"Gone Fishing"

Last weekend the boys headed up the road to the Sierras before sunrise armed with little more than fishing poles and hostess donuts! It's a Sayler tradition, fishing at Little Twin, and the Kern boys were happy to join Pop in the quest for trout.
Pop gave Kyle rave reviews for his patience-"he's a good little fisherman". Kyle, being the rule follower he is, was most interested in the techniques and instruction that Pop and Daddy voiced true to catch a big one! Five hours in that aluminum boat and not a complaint, just a pout or two when Daddy caught all the early fish. Kyle brought in four fish! A great days catch. He also got to listen to Pop and Daddy tease and talk "guy talk". Heaven only knows what that means!
A fabulous trip and a great time for Kyle to spend with two of his mentors! I am thrilled he has such a wonderful opportunity to be "gone fishing"!

Happy Dance!!!

This Mama is doing a Happy Dance! She's left her mini-van days behind and found pleasure in the cross-over vehicle world! After a year of waiting, we finally found the right vehicle at the right price! The GMC Acadia is a smooth ride, fits the kids, and I love it! Wahoo! Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

Back to the Midwest!

Sometimes friends do pop up out of nowhere--as crazy as it seems. Who new that on the beaches of Mexico I would acquire such a fabulous new friend who lives half way across the country! We were emailing and chatting by phone and then Kent decided to send me there for the weekend! What a treat! I was able to see what life is like for Carla and her husband, I met her cutie son and was amazed by the space they enjoy in their neighborhood. So green it is there! We spent an afternoon at the spa, ate on the Lake of the Ozarks-beautiful, and I also got to see pieces of St. Louis. Kyle would have loved to see where the Cardinals and Rams play!

I love trips like this. Spontaneous (somewhat) and full of girltime!

3rd and 4th Grade-Can't Believe It!

The Kern kids are back to school! It was amazing to see the differences in the kids personality on the first day.

Karly was off the moment she left the car-okay after her mother tortured her by taking her picture first. She found a few friends, they went and talked the new principals ear off, and then they were off. I couldn't even find her to meet her teacher with her. Of course we both already know the teacher, kinda, but still, I wanted to make proper introductions. Nonetheless my social butterfly had other plans, and they weren't waiting in the parent line. Too funny!

Kyle was more calculated and cautious with his first day entry. It was a new world for him being on the other side of the school and on the big kid playground. Sure he was taller than some of the older kids, but this was their turf and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Unfortunately we couldn't find any of his buddies either, so that made it difficult as well. Kids, parents, and teachers everywhere was a little overwhelming for him I think. When I left, I could tell he was using his courage, but part of him would have loved for mom to stay a bit longer by his side.

Of course mom didn't leave the school that fast. It was off to our "coffee talk" to comfort the Kindergarten parents (they are always the sad ones) and to meet new families as well. On my way out I stopped to help with copies and by then it was nearly 11:00. Funny how you think they will go back to school and your time will multiply. Oh well! There was a perk to it, while I was making copies, Kyle's class came through the office for a tour, so I got a smile from across the room and the promise that he was doing just fine without me.

We're off to a good start I think!

Last Hurrah!

School starts tomorrow! Mommy can't wait and it's great to see the kids so excited as well! We all need some routine again and the kids need days with purpose. We are packing backpacks, setting out first day clothing and talking about friends to find and first day jitters.

Today as a last Summer fun day, we headed to the Discover Science and Space Museum. A good little outing and it gave us something fun to do. Grammy joined us and we even got a private showing with a red-tailed hawk. Raptors like that are just amazing creatures!

Here's Kyle with the Human Sun Dial.
A Fine group of aliens we make!
Astronaut Karly? you never know!
Ah, science in action, now that Kyle likes!
Karly always with a book! We were looking at roaches, walking sticks, a rabbit, turtles and even a porcupine and Karly is reading!

The blessing of one freckled faced girl!

This week marked Family Day celebrations at the Kern house. We celebrate Karly's official adoption anniversary with a huge emphasis on the whole family and the team we are. We met Daddy for lunch, saw again where he is all day--plus it gave us an outing to upset the summer bordom routine. Another treat was the opportunity to see Pop at the office and draw on his smart board! Later in the evening it was a trip to the Library, Karly's idea, "I can choose lots of books that way" thus thwarting our usual destination--the bookstore. Of course the idea of borrowing books that she'll read through in three days is much more attractive to the checkbook as well!

We are blessed to have her--she adds so much to the team! Karly and Kyle are two keepers with two different stories but one strong bond as siblings. Amazing and wonderful it is!

The Temperature's Rising!

It's been a long crazy end of summer week here. Lots of busy evenings for mom and dad, errand to run, and the kids themselves admit, they are chomping at the bit to get back to school! We've had a few days at 100+, so the Karly and Kyle had fun cooling down in the neighbors pool with their buddies. We also have a few new photographers --I let the boys use the camera and it's underwater feature. They got some cool shots of each other and had a blast!