The Walls Family

Blogging...Facebook...

2009-01-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

Well I will have to admit that blogging has not been #1 on my priority list. We have been EXTREMELY busy this past month and it is so much easier to keep in touch with everyone via Facebook. I am going to try to get a little better :)
To wrap up the last month in a nutshell...Jason has been hired in the Caldwell County School District which means we are in the same district--finally! Many answered prayers on that. It is wonderful for him to teach and coach in the same district!
We had a call on a Saturday night a few weeks ago stating that Jason's grandmother would not make it through the night. We packed up to Paducah after dropping off the boys with friends and spent the night in the hospital ER/ICU awaiting information or the next visiting hours. She made it through the night and kept trucking until about Tuesday. That Tuesday night I experienced the most beautiful moment with his family. His cousin Cody had his guitar in the hospital room ( you aren't supposed to leave it in the cold temperatures) in the midst of her struggling for breath and the nurses making her at a "peaceful" state the family began to sing. Jason's entire family - minus him ...lol- is muscially talented. Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone has never had a more beautiful meaning. The entire night was such a blessing and moment that you could not trade for anything. It was truly beautiful! If you haven't heard that song I truly reccommend you listen to it or anything for that matter that is by Chris Tomlin. That was when she was given two days...well...then it was Wednesday and she was wanting water and coffee???? WTH? However, come Thursday the vitals were slowing down and things were coming to an end. Jason made it there in the nick of time. "Granny" literally passed away approximately 10-20 seconds after he had a chance to speak to her. That truly meant a lot to him and it was such a calming moment with family. In this event wrestling was put on hold and much time was spent with the family. Lots of tears of sorrow and even joy were shed. It was truly a blessed time.

Things are somewhat getting back to normal around here...or as it seems - just lots of wrestling...things are beginning to wind down for Jason's first year as "Head" coach. State Tournament is the 3rd week in February. We are looking forward to supporting him there. The boys and I will go up with the team. I will keep the books and they will just watch in awe like they did last year. I have started training for the Country Music Half Marathon again. This is time consuming. So many anymore do the whole marathon and I cannot imagine having the time to train for all of that! Whew! I hope to be more on the ball with blogging...Have a great end of January!!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

Dylan and Colin were truly taken by Santa as soon as he called them by name. This Santa is special and we see him each year. They told Santa everything that was on their list...we will see how good they have been and what all he really brings :) I hope that each one of you enjoy the holidays with your families and have a blessed holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Jingle Bell Run...

2008-12-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post the Jingle Bell Run Pictures....

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

From our family to yours I hope you have a blessed holiday season. We are not mailing cards this year...trying to crunch the budget :) Have a Merry Christmas! God Bless!

Cold Festivities...

2008-12-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Colin, Dylan, Jack and Riley...

Saturday morning I had to work the Jingle Bell Walk/Run which is a fundraiser for my school. The boys did the Kids Fun Run and really had a great time. Dylan came in 2nd and Colin 3rd bringing home two free happy meal coupons! Which is Gold to them since Transformers are the prize in the Happy Meal. It was ABSOLUTELY freezing that morning and I thought that my toes were going to self amputate since they were so COLD!! Shoved my hand warmers into my socks and that worked for a little while. Once we wrapped up the morning festivities we went home did some mega cleaning and laundry and rested up for yet another COLD activity...The Christmas Parade! It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be since the boys float had the church van driving the trailer ( a little heated compartment for the parents!) I hopped in there and let them throw candy and hold their candles...
While the boys and I were having too much fun with our winter plans, Jason was at his first High School Wrestling Trny. of the season. The Caldwell County Tigers brought home the first place trophy!!!!!! What a season opener! I am so proud of him/them!

The Black Friday Madness...

2008-11-29T08:54:00.001-08:00

At the Wal-Mart checkout...Jayme and Claudia are M.I.A.

Holy piled up cart...

Kelly says...these people mean straight business!

Butt to butt people.

Don't worry...we weaseled into line!

What a fun trip and experience BFST #1 was for us. We loaded the cars at 3:30 a.m. and headed to Paducah for a days worth of adventure and fun! Once we got to Wal-Mart it was time to find a map and locate our items that were wrapped and place throughout the store on the secret pallets. Who knew that the line for the $4 pajamas would be so nuts! The workers were shouting at people "It's not 5:00 yet - hands off of the wrap!" and one lady was told to put the merchandise back or she would be asked to leave! SO, Kelly and I scavengered our pj's and hid them under her coat so that we could divide and conquer the other sale items we needed! She pushed the cart and I stockpiled through all of the madness to find our items. It was such a rush - yet so much fun! Definitely going as a group was to our advantage as far as waiting in lines went. Jayme took a two-point conversion and caught the items of mine as I threw them to her at Kohl's so no line for me! We took turns helping each other out and never waited in a line more than 20 minutes! Quite an accomplisment.

2008-11-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

Well tomorrow is the big day! Not just the Macy's Day Parade but the Katie's cooking her first turkey and stuffing day! I will admit I am a tad nervous, but mom has given me step-by-step instructions. I think if I stay focused, and I am sure I will after I get all of the crap out of that bird's insides, that I can pull this together. Of course the family will be having Thanksgiving with all of the Christmas decor up...I told a friend of mine here, that they expect nothing less from their OCD relative! Looking forward to the day of cooking and will spend the day doing that and missing being with my family. However, I can concentrate on cooking, my BFST #1 with 7 girlfriends on Friday morning (that is Black Friday Shopping Trip #1) which should be loads of fun, and Kelly's birthday on Saturday. After all of that we are on our way to the Joyful Holiday Season!
The Elf on the Shelf has already been in full swing around here getting the twins ready for Santa. This is Hallmark Christmas book/tradition that Grandma has gotten for the boys and they love it!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall...

2008-11-12T11:24:00.001-08:00

2008-11-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we were in Henderson for Troy's Birthday. It was a lot of fun! The twins played on the wii and had the time of their lives! Not much else going on around here, just making out Santa lists and getting ready for the holidays. This is not our year to go to Missouri for Thanksgiving so we will be having it at our house for the first time this year. Cooking a turkey - WTH? Guess I will soon experience the turkey and dressing for the first time. I am a little on the nervous side, but at the same time I will be using mom's recipes so hopefully with all of the wonderful instructions I can pull myself together to pull this off! Looking forward to the weekend already. I have been exposed to the vomit virus in my classroom apparently too much and I am suffering through that. I just pray that noone else in my family has to experience to joys of it. I am looking forward to the holiday season and to the first annual Black Friday shopping trip with Princeton friends.

Family Pictures....

2008-11-03T18:29:00.001-08:00

Amy East came out to our house and took family pictures on Saturday afternoon. You can view a couple on her website. She is under my blogger friends as Amy East Photography...

The 12 Days of Halloween

2008-11-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Riley, Cabbott, Colin and Dylan

Colin and Momma

Dylan and Momma

Colin and Dylan on the Hayride

The infamous tire swing...

The Clone Troopers on Halloween Night

After the Church/Awana Carnival

Eating at the "Boo Cafe" at church

PreSchool Halloween

This year Halloween seemed to never end. Don't get me wrong, we truly enjoyed every minute of it. Colin and Dylan are at such a fun age that they make everything worth experiencing. Thing is we only took them to around 5 houses to Trick-or-Treat and we ended up with 2 Gallon sized bags of candy! I cannot imagine what will become of the treat bags when they do an entire neighborhood. Needless to say we have the bags in a hidden spot because they are candy maniacs! Hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween.

Halloween Party '08

2008-11-02T05:37:00.001-08:00

Amy and Troy as Trailor Trash

The Cupid Shuffle

Matt and Lisa as Hell Boy and his partner

John H. and Kelly as the plug and outlet

Brown as Joker Chelly, Katie, and Jayme

Ferris' and Lamons' as the Flinstones

Chelly and Jared as Dogg and Beth

Jason and Katie "Danny and Sandy"

I am sorry that I am like lightyears behind on this blogging stuff. I will have to admit that I am a facebook junky. However, a week ago we had the best Halloween fun ever! Some of our wonderful friends traveled to Kentucky and we hung out and celebrated Halloween together. It was so much fun to hang out together and we did spend most of the time in total laughter! Enjoy these pictures! We had an absolute blast. Thank you to the Garver, Lamons, and Ferris, families for coming. What a nightful of laughs we had.

Pumpkin Patch Time...

2008-10-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch this year. I know it is early in October still but the boys do love to go and play in all of the pumpkins and on the swings there. We had our last soccer game today. No big plays by the Walls boys but they did have a great time. Nothing like 8 am soccer on a Saturday morning when it is 45 degrees outside! The boys and I are headed to Hannibal a week from today and are very excited about making the trip home to see Grandma and Pop Pop. Enjoy the pictures.

Do we have a David Beckham in the family?

2008-09-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Today was Dylan's day to shine at soccer - he scored not once but twice! He was full of glowing excitement each time! We are about to wrap up this year of soccer. Only one more game and then wrestling is right around the corner. Jason is extremely excited along with being a little nervous at the same time. Being "head" coach is something he has always dreamed of and I am sure he will do a fabulous job. The countdown is on for me - Fall Break begins October 10th at 2:35! I will head to Hannibal to visit with mom and dad for a few days and hopefully get to visit with some friends too. Fall Break is truly wonderful after the past few weeks we have had and the one to come. Lots of 3-6 meetings and 3-7 parent teacher conferences. A break is always a blessing for both the teachers and the students. I don't have any exciting photos today. The boys are experiencing their first sleep over. Their friend Jack is staying while his parents relax and play in a weekend golf tournament. It is hilarious to listen to the conversations that the three of them have together!

Living Like the Omish

2008-09-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

Well we spent the entire week without internet and therefore - NO BLOG! Sunday when we got up for church it sounded like a rain storm outside. Much to my surprise- no rain - just severe wind. The wind left the entire town (Wal-Mart and everything) powerless for a few hours. The in town power came back up after awhile, but ours was off for 10 hours and some others were off all the way until Thursday! They gave a report of some of the wind being up to 70 mph. This is very unusual for this area and due to all of the trees falling and metal flying the down was labeled "state of emergency" and everyone was to take shelter as they were or head home immediately and stay for a few hours until the wind would die down. This drama did cause us to be out of school on Monday since much of the town was still without power and several people had a lot of damage to and around homes to deal with.

Our van is still inoperable and we are going now on 30 days without the van. Sadly enough they are replacing the computer and not in the timeliest of fashions. I just hope it works out and this van drama can be behind us soon.

We are headed off to a soccer game. More blog later.

Soccer Game #2

2008-09-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today was the boys second soccer game of the Fall '08 season. They are so much fun to watch as they try to learn all of the skills. It is always hilarious when they try to turn the ball with their hands to move it down the field the opposite direction! Not much is new here. Just getting all geared up for a totally busy week at school. I have conferences on Tuesday/Thursday night and Church (Awana & Bible Study) Wednesday along with soccer practice Friday and then another game on Saturday! No down time this week except I do NOT have school on Friday so I can catch up on some relaxation during the day. The governor has put a freeze on the gas prices here in Kentucky so it looks like we will top out at 3.99 during this whole "IKE" scare that started this past Thursday night. Gas was only 3.65 on Thursday and then they raised it at midnight to 3.99 and were going to go on to close to 5.00 by Friday night. HOWEVER, since price gouging is illegal they all got shut down - thank goodness! There are places in Paducah that are paying 4.69 for gas and that would be devastating!

2008-09-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

Happy 40th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

SO BUSY!

2008-09-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well now that I am working - actually doing work other than packing our waterpark bags and cooler - I am so busy/tired at night and I am slacking on the blog scenario! SORRY! Not much is new here. School, Pre School, Soccer Practice, Soccer Games, Awana, Bible study, and wrestling pretty much consume most of our time. Needless to say those activities and our sharing ONE vehicle at the present time has us pretty frazzled. The van has been out of commission for 14 days. It needs a new computer which is something that is rather pricy if you could imagine. So that was devastating news for us. However, this to shall pass and life will go on, it just seems so inconvenient and complicated. The convicts (mentioned on my facebook) are still on the loose. They have been spotted and not captured multiple times on our school campus. So, no after hours working until they are back behind bars or suspected to have left the area. They are probably getting pretty desperate at this point after being out for 2 1/2 weeks and who knows what could become of them. So we are praying for their safe return to where they came from - THE PEN! This is getting rediculous! I mean I don't even walk at night b/c who knows where in the world they are or what they are doing or what even they may want?!@#

I will try to get some pictures up after our soccer game this weekend and I will try to stay more frequent to the blog - sorry!!

2008-08-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Audra Hull!!! Hope you had a great day!

Visit With the Coleman's

2008-08-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Friday night Bucky, Erica, Averi, and Will arrived for a weekend visit. We had a wonderful, relaxing time. We went to the local pizza restaurant Friday -Pagliai's...YUM! Saturday we did a little running around a haircut OF COURSE :-) and had a nice BBQ outside. The men played a lot of cornhole and the women as good of a game as expected of Hilbilly Golf while we chased children. It was fun to sit around the table and laugh about old, funny times until very late. Always sad when good friends have to leave, but we truly enjoyed our visit with their family. The kids played so well together even though Colin and Dylan struggled to remember it is Averi and not Audrey and Will is so stinkin cute they could have left him here!

First Day of Preschool

2008-08-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

Thursday was Colin and Dylan's first day of preschool. They were all decked out with their favorite "army" backpacks. I was so worried about getting them to school on time and getting myself ready for the first day and beating all of the bus and parent traffic, I did not have time to absorb the fact that my babies were going to their first day of preschool! It was Friday morning when they got out of the car and blew me a kiss that I had tears - they are growing up so fast! They love school and they love their teacher. It is so fun to hear about their days.

The Wedding Weekend

2008-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the big wedding! Everything went very well. Friday we started off the weekend with the tuxedo try - on trip. I dropped off Jason with Josh and they had a great time all afternoon...and through the night. I think that the weekend was a big hit and things really could not have gone much better. Colin and Dylan handed out programs and they did a wonderful job. They weren't much on patience during the ceremony though. The ceremony was nice. A little emotional for some during the roses to the mothers - but Josh did a nice job of placing his mother's rose by her picture with a lighted candle in the front of the church. Jenna looked totally beautiful and they both made it through the ceremony just fine. The reception was a lot of fun. I was the cake cutter -WHEW- it was a lot more work than I thought. I had my own cake cutting diagram with descriptive paragraphs on the cake table and I had to read through it a few times to get things figured out. I thought you just cut the cake? I was unaware it was such a strategic job. However, I made it through without mangling the cake and found time to cut a rug to the greatest DJ around "Songbird Entertainment" - Nick, you did a great job! Josh and Jenna are enjoying their week in Jamaica.

Our Family Vacation

2008-07-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

We took the family camping on a little relaxing weekend away. It was nice and as much of a "beach" as the Walls Family has in their budget! The boys had a wonderful time and it was worth every minute!

This weekend is the big wedding. Josh and Jenna tie the knot on Saturday. The boys are ready to wear their shirt and tie and get all dressed up like their daddy.

Tomorrow is the Pre School orientation and I am excited about their starting Pre School, but that also means that my summer-sweet, relaxation-is coming to an end. What a saddening part of each year. It is always hard giving up spending day and night with your family and heading back to the daily grind. It is never bad once you are in the swing of things, just hard to switch up the routine and of course to leave the water park behind.

I'll post again soon with wedding pictures.

The Trip To Hannibal

2008-07-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

The trip to Hannibal was wonderful! We had a great time visiting family, getting to see friends, and doing a few Fourth of July festivities. It wasn't the same without Mud Volleyball...The twins did the Fun Run and had a great time! Dylan rounded the corner and flew flat on his face and that put an end to his sprint. I carried him across the finish line for his bottle of water and his medal. My mom did the Hannibal Cannibal and did really well. I am going to most definitely join her next year for that! Brett, his girlfriend - Erika-, and several of his K-State buddies came in and we had an afternoon of Cornhole and Hillbilly Golf in the back yard on Saturday. I got to visit with my good friend Erica and her two beautiful children- Will and Averi. Thank you for driving to see us and of course for the much appreciated and much needed haircuts! Due to the rain we had to replace swimming with a day at Bonkers! What a fun time. Audra, Amy, Stephanie, myself and all of the kids went and had a truly amazing time at that crazy place!

Good to be home

2008-06-30T07:23:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we packed up the whole family and headed for Hannibal. We managed to get Jason situated with his leg elevated (by removing a seat in the van) and the cornhole boards in the back- I mean is it even worth going if you can't bring cornhole? LOL! Anyways, it was a long trip with all of the potty breaks, breakfast, lunch, and gas stops but we finally made it here. It feels so nice to have an extra set of hands to help me out so I can relax and unwind a little. Looking forward to seeing lots of friends and enjoying time with the family this week.

The ACL Is On The Mend...

2008-06-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well today was the day for "the surgery". Turns out he had a little more work done on the meniscus than planned due to the shape it was in when they got in there and checked it out. He had the left knee arthroscopic surgery to fix the ACL and reconstruction of the medial cruciate ligament with bone patella tendon bone autograft. Needless to say he is in quite a bit of pain, but on the road to recovery! He had a block put into his leg that was to keep the pain to a minimum and numb the leg for 12-24 hours and that did not take. So he had to stay a little longer to get the pain under control. I took this picture prior to surgery - they got him pretty looped up (funny!). We are glad to have this under way and be on with physical therapy.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderful Father's Day. We had a big lunch with Dennis and Josh after church and then went up to our new neighbor's land to roast hotdogs and make smores in the evening. The kids all had a wonderful time catching lightning bugs, playing in the sand, and getting rides on the Gator! I spoke to my Dad on the phone before he met up with my brother and his girlfriend for the Cardinal Baseball game. Wish we were closer! I am really looking forward to visiting with the family over the Fourth of July week.

I added a couple pictures of the waterpark...the boys in the waves and enjoying their dippin' dots that Papaw bought for them.

Coach Walls

2008-06-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 6th Jason was hired as the Head Coach for the Caldwell County Tigers Wrestling Team. He is so excited! He and fourteen middle and high school students headed to Union County for camp. All of the kids our family included stayed at his dad's house. It was a really fun experience for the kids and a great bonding time for everyone too.

We head to Hopkinsville on Tuesday morning to meet with the Dr. to confirm plans for surgery on Wednesday. If the swelling and all is where it needs to be then we head back to Hopkinsville Wednesday morning around 5 ish in the morning to prepare for the big day. Looking forward to wrapping this up most definitely.

Josh and Jenna's wedding is rounding the corner. We are helping host a Dirty Dish and Tool party for them on Saturday night the 21st (Our Five Year Anniversary)!

The Slides

2008-06-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today at the Water Park the boys went down the slides by themselves for the first time. They wouldn't let one sit on my lap and the other sit in the front tube, but they did let them just go down alone... Go figure! You could hear them giggling once they got near the bottom. They totally loved it! If the lines weren't so long they would have done it all day!

Surgery

2008-06-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Jason will have his surgery to repair the ACL and Medial Meniscus on the 18th of June. Dr. wanted to wait until the swelling goes down before he did the surgery. So from now until then he will wear a brace and keep the activity minimal. The wait at that Dr.'s office was not a joke for sure. We were there a total of 3 hours today and at times there were not even enough chairs for all of the people in the waiting room. Popular place. The surgery is outpatient surgery. He said they numb the leg for 24 hours so all of the hospital stay using pain meds is now done outpatient.

Water Park Heaven

2008-06-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Finally, back in the sun and at Venture River! We made our big debut today and the boys had a wonderful time! It feels wonderful to relax, hang out with each other, and enjoy ourselves at our leisure. Tomorrow is the big day for Jason to meet the surgeon...so, we are crossing our fingers and hoping they will schedule him quickly.

Colin and Dylan wrapped up a weekend of Vacation Bible School at our new church last night. They did a Luau theme for their unit and had a nice family Luau to celebrate last night. It seemed to be a lot of fun and they really enjoyed themselves. The grilled Teriayki burgers were super good too!

Sad Day in Western Kentucky

2008-05-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well it is inevitable. Jason has torn and has complete disruption of his ACL and Medial Meniscus. We will go to meet with the surgeon on Tuesday morning at 10:00 to find out the fate of the surgery. HAPPY SUMMER! As for me the dr. mentioned some plantarfasia and possible stress fracture. If not better within a couple of weeks, then I need to go back for a bone scan. One thing at a time. Jason is primary focus right now. He is the most helpless I have ever seen him. Bless his heart he had to rely on me to pull up his pants and he just laughed and sighed as he looked at me and said, "Can I get a little help? I just can't do it." Stay tuned for more ER.

2008-05-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

WELCOME baby Cash Michael Drazba!!

Congratulations to Chris and Kelly Drazba!

Go Hard or Go Home...

2008-05-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Go hard or go home is the motto most commonly used at practice. Apparently the coach practices what he preaches just a little too much. Jason came home last night and was in great pain. He hurt his knee major in practice yesterday wrestling a high schooler. I already had an appointment today for an x-ray on my foot thinking I have a possible stress fracture? or who knows what it is, I know it is related to the walking/running I have been doing. So, I called and added him to the appointment book early this morning. Dr. Mike seems to think something is torn. He thinks there is a possible surgery in his future. We hope that the MRI he had today will show a strain and it will be a quicker heal than a tear. We will just have to wait and see. He is all laid up and on crutches for now and we should hear some results tomorrow. No mud volleyball for him this year :-((

SUMMER!

2008-05-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

Well it is finally summer! School has been out for me for two weeks now and Jason gets out on Friday. We have our Water Park passes in hand and are just awaiting some warmer weather and for the water to warm up a little.

This past weekend we attended Mike Russ' wedding in St. Louis. It was a lot of fun. Friday we briefly met with my parents and brother and Garver family for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. YUMMY! Later we headed over to the Lamons' for a wonderful cookout and some cornhole. It was so nice to laugh with old friends. We had a great time. Some better than others, Right Jared? Saturday Chelly and I searched the city for a McDonald's and that was a lost cause. However, we found a lot of the streets that would come in handy for later on that night while looking for the church. It was a beautiful wedding and a nice reception. Again, with more old friends and lots of laughter and stories. It is so much fun seeing everyone!

Rylee (Jared and Chelly's daughter - above) really enjoyed checking herself out in the mirror in our room on Friday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RILEY JOHNSON!!

The boys went to Riley's party last night. They had a sundae party at the Memory Lane Creamery here in town. It was so much fun! The kids got to create their own sundaes. We then went to Speed Racer. The kids had fun...but, the movie - not so great.

The BIrthday Luau...

2008-05-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Today was Lily's birthday Luau. They had a terrific time and loved the pinata and the massive playset that Matt has put together! Of course I said they as if only the kids enjoyed the pinata as you can see from the pictures the adults were just as enthused. It was a nice time and the boys are bushed.

Only 4 1/2 days left of school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-08T04:18:00.000-07:00

The AWANA Cubbies program went well last night. However, I think that one of the teachers nearly had a nervous breakdown after their performance. I don't think that 3 and 4 year olds are her forte (not sure how to spell that really). Some of the children were a little out of control in the beginning - but it was comical - not anything out of the ordinary for preschool children. The boys did a great job in saying their verses, behavior, and in singing with the other children. It is a great program and I cannot wait for them to be involved again next year! After today only 5 1/2 days left of SCHOOL!!!!!

The First Choir Program

2008-05-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight the boys had their first choir program with First Baptist Church. They did a wonderful job and really enjoyed themselves! It is the time to begin wrapping up all of the years' activities. Wednesday they have an AWANA program and I can only hope I don't screw up the video camera at that one. I only got about 10 seconds if that on tape tonight...not real sure what happened with that. Only 9 1/2 days left of school with students! Hard to believe that another year has gone by already. Even harder to believe that the twins start pre-school next year!

2008-04-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated Birthday Gretchen! We missed you at the marathon!

2008-04-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jenny & Chelly!!!!!

Marathon Madness!

2008-04-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well the marathon is over - and what a blast it was! It was so much fun! I enjoyed it so much I cannot wait to do it again next year and of course beat my time. I believe I will start doing a little jogging with my walking to increase my time for the upcoming year when training time begins. Jason completed the 1/2 marathon in 2:17 and my time was 3:20. Do note that he ran most of it :-)!

Early Saturday morning when we walked a mile and a half to get to Centennial Park where the race began it was raining...we were cold, wet, and in hopes of clear skies for the latter part of the morning. As we are walking we saw so many crazy things in the midst of 32,000 people. There were a lot of port-a-potties, but not enough. There were tons of people dropping them and peeing right there in the park by trees and just wherever. One decided they needed to #2 and went ahead and did that in the park as well. What a sight that was! Once we made our way to our corral #27 we waited for the other 26 corrals to start the race until it was our turn. We finally began the race around 8:04.
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The race was so motivational with all of the cheer squads, bands, sight seeing on music row, and the patrons that handed out fruit, water, accelerade, and the power gel packs. There were some with signs that said "Thank You - I am a survivor" which just reinsured me that we were doing this for a great cause! There were the occasional people passing out beer, mimosa, and bloody mary but at that early and during a 13.1 mile race that wasn't really that appealing. At the finish line when Claudia and I crossed the feeling that we had was really indescribable. After all of our hard work in training, I felt a real sense of accomplishment! It was a rush! They handed us medals, water, accelerade, and had loads of snacks, fruits, and a cup of michelob ultra for us as well.

Needless to say going to dinner and to The Big Bang was just as much fun! Jeorge Ann had a birthday so we had the piano men do a little song for her and it was funny! It was so much fun being with everyone. My mom came and did the race too she really enjoyed herself and we had a lot of fun together. My mom, Audra, Amy, and Anne did the race from Hannibal and Jeorge Ann and Robbie were our support team. Johannah, Brian, Kara, Wendy, Claudia, Kelsey, Amber, and myself were the participants from here. We had quite a large group and had a tremendous time.

2008-04-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

Quick poses after church on a beautiful day...

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2008-04-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Busy is the word for the past few weeks. Training for the marathon along with back to the old grind at work, and keeping the house in tact along with other daily regimens keeps me on my toes. I did however, skip an entire week of Days of our Lives and began reading. I read 23 Minutes in Hell - SUPER good book! Which then led me to reading 90 Minutes in Heaven...still on that one I will let you know.

The marathon is this Saturday! Don't forget to tune in to CMT to try to pick us out of the 32,000 people crowd! I will post our race numbers on the blog on Friday night if you want to try to track us online. Amy, Audra, JeorgeAnn, and Anne will be here Thursday night and then we will head down on Friday for a fun filled weekend!

Today we went to a cousins birthday party at McDonald's and to the circus. The birthday party was nice and the boys had a wonderful time. The circus was amazing until the elephant act. All was well and then they came out to do their tricks and dropped bucket loads of poop everywhere and we were lucky that their pee didn't splash us there was so much. The smell had Colin gagging along with myself and we along with several others had to call it a day after that! That is what he is doing in the picture where he is hiding his nose. It was a little comical though - I'll have to admit.

Happy BIrthday Kendyll!

2008-04-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today was the party at Chuck E Cheese and boy was it a hit! They had so much fun and I was dizzy by the time we left from keeping up with the two children. Of course, they were both wanting to go different directions so I had to stay on my toes to keep their pace. The kids really enjoyed themselves though and it was a very nice party.

Lovin' Spring Break

2008-04-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

We thoroughly enjoyed our first full day of Spring Break. The weather was beautiful and we spent most of the day outdoors. Looks like that will be our only "nice" day this week. The rest of the week calls for rain so we made the most of our Monday. Today we went to story hour at the public library and we enjoyed our time their too. It is nice enjoying our time together and relaxing. Tomorrow is a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese which should be a lot of fun for the boys for sure. Nothing like a bunch of kids in a life size arcade! However, I am looking forward to taking them. More later....

The Last Hunt & Tournament Photos...

2008-04-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

Happy April...HELLO Spring BREAK!

2008-04-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Well today was the final wrestling tournament of the season for both the boys and the "coach". Needless to say we won't know what to do with our Saturdays now! Haven't seen the life of a wrestle-free Saturday since November so this will take some getting used to. The boys wrapped up the end of their mini-season quite well. Dylan went undefeated and Colin only lost once! They were so proud of themselves and we were so proud of their amazing progress and accomplishments throughout their first tournament season. Colin, Dylan, and their friend Riley had a wonderful time together in their first official year in wrestling. I have a feeling it is the first of many.

This next week is my Spring Break and I am looking forward to a week of not much and that sounds wonderful! I am going to spend some time with the boys at home, we are going to Chuck 'E' Cheese for a birthday party one day and I have a girls trip to Nashville on another. So, it should be a pretty relaxing week for the most part.

The countdown is still on for the marathon. Cannot wait to see my mom, dad, amy, audra, and anne. We are going to have a really good time and from the sounds of the fundraising attempts, mom and I have raised a decent amount of money to contribute to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Cancer Research. Can't wait!

The Blog Police

2008-03-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well the school has hit up the blog page and it is blocked. SO much for the super high speed connection. This means that the video footage is limited! Doing it at home Laura Ingalls Wilder style is not for me! Some kid hacked his way into my space and some other account and then they found any blogging type of site and BLOCKED IT! Needless to say it has been sabotaged. We picked up the boys Friday evening and enjoyed another nice evening with my parents. I was so excited to get to hold them and talk to them again. We sure enjoyed our week of quiet but boy did I really miss them come Wednesday!

Of course Saturday morning brought yet another wrestling tournament. We went to Calloway County and this weekend we will wrap it up at University Heights in Hopkinsville. Finally our last wrestling event for awhile. Jason is on Spring Break this week and is hanging out with the boys some and working around the house some. My week is next week - and yes, I am counting down the days. I am looking forward to my week off and to the weekend of the 25th for when we head to Nashville for the Country Music Half Marathon!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T17:26:00.001-07:00

Hopefully everyone has had a wonderful Easter with their families. We truly enjoyed our Easter with the boys. They were thrilled to find what all the Easter Bunny had placed in their baskets and had fun going through all of their items. They were a little disappointed when they were reminded that breakfast came before all of the candy! We definitely put the "dis" in disfunction this morning trying to get everyone all groomed up for church and the boys packed and out the door to grandma and poppops for their week long visit. We met at the Lone Star Steakhouse and had a nice dinner before going our separate ways. My house is so quiet and I am at a loss sitting here doing this blog in total silence? I can even hear my fingers hitting the keys - I cannot remember other than nap time when it has ever been that quiet! BUT, I do miss them already!

Colin Claims First Pin!

2008-03-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well today was another day in the life of Walls wrestling. Colin and Dylan were both 2-1 today. Colin had his first official pin and was so excited...the look on his face when his hand was raised was priceless! Dylan had a tough third match today. When we were at home this afternoon having lunch he said to me - "That guy wasn't my size - it was ridiculous, mama". I just laughed at him and agreed. That kid was a monster next to him. He managed to hold out all three periods though.

Tomorrow after church we are meeting my parents in Mt. Vernon, Illinois and the boys will be staying with them for the week. I will be lost without them for sure! However, our sitter is on spring vacation and we haven't any other options so mom and dad have been kind enough to help us out. Colin and Dylan are super excited to spend 5 days (or as Dylan says - 5 seconds) with Grandma and PopPop. So they know that they only have to sleep one more time until they can see Grandma and PopPop and for the Easter Bunny to fill their basket! Happy Easter!

Tournament #2

2008-03-18T06:38:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Colin claimed his first win. Not only his first- but his first 4! They were both 4-0, one of the wins was a bye. They had so much fun and really do a great job! They love that their good friend Riley is a part of the team too. The three of them really do enjoy themselves. I was a little worried about Dylan at first. His first match the little girl walked right up to him and poked him directly in the eye. That had him all frazzled....but he managed to pull it together and beat her with a tech...by over 15 points. The same girl sat on Colin's back and kicked him in the throat. She plays dirty for a four-year-old! Her dirty tricks couldn't defeat the Walls brothers though :-)! Colin and Riley's match was priceless! They wound up butting heads, faces hitting the mat and both crying at the end. They were telling each other sorry and balling and holding their hands up as winners all at the same time. What a video moment!

Snow Heaven

2008-03-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Finally some real snow to frolic in! The boys had a wonderful time playing and building a snowman with daddy on Saturday. Needless to say there wasn't a tournament due to the blizzard that came in on Friday night. The back roads were to dangerous to travel. So, our weekend was filled with walking-training for the half marathon in April and snow! Don't know about everyone else, but the time change is so dreadful come Monday morning...I am sleepy today.

Snow M.I.A.

2008-03-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well much to my dismay there was school for me today. However, a child made great gains during reading class and so the day was worthwhile! She wouldn't have had that chance if we were at home. Our 100% chance of 10-12 inches has yet to be seen...Jason's school was cancelled and all of the surrounding schools were out - but NOT MINE! We were troopers until 12:30 and then they decided to call it a day. Out early-baking a cake-cleaning house-doing laundry and getting caught up. Finished the yearbook today which also made the day worthwhile.

The sleet did start around noon and now it is snowing to beat the band for sure! So, who knows how much we will actually end up with. I do hope it is enough to play in so the boys can experience some "real" snow. They have their second tournament tomorrow and are very excited to wrestle again.

Chaos!

2008-03-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

Well this week has sure been a busy one! By the time we work in doing the school yearbook in a crazy short amount of time, wrestling practices, AWANA, and Parent/Teacher conferences this week has sure been a busy one! It seems like the weight on my shoulders is only increasing. This school yearbook is the death of me! I am not a last minute cram it in kind of person. I, typically, plan things out strategically and therefore don't have all of the last minute stress! HOWEVER, this yearbook company is not cooperating and have basically left me hanging out to dry only to find out that it will be due this FRIDAY - yep - TOMORROW. Speaking of tomorrow, they have put us under a winter weather advisory and we are in the running for like 10 inches of snow!! So, looking on the bright side I won't have to work tomorrow and I can catch up on yearbook, laundry, and cleaning. They cancel school for a dusting usually so ten inches will put us in a real pickle for sure! The buses just cannot travel these Kentucky country roads in bad weather. It is really dangerous. Out of blogging time...will talk soon!

2008-03-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

This weekend the boys had their first wrestling tournament. They had such a great time! There is nothing like watching four year olds wrestle! Dylan got his first two pins and Colin his first take down! They really enjoyed themselves and are wearing their medals everywhere!

Let's Not Forget About Daddy!

2008-02-28T09:12:00.001-08:00

Jason is always so excited to go out in 23 degree weather and play in the snow!

Snow and Little Wrestlers

2008-02-28T07:22:00.000-08:00

Well we are staying pretty busy with the boys beginning wrestling practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They will get to wrestle in six tournaments from now until the end of March. They are really enjoying themselves and spending the time with their daddy. You have to be careful that they don't try their single/double leg attack on you at any given time! We had about two inches of snow yesterday and it began to melt away quickly as the sun came out. Barrett, Riley, and the boys made the best of the snow before it was all gone!

Sink a Half...

2008-02-24T14:31:00.001-08:00

Double Leg - Take Down...Grandma!

2008-02-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Grandma was the opponent for the boys as they showed her their wrestling skills. They had such a good time with the family this weekend. We wish they were closer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYS!

2008-02-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Colin and Dylan celebrated "Batman Style" with Grandma, PopPop, mom, dad, Papaw, Cakki, Uncle David, and Aunt Carolyn. They had the best time between presents, dress up, and cake and ice cream.

The McDonald's Party...

2008-02-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

We had eight friends to celebrate with us at McDonald's for their party. They had such a wonderful time! I tell you...what a deal - they served happy meals, gave each child a treat bag full of goodies, served cake, ice - cream, and sprinkles - AND cleaned up the mess. It was the best party idea ever!

Our New Room!

2008-02-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

Colin and Dylan got new big boy beds from Grandma and PopPop this weekend. They love their beds and feel so grown up in them. Uncle Josh helped repaint their room and gave it the "Sporty" look.

Last Year...

2008-02-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

Last year for the boys third birthday - Papaw and Cakki bought them singlets, head gear, and wrestling shoes. We also ended up with three stitches (replaced twice)...I do wonder what this year entails.

Birthday Countdown!

2008-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

Well only two more days until Grandma and PopPop arrive and then the birthday celebration begins. The boys are so excited! However, we are supposed to be getting snow/ice, and when that happens around here the world stops. I am certainly excited at the possibility of a "snow" day...but hope it isn't too much. We are all anxious to see the family.

2008-02-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the boys attended their first state wrestling tournament. They had so much fun. We have had to reenact the championship matches in our living room (lights off - and lots of clapping) while they wrestle each other and pretend to have a coach. They are so much fun to watch. Papaw Dennis' team took home the first place trophy for the second year in a row!

Welcome!

2008-02-18T10:31:00.001-08:00

This blog is just for family and friends - for us to share pictures and events with each of you. Hope you all enjoy!