Our First Year (& 3 months) in Texas

GOAL!!!

Sebastian scored his first-ever goal in a hockey game this week. I think he was more excited than his parents, but only by a little. He's #2 in black. Enjoy!

33 Days and Counting....

The kids have been back to school for 33 days now, and we are enjoying our year.  Katherine is in the 5th grade and Sebastian is in 2nd grade.  They are doing well, and Wes and I are very proud of them.

We've started our local park day with other homeschoolers and already been on a couple field trips with several SWBTS homeschoolers.   

Sebastian has finished his Saturday learn to skate hockey lessons and is now part of Dallas Stars Youth Hockey.  He has practices three times a week and will find out what team he is on next week.  He will get to play weekly games and one game will be played at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, where the Dallas Stars play,  sometime during the hockey season.  He loves being on the ice and is learning a great deal.

Katherine is taking ballet once a week and loving it.  She is learning something new each week and constantly dancing around.

Katherine is not taking piano lessons for the first time in four years, but she is still playing.  She needed a break, and Wes and I thought it best to allow her to do so.

Katherine is involved in Girls in Action at church on Sunday evenings as well as Bible Drill and Activate on Wednesday nights.

Sebastian is involved in Royal Ambassadors on Sunday evenings and Activate on Wednesday.  He will also take part in a new believers class called You're a Christian, Now What? on Sundays for the next 4 weeks.

Wes and I are constantly amazed at how Katherine and Sebastian are growing and changing daily.  They are such blessings, and we are extremely blessed to be their parents.  We love them so much and are proud of them.

A Lazy Summer

Here's what we've been up to this summer?
~Hockey Lessons every Saturday
~Three two week sessions of swim lessons
~Wes to the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, LA.
~Jon & Diane's vow renewal (my sister & brother-in-law)
~Vacation Bible School at our church
~Birthday parties & Wedding showers
~Summer children's choir
~Church summer reading club
~Took in a few Texas Rangers games at The Ballpark in Arlington
~Dean & Mandy's wedding (brother & new sister-in-law)
~Legoland & Sea Life Aquarium trip with the church 
~And many afternoon trips to Central or Chisholm Aquatics Center, Six Flags amusement park, and Hurricane Harbor water park.

We didn't have any big tips or vacations this year, but we did stay busy.  We are getting back into our full time school routine this week.  The kids started school on Monday, and Wes begins classes tomorrow (Thursday, August 23rd).  We had a great summer and are looking forward to a fantastic autumn.

Sebastian's Newest Adventure

Birchman's Amazing Wonders Aviation Musical

Clips from our church's vacation bible school musical.

Hockey Nut

Swim Lessons

Katherine and Sebastian took their first session of swim lessons May 29th - June 8th.

When I registered them they were not excited.  They'd never had swim lessons and didn't know what to expect.  Wes and I assured them they'd end up enjoying the class, but they were not to be convinced.

After the first day of class they decided it wasn't so bad, and they even looked forward to going the next day.  (Wow, the parents might have been right about this one!)

Katherine & Sebastian finished the Level Two class at the Hurst Aquatics Center on Friday, June 8th.  After showing off their skills for all the parents,  the students were rewarded with free swim play time.

I am very proud of them and signed them up for 2 more sessions this summer.  They will begin their second session Monday at 8:15 AM.  Katherine will be in Level Three and Sebastian will either be in Level Two again or if he's improved on his backstroke & freestyle onto Level Three. 

Fun at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington

 Sebastian, Wes, and our friend Bart Barber, riding the Texas Giant on Homeschool day.

 Jim & Bart Barber, Sebastian & Wes, and Katherine & I riding La Vibora

 Sebastian & Wes on the Titan

 Katherine with Sebastian & Wes on her first Texas Giant ride!

 The guys back on the Titan.

 Now it's time for a boys only trip!  

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Angels vs Rangers

A Day at the Fort Worth Zoo

Easter Art Project

Katherine and Sebastian are taking an art class at the Hurst Recreation Center on Wednesday mornings.  The first couple classes before Easter they each made a paper mache egg.   They called them ostrich eggs as they were rather large.

Kilgore City Park

Back in February the kids and I spent a couple days visiting my sister in Kilgore, Texas.  One evening I took the kids to the city park where I experimented using different settings on my camera.  The kids were willing to pose for a few shots.  Here are a few...

 *Remember I was experimenting and learning different settings, so these aren't the best quality.

Is Anyone There?

The Kenney's have not fallen off the planet!  We're just busy learning and living, and I haven't taken the time to blog.  I've got some pictures to post and maybe I'll get around to doing that sometime during the next month, but if not just know that we are still alive and doing well. :-)

Valentine's Day

Our family celebrated valentine's with an excellent dinner together.  Wes served us grilled steaks & German sausage with fresh asparagus and mashed potatoes.  It was delicious!  Here are the kids with their valentine treats from their dad:

They're so cute!

Kate's Artwork

SWBTS Homeschool Valentine Party

For the party I volunteered to make 2 batches of rice krispy treats and bring wheat thins with ranch dip.  Katherine was sweet enough to help by preparing the ranch dip and helped with the rice krispy treats.   She also assisted me in gathering the craft supplies I volunteered to bring.  Sebastian helped by staying out of our way.

At the party there were between 30-40 kids plus adults.  There were two areas set up for crafts.  One table where the kids could make a valentine craft and another table set up for the kids to make valentine cards for the children at Cook Children's Medical Center.  There was a bounce house set up for the kids as well as plenty of snacks for everyone.  Some of the kids exchanged valentine cards while others opted out.


Katherine and Sebastian had a great time with their friends, and I enjoyed visiting with several of the moms. 


Sorry, no pictures this time around.  :-(

January Recap (Updated)

~ We spent the last day in 2011 cheering on our Texas Aggies as they beat Northwestern University.

We enjoyed the game with my brother, Dean Jentes, and Uncle Jim Whitacker before driving back to Hurst, where we would ring in the New Year with those in New York's Time Square via the TV.  :-)
~ We watched the last of the 2011/12 college football games, and we're ready for the 2012/13 season to begin.
~ Wes and I celebrated our 16th anniversary. Katherine & Sebastian brought us breakfast in bed (french toast & bacon), and they sang us a song they'd written just for us.  We are so blessed and have the best kids EVER!!!!
~ The first week of 2012 the kids and I eased back into a school routine.
~ The kids and Wes got new bicycles, and we began riding together as a family.
~ Katherine began an 8 week art class at the Hurst Recreation Center on Wednesday mornings.
~ Katherine's 2nd semester of piano lessons began.
~ I attended the Lifeway Amazing Wonders Aviation 2012 VBS Preview Event in Fort Worth.
~ Katherine & Sebastian began an 8 week homeschool P.E. class at the Hurst Recreation Center on Mondays. Since attending these homeschool classes we've made new friends and found a local homeschool group that meets at the park on Mondays when the weather permits.  :-)

~ We had a family photo taken for our church directory, and Sebastian wore his first full fledged suit.  He wasn't as thrilled about it as the rest of us were.

~We were back at the American Airlines Center to cheer on the Dallas Stars as they played the Detroit Redwings.

~Wes and I were blessed to have a date night when some friends volunteered to have our kids over for a movie night at their house.  :-)
~ Wes began his 2nd semester at SWBTS and is currently in Jacksonville, Florida, at a pastors conference, which is also three hours credit for this semester.  :-)


Next month the kids begin children's choir at SWBTS.  They will also each be participating in a different activity offered at SWBTS Recreation Activity Center (known as the RAC).  Katherine will be in Ballet, and Sebastian is going to learn Tae Kwon Do.  I'm looking forward to some reading time while they're in choir practice each week and a little personal exercise time while they're in Ballet & Tae Kwon Do.

This is all the news/updates I can come up with, so enjoy your last weekend in January 2012.

* On the last Saturday of January 2012 the kids and I took the TRE (Trinity Railway Express) to the Americian Airlines Center, where we saw the NASA Orion Spacecraft before going inside the AAC to see the Harlem Globetrotters.

 We enjoyed watching the Harlem Globetrotters, but my favorite part was seeing my kids have such a good time.  It was a great afternoon!