All this SNOW!

Oh, what to do... Couped up in the house with four kids and snow all around? Well, we've come up with some very creative things to do. (Not counting the family snack/watch party for the KU-KSU basketball game last night... Go CRIMSON & BLUE!).

Devin and Dalton are easily consumed with their laptops, X-Box 360 and cell phones... like every 13 and 17 yr old boy alive, I think:)

Emmalie has started learning to read and is doing quite well. Yesterday I helped her sound out the "bigger" words (anything over 4-5 letters is a little hard for her yet). But she did make it through reading her first official book... all 10 pages of it! Em is really excited about going to Kindergarten in August so we're working hard with her (in and out of preschool) to make sure she does okay. Like Devin, she'll be one of the youngest in her class. In addition to reading, Em has spent the weekend singing, playing dress-up, and making crafts with Mom & Dad!

Bethanie is doing great. She wore real underwear at school for an entire day last week! We haven't bought anything but Pamper/Huggie Pull-UPs since she was 22-months-old... and I'm hoping that we can stop buying them all together by May. (She's caught on very quick, but gets busy playing and forgets to get to the bathroom). Bethie knows her ABCs and can count to 14 (why that odd number, I don't know!). She has spent the past few "snow-filled" days singing, drawing on her Doodle Pro and playing Dora on her Leapster (when Emmalie doesn't steal the game for her own Leapster, that is!).

Here are some visuals of the past few days at the Rupp-Haag home.

Bethie throwing the powdery snow.

Emma's 1st snow angel!

Bethanie couldn't help but eat the snow...

Neither could Emmalie!

Hope that everyone (family and friends) across the some 24 states who received ice and/or snow the past 3-4 days is managing to stay warm and have as much fun as we have here!

Everybody... JUMP! JUMP!

"Yo pretty boy...! I looked up basketball player in the dictionary and it said NOT YOU!"

Obviously Dalton pays no attention to what others say.... or he hasn't watched 'White Men Can't Jump':) Because Dalton is at it again! For the second year in a row, Dalton is trying to defy the laws of gravity and the very notion that "white men can't jump"! HOWEVER, he has also not paid attention to the need to count your fouls. Since the coaches told him half-way through the first eight games to "be more aggressive" Dalton has fouled out of three of four games now (OOPS!).

Dalton is carrying over his "beast-liness" from football onto the basketball court. It has been fun to watch him grow in a sport that has traditionally been his least favorite. He leads in scoring (well, not the free-throw part) and is undoubtedly the fastest boy on the team making him hard to guard on a fast break.

In other news, the girls have a new found obsession with puppies... meaning they want one! Devin is learning that it's hard to focus when you only have four months of high school left. Things are stying so busy and we're sure to be off an running all week... yet again:0 Happy belated birthday to Dad Armstrong, Ryan, Tyler, Mitzi and Gannon!

AdvEnTurEs in Knitting!

Okay... I'll start with a bit of history for those that aren't aware. My mother taught me how to do every creative thing she knew while I was growing up: tatt, crochet, embroider, cross-stitch, sew, bead... getting the picture?! The only thing she never knew how to teach me was how to knit. (Enter my wonderful mother-in-law, Sharon, who knows how to knit very well). To make a long story short, I asked her to teach me how to knit so I could one day teach the girls.

Well, for Christmas Mom & Dad Haag gave me a new set of knitting needles and this cool little book for beginners. I'm so excited about having someone to teach me how to knit that I dove right into the book (you know... so I wouldn't seem too stupid when Mom starts to teach me the good stuff about knitting!). One problem though... Have any of you ever seen one of these crafty "for beginners" books? They make it look so simple with images everywhere to help you follow along and learn. Trust me! NOT SO SIMPLE! To give you an idea, I have re-created the first few pictures exactly as they appear in the book... well, except in color:)

The Beginning Stitch

Two needle approach to "casting on"

One needle approach to "casting on"

This is the EXACT picture duplicate of I guess
how I'm supposed to "gauge" my thread?!

A small cast of initial knitting stitches

My very first attempt with knitting!

I know, my first product was pretty painful appearing...:0 I was so proud of myself when I was done "practicing"... head held high with a smile on my face... you know, similar to a teenage girl who just had the captain of the football team ask her to homecoming! However, my bubble was burst when Emmalie took one look at my finished product and asked (so innocently)...

"Mommy, is that a finger blanket? It won't keep any

finger warm 'cuz it has holes in it... SEE!"

I have come a l-o-n-g way in the past two weeks and think I'm finally getting the hang of it. I have had some bumps of course. Like learning the "pearl" stitch before the "knit" stitch (which means I'm backwards!). And totally not realizing the importance of good needle selection based on what I want to make. But these are all things I'll get better at with Mom Haag's help!

PiCtUrE PERFECT

I know I hinted that the next post would be a comical documentary about my experiences learning to knit. However, we got these adorable pictures of the girls this weekend and I couldn't go without posting them!

I promise... Adventures in Knitting is coming soon to a computer near you:)

Happy New Year!

Bidding good-bye to 2009 means reflecting on some important milestones accomplished in the course of the year...

• Bethanie FINALLY got through her reflux issues and made the growth curve. After the whole EGD thing, of course!
• Dalton was introduced into Middle School sports.
• Devin started his final year of High School... with a straight 'A' semester.
• Emmalie sang in her first choir.
• Dad Rupp decided that Oklahoma was NOT where he wanted to live after all.
• Shelia made a very beneficial job change.
• Tony got the new roof on the house.
• Tony got his first season tickets to K-State Football.
• Devin and Dalton continued a Rupp family tradition... KU Basketball in December!
• Shelia made a trip to Cali and got to see her brother and his chillins'!
• Uncle LeRoy lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, becoming the first of Dad Rupp's siblings to pass away.
• Tony's big brother Joe got hitched! Welcome to the family Desiree.
• Emma and Bethie learned how very special their great-grandpa Chet really is!

It is already shaping up to be a busy new year on our end between sporting events, work and school. We hope that 2010 brings good health, love and wonderful memories to all of you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Next up... Experiences learning to knit! (It's a long story better saved for it's own post!). But we will leave you with our "picture" of Christmas:)