Christmas Traditions

Today was the day for putting together Gingerbread Houses! We do this almost every year and it is one of my favorite times!

The Prep The PiecesThe Production

Danny's...now this needs to be seen up close to be appreciated. Dan is always a little "creative"...this year we have the sleigh (being pulled by pigs) crashing into the roof with Santa falling through and once again the Man Eating Kangaroos...all in the Christmas Spirit!Lindsay'sMcKenna'sLove it!

MLHS Drill Team Guy/Girl 2009!

While it is still so weird to Ron and I that Lindsay is not in Drill Team anymore, we are so happy to watch McKenna grow with her team and see how excited she is almost everyday about the things they do! This past week was concentrated on the annual Guy/Girl performance, where the girls on the team ask guys from high school and they spend a week learning just about the most entertaining routine of the year...keeping in mind, it is all in good fun and certainly not polished!

This year's theme was "Super Hero and Damsels in Distress" (I think)...well, we definitely had a vast assortment of Super Heroes, and given the fact that these guys and gals had about one week to come up with an idea! They did great! And I do need to say, the amount of Shocking Pink and Black girls outfits that came out of Moses Lake and the assorted towns beyond surprised me!

McKenna, Shelby, Amber & Ciarra

Ciarra & McKennaMcKenna and her "Ninja Turtle Super-Hero" Kyle

All the HeroesAll the GirlsGood Times!

The Nutcracker

This year McKenna's dance company Today's Generation along with The Moses Lake Ballet Academy put on a short version of "The Nutcracker". It turned out really well...the costumes were beautiful, all the girls (and one guy) did a great job and the audience loved it!

What a great way to start the holiday season!

McKenna as Chinese Tea

All of Chinese Tea...Dayna, Camielle and McKenna

McKenna with her friends...Kayli, Ciarra (Arabian Coffee) and Taylor (one of the party invitees)

McKenna with Mattie (Clara)

McKenna and Caitlynn (The Snow Queen)

The Finale

WSU Dad's Weekend!

Ron went down and spent the weekend with Danny at WSU for their annual "Dad's Weekend"! He met up with family from the Westside that were there visiting our great-niece Nicole. I wasn't there, but I know they had fun, they left the game at half time 'cause the Cougs were being wiped out, had a yummy chili dinner courtesy of Aunt Debbie, saw a comedy act and ended the night with some poker. Good times...I can hardly wait until "Mom's Weekend"!

Nicole's Uncle Jeremy, Nicole, her dad Tim peeking his head through, Ron's brother John, Nicole's Grandpa and Dan's Uncle Bear (all the same person), Ron & Danny

She Thought the Day Would Never Come!

Lucky Friday the 13th of November, Lindsay turned 18!!! It was sad for us that she was in Arizona and we couldn't be there to celebrate with her, but her good friend Ashley flew in from Utah and spent the weekend with her and her friend Rachel from across the hall in the dorms was also there! I'm pretty sure they had a great time and didn't miss not being home too much! So where exactly does the time go? 18 years is a long time to not seem too long ago that she was celebrating her 1st birthday!

Big brother loves her!

Growing up!

At least she got the Cute cake we sent her! I hear it was delicious!!

Ashley, Lindsay & Rachel

A very Happy Birthday to a beautiful girl that we MISS. You are making your mark on the world and we LOVE and are proud of YOU!

SO EXCITED!!

McKenna was given the A-OK from her ballet teacher to start on POINTE! She is so excited, she can hardly stand it...let's wait 'til her feet are killing her and see how she feels! We're proud of you McKenna, keep up the good work!

Annual Pumpkin Carving Party!

Once again, we had a very successful Pumpkin Carving Party...I don't know if it's just me, but I think they get better and better every year! I wish Lindsay could have been here, but Danny and a couple of friends made it from WSU to make the Grand Finale a success! McKenna had to dance until 8:30 pm, but she blew in and carved her pumpkin in no time flat! Now we can sit back and look forward to next year!

The Props
The Carving

The Lighting
The Friends

Family Picture Time!

Finally we have updated our family pictures!! Julie Waites once again did an outstanding job!

30 Year Reunion 1 Year Early

I went to my high school reunion last weekend...flew into Sacramento where my friend Kelley lives, she picked me up and we got to spend the time driving to Walnut Creek TALKING! So many things to catch up on after all these years...it's one thing to keep in touch through internet etc., but so much more fun to be face to face! We spent the afternoon walking around downtown Walnut Creek, stopped into Il Fornaio's for some Carpaccio (which was fabulous) then headed to the hotel where we met up with a group of friends for some pre-reunion catching up! Had a great time with Malisa, Karla, Laurie and Susie!

The reunion itself was a lot of fun, I wish more people would have turned out for the multi-year bash, but it was fun just to see the ones that did make it. I have to say, for the most part, everyone looked pretty darn good.

Laurie and Malisa

Malisa and Karla

SusieJulia, Susie, Kelley, Karla, LaurieMalisa

What A Great Day!

Today actually started out several weeks ago, the Reis family supports in every way the Evergreen's Chapter "Tri-Cities Walk to Defeat ALS". Last year only Ron was able to join his brother Mark in memory of his wife Betty who passed away after being diagnosed and this year with Ron traveling with business and Dan and Lindsay away at college, McKenna took the lead and promoted awareness in the Moses Lake community by talking to the local paper and writer Sarah Kehoe, who did a very fine article on McKenna's efforts to raise funds for the local ALS chapter and the urgent need to find treatments and a cure.

McKenna's hard work raised $1,260 .00! She was #3 in the Top Ten list of fund raisers! Her Uncle Mark made her Co-Captain of the team and her mom and friend Jacob joined her and walked the 5 miles with her.

This is only the second year since this walk began in the Tri-Cities, the first year bringing around
200 hundred people and this year slightly more.

If you would like to see Sarah Kehoe's original article:

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/09/14/basin_life/doc4aaebd2c2bb0e479645978.txt

Mark's daughter Danica and her husband Rick had their first baby (Mark & Betty's first grandbaby) 9 days ago and McKenna and I were able to finally see her! You forget how small and precious these little miracles are...Ron, Lindsay and Danny can not wait to see her and I know they are so jealous they couldn't be here! She is absolutely beautiful and has the longest eyelashes and the most perfect face.

McKenna and I got home in the afternoon to freshen up and relax a bit (and unfortunatly for me, I took an hour nap, which is why I am blogging at 2 am) and headed out to Othello to see the rodeo (which is always a good time) and cheer our good friend Audrey Ramsden on in the hopes of becoming the next Miss Othello Rodeo Queen! Audrey is a very accomplished 16 year old. She has owned and trained her own horses, mastered the violin, piano and I think a couple of other instruments, teaches kids violin and piano and keeps her grades on top of that! We've known her almost all her life and I am proud to know the award winner of Speech and 1st Runner Up! It was so fun to actually see her on her horse racing around the ring!!

Starting Line

Uncle Mark & McKenna accepting Top Fundraising Award 2008
McKenna and JabobReis walkers 2009Adria Marie GarciaAudrey Ramsden

McKenna and the Molahiettes!

McKenna has been pretty darn busy this summer - dance practice and drill team practice sure made the summer go by quickly for her, but she can hardly wait to be a 9th grader!

After Drill Team Camp in August, the girls came to our house for pizza and swimming. It was fun to see everyone relaxing and having fun and BOY were they hungry! Yesterday the girls gathered for their team pictures at a place called Hidden Meadows here in Moses Lake, I had not ever been there, but it sure is a slice of Paradise in the middle of nowhere! Here are just some of the pictures of the Freshman girls and a couple of Sophmores, I'll post the whole team (all 28 of them!) when I get them back from the photographer!