The Demuths

Onward and Upward

2011-12-16T20:36:00.003-07:00

Not so sure about the upward part, but it is definitely time to move onward. After two and a half years of hard work at Kansas State University, I finally achieved my goal. After many early mornings and late nights, frantic cramming and leisurely strolls, I am done. Well, almost...final grades have yet to post so I am currently sitting here pulling my hair out wondering just how much my hard work has paid off--and how much harder I should have worked... I remind myself that this will not matter all that much a year from now, or even a week from now, but right now...it does. With Christmas approaching, children on vacation from school, presents, baking, cleaning, cards, it would be really nice if this would just work out the way I want it.
The good news...I may just have enough time to keep this blog updated more often. I have recently discovered the new timeline feature on Facebook and will probably take advantage of that as well--so much easier. So, keep checking both (because I know you secretly have way more time than I do and have nothing better to do than check in on my various sites just to see what is going on in Kansas). ;)
I hope you are all well and prepared for the holidays. We are still getting there. But, we are a lot closer than before.

2011-08-17T13:17:00.002-07:00

This is my boy at the beginning of the summer.

Four generations of us girls...doesn't the young one look thrilled?

Ry on her first day as a 5th Grader. We ran short on time in the morning and went out back after she got out of school. You can tell she really likes school. She was so glad to go back.

School Starts!

2011-08-17T13:12:00.002-07:00

It seems that around this time each year I get a bit more time to myself. As I now search for things to do to postpone mundane chores, I realized that my blog has been left untended for some time...like nearly a year. SO much has happened in the past year. There is really no where to begin--except at the end.

We still live in Kansas! :D Kansas is an adventure. We like it here.

Kade is now a Middle Schooler--rode the bus to school this morning for the first time.

Riley is my 5th Grader--rode her bike to school three days running now.

I am finishing up my last semester of undergrad and will start the job hunt soon.

Scrolling through the pictures on my page I am reminded how fast time flies. Seems like just yesterday they were so little...each day they continue to surprise me with the new things they know and can do.

Here's to hoping blogging makes the list of things that get done this coming year. :) Thanks for hanging in there with us.

hello out there...

2010-10-31T19:14:00.003-07:00

So, if any of you actually look at our blog still...this is for you!

We are well into the Fall semester and have done SO much since my last post.

I am still in school, Kade is now a 5th grader, Riley is in 4th, and Cory is deployed.

To keep my sanity I find myself taking more pictures than before. If any of my Kansan friends would like to help me get some practice in...please let me know, I would be happy to practice on you and your family.

We have a lot going just now, but feel confident that we can get most of it done in a timely manner.

One thing I would like to add to my pile is blogging again. We shall see how that goes.

Thanks for hanging in there with us. We haven't disappeared, just dropped off the radar for a bit.

Riley

2010-06-21T14:46:00.003-07:00

I got a few good ones of my Riley too. She looks so grown up with her hair cut short... ah, too fast...

Kade

2010-06-21T14:42:00.002-07:00

These are from the day Kade cooperated with me. He is growing up fast! I can't believe he is already 10 years old.

New Pictures...it's about time...

2010-06-21T10:05:00.003-07:00

We had a friend of ours here in Kansas take a few quick pics of us...you know, for posterity...

Easter--finally got dressed up!

2010-04-11T11:47:00.002-07:00

While I did succeed at taking pictures of my lovely children, do you get the same feeling I had when I suspected they may not have been as excited about this as I was?

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T08:03:00.004-07:00

Happy Easter!

The kids had a great time hunting Easter Eggs in our backyard this morning. I hid 57...got this great deal at Target yesterday...but we are still missing 2 or 3. :)

We searched high and low...

Far and Wide...

Found some!

While others lay hiding in plain sight...

Can you find the egg?

There it is!

Hope everyone has a fantastic day!

new pictures

2010-03-18T11:06:00.001-07:00

I coerced Cory into taking a few pictures this morning. These are updated, but not nearly as good as the last batch of pictures we had taken. Any volunteers to take a few great ones here in Kansas?

St. Patrick’s Day

2010-03-17T15:08:00.002-07:00

I am trying something new…turns out Word can post to my blog. This could be FABULOUS!!! I can't wait to see how it goes. If things work smoothly, I'll be able to post more often. And, it'll look way cooler. J

This is just my test drive. I have to take some new pictures and come up with something witty to say before we can really be on a roll.

In the mean time, HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

For some reason it will not allow me to add pictures in Word...help? please? I know some of you out there actually know what you are doing. I am open to any help or suggestions you can give me. Thanks!

Kade's a Bear!

2010-02-17T20:27:00.002-07:00

Well, once again my pictures loaded backwards...but I hope you enjoy them all the same.

I feel like the only time I blog lately is after pack night. Well, at least I am blogging. ;)

Kade was finally awarded his Bear tonight. They did a special face painting activity--guess who got elected to paint... Yes, that's me in the pictures. (I know, it is rare, so enjoy it while you can.) Kade was also awarded one gold arrowpoint and 4 silvers. There is also a special patch all the boys got to commemorate 100 yrs of scouting. Looks like I've got a lot of sewing to do.

Congratulations, Kade!

Pinewood Derby 2010

2010-01-27T20:16:00.002-07:00

Well, the grin and the photo finishes should tell the story, but...

Kade won First Place in the Bear Den! He was thrilled!

We weighed in a little light and had to glue a pile of coins onto the bed. Cory and Kade did a great job this year! Kade picked the great green too. :D Love my boys!

Back to School

2010-01-26T11:21:00.003-07:00

I really wish I had pictures to post this time, but that is one of the things I need to improve upon... I have actually taken a few photos this year, but they are still stuck on my camera awaiting release.

I just wanted to provide all with an update regarding our busy lives...and perhaps a partial explaination (fear I totally butchered the spelling of that word, wish this had spellcheck) as to why my blog is once more neglected.

This semester I am enrolled in a nice variety of courses: Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism with a lab, Macroeconomics, Pyschology of Language, Human Needs, and Family Relationships and Gender Roles. Add to that my after school piano lessons four days a week, arranging transportation for Riley to her Achievement Day activity 2x a month, Scouts weekly (with the grand Pinewood Derby this week), my church calling, not to mention all the other things I am expected to accomplish--laundry, cleaning, cooking... (sigh) It is all working out well, for now, but I have "free" time at the most inconvenient moments throughout the day, like right now as I wait for another class.

We are freezing here in Kansas. Things warm up, just to cool down again. The other day we got into the 50s and the kids were thrilled to go outside again. Today we are back to having a high in the 30s with the wind blowing, but not as bad as yesterday. Oddly enough, our grass is turning green--and it's still too cold to wash my car!

In any event, we just wanted you all to know we are alive and well.

Happy New Year!

Riley's Award

2010-01-02T07:49:00.003-07:00

In December Riley was nominated by her teacher, Mrs Johnson, to receive the Most Improved Student award for her school. It was a great honor that she was approved and awarded an inscribed medal by the mayor during a city council meeting. Mrs Johnson was prepared with a camera for the occassion and sent me these fabulous pictures of the event.

Riley being awarded.

Riley and Mrs Johnson.

Riley with her parents. See how she's still smiling?

Riley with her family--including the reluctant brother...

Riley waiting before the meeting started. She said she was a little nervous, but she did just fine. We are so proud of Riley!

My Little Princesses?

2009-12-30T19:07:00.003-07:00

We are still snowpacked, and on vacation, and we've run out of fun things to do ALL day at home. So, this morning we had arts and crafts time with some of my old scrapbooking supplies--since I am such a fabulous scrapbooker... :D They had a lot of fun and decided to wear some of their creations. I am uncertain if Kade was a knight or a princess...although I did not ask. ;) What do you think?

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T16:22:00.003-07:00

Christmas morning passed quietly at our house. Amid a silent downpour of clean white snow, we enjoyed this special day with all of us together for the second year in a row. Our first Christmas in Kansas was fabulous!

We went to a local tree farm for family night a couple weeks ago and came back with this beauty. She really hung in there for us and the kids had a great time watching it get cut down.

Merry Christmas!

December

2009-12-24T16:30:00.005-07:00

So...since I started back to school the blog has been woefully neglected. We have done a lot of things, many of them undocumented on here... However, I did manage to take a few pictures this month during the more momentous happenings. Of course the pictures are all out of order, so I'll attempt to comment individually. But, the two main events are: the kids' snow day!, and cut out cookies.

I really took a deep breath and let them make a big mess in the kitchen. We did clean shortly after...

Kade wanted me to know he was eating a snow man's head... :S

I should have turned this one a bit, but... Kade requested the "brown" frosting for the gingerbread men.

Some of our grander creations...

Riley mid-frost...

Kade was proud of this one.

Kade was secretly wiping his hands on his pants... :S I couldn't let this pass without a picture!

Riley had a great time tubing down our hill on their snow day! She was out there for HOURS!

Kade was also quite excited about the snow!

I hope to be better about blogging in the new year...Maybe we'll start with Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

2009-12-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T08:48:00.003-07:00

Just spent the last 30 min using some premade template in an effort to be cool like so many others who had the presence of mind to make super cute holiday cards...maybe I could learn to use this program so I'm good at it by next year. :) In the mean time, please enjoy my darling children in pictures you have already seen.

Merry Christmas!

take two

2009-11-15T08:09:00.002-07:00

As busy as we are, it has taken this long to find a day with a bit of sun and some time to try taking better pictures. We ran out the door with maybe 30 min till sunset, got a few pictures in and the sun disappeared behind a bank of clouds low on the horizon. Some of these are better, but none jump out and really excite me. Maybe we'll try again...maybe I'll learn to be satisfied with what I have...we'll see...

picture project

2009-10-27T18:17:00.002-07:00

I took the kids out back in the field this evening hoping to get some great pics...well, here is some of our limited successes. :) The fantastically sunny day turned hazy about the time we were able to go outside. The sun peaked out a bit, but we'll just have to try again.

Riley got Baptized

2009-10-22T15:18:00.003-07:00

Last Saturday Riley got Baptized! She was so excited. I made her the dress I promised, although I didn't get a good picture of it... Her Grandma and Grandpa Harvey got to visit and see Kansas for the first time. We all had a wonderful weekend.

Congratulations, Riley! We are proud of you!

POST 100!

2009-10-01T15:16:00.003-07:00

Since this is such a landmark occassion, I started waiting for just the right thing to post. Well, that waiting turned into longer than I expected once school got going again. At long last, here is post 100...

This was the first gift Riley opened on her birthday. Cory bought it for her to go on her new bike!! The kids ride their bikes to school each day and she is so thrilled!

Riley is now eight years old. Baptism announcement coming soon...

Since I am somehow unable to drag the pictures around and put them in order...this one was not on her birthday, but at the really cool Apple Festival on Fort Riley earlier in September. Both Kade and Riley got to ride in a HMMVVR...or something like that. They got to wear kelvars, eye protection and everything. They were really excited. As you can see from Riley's stellar smile, they had a great time!

Riley couldn't make up her mind about which flavor cake to make, so Kade and I finally picked out a Devil's Food cake with cream cheese frosting. That night we lit candles, sang, the whole bit. Once again, happy as a clam. :D

Last Sunday it was so warm and nice that we went to the lake. The kids enjoyed skipping rocks they found at the shale beach. Riley found this one she said looked like a state. I think she mentioned Texas, but we decided it looked more like Oklahoma.

Back at the Apple Festival...what sort of Apple Festival would it have been if we didn't have apples? All the FRGs had booths and were holding bake sales. The kids picked these out and really enjoyed them.

This one just looked pretty the way the sun glanced off the water. Kade and Riley were both successful skipping rocks and had a lot of fun.

Although it was quite warm that day--reaching the low 80s--we only allowed the kids to wade in up to their knees. (Also, smart mommy didn't bring towels...smart, mommy...)

Kade and his apple. This was after the humvee ride, so there is a bit of dirt on him...

These past couple months have been quite the adventure. Fall is coming to Kansas and we are enjoying the changing colors. Going back to school for me has been a very interesting adjustment. With classes most days, and piano lessons others, our lives have become busy. But, we like it. Kade and Riley enjoy playing outside in our cul de sac. There are great neighbors with children their same ages. We are enjoying our adventure in Kansas.

Cool New Sites!

2009-08-18T17:41:00.003-07:00

I found this neat site, with a giveaway...check it out and enjoy all the links!

First Day of School!!

2009-08-17T07:17:00.004-07:00

The big day is FINALLY here! After starting school so early in Arizona, waiting until the middle of August this year has been torture--for all of us. However, we are thrilled to announce that the big FOURTH grader and the really excited THIRD grader are successfully off to their first day of school this year! We met both their teachers last week and think it is going to be a good year. Kade is liking all the friends he saw assigned to his class. Riley, well, she likes just about everything.

Of course, we have a pep talk last night before I read to them where I explained how we were taking pictures this morning--for their first day of school. They aren't nearly as excited about pictures as Mom is, but, hey, they are kids... So, we all got up a little early, were ready, and wouldn't you know...the rain still hadn't stopped. Kade even said the thunder is what woke him up--at 7 am, but he thought it was still night because it was so dark. It rained a lot--flash flood, a lot. So, these pathetic pictures are all that is left of Mom's grand plans for a photo shoot this morning. Kade even got a haircut last night. -sigh- Oh well, I'll just have to wait till it clears up and take more. :)

Although you can't really tell--because I just spent the last hour attempting to fix them--it is really dark outside during the pictures. More of a ominous cloud mass looming about threatening to let loose the next on-slaught of precipitation at any moment dark, but still threw the pictures white balance out of whack. So, these were taken with the kids standing out in the misting rain while Mom stood inside the door protecting her precious camera. Maybe we'll do before and after shots... Wait and see...

Outside in August

2009-08-09T16:44:00.002-07:00

Our pumpkin is coming along nicely. It is checked up on regularly and grows constantly! :D

Our squash, however, are another story entirely. Those bugs--previously posted--have now succeeded in ravaging our lovely squash plants. Thinking that by leaving our floundering plants in the garden the bugs would have plenty of eating material...wrong...they have now moved on to the remainder of our healthy plants making their take over complete. We'll hold out as long as we can and try again next year.

Although a majority of the clouds are obscuring the sun out front, these are the best pictures I was able to take. They look far more dramatic than the ones I took out front.

It was a nice sunny day, until suddenly the light disappeared and we all looked out a window in wonder. Instead of the sun blazing gloriously toward the horizon, we were faced with a bank of darkening drear. Once again the Kansas weather has managed to surprise us with its endless variety. So, here we sit in descending darkness just after 7pm...confused and befuddled, wondering if we should give up and turn in early, or revel in the break from routine while we still can--this being our last Sunday to stay up late before school starts again. Ah, the joys of summer.

Riley the hairdresser...

2009-08-03T08:12:00.003-07:00

Riley has recently decided that she is more than capable of fixing her own hair and that she would like to do it all the time. She has been granted priviledges, but Mom still reserves the right to fix it for school, church, and any other activity I decide... :D But after seeing this creation, I have to admit she has great potential! She did this all by herself--part and all!

Our Garden Grows!

2009-08-03T07:58:00.002-07:00

We have pumpkins! They were barely noticable for so long I was surprised to go out the other day and find not just the one, but 5 pumpkins! They are so cute. Riley is very pleased--these were planted to appease her... I hope by October we have some nice big pumpkins! Any suggestions on how to get them to grow big?

Peppers! I wanted these, but was becoming discouraged by their abundance of leaves, and complete lack of pepper... We had blossoms and everything, but no peppers. I was thrilled to find 3 peppers the other day. Now we have a new quandry...how do you tell when green peppers are ripe?

Last time I mentioned the bugs on our squash. I really thought I had a better picture posted...but you can't even see the buggers... So, here they are. Anyone know what they are? They are taking over. The bug spray I purchased is ineffectual. Help...

Yard Update

2009-07-23T08:50:00.003-07:00

Finally, after waiting--somewhat patiently--all summer...our tomatoes are beginning to ripen. We even resorted to eating fried green tomatoes last week in an attempt to actually eat some this season.

Pumpkin blossoms! At Riley's insistence we planted pumpkins this year. Only two survived at first, with a late bloomer coming up some time later--this one fell victim to Cory's well-meaning weed eating skills... However, these remaining two are beginning to proliferate like mad. We have several baby pumpkins and hope they are given a chance to grow quite large.

We found our Japanese Maple at a bargain price...in Wichita, some 3 hrs away. There was some wind damage to the leaves on our return trip, despite our cautions. We are elated that it seems to have taken nicely to our backyard. This is a sample of some of its first new leaves.

We have bugs. They have taken quite a liking to my squash plants. Cory says they will probably stick to the leaves and let my squash alone, but they may interfere with the blossoms. Alas, I know not what sort they are, nor what measures to take to be rid of them. Perhaps they are weivels? (Not a clue how to spell that one. I thought those were the sort that infest flour and rice...?) In any even, they continue to increase in numbers. Almost daily there is a new batch waging war in my poor garden.

This is George. Cory brought this fellow with him from Colorado. He's some sort of Beagle I'm told... He has a strange habit of weeding for us. He selects a particular weed, then digs out the root and all before devouring it. It is a most peculiar habit, but our grass is benefitting from his unusual tastes. Most recently he's attracted a pair of ticks--and thus has a new tick collar. Both children have had a few and we've resolved we must spray each time we go outdoors. Yesterday I removed a tick from the base of Riley's hair. Last week Kade had one attached to the folds of his ear. We painted his with nail polish in an attempt to get it to let loose. However, not only did we succeed in its demise, but managed to glue it to his ear. Cory had quite a time simply undoing my nail polishing skills.

Riley

2009-07-19T18:12:00.003-07:00

We were desparate (and I can't spell this evening...) for something to do, so Riley and I trekked out back and took some pictures. I probably should have waited for the light to be less harsh, but I'll chalk it up to being a beginner. Riley loved nearly every moment of our shoot. I got tons of good pictures. I tried to doctor a few up--trying new settings and stuff. What do you think of my photogenic daughter?

July 4th (Part 2)

2009-07-19T15:26:00.006-07:00

Guess which one she posed for? I finally had to ask her to stand still so I could take a good picture of her... Riley is full of energy and was so excited about the fireworks she couldn't stand still--as you can see.

Riley trotted about the yard with her sparklers more than content.

Cory and Kade, however, are entirely different sorts...they had their sights on the pile of fireworks we'd purchased for this sole purpose. Kade even talked his dad into allowing him to light and throw a few. They are so alike...

We had a good spot on our hill to watch fireworks on all sides. Our neighbors put on some impressive shows. :D However, next year we may choose to make a showing at the town's production--which turned out to be quite impressive for such a small town. (They carried on for a solid 20+ min with an amazing grand finale.) The only part I could do without is the late sunset...it wasn't even beginning to darken till after 9 with town fireworks scheduled for 10pm. It's a good thing our kids are getting bigger. :D

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T11:48:00.004-07:00

We started our 4th celebrations by attending a local parade. Independence Day is a big deal in these parts. The parade was so long we worried Kade may not really be in it...

There were some pretty cool tractors...

The Fort Riley Mounted Color Guard in this nifty wagon ensemble...

And, finally, Kade and his fellow scouts near the tail end. (Kade is the one reaching into the truck presumably for more candy.)

Summer So Far...

2009-07-01T16:48:00.011-07:00

We finally got a tree...It is a Japanese Maple. It grows really slow, so we are looking into adding to our tree family.

Kade lost his 8th tooth last night--Cory got to pull his very first tooth! Isn't my boy so cute? Right after these pictures I cut his hair, but you can't really see his hair in these pictures anyway...

These are the first ripe tomatoes of the season! So far we've had four zuchini. :D There are a lot of tomatoes out there. Any suggestions of how to can them? I'm certain to run out of ideas.

Our peppers have blossomed, but we are still waiting for the peppers to arrive.

The okra are coming...the first actual okra is out there. YUM! My favorite is eating them right off the plant!

Cory insists our squash are too close together. I let him know that I didn't plant them that close, they just kinda grew together.

This year the garden is on the small side. But, for all that, it looks pretty good! Next year we'll just have to expand.

Here's a look at our backyard with our new addition--the tree. (Our house is the one on the left.) I took this one from the back corner of our property this morning.

ABQ Trip

2009-06-16T14:24:00.002-07:00

Met my niece...Karilynn...for the first time...

Visited the Albuquerque Temple, as is our custom...

Kade had to have a picture by his sign. The bushes have grown a lot, so we had to sneak around them to get a good shot. He thinks of this as his temple because they were both "born" the same year. :D

Kansas Weather

2009-06-16T06:34:00.004-07:00

We spent the weekend in Albuquerque and returned home Monday...on the way home, we encountered some interesting weather patterns. (And, I'll apologize up front for the poor quality of some of these shots. I was actually driving in my car while I took these. And, judging from the proximity of those neat twisty clouds and knowing I had it zoomed all the way out... I was having some freaking out moments...) The tall white smears are windmills.

Looking out the window here we could all clearly define the rotation of the clouds. Having previously done some research via wikipediato put Kade's mind at ease concerning our severe occurances, I was fairly certain we were watching a tornado being born. And, as we raced past it pulling a trailer...I was worried for a while. I was unsure just how quickly these things progressed.

By the time we got this far from the rotating wall cloud a number of other people were pulling over to watch and I felt more safe than before.

Here you can see more clouds reaching down, but yet to rotate.

Just after this picture, we ran into the severe thunderstorm portion of the super cell. It rained from that point on. This particular development we safely outran, did touch down as a tornado just before 1730 CDT. It was quite an adventurous trip home.

Grass

2009-05-28T06:36:00.007-07:00

Ah, the difference a few days makes... I was trying to explain to my mom how the prairie was trying to take over our yard and decided that these pictures might make the point even better. I took the one on the left soon after we moved in, and the one on the right this morning. The green "boxes" are the corner of our property. You can see them clearly on the left...I can't even see them looking out my window now. The neat shed is not far from us, but almost completely obscured now.

This one shows what is left of the green box way out there. I took this yesterday--in the rain.(Our neighbors just put that fence up...it changes the view a bit too.)

I think the prairie is mad we are trying to kick it out of our yard. Each day we look out and find more tall grass creeping from that corner. I have to pick the grass and weeds out from around my garden plants in a pathetic attempt to keep the prairie out. Next year we will do it up right with a border around it and everything.

Visitor

2009-05-26T13:17:00.003-07:00

For a couple days after the kids were in bed we had time to watch a movie downstairs. We heard this odd thumping ... after some investigation, we discovered a visitor down our window well.

Our Yard

2009-05-26T13:12:00.002-07:00

We planted strawberries for Kade's birthday. They are doing really well. We've picked nearly a dozen so far.
My squash has blossoms! Kade noticed yesterday and asked me what those flowers in my garden were. I told him about the marigolds...but discovered these flowers were different. :)

Planes

2009-05-17T17:09:00.001-07:00

Who knew balsa wood planes would be this much fun?

Digging

2009-05-17T17:03:00.003-07:00

We designated a corner of our yard as the digging area. Kade had a lot of fun there the other day while I was working in the garden.

Riley

2009-05-17T16:58:00.003-07:00

Out back we have this amazing shed across the field. I can't wait to dress the kids up and get some great shots out there. :) While Kade and Cory played with a kite, Riley and I went for a photo shoot.

Prairie Plants

2009-05-11T12:49:00.003-07:00

Wondered about this plant when we first got here. Got to talking with my neighbor this afternoot--after speaking to the Animal Control Agent--and learned this stuff grows wild out here. Can you tell what it is?

Green

2009-05-10T16:22:00.003-07:00

Our grass has been busily multiplying lately. Here are some more pictures from our back porch. The green is a little off because there are clouds and it is currently raining. So much for sunny "Sun"days. :)

Scout Activity

2009-05-10T16:18:00.003-07:00

Kade and Riley both got to go to a neighbor's ranch this Saturday as part of a Scout service project. They both had a great time and came home filthy. Here are my valiant efforts to document. My subjects weren't the most cooperative... :)

updates

2009-05-07T07:36:00.004-07:00

As many of you know, a lot has been going on around here. While I don't have pictures for all our fun events, I'll attempt to make my list as entertaining as possible.

Tuesday, 28 April: Melissa becomes an official Wildcat...orientation and early enrollment at Kansas State University. YAY!! I am really excited about returning to school.

Friday, 01 May: Kade attends Ward campout with new friends. Gets to fish and catches the biggest Wall Eye they've seen. :)

Monday, 04 May: Melissa gets up early and heads to Colorado to collect Cory. A super nice lady in our ward kept both kids for a couple days while we drove all over. Cory had so much stuff, the kids wouldn't have fit in there anyway.

Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo: After a long morning waiting for helicopters to take off, we finally get to return the rental car and head home around 1300 CDT. We get back in town late and pick up the kids just before 2100. They are tired and cranky, but excited to see Dad. Kade and Riley get to meet George--Cory's dog.

Wednesday, 06 May: We get TV back in our home. The tech finally shows up around 1100 CDT and takes nearly 2 hours to get things hooked up for us. I never knew it was so difficult to connect a satellite... Just as our afternoon calms down, Cory is called away on business to Texas. Scheduled a last minute flight and got things ready to go.

Thursday, 07 May: Alarm at 0300 CDT...road trip to Wichita... For some reason road construction in Kansas is done on the down low...so, when we came to our turn off--according to our nice GPS lady--there were barricades in our way. Turns out the whole road is closed. Some cranky lady at the only gas station around told us we'd have to go over to the toll road... After hiking around the back country of Kansas to get Cory to the airport early, we discover that the airport--the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport--is smaller than Tucson and Colorado Springs. We made it with plenty of time to spare. I took a different route home, and managed to get the kids to school on time.

What a week, eh? Hopefully I'll get some cool pics ready for posting soon. :)

Wolf

2009-04-30T08:34:00.003-07:00

Last night at Pack Night Kade was awarded his Wolf award. He also earned one gold arrowpoint and 3 silver arrowpoints. Today, I've spent the morning--during another thunderstorm--sewing on his various patches at last.

We are SO proud of Kade!

Rain

2009-04-30T08:28:00.002-07:00

Sunday, soon after we arrived home from church, it began to rain. There were all sorts of weather warnings issued, and I am to understand these will persist throughout the season. The rain, accompanied by a great deal of noise, continued on through the night and into the following morning. Already you could see the damage to our muddy lot. These pictures were taken Sunday afternoon. The runoff covered a majority of our cul de sac.

Grass

2009-04-21T09:41:00.003-07:00

These were taken last week. Already more grass has come in. Our place looks so different with all the green taking over. I love it!

Presents

2009-04-21T09:39:00.003-07:00

The moment Kade arrived home from school he insisted it was time to open presents. He loved them all.

Happy Birthday, Kade!

2009-04-16T07:38:00.003-07:00

Kade got to open one present before school. Riley was SO excited about picking this shirt out for him. Of course, he wore it to school. It says: The Perfect Day: Eat, Sleep, Video Games. The funniest part is that the guy is eating and sleeping while still playing video games... Kade loves it and insisted that really was the perfect day. :)

our home

2009-04-16T07:32:00.002-07:00

We've been hard at work putting our home together...these are some of our latest improvements. The picture has been there from the beginning. Everyone who comes in comments on it. Chea did a fabulous job!

Although the garden looks small, please keep in mind our yard is simply huge. I did all that work yesterday afternoon. We planted our seeds inside--like you are supposed to. But, instead of coming up in 7-10 days...they were up with leaves in 3. AH! Pushed my time frame a bit, and now they are root bound and dying. It is probably still too early to plant here in Kansas, but they are going to die anyway right now. So, they lived through the night, and we are expected to enjoy thunderstorms for the next 3 days.

Milford Lake

2009-04-16T07:21:00.003-07:00

Cory came for Easter. We all took an adventure up to nearby Milford Lake. The lake is quite a bit larger than we expected. It was quite chilly and the windy blew a lot...so we only got out once, but enjoyed quite a bit of scenery.

Purple Grass?

2009-04-13T19:24:00.002-07:00

While Cory was here this weekend we did some yard work concentrating on our mudslide of a front yard. We shoveled quite a bit of mud out of the street back into our yard and replaced the straw barrier. Today--Monday--we returned from a trip "into town" (meaning we drove into a neighboring town to go to a mall and celebrate Kade's impending birthday), to discover this strange new color in our dirt. We only happened to notice because on our drive Riley noticed purple on the ground near a rural airport. I shrugged it off as some sort of flowering ground cover...perhaps a sort of flox... But, upon our return, we were astounded to see the same shade in our own yard.
What is it? Is it really purple grass? I know I planted some Kentucky blue-grass...but...

We were able to rake a portion of our yard, finally level the bench, and Cory got ambitious and built steps up to it. He also generously spread grass seed around and, remarkably, we seem to already have grass.

Doesn't the bench look wonderful? Thanks again!

brownies

2009-04-05T20:30:00.002-07:00

We finally located all the items necessary for creating awesome brownies. Kade was quite helpful--in fact, he actually made the brownies. As a reward, he got to lick not only the beater, but the mixing bowl as well.

Greased Pig?

2009-04-05T20:24:00.002-07:00

Although the pictures seems to speak for themselves...I shall explain...or at least try. Riley's skin was all dry and chapped, so I gave her a pot of this awesome Aquaphor stuff and told her to put it on. I failed to take into account the extremely viscous nature of the ointment in the pot...and this is the proud product. She had wonderfully soft, moist skin for several days following. I am happy to report that the shiny greasiness wore off by morning.

News from Kansas

2009-04-03T06:21:00.003-07:00

Well, the good news is that we finally made it. For those of you who know more of the particulars, you may understand more fully just what a challenge our move turned out to be. But, we are here, our belongings have arrived, the kids are enrolled in school, and it snowed yesterday.

Kade and Riley love the house. The each have their own room and are currently trying to divvy up the remaining bathroom. They are just so excited! Kade went to scouts on Wednesday and says he really likes the boys in his pack. Riley has heard that ballet is offered in a nearby community and has plans to attend--I have yet to locate this establishment...

Our yard is seriously huge. Despite the builders putting down grass seed, it is still all dirt. The rain, snow, more rain, and more snow ended up washing a majority of the seed into the street. We have plans to lay out a garden area soon and have even begun nurturing seeds inside. (Apparently out here we have to get them started before we put them outside since we have to wait so long for the danger of a late frost to pass.)

As I have sat home and attempted to unpack our mess, I have discovered that we really do live in the middle of nowhere--even if there are a lot of other people who also live out here. When I finally located the TV's power cable, an old antenna, and the PS2--but no PS2 cord or controller (our DVD player)--I decided that we could scan for some local channels hoping PBS was among the free ones. To my astonishment, only one channel was found--and it wasn't PBS. We live so far from a real city that we can't pick up ABC, CBS or NBC. Obviously not PBS either. I even asked my neighbors when they were so kind as to introduce themselves. They confirmed it--no "local" channels out here.

I then discovered that my modem didn't speak the same language as the Kansas internet. I set to reprogramming it and finally succeeded just the other day. Hopefully I will be able to keep in touch better this way. I plan on posting more--when I actually have something to post about.

For now, I'd better get back to unpacking.

We Own a HOUSE!!

2009-03-23T21:17:00.003-07:00

YAY!! So I flew to Denver, drove to Kansas, signed for our house :) drove back to Colorado, and then flew back to Phoenix... (Okay, Cory was there too and did pretty much all the driving) all in the course of just a few days that seemed to last weeks. Our house is ready for us to move into...but of course I still do not have things in order in Arizona. (Yet, here I am posting a new blog instead of doing some useful task to prepare for the event officially occuring later this week...)

While in Colorado we were able to visit a few of the sights I miss the most. I even have pictures--that require tweeking prior to posting. Stay tuned.

Out About Town

2009-03-11T21:16:00.004-07:00

Kade was particularly excited to see the temple again. A hotel of sorts seems to be under construction near the temple and Kade observed how convenient that will be when we come back to visit... I then pointed out that Kansas was a long way from Mesa and that at least two other temples were much closer. I know he will miss our visits to the temple grounds and the visitors center in Mesa. However, he did allow me to take a few more pictures of him today.
Riley was more than eager to pose for me. Unfortunately she had an eye appointment today and her eyes were dilated earlier in the afternoon. She braved the session well by removing her sunglasses and keeping her eyes shut until I was ready...but even when she went to bed this evening her pupils were still larger than normal.

Another of Riley's own creation.

Kade sat down here and hung his head for awhile. It's hard growing up.

Blue and Gold Banquet

2009-02-20T21:27:00.003-07:00

The Scouts were instructed to make a cake with an American theme for dessert. I am pleased to inform you that Kade made that cake all by himself. He followed a recipe, measured the ingredients, mixed it...all but place it in the oven (his over-protective mother insisted we forego disaster, and did that for him). The decorations are all his idea too. He even made the frosting from scratch. :) He's getting so big!

Well, the time has come...

2009-02-15T09:29:00.002-07:00

Have I piqued your interest yet? Time for what? Hmm... Well, we've been back in Arizona for some time now while Cory has been off galavanting--he says he's working, but it is still in a place away from us. So, we are now going to have a house somewhere we can all be together soon. Where? Well, I'd rather not disclose the particulars on my public blog, but suffice it to say somewhere in Kansas. If you would like to know more, but don't know how to contact me, email me at demuth_family@msn.com and I'll fill in the particulars for you.

Cory has picked out a brand new house for us that will be done in a few weeks. Since Queen Creek has a modified year-round schedule for school, we are taking an extended Spring Break this year and enrolling the kids in Kansas probably by the beginning of April.

To all of you in Arizona, we'll miss you. We've made a lot of good friends here and will miss seeing your bright smiling faces so much. I do hope you'll stay in touch. I'll do my best to chart our migration and adaptation to Kansas. It should be interesting. We are all so excited!

Pictures!

2009-01-24T22:29:00.002-07:00

Okay, so "Where are they?" you ask...on Chea's blog and website. I still haven't decided which one I want really big for my house. Help. Please.

We were lucky enough to get family pictures done over the holidays by this fabulous photographer and there are just SO many awesome pictures that I can't choose just one.

Let me know what you think.

http://chealamb.tcpic.com/mp_client/pictures.asp?action=viewphotos&size=thumbnails&thumbpagenum=1&eventid=6933&eventstatus=0&categories=no&keywords2=no&groupid=%200&bw=false&sep=false&ckw=false

Thanks!

Merry Christmas...and Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T08:29:00.003-07:00

We had an amazing Christmas. It was so awesome that Cory was able to be here this year. The kids have been on cloud nine for some time eagar for any moment they can spend together. So it was quite interesting, after cleaning all our messes and putting our loot away, to notice there really weren't that many pictures. That's okay. We all enjoyed each other that morning and the kids were so excited.

After we had all calmed down for a day or so, we ventured to Thatcher to see all Cory's brothers and sisters who were down. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins. We nearly had to drag them to the car to go home.Kade loves playing outside.

We took my "new" vehicle out behind Daley Estates to try its 4 wheeling features and discovered that a few of the ponds actually had water in them. The kids--and Cory--couldn't resist getting out for some exploring.

Mt Graham even had some more snow this time!

2008-12-21T07:38:00.003-07:00

We went to an airshow at Williams Gateway for Cory's birthday. The kids had a blast! The helicopter Kade is on is actually the same kind Cory built when he worked at MD. Riley's in a Cobra.

SNOW!!

Riley was thrilled with this picture. They had a lot of fun up in the snow. I don't think they even complained about it being cold...

Updates

2008-12-21T07:27:00.002-07:00

Okay...it's been a super long time and I need to post tons of pictures. But, since that task is currently a bit overwhelming for me, I'll start with this.

Just before Thanksgiving Kade and Riley got a huge surprise...their dad showed up! He wanted to surprise them so we enlisted a few friends--thanks!--and I picked him up from the airport by myself in his new truck. (Totally in love with the truck...says I did good!) The kids were astonished! Riley sat at the table with him and giggled each time he looked at her. Kade tried to be more cool about it.

After Thanksgiving, we surpised his family down in Thatcher. They were all excited to have him home as well. While we were in Thatcher we drove up the mountain so the kids could play in some snow. Both Kade and Riley miss the snow a lot, so this was huge for them.

Since then, I've had to work a lot, but now that school is out for Winter Break I'll have more time to spend rectifying all the neglected chores around our home. Cory's been a huge help lately--even getting the kids early for me recently. We are all just so excited he's home for the holidays this year.

Costumes

2008-10-27T20:48:00.006-07:00

The other night we went to our Ward's Trunk or Treat party so the kids got to dress up in their costumes for the first time. Do you think they enjoyed it?

Kade posed himself for me...

as did Riley. (No, I don't know what the deal with the hand is.)

We all enjoyed the party. The kids had a great time collecting candy.

Pumpkins

2008-10-27T20:30:00.001-07:00

Tonight we finally carved pumpkins. I have not been brave enough to allow my children too many responsibilities thus far in carving...but decided they have now reached the point where they should be entirely responsible for the whole process for their own pumpkin...this is interesting.

Kade picked the weirdest shaped pumpkin I have ever seen. And, to our surprise, it had some mutant skin so thick I couldn't even jab my sharp knife through it. So, we took it outside and performed a lobotomy.

See how deep? We thought we might lose his arm to that pumpkin for a moment...

Riley absolutely loved digging in after the seeds. This year Kade was the reluctant one. By the time we finished up the surgery she was almost finished emptying out her pumpkin.

We got a little creative with Kade's carving technique. After what it took to get the lid off... We decided it would be fun to drill holes and poke twinkly lights through. (Of course I have no idea where all my lights are so we'll have to buy some tomorrow.)

Riley's carving went really well. She carved all this by herself! All I did was cut the lid.

Riley's glowing pumpkin. They both did a fabulous job and we had so much fun. While they were removing seeds I was cooking them. For dessert we had homemade pumpkin seeds which the kids just loved.

I officially deem tonight a success.

Boots

2008-10-26T21:40:00.004-07:00

The other day Devin noticed that he and Kade had the same boots, so he lined them up to show his mom. It was just too cute.

Fall Break

2008-10-09T20:55:00.008-07:00

During Conference the kids were particulary quiet. This is what I found when I went to check on them. Kade somehow helped the other two into the tree using the trampoline ladder.

After nearly a week at Grandma's house, the kids were bored at home with Mom...so we ventured out some. Here they are enjoying the rock at Discovery Park--no, not the one in Safford, there's one here by that name.

Thursday we enjoyed nearby Schnepf Farms with some cousins.
They all enjoyed the petting zoo.
The boys really liked these rally racers.
And, the sign says it all.

Happy Birthday, Riley!

2008-09-27T06:55:00.010-07:00

Here is my wonderful girl in the height of her glory...Riley was lucky enough to cheer at our local HS football game on her birthday. She also got lots of presents, including a table Kade made for her. Cupcakes were even taken to school for her whole class.

We are so happy to have this special princessy girl in our home.
Riley got to open just a few things before school. That way she got to wear new clothes. :)

And yes, the crown was worn to school as well.
As you can see, she made quite a haul. Kade actually arranged her presents on his table so we could see everything.

Riley did a great job cheering. She loved every second of it.

Attention: Tooth Fairy

2008-09-14T20:22:00.003-07:00

Riley has lost another tooth--at last. I had so hoped for her to lose both front teeth around the same time, but alas, it was not to be. She's still a cutie.

My Builders

2008-09-07T09:31:00.005-07:00

Finally the weather has cooled off enough--to the low 100s--that my children enjoy playing outside again. Yesterday they found some packaging and made houses and boats, and finally, a city. They are so creative.

Lightroom...WOW!

2008-09-02T20:42:00.004-07:00

I got this new photo editing software...let me tell you how AWESOME it is!! I just sat down a few minutes ago and decided to see what it could do. Here is my before and after pictures...they speak for themselves.

Yeah, I know...I'm still in it...not quite that good yet. :) Just think what I could do if I stayed up all night messing with it...oops, just remembered the laundry I started a while back. So much for more computer time.

Midnight Sun

2008-08-31T21:57:00.002-07:00

For those of you who know about this...oh my gosh... I have been eagerly awaiting Edward's side of the saga for quite a while now. But, with this latest travesty, Stephenie has put it on hold indefinately. Apparently one of her drafts got leaked on the internet illegally and she is so distraught by the misdeed that she had no choice. If you'd like to read her whole explanation, and or are too curious to resist, visit her website: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html

She explains it way better than I did, but she also reminds avid readers that she'd rather you not read the 264 - ish pages that leaked as they are messy and unfinished. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay away...

My Saturday Morning

2008-08-30T22:17:00.005-07:00

I got to sleep in!!! I look forward to Saturday mornings all week long. My early morning wake up always comes just a little too soon. Quickly I realize that although I managed to sleep in, and it was nice, I am still tired and would like to roll over and go back to sleepy land. Unfortunately, I am also somehow, wide awake. I grudgingly rise hoping my lovely children who were up late the night before are still snoozing and will be pleasant...as I sneak quietly past their rooms to get my drink of water, I realize they are both awake, lying silently in wait for any evidence of my rising. Shortly, they each make an appearance and our day begins.

Someone thought that our truck would fit in the garage. I really thought it was too tall. Someone insisted it wasn't. So, I determined that if it could be done, I would do it. I started my work with the garage. I cleaned, swept, rearranged, threw out, and finally widened what I deemed to be enough space to successfully open the doors and not tag anything. It got hotter, I got more tired, but trudged on all the same, always intent on my goal. At last, time to see if all my hard work would prove useful...

I pulled the truck in...it FIT! I didn't hit the top of the cab like I had feared. I kept creeping forward slower than a snail, certain I would somehow harm the truck. (I stopped and got out no less than three times to see if it was going okay.) Finally...my front tires nudged the step at the front...I parked and looked again...

(See the line on the cement where the door shuts?)

So close, I was heart-broken...

In the end...the truck will have to live outside and learn to like it. There went my morning.

CONGRATULATIONS!

2008-08-27T15:53:00.004-07:00

Mark and Kira's little girl arrived 26 Aug around 1430. Karilynn Marie weighed in at 6 lbs 8 oz and is 19 inches long. No word yet on any hair. All are doing well.

Congratulations!

Isn't he so cute?

2008-08-21T21:21:00.001-07:00

I downloaded some pictures of our new truck for Cory, and found this jewel hiding on the camera. There was a play in his class last spring...

Well...we finally did it!

2008-08-17T15:38:00.003-07:00

I know I told everyone that I wanted a blue one...but that turned out to be a mess of its own. We got a great deal on this one and it is one of only 5 LE models that were available in the entire state... This is what Cory wanted, we just hope he likes it. Think it'll fit in my garage?

How Riley Sleeps

2008-08-17T15:36:00.003-07:00

Can you find Riley?

This is how I found her the other night when I went to check on her.... :)

School!

2008-07-28T08:30:00.003-07:00

My big 3rd and 2nd graders are ready for another year of school! They are getting so big!

Dirt

2008-07-21T19:04:00.004-07:00

Ah, the joys of summer outdoors...

The Cabin

2008-07-20T15:17:00.004-07:00

This weekend we were able to travel up to some beautiful country and join our good friends who we consider family in celebrating Pioneer Day. Here the kids are waiting for the parade to get started and enjoying themselves. Later, Kade got to go fishing for the first time. He has really taken a liking to this calming pass time.
Kade had a wonderful time running and playing outside in the cool mountain air. There were so many kids there with such great imaginations, they were never without an exciting activity.

Riley and Calvin are really good friends and were joined by Briley most of the time. Together they ambitiously opened a "Flower Shop" that offered some cutting edge cosmetics including lip gloss and nail polish. All of us special moms got to be patrons during their grand opening...it was so sweet.

July 4th

2008-07-05T06:42:00.002-07:00

Happy 4th!

Lost Tooth

2008-06-27T19:28:00.004-07:00

Riley is now minus a prominent front tooth. She was warned that if it didn't come out before her dentist appointment Friday, the dentist would help her out. It didn't come out on its own, so it was encouraged by the dentist. Riley did really well...says it didn't even hurt. However, she is sad because the tooth didn't come home with her. She has been instructed to write a note to the tooth fairy explaining the circumstances...since the tooth fairy is has a noble spirit, she will understand. :)

Little Chicken

2008-06-26T19:28:00.005-07:00

After an unfortunate event this afternoon, we somehow managed to come home with an injured baby chick. We are attempting to nurse it back to health--or at least give it a few days to heal without being pecked into oblivion. Our guest currently resides in a laundry basket in our dining room. Hope it gets well soon...

The stuffed animal on the right is Kade's attempt at keeping it company. He didn't want it to be lonely here.

Summer School Ends

2008-06-26T19:18:00.003-07:00

Kade's last day of summer school went very well. He received 2 awards, and then got to watch a movie while enjoying popcorn and lemonade. Kade did a great job. :)

Storms in the Desert

2008-06-25T16:50:00.005-07:00

This is how it all started...
I was probably a bit over-excited about the fact that I heard thunder. Then, the rain began pelting my windows...it was just SO awesome. So, I grabbed my camera and attempted to capture the few brief moments of wet wonder.
And, of course, almost as soon as it began, it was over. You can even see the blue sky peeking through.

The only evidence of any rain moments later, is what's left on my window. Then Kade walks in just now--since it has actually taken me a few minutes to put this together--and tells me he can't even tell it rained because it is all dry. He's so cute

Riley's tooth

2008-06-25T16:45:00.001-07:00

Riley's tooth is loose...and I think her new tooth is actually pushing it out of the way. However, while Riley is happy that another tooth is loose, she will not allow me to pull it. :)

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T21:56:00.002-07:00

I know the kids are a lot younger here, but they loved those shirts and are so proud of their dad.

We love you!

my camera

2008-06-12T10:28:00.002-07:00

Okay, so I got this awesome new camera awhile ago...and I haven't had a chance to really experiment with it. Here I thought that since it had so many functions, it would just take great pictures because it was a great camera. I couldn't have been more wrong. I consider myself a decent picture taker...but when it comes to my new camera...not so much.

So today, I sat down to figure out what it took to get a great picture inside my house. I got my white balance adjusted--:)--but my subject was so wiggly, that I didn't really get any good pictures. (Yes, I'm going with the squirmy subject...) Here's the best I came up with:

Last Day of School

2008-05-30T21:45:00.006-07:00

We finished the 2007-2008 school year on Thursday.

A lot has happened this year. The kids sure have grown a lot as well. Its fun to look back at when we began...aren't they cute?

Kade's Bee Sting

2008-05-27T18:34:00.003-07:00

So, Kade went to Cub Scouts today to have fun in the water...and ended up with a bee sting.

(His right middle toe.) Another first for us.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T06:45:00.002-07:00

I want to make sure that I take just a few minutes to remember those that we've lost during times of war, and also those continuing to bravely risk their lives daily to preserve our hard-won freedom. There are many soldiers--and civilians--placed in dangerous places around the world in hopes of making it a better place. Thank you for serving your country while putting on a brave face so the rest of us don't have to see what it is really like in places that do not benefit from the myriad of freedoms many Americans take for granted.

Thank you to all those who have served their country in any capacity, you are all important.

Riley lost another tooth

2008-05-16T17:35:00.003-07:00

Kade was gracious enough to video this special moment for us. Enjoy!

Piano in the trees

2008-05-11T21:29:00.003-07:00

Our friend let us in on this roadside trinket...

While my pictures are a far cry from the ones that a local professional takes,

we sure had fun taking them.

Thanks

2008-05-11T21:27:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to say "Thanks" again to everyone who contributed in any way to our very special day. We had a great time...

Kade got Baptized!

2008-05-10T16:19:00.003-07:00

Just before we got things underway we had a moment to snatch this photo. Thanks again to all who came to share this special day with Kade, and all those who were with us in their thoughts.

Kade...we are SO proud of you. Keep making good choices.

Kade's Getting Baptized!

2008-05-07T21:28:00.003-07:00

I want to first apologize to any of you out there who felt you needed an individual invitation but did not receive one...no one really did. I've never had to arrange something like this before and I'm sure I've overlooked many things. Please do not take it personally. I wanted to make cute little invitations and mail them to everyone I've ever met...that didn't happen either. All I did was make up a mass email...so if I don't have your email on my list, you didn't get it--sorry. So, in an effort to compensate for some of my shortcomings...

Kade's baptism is Sat 10 May at 10 am. If you are interested in attending, or would like to send your well wishes to the lucky boy, please contact me.

Kade is very excited about his big day. I've been running around like crazy trying to get everything done... It seems like things have been building up longer than I thought. For some reason I didn't realize how neglected things have become around here with me being so busy at work. I do laundry...and dishes...and vacuum from time to time...and the maintenance stops about there. I've got a whole summer ahead of me to catch up...lucky me.

I'll be sure to let you know how things go at Kade's baptism...of course there will be pictures to post too. :)

Riley's New Bike

2008-04-13T21:45:00.006-07:00

I am trying to record some of the milestones for Cory...

Hope you enjoy my amateur attempt.

Easter

2008-04-13T21:41:00.005-07:00

Although it has come and gone...here are a couple pictures I took while it was here.