Pump it Up

Our good friends Jon and Angie have 2 kids who both celebrate their bdays in Oct. This year the party was at Pump It Up. It is a place with huge inflatables. We all had a good time! Thanks guys for a great evening!

Ben getting ready to launch Jacob

Ben and Kacie going down the slide

Birthday Celebrations...

Happy Birthday Grandpa

Grandpa Denny and Ben have October birthdays only 3 days a part.

All of Ben's family came over for a fun birthday party!!

October Festivities

We had such a great time hanging out with family this weekend. Ben's brother and his family invited us to come to the Maize (a town outside of Wichita) festivities. We started the morning bright and early as Cherith (Ben's brother's wife) and myself ran in the 2 mile FUN RUN. Then we headed into town to watch the parade. After the parade the kids rode on the ponies and we went to the car show. Here are a few pictures of our day...

Cherith and Jodie after the race

Cousins: Jake, Kacie, Logan and Addi

Waiting for the parade to start...the kids are ready to get candy!

Kacie LOVED riding the pony!!

Walter's Pumpkin Patch

What a wonderful time Jacob and Mom had at the Pumpkin Patch with his kindergarten class! Not only was it exciting to take a ride out to the patch and pick out a pumpkin, but the place we went had so much other stuff for the kids to do...

Walters' Pumpkin Patch gives your family a day on the farm that everyone will enjoy and treasure! This pumpkin patch surpasses any that I have been to. Here is a link if you live around Wichita and you are interested http://www.walterspumpkinpatch.com/

Mason, Jake and London were the "Kings of the hay bails"

Jacob and Brycen proud owners of a new pumpkin!

For those of you who know Jake pretty well, you know that he is a little bit of a chicken when it comes to trying things that are high and fast. We spent 30 minutes WATCHING his classmates going down the tunnel slides. But by the afternoon he talked himself into trying it one time...he loved it!

Jake's kindergarten class

6 Days in Taipei, Taiwan

Ben was in Taiwan for 6 days on a business trip. Actually 4 the other 2 were spent on an airplane. It was overall a good experience for him. We of course missed him here on the home front...I am so thankful that I have Ben to do life with!

This is a picture of the scooter traffic. Ben said that they are everywhere...he saw a family of four on one scooter, a guy who rode barefoot. Rain or shine there were the same number of people out on their scooters.

When Ben would call, he would tell me about the food that he had the opportunity to try. This meal actually had a steak with it, so he was pumped! One of the delicacy's that he ate was a bird's nest. He said it actually tasted OK...however he was sure glad to sink his teeth into a burger when he was on his own soil.

Ben on a scooter. He said that the Taiwanese people were laughing at the tall white guy on the little scooter. They found it quite entertaining.

A Typhoon was on its way just north of Taipei. Ben's plane was the last plane to take off before they shut down the airport. As the plane took off it was shaking very hard due to the high winds and the rain. Ben said that he was actually a little bit nervous. But mostly he was glad that he did not get stuck in Taipei and have to endure the storm.

Finished...2:06:51

This past Sunday morning I (Jodie) ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles). The race was held in downtown Wichita.

I want to say THANKS for those of you who prayed for endurance for me! It was much needed...at mile 10 I hit a huge wall and wanted to quit. But the Lord carried me through the last 3.1 miles!! I also want to say THANKS to my #1 fan...Ben. He was such a great source of encouragement before, during and after ther race!!

So...would I do it again? Yes. I am thinking maybe I found a new hobby. We will see...

Here we go...the start of the race

I am trying not to talk myself out of running

Homestretch

After the race...

Hurry and take my picture before I fall over

"Feeling Spoiled"

Today I (Jodie) took Jake to the bank to cash his first check. He felt like a big boy!! All of Jake's hits in baseball really paid off...literally. Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Karsak challenged Jake by giving him a little money for each hit he got in baseball this past season. Jake got to spend his money any way he wanted and he bought some of the cars from the Disney Cars movie. Kacie too got a little bit of money and she picked out a diaper and t-shirt set for her doll.

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma! You really made our kids day...