Hantelmanns Adventures

2010-04-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Long needed update

2010-04-21T18:51:00.001-07:00

Well, months have passed and I am just a bit behind in updating! So, where to start. We survived through another Iowa winter. The worst in many years. We are all hoping NOT to have another one like that anytime in the next, oh, 60 years or so! Kurt took a trip with his bike team to Arkansas for training in the mountains. He enjoys the rides and the scenery. He was feeling pretty good. He seems back in good racing health and is hoping for a good year. He got a new time trial bike so is looking for some fast times this year! He has raced in a couple races and placed 2nd and 3rd! He's starting off great! Brianna decided to try tennis this spring and has joined the tennis team. There are a lot of girls on the team, so she doesn't get to play every match, but seems to be having fun. She keeps working hard at school and getting good grades. Bode keeps growing and manages to amaze us everyday with something new! He has moved up to the next room at his daycare, so he's learning lots! We decided to decorate his room over spring break, so he has a new airplane themed room. We painted it sky blue. He loves it. We also started working on Brianna's home office/closet. Since she has such a huge closet, we split it in two. We still have a little work to do, but it is looking pretty neat, too. School, as always, keeps me busy, but now that speech season is over, I am not feeling quite so overwhelmed! I'm including a few pictures and videos. Enjoy!

2010 already

2010-01-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas break this year. It started out a little rough as there was a snow/ice storm on Christmas eve which kept us from heading to the farm. We missed the kids and the wrapping paper battle, but knew we didn't want to get stuck there since we were leaving for California Christmas morning at 6:20 am! We safely made it to the airport by 4:45(way too early) and had to sit on the plane for about an hour while they de-iced, but after that, we were on our way to sunny Los Angeles. We arrived in L.A. by 9:30 and enjoyed spending the day at Kurt's sister Gail's house with Gwen and her family, too. In the morning, Kurt joined a local bike team and went on a "leisurely" 80 mile ride. He joined the team later in the week for another great ride. Makes us want to live someplace like this! A very bike friendly area. Then we headed to Disneyland. What fun, even though the lines were long! It truly is a magical place even for adults! Bode was just in awe the entire day and Brianna had fun on the rides. Aunt Gail invited one of her friend's daughters to join us, so she and Brianna became quick friends. The next day we went back to one of the Disney hotels for a character breakfast. What fun it was to interact with so many Disney characters. Bode's favorite was Chip 'n Dale and next favorite was Jasmine! Then we headed to Hollywood Blvd. Certainly an interesting part of town! We visited Madame Taussand's wax museum. Brianna had fun being "artistic" with her photos! We went to San Diego the next day to visit the zoo. I loved the pandas and koalas. The drive to San Diego was beautiful with the ocean to our west the whole way. We joined up with my brother, Drew, and his girlfriend, Julie, for dinner, spent the night and went to Seaworld the next day. The Shamu show was my favorite since I always loved killer whales. The whole family enjoyed Seaworld. One of our favorites was the pet show. It was really cute! We spent one more day at Disneyland before heading back to the arctic blast that was awaiting us in Iowa!

No, Daddy, they're mine!

2009-11-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

Bode's 3!

2009-11-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

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

Mid October

2009-10-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-07T18:58:00.001-07:00

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)

2009-09-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-30T12:56:00.001-07:00

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.

2009-07-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Bode loves planes. Must get that from his grandparents.

More summer fun

2009-06-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T19:38:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

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!

A Day in the Life of Bode

2009-05-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things right now is getting to play outside with Bode. After a long, cold winter, it is so refreshing to get outside and watch him run around. He gets so excited about the new things he sees. He loves going on walks, or rather runs. He takes his monster trucks out to his sandbox and digs in the sand. We got a play set for him and he loves it. He likes climbing up into "Boes house" and looking for his girlfriend "Laurnen" (our neighbor). He is such a joy to watch! It's been raining these last few days, so Bode is looking forward to some sun so he can get back to playing in his house.

Enjoy some pictures of him playing. Hope it puts a smile on your face like it does ours.

May 4

2009-05-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Again, I find myself allowing too many days between posts! Bode has grown a lot, Easter has passed, spring is here (finally), and the school year is nearing the end. Kurt is still recovering from his accident, but hopefully will be mending soon. He misses racing and he misses training. He will be starting physical therapy soon and his doctors are hoping this helps get him back on the right track.

I wish I had more to share, but my heart isn't in it. My grandmother passed away the other day, so it has been a difficult last few days. I know she is no longer hurting, but it is still hard to say goodbye. She was such a big part of my life and it seems so strange that this person I have known and loved for my entire existence is no longer here. I am hurting for my mom and my grandpa. For as much as I will miss her, I know they will be that much more.

It's late and I am weary, so I sign off with a few pictures to share.

Latest news

2009-03-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Second semester is almost half over. Spring break is just around the corner. Where does the time go so quickly? Brianna is doing well. She finished basketball season and is involved in show choir now. She is working very hard in school and getting good grades.

Bode continues to amaze us. Of course I am sure every parent says that! He is loving his new daycare. he comes home exhausted nearly everyday! He has started a new fascination with trucks. We traded our old Chevy in for a new Ford and ever since then, he wants to ride in the truck whenever we leave. He also loves cows, so he watches for them when we are driving around.

We are thanking our lucky stars today as Kurt was involved in a car/bike accident last night. The woman who ran into him was talking on her cell phone and not paying attention. Thankfully, he did not break anything (maybe a rib or two) and his back looks okay. He has lots of scrapes and bruises, stiff neck and pretty good headache, but he will be okay. He is very frustrated as this was his new cross bike and he had a race today and Sunday he was looking forward to. He will be on the mend quickly.

The Hantelmann home continues to be a busy one. We always seem to find something to keep us running! I suppose this never really slows down as the kids get older.

Hope all is well with our friends and family. Enjoy a few new photos.

2008-12-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

I have been so bad at keeping up with what's going on in our family. So here's a brief update.

Kurt's surgery went well. His doctor said he has never had a patient progress as well as Kurt has been. Although he still has some healing before he's back to normal, he is doing a lot of the same stuff he was doing before. Basically, he now has two more vertebrae fused to the 3 that were done when he was a kid. This time they inserted 2 metal rods and 4 screws to hold it in place! Makes me hurt just to think about it. Kurt is enjoying actually feeling his feet after so long without being able to. He says he is in significantly less pain than he was before.

Brianna is playing basketball and enjoying her freshman year at SEP! She says she likes the school and likes her teachers. She seems to have settled in quite nicely. We certainly enjoy having her around, too!

Bode is learning something new each day and we are just loving it. His newest is animal sounds. He is 2 now and keeps us running. He never stops!

Christmas will be fun this year since Bode knows more of what's going on. We can't leave any gifts in his reach or he thinks they are for him and he'll try to open them.

I am including videos of Bode opening presents from his birthday, Super Bode, and Bode's first time playing in the snow!

October 2008

2008-10-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when the weather turns colder, the leaves fall off the trees and hopefully end up in someone else's yard, and the spooks come out! We took Bode to Night Eyes at the zoo a couple of weekends ago. It was neat, but night time is not my favorite time for the zoo. Not much to see but people. Bode liked the candy. He is a turtle this year for Halloween. It is a cute costume. Tonight we took him to the high school for safe trick or treat night and then to Hy-Vee for trick or treat. It certainly didn't take long for him to realize what is getting dropped into his bag!

We also carved a pumpkin a few nights ago. Bode didn't know what to think. Brianna enjoyed teasing him with the pumpkin guts.

Here are a few photos.

Pumpkinville

2008-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

We took Bode to the pumpkin patch Sunday. There were a lot of toys there for the little ones to play with, so he was more interested in those than anything else. He did get a kick out of seeing the pigs and goats, and he rode a hay horse!

Now that the weather is turning colder, we are working on getting the house winterized. We didn't really have the chance to last year! The basement is coming along and will be nice to use this winter for Bode to have a place to run around!

Kurt is hoping to get to the bottom of his back issue. He has had a rough go with it lately and now it sounds like he will need to have a more invasive surgery than we originally thought. I know he is torn about what to do. On one hand, he is so tired of the constant pain, but on the other, he knows this surgery may not work and he doesn't want to go through this and have it all be for nothing. We should know more soon.

It's getting close to bedtime and I have a 7 a.m. meeting, so we hope all is well!

Bode Dancing

2008-10-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here's one of Bode's favorite things to do! Dancing at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Homecoming 2008

2008-09-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Brianna's first Homecoming at Southeast Polk High School. The theme this year is Barn Stomp, so she went as a square dancer. She has a date, but they are just friends. I think she and her friends are all planning to "go together".

The school year is going well. I am teaching all speech classes, which is great! Brianna is doing well. She works so hard. All of her teachers have commented on what a hard worker she is. That is nice to hear.

Bode continues to amaze us with what he can do. He is just so much fun.

Enjoy the pictures of Brianna for Homecoming and Bode being a cheezer.

Summer is winding down

2008-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Where has the summer gone? I think this has been the fastest summer yet. I suppose it is because I am enjoying my time with Bode and Brianna. It has been a good summer. No big news. We are working on some landscaping in our back yard. It should look nice when we get it all done. Bode continues to grow and amaze us. He is a little parrot right now, repeating a lot of what we say and do. I am waiting for him to wake up from his nap, so wanted to take the time to post to the blog. Kurt has been going to physical therapy for his back. It does not seem to help and he finally started taking pain meds. He goes to a specialist Friday, so hopefully things will start to improve. He is getting very frustrated as he is not able to bike much, either.

Visit to the zoo

2008-07-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

This was a fun weekend. Saturday we went to the Omaha Zoo and Sunday we went to Clear Lake for a bike race.

We were not sure about our decision to go to the zoo when the closer we got to Omaha, the darker the clouds were. It was raining when we got there, but just a little. The clouds remained for a while, but the rain didn't, so we ended up with a beautiful day. It was a lot of fun. We hadn't been in a long time. We went to the Blank Park Zoo, but it is not anywhere near as nice. One of our highlights was the gorilla house. There was a crowd lined up along the glass inside and one of the gorillas was in an especially bad mood. She kept running at the glass and throwing herself into it! Poor thing! It was rather thrilling to see, though. They are such powerful creatures, I'd hate to be inside with one!

Bode and Brianna rode the carousel. Both of them thought it was fun. Brianna seems to enjoy watching Bode have fun.

We ended the day in the old market area. We had dinner at Spaghetti Works. We enjoyed a balloon artist while we waited. Bode got an Elmo and Brianna got a penguin. Overall a wonderful day.

July 2008

2008-07-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer. Bode is learning something new daily and keeps us all busy. Brianna has been busy making friends and being a teenager! They both keep us on our toes, but it is so much fun.

Brianna had her 14th birthday on the 4th. We started the day out at a parade in Carlise. Bode figured out if he waved at the people, they would throw candy at him. He didn't really care much about the candy, but he got a kick out of them throwing things at him. Later, Brianna had some friends over for the night and they had so much fun. The girls went swimming at the aquatic center. It is nice to be so close to it that they can walk. We put up the volleyball net and played some volleyball before supper. Supper was a pizza dish and for dessert, an ice cream cake. As usual, Brianna was excited to open her gifts. We got a Wii for her and she was thrilled! It is getting a lot of use. Our neighbor has a Wii and brought over her guitar hero. I'm pretty sure Santa will be bringing that this year!

I took Bode to the pool this week. We hadn't gone yet. He had so much fun going down the pirate ship slide. Brianna and one of her friends went, too. They enjoyed playing with him in the water.

Our A/C froze up this week. Of course it is the hottest week so far! Our neighbor, who works on commercial heating and cooling, took a look at it for us and got us fixed up. I don't know how I managed as a kid without A/C! It sure is a nice luxury.

Enjoy the pictures of Brianna's party. I am also including a photo of Kurt's silver medal from the Hy-Vee triathlon. It is quite the show piece.

Summer days

2008-06-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

We have adopted a new dog. The house seemed kind of lonely without our furry friend Aspen, so we decided to get another dog. His name is Marty and he is just a mutt, but he is pretty sweet. Bode and Brianna love him. Gracie tolerates him and he is rather curious about her.

Kurt participated in the Hy-Vee triathlon Sunday. He was on a relay team and did the 40k bike part. His team came in second of the relay teams. Kurt had the second fastest time on the bike! There were a lot of people in the race, so he is pleased with that! Of course he is always thinking of how he could have done better, but I think he did a great job!

Brianna is getting settled in to the house and the neighborhood. She is making friends, enjoying the bike paths, the library, and the aquatic center, all of which are only a few blocks away from our house! Bode is making friends, too. He is quite the social boy!

Summer is always good. It's nice to be outside and it is even nicer since we have such a nice yard and deck to enjoy at our house!

Enjoy the photos!

Florida Trip

2008-06-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

Bode and Emma went to Florida for Grandpa Little's 90th birthday. Here is a link to view the pictures and videos. It was fun. We got to see some family we haven't seen in years. Woody and Asher came down, too.

http://picasaweb.google.com/hantelmanne/Florida?authkey=XbuHvSWpmwQ

April update

2008-04-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe once a week is wishful thinking. Someday life will slow down. It has been hectic. Race season is in full swing for both Kurt and Brianna. They are both on the all9yards.com racing team. Check out the all9yards website for more information if you would like.

School is winding down slowly. Last week was a horrible week. One of our students took his own life. It was such a shock to us all. He was so well liked by students and staff. He was one of our senior boys who has taken several of my classes, including one this semester. Our hearts are certainly heavy here and in the community. He was one of the captains of the football team and a runner on the track team slated to run in the Drake Relays this weekend. It is such a tragedy to see all the hurt he left behind. If only he knew how many people loved him! Never take for granted that the people around you know how you feel! Don't miss any opportunity you get to let them know! RIP KJ. We certainly miss you.

On a happier note, Bode is growing like a weed and learning something new each day. I am attaching a video of him dancing with his sissy (one of their favorite pastimes.)

Hope all is well!

Bode Singing

2008-03-18T14:40:00.001-07:00

He may just have a little bit of his momma's blood, huh? He certainly knows what to do with a microphone!

It's spring break, so I am enjoying some time at home with Bode. I cannot believe how big he is getting and how smart. He never ceases to amaze me at what he knows and does!

Enjoy the video.

March 2nd

2008-03-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is March 2nd already! At least March came in like a lamb. We are sure ready for some nice weather. Looks like another winter weather advisory coming tonight. It just won't leave!

We have a little piece of news. We welcomed Gracie the cat into our home yesterday. She is a long haired version of Pepper. She is 6 years old and sweet. I don't have pictures yet, but next post I will. Brianna is loving her! She is so happy we have a cat. Bode just wants to follow her.

Bode is walking. Not all the time, but he tries walking before crawling everywhere he goes. I am trying to upload a video of this, so hopefully it will work.

Kurt is in Arkansas with his team. Actually they are on their way home now. They've been there since Wednesday. Sounds like they had good riding weather and lots of hills to climb.

I have two more weeks of my class left. It has been a lot of work. I got a B- in my last class due to technical difficulties with the final project. Otherwise it would have been an A. I currently have an A- in my American literature class. I will be glad when it is all done!

Need to get some homework done, so I'll add the video and be going.

Enjoy!

Snow Day

2008-02-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it's another snow day today. We were blessed with 8 inches of snow over night last night, so school was cancelled. This is the 3rd one this year. Hopefully we won't have any more!

I don't mind being home with Bode, however! He is doing so much now. He is trying to walk, but just doesn't seem to have the balance figured out. He cruises all over the house using walls, furniture, whatever he can balance himself on. He is starting to communicate better, too. Not many words, but he knows what we are talking about and points to things when asked. I can't believe he is 14 months old already! It seems like we just celebrated his birthday!

School is busy. I am taking a graduate class and start another one next week. Once done with those classes, I will have 15 graduate hours. It is time to decide on a Master's program.

Kurt has started training more, even though the weather has not been favorable. The team is going for a training weekend the end of the month in Arkansas. That should be a good weekend.

Brianna is finishing up with basketball. I think she will be glad to no longer have to get up so early!

Homework is calling. Hope all is well.

Greenbay to play today!

2008-01-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

Kurt is waiting patiently for the Greenbay/New York game to start. If Greenbay wins, then they are in the Superbowl!

Had a speech contest Saturday. The kids did well. We have 4 groups going on to state. Grandma came to stay with Bode during the contest. Brianna stayed home to help Grandma.

Bode has a cold. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it too much. He acts just like normal, but gets tired sooner. He is decked out in Packer gear today (thanks to Aunt Gail for his Brett Favre jersey).

Had a snow day the other day. We got 5 1/2 inches of snow, but is didn't seem like enough to cancel school. It was a pleasant day with Bode. We just hung out and played all day! Since the semester is still early, I was not bogged down with work, so I could enjoy the day and not think about all the school work I should be doing. I am hopeful for this semester. The first time ever that I am not teaching a writing class.

The subzero temps are getting old. We are all ready for spring. This is the only time of year I wish to speed up! The bitter cold is no fun for anyone.

We have started going to Sts. John and Paul Catholic Church here in Altoona. It has only been a couple of weeks, so we are still trying it out. It is important to us that we raise Bode with strong faith. Since Kurt was raised Catholic and I was raised in a nondenominational church, it has been difficult for us to find a happy medium. This church seems nice and it is close to home.

Gotta go stir the chili for the game!
Hope all is well.

The Holidays

2008-01-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well, the holidays have come and gone. I cannot believe that it is 2008. We had a nice holiday. We spent Christmas at the Anderson farm after opening presents at home with Brianna and Bode. Bode was pretty excited to eat the paper, and he did enjoy his gifts. Brianna had an early Christmas as she got new bedroom furniture when we moved, but she still had quite a few gifts under the tree! Christmas was a lot of fun at Mom and Dad's. Allen's kids were there and Woody had Asher, so the wrapping paper war was well fought. I don't know which the kids enjoy more, the presents or the paper fight!

New Year's eve was spent at Emma's friend Julene's house. Lots of kids, so Bode was loving it. He fought sleep well past 9:00! We had a good time playing games and enjoying our new friends company.

Of course the holidays were bittersweet this year. It is always fun to see the kids enjoying their gifts, but the missing joy from Bob's excitement to see us all wore on us. Our tree was especially lonely without the special doggy present that always kept Aspen sneaking underneath it.

With this last year behind us, we are hopeful for a better year. A new semester has started at school and with that comes lots of opportunities to touch new lives. My new year's resolution is to be more positive this year and to take more time for myself. I feel selfish when I take myself away from those I love so dearly, but I need to take care of my own well being, too!

Kurt and Brianna set resolutions. Kurt wants to learn to play the guitar. I told him he may need to quit racing to do that. I tried to learn a few years ago. It takes a lot of time. But he has wanted to for a long time, so I hope he finds it easier than I did! Brianna wants to get into better shape. Of course she always says she wants to do better in school! She does every year, so why stop a good thing?

The weather is finally warming up a bit. We have been in the 40s these last few days, so the snow and ice are melting. This brings a muddy, sloppy mess, but the warmer temps are always welcome and usually short lived! Kurt got out today on his bike with a large group from his team. I was glad he got out. He gets bummed out when he has to ride inside!

The photos are from Christmas. We had some nice family shots!

Happy New Year to all and may this be the best year yet!

Another sad day

2007-12-11T18:57:00.000-08:00

We have had another loss in our lives. This time it was our beloved dog Aspen. She suddenly became ill Saturday morning. Late in the morning she tried to move and fell back down, so we knew something was wrong. I called the emergency vet clinic and we took her right away. The vet called at 4:30, just as Kurt was walking in the door from work and told us that Aspen went into cardiac arrest and they were unable to save her. It has been such a shock for us all. Aspen was perfectly fine just that morning, playing fetch. I suppose maybe she knew her time was short as she has been very affectionate lately and always wanting attention. She brought a lot of happiness to our lives and will be missed dearly. Our home is surely not a welcoming now. It was always nice to come home and have that big, sweet girl waiting by the door to say hello and give sloppy kisses.

On another note, today was a bad ice storm. School was cancelled, so Bode and Emma got to stay home and play. We are getting ready for Christmas. The house is decorated inside and out. We actually have two trees this year! I never dreamed we would have room enough for that! Kurt is working dillegently on several projects in the house. He is finishing the basement for a craft/play room and is painting our bedroom. He takes on too much, but I think he enjoys having so much to do sometimes.

December 2007 already!

2007-12-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, where does the time go? It seems like just a few days ago, the school year started and now here it is December already. Lots of news from the Hantelmanns! We bought a new house in October! We never imagined being able to have a home like this, but God certainly blessed us! We are now in Altoona and Brianna will be able to go to Southeast Polk High School like she has been hoping for!

Brianna is doing well in school. She keeps working hard. She played volleyball in the fall and is now playing basketball. She seems to enjoy it.

Bode is now one! His party was fun. He sure loved his cake! He is crawling all around and into everything, so we are extra watchful!

We have all gotten settled in to the new house. Brianna loves her room with its huge walk-in closet. Aspen loves our big back yard and all her new furry neighbors. Our house is twice as big as our old one, but somehow we have managed to fill it up quite nicely!

Winter is definitely here now. We had a lovely ice storm over the weekend. I only say lovely because everything looks so pretty when it is covered in ice. The temps have been in the 20s and even teens at night, so our fireplace is sure nice in the evenings!

Bode is home today with a fever (102.1). He had is 12 month check-up yesterday and so we think the fever is just from all 5 shots he received! Poor baby. He was pretty fussy, but seems glad to be home with mama (as he says) and loves when dah gets home. He says anna a lot, and I am not sure if that is Brianna, but he adores her! He also barks at Aspen (even with her!) or pretty much any furry four-legged creature.

Thanksgiving was tough this year. We have always spent Thanksgiving with Kurt's dad. We sure felt the void this day especially. I know Christmas will be tough, but Brianna gets to be with us and Bode is old enough to enjoy it, too. We will be spending the afternoon at Emma's parents' house with much of the rest of the family.

We hope everyone is doing well and wish you all a happy holiday season.

Pictures are: new house, Bode checking out the stairs, Bode enjoying his birthday cake, Bode with Grandma, Brianna, and his cousin Asher on Bode's birthday, and our aluminum tree!

Iowa vs. Iowa State

2007-09-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well,

today was the Iowa vs. Iowa State Game! Enjoyed the game at Lane Anderson's house with some of the All9Yards teammates and wives. Too bad Iowa lost by 2 points!

No big news. We have just put our house on the market so we can get into the Southeast Polk district. We have a lot to do, but it is all coming together. Sunday is our first open house.

The summer racing season is winding down. Kurt is hoping to do a lot of cyclocross this fall. He did not do as much as he was hoping to do this summer as far as racing is concerned. I think he had a good year, but I know he was wanting to do a lot more than he did. Some of the photos are from the St. Louis weekend (Labor Day weekend). Kurt raced Sat. and Sun. This race was by far his biggest. There were 140 racers in the Pro/1/2 race. It was neat to see so many racers! He worked hard and Sunday's race went well for him.

The other photo is from the other night. Bode is now pulling himself up to sit and doing the army crawl, so he is into everything. He was trying to decide which book to "read" next (or rather chew on). He is growing so fast!

Brianna is having a good year so far. She is playing volleyball again this year. Her team is doing pretty good. They have won more games than they have lost! Monday they play Norwalk, who has like 60 girls on the team, so they will be playing 12 games to allow all of Norwalk's team to play! Brianna will get a good workout that day!

Hope all is well with everyone.

Our Hearts are Heavy for the Vande Lune family

2007-09-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

This is a sad message to be posting today. Our friends Chad and Dorothy Vande Lune are dealing with something that no parent should ever have to deal with. They lost their sweet baby boy, Price, 6 months, to SIDS last week. They have been so strong for each other, but today must have been the most difficult for they had to say goodbye for the last time. We want them to know our thoughts and prayers are with them. Price will be missed. He and Bode were buddies at daycare and we were so looking forward to the two boys growing up together. We are sure they would have been the next fastest bike team ever!

We hope the pain subsides and is replaced by all the warm memories Price left behind.

Europe

2007-09-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Well, for those of you who would love to hear about our trip, call us! I will say that Brianna loved it and our fear of her not quite fitting in was silly. She fit right in with the high school kids. We had a wonderful time and saw a lot of exciting things. I think my favorite was seeing Brianna get so excited about all the things she has learned about in school! She loved the British Museum and all the Egyptian artifacts. We saw the musical Wicked in London and both loved it. She loved the Eiffel Tower (I have already been!) Switzerland was relaxing and beautiful. My mom would love all the Swiss cows! (Although I know she is ready to be finished with their own!) Italy was fun. Venice was neat to see and Rome was fascinating! It is truly amazing that these massive structure were built by men without machines! It is even more amazing that they have withstood so much!

Enjoy the pictures!

(At the DSM International Airport, Easter Island Statue at the British Museum, Eiffel Tower, at the top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland, and Brianna buried in sand on the beach in Jeselo, Italy near Venice.)

July already!

2007-07-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Where is the summer going? Brianna's birthday is in two days. She will be 13! She is turning into quite the young lady. She is almost as tall as Emma!

It has been a busy summer. Brianna and Emma have been busy getting ready to go on their trip to Europe. They leave on Monday, July 9 and will be gone through Monday, July 23. Emma is nervous to be leaving Bode. Not because she thinks he won't be okay, but because she doesn't know if she will! She's going to miss him!

Bode is growing fast and rolling all over the house. He is thinking about crawling, but only thinking. He doesn't sit up much on his own, either, but that's because it means he has to sit still for a while and he loves to be on the go! (Wonder where he got that?)

Kurt is doing well. He just raced the state team time trial Sunday and his team placed 2nd. He has been doing well. His last Elkhart time trial, he had the fastest time! His next Elkhart time trial is Thursday. The Iowa Games are next weekend, so he has a time trial and a road race.

The pictures are (I forgot to edit the first one!) Bode's first day at the pool--he liked the water, Bode and Bugs, Bouncy seat--sucking those darn fingers, and 7 months old!

Hope all is going well and thank you for viewing. Sorry we aren't updating so often!

2007-05-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, April has come and gone. Where does the time go? Kurt has had several big races so far this season. Brianna has raced in several, too. Bode attended his first bike race on April 22 in Dubuque. There was a race at Eagle Point Park. We went to Dubuque Saturday and were able to visit the family. It was a tough visit. We drove by the house and it looks the same. All that was missing was Dad sitting in his chair waiting for us to stop.

Kurt raced last night in Elkhart, the Elkhart time trial. He put in a great time of 16 min. 13 sec. There were several who were faster, so he knows he needs to work harder if he is going to catch their times. He has improved so much over the past several years. At one time he was riding in the 18 min. range and now he is one of the faster time trialists. This year he is racing with guys he only dreamed of competing against, but this has brought new challenges for him. He has to work twice as hard to keep up with these guys!

Bode and Brianna are both growing up so quickly. Brianna is nearly as tall as Emma now and they are sharing clothes! Bode is rolling all over the place, laughing at everything and starting to recognize things. He seems to know who Aspen is and he smiles when he hears the word Daddy. A couple of weeks ago, on a weekend without Brianna, he was staring at her picture. It was like he was wondering why she wasn't talking to him. Our friend Jane visited a few days ago and asked how we get anything done because it is so easy to just sit and watch him! I guess we need to realize that he will grow up so quickly that it is okay to sit and just watch him! We so often times forget these things. We are reminded of this every weekend when we have our nearly teenager hanging around the house!

Hope this wonderful weather brings good things for you all! Mother's Day is Sunday, so moms, enjoy.

Easter

2007-04-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Haven't had much time to update lately, so thought I'd take a few minutes and put some pictures up for all to see.

Things are going fine, just very busy. Kurt is training a lot. Racing season is underway. He has had several races so far. The next three weekends have races. This Sunday is the Finchford Road Race. Next weekend is the Eagle Point Criterium in Dubuque. And the last weekend in April is the Iowa City criterium (Old Capitol Crit).

Easter was spent at Emma's family's. The kids were all there, but no Brianna this year. It was her Mom's holiday. She is looking forward to next year when she can take Bode Easter egg hunting.

Bode is getting bigger! He was 17.5 pounds at his 4 month check-up. He is eating cereal now and we think he may be teething since he gums everything he can get his hands on.

Hope all is well for everyone!

Photos are : Brianna and Bode and the Easter Bunny, Bode eating cereal for the first time, Easter at the Anderson house, Easter with Great Grandma and Grandpa Anderson.

2007-03-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well back to letting friends and family know what's going on at the Hantelmann house.

Sometimes it's very hard to look at the pics on the blog and other times it gives me peace of mind knowing that Dad got a chance to see Bode before he passed.

One of my sayings is life happens and usually to me and family in weird ways! We always find a way to move on with more strength from the bad and enlightenment from the good. Well any way, more pics to come for all to enjoy !

Bode is growing fast as you can see in the pics. Brianna is giving it her all in school and she is making a great big sister with out any effort. As for Emma, well she's back to school and is looking as hot as ever which has taken very little effort and me, well back playing with bikes. Racing in the cat 1/2 pro races this year is going to be lots of fun. One race down and a good third place showing. The race was only 60 miles (30 miles gravel 30 road). With both Mom and Dad helping now watch the world, they won't let this family ever quit. Well got to get ready for bed hope you enjoy the pics. Drop a note or just pick up the phone and call!

Pictures are: Brianna and Bode(3 months), Aspen in the jungle, sleeping angel, Kurt after his first race of the season (sorry it's sideways I forgot to change the settings first) and finally Bode last weekend playing.

Getting Ready For Christmas

2007-01-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

Pictures are: Bode at 3 weeks, Brianna's band concert, Bode and Brianna in front of our Christmas tree, Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Anderson's house, Christmas at Grandpa Bob's (Bode 4 weeks).

Well how lucky can one person be ?Well just look at this family I couldnt ask for any more !!!

Bode week 2

2006-12-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

Went out for the normal Sunday ride with Dave, Kim, Lane, Chad, Andy and paul. What great riding weather. Sunny with a little wind and 50 degrees. Lane was showing us all the new race courses he has planned for the 2007 season. I think I have finally found the right team. Great guys. Some who like to go fast. It really motivates me when I like the guys I will be riding for.

I actually have several things motivating me this season. #1 is for my family, mainly keeping my health up. #2 is the team. #3 is that I am a Cat 2 this season and I don't want to just be an average Cat 2; I want to be a great Cat 2. I think if I do what this team is asking of me, I will have great races and our team will do great!

Anyway, Bode, Brianna and Emma are going great. Brianna has basketball game at Stillwell here in Des Moines. I am planning on going and taking the camera so I can get some good photos! Brianna is doing well in basketball.

Bode's clock is a little out of whack. He can stay awake for an entire day and night. Of course that means we are awake that much, too! Move over Kerkove (Mr. 24 hours). Bode is training hard and will be ready to kick butt in 14 years or so.

Emma is doing as well as I though she would with the new baby. She is being a great mom. Just comes natural to some.

Here are some new pics of baby with Grandpa Bob (my dad), Brianna playing her game (they won 28 to 10 and Brianna scored), Bode at 2 weeks. He weighs 9 lbs. 6 oz. now! I guess he is eating well!

Another great day in Iowa!!!

2006-12-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who emailed my wife and me about the new addition to the family. There will be alot more pics of baby Bode and Brianna.

I went to Brianna's basketball game. She did great! She is on the second team and is working very hard and I think is having fun at it and unlike her dad she is fast and a great rebounder. Keep up the great work kid. You are great in my eyes and you will be great at what ever you do.

This morning got up early to work out half hour on the treadmill, weights then off to work. Some one forgot to tell me about the temp. It was cold oh well did some some hill repeats then off to work cold and smelly but happy about the way the day started out. Slow day at work, then back on the bike for the best part of my day. Sprint to home to see my family. Someone forgot to tell me about the snow and the temp wasn't much fun. Spent some time looking at baby and making those funny baby noises that you think that they might understand. Then back on the bike for an hour or so. Well any way off to bed .

More Bode pictures!

2006-12-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

From top left to right:

Dad with baby, Bode in his bouncy seat (he likes to sleep in this), look at that blonde hair.

Bode with Grandma Anderson and Great Aunt Dee Dee, Bode on Sunday almost one week old, Bode only minutes old getting checked out by the nurse.

Bode with Mom only minutes after his arrival. Grandma, Mom and Nurse Mary Beth. She was such a nice nurse. We felt that all of our nurses truly cared about us and Bode. They all made Bode's arrival special.

Welcome Bode Allen!

2006-12-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

The waiting is finally over. On Monday, November 27, 2006, Bode made his appearance at 1:07 pm. He was 8 lbs 12 oz and 19 3/4 in. long. Mom was great during the whole thing! I do think my hand is permanently damaged, but we made it through with no problems.

Big sister Brianna is very proud. The first thing she said was how handsome he is!

Other big sister, Aspen, is not sure what to think, but I think she is adjusting.

We went home on Wednesday and all is going well. Bode is a bit jaundiced, so he is hooked up to a UV light until it goes away.

This has been the greatest week!

House

2006-11-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

My goal for next year

is to complete the 24

hour mountain bike race

solo! Emma's hobby! She likes

to hand stamp greeting cards! Brianna cleans up

well, huh? She loves to

dress up!

Just got finished watching my favorite show House. If you haven't seen it watch before it is no longer on TV[cable].

Well any way did my 2 hours today at the fair grounds. Lots of one fast one slow one fast one slow one fast before I knew it 2 hours then home to see if there was a baby yet. I'm working on this so not as of yet. Any time though!

I'm still mad about the loss of three days of posting that is no longer on this earth ?!

Time for bed.

GOD BLESS / HAY BRIANNA I LOVE YOU.

Stuff happens!!

2006-11-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Well I had my first blog spot to tell about the things that the Hantelmanns Brianna, Emma, Kurt
and soon to be sir Bode the great are up to [ just kidding about the sir thing ]any way all lost in the blink of a eye so starting over.
The family is growing so fast. Brianna is turning into a little lady before our eyes. She just won rider of the of the month on her bike team. She is doing a lot better at school and I think she is having more fun .
And Emma well she is really ready to have Bode show up at any time. And me well training hard and can't stop thinking about Bode and what life is going to be like with another boy in the house. I cant wait !!!