Days to Remember

Anybody out there?

2011-07-31T20:43:00.001-07:00

Just checking... post a comment if you are.

Better Late than Never

2009-11-13T06:14:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Halloween this year! Logan was ADORABLE as a fairy/pixie. She loved her costume - even the headband (which is a BIG deal!:)! We started our Halloween fun with the 3rd Annual Spooktacular... a fun little get together with some friends from college. It's so fun to see all of the kiddos dressed up!

Nate- Robot, Logan - crying pixie, Spencer - UPS man,

Jetta - Dorothy and Madeline - Snow White
Logan hanging close to Daddy.

The night of Halloween we stopped by my parents house so that they

could see Logan in her costume and for us to see the boys...

Our family...

Pretty girl!

Next we headed over to Dr. C's house for his Halloween Party.

We LOVE our pediatrician and love that he opens up his home

to his patients on Halloween. Last year at his party, Logan wasn't mobile

so it was a nice relaxing time at his party... this year, that wasn't the case.

After catching her walking around holding a piece of his crystal, we decided

to call it a night. Thank goodness she didn't drop it!

We weren't planning on Trick or Treating this year, simply because she

has no clue and we are trying to keep candy from her as long as we can! But decided

to try a couple of houses just for fun. She loved it a got the hang of it pretty quick!

BOO!!

Uninspired

2009-10-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

I guess that's to blame for my lack of blogging. Our lives have been quite calm (for the first time in our married lives!) these last few weeks. I have been busy with school and Kyle has been busy working to get his business off the ground. We are currently in the process of figuring out what the next step for our family is going to look like... I realize that is rather cryptic and for now, I'll keep it that way. I'll give more details at a later date.

BUT, this weekend left me feeling INSPIRED to update the blog. We had a great weekend. If you are on Facebook, then you've already seen these pictures, if not here you go!!

We started out with our weekly visit to the Dallas Farmer's Market. It was an absolutely beautiful day so we stuck around a little longer than usual and enjoyed being outside.

Then on Sunday morning we went to The Pumpkin Express. Last weekend we went to another pumpkin patch which was also fun but SUPER crowded. We thought we would beat the crowd this week by going on Sunday just as it opened... it worked!

That's my dad in front us on the train making the funny face at Logan.

Happy Fall!

test

2009-10-25T11:41:00.001-07:00

First Day of School

2009-08-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

Logan started back at Mom's Day Out today. As you can see, she was very excited to be reunited with her school baby doll...

I thought this was cute of her at play time... just strolling with her arms behind her back.

Here she is checking out one of the riding toys...

"Cheeeese".... can't you just hear her saying it?

What is Logan doing laying on top of Elmo? This is what happens when you choose not to nap during nap time... she was about to pass out and it was almost time to go home.

Busy girl headed to the car...

And.... she's out. It was so funny on the drive home, she was singing "Twinkle, Twinkle" one minute and then I turned to look at her and she was OUT - she must have sung herself to sleep.

Overall, it was a good day!

Let's get ready to Wiggle!

2009-08-12T19:54:00.001-07:00

Most everyone know that Logan has had a slight obsession with The Wiggles from a very early age. Seriously, we listened to them for 8 hours straight (the same DVD) coming home from Kansas City this past December. She loves them... no, she LOOOVES them. So, when we heard that they were coming to Dallas, we just knew that we had to go see them.

Me with Lo as we were headed out the door...

"Toot, toot, chugga, chugga big red car..." All loyal Wiggles' viewers will have this tune going though their head now...

Logan can't quite figure out what is going on...

Our friends, the Bell's, were able to join us!

Logan watching....

Still trying to figure it out...

She did great! Once she kind of understood what was going on she really got into it... singing along, etc. She started to get a bit antsy the last 15 minutes or so, but overall she seemed to really enjoy it!

The best part of the show was as we were walking out to our car, when Kyle turned to me and said, "Did we really spend $xxx.00 on this?". Yep. We sure did... and it was worth it!

Busy and Exhausted

2009-07-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

That is my current state... we have been so busy the last few weeks... here is a brief synopsis of our happenings...

**Sold our house... closed on May 21.

**Left for a month to Colorado on May 22... you know how that went by all of the posts below but a quick recap would be "AMAZING!!"

**Returned home from Colorado June 23

**Kyle's bootcamps picked back up immediately

**Stayed with my parents until we found and moved into our apartment by June 28 (yes found and moved in 5 days after returning from CO, moving day was 106 degrees.... who am I kidding, I didn't move us, but Kyle did and I felt SO BAD for him!)

**Kyle officially left staff with YL (effective July 1)

**We had a few days to unwind before Kyle started back to his new job as a financial planner

**I started taking classes in Summer 2 - on July 6 the same day we left for Kansas City for a quick trip to visit Kyle's mom and for me to interview at a nursing school there on July 8.

**Fun weekend at the lake... July 11-12

**Back to MDO for the rest of the summer program for Logan

**Back to work for me - 2 days a week

**LOTS of studying for me... Anatomy and Physiology in a 5 week summer course was not a smart idea.... oh and I am also taking another class that I have hardly cracked open the book for... I still have 2.5 weeks left surely I can get it done in time...

I think that's it. We are busy and exhausted... but we are also having fun and grateful.

Last Few Days

2009-06-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well we have had a great last week here at Trail West. It's bittersweet to be headed home tomorrow. I really think that I would stay all summer if I could... easy for me to say seeing as though I don't have a job while I am here. Logan has had so much fun being outside and being around so many people. We are interested to see what she does this next week without 50 people greeting her at every meal and various people picking her up and playing with her. She has LOVED it... I love it, too! I love that she is getting loved on by so many people. Anyway... here are a few more pics of our family over this last week.

Wednesday morning we were able to go to Wrangler breakfast. We get to eat breakfast made by "Cowboys" over a fire. Here Daddy is helping Logan catch her flying french toast.

This was our view of Mt. Princeton during breakfast.... amazing!

On our way back to the lodge on "Big Red".

The ride was a bit cold and bumpy so Logan snuggled close to Daddy.

Our little family last night before dinner in the Aspen Grove.

This morning, Kyle and I got to go on a horse ride. We had a lot of fun. Most of you know that I grew up riding horses but it has been a while since I have ridden and Kyle and I have never ridden together. Trail West incorporates horses quite a bit into the week. We got to do an "Arena Ride" which is about an hour of running drills, etc. in the arena. It was fun to do something a little more than a trail ride. (Again, check out the view behind us!)

Later in the day, we brought Logan back down to the barn to see the animals again. Here is the crazy goat, Ears, fighting with Kyle. Pretty funny - I got a video of Kyle and Ears fighting. I'll try to post it later.

Then, Logan got to do a pony ride!!! I was afraid that she was going to be a bit timid at first and that by the time she warmed up to it, it would be time to go, but she LOVED it. This picture above is from when we first put her on Mack, the pony. No fear!

Is that not the cutest pony you've ever seen? He was so gentle and great with the kiddos!

Mack was licking Logan's hand in the picture...

Then we stopped to see a big horse on our way to the car... she cried when we left. I think she would have stayed out there all day if we'd let her.

That's all for now... I have more TW posts yet to post... I'll work on it when we get home. We leave tomorrow morning, will stay in Amarillo tomorrow night and then be home Sunday afternoon. This month has truly been a gift to us and we are so grateful for the opportunity to serve here at TW and look forward to many more memories for our family being made here!!

Aspen Grove

2009-06-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

We have been very fortunate to have a photographer here with us on our assignment. Annie is on YL staff in San Antonio and she and her husband do photography as a side business. Here are a few pictures from the hike the other day...

Ummm... there are no words for this precious little smiley face... makes me laugh everytime I see this picture.

I've come to realize that one of my very favorite things about Colorado are the Aspen trees. They are just beautiful! So, I was thrilled to have Annie take pictures of our family in the Aspen Grove at Trailwest.

For those of you who live in San Antonio and looking for a photographer give Annie a call!

Bunnies, Ponies and Goats, Oh My!

2009-06-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Week 2 is already half way over... can't believe it. The days are going FAST... too fast in my opionion. We've continued to have some cold weather but we are not letting that stop us!
We took Logan down to the barn a couple of days ago and she got to see some animals.

Logan checking out the bunnies... not too sure what to think just yet!

I think she decided that she liked it...

Just had to include this picture... so serious! For those of you that know Logan, you know that she is rarely this serious!

Now it is on to the ponies and goats.

She was okay with pony as long as I was close.

But she is not okay with this pony.

Earlier today we went on a hike with the entire camp. It was just about a 2 hour hike and it was chilly!! Logan did great through most of it...

On the descent, Logan decided she had seen enough and took a nap...

Gosh, there is just something about being at a Young Life camp... I can't even come close to explaining it but to say that it is GOOD! Good for my heart, good for my family... just GOOD!

Yea for Pictures!

2009-06-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here are couple of quick highlights of this past week....

One day, Logan and I were able to go with Kyle out on a Jeep tour. They take a group of folks up and around some beautiful areas around Mt. Princeton. We stop at St. Elmo, an old ghost town. There they have these super friendly chipmunks that will come eat of your hand. Logan wasn't so sure about it at first but started to warm up to them after a while!

Logan enjoying her peanut butter crackers in the jeep!!

Logan was very curious about these horses.

Logan and Daddy!

Here is Logan with Melissa - one of the summer staff girls. Just for those worried about sweet little Logan, she is getting PLENTY of attention from all of the summer staff and work crew. She is LOVING every bit of it, too!!

At the "Welcome" for the guests arriving at camp. Kyle is playing the Mayor of Trail West. Logan and I were some of the town folk.

Pardon my wardrobe malfunction. These overalls were in the costume closet and they were awesome except that they didn't have buckles so I used bobby pins (the only thing I had). Needless to say, they didn't work.

Here is more proof that Logan is having a ball...

Playing with Melissa and Annie...

Hanging with her new friend, Kyle.

The first week was amazing. We had some pretty crummy weather at the beginning of the week but then it cleared up and was absolutely perfect for the rest of the week. I will post a separate post about the families that came this past week and what makes "Military Week" so special. Today started Week 2 of campers and this weeks is also strictly military families.

Stay tuned...

New Post But No Pictures

2009-06-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

We are having some technical difficulties, so unfortunately, I am unable to post pictures this time around. We are working on it though and hopefully we can get it resolved soon! We've got some great pictures to share!

It has been a great week! Our first camp week officially ends tomorrow as the families leave in the morning. Kyle has been having a great time with his Summer Staff. For those not familiar with the way that YL works their camps, here's the run down. The summer is broken into three sessions pretty much by month (so June is Session 1, July is Session 2, etc.). Field staff (which is what Kyle is considered) is sent to the camps during the summer as the "Assigned Team". Our assigned team consists of approximately 12 staff members from across the country and their families. There is also Summer Staff which is made up college age kids who volunteer for a month (or a session). And then there is Work Crew which is made up high school age kids who also volunteer for a session. So, we are working Session 1. Kyle's job is "Summer Staff Coordinator" which means that he oversees/disciples/hangs out with the college aged kids that are here for the month. So there is a brief overview of the vocabulary regarding YL camp!

We'll keep working on the pics but in the mean time... be anticipating pictures of Logan feeding chipmunks out of her hand, the Johnson fam in full western gear and pics of our Jeep tour! Fun times!

Elevator Fun

2009-06-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

While in Breckenridge, Logan discovered how much fun you can have on an elevator... watch to find out for yourself!

oh... wait... 3 quick disclaimers:

For some reason, I turned the camera once I started filming so you'll have to turn your head to view SORRY!

That is Kyle's voice you here squealing along with Logan - not mine!

It ends rather abruptly as someone gets on the elevator at one of the floors.

ENJOY!

Breckenridge and Trail West

2009-05-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Thursday was our last morning in Breckenridge. I got up that morning and took a yoga class in town at a small studio. It was an interesting experience. I knew better than to assume that it was like my normal class that I take at home... and I was right. The class was full on yoga... with the "Om" and sanskrit chants... the works. Anyway, I probably won't forget that anytime soon!!

We didn't take very many pics while in Breckenridge but here are the few that we did take...

Logan would yell "Hi!" everytime we walked past these sculptures... pretty sure that she thought that they were real.

This is outside of the studio where I took my yoga class.

We did a little shopping in Breck before heading to Buena Vista. Kyle got the bargain of the day with a pair of Earl Jeans (which he so could care less about the brand, but I was shocked at the price!). They were originally $190 and he got them for $25!! So he got a few pair. I got a pair of Uggs since I have been wanting some for a while. They were on sale but definitely not $25.

Outside of Buena Vista on our way into town, there is an amazing overlook that we stopped to check out. The Collegiate Mountain Range is just behind us.

Logan decided to climb a tree...

Our first full day in Trailwest... Logan is checking things out!

Check out her new Nalgene sippy cup. A must have for Young Life camp.

Logan loves these little chairs that are just her size. She climbs in and out constantly.

We are starting our third day here. Work Crew and Summer Staff arrived last night and our first camp week starts tomorrow when the families arrive. The first two weeks are reserved especially for Military families. I am not fully aware of what to expect but I am anxious to see Family Camp at work!

Logan is hopefully making progress in the sleep department. Yesterday she woke up at a painful 4am. Lord, have mercy! Today she woke up at 5:30am and we were so excited!!

No Rest for the Weary

2009-05-26T22:16:00.001-07:00

We left on Saturday morning for Colorado. Every summer Kyle gets an "assignment" which is a month working at one of the camp properties for Young Life. Now for those of you who have never been to a Young Life camp, you are probably envisioning what your childhood camp was like. Well... no, no, no, Young Life does camp like no other. They believe in making it the best week of your life which means that not only is it set in one of the most beautiful places you can imagine but they also serve amazing food (Which is why I gained 8 pounds on our last assignment! But I was also pregnant and that accounted for a 1/3 of the total weight I gained, but still... it's a testament to the quality of food!) and they also provide some amazing experiences for the camper. This year we are serving at Trail West in Buena Vista, Colorado, which is a family camp (the only one for YL!) set amongst the the Collegiate Mountain Range.

So back to the original purpose of this post... we left town on Saturday morning and stayed in Amarillo with our friends, the Ratliff's. Logan had a great time with their kiddos, Molly and Noah. We so enjoyed our time with them. I cannot say thank you enough to Julie for what we will refer to as the "Poop Incident of 2009" and just leave it at that. (Logan is the main character in "The Incident", just for clarification.) After two baths for Logan, due to the aforementioned "Incident" and a nice little plastic diaper cover to help protect her carseat from any encore performances, we left Sunday morning for two nights' stay in Colorado Springs.

Luckily, "The Incident" didn't follow us across state line and we have been safe from a reoccurance thus far. But that was just in time for Logan to enter her new phase called "Sleep is for Suckers". Seriously, we are struggling on the sleep front. Note the time of this posting as I type sitting up in bed with Logan sitting next to me reading her books and playing with her dolly. The first morning (Monday) in Colorado Springs, Logan woke up at 3:30am ready for the day. Today we stretched it out until 4:30 a.m. Seeing as though it's almost 1:00 am right now, surely we will be able to make it to 6am...maybe? Regardless, we are having lots of fun. Here are a couple of pics of our time in Colorado Springs.

At Garden of the Gods

Busy, busy, busy...

Smelling the flowers with Daddy.

Snuggling with her dolly.

We were able to have lunch with Tony B today while in Colorado Springs.

Tony took us to a great lookout area overlooking the Garden of the Gods.

As you can see, it was pretty overcast today and it was COLD.

We left CS and headed to Breckenridge after lunch. It was overcast the whole way and as we approached Breckenridge we were met with snow!!

That's all for now...I'll be back soon with some pics of our time in Breckenridge. I am off to try to get Logan to bed... again.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder.... Right?!

2009-05-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Faithful Blog Readers (all 5 of you that I could just as easily list by name),
I haven't been "feeling" the ole blog lately but that could be due to busy-ness. But I am hoping to be inspired once again by the next month of our lives being spent in beautiful Colorado. I may even get crazy and decide to post a few times about our adventures while in the mountains.
To get a quick update on our life here are a few things that I have not posted about (yet!) that have been the focus of our days...

** Kyle leaving Young Life staff
** Kyle starting a new career
** Shalen possibly going back to school
** Selling our home (moved out today, close on Friday!)
** Trusting the Lord to provide for us (He's never let us down!)

So, I'll be back soon to fill in the details but most of you already know all of the details anyway. (I guess the details are for any lurkers that may decide to drop by!)

Saturday morning we will be heading to Colorado. We are making a little vacation out of our journey to Trail West where we will be doing our last assignment with Young Life. We will be staying with some friends in Amarillo on Saturday night and then driving to Colorado Springs for a couple of days and then on to Breckenridge for a couple of days before ending up at Trail West on May 28. We will be there until June 23. Pray for our travels... I'll be in touch with pictures and stories as they happen.

Easter 2009

2009-04-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Logan with her handsome cousins!

Checking out what's inside of those eggs!! All she got were some Gripz (crackers) and raisins... maybe next year she can have some candy! We figure we'll keep it away from her for as long as we can!

Easter was so much fun this year.... even though we did get rejected at church (30 minutes early and the parking lot was already full!!) BUMMER! We had lunch with my family and then an indoor egg hunt due to the soggy weather. Logan loved it though!

Catchin' Up...

2009-04-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures to catch you up on the our exciting lives for the rest of March...
just a couple of cute pics of Logan...

Logan is digging her new trucker hat that Gommie and Papa bought her while on the ski trip.

We had a really pretty afternoon a couple of weeks ago. Logan, Dudley and I spent some time in the backyard after school...

Kyle and I had a fun night at a Stars game with Autumn and Justin!

4th Anniversary

2009-04-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

Dancing Snow Queen

2009-03-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

We returned home from the Young Life Ski Trip today. This trip is one of mine and Kyle's favorite events of the year. Here is a quick run down of our trip...

Here is Logan trying on her ski jacket before we left. She seemed to like it quite a bit even though it did cause a nasty accident later in the week. Keep reading below for details on that!

I just had include the back view!

We left for Colorado on Saturday, March 13. My parents went with us this year (as they did last year, also!). We rode along with the Wimberley's. Logan LOVES their girls - Ellie and Caroline. Caroline and Logan have a slight obsession with one another, so the fun began right away.

There was lots of this going on... Logan and Caroline loving on each other.

And also a lot of this... although you can't tell from this picture... Logan was dancing. She LOVES dancing. She literally danced ALL WEEK LONG! Her night routine went something like this... dinner, bath, change into pj's, then we would go to club long enough for her to dance to a couple of songs then I would hurry back to our room to put her to bed in time for me to make it back in time to hear the message.

Here are Caroline, Logan and Ellie dancing.... Don't you worry, I have lots of video of this to prove that they were actually moving rather than just sitting/standing like the pics show. If I can figure out how to post them, I will!

Out of order here, but once again, Caroline and Logan playing... this time Caroline was trying to do Ring Around the Rosie with Lo...

On Thursday we headed over Frontier Ranch before skiing for a tour of camp. Logan found the bear in the Kachina and LOVED it... sorry the pic is blurry, I wanted to include it anyway!

Our little family while at Frontier Ranch. Logan had a little accident right before this picture was taken. We were lucky to have beautiful weather while in Colorado this year. Logan never needed her ski jacket until this morning. Once we arrived at Frontier Ranch, I put Logan's jacket on her. Apparently, the jacket made her a little top heavy and as soon as I let go of her she did a face plant directly into the gravel. So sad!!! She got a mouth full of dirt as well as some pretty decent battle wounds on her nose and cheek. She was a trooper though (as she always is!!) and brushed it off pretty quickly and was ready to explore some more!

Thursday night, Logan sported her cow "Baby Leg's" and was so adorable. She seemed to know that she was extra sassy that night. At club, not only did she dance her little heart out, she also planted a big ole kiss right on her friend Spencer's lips in the middle of club.

Overall, we had a great trip! Logan was so much fun and really did so well!! It was definitely different traveling with a toddler (and thank goodness for portable DVD players!!). Logan kept us laughing all week. We actually do have a couple of pictures of Kyle and I skiing but they are not on our camera, once I get them, I will post those, too!!!

It's Been Awhile...

2009-03-08T19:14:00.001-07:00

since I have been on here... Sorry, just not very motivated to update the ole blog. We've had a good and quiet few weeks. Friday, Logan went to the doctor for her 15 month appointment. She is holding strong in her weight and height - (24 pounds and 30 3/4" respectively) in the 65th percentile for each. Dr. C was once again surprised that she is weighing and measuring as much as she is... he is waiting to see her start dropping in the percentiles seeing as though her genetics don't lend themselves to her being a very big girl! She is great though... so happy, so BUSY!, so verbal and really just so much fun. She brings much joy to our lives! I haven't taken very many pictures lately, but be ready for seeing lots of pics after this next week! We leave next Friday for our ski trip and there will be lots of pictures to post once we get home!

Here are a few of the pics that we actually did take this past month!

Busy Girl...

2009-02-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

Logan has been a busy little girl... Seriously she runs everywhere. When we are out and about she wants to be walking with us not in the stroller or grocery cart, etc. She's a big girl! When did this happen?!?

My camera's batteries have been dead so I haven't been able to download some new pictures but here are a couple from the last few weeks that I thought were cute...

Logan found the bandaids at Gommie and Papa's house. She has no clue what they are but she likes em!

Logan got this stroller for her birthday... she loves pushing it around but would much rather sit in it. As you can see, she doesn't exactly fit in it.

Unfortunately, we are dealing with another ear infection!! A mere month since she had her tubes put in, and here we are with another ear infection. I noticed on Saturday that she had quite a bit of "goop" dried in her ear. I ignorantly assumed that maybe that was a good sign - the crud was coming out instead of settling in her ear. I've kept a close watch on it the last few days, then yesterday when she woke from her nap, I noticed a bunch of dried blood in her ear. (I mean a BUNCH!). I immediately called the doctor's office and luckily Dr. C called me back quickly and told me to use the drops they gave us when her tubes were done and to bring her into the office today. Luckily, it is "just" an ear infection... the blood was a bit unsettling to see yesterday. Logan doesn't seem to mind... she has been a super happy and BUSY girl in the midst of it all!!

Not Cool

2009-01-30T09:47:00.001-08:00

Well, I had just posted 2 new posts a little while ago... the first one is no longer on here. It was a cute little post showing how Logan had learned how to take off her diaper and it included a pic of her walking and showing her little hiney. So not a big deal but fortunately, I checked my site meter right after I had posted it (not sure why I did, but I am glad that I did). Well anyway, in a matter of maybe 2-3 minutes, I had 16 hits from various foreign countries. Anyone that watches their site meter, realizes that you do get some random visitors from time to time, but literally 16 in a 2 minute time span on my blog is little weird. So I quickly removed that post and all pictures and got a little sick to my stomach. I don't know if I am just paranoid, but I have read on other blogs how they have tracked key words that had brought random visitors to their blog and it can be gross (regardless how naive the intent). So, just a word of caution - be careful what you are putting out there of your kiddos... there are some lurkers that are not welcome visitors that have access to everything you are allowing them to have access to...

I may consider going private - which I HATE because it's so not convenient and I love looking at blogs and love to have normal folks look at mine! I will keep you posted if I do decide to do that...

Fascinating

2009-01-30T09:21:00.000-08:00

Or at least Logan thinks so... Logan LOVES pulling eyelashes... her own, her dolls but especially everyone elses... I usually will not let her (it hurts! and she DOES not stop, she could seriously do this for hours!) but decided that I would document this new obsession of hers...

If she is sitting on your lap and facing you, it will not take her long to notice your lashes and she will then go to town!! And it is all business for her...

And then she does this when you make her stop...

Praying for Harper

2009-01-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hey guys -
You may notice the new little button to the right of my page. I have been burdened since Friday (Harper's birthday!) to pray for this little girl. Do I know her? Nope! I have read her mom's blog for quite some time... I guess you could say that she is "famous" in the blog world (not that she wants to be!) And I would like to think that if we lived closer we would probably be friends! Anyway, Friday was the big day for Harper to come into this world and she did but has had some complications. Amazingly, it seems as if this is where the story begins. God is doing some amazing things through this newborn baby... bringing people around her family to love on them and really using this newborn to show how God intends for His people to live as one body (and so much more!!). Click on the button to go to her Mama's blog.
Thanks! Oh, and be sure to pray for Harper!!!!

Ho ho ho!!

2009-01-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

Logan's teachers at school surprised me with an 8x10 Christmas picture of her that they had taken... how cute is she!?? They brought the clothes and everything and pulled off a fun surprise! The top one is the one that they gave me and then emailed me the others to have for fun!

Fun with the Bell's

2009-01-18T20:30:00.000-08:00

We met our friends, the Bell's, for dessert at Southlake Town Center back before Christmas. It's fun and strange all at the same time that we both have little girls! I loved this picture and wanted to show it off...
Molly and I and our girls!

Go Wildcats!!!!!!!

2009-01-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

While we were in Kansas for Christmas, Kyle and I took a day trip to Manhattan, home of Kansas State University (Kyle's alma mater). We both love college towns and I had never seen his old stomping grounds. We had a lot of fun even though town was dead seeing as though it was Christmas break. We picked up some t-shirts... even one for Logan!!!

Christmas Pictures

2009-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

Finally, here are some pics of our Christmas fun!

We celebrated Christmas with my family on December 20 before we left for Kansas City.

Here are my parents with all of the grandkids....

Logan before all of the madness began...

Here is Logan kissing her baby doll that Great Grandma and Great Grandpa got her...

We left for Kansas City on the 23rd. Kyle's mom, "Honey", had this car waiting for Logan and needless to say Logan LOVED it.

Logan passed out on the way home from the Christmas Eve service.

Logan and Honey got matching pajamas from Great Grandma Kerr.

We had a great Christmas this year. Logan still didn't fully "get it" but it was fun to watch her anyway!

Ear Tubes

2009-01-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

At 5:15 this morning, Logan and I headed out to the Pediatric Surgery Center in Plano to have tubest put in her ears. I was most nervouse about entertaining a hungry and sleepy 13 month old by myself (Kyle had bootcamp!) for an hour before her procedure began. She was awesome! I woke her up and changed her diaper and she just started smiling and talking and was a completely content and happy baby! She never cried this morning even when the nurse carried her away from me...not a peep. Kyle was coming straight from bootcamp and was hoping to be there by the time she got out of surgery... he got there just after I got to see her in recovery. She was a little fussy and confused in recovery but we were assured that that was normal and once she started focusing on objects they sent us home! We got home about 7am and it's now 10am and Logan has been asleep this whole time... It's a little strange having such a quiet house! We are very hopeful to not have chronic ear infections anymore as well as to get her off of all of the antibiotics that she has been on pretty consistently since Halloween.

Christmas recap and pictures still to come...

Holiday Greetings

2009-01-03T12:15:00.001-08:00

Check this out!!

2008-12-14T06:25:00.001-08:00

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/sblow/stories/DN-blow_14met.ART.State.Bulldog.4a38a52.html

This is an article about my brother, Dustin and my dad. They are both running the White Rock Marathon again today and are telling a small part of their stories. It's worth the read!

Birthday Girl

2008-12-08T15:46:00.001-08:00

I thought that Miss Logan deserved a post with just pictures of her cute self on her birthday...

More birthday pictures to come...

Happy Day

2008-12-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

Last year, on this day at 6:31 p.m., Logan Lemay Johnson was born. Today at 6:31 p.m. Logan Lemay Johnson was fast asleep! She had a busy yet very happy first birthday! We had such a great day! It started off with pancakes (her favorite), The Wiggles (also her favorite!), play time with new toys and a good morning nap. We then high tailed it over to her Gommie and Papa's house to have her birthday party with her many friends and family. We opened lots of presents, enjoyed her first experience with cake and we had her baby dedication at her birthday party. Once we got everything cleaned up, we headed to dinner at Babe's and quickly ate with a cranky 1 year old ready to go to sleep...then she fell asleep in the car on the way home... She was so asleep that she slept right through getting her diaper changed and getting her jammies put on. I am so grateful for today and for all of the many memories that it holds...
Pictures to come soon...

6 Days

2008-11-30T10:44:00.001-08:00

In 6 short days, my baby will be turning one. How did this happen??

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T10:35:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Thanksgiving this year... Logan's first Thanksgiving. We started out the day at the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot...along with 35,000 of our neighbors. It is so huge but fun nonetheless....

Here is Logan all bundled up...

Our little family.

This is Logan about 1/2 mile into the run. She got in a good nap while we dodged lots of people with the stroller.

We then headed to my parents house to have lunch with my whole family...it was great! We also got to show our Wii skills (or lack thereof) in a fun tournament complete with lottery tickets for the winners...What's a Clark holiday without lottery tickets?

Busy Bee

2008-11-18T13:53:00.000-08:00

This last weekend, Kyle had a weekend camp so Logan and I were on our own. I decided to pack us up and spend the night with my parents. Logan had so much fun and kept herself very busy as you will see below!

Quacky Halloween!

2008-11-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Logan had a very fun first Halloween!! (so did her parents!!) We started out at the pumpkin patch...she had fun checking out the halloween and just enjoying being outside. Check out those leopard pring pants...yowzers!

Here I am with my little pumpkin! Holidays really are more fun with a little one...

Here she is with Dad checking out how big she is...

One of my favorite all time pics of Baby Girl...

Boo! She is a friendly ghost...

Not the best picture of us as a family, but the best we could get with the sun shining right in our eyes...

Then it was time to get Logan into her costume.... here she is, our very own duck! (And the cutest duck I ever saw!)
Here she is practicing standing on her own (above) and so proud of herself walking (below).
Somehow Daddy turned into a Ninja quite suddenly...

We made a quick stop to see the boys (her cousins) before they were off to trick or treat...

Then we stopped by our pediatrician's house for his annual Halloween party... Doesn't Logan look thrilled!?!

Oh and the night is not over yet... we then headed to the Hebron football game so that Daddy could show off his duck... Logan needed to refuel...

Then her second (or maybe it was her third) wind kicked in!!

We had so much fun!!

Boo....

2008-10-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

That is BOO as in my pictures from Halloween won't post for some reason... I will try again tomorrow. Until then, just know that Logan is THE cutest duck you'll ever see... come back to see soon!

Yuck

2008-10-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Well it's already been a crazy weekend. Kyle and I have come down with what we think is the stomach flu. I have been feeling miserable today.... Fortunately, we had already planned for my parents to keep Logan because we were supposed to go to a wedding tonight, so they came by and picked her up a little while ago.
Please be praying for a quick recovery (by tomorrow morning!). Tomorrow night is our Young Life Annual Fundraising Banquet. Kyle is speaking and it would be great if he felt 100%.
Thanks!!

The Hair

2008-10-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

It seems as if Logan's hair gets thicker and longer with every passing moment... and along with more hair comes CRAZINESS.

The pictures below show what Logan's hair looks like when she decides to run her fingers (that she just dipped in her yogurt) through her hair. I guess you could say that yogurt would work "well" as hair gel.

So then it was straight to the bathtub...(seems to be the new "routine"...eat dinner, get messy, get a bath).

Then add just a bit of bath water to the hair...and voila!!

Logan vs. The Banana

2008-10-05T20:53:00.001-07:00

Bananas are slippery lil suckers!

But I am gonna get it one way or another...

I think I can....I think I can....

Okay, maybe I need both hands....

YES!!!

Yea for me!!!

So proud of herself!!

A New Look...a Good Day...and Pictures

2008-09-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

How is that for a creative title?

Today I got some time by myself with my computer at a coffee shop (NEW computer thanks to my hubby...thanks, Kyle!). It's been a good mental escape for me and a great time to makeover the ole' blog while listening to Shane & Shane on my ipod and drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte. ahhhh!!!!!!!!! This is just the icing on the cake after getting to go to a good yoga class this morning and then spend time with a dear friend that I don't get to spend nearly enough time with....

Well, on to the pictures...

Logan playing with daddy....

Logan loved getting pulled around on the blanket...check out that belly and those thighs! Love it!

Logan got to spend some quality time with Justin. Justin is one of Kyle's best friends...we've gotten to see a lot of him lately and I think Logan likes that! (so does her daddy and mama!)

Hanging out with Justin and Autumn!

Thanks for stopping by...stay tuned for more...

Alphabet Soup

2008-09-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Kyle bathes Logan....

They sure do have lots of fun together!!

Keep reading below...2 posts in one day!

On Cloud 9

2008-09-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Logan turned 9 months old on the 6th!! (Seriously? 9 months already?!?) Today I took Logan to her 9 month well visit. She got one shot and also had a blood test for anemia - she was more concerned with the band-aid on her finger than she was about the shot. I remember before Logan was born, people would say that each stage of your child's life is better than the one before and I so GET IT now.

In honor of Logan being 9 months old...here are 9 of my favorite things about my baby girl right now!!

1. Her big toothy smile...(She's got 8 little toofies now!)

2. How ticklish she is...she just giggles and giggles...

3. Her pulling up on everything in sight (she's been doing this for about 6 weeks now...can we say "early walker"??)

4. Her standing on her own (I am in TROUBLE!!)

5. How she immediately starts clapping and smiling when I start singing "Pat-a-cake".

6. How content she is while eating Cheerios...seriously, these are a lifesaver at restaurants!

7. Her constant jabbering...my dad says that once she is able to talk, we are not ever going to get her to stop!

8. How she lights up when she sees her mama and daddy.

9. Her sweet little wave as she says "bah-bah" (bye bye)

Seriously, Mom! Stop taking pictures and feed me!

Other fun news: I just ordered her Halloween costume and all I can say is she is going to be CUUU-UUUTE! You'll just have to stay tuned to the ole blog to see what she is! Also, our pediatrician (who is AWESOME) has a Halloween Open House at his home for his patients...today he invited Miss Logan. Isn't that fun?

Oh and last but not least...Happy Birthday to Logan's Papa...we love you!

These are a few of my favorite things....

2008-08-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

...according to Logan in her best Julie Andrew's voice....

Water! Love it! Whether it's a bath, swimming in a pool or sitting in a blow up pool in my diaper...bring it on!

Playing hide and seek. Especially with Daddy but we don't have any pictures of me playing with Daddy...so here I am playing with Mommy.

Doggies...this is Eisley, my great grandparents dog.

Being upside down...so fun!

Popsicles!! Except that time I got a brain freeze...I screamed...loud!

Reading books with Great Grandma!

Pulling up on EVERYTHING!!!

Lots of Pictures......

2008-08-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

but not much of a chance to post them. Sorry! We have been staying at my parents' house for the past week because our A/C died... So...pictures will be coming soon!

Kansas City and St. Louis

2008-07-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a 10 day trip to Kansas City and St. Louis. We had a lot of fun with family and a bunch of Kyle's old friends. We are still recovering from the road trip with a 7 month old as she has come down with a stomach bug...yuck! Enjoy the pics!

Watching fireworks over the arch in St. Louis....

At the St. Louis Zoo with Honey, Aunt Kim and Uncle Morgan...

On a picnic with Mommy and Daddy...

Gummy Smile and Chubby Thighs

2008-06-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that those two things would be so cute on someone?

This is my current favorite picture...luckily, I get to see this smile all the time but now it has a little tooth sticking out. I wanted a good picture that showed off her gums before her teeth started coming in and here it is! Her first tooth appeared just a couple of days later.

Picture Catch Up!

2008-05-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures detailing our lives over the last 2 weeks...

Daddy ran his first marathon in Oklahoma City! Mommy and I cheered him on...check out my shirt that Mommy made me!

Lovin' my shades!

Mommy loves playing with me!

Having a grand ol' time at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

My daddy had to go out of town last weekend so I went to see my Great Grandpa and Great Grandma! We had lots of fun!

Hunter loves me, too!! Look how strong I am!

Mommy still has a lot of pics to catch you up on...like from our ski trip and our trip to Disney World when I was a wee one...they are coming!

Exersaucer fun...

2008-04-24T20:14:00.003-07:00

4 Months Old!

2008-04-07T18:35:00.001-07:00

Logan had her 4 month appointment today. I love going to see her pediatrician except for the shots. She was supposed to get 4 shots today but unfortunately they ran out of the Hep-B shot this morning and there is some back order on getting more...so Logan got 3 shots today and then will go back later this week for the last one.
Our big girl continues to be....well, big! She measured 25 1/8" (75-90%) and weighed 15 pounds 10 ounces (90%). She has almost doubled her birth weight!! Our pediatrician has told us before and repeated againt today that the first year of a baby's life, their growth is dependent on nutrition (i.e. her mama!). Once she turns one, then her growth is dependent more on genetics. He feels that she has probably "peaked" on her growth...especially her height seeing as though Kyle and I are both on the "short" side!
At four months she is all smiles and coos! Such a fun stage! She has also been rolling over alot from back to stomach! It's been so fun to see her grow and develop more and more each day. Oh, how we love her!

Well, I am way behind...

2008-04-04T20:43:00.001-07:00

Geesh...I don't know why it is so hard to keep the blog "current". (Actually I do know, I get sucked in reading every one else's blogs and checking my site meter to see who has been reading mine!! I really didn't think that more than 5 people read this until I got my site meter! Now I know that there is an audience out there!) I usually have the best of intentions but then a month passes and I haven't posted. I have so much to post, too!! Of course, there are always lots of pictures of Logan...but we also have new pictures from the ski trip, Easter and our anniversary. So for now, I'll post a few pictures from this past Wednesday night...our 3rd anniversary!

Logan spent some time with my mom (her Gommie) while Kyle and I went out to dinner.

On our way out to dinner...I need a tan BAD!

Sorry but that is it for now!! I will hopefully post pictures from Colorado soon and a funny video of Logan that I just took tonight...stay tuned!

March Madness

2008-03-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

Is it really March already? CRAZY! Our baby girl turned 3 months old yesterday!! Cannot believe it! She is doing so great...she talks (coos) like crazy, smiles all of the time and is just on the verge of laughing out loud. I cannot wait for that one! It has been such an amazing few months to watch her develop more and more every day. And she is just so stinkin' cute!! She is sleeping pretty well right now - anywhere from 5 to 8 hours when we put her down at night, then wakes up long enough to eat and then back to bed for a few more hours. At her two month appointment, she was weighing 13.5 pounds (95th percentile!!) - she's a BIG girl!
Kyle and I are doing well also! Kyle had the flu last week but luckily was able to shake it pretty quickly once he got on some meds. I am now fighting a cold...lovely! Dallas has had a crazy weather week. We've had a pretty mild winter and then this week we got snow twice...TWICE in one week!! That pretty much never happens here. Kyle also passed his certification test yesterday and is looking forward to doing some training on the side to make a little extra money. We have some ideas/dreams of ways to grow it into a small business that we hope to start working towards in the next couple of months.
Next up: Our annual Young Life Family Ski Trip over Spring Break. Can't wait!
Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks....

Talking to her Grandpa Lemay...Lemay is my mom's maiden name and Logan's middle name.

Giving Grandpa Lemay some kisses.

Her first time to wear a dress. She was a happy girl!

Our baby girl!

Hanging with her Papa.

Logan loves her little overhead gym. I usually put her under there in the morning (when she is happiest and most talkative) and she just talks and talks to the little monkey and parrot that hang from it. Kyle and I usually just sit there and laugh at her - she really gets into it! This time Kyle joined her! Dudley has to be close to his daddy, so he is trying to get in on the moment. This is the only time that Dudley cares to have anything to do with Logan.

Cousins

2008-03-03T01:45:00.000-08:00

Well it's 3:45am and I cannot sleep...uggghh...pray for me tomorrow - it's going to be a LONG day! I thought I would make the most of a quiet house and post some pictures of Logan with her 3 favorite boy cousins and my favorite nephews!! They are all crazy about her and it's fun to see how they literally melt when they see her! She loves her Hunter, Evan and Jacob!

Logan and Jacob - he was showing her all of the toys on her swing at Gommie's house

Logan and Evan - how HUGE is she? Evan is so sweet with Logan.

Logan and Hunter...again, how HUGE is she?? Geesh!

Hunter said he was feeding her pizza and a chocolate chip cookie through the bottle!

Catch Up Time

2008-02-28T06:37:00.000-08:00

Back in September, Kyle and I went to Destin, FL with two of our favorite people, Darren and Rebecca. We were there over Labor Day weekend and ended up flying back a couple of days early so that we could be here for my brother's surgery. I never posted any pictures from it because at that time, Dustin's surgery was the pressing topic. But we had an absolute blast...getting to hang with some good friends, RELAX, soak up some sun and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Now as we are beginning to make plans for this years' trip to Destin with Darren and Rebecca, I felt the need to post pictures from this past year. I am super excited and can't wait to see our little buddha baby on the beach!

A little blurry but trust me...we look HOT! We had an awesome "shrimp boil" after our first day on the beach...and had lots of fun!

Never would I have thought that I would post a picture of myself in a bathing suit - pregnant none the less!! I was about 7 months along in this shot and thought that I was huge...little did I know how big I would be by the time Logan arrived!!

Rebecca and I...workin' it!

We love, love, love Seaside!

Playing at The Red Bar (awesome place, awesome food!!)

At The Red Bar

This was the night before Kyle and I flew home. Darren and Rebecca were able to stay a couple of days longer... Can't wait for Destin '08!

Life with Logan

2008-01-22T05:13:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been almost 7 weeks since Logan was born...can't believe it! We are having so much fun! Logan has gotten to travel a little and meet lots of her family and friends. She even got to go to Disney World and ride her very first ride, It's a Small World, of course! We have been home for about a week now and are enjoying settling into a schedule. She is getting so big already and has started smiling...which we love!

Logan Lemay Johnson

2008-01-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

We welcomed sweet baby Logan Lemay on December 6. She was 7lbs 15 oz and was 19.5 inches. By her 2 week appt she had already gained a pound and a half as well as grew an inch and a half! We had a wonderful Christmas with our little girl! We celebrated with my family on Christmas day and then went to Kansas City to celebrate with Kyle's mom. Logan was able to meet many of our dear friends and family in Texas and Kansas. We leave again this Tuesday for the Young Life All Staff Convention in Orlando. Here are a few pictures to show Logan's first month.

Baby J is on her way!!

2007-12-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

Looks like this Thursday, December 6 is the big day! Today we had a doctor's appointment...I have been progressing a little over the past few weeks but she is still extremely high so we've been waiting for her to "drop". She doesn't seem interested in dropping at the moment! Our doctor has let it be known since early on that Baby J is going to be on the big side and since I am on the small side, that could be the reason she has not dropped - she can't fit. So today she ordered another sonogram which is estimating her weight currently at 8lbs 9oz. Of course, this can be up to a pound off in either direction - so she could be anywhere from 7.5 to 9.5 pounds!!! Yikes! Because of that, we have scheduled an induction. There is a chance that we may end up with a c-section but at this point realize that having a healthy baby is the most important thing. We are excited to meet our Baby J very soon!!

What a whirlwind!!

2007-10-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence from the world of blog. We have been busy...I mean we have been BUSY. Probably the busiest that we have ever been. Some good, some not so good, mostly necessary and all exhausting! This is going to be a long one...bear with me.

Since returning from Minnesota at the end of July, life pretty much went from 0 to 60 in a moment's passing. From finding out that we are having a baby girl, to news that my brother was going to be having brain surgery, to a wonderful vacation to Destin (that really is such a blur...we sure don't feel like we had a vacation just a short 6 weeks ago!!), to kicking off the most successful start to Young Life so far, to planning and executing our Annual Fundraising Banquet, to me working 2 jobs and lots of drama thrown into it...that's been our last 10 weeks!

So here are some updates...and some pictures.

Dustin - since the last update regarding his status...he ended up having a 2nd brain surgery the day before he was supposed to go home. They found that he was leaking brain fluid and had to go in and install a drainage tube. This put him back in ICU for another 3 days and then a regular hospital room for 3 more days. This was a hard one for all of us...talk about a set back. BUT he is home now and doing amazingly well!! He was sent home and was told that he was "homebound" and would reevaluate in 2 to 3 weeks. For any of you that know Dustin, you are aware that "homebound" is not an option for him. He was convincing people to take him out for car rides, etc. pretty much the day after he got home. He was quickly moved to "outpatient" status and is continuing his physical and occupational therapy a couple of times a week. He has made tremendous progress but is still having problems with his hands. His therapy is really focusing on his hands right now. He has started running again...it's definitely not easy for him right now but he is sticking to it. There has even been talk of him running the marathon relay with my dad, Kyle and a couple of other folks in February in Austin. He'll be back to the full marathon in no time!!

As far as treatment goes...his neurosurgeon, Dr. Jackson, referred him to a neurooncologist to assess further necessary treatment. She has seen one other case like his. Since he still has some other "spots" or tumors in his spine and the top of his brain, she is planning on doing a chemo-type of treatment with him. She was adamant that it is not chemo but to the lay person, it pretty much is just that. He goes in tomorrow for an MRI - if the spots have started shrinking or changing properties on their own, then they may decide to forego this treatment and just monitor them. If they have not changed any, then he will go back in on Monday of this next week for his first treatment. He will then go in every other week for the IV treatment. She said that he should not experience any side effects.

Young Life is full steam ahead at this point. We have had the most successful start to a new year of Young Life in the history of Carrollton Young Life. That is not to say that there has not been some BIG struggles in the midst of it, though. God has been teaching Kyle and I ALOT these last couple of months...I don't even know where to begin. There has been lots of tears (mostly mine!!), heartache, frustration but also a renewed hope. We are pretty vulnerable right now but rest in knowing that we are right where God wants us to be. He has been so gentle and has been revealing His power and presence in moments where we are at our wits end and ready to give up. He has revealed over and over to us that His had is actively moving upon this ministry. Last weekend was our Annual Fundraising Banquet and it was a huge success! Seems that God is really working to get all of the details out of the way so that ministry can happen with no distractions...

Baby J....will be here soon! 6 more weeks to go!! Kyle seems to think she is coming sooner than that. I sure would love for her to! I am currently 34 weeks a long...yesterday I had a doctors appointment and all is well. Thank God that this has been a boring pregnancy...no problems at all!! With all that has been going on in other areas of our lives, we are grateful that God has protected Baby J from the stresses that we have been in the midst of... We often wonder what our reflections will be when we look back at this time of our lives...we are busier than ever, have experienced more heartache (personally and with many around us experiencing the difficulties of life) and stress while preparing for one of the most joyous experiences that we will ever encounter on this earth. I keep thinking that Baby J is going to be the beautiful bow that ties up all of the loose ends.

I will continue to work full time until this next Friday then will have good month (maybe) to get things ready for her arrival. I am hoping to continue training up for another 3 weeks just a couple of night a week.

Here are a some pictures that capture some of the joyous times of the last month!

My baby shower on October 6...

Baby J decided to show off a little and kick for her Honey (Kyle's mom) and Auntie Rebecca!

My mom and I. Neither of us can wait to see Baby J's face!

One of the many adorable outfits that we received.
The hostesses...my best friends...I am so blessed!

Last but not least, this last Wednesday, Kyle and I went in for a 3D/4D sonogram. What a treat to get a sneak peek at her sweet little face! Check out those chubby cheeks!

That is her foot just above her left eye...she's flexible...our little yoga baby!

You can also see her toe in this picture just in front of her nose. Oh and the black at the top of her head is not hair! Some have been a bit freaked out by that when they see it...the top part of her head is cut off by the soundwaves of the sonogram.

Thanks for enduring this LONG update...hopefully I will be back sooner than later with more updates!

Latest News on Baby J

2007-09-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am 28 weeks along now...just beginning my 3rd trimester! Time is flying by...we have a lot to get done in the next 3 months!! I had a doctor's appointment today and everything is still looking good. I have been measuring big consistently since the beginning of the pregnancy. Today I measured at 33cm...Dr. W says that that just means that I will be having a big baby. I also got to do the Glucose Screening Test today...so hopefully that will come back normal in the next couple of days. I also received my first shot of Rhogam for being RH-... Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful appointment!!

Also, a quick update on Dustin...he is continuing his therapy sessions several times a day. Tomorrow his therapists as well as the doctor in charge of rehab will meet to discuss a discharge date for him. Today the doctor made it seem as if this Friday was very likely...please pray that this will happen!! He still has a long road to recovery, but we all think that just getting out of the hospital (depressing!) can help boost his spirits and keep him encouraged as he continues to improve. He will do outpatient therapy for as long as needed... Tomorrow they are also supposed to remove his staples...so he is pretty much in the clear as far as being a surgical patient goes - amazing!

Thanks for your continued prayers!!

God is good!

2007-09-14T14:13:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of you for your prayers for Dustin and for the rest of our family! We received more good news...the 2nd pathology report came back as benign!! As of now, they are not planning on Dustin enduring any radiation or chemotherapy for the other "spots" that they had previously detected. They are going to closely monitor them in hopes that by removing the large tumor, that there "source" has been cut off and that they will be rendered ineffective. His neurosurgeon, Dr. Jackson, told him that he will probably be released as a surgical patient within the next day or so. They are still somewhat baffled at the outcome of the pathology report because the symptoms don't match up with diagnosis which doesn't match up to what was actually found in his body...but we are grateful and are receiving it as a miracle!! We do believe that God revealed Himself to us in His mercies to spare Dustin cancer...it's a miracle!!
Dustin has now been in the Rehabilitation wing of the hospital for 2 days...they are working him HARD!! He has physical and occupational therapy for 5-6 hours a day. The doctor that heads up this department had indicated that he expects Dustin to be there for 2 weeks. Then of course, there will be some outpatient therapy for a while once he is able to go home. It's pretty humbling to see my big brother have to relearn some of the basic life skills that we all take for granted...tying his shoes, buckling his belt, feeding himself, brushing his teeth...etc. A couple of days ago, I was feeding him a baked potato and he looked at me and said "you hate doing this, don't you?". I quickly explained to him that of course that I wish that I didn't HAVE to do it, never before had I dreamed that I would be feeding my 36 year old brother!! But I told him that I was grateful that he was a much cleaner eater than any of his boys!
We are confident that he will be restored 100% physically... Kyle and my dad have actually told Dustin that they need to use this time to their advantage and try to get a head start on their running so that they might actually be able to beat him for once!! (Dustin is a phenomenal runner...a very natural athlete, the kind that makes the rest of us sick with envy!!) They better hurry up...he's going to be running with extra incentive in a couple of months!!

Please continue to pray for his spirits to be lifted. That he will not lose perspective in the midst of the trials he is currently enduring...

For thanksgiving to the Lord to flow freely for the mercies that He has shown us!

For his wife, Kristy, and their boys, Hunter, Evan and Jacob as they continue on in the regular details of life without him at home. (By the way, Happy 3rd Birthday, Jacob!! We love you!!)

Thanks to each of you for your committment to praying on his behalf...

Dustin's Surgery

2007-09-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

Dustin went in for surgery early Friday morning. After waiting for 7 1/2 hours, the doctor came and met with his wife, Kristy, and my parents. He said that they are still somewhat puzzled over what exactly it is that Dustin has/had. They removed almost all of the tumor at the base of his brain. The biopsy that they ran at the hospital showed it to be a benign tumor!! Praise the Lord!! They have sent out for another more detailed biopsy from a lab that we should get back some time in the next few days. The doctor was a bit puzzled because it appears that although the tumor was testing benign, there were properties of the tumor that are definitely more consistent with a malignancy. He also said that he had to leave a small portion of the tumor entact because it was extremely close to an artery and could have sent Dustin into a stroke. Yet when they ran an MRI after the surgery, the MRI did not pick up traces of the remainder of the tumor. My aunt, who is a nurse, explained that possibly when they were irrigating the area that perhaps the tumor was washed away. Anyway, we are giving all credit to all of the POSITIVE news to the Lord!! Although, there is still a bit of a mystery regarding the official diagnosis and even the course of treatment from this point on (if even necessary at all), the doctor said that he is optimistic with how everything is going.
Dustin is now in ICU...hopefully they will move him to a regular room today. He is doing quite well. The main concern at this point is that he is having some difficulty controlling his arms, especially his left arm. The doctor saw him yesterday and told my parents that they will continue to monitor his progress with his arm. The nerve that controls this function was being pressed on by the tumor, so the doctor was not completely surprised with the fact that he is having problems with it. An occupation therapist that came by yesterday also communicated to us that a lot of the difficulty is due to the swelling of his brain and that as the swelling goes down it may help with his ability to control his arm.
Thanks to all of you for praying with us thoughout this ordeal!! Someday, I will write a post detailing ways that we have seen God's hand in this! It has really been amazing to watch and experience!! He has been with us each step of the way! There are literally hundreds of people across the county praying for Dustin!! Kyle and I went to see him on Thursday night before surgery and he was amazed by how many people were praying for him that he was aware of...and then knowing that there are many more that we do not even know!! So, thank you!

Please continue to pray for....
*a speedy recovery!
*his arms - for him to have peace of mind that this is part of the process of healing, patience and diligence in this
*a good pathology report this week that shows NO MALIGNANCY
*us to all continue to see God's hand in this...especially Dustin!!

Another update...

2007-08-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

Well, no good news today...seems as if Dustin also has some "spots" on his spine. My prayer is to have a good, non-eventful next week. This weekend, one of Dustin's best friends and his family are coming to see them. Pray that they have lots of fun and that Dustin feels encouraged and refreshed. Sunday is going to be Dustin's youngest son, Jacob's 3rd birthday party...pray that this day will also be a day of lots of fun! Next Friday is the day of surgery...will post more at that time.

Update on Dustin

2007-08-29T12:22:00.001-07:00

Thanks for the many warm wishes and lots of prayers! We are in the midst of a battle but I trust that the Lord will show Himself faithful as he always does...yesterday Dustin received his second opinion from the doctor at The Mayo Clinic. His news was pretty hard to take. His opinion is that Dustin has a malignant tumor. Today Dustin met with his neurosurgeon here in Dallas again...they have set his surgery for Sept. 7. They are also going to do another MRI tomorrow at 1pm but this one will be of his spine to make sure that his spine is as healthy as it should be (no growths). PLEASE pray for this specifically...we could all use some GOOD news right now!

"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Please pray....

2007-08-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Please be praying for my oldest brother, Dustin. He is 36 years old, married with 3 feisty boys (Hunter (6), Evan (4) and Jacob (almost 3)). He has been having some random health issues for the past 9 months or so and this last week we got some potentially scary news. I'll save all of the details and cut to the chase. He has a growth of some sort at the base of his brain. Due to the location of the growth, they are not able to do a biopsy externally...so as of now, he will be going in for major surgery most likely on Sept. 7. The surgery is going to entail having 3 doctors there to do biopsies on the spot and determine what this mass is exactly then proceed with the appropriate treatment at that time. Dustin is most hesitant with the idea of not knowing what he will wake up to once he comes out of surgery. The surgery is very invasive and will probably last 6-8 hours and will require an 8-10 inch incision. He will then be in ICU for a couple of days then the hospital for a few more days after that. Fortunately, Dustin's sister-in-law and brother-in-law have a connection to the Mayo Clinic. We are anxiously awaiting their observations and conclusions based on Dustin's MRI and files.

My prayers are many but please pray specifically for the following:

PEACE especially for Dustin and for the rest of our family.

WISDOM on behalf of the doctors.

HEALING - I know that God can do this!

FAITH for all of us to remember that God is in control of all of this and to trust Him throughout this season of our lives.

For Dustin to feel especially loved, valued and cared for during this time.

That all of us will draw our strength from the Lord.

Dustin and Kristy

Our Baby Girl

2007-08-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

Well most everyone that reads this blog knows by now that we are having a baby girl!! We are excited! We were a bit shocked - but really I would have been shocked with a boy, too!! I really haven't had any inclination regarding the sex - but practically everyone else really felt strongly in their beliefs that it was a boy. (except Molly and TK!) Here is her picture...she sure looks cute! Kyle's mom and both of my parents have already begun their grandparent duties of spoiling her by filling up her closet! Can't wait to see what she looks like in her new clothes!

Halfway Point

2007-07-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Wow...tomorrow I am officially 20 weeks pregnant...we are halfway there! I cannot believe it! So far everything has been great. These past 3 weeks in Minnesota have been great for me...I have gotten to sleep ALOT, sit in the sun and read, forget about work and other stressors and just focus on God and the babe. Seriously it consumes my mind.
Physically, I am feeling so much better than I did even just a month ago. I had pretty major back pain consistently up until that time. Since I have been here, I have felt twinges of pain here and there but nothing like it was...thank you, Jesus!

We go to the doctor the day after we return home from Castaway to find out the sex of the baby! (Monday, July 30) I cannot wait! I am so ready to be able to fully embrace the idea of boy or girl...soccer or dance...blue or pink. Below is a pic that Kyle took of me last weekend for our moms who have been earnestly waiting a pic to see their grandbaby. I feel much larger than the picture shows...

2007-07-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

We have officially started our second week at Castaway Club! We are settled in and enjoying all that the camp has to offer! It has been a learning experience for us...camp up here is different than what we have experienced at other camps! I am so use to being surrounded by mountains while at camp...takes a while to get used to being surrounded by water! We have had a great time getting to know our fellow assigned team...we are definitely the lone southerners! Our team hails from the North and Northwest (Chicago, Wisconsin, Washington State, Montana). For those of you who were not already aware...our camp director for the month, Brett, was Kyle's Area Director when he was in high school. Brett also babysat Kyle when he was a kiddo. He is now the Regional Director in Chicago. It is a blessing to be able to be here with him and his family. I could go on and on...and I am sure I will in posts to follow. Here are some pics from out time here so far...

This is Kyle and his friend, Jason from Kansas City. Jason was one of Kyle's Young Life leaders when he was in high school. We didn't know that Jason was going to be an Adult Guest for week 1. Kyle had a blast reconnecting with him.

Hmmm...well not the best picture of me...but this is pretty typical of what I look like while on assignment. Hopefully we'll get a better picture while we are here and you can bet that I will post it!

This is the deck right outside of our house by about 100 feet.

This is our home for the month...sorry it's a little hard to see. This picture was taken while standing on the deck seen in the previous picture. Our house is called "Ketch". We are sharing it with 3 other families as well as 3 of our single staff members and a mouse. Yes, a mouse. I am hopeful that maybe it is a chipmunk (there are thousands of chipmunks here) that has found it's way in through a hole. We shall see...

There is another assigned team house next door, "The Dory", which houses another 3 or 4 families as well as some single staffers.

That is all for now...be watching for updates!

Summer is here!!

2007-06-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

(please forgive sporadic use of capitalization...the left shift key on our keyboard has decided not to work and i am out of practice in using the one on the right...)

part 1: Frontier Ranch
kyle left on saturday with a group of kiddos from hebron high school to go to camp at frontier ranch. from the daily reports that i have been receiving from kyle, sounds like they are having a great time.

please be praying for...

+Their continued safety

+Negative thoughts and attitudes to quickly be replaced with attitudes of thankfulness and most importantly awe of God and His creation.

+Lots of energy for the leaders.

+That each and every one of the kids and leaders will encounter God this week and that their lives will be forever changed!

as i have mentioned on this blog before, kyle became a christian at frontier ranch (in the water slide, no less!!). many, many lives have been given to our Lord at that camp. it's unbelievably powerful to step onto that property - you can really sense God's presence there as well as be humbled in realizing how many kids have stepped from that soil in Buena Vista, CO into the Kingdom of God.

part 2: Castaway Club

kyle will be leaving frontier a day early and will be flying out to meet me in minneapolis for our assignment at castaway club in detroit lakes, mn. we are both looking forward to our time on assignment.

please be praying for us during that time as well...

+pray that we stay healthy!!

+pray for unity among the assigned team as well as the work crew and summer staff!

+pray that everything runs smoothly for the 4 weeks that we are there...that campers and leaders will have an amazing time at camp and that God's name is proclaimed in all that is done behind the scenes as well as at Club.

+pray for joyfulness and peace among the whole crew...and that we will all seek that out from the only One who is our refuge.

I hope to be updating a lot while on assignment...stay tuned!

Week at a Glance...

2007-06-09T08:12:00.001-07:00

What a busy week this past week was!! Here are some of the highlights!

* Went to my doctor's appt. last Friday...it went perfect! As soon as the doctor put the doppler on my belly she picked up the baby's heartbeat! No searching for it was needed! Doctor said that baby has a strong heart! I go back again in 3 weeks - I am hopeful that they will do a sonogram to determine the sex a little early. I will almost be 17 weeks by then so it's possible!

* We moved! Kyle headed up a large crew of family, friends, and YL kids to move us in to our new home! Unfortunately it's up to us to unpack...ughh!

* The weekend of the big move - I completed 16 hours of continuing ed classes. Figured that I couldn't do much with the move, might as well work on get recertified.

* Tuesday was haircut day! I decided to go ahead and chop my hair off before the baby arrives...figured that I will want to after and I decided to get a little relief NOW!

* On Wednesday, I got bit by a crazy neighborhood chihuahua. It was bad enough to draw blood and it's still bruised! Crazy dog! So, I got to go back to the doctor and get put on antibiotics.

* One of our camp trips took off last Saturday evening to Crooked Creek Ranch. Kyle stayed behind this time and had our part-time staff, Mike, lead this trip. Looking forward to hearing their camp stories upon their arrival home tomorrow! Kyle will be leading a trip to Frontier Ranch at the end of this month.

* I began telling my coworkers and clients this week that I am pregnant! It's been fun to share the news with them! I have been blessed with some amazing people that I get to work with regularly!

I think that's it for now! More to come soon!

Good weekend, exciting week!

2007-05-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great Memorial Day weekend. It all started on Friday when Kyle's mom, Beth, flew in from Kansas City for the weekend. We were so excited to get to show her our "stomping ground". Of course, the time went too quickly, but we enjoyed every bit of it! One of the highlights was going to Fort Worth on Saturday evening and eating at Joe T Garcia's. I must admit, I love this restaurant so much sometimes I am afraid that people will not think it lives up to my boasting...but Beth loved it. We sat outside in the gardens and were even rained on a bit, but that didn't stop us from enjoying our meal! Sunday we headed to church (awesome service by the way....but it always is...), then to LeMadeleine for a quick bite before taking her to the airport. Beth is an amazing mom to Kyle, mother-in-law to me and I know that she will be an amazing grandmother to our baby! We ended our weekend by going to my parents house on Sunday evening for a cookout in celebration of Kyle's and my sister-in-law, Kristy's 32nd birthdays. I am equally blessed by my family. I love every minute I get to spend with them. I am thankful that they are so close.
Then today...we had our final walk through of our soon to be new home!! Yippee!! For those of you who have been in our lives for the past 2 years, you know what a headache it has been for us to buy a house. God made it clear to us at least twice over the last couple of years, that it was not our time to buy a home. Sometimes it seemed as if we were hitting our heads on a very big brick wall. He is blessing us with the home He desires us to have...and we are so grateful! We are supposed to close tomorrow, Tuesday, at 12PM. If you happen to remember, please pray for us as we go about the final part of this process! We are obviously very optimistic that tomorrow will go just fine, but with the luck we have had in the past, we know that we must hold on to this with an open hand. (Heck that's true even beyond tomorrow!)
The rest of the week should be filled with lots of painting...yard work...refinishing furniture and then this weekend - move in!
We'll post pictures and updates as soon as we can! It's gonna be a busy week!

Our Teddy Graham

2007-05-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

This last Tuesday we went to the doctor and were able to see our little baby for the first time! It closely resembled a teddy graham at this point with it's extra small body in comparison to the head and then it's 4 little nubs which will soon be full functioning arms and legs! Amazing! My absolute favorite part of the day was hearing the heartbeat! Looking forward to hearing it again in a few weeks!

Oklahoma City Marathon

2007-05-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend a group of our Young Leaders set out to Oklahoma City to participate in the OKC Memorial Marathon. We had such a great trip! Several of our leaders decided that this would be a great way to raise money for kids to go to camp this summer - and it was! We had 4 in our group run the full marathon, 6 or so run the half marathon, a group of 5 did the marathon relay and then another 5 did a 5K. It was such a great experience and many kids will get to go to camp because of the leaders desire for them to experience Jesus!

Kyle ran the half marathon with the crew finishing with his PR of 2:04. I was supposed to run the half but the doc quickly let me know that I would not be doing that this time around. I ended up doing the 5K. Everyone did a great job!

Guess what?

2007-04-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

We are having a baby! Baby J is due in December!

So far so good....I feel TIRED and hungry but that's about all!

We are excited!

April 2, 2007

2007-04-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Today is our 2nd anniversary! We celebrated this weekend by staying at the Westin Stonebriar, relaxing by the pool and then going out for dinner. We had a great time but unfortunately did not take a single picture!
Here's to another fun year!

Be Near

2007-02-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

About three years ago as I was going through a really tough time in my life, God spoke to me through song. The song was "Be Near" by Shane & Shane. Many days I would drive to and from work with this song (and the rest of the CD) playing...it was my prayer. It was one of a few times in my life where I felt utterly desperate to be close to Him and to feel His presence...this song provided the opportunity for me to encounter Him each time I listened to it. Since that time, I have listened to the CD occassionally - but this last week God laid the song on my heart and it has again lifted my spirits and ushered me into His presence. Below are the words...I hope that they will encourage you as well...

Be Near
You are all
big and small
beautiful
and wonderful
to trust in grace through faith
but i'm asking to taste...

for dark is light to You
depths are height to You
far is near but Lord, i need to hear from You

be near, oh God
be near, oh God of us
Your nearness is to us our good
be near, oh God
be near, oh God of us
Your nearness is to us our good, our good

Your fullness is mine
revelation divine
but, o, to taste
to know much more than a page
to feel Your embrace...

for dark is light to You
the depths are height to You
far is near, but Lord
i need to hear from You

be near, oh God
be near, oh God of us
Your nearness is to us our good

be near, oh God
be near, oh God of us
Your nearness is to us our good, our good

(psalms 73:28; 139)

Update from 2007

2007-02-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well, we are obviously struggling at keeping this thing updated! I say "we" loosely considering that this is pretty much my (Shalen) reflection of our lives. My computer died a few months ago so we are "sharing" Kyle's work computer which I don't see very often, therefore my time is often spent emailing or checking out YOUR blogs. If you have a blog, post a comment - I'd love to check it out! I promise to update soon with more info!

Our Little DInosaur!

2006-11-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

Dudley went as a dinosaur for Halloween this year! He actually seemed to like the costume! It was cold that night...probably just made him a little warmer. Kyle and I took him to see my nephews (aka Jacob the Dragon, Evan "Batman" and Hunter the Ninja). Just imagine what we'll be like when we have kiddos to dress up!

Busy, busy, busy....

2006-10-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

October has been a very busy month for us! In addition to us trying to stay caught up with the busyness of a new school year...

*Kyle's sister, Kimberly, got married October 21 in Kansas City.
*We had our annual fundraising banquet on October 23.
*I (Shalen) started my new job on October 1 and have been trying to build a client base.

It's been busy but it's also been really good! We were able to spend some time with Kyle's family the weekend of the wedding. A lot of his extended family that we had not seen since our wedding was there and we were able to just relax a little before the banquet on that next Monday evening. The banquet went really well also! God continues to bring people along side us who are encouraging and supportive in so many ways!

Kimberly (Kyle's sister), Beth (Kyle's mom) and Kyle

Our last month in pictures...

2006-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Finally....we have pictures to post! Starting from our recent weekend in Memphis to today's triathlon. Enjoy!

MEMPHIS, TN - September 2006

We went to the Family Life "A Weekend to Remember" marriage conference in Memphis in September. We had such a great and relaxing weekend.

A much needed getaway for both of us!

STONEBRIDGE RANCH TRIATHLON, McKinney TX October 1, 2006

Kyle participated in the Stonebridge Ranch Triathlon. Above are pictures of the lake swim (Kyle is out there somewhere!) and the transition area.

Kyle had a great race and had a great time. He loved it! There will probably be a lot more pics like these in the future!!

MONSTER TRIATHLON, Keller TX, October 15

Rebecca, Hayley and I did a relay triathlon. Rebecca was our swimmer, Hayley our biker and me our runner! This is the way that I prefer to do a triathlon! We got 1st place in the relay division! So what if we were the only relay group! Above is a before and after picture.

Kyle had another great race! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get many pictures of him this time around but he sure is smiling in this one!

Last but certainly not least....Dudley!

Look at those pearly whites!

So much to write about...so little time...

2006-10-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently we are not very "on top" of the blogging part of our lives! So much has happened since our last post!

*Spending a month in Colorado on our very first Young Life assignment!
*Getting the 2006-2007 school year off to a great start!
*Shalen getting a job at a nearby gym!
*Kyle and a team of leaders kicking off a new club for one of the local high schools!
*Leadership retreat!
*A Weekend to Remember Conference in Memphis, TN!
*Kyle competing in a triathlon!!

All of that to say...we will post details and pictures soon! I am hoping to get Kyle on here to post also!!

Kansas City and Colorado Springs

2006-07-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

Kansas City, June 20-26

We went to Kansas City for a week in June to see Kyle's mom, Beth and his sister, Kimberly. We had a great time relaxing and helping Beth pack up her home. She had recently sold her home (the house that Kyle grew up in!). One of Kyle's best friends from high school, Matt, also got married while we were there. We had a great time seeing a bunch of Kyle's old high school buddies.

Dudley made the trek with us to see his grandma! He did really well in the car...he was passed out most of the time.

Kyle and I at the wedding...glow sticks and feather boas...they had a great DJ!

The Best Week of Your Life....

2006-07-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Frontier Ranch 2006 - Carrollton Young Life

Shalen's cabin of at the volleyball tournament...we were awesome!!
"The Night that Never Ends" Dinner and singing on western night.
Shalen's cabin on Western night.

Kyle's cabin before riding horses.

Crooked Creek

2006-07-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

So...apparently I am not very good at updating this thing regularly. Since the last post, we took 50 kids to camp at Frontier Ranch in the beginning of June. We had such a great time. God really used that time to not only talk to the heart of kids but to also encourage my heart in ministry. It was such a great time serving along side Kyle and the rest of our leaders.

Next up was a week in Kansas. One of Kyle's good friends from highschool got married and gave us a great excuse to spend a week with Kyle's mom! Dudley made the trip with us!

Now...we are at Crooked Creek Ranch in Fraser, Colorado. We will be here until August 11ish. We have had a great time so far! Kyle is working VERY hard and I am enjoying getting to know some of the other wives. It's absolutely beautiful and the weather is amazing...so no complaints!

May Update

2006-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on what we have been up to...

* We celebrated Kyle's 31st birthday on April 22 with a sushi dinner and a Texas Ranger's game!
* Kyle was also surprised at Young Life club one night with an impromptu birthday party complete with cake and clown!
* Camp, camp and camp! We have been busy signing kids up for camp!! It's coming VERY soon!

and what we have coming up...

* Kyle is leaving today to go on a 2-3 day camping/hiking/retreat in Arkansas. Please be praying for safety as well as a rich time with the Lord.
* June 2-10 Kyle along with about 9 other leaders are taking over 50 kids (!) to Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado. Frontier Ranch is where Kyle became a Christian when he was in high school. It's a special place! Please be praying for the hearts of the kids who will be attending camp this year! Every summer hundreds of kids are told about Christ at Frontier Ranch and many of them will recognize Him as their Savior for the first time!!
* June 20ish-27ish - We will be going home to Kansas City for a few days to see Kyle's mom and sister and to celebrate the wedding of Kyle's good friend, Matt and his bride, Jenn.
* July 7ish through August 15 - Kyle and I will be taking off to Crooked Creek (another Young Life property) in Winter Park, Colorado.

That's us! We hope everyone is doing well!!

Our 1st Anniversary

2006-04-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

IMG_1862
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

We went to San Antonio to celebrate our first anniversary! We had a wonderful time!! The weather was amazing - nice and sunny! Sunny enough for me (Shalen) to get a pretty bad sunburn...bummer!

Dessert!

2006-04-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

IMG_1864
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

We found these amazing, HUGE chocolate covered strawberries! We had them for dessert both nights!

2006-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

IMG_1863
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

Chit!

2006-04-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

IMG_1867
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

This shirt cracked us both up....

Our top layer of cake...

2006-04-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

IMG_1879
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

tasted MUCH better last year!

Out for dinner for our anniversary!

2006-04-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

IMG_1868
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

Young Life Ski Trip 2006

2006-03-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

IMG_1718
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

We had a group of over 100 join us for a family ski trip to Buena Vista, Colorado. It was a great trip!

At the top of Monarch Mtn.

2006-03-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

IMG_1719
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

At Frontier Ranch

2006-03-20T14:31:00.001-08:00

IMG_1783
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

Dudley Johnson

2006-02-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

IMG_1592
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

We have an addition to our family....our new 11 week old puppy, Dudley!! He's a puggle (pug-beagle mix). He is just shy of 5 pounds right now but should be about 20 pounds when full grown. We are told that he will look like a miniature boxer. He has been a lot of fun!! Pray for us as we attempt house training! Ugh!!!

2006-02-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

IMG_1597
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

Leader Weekend

2006-02-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

IMG_1588
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

We had our spring leader retreat this past weekend at the ranch in Hamilton. We had a great time...planning the semester and spending time together!

2006-02-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

IMG_1574
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.

The Duce!!

2006-02-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

IMG_1586
Originally uploaded by kyleandshalen.