The Big 10...(10 months that is)...we live in the Big 12

Rock Chalk Jayhawks! Yesss indeed we are in The Phog... correction... : ) The Fieldhouse. One of the dentists from my work had a ton of tickets given to him and I happened to be at the office when they were up for grabs. Couldn't pass up chance to watch some live college basket ball with the perfect combination of Jayhawks and the atmosphere of the Fieldhouse! Wade called Phil and Beth to see if they could come join us on short notice! We missed Beth - she had work tying her up but Phil was able to come!! There's a pic of Kent with his Uncle Phil! It was a good game to watch - KU won the game soundly. I find it awesome that the crowd cheers loudly and enthusiastically for every basket - even when there is a wide gap in points. The student section has so many traditions they do before, during and after the game. I get a kick out of it! Plus if you knew the whole process for the students getting their tickets! They have to camp out for them in the Fieldhouse! There are rules that groups of students vying for tickets must follow. It's a cultural experience seeing it : ). Wade showed me once when were were dating we walked through the area where they are all camping out. Any way during the game a player on the visitor team shot a 3 and air balled it - the rest of the game whenever that guy had the ball in his hands to pass or shoot the student section was chanting "air ball, air ball, air ball.." over and over again! I felt bad for the guy...and laughed at the same time....head shaking in disapproval - poor guy and that happened in the early part of the 1st half! Kent is so content! He had a lot to take in of course and he surveyed the entire evening well. He joined in on the clapping and rocked to the music! He is so fun and easy to take out and about - Wade and I are appreciative of that! I felt bad though that it was a late night for him getting to bed - but so it goes. Phil watches all the games he can on TV - and he either hasn't been to a game at the Fieldhouse before or it's been a while... whichever it was - we were so happy he could come and spend the evening with us! Hopefully we can do it again! Couldn't help but think of Tom, Lloyd and James and Campbell. How much they'd enjoy a game here. Wade even leaned over to me to say - wouldn't it be cool if your family could be here too! YES! Someday! When it's fall I think -oh this is the perfect time for them to come - but fall is almost done and that means a whole year away... Really Winter, Spring, Summer AND Fall are the perfect times to come! Well KU we'll see how you do this year in the BIG 12! Wade and I and Kent went together to a High School football game a couple weeks ago. That was awesome! I thought about Cam and how cool he would find it. They are really good players. It's high school and the new Turf and stadium are SO nice. McNally's back home doesn't even compare! That was a fun experience. Wade and I had Kent all bundled up and again Kent just taking it all in. He is a trooper - It did start to get pretty cold near the end of the game so we left just before the game was over - but our team won! There is a young man from our church who we cheered on along with the rest of his teammates and we even got to sit next to his parents. That was great -because we got to get more of the scoop about the players and who's who. The other team had HUGE guys on it. I couldn't believe it! I wish I had the program so that I could jot down their heights and weights. Kent what will high school be like when you are older... Wade and I touch on that topic every now and then wondering what Kents interests will be. All I know is I LOVE every stage of our little mans life. He is 10 months old and has already hit so many different stages. I'm missing our little baby son - AND I'm loving our little boy who is growing up and figuring things out and who is constantly melting my heart with his sweet smiles and playful interactions. A little bit of Kents world. He has a little cupboard in our living room all to himself. He is busy right now pulling everything out of the cupboard and putting items back in. Same with a basket of toys we have in the living room for him. He likes to pull toys up and out of the basket and then return them. He is pulling himself up to standing. That is another reason for this pic is that Wade and I one evening caught Kent "struggling" - He was retrieving everything from the top shelf in the cupboard and couldn't back out so he sadly was bonking his head against the top of the cupboard and whimpering a plea of help from us! He cracks us up! I feel so blessed to be able to have a part in raising Kent. Wade and I are so enthralled with him. He is so interactive and expressive with us at home. Smiling, laughing, dancing, and communicating with babbling and babbling and babbling, lots of grunting, and more babbling. Even singing sounds - That is cute! Not that he isn't when we are out and about - but when we are at others homes or else where, Kent is in an observation mode. I find that fascinating about him too. He is very aware of the people around him and it seems like he is studying their faces and taking in whatever he can.

This is a boy who is up for the day, bright and early and ready to play! I took a few pictures to send to his grandmas.

Of all the toys he chooses often to play with the car's. He dragged a box from our recycle pile into the living room and he loved rolling the car back and forth on top of the box. He would occasionally drop the car and it managed to get inside the box. He would fish it out putting his ear to the ground to get a good look at it and then stick his little arm in as far as it could go and retrieve his wheels. Wheels - he is still pretty funny about his pointer finger. Wade imitates this well. Kent sticks out his index finger all the time to touch or examine something. He'll hold one of his cars in his left hand and then spin a wheel with the index finger of his right hand. Then look up at me to show me what he is doing and how cool this car is! It's fun to play with him and explore things around the house together at his level.

signs of fall

It is fall through and through. I love this season I feel like where I grew up the change from summer to fall happens too quickly, before long it is the "decay and grey" lingering until crisp snow falls. It is actually a season for a long time here. Sunny warm days. Cooler evenings. Slight chill in the night. Sweater weather. Light jacket. short sleeves still just fine. Sandals or boots. Grass still so green. Potted mums on every doorstep. Brilliant coloured trees. took a drive to Wade's High school reunion. this was a must stop for along the way.

Wade said the drooping sunflowers look like people walking along with their heads down.

acorn on the left: typical Oak tree goodness

acorn on the right: no wonder the squirls here are the size of cats!

Kent and I were at the park where we came across the small oak that produced the ping pong ball sized acorns. A lady walking her dog and I were talking about them. She said she learned that the acorns are so big this year because of all the rain we had this season. The humingo oaks around our home were luckily were the regular size so I could show this pic. We brought a few treasures home from our outing. leaves and acorns.

Late Night at the Phog. KU Basketball kicking off the start of the season.

It was impressive. The video presentation they showed was incredible. Rockchalk Jayhawks. It's an amazing facility. One of the Top in the Nation - for one of the top teams! They did some clever acts - the women's team did a spoof with American Idol Dance. The best dance that night was Can't touch this my mc hammer - beat out mj's thriller and beyonce all the single ladies. The Mens Basketball team did a spoof of ESPN personalities and also danced to songs that past decades KU teams have performed for latenight. During the video presentation the fieldhouse roared as they replayed Chalmers 3 to win the final four. It was awesome! Kent actually fell asleep near the end in all that noise and jazzed up crowd.

3 must do's for the fall I've been told are go: to the maple leaf festival, to the pumpkin patch and to an apple orchard to pick apples! We knocked one off the list....

MapleLeaf Festival! We actually did not partake of the funnel cakes...not sad one bit.

maybe next year Kent

he's got a ticket to ride, he's got a ticket to ride

he was wishing there would be a camel and other animals to pet

he's got those santa eyes too

lot's of homemade arts, crafts, foods

We went on a train ride with a twist

the payroll being transported that day was taken at gunpoint by some nasty mean cowboys

The train was built in 1923

All aboard!

Beautiful day! Awesome view of the prairies and forests as the train traveled to Nowhere
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Looks like this little fireman made it to the pumpkin patch after all.

Beth's decor at her home was so neat.

we carved a pumpkin for the family halloween party and left it at home by accident!

Kyle and Bethany still awarded us with a prize... most cheerful attached to Jolly ranchers. Kristi posted all the family pics on facebook. It was a fun party! Everyone in costume and even sharing costumes....Chad's spock wig made it on everyones noggin. Fun games put on by Kyle and Bethany