Happy Birthday Nae

"SURPRISE"

My sifter got put to use again...

Mark arranged a surprise birthday dinner for Renae on Wednesday night at our house and amazingly we pulled it off ~ she didn't have a clue what we were up to! We have also officially begun planning our "White Sandy Beach" Anniversary trip scheduled for some time next summer. It was quite a sight looking around seeing 8 people, 4 laptops, 1 desktop PC and a flat screen TV tapped into the internet displaying destinations of interest. Sad thing is...we still don't have a clue as to where we are going....got any suggestions?

Best Help EVER!

My niece, Aly, is my high school aide this semester and I am LOVIN' it! Better than her helping me with clerical work is the fact that I get to see her multiple times each week. :) Thanks Al for all your help. You are wonderful, greatly appreciated and loved very much!

The Beginning & The End

Of High School that is...

Connor ~ Senior ~ Class of 2011

Breckyn ~ Freshman ~ Class of 2014

I blinked and in a matter of moments my babies have grown up before my very eyes. Today marked new mile stones in our lives. The beginning of Breckyn's high school years and the final chapter in Connor's. I giggled out loud when I saw their schedules because Breck has Algebra 1st hour and Connor happens to be a peer tutor in the same room that period. I pray for that teacher!

Connor is Off To See The World

Or At Least The Land Down Under!

Good Bye Abilene - See you in 15 Days!

He was so excited that I couldn't be nervous...that is until I left the airport.

The KS People to People Ambassadors.

Notice there are only 3 boys and a lot of girls!

Today is day 4 of Connor's Australian Experience. He is in Cairns, Australia where he has explored the Wet Tropics Rainforest and encountered the unique fauna, like koalas, kangaroos, crocies, and wombats at a wildlife sanctuary. He has gotten to interact with local Aboriginal people while watching a traditional aboriginal performance and even gotten to participate in a bush dance. I wonder if he likes Australian dances more than American dances...lol! Today he is snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. This was one of the activities he was looking forward to most. This mom sure is missing her baby boy but I am so elated that he is getting to enjoy this awesome opportunity.

20 Years...Really??

Herington High School Class of 1990

My friend Connie and I had a fabulous time reconnecting. Apparently some of our classmates remember things that we did that have slipped both our minds...imagine that!

Some of the chick- a-dees.

What a great weekend seeing old friends. It was amazing how many people I didn't recognize. I guess the years have a way of changing us don't they. As an added bonus, my sister's class (Centre High School '85) held their 25th year class reunion on the other side of the 1st bar that we were at Saturday night so I got to see some of her old friends as well. I can't wait to hit my next reunion of the summer for Centre High School class of 1990. I am so excited to get to see my childhood friends but I really hope they wear name tags! LOL

Belle of the Ball

AHS Prom 2010

Cinderella arrived at the ball in a carriage ~ Aly one upped her and arrived in a big ole wrecker from John's Service with her dad as her personal driver. How that girl got in and out of that truck without ripping her dress in beyond me!

(For those of you not familiar with AHS prom tradition..... it is all about how you arrive to prom and let me tell you there are some very creative ways!)

Alyssa Marie and her date, Anthony.

Ok, so you are probably thinking there is something missing from these prom pictures...say like Connor! I mean it is his junior year and all. But as we all know, dances and spending $ are not two of his favorite things therefore he worked on prom night. I often over heard him say "Well, someone has to work." I will give his cousin and her friends credit, they tried their best to talk him into going but that just isn't his thing. Who knows after traveling to Australia this summer, maybe prom won't seem so intimidating next year? LOL

NCKL Tennis sChamps

Congrats to the AHS Boys JV Tennis teams for bringing home the 1st place title yet again. Connor had a fantastic day. He played 4 matches and only lost 1 game the entire day. This is the 3rd year he has brought home the gold from NCKL. Way to go Con-Man!

Emma Creek Classic - Women's 5K

A group of gals from school and some of our daughters headed to Hesston this past weekend to participate in the Emma Creek Classic. It is a celebration of women's health 5k walk/run. There were over 1,ooo women there from ages 1 to 92 years of age making the 3.1 mile trek. What a neat experience. I hope to make an annual tradition of participating in this with my daughter for years to come.

Mother/Daughter bonding moment...at least it was for me. Imagine my surprise when I saw this photo. I thought we were capturing a rare moment. I should have known better....teenagers!

(Let it be known that after leaving me in her dust at the beginning of the race, ole mom crossed the finish line 2 minutes before her teenage daughter...."slow and steady wins the race". Had I known about this picture, it would have been 4!) LOL

USD #435 Wellness Team

Breckyn and Madison get their game faces on. They did an excellent job conquering their first 5K finishing in a little over 39 minutes with a run/walk combo. I wonder how they could do if they actually trained? I would be eating their dust that is for sure!

My friend, Courtney placed 2nd in her age division and 14th over all in the entire race. She finished in 22 minutes and some odd seconds. I wasn't even at mile marker #2 yet when she crossed the finish line! Way to go Courtney! She got this really cool piece of pottery as her award. Thanks ladies for a great day!

Wow! Connor is 17

Only one year left until adulthood? How could that be?

I put that sifter to good use again!

A new camera to take to Australia. I hope he remembers to use it!

I RAN A 5K!

"The difference between a jogger and a runner is a race-entry blank." --Dr. George Sheehan

Last summer I decided to finally fulfill a goal of mine to take up jogging. So, I hit the pavement running one block, walking a block etc. Last Saturday marked a milestone for me as I entered my very first race, the Eisenhower Marathon & 10K & 5K. I met both my goals for this race. I ran the entire race and I finished under my estimated finish time by 2 minutes. As an added bonus... I wasn't the last one to finish! I am pumped now and can't wait find another race to enter. :)

Nothing Says Spring Like...

Baby Chicks!

Are these not the cutest things you have EVER seen? Our principal brought in some special visitors today to visit the kids and they were a HUGE hit. Now, I will admit that I am not a fan of ANY type of bird but there is something about baby chicks that makes my heart turn into putty.

Court Action

Second Place in #1 Singles at the Smokey Valley Tourney

Nice start to the 2010 AHS tennis season Connor!

Shopping with My Girls

Breckyn, Mikiah, Aly and I met up with Shelia and Coree for a fun filled shopping marathon yesterday. The Dunlap girls were in hot pursuit to find dresses for Breckyn's Night of the Stars and Aly's prom. I am glad to say that the mission was a success. I think we wore Shelia and Coree out but I appreciate their help greatly!
How do you wrap up a shopping marathon? With Taco Bell of course! Did I mention how much fun I had with my girls? What an awesome trio!

Great Minds

My friend Renae and I have this unusual ability to think alike and often show up for work looking like the Bopsie Twins. Apparently we have rubbed off on her student teacher! We got quite a few strange looks and laughs during parent teacher conferences today over our attire.

Valentines Dinner

Julia Childs eat your heart out!

Sad to say this is the first meal the 4 of us have eaten together at the dining room table in our new house. We always eat at the bar. I broke out the china and crystal for the occasion.

And for dessert chocolate peanut butter cake made from SCRATCH!

I must admit, I may have out done myself.

Good thing my family doesn't expect this out of me on a regular basis. :)

Happy KANSAS Day

Nothing like a "bunch" of shining faces to warm your heart on this cold day!

Happy B-Day Gpa Dunlap

Oops..Looks like I caught Grandpa a little of guard! Bryan's dads birthday was Tuesday so we had the whole Dunlap gang over Sunday afternoon to celebrate.

Anybody...

Wanna head to warmer weather? I am dreamin' of sandy white beaches, clear blue waters and drinks with little umbrellas in them nestled in my hand. Heck at this point, I'd be content with 30 degree weather!