terrible cold/laryngitis's, had pleurisy, and then hurt my shoulder. I'm not sure how I hurt my shoulder, but it was so painful, it hurt to walk, sit, and lay down. So I didn't get much sleep or get much accomplished. I am finally getting caught up on my cleaning and every day stuff. I still have to be careful with my arm. I can tell it is very weak and wouldn't take much to hurt it again. Maybe I pulled a muscle or over worked my shoulder. I did go to the Dr., not for x-rays, but to get a pain killer and to receive a written excuse for Home Depot so I could still work but not lift anything. Luckily I had 6 days off during Easter time to recover.

Since I last wrote Keegan has been to NYC/Washington D.C. during spring break. I will NEVER be able to express the outstanding time she had. She is still talking and referring to her trip. They did so much. What a wonderful opportunity she had with her Drama class. Her teacher takes them every other year. Guess who has already decided she wants to go again her senior year?

Keegan has performed in a few more plays. She is getting larger parts every time. The last play, she was so good in ("Flowers For Algernon"). Everyone really enjoyed her character. She had to be a very mean mother to her retarded son. She ended up going insane by the end of the story. Some parts she broke my heart, because she was so believable! Next weekend she will be in her last play for the year. There are 4 main parts and she has 1 of them. ("A Mid Summer nights Dream"). She has been loving every minute of it. We can't wait to watch her again. Her talent of acting must come from her Uncle Dick. It sure didn't come from David or I!!

For the first year ever, I think Keegan is looking forward to school being out. She is so close to being burnt out with homework. I feel so sorry for her. It is such a hard rigorous program that she is in. Sometimes we wish she would just get out of the IB Program and take the easier road. Next year will be so much tougher than this year. We have to leave the decision to her, and she wants to stay in it. Many of her classmates have dropped out. So far none of her immediate friends have.

Dawson has also been doing a bunch of things. During spring break he and David went to Oklahoma City and Kansas City to watch basketball games, I believe it was 8 games total!

They spent a few nights in each city and explored the new territories. He had a great time and talked about it as much as the other kid that went to NYC!!

He is now on a Lacrosse team. I was so sad he wasn't going to play baseball this year, but he has truly loved playing this sport. He is on a great team. They won the state championship last year, so we were afraid he wouldn't get to play much since his teammates are so good. Dawson caught on quickly and is very good at it, and plays most of the game. He is the second tallest kid on the team, so that helps him a lot! We enjoy watching him play. It is a very fast paced game. I still don't understand the rules, but I know how they score!! This weekend he is in a tournament and extremely exciting to participate. Hopefully they will do as good as last year. The Lacrosse organization is through the city not his school.

Our son is now a teenager. He had his 13Th birthday this past week. He celebrated all weekend. One of his closest friends/classmate also had a birthday, so they enjoyed doing everything together. Dawson is also excited about school getting out in 4 weeks.

Oh I almost forgot, Dawson's computer tech class went to a competition at Kansas State University. He put on a demonstration for some computer program he had been working on. He placed 6Th in the competition out of hundreds of kids. He was the only one who placed in his school! We were so proud of him. I think he has found his calling. I'm so excited about him learning so much in this computer class. Their school is getting ready to do state testing. Dawson's computer tech teacher has him working on all of the laptops the students will be using to make sure they are ready for the testing.

I've been writing so much about the kids, I haven't mentioned David. He is doing good, still working hard and enjoying his weekends with the kids. Mostly Dawson, since Keegan is always doing homework if she's not in a performance.

I guess that's a quick version on what's been up with us for the past 2 months. Hopefully I won't wait so long to write til the next time. I have started up on Face book, but I don't have much on it yet.

One last thing...What is a better name for "windy"? There has to be a bigger name for it. I can't tell you how crazy it is. It feels like it's going to pick you up off your feet. You can feel the house shake. I want to shave my head so I can quit being concerned about my hair the second I leave the house! Before we moved here, people told me, who had lived here before, how windy Wichita is, I thought...oh quit being such a big baby, how windy could it be?? Well I'm here to tell you it is non stop. Not a little windy, a lot of WIND!! Do I sound like I'm complaining? I'm not sure, because it feels good, and my wind chimes sounds beautiful (although I'm not sure my neighbors agree!!). It just is windy ALL THE TIME. I hope it doesn't turn into a tornado. Every Monday at noon they test the tornado siren, It took awhile, but we finally got used to hearing it on Mondays.

The spring time is absolutely gorgeous here. I have taken a tons of pictures of the flowers and trees that blossomed. I also love the Robins, it just makes me feel so good to be able to enjoy this Spring season.

Okay, now I'm done writing. I've attached a lot of photos of the kids, so make sure you scroll all the way done the side bar. Please keep in touch. We miss and love all of you. God willing we will be able to visit you all this summer.

With love and God's blessing,

Marjie

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Hello everyone and Happy Valentine's Day,

As you probably guessed, I've been sooo busy. Thankfully Home Depot has been giving me a lot of hours these past few weeks. I was afraid the past month and a half I wouldn't get many hours. This time of year generally is slow. Maybe this means our economy is starting to turn around?

The kids have been loving the winter. They have had 2 snow days from school so far. Both days fell next to the weekend, so they had extra long weekends!

The kids have been busy with school/homework. They also continue to have fun with their new friends. Especially Dawson, he is always going somewhere with his friends. Dawson is now taller than me! Just 1 month ago I was 1/4" taller than him. Can you believe that? Keegan is still a little taller than him, but not by much. I keep telling him, he will soon be her "big" brother, so he needs to take good care of her. David and I have to remind ourselves that he is still only 12. He is very mature, so he looks and acts much older.

Keegan is very excited lately. Everyday she has been receiving a ton of mail from different Universities across the country. She recently took a PSAT test, so we think her name is now out to everyone. She has read every single letter. Plus she has received just as many e-mails from different colleges. I told her the best college will be the one that offers her a full ride!! I need to start praying, huh?

David is doing well. Still plugging away with work. Most of our excitement is keeping up with the kids. We did make a trip to Oklahoma City on Valentine's day. We didn't spend the night, but we did have a nice dinner before we left the city. We were surprised had glad we were to be home in Wichita. The traffic was very similar to Phoenix. That is one thing we don't miss at all.

I have attached a few pictures of our backyard again. I can't help it, I absolutely love our wooded area outback. A couple of weeks ago we saw a fox run through the woods. Because it was so white with snow, you could see him for quite a ways. Most of our snow has melted again. I almost expected to see snow today. It was so cold out with the wind blowing.

It's getting late, but I wanted to say a quick hi to everyone before I go to bed.

Good night. Love to all, and God bless you.

Marjie

Homecoming Dance

Hi everyone,

I finally got all of our decorations put away. I was afraid the outside was going to stay decorated until spring! Although I had to have Dawson hold the ladder for me because it was so windy.

Not much new has happened. The kids have four days off this weekend. They are both happy about that.

Keegan had a dance that she went to last night at her high school. I've attached a few pictures of her modeling her outfit. Meanwhile Dawson spent the night at his friends house. David and I had the night to ourselves. What did we do together? We watched the Saints killing our AZ Cardinals! Plus every moment I was getting sicker and sicker. Yes, I have a full blown cold now. I feel terrible. Luckily I also took off 4 days to be with the family. Hopefully I will feel better my last 2 days of my vacation, before I go back to work on Tuesday.

I have also attached a few more pictures above. One morning everything had a layer of ice on it. The trees were so beautiful in our backyard one day last week. I wish I could have gotten some close up pictures, but I had to go to work. The next pictures are of the kids snowman out back. All of the snow had melted except our snowman. We laughed so hard when we saw it. You can look at the snowman in my previous pictures if you want to see what he used to look like.

This week was really nice. It was in the high 30's, low 40's. Wait a minute, did I just say that those temperatures were nice?! Oh oh, I think I've been here too long, if I consider that nice weather. Compared to last week it was down in the single digits. That was bitter cold.

I hope you are all doing well. We miss and love you. We are in the middle of the country now, so anyone can come visit us.

God bless you,

Marjie

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,

What a change from last year at this time. Who would ever have thought we would be here in Wichita, Kansas! It is so different from Phoenix. We look outside and the ground is all white with snow. It has only snowed 5 times so far, but I guess it is not very common for Wichita to have snow this early in the season. It has only accumulated to about 2 inches. When it does snow it is very pretty how it covers the ground with a white blanket. The evenings are so bright, I guess from the reflection of the snow? The kids are still fascinated every time it snows. During their winter break one evening while it was snowing, they went outside to play until 2:00 am. They threw snowballs, made snow angels, sleighed down our small hill out back and built a snowman!

My sister Linda and her boys Brian and Daniel, drove from Illinois to visit us and helped us celebrate the coming of the New year. We showed them around our city, played games and visited a lot. We were sad to see them leave so soon. They were our 1st visitors to our new home.

The kids go back to school tomorrow. Neither one of them are looking forward to it. They had such a nice winter break.

Christmas was very quiet for us. We opened presents in the morning, I made our traditional steaks for lunch/dinner, although usually I grill them outside. I tried to fire up the grill, in about 1 minute of being outside I changed my mind and decided to broil them inside! David volunteered to work on Christmas to make that extra buck and the kids and I played board games all day.

During the break, Keegan read a bunch of books and had a chance to leisurely write. Dawson watched a lot of sports on TV and played his PSP games.

I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful Christmas. I pray that God will be with all of you this new year and He will bring you peace and joy. May you all succeed in whatever you do.

Happy New Year.

Love & miss you,

Marjie

It's Really cold here!

Hello Everyone,

Two important things to report since the last time I wrote.

The Arizona Cardinals beat the Vikings. (Yeah!)

And....

IT'S COLD HERE! I mean really cold!! We are definitely going to need long legged underwear. So far it has snowed 1 time, but it didn't stick. It was the first snowfall Dawson has seen.

Dawson is so funny, he is soaking up this whole new experience of living in Kansas. He wants to walk to his bus stop in the cold, and he's trying to not wear a winter jacket as long as possible. Keegan on the other hand has half the walk to her bus stop (the front of our cul de sac) and I am driving her every morning! She is not adjusting to the cold at all. I was the same way as her when I lived in Wisconsin. I never did like the cold. I can tolerate this so far. Probably because of my old age!! Also I am trying so hard to keep a positive attitude.

We are all doing good. Both kids are doing so well in their classes. They are both looking forward to Christmas vacation. Keegan is nervous for all of the exams coming up. Her classes are so difficult. I can't believe next year is suppose to be her toughest year in this IB program that she's in. She manages herself so well. I am beyond impressed with how well she does. Her theater production is finally done. Until the next one! The next musical production she has volunteered and wants to learn the technical part of it. Hopefully it won't be as demanding.

Dawson has one more weekend of soccer, but he will play 3 games total. I'm sure he will be exhausted by the end of it. I still haven't been able to get off on a Sat to go watch him. I'm hoping I will be able to watch his last game. Dawson has a very unique class in school that he really loves. He is being taught how to fix computers. He's learning how to take them apart and put them back together. Plus so much more. It sounds like something he will be able to do as a career if he continues and likes it. His teacher is very knowledgeable in this field.

My hours at Home Depot have been cut back a little, but it's okay so far.

David is doing good. He is very thankful we moved here when we did. Now the Post Office is placing their employees where they want and with no more choices. If the people don't like it, too bad, they're out of a job!

We had a very nice, quiet Thanksgiving. It was the four of us having a nice big dinner. Afterwards we went down town and walked across the bridge of the Arkansas River. It was sort of cold but very pretty. When you all come to visit us, you will be very surprised what a neat city Wichita is. It has so much character.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and you enjoy the Christmas season. This year is going to be so hard for a lot of people with all of the extra added expenses. I hope it will be a year we all turn to God and grasp the true meaning of Christmas more than ever before. I know I am sure looking at Christmas differently this year.

Hope you like the pictures attached. Keegan is all dressed up in her musical costume. Dawson is happy because it's snowing outside, and pictures from Thanksgiving.

Love to all. God bless all of you this wonderful Christmas season.

Marjie

Update on what's happening this week

Hi there,

Update on what's new this week.

Dawson did make the team for an indoor soccer league. He was pretty excited. This team is really good, so he was very proud of himself. The facility is not close to our home, but his friends mom will drive them to practice every week. David will take him to his games on Saturdays. He thinks it's a lot more difficult than outdoor soccer, since they can play off the walls, so the ball can ricochet anywhere! I'm seeing less and less of Dawson. Almost every day he calls me after school and wants to go to his friends home. His friend seems like a good kid, plus the parents are home. He is growing up so fast. Again I have to say, I feel like the kids are much safer here in Wichita.

Keegan and I went to see the performance "Wicked" last week. Wow, what a great show it was. If you haven't seen it, you need to. I only regret sitting too far from the stage. We couldn't see their faces. The music was outstanding. It was fun for Keegan and I to do something together. We haven't been able to do much, since she is always slammed with homework and I'm working a lot of hours. Every day after school Keegan has musical practice until 6 pm. On the weekends they get together to do sets for the musical. She is getting very industrious. She uses a drill and many other tools. Her knees are covered with bruises! In one of the dances they fall to their knees and spin around. She is getting quite the workout! She did say last night she enjoyed plays more than musicals.

David is supposed to go back to his regular job this week, instead of being a supervisor. I am glad. It seemed like it made him very unhappy with his job, because of the added stress.

Nothing much with my job. Just trying to deal with all of the rude customers lately. Because we are so under staffed and they can't hire any new people, the customers take it out on us employees. Many times I am working Decor and Flooring by myself for up to 3-4 hours before someone else comes in. I'm complaining huh? I do appreciate that I have a job!

The weather is cold and it's supposed to SNOW this week! Dawson is very excited, Keegan is not. I'm not sure how I feel about it, I guess I'll tell you down the road. There are so many things that we really love about living in Wichita, that I'm hoping the winters won't change our mind. I keep trying to tell myself how much I hated the summers in AZ. I'd like to think we are in between the two!!

I posted a few more pictures for you to look at. I finally got some pictures of the front of our house.

I better go before this is too long to read. Maybe it's already too late.

Love to all. May God continue to bless you.

Marjie

Three Months in Kansas

Hello,

It's been so long since I have written. Maybe everyone has given up on me by now. I am going to try and write something or put in some new pictures weekly.

Dawson is really growing a lot this year. He has an appetite larger than all of us. I'm not sure where he puts all of his food. He has finished playing soccer and now would like to get on a fall indoor soccer league, but I'm not sure if I'm up to driving him all around. He couldn't find anything close to our home. He did well his first quarter in school. I think it's too easy for him, but I think he is into "easy" this year. Dawson attended his first school dance a couple of weeks ago. When I went to pick him up, he was all sweaty! I thought, wow... I guess he really got into the dancing scene. No, he and a bunch of guys went into the gym and played basketball the whole time!

Keegan has been in 2 plays now. A school play, and her Drama class put on a play. She is quite the actor. Now she is practicing for their school musical "Once upon a Mattress". I think she is loving all of it. She too did well in school with her grades. She doesn't have much time for anything except school, Drama, homework, eat and sleep. A couple of weeks ago she and I went to a dinner show and saw the musical "Chicago". We also have tickets to see the musical "Wicked" in November. Keegan went to her high school homecoming dance and had a great time.

David and I are mostly working. Nothing to really talk about. We are just both thankful to have jobs.

The fall season has been so gorgeous. Although It is leaving us way too fast. It has been so windy that the leaves are falling as fast as they are turning their pretty colors. We also have had a lot of rain and some very cold days. We are not quite ready for winter,but I'm afraid it's close. Both of the kids walk to their school bus stops in the mornings. Dawson loves it, Keegan complains about how cold she is! (Dawson has to walk twice as far to his bus stop!)

I have a few pictures attached. Autumn in Kansas and pictures of the kids ready for their school dances. It is getting late, so I better go.

God bless you all.

We love and miss you,

Marjie