The Star

Attention All: A STAR is Born!!!!!!!!!



Katherine Grace Kenney played the part of a little boy singing "Was He A Boy Like Me?" from the Veggie Tales Singing Christmas Tree CD at church Sunday morning. She did a great job, and her parents are very proud of her!

Katherine's Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Sharon Bain, heard Katherine sing this song one evening while we were all traveling together in my van. She was so impressed with Katherine's enthusiasm for the song, and how well Katherine sang it that she arranged for Katherine to sing in church. Katherine impressed all who were present.

Kids in a box

The Day After

Last Friday many of you were out fighting the crowds of people shopping for family and friends, while others of you were at home recovering from eating too much the day before. Our family decorated the outside and inside of our house for Christmas.

About mid-morning Wes, Katherine, and Sebastian had cinnamon rolls. Wes brought in our artificial tree and put it together. As I began to work on making this artificial thing look like a tree, Wes and the kids moved outside. Wes put white lights on the bushes around our house. Katherine and Sebastian played while Wes worked.

During all this decorating the TV is on, so we can keep up with the football game (Longhorns vs Aggies). I am pleased that the Aggies won this one!!! We took a break to watch the last three minutes together. Great family bonding time over Aggie football! What else is there?

After the game was over, Sebastian took a nap while Katherine and I decorated the tree. By the end of the day, our house looked and smelled like Christmas. What a wonderful time of year!

Great Thanksgiving

I am reminded every year at Thanksgiving that I should be more thankful each and every day. There is much for me to be thankful for.

Wes, Katherine, Sebastian, and I hope you had much to be thankful for and had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

(The picture is of the turkey we ate last year. This year we cooked a brisket, and it was soooo good!!!!!!)

Sebastian Hiding

Lunch or nap?

Wes had to leave right after the morning church service to attend an ordination service for a pastor in our association. This leaves me at home with Katherine and Sebastian this afternoon. The three of us came home for lunch. I suggested eating out, but Katherine said she would rather stay home. (Better for my budget anyway!)

As I am in the kitchen preparing the requested meal of Macaroni & Cheese, the kids are in the living room watching TV. I was hurrying, because I knew Sebastian was sleepy. I didn't realize just how sleepy!


I just had to share this picture.

Kid's & Bathroom Cabinet

Katherine, Sebastian, and Katherine's favorite baby doll are pictured sitting in my bathroom cabinet.

Do you know the baby doll's name?

Retreat to BGCO Meetings

Wes and I attended the Pastor's Conference and 100th Annual Meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma last Monday and Tuesday. Wes and I drove the three an a half hour drive to Oklahoma City after church Sunday night and returned to Valliant Wednesday afternoon. Our adorable children spent Sunday afternoon until Wednesday afternoon with Nelson & Virginia Camp.

I am not sure whether Nelson and Virginia or the kids had more fun while we were gone. Wes and I don't think the kids even knew we were gone. Katherine and Sebastian have talked about riding the four-wheelers; playing outside in the leaves; playing on the bed; and all sorts of other fun things.

Wes and I appreciate Nelson and Virginia volunteering to keep our children while we attended the BGCO Annual Meeting. We are also very grateful to those within our church who made it financially possible for us to attend as well.

The Honey Bee & Pooh Bear

Starbucks Spelling Lesson

We were in Sherman, Texas yesterday and spotted a Starbucks. Wes and Katherine went inside to order. Wes ordered Katherine a kid's hot chocolate. As they normally do at Starbucks, they marked Wes' and Katherine's cup with their order. Katherine watched as her cup was marked KHC for Kid's Hot Chocolate. Katherine then tells the person marking her cup that her name is spelled K-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-E!

Kids Day Out

Today Katherine and Sebastian were treated with a day out by a wonderful couple from our church. Nelson and Virginia Camp picked up our children and took them to a small animal park near Detroit, Texas. After spending time seeing several types of animals, Katherine and Sebastian played at a nearby park and ate at McDonald's. Did they have a day out or what?

Now, some of you may be wondering what I did without my precious children all afternoon. Well, several months ago my loving husband volunteered my painting expertise to paint new church highway signs, so I spent the afternoon painting! I am now about half way finished with sign number one. What a day!

Look Around

Autum is here; Thanksgiving is two weeks away; Winter is approaching; Christmas will be here before we know it; and then 2007! Wow, how quick time will fly!

I have been watching how quickly the kids are growing up. It was only a few months ago I wondered whether Sebastian would ever talk. He talks all the time now, and I understand a good percent of it. Katherine is learning to write her name and preparing for Kindergarten next year.

As I watch them grow and learn new things every day, I realize how blessed I am. I encourage you to look around this busy season and count your blessings!

The Haircut

Today was an important day in Sebastian's life. He received his first offical haircut. I had been trimming the length in the back for several months, but it was now long on top and needed professional attention.

First, I must tell you that I am not known for being sentimental. (I know for some of you this will be a great shock!) My husband is the more sentimental one. For this reason, he insisted that Sebastian have is haircut at a particular barber shop. I would have been perfectly happy to have it cut where Katherine and I get our hair cut or at the local barber in Valliant. However, I indulged my husband's wishes.

My husband, Wes, had his very first haircut at the local barber shop in Wright City, Oklahoma. We currently live about ten miles from this barber shop, and so we took Sebastian to the same barber shop. Sebastian probably sat in the same chair where Wes sat during his first haircut.

Sebastian received his "First Haircut Certificate" filled out by Johnny Wilson of Slaters Barber Shop in Wright City, Oklahoma.

Weekend Fun in Texas

Katherine and Sebastian enjoyed spending time with their grandpa in Texas a couple weeks ago. Wes, the kids, and I went to Longview, Texas on a Thursday evening and spent some time with my dad. My dad watched Katherine and Sebastian while Wes and I enjoyed dinner out Thursday night. On Friday my dad took the kids to Toys'R'Us then out for lunch at Chuckie Cheeses. Katherine and Sebastian were spoiled, and their grandpa didn't mind a bit! All of us enjoyed the time together.

Pastor Appreciation

October is pastor appreciation month for churches. Our church held a dinner honoring Wes yesterday after our morning worship services. Dean Cummings, a deacon of the church, presented Wes with a wonderful card of appreciation and financial gift. Wes, the kids, and I are truly blessed with a wonderful and caring church family.

To those members who actually read my blog..."Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Being apart of you has truly blessed my life and my family's. Wes, Katherine, Sebastian, and I love you and appreciate you so much."

The fall festival

This evening I took Katherine and Sebastian over to the Idabel fall festival. The festival was held downtown and was a free event. There were booths set up with games for the kids and candy. The most important part of a festival in their minds! However, they didn't actually receive much candy, because they didn't want to wait in line!!! They did manage to wait in line for the two inflatable games. Katherine did the obstacle course, and they played and jumped in the bounce machine.

Katherine dressed up as Winnie-the-Pooh and Sebastian as a bumble bee. They were too cute! (I didn't take pictures, but I will later.)

One of the funniest things that happened was when a lady standing behind us commented to her young son "Look, there's Pooh." Katherine turned around and said "I'm a kid; not Pooh."

First Picture

I have been looking back through pictures and decided to share one of the earliest pictures of Katherine and Sebastian together. Katherine still leans over to give him hugs and kisses. However, he sometimes pushes her away.

Comments are Welcome

A mistake was made during the set up of my blogger account that didn't allow anyone who wasn't a member to leave comments. This problem has been fixed, so you may now tell me how precious, cute, and adorable my children are. I really would welcome any comments you have.

Bed, Car, & Both Kids

Katherine had to be in a picture too!

Bed, Car, & Sebastian

This morning I was doing some internet searching as well as posting on my blog when Katherine calls my attention to Sebastain. The picture you see is what I saw. Yes, he is sitting on a toy car on top of my bed!

The Ride

Katherine has mastered pulling Sebastian in the wagon. Katherine's thrilled and Sebastian isn't too sure about it! They are cute, aren't they?

Busy Week

Last week was a busy week for Wes, the kids, and myself. As you already know, it started with the trip to the emergency room. On Tuesday the four of us spent the afternoon and evening at the First Baptist Church in Hugo for the associational annual meeting. We all had a wonderful time there. Wednesday was our monthly church dinner and business meeting, plus Wes spent part of the day meeting with a family in our church planning a funeral. Then on Thursday, Wes and I each had things to do to prepare for the funeral on Friday. I also was trying to get my house clean and myself packed for a weekend retreat. Friday morning was the funeral at our church, where I sang and Wes preached. As soon as the funeral was over, I bolted home to change clothes and tell the kids "good-bye", so I could attend a minister's wife retreat in Oklahoma City. I arrived back home around 7:30 PM on Saturday only to begin getting ready for Sunday! Wow, what a week for us!

Sebastian vs Mom

In the early hours Sunday morning, Sebastian began to have a hard time sleeping. He awoke and got out of bed several times. On one occasion I found him getting into the pantry. Apparently he was hungry. After putting him in bed several times, I decided to lay him down next to me in bed. Not too long after this, I rolled over to check on him and met his finger with my left eye!

Later that morning I realized my eye was very sensitive to light and my vision was blurred. I awoke Wes and we decided I should see a doctor. After Wes made arrangements for the church service and the kids, we drove to Paris, Texas to the emergency room. As it turned out, I have scratch on my cornea.

It is now three days later, and I am much better. I still feel the scratch on my eye, but the "gold" eye drops I've been taking really help. I am so blessed that all is well.

Game Day Success

After an afternoon of important football, I am relieved to say both of the Texas teams I wanted to win came out on top! I will admit that the Jayhawks out played the Aggies most of the game, and I do have sympathy for them. However, I am still pleased with the out come. I am also glad my husband was studying over at the church instead of watching the game with me. There were several stressful and frustrating moments for me as I watched the game. I experienced some frustration with the 0U vs UT score at half time, but the beginning of the third quarter took care of that for me! All in all it was great day in college football....at least in my house!

Game Day

Today is another great College Football Saturday! As I have said before, I am an Aggie fan. Now most true Aggie fans would never under any circumstances cheer for the Texas Longhorns. However, I have lived too close to Norman and met too many Sooner fans to ever cheer for them. Today is the Red River Shootout... Texas vs. Oklahoma and I, an Aggie fan, will cheer for the Longhorns! The Aggies suffered a loss to another Texas team last week and now face my husbands favorite team, the Kansas Jayhawks. Wes and I will be on opposing sides for this one, but I have a feeling he will come out the winner. Oh well, that's life. By the end of the day Wes and I will be united in our feelings for 0U. (that is a zero, not an O) :-)

Friends

Pictured above is Baler Bain, Sebastian, and Katherine playing in our living room. Yesterday Raeli Jo and Ryan Frunk were over playing with Katherine and Sebastian. Friends are such blessings!

Music Moments

Katherine and Sebastian have been exposed to music since before they were born. Katherine has been singing since she learned to speak. She loves it. Sebastian is just getting where he is interested in singing. When we're in the van, I usually have a Veggie Tales or other music CD playing. Katherine is always singing along and just recently Sebastian has begun to sing. He sounds so cute. He gets about every other word in whatever song is playing. I just love to listen to them sing while I'm driving down the road. Even more precious is the truth of God's love they're learning from the songs they're singing. Music can be such a powerful force in our lives. I am so thankful my children show a love for music and are learning about God is the process of enjoying music.

Sebastian's name

On occasion I am asked how Wes and I came up with the name Sebastian. Here is the story behind our precious son's name.

Wes, Katherine, and I lived in Wynnewood, and Wes was the Youth & Music Minister of First Baptist Church. The Soutee's (an active family within our church and youth group) hosted a young man, Sebastian Hohenester, from Munich, Germany during the 2003-2004 school year. Sebastian became an active part of our church youth group, and Katherine fell in love with him. She, along with just about every girl in town, thought Sebastian was the cutest person ever! He has blond hair, blue eyes, an accent, and is so polite. How could it not be love at first sight!

During the school year we had many opportunities to get to know Sebastian Hohenester. Sebastian was the punter and field goal kicker for the Wynnewood Savages football team. While Wes spent many hours painting the football field Sebastian was practicing his kicks, and they developed a friendship. They would also play tennis together. Katherine and I had the pleasure of getting to know him through church activities. On Sunday evenings after church we would take the students to eat pizza. Sebastian would come with us. He would also come over with Matt Soutee and play video games with Wes. Through all this Katherine really began to feel very comfortable around Sebastian. Once Wes and I were at a basketball game and had to leave for a short period of time. Another church member volunteered to let Katherine sit with her while we left. When Wes and I arrived back at the basketball game, we discovered that during the hour we were gone Katherine was only happy when sitting with Sebastian. She had him wrapped around her finger and she loved him so. By the end of the school year, Katherine would tell you that Sebastian was her boyfriend.

After Wes and I found out that I was pregnant with a little boy we began the process of choosing a name. This was really hard for us, because we could never agree. One afternoon Wes and I were sitting on the couch talking about names. Katherine came in and asked us what we were doing. Wes explained we were coming up with names for her baby bother. With every name we suggested Katherine would shake her head no, so Wes finally asked Katherine what she would name her brother. She thought for a minute and said "Sebastian". And that is how my son got is name.

In May 2005, Sebastian H. met Sebastian K., and Katherine had her two favorite Sebastian's!

Katherine & The Tricycle

Katherine and Sebastian have been keeping me very busy. In fact, I've been so busy that I just haven't had time to post in a while. When I've had a few minutes to turn the computer on I usually get to my email and maybe read Wes' blog before one or both kids are yelling for my attention. There's always something!

In my last post I talked about Wes and I trying to teach Katherine how to ride her new bicycle. Here is what has taken place since... I parked the princess bicycle and decided it was time to try another approach. I knew once she got the hang of consistently pedaling that she would then have no problems with the bicycle. At least this was my hope! So with this new strategy in mind, I had Wes get the big red tricycle out. (This was a Christmas gift last year.) Wes had to make a few adjustments to the seat, add air to the tires, and unhooked the wagon that was attached to the back. I started pushing the tricycle and reminding her to pedal. She finally began to get the hang of it. Once she was pedaling on her own, I challenged her to a race back to the driveway. She took the bait, and she was off. She mastered the tricycle, but she wants to pull Sebastian in the wagon attached to the tricycle before she rides the bike. Now I am wondering what I have gotten myself into!!!

Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Katherine is in the process of learning how to ride her new princess bicycle. Through this process I am seeing how much my daughter is truly like her mother. After a few adjustments of the seat and training wheels, Katherine was ready to go! Wes and I began to explain that she had to keep pedaling or she would stop. Katherine will pedal once or twice then stop. She said "I can't get it, I'm done." Most of you know where she got that attitude from. Wes kept working with her while I played with Sebastian on Katherine's tricycle. At one point, Wes suggested she stand up on the pedals. (He thought it would help get her started, as it did for him when he was a kid.) Katherine attempts to stand up but stops and says "This makes me nervous!" Wes looked over at me and smiled. Oh how I could see myself!!

Katherine & Jonah

On Sunday evenings at church, Wes has been preaching through the book of Jonah. Now Katherine sits in the service with me on Sunday nights and is usually busy coloring when her daddy gets up to preach. This particular Sunday night she was tired and decided to sit in my lap. As Wes got up to begin preaching, I opened her bible to the book of Jonah. I knew Katherine knew the story of Jonah, so I explained that her daddy would be preaching about Jonah. She so innocently looked at me and whispered "How does my daddy know about Jonah?". I smiled and explained because it was in the bible.

Favorite Time of Year

One of my favorite times of the year has arrived... College Football Season!!! I grew up in Texas where football is a BIG deal. Not to mention, my father is a huge Dallas Cowboy fan, and I have two uncle's who played college football. I could either hate football or embrace it. I admit for a time I did not embrace it, but by the time I hit high school I found myself enjoying the game. After high school I discovered I missed going to football games and thus began my appreciation for college football. It still took several years, but I began to fall for the college football rivalry. Being from Texas the big rivalry was University of Texas vs Texas A & M. I began to cheer for the Aggies. I had several friends who where attending there, and one who even played some football for them. Texas A & M was just a school I had always been interested in, but it was not where I choose to attend college. I am not a true Aggie, but am an Aggie at heart! Gig'em Aggies!!!

Katherine and Sebastian are my little aggies in trainning. Katherine can already sing the whole Aggie War Hymn. She was able to recongize the A & M logo before she was two. When Sebastian was born, he was delivered by an Aggie! Katherine has been helping me cheer on the Aggies for several seasons now, and this year Sebastian can join us. Katherine and I have been teaching him the Gig'em hand signal. He's just about got it!

Deb's Day

Today I turned 34! I was awakened this morning by my beautiful daughter, Katherine Grace, who wished me happy birthday (after her daddy whispered a reminder in her ear). What a sweet way to start off my special day. Katherine expressed to Wes that the two of them were to make me a chocolate cake topped with chocolate icing, which they did this afternoon. All through out the day Katherine talked about what a special day it was and wished me happy birthday. Tonight my family sang "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and then we all enjoyed a piece of very rich chocolate cake. I had a wonderful birthday!!

Swimming Fun

Here is Katherine and Sebastian having fun in Grandpa's pool.

Picture of Kate

My goal in starting THE KENNEY NEWS was so friends and family could read about Katherine and Sebastian's daily activities and view pictures of them. I know many of our friends and family love seeing pictures, so this is why I am always posting pictures of the kids. Another reason is that I think Katherine and Sebastian are the cutest children in the world. Sorry if some of you parents disagree!

I do hope Katherine and Sebastian's smiling faces bring you a smile when you open this site. They bring many smiles to me.

Bedtime Routine

Wes and I decided when we moved Katherine from her baby crib into her toddler bed at about 18 months old that we would do our best to establish a regular bedtime routine. For Katherine's first Christmas her Aunt Julia and Uncle Scott had given her the book Goodnight Moon. Wes and I began tucking her into bed, reading Goodnight Moon, and saying a prayer with her. It wasn't too long before she could quote every word of Goodnight Moon along with praying with us. Her prayers were as follows: "Dear God, Thank you for my mom, my dad, and my George."(George was our golden retriever) We still continue this bedtime routine even though she has outgrown her toddler bed and now request other more grown up books. However, the prayer hasn't changed all that much. She now quotes: "Dear God, Thank you for my mom, my dad, my George, and my brother." We no longer have George, but that doesn't stop Katherine from praying for him. She has begun to pray for her friends just recently too. The first time she prayed for all the friends in her Sunday School class and their siblings, I just melted. It really touched my heart! I am so proud that my daughter wants to pray for the people she loves.

We have started reading Goodnight Moon to Sebastian now as we tuck him into bed. Katherine loves to help, and it really has brought back memories of our time with her. I know it won't be long until Sebastian is quoting every word of the book also. He already starts saying "moon" and pointing to the book after his bedtime bath. I know it won't be long until I am writing about Sebastian praying for his friends. Wow!

Sebastian Moments

Being a mom is most wonderful job in whole world! However, there are days that those precious children can and do drive me crazy! Read on and Enjoy.

Sebastian is my sweet and loving little boy. When you pick him up he will usually lay his head on your shoulder and give you a hug. Sometimes he will rub or pat your back too. He will crawl up and sit in my lap, and I deeply cherish these times. When Sebastian wakes up in the mornings he will come into my room and sweetly say "momma". It is such a precious little voice! He will nod his head yes and say "uha" while running into the kitchen when I ask him if he wants breakfast. At times he will stop playing and come into the kitchen and just smile at me before heading back to play. These are all precious moments, and I try to tuck them away in my memory.

Sebastian has accomplished the challenge of opening doors. He can open all the doors in our house including the pantry door. More than once Sebastian has decided he was hungry and gotten into the pantry dumping whatever he was eating onto the kitchen floor. So far I have vacuumed cheerios, kix, rice chex, and nilla wafers up. Sebastian also loves to climb. Apparently, the dining room table looked like a good challenge for him, and he accomplished it. My very accomplished son loves to take baths. I discovered that he can climb into the bath tub on his own. He was sitting in the bath tub with a couple bath toys and his shampoo bottle. He was attempting to shampoo his hair. Needless to say, he did get his wish for a bath!

As I look back on these moments and tuck them away into my memory, I realize what a wonderful gift I have been given in being Katherine and Sebastian's mom. There are days when everything flows wonderfully and others where I wonder if I will make through the next hour, but I would not trade being a stay at home for anything. I am very blessed to have Katherine and Sebastian and oh how I love them so!!!

A Summer Evening

Last Thursday while Wes and I were in Tulsa the high reached to 116 degrees. That is just hot! Katherine and Sebastian love to play outside, but it has been so hot that we have been staying inside. We do spend some time outside in the evening, but it usually still in the 90's and sometimes in the 100's. On Monday evening it was really hot, and Wes put up the water slide. Sebastian and Katherine enjoyed being outside and getting wet! They had a blast and were then wore out for bed! A plus for all! :-)

More birthday?

On Friday, August 11th the kids and I celebrated Katherine's birthday with her grandma, grandpa, and uncle in Muskogee. Katherine had a blast opening more presents and eating even more birthday cake! Grandpa and grandma also have a pool which Katherine and Sebastian love. We decided not to go to the lake on this trip, but we still spent plenty of time in the water! We all had a wonderful time visiting and celebrating with Katherine!

I think this was the last birthday party for Katherine until next year! Three a year seems pretty good to me!

Kate's Day

Today is my precious girl's 4th birthday. Katherine had a party with several of her friends last Saturday, and today she has celebrated with her mom, dad, and Sebastian. She has spent the day playing with some of her new birthday presents. She will again celebrate her birthday this weekend with her grandparents and uncle in Muskgoee, Oklahoma. She is very excited to be four, and she's loving all the parties!

Arctic Edge Highlights

Highlights of Vacation Bible School at Trinity Baptist Church in Valliant, Oklahoma.

Birthday Flashback

Tuesday, August 1st was a big day in our house....Wes had a birthday! I decided to remind him of a childhood memory. The kids and I gave him an atari flashback! Yes, you can go back to the 80's!! The "new" atari flashback comes loaded with several games. I watched as my husband sat on the floor with his children on either side of him playing his new atari. All three were glued to the TV! It was a sight!
For those of you who might not remember the atari, please don't tell Wes. It will just make him feel older!

VBS Week

The last week has kept Wes, the kids, and I very busy. We had vacation bible school Monday through Friday at our church from 6-8:45pm. There were not as many children as we would have liked, but those that did attend had great time! We closed out the week Sunday night with Parents Night. I was worried that no one would show up for the parents night, but I was pleasently surprised. There was probably only one or two kids who did not return. The week ended very well.

Brown Family Visit

On July 17th we were blessed to have Jaime (Wes' sister) and her new family with us. We were able to meet Jaime's husband, Jessie, and their new baby girl, Maya. The visit was rather short, but it was great to visit with them. Maya was the star in our house. Katherine couldn't wait to see and hold her. It was all about Katherine's cousin Maya! Katherine beamed love for Maya. Sebastian had a different take on Maya. He was fine with having a new baby around as long as his mom had nothing to do with her. I was able to hold and cuddle Maya, but Sebastian was always right there with me. Katherine was usually right there too. As I said earlier, we were blessed to have time with Maya, Jaime, and Jessie!

Jentes Tradition

Being a Jentes means certain things. One of which is you MUST enjoy ice cream. (Eating corn especially corn on the cob is another, but that's also another topic!)

I remember on Saturday mornings my dad letting me eat ice cream for breakfast. Keep in mind by the time I got up for breakfast my dad would have been working outside for several hours, so it wasn't really breakfast time to him. My dad says now he doesn't remember the ice cream for breakfast, but he will tell you I would page him on his work voice pager(remember those?) around 4pm just about every other day to bring home ice cream. It wasn't just any ice cream either...It was Blue Bell ice cream!

One of traditions at the Jentes reunion is to eat ice cream. There was homemade ice cream, but of course, it was devoured quickly. Not a problem, there was more store bought ice cream in the freezer. Both Katherine and Sebastian had eaten some homemade ice cream earlier in the day. After swimming, it was time for a second round of ice cream. This time Sebastian missed out, because he was sound asleep in his stroller. Katherine is pictured above eating her ice cream with her new family friends. (I think they are distant cousins.)

By the way, can you tell which one is Katherine? Those girls looked like twins. It was amazing to see them together. I wish I would have gotten a better picture of them!

Flying

Katherine had a unique experience while visiting in Ohio. My Uncle Charles owns a Moony airplane in which he took Katherine flying. She loved it except for the landing! Now, the actual landing was smooth and not really the problem for Katherine. She didn't like the landing, because she was not ready to get back on the ground. While in the air we flew over my aunt and uncle's house and the farm where the reunion had been held. Katherine was able to see the swimming pool where she had been swimming just days before. She thought that was really pretty cool. I must admit that one of my very first memories is of my uncle taking me up in his plane, so I am thrilled that this will probably be one of Katherine's first memories also! Wes however was really jealous of Katherine! It was a great experience for her and myself as well.

New Cousin

Maya Brown was born on June 22 and shares a birthday with her great grandpa Kenney. Maya's proud parents are Jaime and Jessie. Katherine is already in love with her new cousin. She loves her and can't wait to see her. Sebastian isn't all that interested. However, someday I bet he will be playing with her and his big sister at their grandparents!

Reunion

The kids and I left on Tuesday, June 28th for Little Rock, Arkansas. There we spent the night at Dean and Diane's before heading off to Wooster, Ohio for the Jentes family reunion. The kids and I left our van at Dean and Diane's, and we loaded up with my dad in his truck. After a long ride in the truck, several stops, and a short hotel stay, we arrived in Smithville, OH at my Uncle Charles and Aunt Elaine's. The kids did great traveling! It helped that their grandpa Homer had a DVD player for them to watch movies on too! However, we were very ready to be out of the truck!!!

The kids and I were in Ohio for the Jentes reunion, which was held on July 1st at the Earl Jentes Farm. (This farm is where my dad grew up, so he always enjoyes visiting and seeing all the upgrades to the farm.) The reunion was great! I was able to see family that I hadn't seen in a long time, and meet some that I had only heard about or seen pictures of until then. Katherine and Sebastian had a good time as well. Earl and his family have a large swimming pool on the farm, so the kids were able to swim. This was a big hit with Katherine. However, I had left the kids swim suits back at my aunt and uncle's, so we had to do some improvising. Luckily, I had a change of clothes for both kids, so they swam in their clothes. One of my distant cousins even had "little swimmers" pants for Sebastian. At first, Katherine was really upset that she would have to swim in her clothes, but she soon realized it would be okay! All is well that ends well!

My dad, the kids, myself, and Dean (who had flown up for the reunion), began our travel home Monday, July 3rd around 5pm. Dean and my dad took turns and drove all night arriving in Little Rock around 9am. The kids and I spent several hours at Dean and Diane's before heading to Valliant. The kids and I made it home around 5pm on July 4th. It was great to get home!!!

Two Day Vacation

We took a family trip to Muskogee, Oklahoma where the kids had a wonderful time with their grandparents. On Thursday evening the kids went swimming in the pool after it quit raining. Friday we loaded up the kids, food, and wave runners and went to the lake. It was a wonderful time for all. Wes and I played with the lake toys, while grandparents had the pleasure of being entertained by Katherine and Sebastian! I think the grandparents were tired by the time we left. Katherine and Sebastian kept them very busy!

More pictures of our trip and entertaining stories to come. However, tonight I am going to bed!!!

Sebastian story

This was the scene on Monday night when I checked in on Sebastian before I headed to bed. Isn't he cute and precious? And yes, I know!

I must share a funny story about Sebastian and yesterday. When Raeli and Ryan arrived Sebastian was still sleeping. Just after they came inside Sebastian woke up. As he came out of his room he saw me, Raeli, Ryan, Katherine, and Cyndi all standing in the kitchen. Sebastian turned right around and headed back into his room onto his bed. It was almost as if he thought "I don't think so...maybe I should go back to bed!" Cyndi and I laughed at his facial expression and reaction. This is probably one of those moments where you need to have been there to really experience the humor of the situation, but I couldn't help but share it anyway.

Best Friends

Katherine and Sebastian had their friends from church over today, Raeli Jo and Ryan Frunk. Raeli and Katherine think of themselves as best friends most of the time. They are two months apart in age. Raeli turned four last week, and Katherine will be four in August. They are both 'big' sisters, and the age difference between them and their younger brothers is just about the same too. Ryan and Sebastian are three months apart.

I had the four of them today! It was an interesting afternoon. The girls played together in the girls room, while the boys basicly played independently. However, with the girls there was drama all afternoon. One minute they were best friends and the next they didn't want to play together at all. Honestly, Katherine was being rather bossy, so I don't blame Raeli for not wanting to play with her. However, later it was Raeli's turn to return the orders!

All in all the four kids got along rather well, and I think Raeli and Katherine parted as friends. Tomorrow is another day!

Home!!!!

Wes has made it home! Katherine, Sebastian, and I are thrilled that Wes has made it safety back to us. He arrived Friday night around 9 PM, later than we all wanted, but home no less! Katherine and Sebastian had made welcome home signs with my help. We had planned to have them outside in the yard, but since it was rainning they remained inside on the wall. Either way Katherine was proud of her signs for her dad. Katherine kept telling me she wanted to hide and surprise her dad when he came home. However, all Wes had to do was say Katherine's name and she came running! Sebastian was right behind her too! It is wonderful to have us all home!

On the way HOME!

Katherine, Sebastian, and I survived the week without Wes! He will be home today! Katherine, Sebastian, and I are so thrilled that Wes is on his way home. Yesterday he drove from Greensboro, NC to Franklin, TN where he spent the night with family. He took Glen and Katie, his cousin and cousin's girlfreind, out to dinner last night. When the kids and I spoke to him last, he was headed back to go to bed. He should be driving home as I write.

Wes said he had a good week, and seems to be recharged spiritually. I am looking forward to getting all the details of the convention from him and hearing what God has shown him this past week.

The Sleeping Prince & Princess

The sleeping prince and princess above managed to kick their favorite mom out of her king size bed! This was the scene two nights ago. Katherine had fallen asleep in my bed while I was finishing up something in another room. My back had been a little sore, so I decided not to move her. I crawled in on the other side and went to sleep. Several hours later, I woke up to hear Sebastian crying in his room. I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't want to sit with him in his room until he fell back asleep. I elected to let him lay next to me and fall asleep. He went right to sleep, and I got up because I still wasn't feeling well. When I came back to bed I discovered that two little children can take up most of a king size bed. I guess they thought I wouldn't mind sleeping in an "L" shaped position at the bottom of the bed. I managed to squeeze myself back into bed. However, I was so tired when Sebastian woke up around 6:15 AM. The next night my two beautiful children were in their own beds, and I slept so much better!!!

Kids Pool

Katherine and Sebastian got a pool last weekend to keep cool. As you can see from the picture they have a great time playing in the water. Sebastian's main goal is to have every toy out of the water or in the smaller section of the pool. He doesn't like to sit down in the water much and does NOT like to have the palm tree spray water! Katherine loves to have me splash water on the slide, so she can slide down it easier. Sebastian thinks the slide is for climing up and out! Both concepts keep me very busy!

This picture was taken last week when Wes was around to help. I learned how to get the water emptied out and the pool put back into the storage building, which was a bigger job than I realized. Normally, Wes takes care of emptying the pool while I take care of the kids. After trying to pick the pool up, still being mostly full of water, I called Wes for help! He then explained a rather simple concept to me of standing on one of the corners while the water runs over my feet untill I can pick it up and turn the pool over. What a concept huh?

Now that I have discovered how to empty the pool, the kids I find it a great way to end our afternoons.

Wes' Venture

Katherine, Sebastian, and I have been on our own since about noon on Thursday. Wes is traveling to the Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has done a little family visiting while on the road too. Wes stopped in Little Rock Thursday night to spend some time with my brother and sister, Dean and Diane. It was Diane's 26th birthday, so they all went out to celebrate. Wes was then onto Franklin, Tennessee to spend the night with his aunt and her family. Today is traveling again, but tonight will be in a hotel before heading onto Greensboro Sunday afternoon. Wes is truly looking forward to his week ahead. The kids and I look forward to his safe return home!

Naptime

Katherine and Sebastian take afternoon naps. The schedule usually is right after lunch they take a nap. Sebastian is almost always ready to go right to sleep. Katherine however is never tired or at least that is what she thinks. Anyway, on Wednesday I took Sebastian into his room and did the normal nap time routine. After I walked out of the room, I heard him get up. I decided to head into the bathroom before going back into Sebastian's room. (Now, you need to know I keep the baby monitor on the counter in my bathroom.) Before I knew it Katherine comes into the bathroom turns the monitor on and says "Mom, Sebastian is up and I turned the monitor on so you could hear!" I decided to thank her for her help and let her know I would take care of Sebastian in just a couple minutes. It was really very funny!

It did take several times of me putting Sebastian back into his bed that afternoon, but he and Katherine did get their naps!

The Princess Room

Katherine loves her new room. She loves being able to keep Sebastian out of her closet where her toys are, and yet she loves having Sebastian play in her room with her. Sebastian likes Katherine's bed, as it is lower than the one previously in that room. Katherine is slowly getting use to Sebastian having his own room. She still thinks she has as much control over things in his room as hers. She wasn't real happy with me when I moved the furniture around in his room.

As I stated in the last post, Katherine's princess style bedroom will be a work in progress over the summer. I did drape some pink, purple, and off white thule across the headboard of her bed, which has made her very happy. Katherine told me today she wants her daddy and I to paint her room. I am guessing...Pink! I'm not sure on that project just yet. However, I do have several painting projects to keep me busy. I want to paint her dresser, which was my mom's built for her by her dad. I think I will paint it white to match the bed. I also have a couple of shelves that I want to paint. I have come up with a cute idea for a lamp too, if I can find all the items to decorate it. Plus, I am on the lookout for bedding for Katherine's queen size bed.

I will keep udating our progress and any other interesting stories provided by Katherine or Sebastian.

Growing Up

Wes and I have been busy working on Katherine's new bedroom. She has been sleeping in our guest room during the afternoon nap, and she has gotten used to sleeping in the 'big' bed. Wes and I decided that it was time to let her have her own room. When we moved into our current house Katherine specifically asked to share a room with Sebastian. She still likes the idea, but it makes sense for her to have her own room. We had a black four post metal frame bed in our storage building that Wes painted white for Katherine. We are planning on making her bed a princess style bed between now and her birthday. It will be a work in progress until then. Today we did get the bed set up, and she is thrilled. Tomorrow comes the task of moving her clothes and toys to her new room.

Sebastian is also growing into a new room. Wes and I put the baby bed in which Sebastian was sleeping into the storage building. Sebastian is now sleeping in Katherine's old toddler bed. (Katherine thinks this is cool, but she reserves the right to take it back when visitors come!) I have placed his crib mattress on the floor beside the toddler bed in case he fell out. However, last night he stayed next to the wall! Sebastian is looking forward to getting the pink toys out of his room. (At least that is what his dad is looking forward to)

Wes and I hope to have both rooms finished by Katherine's birthday in August. If you wish to donate to this project feel free to contact Wes or I anytime.

Will post a picture of bedroom at a later time.

Katherine & Sebastian

Last night Wes, the kids, and I went out to dinner at a local mexican restaurant. A friend from church, Arline Williams, went with us. Towards the end of dinner I was talking to Wes about something that happened last week on my vacation to Tennessee. I look over at Sebastian and he has his hands over his ears, as to say "who cares mom...I'm not listening!" We laughed at him and, Wes commented on how he understood Sebastian's feeling. It was really funny. Later, we had stopped to buy new windshield wipers for the van and get some gas. Wes had bought some great dark chocolate that we were all sharing. We look back at Katherine and she had chocolate all over her face. She had asked for a wipe to clean her hands, but she didn't realize how bad her face looked. We all got another good laugh thanks to Katherine. Sebastian and Katherine bring so much joy into our lives. Wes and I do love them so!!!!

Tennesse Trip

The kids and I spent a week in Franklin, TN visiting the Posthuma's. Wes' cousin, Glen, graduated from Franklin High School on Sunday evening. The kids and I made the trip with Ruby Lee, Wes' grandmother. We had a wonderful week celebrating Glen's graduation and being with family. Both the kids were spoiled by their great Aunt and Uncle! Katherine was still a little unsure about Glen, but Lee was another story. Katherine was in the middle of Lee and her friends most of the week. Personally, I think Lee really loved it too! It was a long drive, but the fun we shared made it all worth it!

Family Photos

Our extended family (mainly grandparents) has been after me to have a family photo taken. About three weeks ago, I finally managed to make an appointment and get a our picture taken. The proofs were great, and of course I had to order a few extra. The photographs are now in, and I am working to get a photo in the mail to all family members.