Duerksen Christmas

After Christmas Day passed, we waited a few more days before celebrating with Chelan's side of the family. Treg, Candace, and the boys arrived from California on the 29th - very early in the morning (1:30 in the morning, to be exact)! Getting reacquainted did not take long:

We celebrated Christmas over a couple of evenings with lots of food, fun games, gifts, a large plastic- wrap ball, and most importantly, catching up on more than a year's time! We started off with a shrimp boil:

We even had some verenika the next night:

Grandma explains the big ball of plastic wrap. They each ended up with 3 little gifts after unwrapping all of it!

Time for the cousins' gift exchange!

a hedgehog pillow from Cale

New Legos from Chayce

a Kendama from Finn - we had never heard
of those, but it's quite fun and it does take a
certain amount of skill to master it!

Playing with Boden's new tractors from Cambry

Grandma and Grandpa gave the grandchildren these letters made from old chains off of farm equipment - quite clever!

perhaps the 3 and 5 year olds can figure this puzzle out?

instructions!

Look what Chelan found under the soup
can label!

The oldest and the youngest hard at work!

new coloring books!

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Pre-Christmas Surprise

On Dec. 22, I woke up to Caiden not feeling well. In fact, he said he hadn't ever felt the kind of pain he was experiencing that morning. Reluctantly, I made an appointment. Long story, short - it was good he complained because he ended up having his appendix out that afternoon! It must have been at the very beginning stages and thankfully hadn't burst. So, we were in and out of the hospital by midnight that night. Maybe the worst part about the whole thing is that his wisdom teeth surgery had to be postponed since it was supposed to be the very next week. He'll go back to school minus an appendix, but still having his wisdom teeth until February 16! Pre-op Post-op

League Champs!!

Delaney and her teammates had an amazing volleyball season! They ended the season undefeated in the Wheat State League, and they only lost 2 matches overall. They had a notable win over Moundridge, 2 wins over Elyria, and THREE wins over Little River - all teams we have had trouble with in the past. They were so fun to watch, working as a team and developing throughout the season, and they ended as the league tournament champs. Thanks to Raechel Boese and Tara Churchill for their work with these ladies. What a fantastic way to end Delaney's middle school volleyball days! The immediate aftermath of a 3-set win over Elyria for the League Championship! A Team 8th Graders Team Selfie Coaches Churchill and Boese Scenes from the BIG win over Moundridge:

Mid-Summer Happenings

I'm trying to remember that I craved "slow and easy" days during the school year, and I feel like that's what I've had this summer. It has been refreshing to wake up in the morning and have a flexible to-do list; although I have to admit that some days do feel long. I suppose that helps me appreciate my teaching job! In not particular order, here's what we've been up to: Endless fixing and revamping in the shop: Digging up potatoes and pulling up a generous onion crop! Look at the size of that potato! The 4th of July fireworks were outdone by the sky this year! Enjoying my walks at sunset: Many, many green beans to can and pickle. Thanks to the girls for cleaning and stemming them! I had been keeping tabs on an Oriole nest near the garden, and one Sunday, I witnessed the "fly-away!" It was a noisy affair as the parents and babies kept calling back and forth. I almost can't get over the fact that I had time to stand and watch the whole affair

Days With the Duerksens

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