Tyler shooting for the stars.......

Here are a few action photo's from Tyler's basketball game on Saturday. (he's the one in black in the middle of the group.)

They played Waconia and played hard but just couldn't make enough baskets to get ahead. Tyler made some really nice drives but has his mother's curse of leaving his lay ups a tad short. (sorry Tyler)

It's so fun to watch him play. He's improved leaps and bounds from year to year.

Even his defense has improved which isn't an easy thing to learn.

They ended the weeked 1-2 with a win this morning.  Tyler's celebration lunch was his favorite restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings. :)  Good job Tyler!  Keep working hard!

Mommy is wonderful lady but she's better suited for a Hawaiian Tropic photo shoot than one of those Coors Light commercials with the arctic train blowing through. Her idea of a good time needs 3 key ingredients - Sun, Heat, & Skimpy clothing... Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of those 3 in a long time. What I have seen though is our offspring braving the elements in pursuit of a Good Time. Logan is ready to take his game to the next level. We can't limit him to knee hockey in the living room or passing tennis balls back and forth in the garage anymore. He wants to spread his wings and fly. Well, "fly" might be a stretch. For now lets just call it - looking the part of a Hockey Boy. He shuffles and smiles. Pirouettes and stumbles. (Masculine pirouettes folks - I assure you.) Bear loves being at the rink amongst the older kids whizzing by. Going through all of the trouble of gearing him up always seems worth it at the end of a good skate.

Emma is right there with him, venturing farther and farther away from the walkers each time. Perhaps it won't be long until we might see her pretty white locks beneath a hockey helmet. For now, she's content with her pink laces and trips into the warming house for a drink from her Princess water bottle. I sure enjoy pushing her around the ice on that chair while she screams joyously for me to always go "faster daddy faster". (I'm sorry Minnow. My wheels have left me.)

The warmth that their mother requires isn't even in the same ballpark as our most recent trip above freezing. The warming trend delivered unusual January rain but also a chance for some more outdoor fun. With the Honda awakened from the Dead, the kneehighs only have to catch a glimpse of it in the garage to ask for a ride. We must be quite a sight! All 3 of us motoring up and down the hills by our house - tooling around out on the lake - or just lapping the yard until the snot runs like a Spring stream. Check out Logie's right hand.... 3 years old and thumb on the throttle. (A fair metaphor for most 3 footers I'm sure.) Those of us cool enough to have had a BMX Plus magazine back in the day, know that Emma's impression of Radical Rick is spot on. When I see my kids braving the elements, toughing it out and embracing what it means to be a Minnesotan - I know that I'm doing my parental duties.... and Mommy is resting easy in the house next to her space heater. (Which consequently "covers" some of my husbandly duties as well!)

All you need is love........(or 5 more minutes of sleep)

I............am...............not..................a...............morning.................person.

I'm afraid this fact may be rubbing off on my children.

Every morning Kirby gets up as soon as the alarm goes off, gets up, takes a shower and is dressed and ready before I have even considered sticking my foot out from under the covers.  He's a marine, he's been trained to get by on 5 hours of sleep. He can eat a meal in 2 minutes flat. He stands at attention anytime he hears the National Anthem.  He can recite the movie Full Metal Jacket word for word. He has time to unload the dishwasher or watch TV or even check his facebook acccount.  Yes, he has that much spare time in the morning.

My morning routine barely allows me enough time to make sure I have actual clothes on that aren't my pjs.

Therefore, he gets the kids up every day by going up and bringing each child down one at a time. On this morning, he went up and got Emma and then brought Logan down and put them on the couch.  Logan, taking after his mother, grumbled some words, gave Kirby a dirty look and climbed on top of his sister and snuggled in for an additional 5 minutes of sleep.  How cute is that?

Most days Logan is the 'up and at 'em' child but not on this particular morning..... on this day he actually showed signs that he is his mother's child.

10,000!

WOW!

We have just realized that there have been over 10,000 views on our blog.

We hope that you enjoy the life and times and going ons of our family.  With so many of our families living far away, we started this blog in hopes to give you a daily glimpse of what the  we are doing as a family and what the kids are up to with a few pictures here and there.

Thanks so much and here's to another 10,000 views~

(if you dare, we would love to know which post was your favorite or which picture you adored...feel free to leave a comment)

Winter blahs!

It's hit... the winter blahs have overcome the kind people of Minnesota. 

Myself included.

The gray days and ho-hum of mid January days....

Casual conversations at the small town grocery stores revolve around "warm temps are nice, spring is right around the corner." 

The secret code for that sentence is, "Warm temps are nice, we are so going to get nailed with 8 more feet of snow and temps below zero before spring gets here."

As I run on the treadmill at the gym, my thoughts turn to the feel of the road beneath my shoes, the wind on my face and theever changing passing scenery.  

Reality is my shoes are feeling the rubber mat that keeps going in circles, the smell of sweat from the guy running next to me and the white wall with a painted M that stands in front of me.

BUT~ I can be thankful for what I have, where I am and everything that I am blessed with.

 Daily reminders from Kare11 News assist with that thought.

This too shall pass, along with the winter blahs!

Top Ten of 2009

It's that time of year when people come up with a 'New Year's Resolution.'  Something that they decide to change, do better, quit, or start up.

Hmm, where did this idea come from? Here's a little background info in case you were wondering:

The history of making New Year’s resolution began with the Babylonians approximately 4,000 years ago. The Babylonians made resolution’s to the gods to get favor. Then if a resolution is broken it was considered bad luck so it was advised to be careful in determining one’s New Year’s Resolution.

Well then!  Choose wisely right? Can't have bad luck following you around......

I can't think of a year that I have laid out a resolution for myself and I'm thinking that 2010 won't be the year that I start either.

However instead of a post about a resolution, I will opt for a Top Ten List of highlights for the Kirby Krew for 2009. 

In no particular order....

10. 2009 started off with a hunting trip planned for St. Pete Beach, FL with just myself and best friend Rider with airplane tickets.  We spent a few glorious days in Florida enjoying sunshine, freedom, and lazy days exploring.

9.  Tyler successfully completed a basketball, baseball and football season with no injuries and more knowledge about the love of sports.

8. Emma successfully completed preschool and early admittance tests to see if she was ready to begin Kindergarten. She is doing AWESOME and has erased any worries anyone might have had about her starting school this year.  As a matter of fact, she was one of the first students that was able to count to 100 out of her peers!

7. Logan easily graduated from diapers to training pants to big boy underwear before his 3rd birthday.   I am happy to say that I will never have to buy diapers again.

6. Kirby completed another year of teaching, managing the pool, umping baseball and a very successful football season.

5. As a family, we did out annual trip to the Tiki Tina hotel along with a summer trip to Warroad, camping on the North Shore, a overnight to the MOA, and a trip to Como Zoo. We also have many numerous day trips and activities that we have done but we'll just leave it at-we are blessed!

4. Professionally I survived on of the most challenging years of employment. Not only with many additional tasks asked of me but with the emotional strain of assisting those in these difficult economic times with seeking employment. I gained so much insight and strength from going to work everyday that a new perspective on life has been developed.

3. Kirby and I celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary!  Marriage is hard and we have grown and learned and changed every year together.

2. Our kids are smart and continue to learn each and everyday.  They are amazing and we are so proud to be their parents.

1. We have remained healthy and injury free.

Happy 2010!

A Proper Baptism...

Delmar O'Donnell, "Well that's it, boys. I've been redeemed. The preacher's done warshed away all my sins and transgressions. It's the straight and narrow from here on out, and heaven everlasting's my reward."

Neither Michele nor I were raised in traditional "church going" families. However we were both brought up God-loving Christians. Faith is part of who we are. When engaged to be married, we always intended our vows to be spoken in the house of the Lord. There was a solid year of regular attendance at the Rush City Baptist Church where Pastor Dave eventually became the man that would marry us and guide us through some of the spiritual ways of the world. One thing I did learn from him as a Baptist preacher is a belief that baptism is a choice. Believer's Baptism, as it is called, is a voluntary act of faith and not just a routine of church membership. Baptism serves as a public identification with the Christian faith.

Logan was not baptized as an infant as his catholic, big brother was. But I assure you that Bear relishes his chance each night to pray over family meals. And a few weeks ago at a Warroad Hockey game, I wanted to eat him up during the National Anthem as I peeked over my shoulder to check on him, only to be amazed at his little hands pressed together in prayer formation in recognition of a serious moment. But as I understand it, Logan hasn't matured to the point of understanding a commitment to the Christian faith... so, Baptism isn't a choice for him YET.

Well, at least today Baptism wasn't a choice ... it was an accident!

After tossing out some hockey sticks - Logan & 2 pals

(Taylor and Nolan) were occupied while I set

up camp.

It was the Maiden Voyage of the new Frabill Fish House.

Nolan and Logan shared fishing tips, gummie worms,

a seat and a turkey sandwich.

One house was slaying the crappies -

the other was entertaining "the knee high gang".

(Although we did manage a Monster Perch.)

In search of fertile fishing grounds, we decided

to move the fish house to the east. That is when

my pint-sized partner was unintentionally baptized

in the frigid waters of West Rush Lake.

(Here is the master angler

- left leg wet to the tush-

warming in the truck.)

(Tuckered out and headed home...

No Doubt -dreaming up a Fisherman's Lie.)

"Well I was lyin'. And the preacher says that that sin's been warshed away too. Neither God nor man's got nothin' on me now. C'mon in boys, the water is fine."