Hitting the road.

There is a forbidden word in our home.  It's not what you would think. 

It's RIDE.

You don't dare to say it unless you mean it.

Especially if Dot is within ear shot.

She will beg, pester, and plead with you. 

Until you grab the keys, open the door, and let her go. 

It could be a spin around the block or a country cruise.

But a RIDE, is her "thing". 

She takes it all in, usually perched on a lap. 

Tongue a hanging and tail a wagging.

The guilt trip every morning as we leave for work is pitiful.  She mopes by the door. 

Knowing that we are leaving for the day.  That her ride will have to wait.

That is until after supper. :)

a little more country.....

todd and i both grew up on the farm. 

farm life is what we know. 

there are days it seems strange to be raising our kids in town. 

but there are the conveniences and opportunities of life in town.  

we do struggle with reproducing some of those grand memories of our childhood for our own kids. 

one weekend while in Washington, we spent some time with one of Todd's oldest friends, Robb. 

Robb lives on a farm. lucky soul. 

we were a little hick, a little redneck, a little more country.  

we took a ride out to the field.  the kids rode in back.  they grinned the whole way.

Robb also sells golf carts.  We hauled a few out to the field and at first.....

the kids were unsure.  not relaxed. 

but then....you could see their eyes light up. 

they rode in every seat possible.  they even got to drive.

it was time well spent.

one of the golf carts died in the field. 

we had to pull it back.

Matthew drove.  (the one that died, of course)

it was nice to spend time with Robb. 

we learned a valuable lesson about Hannah.

Grasshoppers scare the bejeezers out of her.

Mallory enjoyed her time at the wheel. 

Hannah was still a little spooked from her grasshopper experience.

The evening was too short.

It was time to head out.

We hit the dirt road back to the farm.

Hoping to spend another day like this.  Soon.

written in stone...

After all of the hard work Todd put into getting his Master's Degree we decided to commemorate it with a brick at the Student Center at KWU.  The alumni has an ongoing drive for selling bricks to fill the outdoor patio.  When Todd and I were in Salina a few weekends ago, we stopped by the college to see if his brick was in place.  And it was. 

 It's hard to believe that a year has already passed since graduation.            Graduation Day 2009

Proper Fair Attire?

Hannah loves to be a cowgirl. 

We headed out one evening to take a walk to the fair and she came running downstairs in this.  She was ready to go!  I guess at 4 years of age you can wear almost anything and still look cute.

CKFF Parade

While I was on vacation, it was fair time.  Our family LOVES the fair.  We spend a lot of time at the fair and it's more convenient for us now that we live 4 blocks away!  The traditional fair parade is on Thursday evening.  The route goes right by our house so we have prime seating.  We were joined by neighbors and friends from work for the 2 hour event.  The kids had their lemonade stand in conjunction with the parade so they stayed very busy.

Hannah was pretty intrigued with the whole thing.  However, the horses were her favorite.

Mallory gained a new friend.  My boss's son was a gem.  Bryson was very kind and considerate with Mallory.  He took the time to talk with her and point our various parts of the parade.

Dot was a busy girl.  With all the kids around she was a nervous wreck trying to keep track of them all.

Dance in Motion

This is the group that Hannah takes dance classes through.  She looks up to a lot of the older girls and isn't afraid to run up and chat with them.

MasterCool

My dear friend, Jamie, and her husband showcased their business.

Matthew's friend, Ryder.

It was a great way to spend the evening.  Feel free to join us next year for the fun!

Lemonade Stand

We had our lemonade stand during the afternoon of the fair parade.  The kids and I had been planning this for weeks.  We started off with making signs and making our lemonade.  We headed to the bank for some change and opened our stand at 3:00.  The kids had a lot of fun and it was a great learning experience.  We just may have to do it again next year!

Half of our proceeds went to Independence Farms where Mallory does her therapeutic horse riding. 

We even made a poster with information and pictures of Mallory riding.

Our brew-  the Walter Family Secret Recipe. :)

My little advertiser.

The Banker.

Matthew had more fun talking with everyone and snacking on the popcorn we made.

Sunday, on Mallory's first session of riding for fall, we presented Independence Farms with a check for $30.  The kids were very excited to give the money and tell the staff how they raised it.

4th grade.

Dedric starts back to school today.  Hard to believe that he is a 4th grader.  His nice little summer break has come to an end.  His busy schedule of school, sports, and church has started.  Hope it a great year for you, D!

School- Welcome Back!

Mallory is starting 4th grade.  She starts at a new school this year. She is very excited for the coming year.  Her speech is growing and clearer every day.  Her meds have been very beneficial for her behavior.  Her sleep pattern has improved.  And, here is the BIG one----She is potty trained.  Such an accomplishment.  Such a big step for her!

 One thing that has stayed the same is Mallory's bus route.  She boards every morning and heads to school to eat breakfast.  It just starts her day off right.  Her bus driver is Wanda.  This is her 3rd maybe 4th year as Mallory's bus driver and we love her!

First Day of School.

School has started.  Summer is done.  The kids were so excited to get back in to a routine.  Both Mallory and Matthew are going to new schools.  Mallory is now in 4th grade and Matt is in 2nd.  They both came home exhausted but happy. 
Hannah will start back to preschool in a little over a week.

Saturday.

twe

 We made the trip to Topeka to see my Grandma Shirley.  We packed ourselves into her apartment for a picnic lunch and spent the afternoon visiting.  Brogan hung out on his great-grandma's lap for quite some time. 

Perfect Day

What could be better on a hot summer day after swimming at the pool than ice cream?

Washington Parade

For the parade in Washington, we got prime seating next to the bank that Todd's sister, Dawn, works at.  The parade was a lot of fun to watch with all the creative floats and tons of candy tossed.

Trip to the Farm

While Kevin and family were back, everyone made a trip to the Walter Farm.  The kids had fun spending the morning on the 4-wheelers and tractors.

Emily and Hannah

Morgan and Jacob

Morgan and Matthew

Todd & Hannah going for a ride on the tractor.

Mallory