Back on the Blog

Okay familly... I miss hearing what's going on, seeing pictures, getting updates, etc. So let's pick this thing back up. Upload your pictures - we'd love to see a sonogram picture of Roman, pics of Kimberly's fam, updates on Michelle's trip, and everybody else and their goings on!!!!

Love you and can't wait to stay better caught up with you all.

Love,
Kelley

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hey, I don't have any pics of me but I thought I'd share some pictures of my class from the school performance.

This was our class play. It was pretty much as ridiculous as it looks.

This is the very authentic African narrator in Tribal cotume.

Everyone was very excited, especially the girls the 'very beautiful' bunny suits.

These picutres are of our class dance "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile."

Yes, that's a high-kick line. We were very endeavorous with our choreography.

The boys were actually a bit upset about there costumes. Sadly, these were the best costumes in the catalogue. Koreans have some crazy ideas about what they think looks good! The girls, of course, thought that their own costumes were beautiful.

Ah, yes, the grand finalle. I was so relieved when all of this was over. The kids said they had fun, but man was it a lot of work. Anyways, that's what I was up to last month.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! I'll see you all soon!

Evans Christmas

April,

We made a short video as a family on Christmas Eve. It's for you AND your class!!! Here's the link... hope it works ok.

Love you! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8igaOx6aRYc

Kirkland family pics

So here's a few of our latest family pictures... wanna good laugh? Jason's ex Jessica took our family pictures for us. Hope you're all well. Love ya!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm. I'll have to suffer through a few more hours of cold (it's 9 degrees, but it feels like -5!) and then I'll be off to the Philippines.

A few weeks ago my kindergarten students realized that I have a family at home. I showed them a few pictures from this blog and needless to say they were shocked and amazed. I told them that we could make a video and put it on. So, here it is (^_^) the one and only video of Korean children singing for the Evans clan. They were so excited that they got nervous and would hardly say a word, but I swear, normally that chat my ears off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FP_10WwfK4

Anywho, I wanted to say that I miss everyone and send my love. I can't believe that in a few months I'll be home already, giving you the hugs, kisses and love that I wish I could give you right now.

Merry Christmas!!!

<3 April

Thanksgiving Day

Jada at the firestation. July 24th at Griffin Road Fire Department.

Photos

Picture at Mom and Dad's. More to come!!!

Random Pictures

Apparently April has requested pictures.... well you are so far away that you know you get precedence... so here you go!!!

Piacente Halloween!

OK, so I'm finally sending you pics of the kids in their halloween costumes. You must know that I did NOT start sewing them until tha Monday before Halloween. I know, I'm nuts.

So here they are:

Roark: he is a Satyr, like from Greek Myths, the goat/man. It's hard to see in the pictures I guess, but his pants are furry, and he's wearing a "leather" vest and a quiver for his arrows. He wanted to be like the Satyr from Percy Jackson an the Olympians, the book, not the movie :-)

Cameron: he is Ang, from Avatar: The Last Air Bender. His turned out great!!

Brigham: is Jet Ray fron Ben 10 Ultimate Alien (cartoon) When he lifts his arms you can see the yellow underside of his wings, as well as a tail :-)

Katherine: is Princess Tiana, thank goodness I had the sense to BUY her costume!! she is awfully cute:-)

They had a great Halloween!

My Stunt Riding Day

So I know you've all heard about my little accident. But I thought you'd like to hear the dramatic retelling of the story. Alright... ahem... so - Ryland and Ema were bored - more than usual. Jason decided to give them something to do and together they decided to build a bike ramp. They used the front-end loader, made a pile of dirt, and laid a piece of plywood on top to keep it sturdy. During all this, I was making a new recipe for dinner - AND getting it done ahead of time. I decide that some Jiffy cornbread would be GREAT with the Cheese Soup ( Kirkland family recipe) I just made FROM SCRATCH!!! I hop in the Mitsubi i (the other letters are missing off the back) to go to the store, but drive back down our little dirt driveway to find everybody. Everyone was down admiring the new bike ramp and watching Ryland jump it with perfect form - making it look like it was a mere bump in the road and not a 2 foot high pile of dirt with a piece of plywood on it- which by the way was angled up at a steeper angle than it looked like. As I drive back I see Ema nervously deciding to try the jump. As she prepares herself and gets last minute pointers from Ryland on form, speed, etc., I bossy-like tell Jason ( in an annoying tone, mind you) "Jason, she has on Crocs. She needs to have on tennis shoes. Please make sure after this pass that she gets on lace up shoes - she is going to get hurt!" So Ema goes over the jump, VERY SLOW, and almost eats it when the bike nose dives off the end. She is OK though - a little shook up, but ok. I think she was saying she couldn't do it, kinda being hard on herself, etc. About this time I am thinking about her, and then how I am afraid of the jump... and think it's a miracle she survived intact. THEN COMES THE MOMENT OF STUPIDITY. I realize I would never want to make that jump, that I've never jumped a bike, and that the thought scares me. That is a recipe for disaster, because I don't like being afraid of things like that, especially not ones that my kids are willing and able to try. Also, I wanted Ema to see that I could try too, even if I didn't do it right. SO.... I put my truck in park, get out and tell them I wanna try it. Ryland and Ema didn't want me to. But my ego and know-it-all Mom'ness combined and I smiled and nonchalantly said "Oh you guys, I'll be careful, but I'll be fine. I wasn't always just a Mom you know... I like trying different things! Ryland, just give me some pointers." About this time Jason says, " Hey, don't get hurt now... I need you!" We all laughed, and I said " Oh Jason, I'll be just fine!" So I slowly drive down the dirt driveway at an angle towards the ramp. I realize I don't really know how to land, and that Ryland has alot of practice with this kinda thing... and that this required practice, and probably wasn't meant for someone who hasn't ridden a bike in quite a while. There was no turning back though, and I ran through his instructions in my head. Stand up on the pedals going over, lift up the front and DON'T try and sit down on the landing. About that time I realized that it was happening too fast and I was gonna bust my butt when I came off the ramp. My worst fears were not realized, however. I made it over the ramp, barely, but was sitting down. The bike started to veer side to side and I made a split second decision to stand up and put my feet down before I crashed. So I did! I held onto the handle bars, my shoes were slipping off the pedals anyway, and so I stood. The bike moved forward about another foot, but since I had ahold of it, it didn't fall on me. I felt a little scuffed up from my legs scraping the pedals or maybe the chain, but I was ok!!! A little embarrassed, a lot glad I didn't kill myself and ready to jump in my truck to hide from the embarrassment, I figured I could give myself a thorough once over for scrapes and cuts once safely seated in it. Everyone was freaking out asking if I was ok, which made me even MORE embarrassed! I looked at my left leg and saw I had a few scrapes but nothing major. More questions if I was ok. I started to walk to the truck when one of the kids looked at me and started freaking. I said something to the effect of: "Oh guys, I just  got a little scraped up! I'm fine, really! Then someone pointed to my right leg. When I looked at it it was unreal... like a dream. It was sliced open with stuff hanging out!!! I was sure it was like when you first see something and it's ALWAYS worse than it really is... so I was just like" Oh my. Look, guys, it's not as bad as it seems. I'm fine. " Someone told me to not step down, I did, and it started bleeding. Then I realized it was that bad. So Jason carried me to the truck, and the rest is history.
4 to 5 inch gash, all the fat hanging out of my leg, fat stuck to the screw on Ryland's back that gashed into my leg. 10 stitches, spread apart so the wound can drain, and to let it better "heal from the inside out". I'm on crutches for two weeks, and then I have to find a doctor so I can have the stitches taken out.
Let me just say I had on flip-flops while I was riding. Yeah, after the whole tennis shoe thing. I know. And I got comments at the hospital along the lines of "don't you know you're too old to be doing stuff like this?" Way Embarrassing!!! Anyway, you've seen the pictures, here they are again.

Love ya!
Kelley
PS I've made Ryland agree to show me how to jump the ramp the right way as soon as I'm all healed. I Have to do it now! Otherwise it'll haunt me forever!

Right after it happened

Just got my stitches

One week later.

One week later.