It's been too long . . . once again!

I keep vowing I'll get better about posting sooner, and then it becomes 3, 4, 5, 6 weeks and it still hasn't happened.  And now I don't even know where to begin . . . so much to tell.  I never posted pictures from the 2nd half of our vacation, which included the NFED National Conference which we look forward to each year.  It was in O'Fallon, Illinois this year and we once again had a great time!  Here are a couple pictures from our days at conference.

Chris and I at the NFED 30th Anniversary Gala

NFED Family event to the waterpark in O'Fallon, IL

Ryan, Nollan, Tyler, and Zemery 

Nollan, Tyler, Zemery, Ally, Ryan, and Brett

 Tyler, Ryan, and Zemery at the talent show singing "Bleed Red" by Ronny Dunn

Zemery and Tyler - not happy to say goodbye:(

Tyler, Zach, Ryan, Grant, Lauren, Audrey

Andrew, Nollan, Ben

Ryan and Tyler saying goodbye to their sisters, Morgan and Ally

We dropped Ryan off at Camp Mennoscah on our way home from Illinois and he stayed there for the next week.  We got home and hit the ground running to begin  plans on our inaugural Huxman Run 2 Sweat benefit event, a run to benefit the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED).  We will be holding this event on October 1, 2011 in Moundridge, Kansas.  We are still working on many details, but feel things are going pretty well so far.  There will be a 1 mile walk/run, 5K, and 10K.  We are excited to contribute to our favorite charity, the NFED, in this way.  We'll keep you posted.  Please go to Huxman Run 2 Sweat to find out more information about why this organization is important to us.  If you feel led to contribute, you may make contributions to the NFED through our event on this page. 

 

 

We celebrated Grant's 3rd birthday.  Wow, can't believe it's been three years already.  His birthday came and went, he had many gifts given to him including underwear, but he still has absolutely NO interest in getting rid of his diapers and trading them in on monster truck underwear!  UGH!!!!!  Hopefully, some day soon we'll get this accomplishment taken care of and overcome that hurdle.  I did download a "Potty Boot Camp" book that will be used one of these weekends when things slow down:) 

 

 Tyler loves his brother and got him a gift:)

Ryan is such a good brother and was proud of the "monster trucks" he bought Grant . . .

which Grant had asked for:)

Scooter from Mom and Dad . . . has to keep up with big brother Andrew:)

Birthday cake made by Uncle Kent

 

School starts this week . . . I report tomorrow for 3 days of inservice and then Ryan and Tyler start on Thursday.  Grant will start Preschool I next week Tuesday and will go 2 days a week, every Tuesday and Thursday.  Andrew will start PreK next week and go 3 days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Everyone will be in school (except Chris:)  Ryan started Middle School (7th grade) football and Mom is the head Middle School volleyball coach . . . both having completed 2 weeks of practice already.  Tyler will begin soccer in the next couple weeks . . . or as soon as his leg heals enough to play.  Definitely busy times are here!

This last week Tyler had a little bit of an accident . . . he was playing hide and seek in my mom and dad's pasture (in daylight), and ran into an old cattle panel and got a nasty "hole" in his lower leg.  This called for a visit to the immediate care clinic to get it stitched up.  The doctor had to put a stitch that will dissolve underneath, and then added 6 more stitches on top.  He's recovering quite well and will be fine, although he'll have a nasty scar to show from it.  The following picture is not the most beautiful, just warning you, but wanted to give you an opportunity to see why I called it a "hole".  Never quite seen anything like it before.  I'll show you the "after stitches" picture also for a comparison.

 

Vacation 2011 - Part 1

We traveled to Timber Creek Resort, about an hour south of St. Louis, Missouri, from July 16-20 and met our dear friends the Kelso's from Virginia.  We took a trail ride on horseback, hung out at the pool, the boys played mini golf, archery, played in the arcade, and just enjoyed out time together.  One of the great things was there was a kitchen in each unit and so we made and ate most of our meals in our rooms.  The brisket and ribs made by Jerry Matus the first night were absolutely scrumptious!!!!!

Car travel - great times!  Looks like we may be a little packed in.

Grant and Morgan                                 Ryan and Ally

Playing the new game Teetay taught them - a quiet game called "Buddah".  Sit with your hands folded and you may not smile or laugh or you are out of the game.  Guess who won????  

Andrew and Grant - can you believe it?

The siblings: 

    Ryan, Morgan, and Tyler                          Andrew, Grant, and Ally

Trail ride

Morgan and Tyler                                                         Ryan

Kristin                             On the trail - Ryan, Morgan,

The resort from the opposite side of the lake during our trail ride

 

Our favorite place to hang out at the resort - spent Sunday and Tuesday at the POOL!

Top picture - Andrew with his 2nd mom Kristin (as he was telling everyone he had 2 moms - I didn't know how good that sounded so encouraged him to call her Mommy K)

Bottom 2 pictures - fun times on the floaties that Teetay bought for the kids

Tyler, Andrew, Grant, and Ryan in the first picture; Grant and Morgan in the 2nd picture

Monday was "head into St. Louis day".  We went to the Gateway Arch and City Museum.  

Great day . . . very tired by the end of it!

                             The boys at the top of the arch          Our "daughters - Ally and Morgan" at the top     

 Andrew, Grant, and Ally - anxiously waiting to leave the restaurant

City Museum is an amazing place full of tunnels, steps, slides, every crazy adventure a kid could dream of.  Without seeing it, it is very difficult to explain, but we spent a couple hours here and could have probably spent more.  Great entertainment for kids!

 The cave area

 Andrew deciding whether he'd like to explore the hole or not

 Dad and Grant ready to go down one of the slides

 Mom and Grant on a slide

 Perfect photo opportunity for 4 children:)

Tyler, Ryan,

Grant, Andrew

 Mommy K, Andrew, and Teetay (Teetay always calls Andrew "her boy")

Archery - beginners luck - 3rd try was a bulls-eye (we won't mention that the first 2 didn't even hit the target and neither did the 4 after this one --- this was the one that mattered - ha, ha:)

The kids spent some time in the arcade while we tried out archery

Tyler with the ball he got in the Toy Chest - he gave it to his best buddy Zemery:)

 Grant and Ally driving the race car ---- Grant was NOT wanting Ally to help him steer and made it very clear to her shortly after this picture was taken:(

 Morgan and Ryan playing air hockey (it was a hard fought battle where the girl won in the end ---- if it had been anyone but his "sister", he would not have handled it well - but he took it very well:)

Chris with Grant and Ally after a LONG day

On Wednesday before checking into our hotel we went to the "free" St. Louis Zoo.  Let's just say, $12 for parking, $10/.person pass to do the things we wanted to do (train ride, 3D simulation, carousel, children's zoo), and then eating lunch made it so we left the zoo $95 later - after thinking it would be our cheap day:)  I would honestly love to go spend a whole day there sometime, but in the 105 degree temps, a couple hours was enough.

 

Started with the train ride around the zoo.  Relaxing!

Beautiful peacock - was waiting for the feathers to open, but this was the best I got

 We went and watched the 3D simulation --- it was pretty neat.  I've never seen anything 3D before, so feeling like I was on a roller coaster going through a bamboo forest was a great 1st 3D experience!

We had to wait in line . . . 

 Ally and Andrew - buddies!

 My sister (Kristin) and I - after our horseback ride at the resort the guide looked at us and said, "You two have to be sisters."  We weren't sure how to respond because "yes, we are" although it isn't by blood.

 The "cool" ones - Morgan, Ryan, and Tyler

 Crazy gorillas - they were all inside due to the extreme heat.

Had to take advantage of the fact that the "ticket" we bought included the carousel.  

 Chris, Grant, Tyler, Morgan, and Ryan

 Ally, Andrew, and Teetay - yes, Kristin rode too so I was the only one that relaxed on the bench

I love the bears!

AND

the penguins!

 

We did find that the penguin exhibit was the best kept secret.

45 DEGREES INSIDE HERE ---- too bad we found it right before it was time to leave.

Part 2 of vacation . . . to be continued . . .