Savannah's big day...read all about it!

...in true Savannah style...on the way to school
Savannah Kay and the best Daddy in the world!
...finding her hook and hanging her bag
Mrs. Hinkle and Savannah Kay
...on her mat in circle time

Today marked the first day of school for Savannah Kay! She requested happy-face pancakes for breakfast, so that is what she received. We all enjoyed her choice this morning!



Bekah hit the bus at 7:22 sharp. Bus driver Jerry is a punctual fella!



Jeremy was able to join Savannah Kay and I for her first Pre-K drop-off of the year. Her teacher is Mrs. Hinkle. Savannah gets a kick out of her name! Her Assistant Teacher is Mrs. Grogan...not featured in this episode! She hung her bag on her hook, and found her mat in the circle. All things seemed to go as planned, and she reported a great first day!



On a side note...I begin teaching next week, so add that to the prayer list. Nine 2-3 year olds in my small room on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Jerm swears I must be crazy! Aren't we all?! Here's to what lies ahead!

Laboring with the fam...

This past weekend included the Labor Day holiday. Now what is a holiday without family, I ask? I was fortunate enough to have both of my sisters, my new brother-in-law, my baby nephew, and my parents in my home to celebrate! We grilled burgers for lunch and then dined on fried catfish at supper, compliments of chef Dad donning my apron! I made my first batch of hush puppies...which was a trial and error process. Aunt Haley did some tramping on the trampoline. Jerm amazed us with his flips and then almost lost a toe to the trampoline net. Needless to say his show ended abruptly. Remember the days when there was no net, and if you fell off, you just hoped for the best?! Jeremy thinks the net is safer for the kids and more dangerous for adults! My Daddy played some Mario in the basement with the girls. Then the gaming continued in the Living Room with some PS3 ATV racing and Tiger Woods golf. It was time for Haley and her family to head home. So after many smoochies, they were on the road. Mom, Dad, Jerm, Rachel and I played some Catan, and I was victorious! If you are not a Catan player, you should be. We love that game!

Monday morning dawned with sticky rolls and donuts. Dad and the girls amused the rest of us with a fashion show of sorts! That man is a saint! Lunch was a melting pot of leftovers. After lunch we loaded up in the van for a sight-seeing outing. Note to self...when travelling in the back of the van, with Jerm behind the wheel, take along a plastic bag. After an hour, both of my girls were snoozing, Rachel was keepin' cold air in the face, and Mom and I were ready to wrap it up! After a quick trip for happy hour Sonic drinks for everyone, we were on our way home.

I am so blessed to have my family living so close to me!

Jeremy did get a bit of bad news over the weekend. John (his dad) is in the hospital after receiving stem-cells on Monday. This was expected, but the pain from shingles was not. The cancer battle continues, and the patience of the patient is wearing thin. Please continue praying for our dear "Grandpa John." In a couple of weeks we should know if the stem cell transplant was successful. In the mean time, Grandma Dorothy and the gang in Amarillo need Godly reinforcement from each of you!

Well wishes to each of you and yours~

Swimming, School and Some New Friends

We had a great opportunity to head to Milford Lake the weekend before school started for Rebekah. Thanks so much to our friends Archie, Michelle and little Jade for letting us enjoy the lake on with a tubing experience extraordinaire! Both kids had never tubed before and had a wonderful time!

























Bekah had her very first day of 4th grade on August 15th. Our baby is getting so big! I made happy face pancakes to commemorate the momentous occasion. Grandmommy was here for the big day. We are so thankful to finally be close enough to have Grandmommy visit for the first day of a new school year.




















Bekah is attending Riley County Rural School. She is proud to be a Falcon. With all the moving, I think she is even more excited to have a new mascot! She has been a mustang, a patriot, and then a mustang again at the last two schools! Here's to 4th grade...and the adventures to come!









One last important thing. We have met the most wonderful new friends: Jose, Lise, Anna Lise and baby Joaquin. They are our neighbors and new best buddies. This week Savannah Kay and Anna Lise headed to the park while Bekah was in School. The girls sang ABC's on the swings, played in the water fountain, fed the geese. Even though the park was super fun, I think the highlight was goldfish and fruitsnacks for snack time! Thank you God for great new friends, a great new school close to Grandmommy, and a beautiful lake to enjoy! Life is so good!

Isn't she lovely...

I have a few pictures of my little sister on her big day. I am still awaiting the mass of pictures taken by my loved ones. She was a vision of beauty on her big day. Haley Alise Butts is now Haley Alise Wilscam. In a lovely display of black, white and lime green...she and Steven were wed. The location, while rather steamy in the August heat, was the beautiful Dillon Nature Center, in Hutchinson, Kansas.

(Left: Daddy and the Bride)

I plan to post more pictures as they trickle in, but wanted to give you a glimpse of the bride on her special day. Congrats little sister...showers of blessings for your future!

Wedding Bliss...

So my sister just got married this last weekend. Sheesh...I know, it's been kuh-ray-zee around here. August 2, 2008 was the momentous occasion. I do not have pics up of this one yet, but I would like to wish a very special congrats to my little sister...Mrs. Steven Coe Wilscam.

The wedding was simply beautiful, and it is a HUGE relief to finally be over with. I know this probably sounds kinda ugly, but weddings a so stressful! I am so glad to be able to celebrate the marriage and not dwell on the big huge plans.

So hip hip hooray for Haley and Steven!

Check back for wedding photos...I am still not settled from the big event!!!

Busy little bee..

So in the last few weeks I have been quite the traveler. Let's see, we celebrated the 4th with my Momma and Daddy in Hutchinson, Kansas. My favorite Aunt and Uncle came up with their two boys. We made our own little fireworks show in the driveway. Jeremy was the pyrotechnical expert. I think we did a bank up job. Also, we made a little trip to Wichita, Kansas. We visited the Body Exhibit. I must say that that exhibit was very informative. If it comes to a location near you, I would say you should see it, but beware to those with children. The bodies are anatomically correct. I would not suggest taking your young ones in. My girls hung out with their Papa. Bodies aren't his thing. I have a slide show in tribute to our happy weekend.

Then, we decided to make a trip to Amarillo to visit Jeremy's father. For those of you who do not know, Jeremy's father has reoccurring lymphoma. He was diagnosed for the second time this last January. As his health has continued to decline, we decided it was time to make a trip. We had a nice time seeing him, and felt much better after squeezing his neck again. I will post a few pics. I have more on my myspace page, so if you get a chance, go check it out too!

www.myspace.com/lindzelou720

Love to each of you...have a great rest of the week!

Hi ho Hi ho, it's off to work we go...

Jeremy has returned to work. Vacation is over for Chief Welch. We did have a bit of a scare. While in-processing he was initially issued gear to deploy with the 2nd brigade, here at Ft. Riley. This group was supposed to deploy in August, and is now scheduled to leave in October. I was feeling a little hot under the hood when he came home with his new battle gear. I know he will have to go, but this on-again-off-again roller coaster is starting to make-uh me a little sick-uh. You see, there were four slots for five Warrants here, and no one was really sure what to do with Jeremy. It turns out he is working at Division, which is a CW3 position. This is great for Jeremy because it means he is working above his level, and even better...NO DEPLOYMENT!!! He is really pumped to get settled now that he has a position. We are happy that he is happy!

On another note...I HAVE A NEW JOB TOO!!!
I know, I can't believe it either! I will be teaching preschool at the First United Methodist Church, here in Manhattan. It just fell into my lap. God is so good. In fact, at church this morning, I told a lady I would be working at the preschool and she was so positive. She said it was hard to find a job like that in Manhattan, so I felt even more thankful for my new position. I will be teaching Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, and I start right after Labor Day. Savannah will not be in my class, but she will be in the same school. This is a good thing!

One last bit of news...we are getting settled in here in the "Little Apple." However, the Midwesterners here are hard to conquer. It seems making friends is a slow and daunting task. We are meeting new people every day, but haven't found any real pals yet. This is the hardest part about moving. We have visited several local churches, and even there we haven't met any solid friends. By now we are usually getting all settled in and having dinner guests. I am hoping in the weeks to come friendships are headed our way. It is lonely now that Jeremy is gone and it's just the kids and me. Calling all buddies in Manhattan...friendly family looking for a great peer group. Love the outdoors and home-cookin'. Very social and always adventurous. Notify us at once. Expect a quick reply!