No, Daddy, they're mine!

Bode's 3!

Wow! Where have the last three years gone? I cannot believe that Bode is already 3. He had a great birthday. Actually, he had a few! We celebrated early with Grandma and Grandpa, then again at daycare, and finally on his actual birthday! This was a fun year because he understands what it means now. He loves having "Happy Birthday" sung to him. Of course, all the presents didn't seem to bother him, either.

Pumpkin Patch

Bode had fun at the pumpkin patch a couple of weekends ago!

Mid October

So Iowa has blessed us with a beautiful (windy) day! Last weekend, we had an inch of snow! Today it was 60 and sunny. Anyway, Kurt raced a cyclocross race today. He had fun. Bode is getting over a mild case of strep. He missed the last couple of days last week. He didn't act like he was feeling terrible, so that was good. Hopefully that is where the extent of our illnesses will stop! We went to a wedding last weekend. It was for one of my drama students from Perry. Missy was a great kid and has turned into a beautiful young woman. I was so glad to get to see this turning point in her life. Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Sheffler. Enjoy some new pics.

Now I know my ABC's

Bode is learning so much right now. It never ceases to amaze me how much he remembers even after only 1 time! He's got the alphabet down (almost!) with a little help from Marty.

October already (almost)

WOW! Where does the time go. It has been a challenging fall so far with so much going on. Kurt still fights his aches and pains from the accident, but we need to be thankful with so many bikers getting seriously injured and killed. He is excited about cyclocross season and is hoping to do well. Brianna is finding that 10th grade is not any easier than 9th grade. Not that she expected it to be. She continues to work hard and her teachers continue to tell us what a great kid she is. We are lucky to have a kid who wants to do well even when it isn't easy for her! Bode is loving preschool. He started at a new daycare where they have preschool worked into the day and he seems to be doing well with it. His "teachers" always tell us what a nice and polite young man he is. He really does have a neat personality. He is so much fun. Of course there are plenty of not so nice moments, but I suppose that is normal for any two (almost 3!) year old. I am slowly adjusting to all the changes in our new building. It gets a bit overwhelming at times, but they are mostly good changes, so eventually I am sure I will get on track. It just seems harder this year to stay organized. Sadly, we lost my dear grandmother a few weeks back. She, too, had just worn out after living a long life! We miss her, but know that she is up there telling God all her stories and telling him, "You mark my word..." Dad and Grandpa are now best buddies doing lots of things together. This picture of Grandma and Grandpa with Bode is one of my favorites.

Well, it's conferences this week, so I need to head off to bed. Pictures are Bode singing, Brianna and Katie at homecoming, and Bode on a train in Boone.

End of summer

Wow! Where did summer go? I can't believe that we are already in week three of the school year! It has been a hectic start with the switch into the new high school. And what a change! Although not without flaws, the new building is amazing.

The weekend before school started, we took a trip to Kansas City. We went to Ocean's of Fun for the day. We had perfect weather. It was hot enough to enjoy it without being uncomfortable. There was plenty to do for all of the family, so we all had fun. We ate at a BBQ place. Now the name escapes me, but it was excellent food! After a long night in the hotel (Bode didn't like it too much), we visited Union Station's train museum and Chronicles of Narnia exhibit. It was such a great time!

Kurt raced in the 24 hour mountain bike race over the Labor Day weekend. He had fun and did not kill too many trees! Fun is maybe a bit of a stretch if you call riding in the mud, dark, and fog at 4 in the morning fun! He and Brianna camped at Seven Oaks in Boone for the race. Bode and I visited for the afternoon. Bode had fun showing off his biking skills, too. He wanted to ride on the trail after watching the racers go.

We visited Grandma and Grandpa's on Labor Day and went for a plane ride. It was Bode's first noncommercial plane ride and he loved it! Kurt said he is going to have to figure out how he can manage another hobby! It is certainly neat to be in the air like that.

Summertime

Summer tends to keep me busy doing a whole lot of nothing and I love it. We have had a good one. We went to the Omaha Zoo last weekend. We all love going to that zoo. The 2 hour drive is worth it! My favorite would have to be the Gorilla House and the Aquarium. I could sit in either all day and watch the animals. The aquarium is probably the best since it feels like you are in the water with the sharks! Bode still loves the giraffes. We had a great time and it was a perfect day. Brianna and I went through the butterfly house. Hadn't ever done that and it was pretty neat. Could have done away with the nasty bugs at the end!

Kurt tried a mountain bike race this past weekend at Lake Ahquabi. I had never been there and it was really a nice beach/park. The race course was not as technical as many, so it was a good one for him to try. He felt pretty good and didn't kill any trees! Bode and Brianna had fun at the beach. Brianna always makes friends at places like that, so she kept entertained with some kids and Bode loves the sand, that and bathrooms, so we took a lot of trips back and forth. Potty training is going well and his accidents are not too often.

Enjoy some photos from Omaha.

Bode's using the potty!

Bode has decided that he wants to use the potty! He is doing so well and he is so proud of himself!

Summer is winding down.

We went to Blank Park Zoo over the weekend and took another trip to Grandma and Grandpa's. It was another beautiful weekend. The weather has been so odd this summer. I cannot complain, but what is in store for us this winter. If we are having 70s in July does this mean sub zero in December?? Anyway, Bode loved the zoo. Not his first time going, but certainly the first time that he understood what he was looking at. He loved the giraffes the most. We are planning a trip to Omaha with Brianna. We fished at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Kurt has decided that he is a master fisherman. He did catch 5 fish and I only caught 1. Here are a couple of pics from the weekend.

Bode riding with Grandma

Bode had fun at Grandma and Grandpa's over the weekend. There are so many things to see and do on the farm! He rode on the 4 wheeler with Grandma to go to the field to see Grandpa baling hay. He rode in the tractor with Grandpa, too!

Biking boy

Bode has figured out how to ride his bike and he just can't seem to get enough of it, just like his daddy. Kurt couldn't be more proud. Here's a video of him just figuring it out!

4th of July

We had a good 4th of July weekend. It started with Brianna's first birthday present: a new cell phone. She loves it! Then Friday night we went to Toad Valley for a BBQ with friends. The kids took a late night dip in the pool and had a good time! Saturday night we went back to Toad Valley for fireworks. Bode didn't like how loud they were, but once I started covering his ears, he loved them. I took my hands down once and he grabbed them and put them back up! Sunday, Kurt picked up Brianna in the morning and we headed to Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge for a short hike. Bode enjoyed all the new sights and sounds and we all enjoyed being somewhere different. The buffalo were not very active, but we did get to see them when we took the driving tour. Over all, it was a nice weekend. We would have liked for a warmer 4th, but it was still nice.

The latest

Bode got his stitches out today. It looks good. The dr. said it is healing nicely and gave Bode clearance to swim, so we took advantage of a beautiful day and joined Shannon and Nicolas at the Altoona Aquatic Center. I don't think he will ever get tired of the pool. We have been so busy lately. Mostly because Bode keeps staying up so late that we just don't have time for anything else after he goes to bed. It is hard in the summer to make him go to bed earlier than he goes since he is always having fun. Last weekend, Kurt raced for the first time this year. He decided to go out with one of his friends in the morning for a brief 80 mile ride, so he didn't have a lot of leg left. He still has a ways to go to be at the fitness level he wants to be, but he is working hard. He gets in bike time or running time every day. He is planning to be back to normal for the fall racing. Enjoy the short video of the racers going by. This is what it usually looks like; they all fly by and we try to find whoever we are cheering for. There is also a video of Bode at supper the other night. It was so nice, we ate outside and he was being his normal goofy self.

Bode's firsts

Well, Bode has had a few firsts recently. The first one is play-doh. He discovered the joy of playing with play-doh. He likes the smell, too! He sniffs it and says, "MMM mells good." He had his first "fishing" experience. We got him a Scooby Doo fishing rod. He has been practicing off his play set and in our little pond (until he fell in!). We took him to the pond by the library and tried to catch a fish, but nothing was biting. He enjoyed it even though he didn't catch anything. His most recent first was just last night. He pulled something off our dresser that snagged a decoration of metal and glass. The glass broke and he cut his leg. It was a run to Urgent care for stitches: one big stitch inside and 9 outside. He did very well and after the initial numbing, he just sat on my lap while Dad entertained him with rubber gloves and exam lights! They said he was one of the easiest 2 year olds they have had. Maybe they say that to all the parents, but he did so much better than we thought he'd do! He doesn't seem to be too bothered by it, but he does take steps gingerly! As busy as he is, I'm sure this won't be the last time!

It was a hot day today. Perfect day to go to the pool. That's what every one else thought, too. It was packed. Bode loves going to the pool. He likes going down the kiddie slide and jumping in. Brianna likes the big waterslides, so they both have fun. The neighborhood kids have been hanging out at our yard. They like the trampoline. We had a big water fight today and a game of catch with the football last night. It's been fun! I'm including pictures of the fun. The other picture is of the finished deck. Kurt has been repainting it. It's a little redder than we wanted, but it looks so much better now!

It's in his blood.

Bode loves planes. Must get that from his grandparents.

More summer fun

Brianna started a project this week. She is painting her room. She and her friend Katie started painting Wednesday, she continued Thursday, and I helped her today. Thursday was just too nice to stay inside all day! It was a busy day, too. Mom, Auntie DeeDee, and Grandpa B. came over for lunch. It was Grandpa's first visit since we moved here. I think he enjoyed himself. We sat out on the deck and watched the kids play. Our neighbors were out and Bode loves to play with them. They had fun on the trampoline and spraying each other with a hose. Bode had so much fun that he skipped the nap and was still up until 8:30. He fell asleep today at 10:30 and is still napping, so he's making up for it now! He spent his first night in his big boy bed last night, too. Enjoy the pictures.

Weekend fun

Another fun filled weekend with the Hantelmanns! We enjoyed a nice weekend. Even though there was rain, we managed to fit some outdoor fun during the breaks! Sunday we went to Lake Redrock again. Brianna and her friend Maria enjoyed tubing. Bode is getting more used to the loudness and the wind. Kurt rode his wakeboard. The girls tried the wakeboard, but after so tubing for so long, they just didn't have it in them this time. Brianna wants to do it, so I am sure she'll figure it out! Sunday night a big storm blew through. I wish I had video to show of the swirling clouds directly over our house, but I was a little nervous! The storm missed us, but left some damage in nearby towns. The trampoline continues to be a big hit! The whole neighborhood is enjoying it.

The beginning of summer

So, it's summer break! Brianna is involved in basketball and volleyball this summer. They run skills training and weight lifting. This is at the new high school! She thinks the new gym and weight room is amazing. Well, it is! I'll show a picture or two. Bode enjoys being home or at least with "Mommiah" (that's a new one) and "Branna" during the day. We ran some errands and visited Grandma today. Made a trip to toys r us to find a small kitchen. Bode loves pretending to cook, so we knew he'd love one! I am looking forward to a fun summer of swimming, jumping on the trampoline and just playing around. Photos are of Brianna, Lauren, and Bode playing Mario Cart, new gym/weight room, new auditorium, and Bode playing with his new kitchen.

Memorial Day 2009

We finished the weekend with a boat ride and buffet dinner. We met up with our friends, Scott and Julene, at Lake Redrock. Although it was not the ideal day for boating, it was nice to get out on the water and run the boat a little after she sat all winter. Bode was excited to ride on the boat, but he wasn't so excited once we got going. After the lake, we went to Prairie Meadows for the dinner buffet. Mom and Dad took us out with Julie and Drew, then we came back to our house for some Wii Bowling. Overall it was a nice weekend. We don't get to spend as much time together just enjoying the family, so it was a well deserved time. We had a lot of fun! Bode was out cold by 7:30. Brianna had finals to study for or she would have probably been out cold by 8:00.

Memorial Day weekend

Fun weekend so far. Saturday we got a trampoline for the kids and they spent most of the rest of the day jumping on it. Brianna had a friend over and they had a good time. Sunday was a family reunion at the City Park in Winterset. My brother and his girlfriend, Julie are in town from San Diego and we much of the family together. Lots of kids and lots of fun. The park has a maze, lots of play equipment, a covered bridge and of course Clark's Tower. Brianna and Bode had a lot of fun. We all enjoyed the company. It is such a rare occasion to get that much of the family together all at once. More fun to come tomorrow, so I'll update more later. Just wanted to upload some fun photos!