ALOHA! Been gone for 2 years. We are Back!

TJ had to try on Katies wig.

Had a good year. We are all growing so fast. Luckily me(kari) is shrinking in weight not height.

We went to St. George for Thanksgiving and enjoyed PBJ in the car. Trevor had a Dixie Invitational for Soccer. His team took the cup for his Division. Way to go ARSENOL! We swam outside in November.

Halloween was fun. We all dressed up and went out to eat and a movie. The theatre only had about 20 people and it was so much fun. The kids trick or treated at our bedroom door the next night because they all fell asleep on the way home from the movie.

If anyone can tell me how to put a picture next to what I am writing about it would be appreciated. Email me at karij@digis.net

I have no pictures because I can't find my camera. October is almost over and I for 1 cannot believe it. We have finished our outdoor soccer season for the year. Our last game was miserable, I spent half the time in the car with the kids while Trevor froze his tahuti off. It was worth it they ended the season game with a score of 8-1. We will now start indoor soccer on Nov. 2.
I have been down alot the past 2 months because of my back. I now have a diagnosis, I have Facett Syndrome. My low L5 and S1 are locked together thus pressing into my psychotic nerve causing numbness and constant tingling down my left let. I have started Decompression Therapy, electrical therapy, massage therapy, and workout therapy. I swear to you it is like going to the spa 4 days a week. A little more expensive, but worth it. The numbness is gone and the tingling only happens around 8 at night when I am tires. I can roll out of bed in the morning and stand to shower. I already have relief. I have to throw kudos to Mom and Debra for taking my little one 4 days a week, a sacrafice I appreciate.
Taylar is preparing for her tap and jazz recital in November. She is becomming a good little dancer and loves it.
We will be having our first ever TK Design sale tomorrow. Taylar made invitations by hand and delivered them around the neighborhood. I think we are getting pretty good and designing jewlery and having fund together. The boys also enjoy creating with us.
Haven't read any books but one lately. It is called A Long Way Gone, memoirs of a Boy Soldier. I recommend it for those with a strong stomach and personality. It is true and very graphic. It is sad to think that young boys the age of 8 are pulled awy from there families, drugged, made to kill, and they have no idea how to get out. This young mand Ishmael Beah was rescued and rehabilitated and now helps others.
I will have to take Halloween phots of my little goblins, wish me luck on finding my camera.

Summer fun. Read it from the bottom up, it makes more sense.

If you have started to read my blog, STOP! I still don't have the art of blogging down and everything is backwards. I am now to frustrated to fix it. Start at the bottom where we have sparklers in a picure. Read backwards and pretend you are Japanese. We had so much fun getting together with all of our cousins this summer. We wouldn't have had it any other way. You are all so loved and cherised. Thanks for helping make our memories more memorable!

He got a garage shelf unit and storage totes to boot. Needles to say it was fun and exciting. I think he has caught the bug of the treasure hunt, he just won't want to ever pay DI prices.

He got plastic shoe boxes with lids, bolts of fabric(I need help knowing how to use those), things to hang on garage walls, sweats, over 300 new #2 pencils, and crayons galore.

Christmas in September. Travis got to go through a house scheduled for demolition with a couple of his clients, that bought the home and property to build condos. HE outdid andy DI trip I could ever go on, and it was all for free. He got over 30 church CDs, 5 church videos, and 12 books, plus World Atlas books, church time line books, gospel history, and piano books. Everything was brand new, still wrapped and all.

While in Heber we went for a drive. We came upon 7 or 8 bull Elk just grazing on the mountainside. Very rare. Sorry it is blurry. They were all huge.

We rod the Alpine Coaster. If you get a chance to ride it's a blast. They do it throughout the winter as well. You get in this cart and it takes you across the bridge which then starts to climb you right up the face of the mountain. You have hand breaks but you are avised not to use them. You get to the top, make a slight turn, and plunge zig-zag down the side of the mountain at about 40 mph. You are so nervous at first, but when all is over you want to do it again! All but Tate rode and everyone loved it.

We went to ride the alpine slide but the line was so long that we did some other things instead. Tate got to be a rocket pilot. This ride was just perfect for him.

One of Travis clients was kind enough to give us a condo at no charge while we were in Park City. They funny thing is that the kitchen was nicer than mine. The kids loved it and every morning we would find them awake before us. They were either in bed watching T.V. or in the living room. They kept it down so not to bother us. They are so thoughtful?

Trevor had a 2 day soccer tournament in Park City. They didn't win a game but they had a good time trying.

It was chilly. Why put on a jacket, shoes, or any protective gear. They were running around outside without shoes and loving it.

We had a hailstorm a week ago. It was like Winter in August. The Hail was huge and it covered out yard. The kids had a blast playing outside after it stopped. We had adults and children alike all over the neighborhood walking and splashing barefoot in the gutters.

Taylar had her appendix removed this summer and we haven't had any stomach pains since. She was such a trooper and tried so hard to be strong and not complain.I was so proud of her when she finally started to cry and complain because it got the ER worried and moving on her problem. Needles to say because of the surgery the kids all benefited. For 2 weeks they were allowed to hang out in there room watching movie after movie, courtesy of Hollywood Video and Youngstrom Video Outlet!

We learned the art of walking on the ceiling. Training Tate for a life in the circus or an illusionist.

We practiced snorkeling without water this summer. I found it not to be very effective but fun. I think it is one of my best pictures to date.T.J is just cute and Terell is the dominator of snorkeling.

Summer started off with a bang at the Wartenas home. We had sparklers galore that made for very happy children. What could be more fun than to light a stick and swing it around in the air without any punishment. You can see the intensity on the boys faces as they work together to share fire!

Girls Camp

Summer wes exciting and fast. I got to go to girls camp for the second time this year. This is a picture after returning home from club med. I took out my dreads and was left with I don't know what on my head. It was camp club med up at Heber Valley Girls Camp. We had a 24/7 ice machine, with hospital ice. We had full size refrigerators, cabins, bathrooms with showers, and electricity. We did do service projects that were back breaking, like carrying aspen logs down mountains and loading dump trucks with them. We also had biffy cleaning which went faster than at home, because I had 10 other girls helping. We did have the usual silliness and craziness of attacking the bishopric on bishopric night. I don't know what this activity was teaching us, but it was fun. They got absolutley drenched and the girls laughed about it for hours.

I just wanted to let everyone know I had a wonderful birthday party. My husband gets better with time, he gets more creative. I was not surpirsed that some forgot to wish me happy birthday when they spoke to me or saw me. I was absolutely surprised to see most everyone at the restraunt, even more surprised to hear them singing happy birthdy to me. It was so much fun to share dinner and get wonderful gifts on my birthday. I think we should surprise everyone on there birthdays.
We have started running as a family. Trevor needs to build up his stamina and Travis and I need to rebuild ours. We are trying to go 3 nights a week. I got some Saucony shoes and feel like I am running on Heavenly pillows. I am pretty sure that Trevor will be running laps around me in no time.
Taylar recovered from surgery and life is back to normal for her.
I am going to start reading Harry Potter 1. Gasp of air come from all. No, I haven't read it. I will catch up with everyone soon. We just ordered the entire series on hard copy so I now have no excuses. I just wish I new ho to get my kids to leave me alone while I read.
Girls camp is coming soon and I am going insane. I look forward to it coming and going at this time because then life might get back to normal. Heck, what is normal?
Sorry to bore, I just had to stay up to date so I can't yell at myselt. I will get pictures on as soon as I down load them.
Ariva-derchi pepes!

Life

Life is good. We have just 4 1/2 days left of school. I can't wait to have no agenda and no wakeup time. Kids are getting excited. We are very proud of each of our children. They have had some good teachers. Terell is now reading and loves math, he also learned how to play chess in kindergarten. Taylar is becoming an even better artist with her art classes in school and she is a sweetheart. Trevor is truly an 11 year old, but still a cutie. He was in a play this year with Gabe, it was Annie JR. It was odd to have my son ask me to put lipstick on him and make it dark. I am sending pictures of them with their teachers who helped mold them this year.

Debra, Stacie, Taylar and I started to make Jewlery. We spen over one hour in one isle at Walmart. We have great patience, we are strong women, and we have a really hard time making up our minds. Even after we make up our minds some of us change them and do a return, ( I won't name my own name). It was fun. We made jewlery for teachers, ourselves, and Stacie worked on a secret project, I can't share a picture of. Try to guess who made what.

I have joined the ranks of all mankind!!

I have now joined all of you brave souls that have trodden unchartered water before me. I love to read the stories and watch how everyone changes in the pictures. I hope to have joined with integrity, and I vow to be up to date with my picutures and stories. Love you all.
Kari J*