Thanksgiving at the Kuykendall House

Keith's parents came to visit us for Thanksgiving. We had a good time with them!
Keith and I with all the food. There was so much! We'll have leftovers for days, which isn't necessarily a bad thing =)
The mess that making such a "feast" creates. This was AFTER two loads of dishes had already been done...

I'm thankful for so many things, but as of last night, I was thankful I was able to have Keith's parents with us, and we were able to eat a turkey without getting food poisoning!!
I was pretty nervous about cooking dinner, and wasn't sure if I would do it, but Keith convinced to me to at least try, and I'm glad he did. I, at least, thought it turned out okay!

Autumn in Utah

Here are a few of our photos taken at Ashley's baptism and on our recent trip to Utah. It was so beautiful there, with the autumn trees and leaves everywhere. Makes me wonder why was it again that we chose Bakersfield. I'm sure there was a reason, but it escapes me for the moment. How we love the fall colors and being with our grandchildren in Utah. We were so glad that Sharol, Andrew and Ryan shared the journey with us, and gave the Austin cousins a chance to be together. Great events, great food, great fun. We hated to go home!

Fall

Mom, Dad, Sharol, Andrew, and Ryan came to Utah for Ashley's baptism this past weekend. The kids had fun playing in the leaves in their church clothes afterwards. We also had a BBQ at Chris's, and a delicious chicken dinner at Shannon's.

Thanks for visiting us!!

My New Blog

You can see my latest blog at leslieak.blogspot.com

I have info about what I'm doing all day, my attempt to make mom's cinnamon rolls, and my first foray in floral design, compliments of Amy.

Thanksgiving

Just curious as to what all the UT family members were planning for Thanksgiving. Keith's parents will be here visiting us, so we'd like to plan ahead a little bit. Does everyone want to get together for dinner, or would you guys rather just do dessert as a group? Any other ideas? Any volunteers to host dinner this year? I would, but I doubt we could fit everyone in our apartment! Comment below on your ideas/thoughts...

Our trip to Oahu

We went to Hawaii in October with our friends Roger and Lavonne McCumber. Some of the above pix are of the set for the Lost TV series. They were going to shoot Monday, but we were due to go home Sat. night. Judy demurred on extending our stay (go figure) to watch them shoot. You want to know what is really relaxing? Get one of those cheap floating lounges and just float on your back in Waikiki bay. Man, it is neat. Why don't I do it more often? We saw BYU play Utah State at Giovanni's Pastrami-they have 17 flat screens, 50" each. And they don't kick you out when you're done eating. If you want a full description of my vacation, call me. I have the meal-by meal, place-by place, wave-by wave description all ready.

Spencer is out

Spencer is now in Bakersfield, at the half-way house on H St. He is quite pleased to no longer be at Corcoran, where, frankly, they treated him like a prisoner or something. He will be at Westcare until Dec 26. Then he can stay on at a sober living facility for 6 more months, but the difference is that he can leave during the day to get a job. And the state pays for it. That is his plan. More later. Thanks to all those who wrote to him at Corcoran.

Since No One Else is Posting, I'll Bore you With Details About My Life

In the last year, the biggest lesson we have learned is that you can't plan anything too far in advance. You can plan and plan and plan, but things still might change. Today, our plan for the next couple years changed.

I got a call from my advisor informing me that I would have to take 3 more classes in order to be considered for the Secondary Teaching program. They are classes that I had already took at BYU, but the committee wanted me to take the UVU equivalents of those classes. So, instead of starting my student teaching next September, I wouldn't be able to start until January '10.

Since Keith is now graduating in August instead of December, it puts us in an awkward position if I want to finish the credential program. He would either have to extend his graduation even more, or he would have to work here in Utah for a few months, or more if I can't get permission to student teach in another state.

So far, we've decided that I will finish this semester up, and concurrently look for a full-time job. If I ever have a burning desire to become a teacher I can always go back to school wherever Keith gets a job. It's kind of a bummer since I feel sometimes like I don't pull my weight around here, but hopefully I'll find a job soon.

P.S. My camera is broken! SAD! So pictures will come once we mail the camera to Fry's in Texas where we bought it, they fix it, and send it back. That could be awhile....hopefully it's before Thanksgiving!!!

Disneyland

Ryan taking a little break from the action

Last Friday, we took to kids down to Disneyland where we met up with the Landheim Family, and Mom and Dad. Andrew was in absolute heaven. It took a few rides for him to grasp the concept of waiting in line, but he got it after a while. At the end of every ride he immediately said "again, again!" His favorite was Buzz Lightyear. Not only did he get to shoot, but he loved making our car spin. He also had a lot of fun in the Brother Bear playground. Max said he went down the slide about 30 times. Of course Grandpa kept the kids supplied with candy and soda-which is pretty much all Andrew ate. He insisted on walking all day, and only rode in the stroller a couple of times when we forced him to. Ryan was great, and the Disneyland "Family Centers" made life with an infant a lot easier. Overall, we had a fabulous day, and are already planning another trip while both kids are still free.

Another Ike Update

Well, we finally heard from Keith's sister- a cell tower was out in her area (as is the power) so she wasn't able to call or receive calls until yesterday afternoon. She and her son are fine, and their house only has a little roof damage, some leaking, and some fence damage.

Keith's brother Jay lives in Groves, which is near Beaumont and Port Arthur. They evacuated, but still aren't being allowed back into their community due to flood waters. One of their relatives stayed in Groves to ride out the storm, and she was able to go look at their house, but just from the outside. Their front porch and car port are completely gone, and they have a hole in their roof, but until they can get inside, they're not sure yet about how bad the damage is inside.

Keith's parents were still without power when we spoke with them last night. Someone in their ward had a generator, and families were taking 6 hour shifts so they could plug in their refrigerators, freezers, A/C, etc. A member of their ward is on a breathing machine, and although he evacuated to Austin to stay with relatives, he came back before the power was back on in their subdivision, and now the generator has to stay with him.

FEMA came to their area, but had no food or water for the residents....or for themselves! They were asking people in the area to feed them, and I believe house them also, so the residents just told them to leave, that they would take care of themselves.

Again, we are grateful though that no one in Keith's family was injured, and that most of their property was okay.

Hurricane Ike

Just in case you want to know how my in-laws are....

(I also have a new post on my blog about a random night out Keith and I had)

All of Keith's immediate family lives in Houston, and we were concerned about how they would be affected by the storm.

Keith parents live in Richmond, which is southwest of Houston, and about an hour inland. They fared pretty well, they had quite a bit of rain, and some wind, but not roofs ripping off or windows blown in. They are currently without power, but they anticipate it will be back on in the next day or so.

Sean is Keith's oldest brother, and he live in a mobile home in a town called Needville. He went to Keith's parents house for the worst part of the hurricane, but was able to return home today to a perfectly fine house, with power and everything. We're really glad his home was okay.

Amy, Keith's sister, lives in east Houston, just off the I-10. She, surprisingly, was not in a evacuation area. The eye of the hurricane went right over her house, and it's on the edges of the eye, or the "eye wall" that the winds are the worst. Neither Keith nor his parents have heard from her yet, and we hope that she and her son are doing alright. Hopefully, a cell tower is down and that's why she hasn't been able to call anyone yet.

Jay is Keith's older brother, and his family lives in Beaumont, which is 100 miles east of Houston. They were hit really hard by Hurricane Rita in 05-their roof fell in on their kitchen and the house flooded in some areas. This time around, they evacuated to Longview, which is about 100 miles east of Dallas. They are fine there, but won't be able to see if their home is alright for a day or two.

So overall, everything is good, and we are so grateful that Keith's family has been kept safe.

Cade for President

Vote for Cade in a photo contest


HERE



If he wins, we can get some cash. We will even tell you we are considering sharing some of the cash with you if it will make you vote.

Is this "Lebbie?"

Here is an artist's actual recreation of the infamous Lebbie person. Clearly it looks nothing like our sweet little Amber.

"Lebbie": seen at gas station

"Lebbie" was recently seen at night at the corner Chevron. This picture is the closest we could get without endangering ourselves.

I'm A Soccer Mom

Erik had his first soccer game this week. He did really well and scored 2 goals! So what if the other team scored like 20 or something, they really don't even keep score. Now we have to decide if he is going to be a pro soccer player or skier, or maybe both if Mike has his way. I'm just glad he has the chance to run around a lot and work out all that energy. He tends to be more the brains than the brawn of the teams as he loves to explain to everyone why you can't use your hands and came-up with the team name--The Red Iron Men.

Ryan at Six Months

It's hard to believe that Ryan is already six months old. He is the sweetest little boy, and we love having him in our family. He is a great balance to Andrew, and loves to sit and cuddle with me. He is growing fast, and getting chubbier every day. He weighs 20 lbs, and is 27 inches long. Ryan is still not interested in solid food, but I hope that will change soon. Other than an ongoing battle against thrush(8 weeks), which I hope ends SOON, he is doing great. Oh, and we also think he's pretty cute!!!!

More from Kauai

There was a really cool swimming hole where they allegedly filmed some scenes from one of the Indiana Jones movies. Two big waterfalls, a rope swing, and a setting so pretty it seemed fake. Initially, Grandpa acted like he was going to swing on the rope swing. Then he sat down out of line and said he was waiting. Then he disappeared, never to return. All the other guys were like, was that your dad? What happened? I thought he was going to jump? Was he scared? Does he have osteoporosis? Or is he just a wuss? I was pretty humiliated, especially since the last explanation was obviously correct. Pictures above.

We also saw Waimea Canyon. I wanted to jump and glide down using our umbrella, but Holly was all like, "no, I don't want you ruining the umbrella." Then I reminded her my life insurance was up to date and she relented. But we ran out of time

Finally, we went to a beach called "Sealodge" with one of the most comprehensive warning signs I have ever seen in Hawaii. Some stupid lawyer probably advised the place to put it up. It was worth hike though.

Kauai 2008

We're having a great time in Hawaii with the youthful and inexperienced couple withwhom we came. The don't know much about Hawaii but do their best. The rope swing at the Kipu Falls was great, straight out of the movies. Being here makes Chris and I wonder why more of you don't just fly over and hang out here. Why people choose to stay in the mainland and work is mystifying to us. Of course there are hard times too. Lots of mosquitoes at the beach the other day. The accommodations are superb here at the Marriott, but the othe Marriott is even more stupendous. We will be there Wed night. Also dinner at Duke's was awesome. And Holly met a friend at the hot tub who told us so much more about the island than Chris did.

Kauai With Old People

Kauai is going pretty good. It gets a little slow, what with the old people we are escorting around the Island. Its a lot of "ready for a nap already?" and "you can make it from the car to the beach if you are super careful." Pictures below

We're Baaaaaccccckkk!!

Keith and I are officially back in Utah for the school year. We both start at UVSC, now UVU, next Wednesday. I got a job with the UVU testing center, and start next Tuesday. I may also work for my friend Kyla's in-laws' dry cleaners in Provo, for a little extra cash. However, the teaching program at UVU requires a B- or better in every class, so I may not have time for two jobs.
We move into our new apartment tomorrow, and it's about 1 block from UVU, parallel to I-15, on the westside of campus (but east of the freeway). I'm excited about being closer to Target and Keith is excited about the basketball courts next door. We'll also be able to walk to school, and the testing center, where I'll be working, is the first building you come to when walking to campus from our apartment. It will be a nice change from fighting for a parking spot each morning at BYU!
Another big change will be giving Keith's dog, Penny, to Chris and Holly's family. The kids tell me they are very excited for the new addition to their family, and we are grateful they are able to help us out. It's much MUCH easier to find affordable, clean housing without having a pet!
Keith and I both plan on finishing school in December of 09, and we still don't know for sure where we will end up, and so far, we have a couple companies with great offers. Funny enough, the best offer so far is for a job in Bakersfield, but we're not quite sold on living there just yet...
Overall, we are doing good, and are excited for the new school year.

Our Summer

Well, no fancy trips to Hawaii for us. The excitement of our summer is spending our days at Cherry Hill ( a local waterpark). And, harvesting our first garden. We've had quite the bounty and the kids actually LIKE eating the fresh cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cantalope, corn and grean beans. We have a nice big pumpkin growing which should be in prime shape come Halloween.