Graduation Day

This past weekend was full of lots of events for Graduation. We had our class ceremony and fun awards were given, I of course got mother hen award. I actually take great pride in this title! My parents (mom and dad Light) as well as Deb, Dennis, and Neal came into town. Everyone joined me for the class ceremony. Then it was home for pizza and off to the grad ceremony. Two hours later I have the fake diploma in hand and ready to party for the night. This consisted of dragging the entire family out after 10pm to listen to a band and have a few drinks. Nice but we were ready to call it a night. Whats the saying if the music is to loud you are too old, in this case if you cant understand the words the band is singing its time to retire. Dont get me wrong it was nice but just not my style. Saturday, was busy preparing for an open house for family and friends. I am so greatful to have mom, dad, and Deb around because I basically did nothing. They are so awesome (Thanks again guys!). Not as many people showed up but the ones that did it was a good relaxing time in the fresh air and with food and drinks to go along (again, thanks mom and dad). Not to mention that Kendra and her mom were here and did lots too. Like napping on the trampoline so Dad Light could hose them down. Love you! Here are some pictures of the wonderful weekend.

A special thanks to my friends and family for all there support in the past few years...this has been a wonderful adventure and now it is time to open some new doors for me and my family.

Its off to Thermopolis for 8 weeks on Tuesday! I will keep you posted.

Class Ceremony with the Girls!

Guitar Hero played by Deb Anthony during the evening

Kendra and Shelley(her mom)getting hosed down by Dad Light

Its time to graduate

Mom and Dad Light with the Graduate

Mom Light entertains Liz on the Tramp

Bar-B-Q or Charbroil???

Just when you think the boxing match has ended with Theresa down with the last punch you better wake up. Ken has been coming in with some good blows and showing his stuff and impressing the crowd until........

Saturday Night dinner, Ken was going to cook dinner (I get sick of cooking everynight, so I figured he could handle a little grilling) he started the grill and was going to slow cook the Ribs ($20.00 ribs mind you). He got it all set up and headed down to the yard to do some yard work in our gorgous spring weather. The porch filled with smoke and flames were starting to grow up the side of my house (the house is fine). He informed me the ribs were ready, and what was I fixing for a side dish (as he was filtering the house out from smoke). As we sat down he dug into the nicely charcoaled ribs to find the insides RAW (yes folks when you flame broil ribs it only cooks the outside, but my loving husband did not think of this). So we had noodles with corn and lunch meat ham instead. He was suppose to cook for mothers day the following day but I figured I better cook for myself as the beef may not get cooked thoroughly:)

With this being said I am buying the girls lunchables for the next 8 weeks to ensure the get a healthy cooked meal.

With all this said I remind all you that I am back in the ring ready to win this round! (all with love). Do not fret, if you are coming to the open house this weekend to celebrate my graduation Ken will not be in charge of the Bar-B-Q!

I love you dear husband!!

Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day (belated) to all my family and friends that celebrated this wonderful day. To my sister who celebrated her first mothers day with her beautiful family, Kristy Barr who celebrated her first "official" mothers day, and all the mothers who have been doing this for many years and pregnant with their next one (becky Jo:).

It is important for me to say how special Mom Light is to me...as she has supported me, given advice, and been a friend in the past several years. I dont think I could ever show how much her love is for me and my family!!!

Love to everyone.

Here are some pictures because not only is it mothers day but I celebrated my 34th birthday. I had the pleasure of celerbrating this time with my family and Kendra as her 20th birthday was celebrated on May 13th.

Misc. Pictures

I have finally downloaded a few pictures of the girls so that I could post them.

Liz and "bob" the trombone at band recital.

Track day for the girls...only got a couple of pics though.

Finals week

Wow I did not realize how long it had been since I had last posted a blog. I do have some pictures to post too. Where has the time gone??? This week is my official last week of classes and next week is finals. Then it is time to party before heading out for 8 weeks. (thermopolis rotation). Ken thinks he has won this boxing match but just wait for 8 weeks of #####.

Updates on girls: Liz had a band concert and did very well. She took a growth assessment test to see how she has done through the school year. From the beginning of the year she to the end of the year she went up 24 pts in math and 8 pts in reading. These scores are awesome! Here comes junior high:( both girls had track day this week and Liz took 2nd in 100meter run (again this is not like her, she hates running)

Mikaela: Took 2nd in two areas of track day but had melt down in the afternoon because mom was not there (this is the first meet I have missed in 3 years). She is now doing back hand springs in gymnastics and progressiving nicely with piano.

Pictures will be posted later.

Hope everyone is well and I will post again real soon

Ring the #%*! bell

Theresa has Ken up against the ropes and is being merciless with her combinations to his mind. Tonight Ken was informed that if the weather does not let up, Theresa may not be coming home until Saturday. OUCH! Would someone nudge the time keeper because I think he has fallen asleep this round. If Ken does not get his guard up he could be taking a canvas nap. He looks like he needs to go sit in his corner on his little stool and have the trainer tell him that he can win this fight. The last round it was the youngest who was having a hard time with Mom being gone and this round it is the oldest. I guess the next round is Kens. His bedroom has become the Motel 6 and yes, they do leave a light on for you. (There are scary things in the dark or so I am told) It is pretty much impossible to get a good night sleep in a queen bed with two dogs, a daughter who practices karate moves in her sleep, a cat who wants to be on your head, and another daughter who can strip all the blankets off the bed with a quarter roll. The cat and Ken usually do not get along, but since he is feeding him, He is now his best buddy. The dog Ojo will not eat when Theresa is not home, but a couple of days of not eating has cured that problem. The newest addition, Toby, is still a pup and is in his own little world. He will do something he is not supposed to and you can see Ojo roll her eyes and shake her head in disappointment. Ken better get his mind back into this fight and remember to keep his guard up because he does not know what is going to be thrown at him next. Ken and Theresa wouldn't be able to get through these rounds if it was not for all the wonderful people that they have in their corners. Whether it is a phone call, email, instant message, or just stopping by they are all huge boosts to these two. Though they haven't had to call on some of you yet, it is a huge relief knowing that you all are there. Tune in next time for "Whom the Bell Tolls" to see if Ken makes it out of this round standing.

Epic battle - round 4

If you have been following this seesaw battle between these two seasoned fighters than you know that Ken took the lead in the third round. At the end of the third Theresa came back with a flurry of punches which made Ken weak in the knees when she caught a bad cold at the end of her trip. She would later go to the doctor to find out that she had bronchitis which is hard on her with her previous lung problems, so the judges awarded her a couple of extra pity points. She also came home to both of her girls being sick and that was a hit below the belt.
We now move ahead to this round which finds Theresa springing out of her corner with a look of determination on her face. She is floating like a butterfly and acting like an OT. Maybe it is knowing that this is the last week away before her eight week rotation at the end of May or that she did not leave as explicit notes for Ken as she has in the past. I think we will see what Ken is really made of this round. The girls have a light schedule this week which will give Ken a huge advantage, but Theresa has strategically maneuvered the cookbooks and recipes to a place where Ken cannot find them. Sucker punch! Ken knows some of the recipes, but beef stroganoff can easily become, "Uh...Dad? Can we order a pizza?" We will see if he can remember to keep his cooking mitts up after this blow. Ken is coming out of his corner looking a little to comfortable in his apron. Luckily between rounds he was able to get in a little male bonding out on the golf course and seems to be getting his hairy manly legs back underneath him. If he has to have his nails painted, do another french braid, (which he thought was a type of bread at a fancy bakery), or go buy any type of feminine product we could see him hit the mat for an extended period of time. We will know how this round is going to play out by Thursday, so tune in to see who is left standing.

Throwing in the Towel

Where to begin....

I truly thought I was ready to throw in the white towel and surrender....but not just yet! Ken is doing a wonderful job and keeping things together as I am venturing out into the unkown. If I have another women say how amazing my husband is I think I am going to start to get a little suspicious:) (just kidding) He is amazing and the girls and I would not be where we are today if it were not for him.

Ok enough about that...lets talk Long Beach, CA. Awesome is the one word I could use to sum it up. We arrived at around 2pm and went to opening ceremony at an Occupational Therapy Conference we returned to the Queen Mary Hotel at around 10pm. Attended the conference all day on Fri. and had dinner at PF Changs (chinese). Returned back to the hotel and had wine and walked the (haunted) ship for the night returning for bed at around 1am. On Sat. we went cruising in the rental car to Hunting Beach where we played in the hot sun and lived life to the fullest. Had lunch on the Pier at Rubys and then headed to Knotts Berry Farm for a wonderful dinner with my fabulous father-in-law and Sandy. Then it was back to the hotel to pack and prepare for an early flight home. There are many stories in between but I choose not to write them all as I would probably bore you and my hands would be tired. We drove home in the mini-van with extra luggage and 6 adult women (this was fun).

(Dinner at PF Changs) (Roomates with Queen Mary behind us)

When I returned home Mikaela had the flu and I ended up with Bronchitis.

The girls are doing great. Today is Mikaela's 8th birthday!!!..and we hope to finish the year out with a bang!!

One more rotation starting this Monday in Billings MT.

Please keep the prayers coming as this has not been easy but we have all grown in our own way and our love is stronger then ever right now!

Love to all

An epic battle

In this bout of two equally talented fighters we have seen a split decision from the judges so far. The first round unanimously went to Theresa when she was in Gillette for a week and her young inexperienced opponent forgot to take the laundry out of the dryer. The second round Ken battled back with a definitive win when he masterfully navigated an overbooked week of children's events. We are now in the middle of the third round and Theresa has taken a hard hit to the jaw for being gone on their wedding anniversary..OUCH! I do not know if she will be able to get up from that shot. Things are really stacked against Theresa this round with it snowing in Casper and her being in seventy degree weather out in Long Beach. Theresa is letting her guard down by enjoying a day at the beach while Ken keeps throwing jabs and hooks by going to the grocery store, doing laundry, and getting the kids to events on time. Let's hope she gets her head back into this match before she has to throw in the (beach) towel. Uh-Oh, It looks like a T.K.O. that's right (T)heresa, (K)endra, and (O)pa are going out to dinner tonight while Ken and the girls are having mac and cheese and hot dogs. I do not see how Theresa could pull this round out, but luckily for her there is still nine more rounds after this. She will be up in Billings, MT at the end of this month for round four and we will see what these two are really made of, because then she is off to Thermopolis for the last eight rounds. You better get the smelling salts ready and another bag of buttered popcorn because it is going to be a long bout that neither of them wants to lose. In two weeks we will update you on round four of this epic twelve round battle.

This next line is for Opa: It is an outdoor venue so we hope it does not reign and that Ken will continue to rein, so that Theresa does not tighten the rains on Ken. lol

Invitation!

GRADUATION DAY FOR THERESA ANTHONY

MAY 16TH, 2008 AT 7PM

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WILL BE COMING INTO TOWN. WE WILL ALSO BE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE...WATCH FOR MAILED INVITATIONS!

Where did the time go......

I have been back for a little over a week now and have just finally been able to find a minute to post an update. My week in Worland for physical disability was awesome!! I found that I truly enjoy the hospital setting when it is not me laying in the bed. Also old people ROCK (even when they are crabby)! I returned home safely on Friday only to attend the Spring chili bingo at the kids school. I was greeted nicely and told what an awesome husband I have...not only was he mister mom for a week but he pulled on Spring chili bingo with only a few issues and they were only noticable by him. The house was still standing and everyone did very well with only a few melt downs.

My host for the week was also very wonderful and it was nice and relaxing. I do not like being away from home but it is nice to know that you truly are needed and not just around because you can multi task.

What this week entails..... Not only do we have gymnastic, band practice, and church throughout the week but it is once again soccer season. Liz starts up this week so now we go Mon-Thurs with an activity everyday. I cannot wait until May!!!

This week I am off to California for an Occupational Therapy conference. I leave on Weds night and return on Sun. I will be going with some friends for school. During my visit I will be also visiting with my father in law and Sandi for some socializing. Then I return only to leave again at the end of april for my last one week rotation in Billings MT.

Love to all

All points bulletin

HELP!!! This is an all points bulletin. I have lost the following items: My mind, time, sleep, and temporarily my wife. The last time these items were seen with me was around Sunday afternoon. If you locate any of these items, besides the wife, do not try and apprehend them on your own for they maybe armed and dangerous. In case you have not guessed, Theresa is doing her field work in Worland this week. Even though she has been gone for only 3 days it seems like a month. I swapped schedules with a couple of guys so I could be here in town all week. Wait..Shhhh! Did you hear that? I think that is the sound of my wife laughing echoing around the void in my head where my brain used to be. What has brought me to this state of temporary insanity? When you combine the gymnastics, dinner preparation, dishes, cleaning up around the house, band practice, youth group, PTO, wasp nest the size of a regulation football in your attic, dog messing in the house because you got home late, work, showering children, homework, potty training a puppy, earring holes closing up and then having to re-open them, carpet cleaning, animals that refuse to eat, and the minor meltdowns of girls who miss there mom. The frustrating thing on the meltdowns is that they do not tell you that they are crying because they miss mom, NOOOO!!! you have to play the guessing game and this game usually begins 30 minutes after they were supposed to in bed. The youngest one came out on Sunday night and said that I had forgot to turn on her radio and the tears started to flow. I told her I was sorry and that I would happily come and turn it on. Fifteen minutes later through the blubbering and sniffles I was finally able to get a confession out of her that she missed mom. It is hard to play good cop, bad cop when it is just yourself. All is going well and we only have two more nights and the cleaning crew I hired will be here on Friday afternoon.

Purity Class

Liz has attended a 7 week class through our church for young adults. This class is about staying pure and how to deal with the challenges sex through prayer and self-confidence. At the end of the session they had a ring ceremony and acknowledge that they will lead the life of abstinence until marriage. At this time mom and dad had the privelage of putting a purity ring on her finger and praying for her. We ask all of you in her life to also pray that this is the life she will continue to follow and that the challenges that are to come will be made easier with the Lord and all us by her side. Her daddy cried like a baby!! It has been decided that when the time comes for marriage he will not be allowed to make any type of speech:) Now that is the love of a father!

Weakened Trip

Not to much to report for the weekend. We headed to Thermopolis (hot springs) Wyoming. This is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Casper. Purpose of the trip was to see the house and meet the neighbors of the couple that she will be house sitting for when she is away on her 8 week rotation this summer. We spent 20 minutes in the hot springs and then headed back for home. The couple is very nice and this worked out great for them and us. They leave the 2nd week of May and I arrive at the end of May, I will finish my rotation in July and they return home in August. The town is small and very homey. I will be heading in the same direction over Easter weekend for my physical disability rotation in Worland WY. This is another one week adventure that leaves the girls and husband to fend for themselves. I will update you on how they handle this trip when I return.

Party Time

A 13 year old party is always best when everyone remembers to wear deodorant:) The house was packed with 17; 12 and 13 year olds going through puberty...this was not only entertaining but would have made a great experimental project. All in all in was great, we did a scavenger hunt and the kids brought back 36 non parishable items to give to Joshua Storehouse (shelter facility in our town), we played giant jenga, sardines (hide and go seek game), and did a little dancin where mom and dad showed off their moves!!! Now this was true entertainment. Cake and Ice cream was the traditional event of the eveing. Except Liz got introduced to having to take the first bite without her hands...these are what you call real friends.

(first bite without hands)

(gift time surrounded by friends)

13 at last!

Today was the big day...thank you to everyone who helped to make it special, I do not believe the phone has stopped ringing since I walked in the door at 4pm. The big party is on Saturday but here is a picture of the birthday girl today!

Gymnastics Meet

Yep another gym meet. This was Mikaela's last time as a level 3, after this weekend she officially moves to level 4. This entails all new routines on all equipment. At this meet she took first over all her team. Out of 20 girls in different teams she took a 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. It was a good meet and judged very hard.

It's the Final Countdown

I think it was Frank Sinatra that summoned it up best when he said, "And now, the end is near" My father reminded me of one of the first times he ever met Liz and she was pushing on my rear-end trying to get me into her playhouse we had set up in the living room. She got me in and then joined me inside which made it a full house. It seems like only yesterday that she was helping Theresa and I paint our house in preperation for sale. Theresa and I were painting the shed to match the house when the dog came by with green handprints on his black coat. As I followed the trail down the path along the side of the house I came to the large tree by the front door also decorated in small green handprints. As I came up the newly stained porch with green handprint highlights I encountered a blond haired, blue eyed, three foot nuthin little girl with green hands, shirt, shorts, legs, and shoes. All those things were fixable and were cleaned up with some soap and water, but I don't know how to stop the next couple of hours from coming. I have faith that Theresa and I have done a good job teaching, learning, and raising Liz to be an awesome young woman who will continue to make me proud that I am her father. It will take me some time to loosen the grip on the reigns, but she proves to me everyday that she can and will make the right choices in the challenges she will face in the near future. She did not learn to ride a bike until we let go and went inside and she tried what we had taught her. Love You Lizzy more than you know and always remember you were chosen.

Love, Dad

Mikaela Spring pictures

Definitely has her Daddy's eyes!

Liz School Spring Picture

2 more days until she is officially a teen!

These are her spring school pics. Copies will be mailed soon!