And now in Color

No explanation needed. We loved making this memory with our nephew and brother.

It Looks Better in Sepia!

What a Stud!

Taylor dared Gabe to squeeze it into his mouth...He did:)
Gabe's going to be a great college student!
Then again, maybe not:)
Andy really impacted lives here at Geneva. Those who came were hanging on his words. He definitely made a difference! It's amazing what you can do with a day. On a lighter note...is Taylor picking his nose?

Just Chillin

Andy and Gabe, we love you guys a lot! Thanks for coming and visiting. Come back soon!

The Family Keeps Comin!

Gabe's Here...

...and he's Gone!
Andy and Gabe came to visit us for a couple of days and Andy is going to Rock (or at least lullaby) Geneva tomorrow. More pictures of what goes down to come.

Easter Feast 2007

A group of friends and family gathered together at the Kirksey household to stuff ourselves with a marvelouse meal. From Left to Right -

Top Row: Taylor and Joanna Sprague, Justin Miller
Bottom Row: Steve and Laura Hanson, Jay and Laurie Lorenzen, Sarah Kirksey, and Ryan Holt

Wise Words

A question we all struggle with this time of year answered by a seven year old.

I'd rather...

...be wearing sandals! Two days ago - High of 71 and sunny : Today - High of 31 and snow flurries. Such a tease.

Delayed

Spring in Phoenix!
Scott was my date to the wedding
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Suarez
The future Student Developement Office at some cutting edge school
An incredible day of golf with one of my favorite people! Thanks Dad!

Seattle

Thanks Emily for a delightful time!

Divide and Conquer

Taylor had plans to travel to Phoenix this weekend for a wedding. It was not in our budget for both of us to go. I was going to have to stay in Beaver Falls and be bored. However, my wonderful husband felt sorry for me. For my birthday, he surprised me with a ticket to Seattle to visit my good friend Emily (he chose to ignore the budget). So Thursday morning, we traveled to the airport together and boarded different planes. Both on our way to a city we love and to see people we adore. We brag on the phone to each other about what we are doing….Taylor is wearing shorts, enjoying 80 degree weather, and playing golf. I am taking in the beauty of Seattle, visiting a new coffee shop every few hours, and enjoying hours of girl talk with a true friend. Though it will be hard to return to Beaver Falls, we are praying that this little break will refresh us and give us new perspective. We also realize that “home” is when we are together, no matter what city we are in. So lots of pictures soon to come from our two different adventures.

"I think America is much like an absent father. We throw money at things. But when it comes to actually participating in the lives of the young in the community and the nation and the world, we really couldn't care less. ... Stop just throwing money at the problem. It's like a cortisone shot for an athlete or like Jack Daniels fora singer when he has had a bad night. It helps temporarily, but it's going to be so much more damaging in the long run. People need to be fed into. Each one of us Americans has a choice to stand out and conquer or sit back in apathy and just stay in our monotonous lives."
-Stephen Christian
Lead Singer of Anberlin

Who Needs Starbucks?

Joanna made these amazing scones from scratch!

Bob Sr.?

Months ago, our sister-in-law Kari emplored us to enter the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway in hopes that someone in our family would win the amazing custom built WinterPark haven. Since then, we have daily delivered our entries into cyberspace hoping that one of us would get to win the place we would use for family vacation this summer. So, tonight...we sat...anxiously waiting...hoping to get a knock on our door or to at least see one of our beloved family members on T.V. jumping around like we would if we got it. The moment came...........and the moment went. Bob Sr. from Tenessee took it. Bob Sr.? Joanna said he doesn't even like Colorado:) Oh well, back to saving Africa.

Sweet Sweet Sunshine!

It was flip-flops and iced grandes today as God smiled down and said "Happy Birthday Joanna!" The weather was so incredible, the kind that brings memories of days gone by. We did a lot of reminiscing and talking about how much we missed places and people. It would be a long blog if we listed them all. We are looking forward to another warm day tomorrow before it gets cold again for the weekend. The boys are back in Pearce tonight, which means no more peaceful evenings, but it's good to see all of them. 7 weeks left (way short) and we're hoping to finish strong.
THE SPRAGUES

Just Cuz We Miss Them

It's a make-your-own pizza and rootbeer float party!

5 States in 10 Hours

We're back in Pearce tonight. We had such a great time in Iowa this past week and it was very refreshing to be with familiar faces. We realize more and more how great of family we have. Thanks Andy and Jody for your hospitality, thanks boys for your laughs and all of you for your love. You're already missed.
Explanation
We drove from Iowa through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio into Pennsylvania. We didn't realize the title fact until half way through the drive.

The Other Boys Couldn't Be Left Out...

Dawson

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Gabe

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Here's where all the talent is!

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P.S. It's a lot easier to blog when you have kids :)

My Wife the Amazing Aunt

Quincy, the youngest of the Landers boys, is feeling less than his best today. He is a very giving boy though. Early this morning, he gave up whatever was in his stomach to the floor. The only immediate mediator for this is a mommy. Quincy clung to Jody all morning. Unfortunately life doesn't stop even if you have a sick kid. Jody had to take Max to school, so Quincy found his ease in his Aunt Joanna. She took him in her arms and he laid his head on her shoulder as they watched out the window onto great stretches of field. Then it happened. Quincy bestowed his giving upon Joanna. She didn't freak out, she didn't get upset; she held him close and comforted him. Tears welled in his eyes and he laid his head back down in the arms of love. Amazing.
Now the clothes are in the laundry, Quincy is sound asleep, and I am once again reminded of the incredible gift God has given me.

A Little Home Run Derby

"Taylor I've got two words for you..."

The third of four nephews (4 yrs old) came up the stairs out of no where and caught my attention with the above statement. So I humored him and asked Max what the two words were. With all the confidence of a little white skinned baby face said, "Peace Out!" and disappeared back down the stairs.
We suprised Jody (Andy and the boys knew) and have taken over the basement guest room for a little while. It's good to see some familiar faces. Here's to family!

Freedom

Today, we woke up, checked the weather and decided..... TODAY IS THE DAY!!!! It was amazing. No constraints. All that room to spread out and breath. JOY! It represented the promise of spring, hopes of warmer days...sunshine even? It was glorious and we did nothing but soak it in. We Wore Sandals.
I hope the title didn't suggest depth

"It is too easy simply to talk or concern ourselves with the poor who are far away. It is much harder and, perhaps, more challenging to turn our attention and concern toward the poor who live right next door to us." Mother Teresa

My Friend

Thanks to technology, I was able to talk to my dear friend Sarah, in Sierra Leone. I was sitting on my comfortable couch and she was sitting in a mine. She is going to eat Top Ramen tonight (which she has to ration out) and I am planning on going out to eat to PF Changs with some friends. It was awesome to hear her voice, to talk about our upcoming trip to Sierra Leone, and let her know we are so proud of her. We asked her what we should know before coming...she said, "Come with an open heart. God is going to teach you something that you probably won't expect."
Isn't she beautiful?

I was trying to think of something to blog about, when the huge heart hanging on our fridge caught my eye. I thought I'd share with you one of my most treasured Valentine's. Though Taylor spoiled me, this Valentine came from his RA's (with a little prompting from Taylor I think). A poem like this could make any girl's heart melt: "Your cookies are as if sent from Above A major resaon for our love Thank you for your time and your warm heart We're sorry for when we're in your room and we fart The coffee you brew is nearly divine We hope that you cherish our Valentine!"

We May Not Have Kids but...

... we do love our nieces and nephews for reasons similar to these. I got this in an e-mail today.
Why We Love Children

1) NUDITY I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"
2) OPINIONS On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents."
3) KETCHUP A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."
4) MORE NUDITY A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"
5) POLICE # 1 While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?" "Yes," I answered and continued writing the report. "My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?" "Yes, that's right," I told her. "Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"
6) POLICE # 2 It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me "Is that a dog you got back there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, What'd he do?"
7) ELDERLY While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"
8) DRESS-UP A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning "
9) DEATH While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently , his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole he goooes."
10) SCHOOL A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"
11) BIBLE A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found," the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear? " With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear."

Freezing Rain? What's that?

We've never experienced freezing rain before. I don't think it occurs out west. But the other night, after a good 3-4 inches of snow, it started to rain. I still don't understand how when it's cold enough to snow it rains, but rain it did. The result? A sheet of ice completely covered the car, icicles were hanging everwhere, and the snow had a smooth glossy crust. We have never experienced anything like this. CRAZY

That ice rink out there...that's the tennis courts covered in snow topped with ice.

We Do Stuff!

We're just not as good at frequently posting like Jody (Sister). We've come to that conclusion and we're ok with that. That being said, we still do things, and we often think about blogging those, it just doesn't always make it's digital appearance. I'm sure we could come up with plenty of excuses, but we'll save you the time.
That being said, we had a great Sunday night this past weekend. We spent the day meticulously cleaning our apartment and cooking dinner for a group of six friends that were coming over for this groups monthly game night (hopefully it looked clean in the video below, cuz that's what they got). After some amazing Tortilla Soup, we spent the night yelling numbers at eachother; normally no higher than four. This, apparently, is how you win the game "Pit". A game from 1904, it's one of the best we have ever played. Great food, loud fun, and spending time with people who we're really getting attached to. So...We Do Stuff!

Apartment Update

We've mentioned that the office was getting a makeover and that we finally got a couch. Well here's proof. Again, the video doen't do justice, but you get the idea. Enjoy!

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Taylor may be sleeping on the couch tonight!

Don't worry, no need to call the marriage counselor, it just might be safer for Taylor to sleep on the couch. This morning I was in a light sleep, dreaming that Taylor and I were having lunch with some friends. In my dream, I playfully reached over and pinched Taylor's butt. Appartenly I act out my dreams, because I abruptly woke up Taylor with a nice real pinch. That may be too much information to share on a blog, but funny right? Taylor decided to brave another night sleeping nexts to me, let's hope tonight I don't dream about being a boxer.