Eric and I were invited to attend the WSU Heritage Gala with a few other Hutton employes and their spouses. Hutton was a sponsor of this Wichita State University event.
Silas has a class called GTV (Gorilla TV) this semester. The class allows the students to plan, direct, and produce a show a few days a week that is then played for the entire school. There are several jobs that the students are rotated through throughout the semester. Silas has been the video editor, "on the couch", and the host so far this semester. Other jobs include weather, the rater, and sports. After each on of these have been produced and broadcast to the student body, Silas gets to share them with us at home. They are informative and entertaining and well thought out.
The crazy Kansas weather has teased us with a few fall-like days and we have enjoyed getting outside and working on our property. The dogs really like the cooler temperatures too!
We moved the chicks out of our house and into the shop at the beginning of October. A little over one month in our house and they had outgrown the inside area and gotten pretty smelly, even with weekly brooder cleanouts. It was time for their next step as they continue growing. Now they will spend a month or so in the shop growing bigger before they can be integrated in with our other chickens. They get to spend afternoons and evenings outside in a moveable run close to the adult chickens, pecking the ground, and getting used to being outside for longer and longer time periods. Then in the shop for the nights and during bad weather.
Silas found a Walking Stick Bug near our chicken coop and run. He held it for a little while then let it go again.
Silas was one of two 8th graders selected for the Gorilla Greatness Award. One girl and one boy from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade will be selected each quarter for this new award at his school. The award recognizes students for being OUTSTANDING! The requirements are: maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher, all assignments are completed and turned in on time, exhibit positive behavior and follows school expectations, and demonstrates leadership, responsibility, and is a positive influence on others.
Sarah and two of her high school friends, Brandt and Aleigha, got to hang out all day at the KSU EDCAT synopsis day a few weeks ago. These three high school friends are all education majors.
Silas has the same math teacher for Algebra this year as Sarah and Phoebe both had in 8th grade. She is an excellent teacher, and he is doing well in that class. She has a "Math Rap" that has different things that are said in it to help the kids in her class remember how to do some math problems. Each year she offers to bake cookies for any student that memorizes the "Math Rap" and records a video of themselves doing the "Math Rap". Silas talked to his sisters, and they were onboard to help him out. (We knew that this teacher would love it!) So, they worked together one weekend when Sarah was home and recorded a funny video of themselves rapping and dancing to the "Math Rap". A couple weeks later they got some delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Hutton was a sponsor of "An Evening of Hope" for the Salvation Army again this year. They had a special guest speaker this year, Dallas Jenkins. Dallas Jenkins is an American film and television director, writer, and producer best known as the creator, director, and co-writer of the groundbreaking multi-season series "The Chosen". The Chosen is a series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Jenkin's career is focused on Christian media. Eric and Silas are huge "Chosen" fans and were excited to get to attend this event with some other Hutton employes. Prior to the event sponsors were invited to a smaller gathering for dinner and a meet and greet with Dallas Jenkins. Both Eric and Silas got to ask Dallas some questions, meet him, and get their picture taken with him.
Four years ago, on October 13th, I lost my Mom. She was a light in our family. She was the one we all called, relied on, she was our cheerleader, our biggest supporter, the one who tried to keep us on the right path. My heart hurts today especially. Four years seems short and long at the same time. She has missed so much in these four years. There is no one that can ever love you like your mom lives you. And until yours is gone you can't even begin to know how it feels to lose your mom. I have run the gamut of emotions so many times in these past four years. Some days I am a wreck, somedays I laugh at stories we tell, some days I can smile remembering her love and care, but some days I am just so sad. Eric recently reminded me, on a particularly hard and sad day, how great of an example my mom had laid out for us all to follow. She was courageous, she fought, she persevered, she did hard things, but most of all she was positive in her words and actions up to the very end. He noticed all of these things about my mom and before she died, he got to thank her for the example she had set for us and more importantly our children. Her positive attitude about life, even when being knocked down over and over, shined through like a bright light, and I had almost forgotten. Eric knew that I needed a reminder of how great her impact was on him and hopefully those that were around her throughout her life. So today, four years have passed, and I want to tell you (and remind myself) to be joyful. Even on tough days, try to find something that well bring joy to yourself and others around you. Laugh. Smile. Have a positive attitude. It well take you much farther in life and hopefully in this way you and I can carry a little bit of my mom with us in our day to day lives and influence others to do the same. And, if you still have you mom here on earth with you, call her today. Tell her you love her. Hug her, because you can.
Silas has been wearing the walking boot for a couple weeks now as his foot and ankle continue to heal. We found a job around the house that he could help with.... Picking up cut/split wood and hauling it to places on our property for Phoebe and I to stack.
I decided a few years ago that October 13th will forever be PIZZA DAY at our house. Pizza was one of my Mom's favorite things to eat. The kids and I have a funny story about her picking what we would eat one evening for dinner when we were at Mom and Dad's house.... We were taking a vote that evening between Spangles or Pizza, some crazy math that didn't really add up was done, and Pizza won. Mom was happy and we all got a good laugh. Some of her favorite kinds of Pizza were supreme, hamburger, Hawaiian, and Canadian bacon with sauerkraut. So what a better way to remember her and something that she loved on October 13th, but to eat Pizza!
Belle got sprayed by on skunk on October 13th. I think she lost her mind. Normally she is the BEST LISTENER of our three dogs and will come back or stop on voice command. NOT THIS TIME though. Eric let them out first thing that morning and Belle took off toward our front driveway...not coming back to him calling her back and telling her to stop. SHE LOST HER MIND. There she was met by a skunk, taking a direct hit to the chest and face. SUPER YUCK! The smell is nauseating when it is up close. Between Eric and I we gave her at least 6 baths that day, by that night she was less smelly, but still stinky. Here's to hoping that she learned her lesson this time.
I have been really into Scooter's Coffee Shop lately. My favorite drink so far in the Peanut Butter Cup Blender. I took Phoebe there recently and she picked a Halloween shake.
The kids had Friday, October 16th off of school so we decided to meet Lindsee and Will at P & M Pumpkin Patch near Moundridge. None of us had been to this one before, but we would all go back! It was approximately $20 a piece to get into this pumpkin patch, but around 40 activities inside were included in the entry fee. The only things that cost extra were shooting the pumpkin gun, paintball guns, picking a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, and food and drinks. Another plus...on Friday's picnic lunches can be brought in and eaten there. We stayed there for about 5 hours walking around from one fun activity to another.,. Some of the activities included rides, slides, games, hippity hop, peddle cars, pig races, so many photo opportunities, obstacle course, and a corn bin. The only thing I would have changed... It was a pretty cold day and we all should have dressed warmer. The HENDRICKSON FAMILY gives P&M Pumpkin Patch two thumbs up!
Silas and Popee took part in the Clearwater Fall Festival fishing contest. Unbelievably, they caught zero fish! However, they did spend the morning and part of the afternoon together at the Clearwater Fall Festival fishing, watching the parade and collecting candy, playing BINGO, and eating lunch. They had a great time together, just the two of them.
I headed to Oklahoma to spend a day sewing with my friend Gayla a couple weeks ago. I took some fall flowers down and put them on my grandparents, Ernest and Georganna Grant's, grave.
Recently this older picture of my Grandma Grant and some of her siblings was shared with me. My Grandma is in the back row on the right. She was the second born out of seven Kienholz children, two girls and two boys
Silas played in his first eighth grade orchestra concert of the year. They sounded good. Silas was recognized as being one of a handful of his peers to be selected to play in the League Honor Orchestra.
Popee and Wanda went to Manhattan to visit Sarah and Owen one Friday in October. Sarah had been wanting Popee to come see her there for a while now so she was especially excited that he could finally come and spend the day with her. She and Owen loved showing them different places around town and going out to eat with them.
Silas played in the Patriot League Middle School Honor Orchestra. He was selected as first chair of the violin section. Keep being amazing, Silas!
Silas and I found snail while moving wood around our yard.
I love the way our dogs will sit at our front door and watch for Silas to get home from school in the afternoon. As soon as they see him their tails start to wag and barking ensues.
Silas and I found a big snake in our driveway last week. We were able to keep our eye on it until our favorite SNAKE WRANGLER could get over to our house and pick it up, put it into a container so that this bad boy could be relocated away from our house. This was a long snake, probably a Bull or Gopher Snake.
Phoebe has been busy after school for the last 5 weeks getting ready for the winter basketball season. They have been lifting weights and conditioning, but took a break last week to go to a local pumpkin patch as a team.
Phoebe and Eric carved a pumpkin Saturday night, October 31st. Phoebe came up with the design and transfered it onto the pumpkin and then they carved it together. It was a "Great Pumpkin" Charlie Brown and Snoopy themed Jack-O-Lantern.
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