The Year in Review – 2010
January – Nicholas turned 2 with a little party at home. He has had a full year: adding lots of words, pirate skills & weaning. Emily started the year out feeling morning sick a lot – expecting baby # 4!
February – We celebrated Will’s 4th birthday. He got his first bike! Michael & Sophia attended the Daddy-Daughter Dance. She even got all “made” up at the afternoon spa.
March - Visited our niece Victoria in KS for her 20th Birthday. On the way home, we visited the Edgerton Science Museum in Aurora, NE. Had an ultrasound of Baby K. – BOY!
April – Celebrated Easter on Michael’s birthday. Sophia & Will participated in the Tinker Tri; the next morning Michael competed in his third O’Rourke Tri, which was cold & rainy!
May – We travelled to KS for a visit with Newman Center friends. Lots of fun seeing everyone…and all their kids! Sophia started her second season of T-ball. June – This month found us celebrating Sophia’s 7th birthday at the Children’s Museum, planting our very sad garden, and traveling to KC for Michael’s family reunion. Spent a night in Missouri after a car break-down, then had no further difficulties. For the 2nd summer in a row, Sophia spent a few days by herself in KS with Grandparents. Michael & Emily celebrated 11yrs of marriage!

July – Watched the fireworks with friends. Emily hostess-ed her first Pampered Chef party. Will got to attend his first swimming lessons, finally! Sophia passed her lessons (J)! We travelled to muggy Pawnee City to visit Michael’s Grandparents in our “new” minivan. Counted down the days until Emily’s due date. Another summer of Totus Tuus – enough said!
August – Victoria came to NP to be here for the baby’s birth. Finally on the eve of her last day here & 6 days overdue, Emily went into labor while at the ice cream store. Alex was born with Victoria and both Grandmas in attendance. Started our 3rd year of homeschooling with Sophia in 2nd grade and Will in pre-school. It was a busy month.
September – Celebrated Alex’ baptism on Labor Day weekend with Aunt Gretchen & Uncle Vic as godparents. School, new baby, school, new baby, school, new baby. It is kind of a blur now.
October – Helped with Pumpkin Fest at church… and it only rained a little! Spent a week in Denver visiting the Aquarium, the Science Museum, the Zoo, the candy factory & the good Bishop. Awesome!
Halloween was actually not snowy this yearJ. Bible themed costumes: Ruth, David, Joseph & his coat of many colors and The Lion of the Tribe of Judah!
November – Alex’ happy personality beginning to emerge. He weighed 17lbs at 3 months! Travelled to Wichita for Thanksgiving. We are truly blessed in the Lord with family, friends, health, employment & freedom!
December – In Progress! Preparing for Christmas by doing the Jesse Tree with kiddos. Planning to visit KC the weekend before Christmas. Then we’ll celebrate Christmas and New Years at home with our own little family.

Prayers for blessings in the New Year
KEEP CHRIST in CHRISTMAS!

Family Pictures 2010

Pix of Alex - finally

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of Baby Alex. The photos are in the wrong order, but enjoy!

Little Brother Alex with Big Sister Sophia, Biggest Brother Will, and Big Brother Nicholas!



Trying to get everyone to look the same direction and look semi-smiley - HUGE!


Alex' Baptsim




At the Aquarium in Denver.

Most recent group shot.

Baby Alex snuggled up with Mommy

Baptismal outfit

Little Monkey Toes - irresistible!

More cute toes!

Alexander Daniel Aaron

Our little guy arrived at 4:46 AM on 8-10. Hoping to post the full birth story soon.
He weighed in at 8 lbs even and was 20 1/4" long.

40 Weeks Pregnant

Yesterday was my due date for Baby Krondak. I'm trying not to get too anxious about labor. I know it will happen when it happens. I am trying to walk for a longer period of time on a daily basis. Just trying to walk my little guy down.

I've been blessed to have 4 good pregnancies - with nice long labors. I anticipate the same with this baby.

So if you have some extra time, say a prayer for me that labor will start (soon & naturally) and baby will come safely.

Multiple Posts

I've finally caught-up on my blog, so keep scrolling down for several new posts.

Sophia's 7th Birthday Party

Sophia is celebrating her 7th Birthday in June. We originally planned to spend her summer birthday outside at Cody Park Rides. Due to tremendous storms and almost cold, windy weather, we moved it inside to the Children's Museum. It was a good party with lots of friends and both sets of grandparents, plus three cousins (Ian & Olivia from Wichita, Cameron from Olathe)!

Here she is with her horse cake and sparkler candles.

As you can tell, she has recently lost two bottom teeth.

The very favorite toy was the Zhu Zhu Pets. She received several of the houses/tunnels, but only one little hamster, Jilly. We soon figured out that wasn't going to work with two brothers at home. So Grandpa K. and Daddy went out on an emergency Zhu Zhu Pet shopping trip so that every little person would have his/her own little, squeaky hamster.

TBall, Children's Museum, Wind Storms, & Gardening

Sophia is in her second year of TBall this summer. She has really improved since last year. Last summer, the drink and the snack was the big motivator for each and every game, not so much this year.

Here she is batting.

We spent some time at the Children's Museum in May.

Here is Will doing a puppet show.

Sophia declared it the best day in her life when Michael pulled a broken branch out of our cottonwood tree. It provides lots of entertainment for three little people.

I put a little garden in this year.

I've planted acorn squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes.

Along the back I have Indian corn and mammoth sunflowers.

Our cottonwood tree has really produced cotton this year.

Just look at it blowing around the kids.

Fishing & Memorial Day Weekend

We decided to take advantage of the Free Fishing Day in Nebraska in late May. Of course, it happened to be the windiest day ever! We got a nice spot on a dock at a little pond. First disaster occurred when our cooler blew into the water. Fortunately, it stayed right side up, so Michael was able to retrieve it from the other side of the pond. It was that windy. We just watched it blow across. Then, while Michael was holding "Will's" pole, a fish bit. Will claimed it as his fish. We threw the little fish back. The second disaster occurred when the hat that Will is wearing in the below photo blew into the water. No chance in retrieving it. It is heart-breaking to a 6 and 4 year old to watch it sink in to the water. Oh, the tears that were shed over that hat.
We decided it was a good time to leave before Nicholas blew into the water! On the way home, we purchased 3 new hats from Walmart. So much for our free day!

Memorial Day weekend is the opening weekend for Cody Park Rides. Below are some photos of the kids on the ferris wheel and eating ice cream. It was a good evening. Nothing blew away:)

2010 Homeschool Field Day

At the end of May, the NP Area Homeschool Association hosts a Field Day for the kids. It is very well organized and planned out so that the kids get to participate in a variety of field-type events. Below are some of the high-light photos. Preschoolers get to take part in scaled back events, while the bigger kids "compete" in their age divisions.

Will & Nicholas running the first race.

Will is in the red sweat-shirt and red hat; Nicholas is off to the right of him.

He, of course, brought up the rear in the both foot races, which made him very sad.

But for the 2nd foot race, Nicholas had picked up the get-ready stance - hands on his knees - from the bigger kids!
Will jumping in the gunny-sack race. Nicholas was
having a snack about this time.

Sophia competed with other 5 & 6 year olds. She did really well in many of the events.

Below she took 1st in the 50 Yard Dash, then 2nd in the 100 Yard Dash.
(She is in red pants, white shirt and blue hat.)

She got 1st in the High Jump.

Below is the Soft Ball Throw, which she took 3rd place in.

I think this one is the Running Long Jump.

She placed 3rd in the Standing Long Jump.

Here she is (3rd from left) in the gunny-sack race.

I did not include a photo of the Soccer Kick, but she took 3rd in it.

All in all, it was a very good day, but by the end of it I was exhausted!

New Post

Well, this isn't much of a post. Mostly a reminder to myself that I need to get the photos off my camera and onto the computer so I CAN post about the things we've been doing.

We've been having some wonderfully cool weather here the past few days. We haven't turned on our AC yet this summer. Relax all you weekend guests! We'll have it on by Thursday of this week, but then we'll probably turn it off again for the next couple of weeks. We are just soooo green, you know. Really - we are cheap!

Enough for now. Off to mop my dirty kitchen floor.

Tri Pictures

Finally, here are the pictures from both the Tinker Tri & the adult Tr.

Tinker Tri 2010

Sophia and Will both participated in the O'Rourke Tinker Triathlon tonight. It turned out to be a beautiful night with 70 degree weather. It was iffy this morning as it was raining when I leaving the grocery store at 10:30 AM.

We managed to have them assigned to the same lane in the same heat during the swim. Both wearing life-jackets, they made it across the pool, with (Will) and without (Sophia) a little help from Daddy. They jumped out of the pool, they dried off and ran to their bikes. Michael ran with Sophia during the bike, and I walked with Will. Will was following the "slow and steady wins the race" philosophy, which was OK for me. I ended up only having to walk - not run - beside him. He was so cute. I think he was more interested in the painted lines and the asphalt on the street than the race. We did see Sophia riding back to the staging area - Michael was a ways behind her running - trying to keep up! After Will's very leisurely bike ride, Michael ran with him during the last phase. Both got medals, lots of pictures by Mom, apples & granola bars.

Nicholas was happy to eat popcorn in the stroller and hang out with Grandma & Grandpa during the race that lasted 24 minutes.

I'll load the pictures after Michael's Tri on Saturday.....

Manhattan

Palm Sunday weekend we travelled to Manhattan to visit my niece for her 20th Birthday. My parents, sister and her boys, brother and his kids, and Tori's brother also came for the weekend. We had a great weekend which included a nice spring (wet) drive through the Kansas countryside along Hwy 24, swimming at my parent's hotel with the cousins, a nice meal out with Tori and her friends, an afternoon at the Sunset Zoo, quality time with Victoria, and then a stop at the Edgerton Exporit Center in Aurora, NE (science museum). We haven't been anywhere since last September, so this was a much needed excursion out of town. Thanks to my Aunt Lou who let us descend on her house and stay for the weekend! Below are some of the pix.

Ian (8), Sophia (6), Sean (5), Olivia (5), Will (4), Josh (3), Nicholas (2)

Dragons VS. Easter

Last week while at the grocery store, the kids and I ran across a huge "dragon" display. Of course, I had no clue that there is a new dragon movie out in theaters. Sophia wondered why they were celebrating dragons more than Easter. We agreed that Jesus wouldn't like that!

20 Week Sonogram

We had our 20 week sonogram for the new baby yesterday. The kids came with us to see the baby kicking around. I don't think the technician was too eager to have so many little people in attendance, but they did pretty well. Only Nicholas got bored and had to be taken out for a bit.



Here is a picture of Baby Krondak due in early August.