The Haselhorst Kidz!! (and cousins!)

The kids enrolled in school today (including Kara! She''ll be in preschool)...they are all excited and looking forward to the first day of school (next Tuesday).

Matthew opted out of football this year...I am pretty sure it has something to do with his best friend not doing it either....oh well. Allie has joined gymnastics. She decided against Dance Cats this year (which surprised me), but after seeing her joyful face in practice Tuesday night at gymnastics, I''m confident she made the right decision....she''s in heaven. Kara has made the leap to no diapers at night. She started ripping her pullups off every night so we finally just said "no more." Has worked wonderfully.

Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Dennis will be moving to Bucklin (about 30 minutes from Dodge) in 3 weeks. Things didn''t work out in Florida, but a job opened back up with Dennis''s old job. The kids are beyond excited that they will be here...they haven''t seen them in a long while.

We will see Grandpa Dan this weekend in Victoria as a cousin of ours will be getting married Saturday. We are very excited to see all of the family again...will be spending the night with Great-Grandma Agedia! Should be fun!

Hoping to see Grandpa Dave and Nana next weekend...the girls got to see them in July, but Matthew missed out due to baseball...he was pretty jealous!

Time to get back in to school mode. It was nice to see everyone at the school this evening at enrollment...it will be nice to get back into a routine. I''ll be getting very busy with rehearsals for Jekyll & Hyde (shows: Oct.15-31)...had our first run through of music on Sunday. Was encouraged and impressed with the caliber of actors that I''ll be working with. My anxiety was dampened a bit which was good. I''m very nervous.

Well, have a great weekend everyone and enjoy back to school!! =)

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!! #14! Wow!

Happy Birthday Great-Grandma Cecelia!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDPA DAN!!! #60!

Happy Birthday Gabriel Munoz!!

Happy Birthday Aunt Katie Haselhorst!

Happy Birthday Great-Grandma Agedia!!

Well, July has been a very busy month!! At the end of June, Eric took off for Chicago for a last minute week-long trip for work. Fourth of July was spent with friends and neighbors, ending with the Dodge City fireworks show near our house. Then, it was off to Chicago for me for the National Pastoral Musicians Conference with friends from Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral and a couple of friends from Prince of Peace parish in Great Bend. We had a WONDERFUL time and learned a lot! After a week in Chicago, it was off to Great Bend to work in the offices and then on to Topeka to pack up Grandma''s apartment for her (she''s moving to assisted living in Arizona). On the way home, I stopped back in to the offices for some follow-up. Then, this past weekend, we spent my birthday in Oklahoma at Canton Lake. It was a WONDERFUL time with the Myers clan, made even better when Grandpa Dan came down to join us on Saturday! Lots of boating, swimming, eating, laughing, lasso golf, wood gathering (for the "pyro" in all of us), and visiting. We are looking forward to another camping trip next summer and hope that more folks will consider joining us in the fun. The camper''s 3 trip was successful and Eric is already trying to figure out what local lakes we can stay at this weekend! The pop-up is working out amazingly well and we are soooooo glad we made that purchase instead of a larger camper! This is perfect...the air conditioner is wonderful, the plumbing leak fixed, and the space is perfect for our family. We are already looking in to how we can improve it...a new awning perhaps? Hee! Hee!

The kids are finally winding down their baseball games this week. Allison''s last one was last night. They don''t keep score in t-ball, but she had a wonderful season. Matthew has unfortunately been stuck on a team that runs faster AFTER the game for the snack box than during the game, but we''ve been working with him at home and HIS game is improving. He''s already been asking around about getting on a team next summer with some of his classmates. He didn''t have the fun this summer he thought he would. Losing every game and even having to forfeit one (only 6 kids on his team showed up that game) has been disheartening for him. But, he''s now looking forward to football and to school starting. He did get to pitch a lot this summer so we are working on that with him.

School starts in about a month. Hard to imagine...we are hoping and praying for a better year at Sacred Heart. All signs are pointing to a wonderful year, but we can''t help but enter with apprehension. The music program has been slashed, much to my surprise and disappointment (isn''t it sacreligious or something to take Liturgical music out of a Catholic school?)...that''s been a hard pill to swallow and I admit, made me rethink sending the kids there. However, we are placing our faith in God for this one...hoping that music will one day come back to Sacred Heart. Please pray for our school for a successful year. Total stewardship has been scrapped at the parish; another blow. We are now back to tuition, which will make our giving TANK. Very frustrating. However, we are now looking for other ways to live our stewardship life and will have to adjust to giving more of our time and talent instead of our treasure.

Oy...time for some cheerful news, huh? We are gearing up for planning for the wedding of Eric''s cousin Kevin and Amanda. Eric will be reading and I''ll be singing. We are looking forward to going up for the celebration as we are excited to make Amanda''s and Lexie''s addition to the family "official!"

Allison is now the "toothless wonder!" She has lost most of her front teeth and has delighted all around her with her ability to shove her tongue between her teeth...ha! Kara has shot up in height this summer, although doing so has made her skinny as a rail. I knew it would happen but I can''t help but be a little sad that my little girl is losing all her "baby-ness." Matthew''s feet are almost as big as mine now. Won''t be long and he will be taller than me. He''s almost there! Ack!

Well, have a wonderful week!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMMY CHRIS!!! Have fun at the lake on your birthday!

Happy Anniversary Montel and Sami Munoz!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Dave!!! Woot!

Happy Birthday Great-Grandma Belle!!

Happy Birthday Aunt Amy Myers!

Father''s Day has come and gone and we had a terrific time at Wilson Lake over the weekend! John & Michelle and their family were kind enough to let us join their annual celebration and we couldn''t thank them enough! We had to get creative on Saturday with keeping kids (& ourselves) entertained as it rained ALL DAY LONG! Had one really, really hard downpour...thankfully, it was the last one and then blue sky came out just in time for walks before it got dark for the evening. The camper held up well (no leaks! yeah!). We were a bit better prepared for this trip and I didn''t overpack as much as I did last time. Penny went with us and aside from her barking like she could take the lab across from us, she did really, really well. The kids had a ball...they had 5 different campers to run between...ours being the only one without the bathroom! Ha! We had a wonderful time. Eric was amazed that the kids and I were able to smuggle his Father''s Day gift to the lake without him seeing it. Got him some super-duper rachet straps he''d been wanting, a "flower-y" shirt (you all know what Eric calls it! Ha!), and Matthew (& the girls) got him a Dale Earnhardt t-shirt and sleep pants they just KNEW he had to have. He loved all of it.

A small tornado hit Holy Family school in Great Bend while we were at the lake. It did some damage as far as doors and trees were concerned. The fence around the playground was smashed. However, the school and the church escaped most (if any) structural damage. Thank goodness. We drove by on our way home to check things out and were pleased to see that things weren''t as bad as we thought they''d be. We took some pics which I hope I can get downloaded soon. The tornado was just a continuation of some weather we''ve been having for weeks. No complaints here...Dodge has gotten 3-4 inches of rain over the last few weeks and my lawn & garden looks terrific because of it. I''ve only had to water once so keep that rain coming....my water bill is down! Ha!

Monday morning, my work computer crashed. Looks like beyond repair this time. I''m really frustrated with this computer and honestly am happy to see that we will be going with a different company soon. Spent time yesterday looking for a new laptop as the computer I''m now using is ancient (older than Allie) and is s-o s-l-o-w!!! I''m not looking forward to spending the money but I don''t think it can be helped this time. I have to be able to work. So until I get a new computer, I won''t be able to upload recent pictures for a while...I don''t think this dinosaur can handle it.

Eric is in Chicago this week. Had some traveling snafus getting there but he made it. Will be coming home on Friday and then we take off for Great Bend for EE weekend and for me to work. Kids have games and practices Mon., Tues., and Wed. of this week....tonight, Wed., they BOTH have games so this "single" mom is going to be running.

Well, time to get back to work...more insurance phone calls to make. Yippee. I have dreams of someday being caught up, but it just never seems to happen. Ha! Oh well...I keep trying anyway.

Have a wonderful week....stay cool this week. It''s a scorcher!

Happy Anniversary Uncle Greg and Aunt Amy!

Hope everyone had a Happy Memorial Day weekend!! Here''s the run-down of how our weekend went....

This past weekend was our maiden voyage for our new camper...we only made it 45 minutes before we had a flat tire on the camper and a hitch that was nearly completely off of the van. After a 1 1/2 hour fix-it job in Larned, we were back on the road. Stopped in Great Bend to visit Bev''s grave, eat, and to quickly fix the flat tire only to be told we need to buy a completely new one. OK, after another hour...on the road again. This meaning we LEFT Great Bend and almost noon....we''d left Dodge at 6:45 am!!! Finally made it 21 miles from Topeka and Kara, who had refused all day long to potty anywhere but her potty seat (which we forgot), soaked her seat in the van. Another stop to clean that up...Dropped the kids and the dog off at Grandpa''s and Nana''s, then Eric and I took the camper to the Lake to set up. AC wouldn''t work (it was short cycling). After following the directions of letting it sit, it was working by nightfall.

Spent Sat. evening with a couple of friends of mine at an alumni banquet in Meriden, at then to someone''s house in Topeka, before picking the kids up and heading back to the camper. Sunday: up at dawn to head for church at 8:00 am...that was nice. Then, we were able to visit with Dad at a BBQ we held for lunch at the campsite on the lake (Lake Shawnee in Topeka...Nana/Nancy was with her sister who was visiting from Texas). Right before the BBQ, the hot water line under the sink sprung a leak....water everywhere! So had to shut the water off to the camper the rest of the weekend! Three friends of mine stopped by for a bit of socializing during the BBQ....that was fun! Got some pictures in before everyone had to leave. Was pretty disappointed that some who had said they''d be to the BBQ didn''t show up or call, but we had a good time anyway and were sorry that they couldn''t come. My brother Will and his girlfriend, Sarah, did stop by Saturday night for a quick hello...had a good time with them. Monday morning, Dad and Nancy came out to the camper to see us off and return our dog to us (Penny had a great time with "gramma and grampa! Ha!)

Had an uneventful rest of the weekend until we stopped in Salina on the way home to eat on Monday....battery went dead on the van so we had to jump start it. Stopped in Great Bend on our way home to lay flowers for Justin. All in all, it was a great weekend and we look forward to Father''s Day weekend at Wilson Lake! Woo!Hoo!

At the risk of jinxing something, I''m proud to announce that Kara has now appeared to "get it" when potty training!!! Now, I do mean just the potty part but we''ve had 2 whole days of successes. 1 accident and numerous "#2" issues but she appears to have figured out the potty part. Haven''t worn pull-ups for 2 days (except for sleeping). I''m beyond excited and finally feeling like a "real mom" instead of a failure...God is good. Thanks for the prayers!

Matthew and I went to Phillipsburg last night to meet up with Grandpa Dave and family...we got to see my friend Annette (from college) last night and spend the night with her and her family (thanks, Annette!). Today, we went around P-burg, visited, and then went to Grandma Donna''s grave. Got to see Aunt Sue, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Tim, Great-Grandpa Neil, Nana, Grandpa Dave, Jocelyn and Elizabeth...we had a great time and hated to leave so soon but it was time to go home. Grandma''s grave looked very nice.

Eric spent all day today wiring the van for the electric brake control for the new camper. We are now ready to pull the camper next weekend for Memorial Day weekend to the lake in Topeka. All we do now is get the camper itself ready...maybe tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!!!

Ta-Da!!! Well, we have finally been successful with camper shopping....we stumbled across a camper in Mulvane, KS that is #1: newer than all the others we looked at; #2: a MUCH better deal than the others; #3 the perfect layout for our family. We spent more than we wanted to, but in the long run, we got a better camper that is near new (it''s a 2006 model). Popped it up yesterday to air it out and to let it dry completely (it was damp when Eric picked it up Tuesday night). The kids are already in love with it...they were disappointed today after school to discover that it wasn''t popped up anymore. Ha! They spent most of yesterday evening inside, reading books, entertaining friends, and picking out their sleeping spots. We can''t wait to get rolling with it! We may try to go out with it Memorial Day weekend, but we haven''t really decided where yet....but we need a few trial runs before we take it to Canton Lake in July.

Dodge has finally received rain! Things are greening up beautifully. We aren''t out of the "drought woods" yet, but what we got was a huge help.

This past weekend was good. We got to see my brother (Will) have his final senior recital...he did a wonderful job! Also visited with Nancy and Dad as well as Grandpa Neil and Grandma Belle. It was a great weekend.

Matthew received STUDENT OF THE QUARTER this week at school! Also, brought home a "progress note" and it had all A''s!! He was pretty excited. All baseball workouts were rained out so they have ditched the workouts and we are all waiting with bated breath to find out what teams Matthew and Allison get on for the summer. Allie is so excited to give her new t-ball glove a go.

We are "purging" the house again and are having a garage sale on Saturday....here''s hoping the weather holds. It feels good to get things cleaned out and get rid of things that are just taking up space.

Have a great weekend!

Ah...shopping for campers stinks. We''ve had 4 attempted scams against us, 2 campers sold out from under us, and one failed negotiation. We''ve seen beautiful campers sell for exactly what we are willing to pay...and they are wonderful, newer models, and all the features we want. But we are always a few hours late or the sellers don''t want to budge on their prices (''course we''re not willing to budge much on what we are willing to spend). Eric made the comment this weekend that maybe we just aren''t meant to have one now. Seems silly to be putting this much effort into a popup camper. The scams are what are so annoying...the camper is usually a deal way too good to be true (like $2000-$3000 less than avg NADA pricing) and we get an email back that says: "so glad you are interested, but I''m afraid I have ''bad news.'' I live in Canada...." and it goes on. Ugh.

On the flip side, Will''s recital tonight was wonderful. Camera ran out of space on the memory card or else I would have taken more video. Will have to wait until I get home tomorrow to see what I can salvage. Will did a great job. I wish Matthew could have seen this....he''s considering joining band and playing drums, too.

Allison came down with strep throat last week, but improved fast enough to be able to spend the night with her friend back home. Matthew''s asthma is finally improving since getting on the right medication. Kara''s cold is still hanging on....ready for that to finish up.

Matthew had a track meet yesterday in Ness City. He participated in long jump, the 50 meter and a relay. He took 5th in the long jump (there were a LOT of 4th graders in his division so that was a true accomplishment!), he took 3rd in the 50 meter. They took last, though, in the relay...the kid handing the baton to Matthew fell. Matthew ran back to get the baton from his friend, stopping to help him up figuring he''d get "extra points." It was hard not to laugh when I tried to explain to him that they don''t give out points in a race for being a good friend. Ha! He had a blast anyway and it sounds like he''s looking forward to joining track for good when he gets older.

Pray we find a good camper at a reasonable price...we know they are out there and thank goodness we aren''t desperate so we can afford to be picky. But the search is frustrating nevertheless.

Have a wonderful week!

Delilah Ann Munoz was born this morning!!!!! 9:45 am.....8 pounds, 7 ounces, 21 inches long.

Congratulations to Sami and Montel!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUSTIN WYATT!!! It doesn''t seem like it''s been five years since we said hello and then, 2 hours later, goodbye to you. The memories of your birthday are so vivid and clear. You are such a comfort to all of us, knowing that we have our own personal "family" angel! We love you, son.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN HASELHORST!!! #2!!!!!!!

We traveled to Bowie, Texas last Thursday for our annual Easter trip and arrived in the midst of wildfires (even drove smack down the middle of one! Fire on both sides of the road, homes burning, railroad ties on fire, grass and trees in flames...it was pretty scary). Amy and Greg had some friends who lost their homes (or at least most of their outbuildings/cattle)....our hearts go out to them. Amy and Greg were spared: the fire seemed to be all around them but never came to their part of the valley. Once that excitement wore off, we settled in for a great weekend: shopping, hiking, playing, skeet-shooting, Easter egg hunt, and Holy Saturday Mass. I got to sing at Easter Vigil (The Lord''s Prayer at Amy''s request) and that was fun. We look forward to our next trip.

We are actively looking for pop-up campers although have still not found the "just right" one. The advantage we have is that we have time....we are in no hurry, don''t HAVE to have one, and can take all the time we need to find that "perfect" deal. We are looking forward, however, to finding one and getting our weekends lined up for camping in various places.

Kids had their spring concert last night. It went very well (I''ll get pics posted soon). Matthew''s grades have shot up...only one grade away from having straight A''s!!! We told him to keep working on it and we will do something special at the end of school to celebrate if he accomplishes straight A''s. Of course we are by no means complaining about the grades he has....Mamma''s head is pretty swelled up at the moment!! (grin!) Allie is looking forward to 1st grade already...although she''s adamant that summer vacation has to happen first (unlike her excitement about kindergarten last year where she swore that she was missing the first day of class...in June!). Kara is slowing beginning to recognize bathroom signs...we''ve had 3 successes in the last 2 days (this morning she actually got me out of bed for it!). Unfortunately, we have to stop the training for the weekend as we are going out of town but we will pick it back up again on Monday. Hopefully, I can keep her excited about it.

All sorts of news has hit the last few days/weeks: Nana was in the hospital a few weeks ago, but is doing fine now. Had sugar issues (I think) but hopefully that''s all resolved. As in the previous post, Anna and Danny welcomed their 3rd child this past Monday...congrats to them! Received word this morning that Grandma Belle is in the hospital...just breathing issues and it sounds like she''s fine, but it warrants prayers anyway. Also found out last night that my cousin Clifford and his new wife Amanda are expecting their first child together in December (?)...pretty excited for them! Eric''s cousin Amber is due to give birth to her and Steve''s first child (a girl) soon as is my step-sister Sami (her 2nd child, a girl) and her hubby, Montel. Our nephew Ian will be celebrating his 2nd birthday on Sunday (yea!!)...we can''t attend his party but we are looking forward to hearing all about it!

Well, speaking of lots going on, time for me to sign off and get ready for the weekend (Engaged Encounter in Great Bend tonight through Sunday). Have a terrific one!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDPA DENNIS BACHMAN!

Harold Neil Williams was born today around 4:30 pm. No word, yet, on height and weight. We talked to Anna earlier today around lunch when she called after being admitted but we missed the phone call from Grandpa Dave due to screaming kids of our own when he called about the news of Harold''s arrival. We are excited for Danny and Anna! Congratulations!!! We will post pictures as soon as we receive them (PLEASE MAKE THAT SOON, ANNA!)....Yea!

Happy April Fool''s Day! Eric got the kids good this morning by having them convinced that they didn''t have school....Allison was very disappointed when, after dropping movies off at Blockbuster, Eric pulled in to the school parking lot. Eric was still giggling when he got home this evening...

Well, all that is left of our major blizzard 4 1/2 days ago are the piles left from shoveling and a few stubborn drifts. There is water everywhere around town. The kids have been having a ball since Saturday morning, having snowball fights, digging, making tunnels, sledding, etc. We never gave our washing machine a rest the entire weekend...would have been a good time to have snow pants! Ha! But, being outside was good for them all and kept them from going crazy in the house. Eric took the kids to the big "sledding" hill a couple of times over the weekend and they always came back bright eyed and excited. Kara even got in on the snowball fights (unless her "thumbs" (mittens) came off...then it was tragic.). They are talking more snow overnight tonight and the kids are excited all over again. Gotta love snow...it''s an outdoor babysitter and endless entertainment! Ha! The only true casualty of the blizzard were my tulips...the weight of the snow crushed a lot of the stems. But some are being troopers and are trying their best to keep growing (I''ve got buds...living and trying to bloom...but they''re bent over or on the ground entirely).

I''m busy gearing up for the Messiah performance on Sunday in Windhorst. Getting anxious as I feel my 3 solos aren''t where they need to be. But, will do as best as I can and hope it''s "good enough." The fact this will be televised isn''t helping. However, if I keep my nose in my music, I won''t notice the cameras! Ha!

Well, I need to finish work this evening and say good-night to kids. Have a great evening...

Well, we are finally digging out from the great blizzard of 2009!! "Officially," Dodge City received about 14 inches of snow, however we had more than 15 in our front yard. We had a huge drift on the north side of the house that came close to 4 feet. We''ve been digging all day long and finally, at about 2:15, we decided that was enough...Eric took Matthew and Allison to the big hill by the middle school to let them sled. Kara is down for a nap. And I''m looking for the Advil for my back! Ha! The blizzard was sure something to watch yesterday...couldn''t see the neighbors at times and the wind absolutely howled.

Eric had gone to KC on Wednesday. Was supposed to come home yesterday (Friday) but ended up leaving early because of the storm. He got home around 11 pm Thursday (just before the snow started). It''s good he came home then...even waiting in KC, he wouldn''t have made it home. Today (Saturday), highways are STILL closed in and out of Dodge City in all directions. So we would have been out of luck getting him home until probably Sunday or Monday.

We were blessed...we kept our power the whole time. We''ve heard that others weren''t so lucky but we are not sure exactly where the power outages are. Folks are beginning to dig out around Dodge...you can hear the sound of snow blowers all over the place. Sun is out and the GREAT MELT has begun.

Our prayers are with Eric''s brother''s family in Pratt...they got hit with twice as much snow as we did (28 inches!!) so digging out will take them a bit longer. They still have electricity and heat so they are OK...just socked in.

I know many of you are digging out today OR you are just now getting what we got yesterday...enjoy the wonder of nature at work. The snow that God gave us forces us to slow down and observe everything...take that time to thank Him for the much needed moisture, for your health, for the roof over your head that protected you. We are thankful for this beautiful, fluffy, blessing.

SPRING BREAK!!! The kids and I have spent time outside, visiting the zoo in Garden City, going to the park, etc. It''s been a beautiful spring break. Today, however, Allison seems to have come down with something...hoping that it''s nothing.

I had my 2 week follow-up appointment yesterday with the surgeon who took my 4 wisdom teeth out. I''m about 2/3 healed according to him and everything looks great. Guess I had some really impacted teeth and he was concerned about healing and that''s why he had me back. So, I''m no 100% yet, haven''t attempted really hard foods (like chips, pretzels, etc.) yet. On the up-side, I''ve lost about 7 pounds! Woo!Hoo!

Kids had excellent reports at parent-teacher conferences last week. Allison''s teacher is exploring more challenging activities for Allison because she is breezing through all of the kindergarten things. Matthew has discovered what his grades do if he actually studies and saw his grades jump to almost all A''s the last nine weeks....he''s pretty pumped. His math has really improved and he seems well on his way! Can really tell that he''s getting older...he''s now begging for a cell phone. Ugh.

We have had absolutely NO moisture out here in Dodge most of the winter...the cracks in the yard are ridiculous. I''ve started watering already in hopes of saving the little plantings that we do have. We have high hopes of really getting serious with planting more landscape plants, but may have to back off a bit if the drought continues. We did get our potatoes planted Tuesday (St. Patty''s day, ya know!). Allie has greeted me in the back yard every day this week wearing her gardening gloves, wondering when we will get busy in the yard! We may have lost our apricots this year...dang tree bloomed a couple of weeks ago (IN FEBRUARY!), then got hit by a freeze. Looks like it''s a good thing we canned all of those apricots last year for jam! Don''t think we will be making any this year...

I''ll be performing in Messiah next month (Palm Sunday)...pretty excited about it as it will be videoed for Smoky Hills Public Television. I''ve got 2 solos and one duet...been working our tails off the last couple of weeks. The kids think it''s cool to gather ''round when I practice...even the cat got in on it last night. (eyeroll).

Eric is busy getting our minivan ready to pull stuff...he''s got the hitch hooked up and is now attempting to get a light kit installed. Possibility we will be purchasing a pop-up camper soon (as funds allow! ha!)...if no camper is in the future, he plans on locating a small garden trailer that he can use as a replacement for the pickup we sold last summer. He seem tickled to have warmer weather coming on...he''s in constant motion working on the van, the back yard, the garden. It is nice to be busy...

We will be heading to Texas for our annual Easter vacation. It''s nice to be able to spend so much time with our best friends. We realized recently (with horror) that we hadn''t been down since LAST Easter and the kids have been asking if we will ever travel there again. So, plans are in the works and we are excited to be going finally.

Have a blessed Easter!

Well, the auction for SHCS if finally over...my room-mom duties are basically done (thank goodness), the auction was a success, and I STILL didn''t win that iPod touch I was banking on...ha! Oh well...anyway....

Eric is proud that the stewardship brochures are finally out for the parishioners at our church...they have been a long time coming. It''s a matter of time now to see if they are going to work.

I''ve managed to finally get a groove back with my jobs. I''m tickled to see my bags and files getting smaller and smaller as I''ve found new ways to tackle my workload with better efficiency. It''s a nice feeling.

February brought a lot of sickness for all of us. First, it hit Eric...hard. Then me. Really hard. Kara got it during Eric''s bout and STILL has it (according to the doctor today, it is now a strong possibility that she''s got asthma and we are now armed with an arsenal of meds for the next 2 weeks). Allison got hit really hard last week with really high fevers. She seems to finally be healing. Her coughs have ceased but she''s still very tired a lot.

Tomorrow, I head to the doctor to remove all four of my wisdom teeth. Ugh. I''ll be completely out, thank goodness, for the procedure but will be in complete pain when I wake up...NOT something I''m looking forward to. As a result, I''m missing a few engagements that I was supposed to attend....oh well. At least this surgery will be done and out of the way.

Hope everyone is having a good winter...ours is weird with warm temps, daffodils that sprouted (and bloomed) in February, and trees that are budding...definitely not good. Waiting for the big freeze to kill everything off again. Still no rain...it''s going to be a long summer.

Have a wonderful week....

It''s toy show day! Eric and Matthew are having a wonderful time up at the Knights of Columbus hall, helping to host the annual farm toy show. The girls and I are sticking around the house today, enjoying the beautiful weather and cleaning the place up a bit. We''ll venture up the street to the KofC hall before too long to watch our men salivate at all of the farm toys around and to see if Eric has sold any of his creations. You should have seen Eric last night...he was practically giddy. :)

January 31st. The last day of the month. Seems weird to be saying goodbye to this month as we''ve had such tragedy. We''ve all begun the healing process since Bev''s (Grandma''s/Mom''s/Wife''s) death but it all just seems too fresh in our memories. There are still thank you notes to write for things people are STILL doing (thank you to all!). As much as Bev hated pictures of herself, now it seems it has become my quest to find as many good ones of her as I can...she wouldn''t let me take many so it''s been a struggle to find them. This weekend is the first weekend since Jan. 5th that we haven''t been in Great Bend and it feels nice to actually being getting back to a somewhat "new" normal. Bev would be proud of how we are all doing and smiling because we''ve been able to laugh so much and so often (usually at the kids).

Well, on to other things...kids are STILL battling some sort of cold bug that just won''t go away. Mine managed to only stick around for a few days (thank goodness), but poor Allie and Kara just can''t seem to get rid of the coughs and the sniffles. Nothing is stopping their energy or their eating habits so that''s reassuring. The weather actually has me disappointed that it''s not cold and snowy like it''s supposed to be...I''ve got daffodils starting to peek through the mulch already. There is still so much of winter to get through and with some of these warm days, I''m worried that we won''t have apricots again or beautiful spring flowers...just waiting for another freeze to hit. We won''t know until April whether or not the fruit trees and early flowers have been affected. However, in the spirit of the up and coming spring, Eric and I are already starting to brainstorm ideas for the garden.

Hopefully, things will settle down a bit in February...we have a lot of indoor painting that we''ve kept saying we were going to get to and we''ve not even started. We have, however, replaced the front door and the door to the garage with energy efficient ones...just need to finish trimming them out. Never is there a project that is finished in this house. Oh well...life of a homeowner! :) Have a wonderful Saturday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMA ARASMITH!! #4! Wow! It''s hard to believe that you''re already 4! Wish we could be with you on your birthday...have fun!

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY, MATTHEW!! We know it''s a tough week for a birthday, but we are looking forward to a special celebration with you! Can''t believe you''re 10!! WOW!

On January 5, 2009, Grandma Bev (Beverly Haselhorst) passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 58 in her home. We spent all of last week in Great Bend making arrangements, taking care of kids, fielding phone calls, etc. The response to Bev''s passing has been overwhelming and completely humbling. Her funeral was on January 9, 2009 and she had one of the best "send offs" ever. The church was packed and everything was beautiful...even the weather held off until after all of the ceremony. We, the Haselhorst family, are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support everyone has shown since last Monday. People have come out of the woodwork with prayers, food, help, comfort, and advice. There just aren''t enough words for us to say thank you in the ways we want to.

Bev was a beautiful person, inside and out...carrying her crosses with dignity and grace. We are missing her terribly already and can only pray that she''s watching us all and guiding our actions. "Let perpetual light shine upon her, Lord."

Grandma Bev...we are going to miss you. We are in shock and upset that you have been taken from us. We pray that God has already accepted you into your rightful place in His kingdom. There is something wrong about this whole thing...I can''t wrap my brain around any of this. We love you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA NANCY BACHMAN!! HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Christmas has come and gone...we''ve been able to see several folks for the holiday and even had some come to our house! We''ve enjoyed visiting and are almost a bit melancholy that Christmas is winding down...only a couple weeks before it''s officially over.

Please pray for moisture out here. We''ve only received about an inch of snow since October (I think that works out to about "half-of-nothing-of-an-inch). We didn''t have much over the summer either so we are still pretty dry. Our lawn and garden could use the extra drink...and I''m sure the fruit trees would love some, too.

The kids are doing well...Matthew and Kara are STILL fighting coughs that won''t go away (we have an appt. with the dr. today for Kara...her''s has moved into her lungs as usual so we are headed there to rule out bronchitis and/or pneumonia...fun, fun.). Matthew''s had his cough since before Thanksgiving, but it''s finally seeming to improve. Kara''s had hers for about 3 weeks...and it''s getting worse. Eric got plugged up yesterday. Allison had a slight fever Monday and Tuesday but that''s gone and she had no other symptoms. Can''t figure this cold season out. None of us have had the same symptoms so it''s tough to tell what''s getting passed around and what''s just asthma/lung related.

Well, time to get some work done. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day, a safe New Year''s Day, and that you have a blessed 2009.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas Eve...no more chances to get last minute gifts, ya''ll! We pray that this Christmas gives you blessings you didn''t expect. We look forward to visiting with some of you and send out love to those of you we weren''t able to visit this time around. May the spirit of Christmas be given to you tonight and always.

Merry Christmas from the Haselhorsts.
Happy Birthday, Jesus!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABELLE WILLIAMS!! #1 BIRTHDAY!! HOPE YOUR PRINCESS DAY GOES WONDERFULLY!!