Kate turns 10!

Kate invited a few of her close friends from school to go snow tubing at Snow Creek Ski Resort for her birthday. I was worried about the weather because it started raining as we took off for Weston, Missouri. Luckily, there was no rain on that side of the river. 

Jane, Emma, Lydia, Kate, Rhealynn, Eloise

As you can tell, the snow is mostly man-made and we had the party just before closing for the season. Kansas City did not have the best "snow" weather this year. Too many stretches of warm days and no rain/snow in the forecast during the cold days. Either way, the girls had fun going down the dirty looking snow paths!

After the girls were tired of tubing, we had a birthday celebration in the cafeteria of the resort. Everyone picked out something to eat and then we had some tropical cupcakes I purchased from Walmart. 

Kate is such a sweet girl. It has been fun to watch her do new things this year. She joined choir at her elementary school. She can often be found hiding in her room making bracelets or crocheting or reading a book. She is able to make macaroni and cheese on her own. She has helped babysit Jane while Bryan and I run errands. She tried out run club, but quickly learned running is not for her. Then she joined acrobatics and has learned all sorts of tricks- cartwheel, back bend, back bend kick over, round off, and some spider move. She made new friends. She learned how to navigate on the computer for her school work. She has excelled musically in piano and singing. I see a future of acting or singing or drama. She is a kind and thoughtful with her friends. She has created a few projects on her sewing machine. Kate always wants to do what is right and is quick to realize when she has made a mistake. We are so proud of her. She is so fun to be with and has such a cute personality. I just love her so much!

October 2022

We took off for Branson, Missouri the first weekend in October to celebrate Bryan turning 40! I surprised him with 4 tickets to see Garth Brooks. We wanted to go with other adults, but ended up taking our girls instead. It is hard to find someone to trust with your children after only being there for a little over 2 months. The life of a military spouse and family.  

The view was amazing! Garth Brooks put on an awesome show. 

The best part was falling asleep in the parking lot waiting to leave after the show. The venue was really nice, but the parking was atrocious. Only one exit out. 

Found out one of my good friends, Toni, was also stationed at Fort Leavenworth and we pretty much hung out as much as possible. Obviously taking in the beautiful fall foliage off of Weston Bend State Park.

The second weekend, we went camping at Smithville Lake in Missouri. A paved bike path follows around the lake and in the mornings/evenings the lake was calm enough to paddle board.

Oktoberfest in Kansas City was a little disappointing. We attempt to go every year, this one didn't seem to have quite the turn out.

Visiting Kaleidoscope at Crown Center.

The Great Escape 5K

An event run by one of the military police units at Fort Leavenworth was a flop. I was told by many, this event is fun because you are chasing an inmate. That was not what happened at all. The children were all up front ready to start and someone yells an inmate has escaped! BUT they are in the back of the crowd. NO ONE can see this inmate being "taken down". The timing chips were off. Awards were given to the wrong people. It was just a mess. We did get a picture with our neighbors!

Sunday walk with the kids to see the fall colors at Weston Bend State Park.

Bryan coached Jane's soccer team over the course of 8 weeks. Grandma and Grandpa Koplin were able to see her last game against the parents and award ceremony. 

Mom and Dad came to visit us for Halloween this year. It was such gorgeous weather while they visited. We went to Weston Bend State Park to enjoy the fall colors and walked the streets of the historic city of Weston.

I have the best little girls. Both being recognized at school for the behavior and personal character. I must have done something right!

I coached a run club for kids third grade to eighth grade over the course of 8 weeks. The end goal was to be able to complete the Halloween Fun Run 5K hosted by Fort Leavenworth CYS. It was a great experience for me to volunteer, educate, and cheer on these kids. 

Kate was a run club participant and really showed great improvements! She, however, has told me she doesn't want to do that anymore. Ha!

Fort Leavenworth hosted a Fall Festival with games, hayride, petting animals, and food. 

It was a pleasure to have Mom and Dad around to watch the girls do all the fall activities- pumpkin carving, dressing up, decorations, and corn maze. Our family LOVES this time of year!

When in Kansas, dress up like the Wizard of Oz!

Princess Neighbors - Taco Bell, Glenda, and Peach

Our Neighbors

All the candy collected!

 

August 2022

We've had fun exploring the Kansas City area. We have found the Costco and Target and Walmart to fill our house with food and organization. On our first weekend that didn't involve unpacking, we went hiking through Weston Bend State Park. We quickly figured out we need to closely watch Howie for ticks and burrs after hiking. We might even need to keep his hair shorter to be really careful. There were some good views of the Missouri River, but in the fall would probably be so beautiful. Afterwards, we headed to the town of Weston to get some ice cream, soda, and candy. I found a Polish Pottery shop and had to get something there too! It's a lot more expensive in America! 

We've stopped at Fritz's Railroad Restaurant. You order your food through a telephone at the table and a train will drop off the food to your table. It was really fun and the food wasn't so bad.

Our neighborhood pool quickly became the place to be every afternoon. The girls LOVED jumping off the high dive. Kate even got the courage to do a dive off the high dive!

We made it to the Peach Festival in Weston. It was really hot and miserable. I am not quite sure why I thought going at 1pm was a good idea. The girls played on the playground, zip lined, and picked some peaches. I made a wonderful peach cobbler with those peaches the next week.

The day before school, Kate and Jane met their teachers and dropped off all their school supplies. The elementary school is super nice and big. We were all in awe of the koi fish pond, library, cafeteria, TEAMS room, and hearing each child receives their very own computer. So much more technology and money than they are used to coming from a private school. Seeing the joy in my girls faces while exploring the school grounds made my momma heart so happy.

Jane's first day of second grade. She wants to be a dog groomer when she grows up.

Kate's first day of fourth grade. She wants to be a pet sitter when she grows up.

PAIR DAY: One stop shop for everything social, recreational, spiritual, and educational in the Kansas City area. There is a lot to do here. I think we will be pretty happy. And of course, we had to get pictures with the Wizard of the OZ.

Chicken N Pickle: Found a cute little outdoor/indoor restaurant with pickle ball quarts, ping pong, jump ropes, hula hoops, corn hole, and battleship. Unfortunately, it was pretty hot and humid. Bryan cannot stand the humidity. This will be a nice place to go on the weekends in the fall? or winter?