Summer 2009

Summer is half-way over and the heat has definitely hit Texas. Here's a recap of what's been going on with the Ward's:

Nick is at summer school up at K-State. He came home for a few weeks in May. Bill went up for the weekend of July 4th. They played golf and had some nice time together. Nick gets done on July 31 and will head to Estes. More on that later. Nick has loved his first year at Kansas State. In fact, he mentioned that he had an easier transition to college than many of his high school friends. He's very happy with his fraternity, Delta Upsilon, and the friends he's made at KSU. He enjoyed playing intramurals, and I think he might even be playing baseball this summer. (Well, it's just that he said he was, but hasn't mentioned it in a while...so I don't know for sure!)

Connor has been rehabbing his shoulder, and doing general strength and conditioning for football. No, your eyes have not deceived you...Connor is going to play football. It's a calculated risk and we'd certainly appreciate your prayers! He will have a special brace for his shoulder and will (I think) only play offense, specifically quarterback. I know! That's a surprise, isn't it? He's never played QB before, but he's been working very hard. In fact, Legacy just won the consolation bracket of the Texas Private Schools Coaches Association's 7-on-7 football tournament. We were probably one of the smallest schools there...certainly every team we played had different sets of boys for offense and defense, while we only had 10 players total. After going 1-2 in pool play, we were put in the consolation bracket where we went on to win every game! It was very exciting but very, very hot! Over 100 + humidity kind of hot.

Kelly went up to camp at Kanakuk Colorado on July 7. Our plan was for me to pick her up on July 19 and head to Estes Park, but last Saturday night we got a call that we needed to come get her because she was sick. She and about 50 others. She was negative for flu but had a fever and flu symptoms. I left Sunday morning to go get her, and am with her right now in a hotel in Pagosa Springs, Co. She is feeling better and has a great attitude about it, but was very disappointed about having to leave camp. Kanakuk has been hyper-vigilant due to the swine flu (media frenzy). I can't really blame them. It sounds like they'll be reasonable regarding refund prorations, and we've already signed her up for next year (at her request). So tomorrow Kelly and I will head to Estes.

Connor is going to the Bahamas next weekend for a 4 day trip with a school family that he loves (on their private jet!). Our kids lead more interesting lives than their parents do :)

We hope to all be together for about one day in Estes! Kelly and I will be there from July 13-Aug 6ish. Connor will come around the 23rd-Aug 1. Nick should come on the 31st-Aug 6ish. Bill, the 29th-5th. Sounds complicated, doesn't it?!

Connor is home!

Before the surgery...not too happy to be there!

Connor's surgery was long, about 3 hours, but the doc was able to repair everything through the scope. He did report that it was much worse than the MRI showed. He is stable and "over-tightened" in an effort to keep him stable. The injury did cause a little divot on the ball his shoulder that the surgeon shaved the edges down a bit to try to soften it. We will be praying that it will completely fill in so it won't be the source of future problems and arthritis. We do appreciate your care, concern and prayers!


At home with the ice machine, 20 mins on/40 off around the clock :)

Connor to have surgery again

Connor re-injured his shoulder Friday night. It popped out while he was playing basketball with some friends. Then it popped out again in his sleep that night (that was an experience I hope we never repeat!). An MRI shows extensive damage so it's back to the OR for him. Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday morning at 7:30. Please pray with us that the surgeon will be able to accomplish the surgery arthroscopically...that will reduce his healing/PT time by about 4 weeks. Either way, the goal is to have him back and ready for senior year football season (his MRI was even looked at by the team doc from the San Diego Chargers, a former colleague of our surgeon/LCA team doctor). We thank you for your prayers and will keep you updated.

Unfortunately, baseball is now over this season for Connor. But here is some of what it looked like:

It's been a while...

Hey everyone. I haven't posted on the blog in a while, mainly because I'm using facebook now and those of you who are on facebook are keeping up with us (and us with you) that way. But (unfortunately) not all of you are on facebook, so I wanted to give you an update of what's been going on with the Ward's.

State Football -- the last time I posted we were headed to state. It was a good game but we came up 3 points short - 33-30. Unfortunately there were a couple of very questionable calls that could have had us win by 10 points, so it was a tough loss. Connor definitely enjoyed rejoining the team.

Christmas - we so enjoyed having Nick home. Unfortunately, all 3 of our guys were sick with some very nasty stomach virus during the break. Bill missed 3 days of work -- the first time I can ever remember that happening. It kept Nick home for a while but he was able to see all his high school friends before heading back to KSU early to catch the K-State/OU basketball game. It was a really good game and he said it was worth it to come back early, though KSU lost. Nick loves K-State and his fraternity, Delta Upsilon. He has been able to connect so quickly do to pledging. DU is a dry house (which means no alcohol allowed on the property -- something Nick's mom and dad like :)and has some great guys in it. Nick is thoroughly purple and seems to have a new motto: EMAW (for you KSU grads :).

Basketball - Connor went straight from football to basketball. He had a good season and his coach has told us that he is receiving 1st Team, All-District honors (though that hasn't officially been announced yet). I filmed the last home game and put together this short (3 min) video of some of his highlights -- especially a buzzer-beater to tie the game -- and an impromptu shoulder-hoist by his friends. I don't think he'll ever forget that night.

Kelly - recently made the JV tennis team so that will be keeping her busy. She is a good student and enjoys doing a lot of writing in her spare time, as well as community service. We've been serving together in National Charity League, a mom-daughter service organization.

Valentine's Day -- Bill and Connor are standing in line outside the K-State basketball stadium right now waiting to go inside for the KU game. Nick and his fraternity bros have been taking shifts since yesterday to keep their spots in line...for them but not for Bill and Connor. Bill, Connor and Connor's friend, Brooks, have student tickets that we purchased. Bill reports that he is the oldest student in line! It should be a great game. I'm glad Connor was able to go as he had the flu and had been sick for a week. Go Cats!

Baseball -- it's started although Connor hasn't caught up with the team yet due to basketball and then the flu. Next week!

Hope all is well with you and your families!!

Correct link for Connor's highlight/interview

http://www.lscsn.com/secondary.php?page=includes/video_13.htm

Copy and paste into browser.

We are going to STATE!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Nick came home on Sunday and was able to spend the entire week home. Of course, he spent half his time visiting friends, but that's to be expected. We are thankful that he's happy and well-adjusted to college life.

Connor's football team has been progressing in the playoffs. We were surprised (and alarmed!) that his doctor released him to play football just as the team was entering the playoffs. As the doctor said "Connor far exceeded expectation" regarding his healing and rehabilitation. We can only thank God for this unexpected blessing. Connor has played in 3 games now. We did have a shoulder scare with the 2nd game, and he did hurt it, but not in the same dislocation way as before. So it has withstood the pounding.

On Saturday, Connor's team played in the semi-finals. We got a kick out of an impromptu fly-over right as the game started by Connor's uncle (Karyn's brother) who is a Careflight pilot. Every one thought it was a planned event because it happened right when the Star Spangled Banner was over. I wish I had a photo of it because he was rather low! Anyway, almost immediately into the game, Connor intercepted a pass and ran it back for our first score! You can see that and a snippet from his interview after the game here but be aware that Connor is mortified by it and will shoot me for sharing it! The other two boys interviewed are Connor's really good friends.



Kelly just finished her first trimester of high school, and as expect she did very well. At this point in time, she has decided that she wants to attend a military academy, so she is working toward that goal. Her brothers keep telling her she is crazy for even considering it.

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy your holiday season!

Much to be thankful for!

The KSU Wildcats weren't the only ones who had a tough day at KU today. Nick went to Lawrence on Friday night to see a friend from high school. He spent the night with him in the dorm and then left around 8 this morning to go meet some of his Delta Upsilon brothers for breakfast at the KU-DU house (it's only about an hour from KSU so a lot of the guys had come over this morning and they were meeting with the KU DU's). Anyway, on the way from the dorm to the KU-DU house, 3 guys mugged Nick, who was walking alone. He was shoved around, but wasn't hurt. They did take his wallet and game ticket. Fortunately, they did not take his phone, but his battery died (after he called us) and he was pretty much stranded with no wallet, no cash, and no working phone. He had ridden to KU with some DU's so he had no car there. Bill and I definitely felt 500 miles away, because there was little we could do. I did call a DU mom I know, and she called her son who was on his way to the game, and they somehow found Nick and fed him lunch and took him back to KSU. No one was too interested in watching much of the game (KSU lost 52-21). Right now, I don't think Nick ever wants to go back to KU again! We are just thankful he was not physically harmed.

We had some other excitement this weekend, as Willie, our new pug, decided to go on walkabout about 5 yesterday. The lawn guys did not close up the gate properly, and he escaped. We spent a lot of time searching for him, and hanging "wanted" signs, and going to the shelter. We were so happy to get a call from the shelter around 1:00 today that he had been found. Turns out that a lady found him on the street IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE yesterday probably right after he got out. She almost hit him. She did not live in our neighborhood, but she did drive around a little to see if anyone was looking for him. Then she took him to the animal clinic where she works and he spent the night there. They called the shelter. We were so worried about him, but the funny thing is that he never went anywhere! She probably had him in her car before we even knew he was gone (and he was only out for 5-10 minutes before we realized it). It was so hard to sleep last night, not knowing where he was. So we are just thankful he is okay! Still, he seemed tired from his jaunt!

Homecomings!!

Two weekends and two homecomings! We started with Connor's at Legacy Christian. Connor is still on the mend with his shoulder, so he didn't get to actually play football. He was, however, elected to the homecoming court, as was his girlfriend. Before the football game, the homecoming royalty was announced, and Connor and his girlfriend, Patricia, were elected Prince and Princess from the junior class!


The next night was the homecoming dance (I had no idea Connor would show up with black Nikes for shoes!!).


Nick had actually come home (sort of) that weekend. He came in on Thursday night and left Friday morning to go see his friends at Texas A&M and watch the K-State/A&M game (KSU won:). He came back Sunday and spent the afternoon with us before flying out in the evening. Somehow, in all the excitement, I didn't think to take a photo of him! But he wasn't the only one in town...my (Karyn's) dad had come to town also. So he got to see Connor's homecoming court...and I have not taken his photo either (I need to do better with photos).

But I did take Kelly's photo this last Saturday as she dressed up for her first homecoming. I must confess that I was pretty happy just to see her in a dress! She actually had a very good time.

A Quilting Getaway

Lori and I had fun last weekend on our quilting-getaway. We stayed at the Westin in Frisco, where we had a free night and a deeply discounted second night. So the cost may have led us to forget what a top-notch hotel we were staying in, but we were reminded on Friday night when we stepped into the elevator in our t-shirts and jeans, and were surrounded by couples dressed to the nines!

We decided that any money we saved on the room was spent on tips! We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies with our sewing machine luggage, and all the assorted extra bags with fabric and other necessities that we brought along. It barely fit on one (large) luggage cart!

After we were in the room we began the quest of getting it sew-ready. We: Can we have another table in the room? We: Thank you for bringing the extra table. It's a little too tall to meet our needs. Would you mind bringing another one, just like the one that came with the room? We: You found one! Great! Could you please bring another lamp so that table will be lit? We: Thanks for the table and the lamp. Would you happen to have any fans you could bring to the room? Of course, every delivery came with a tip. We would would be the worst-dressed tippers of the evening! Finally, we were set up.
We were surprised when we got back to our room Friday night after going out for a quick dinner. There was a gift basket and a large gift bag (which you can see in the photo) filled with fruit, crackers, other snacks, plates, and napkins...courtesy of the best husband in the world!!

On Saturday night, we paid Connor to pick up sushi and deliver it to us. The photo above was taken by Connor's girlfriend. It was a fun weekend...hanging out with my sister and working on quilts.

We have a new addition to the family!!

Connor has been pleading with us for years now to get another dog. He's really wanted a bulldog or a pug. We've managed to say no, until now. It all started last Sunday night. Connor called on his way home from his girlfriend's to tell me there was a dog in the road. We told him he could bring it home just to get it out of the road. While he tried to get the dog, a speeding car almost hit Connor, and did hit the dog. Connor was devastated. It really upset him (as it would anyone), and we began to discuss adopting a rescue dog. Well, I put my foot down and said no to the bulldog...(I am not a big dog person even though Bill and Connor love big dogs) but agreed to a pug.

Today we adopted a pug from DFW Pug Rescue. Willie (the Wildcat :) was found in the Dallas pound. They think he's' 4-5, but he's very playful. Connor loves the fact that Willie's tongue is too big for his mouth! Bill and I thought he should be called Deisel because he sounds like a truck idling :) He snorts and snores. He is really sweet and lovable. Connor is very, very happy!!

A big "thank you" for your prayers and well-wishes when Connor had surgery. He seems to be healing well and will visit the doctor again on Monday. He is hoping to begin rehab in another week. It has definitely been hard for Connor to sit out of football, but he has really been a good sport about it and we are very proud of him. The photos are of the scrimmage game that Connor got hurt in. The man he's walking off the field with the orthopedic who did his surgery.


Kelly is settling into high school and seems to be enjoying it. She is taking French for her foreign language and really likes it. She is also taking Honors History/English, Honors Geometry, Pre-AP Biology, and Honors Digital Art. It sounds like a heavy load, but so far she' managing it well. Kelly also recently spent a Saturday training at Equest, a therapeutic horsemanship place. She will spend several hours each Saturday being a side-walker or leader for a horse and child. She will also tack her horse.

We are currently up at K-State for Nick's fraternity's Family Day. Bill, Nick and Connor are at the KSU game right now. Kelly and I are hanging out in the hotel room. (It's rainy and chilly out there!!). Connor is excited to sleep at the fraternity house tonight. The photo was taken at the Delta Upsilon house today during lunch.

Surgery done!!

We are in the recovery room with Connor. His shoulder was more badly
damaged than anticipated. His bicep was detached as well as some
cartridge. They did some extensive repair. He is coming out of the
anesthesia really well. Thanks for your prayers!!

Sent from my iPhone

Connor surgery update

The nurses just told me that they had not begun the surgery although
Connor is fully sedated and on the ventilator. Please pray foe the
power to come back on!!

Sent from my iPhone

We are at the surgery center and Connor has gone back foe the surgery.
It is storming outside and the electricity keeps going out. We may me
on a generator right now. Please pray, not only for the surgery, but
that they will be able to do the surgery. They have already done the
interscalene block to keep his shoulder dead for a day after the
surgery and I wouldn't want him to have to go through that again.

The nurse just confirmed we are on the generator. Connor is in surgery
but she isn't sure if they have begun. If they has not begun, they
won't start on the generator.

Sent from my iPhone

Oops, he did it again!

Well, it's really not a singing matter. Connor re-dislocated his shoulder in a football scrimmage last night. He is having an MRI today, but the team orthopedic feels certain he will need surgery (which we are tentatively scheduling for Wednesday, Aug 20). Recovery time is 3-6 months for sports, so needless to say, everyone is very disappointed about this.

Back in Texas, Back to School

We have been home for almost two weeks. It's always good to get home but we really love the mountains and miss them a lot. We are busy getting Nick ready to head up to KSU. Lots of shopping involved with that! Connor has 2-a-days in football. Kelly is getting braces tomorrow and finishing her summer reading for high school.

Nick and I will leave Monday to drive to K-State. I will come back late Tuesday night. Kelly starts school the next morning, on Wednesday. Nick is moving into the Delta Upsilon house rather than the dorm, and it looks to be a lot of fun (hopefully not too much fun :)!

Another summer is almost over.

We are in Colorado!!

Kelly absolutely loved Kanakuk Colorado (she's asking me every day if I've signed her up for next year yet) and we have made it to the cabin. We drove up from the west and it was really beautiful. We did stay in Keystone for two days and the guys really enjoyed the two golf courses there. Nick and Connor played the Estes Park course yesterday. We ate at Ed's Cantina on Monday night, and last night we had some great pizza at Village Pizza. Bill and I are watching the hummingbirds and woodpeckers from Estes Perk, a coffee place up the hill from the cabin. The photo shows the deck where we are sitting, and Deer Mountain in the background.

July -- iphones, kamp and vacation

Hello everyone. Well, I say everyone, but I'm not sure how much this thing gets read...so please leave a comment if you do read it :)

I'll start with the new iphone. I love it, but don't like the battery drain. I wasn't planning on get it until after we return from our vacation because the 3G network isn't available where we are going and I did not want to stand in line for it. I already had the iphone, but the plan was that I would give it to Bill (who had lost his phone) and get the new one. My sister-in-law had spent about 7 hours at the Apple store on Launch Day (Friday) and was unsuccessful in activation and left empty-handed. She was back up there on Saturday and after several hours they still coulldn't get her activated. I was on the phone with her as she asked about their stock levels in case her sister-in-law (me!) wanted to get one over the weekend and they told her if I came up there right then they would put one on hold for me and I could get in the line. I impulsively dashed over there. It was kind of cool getting in the store. I went up past the line, to the 'bouncer' and gave him my name. He nodded knowingly and had someone escort me to the back of the store. I think this is the closest I will ever come to VIP treatment!! The guy in the back working with my SIL told me he could hold it for me but I couldn't jump the line. I said "of course" (I hate line-jumpers). He then looked at me and said, "but if you want, I can activate it right now." I said "of course" and I became a line-jumper! They apparently saw it as some sort of benefit to my SIL for the way-over-the-top trouble she'd had in activating her phone. Anyway, I now have the 3G phone, and Bill has my 'old' phone. It's been fun playing with it! The photo above shows all the applications I've added to it...most of them are free.


Kelly is at Kanakuk in Colorado. She is our only camper this year...helpful for the checkbook, but kind of sad nonetheless. I counted it up yesterday and over the years with the 3 kids, this is our 20th term at kamp! We haven't heard one word from Kelly. I hope she likes it. K-CO is a lot different than the Missouri camps and this is her first year to go to it. She did take a 3 day horse trip, which hopefully went well. Nick went to K-CO last summer and loved it (actually liked it much better than Missouri) and was planning on going back this summer. That is why Kelly decided to go to there instead of her standard 25-day term (this one is only 13 days :), but then we had to cancel Nick because he was supposed to go on a 10 day road trip with a bunch of guys he graduated with, up to the All-Star game, and that ended up falling through. So Kelly ended up in CO without Nick! Some have asked why Connor didn't go to camp... I don't know what to say except he's 16 :)

We pick up Kelly on Friday and will go to Keystone for a mini-vacation of 2 days before getting to our cabin up in Estes Park. The guys will play both golf courses, and Kelly and I will shop and hang out. We are driving up to the cabin from the west side of the mountians which means we will drive over Trail Ridge to get there. I have this thing about HEIGHTS and am not looking forward to driving over the top. We will have 2 cars (we are actually meeting in Keystone) and that means I need to drive one of them, or maybe I'll ride with Bill or Nick over Trail Ridge. I need to get over this heights thing, but really...the road is very exposed in some places and cars have been known to, well, you know...

Hope your summer is going well!

June recap

Today is the last day of June, so for most intents and purposes, the summer is about half over. Connor starts football on August 4, which means we have to be back in town from Colorado the weekend before.

June's been good! Kelly went on a Dino Dig trip with about 20 kids from school and 3 teacher/staff chaperones. They went (and camped) to New Mexico, Colorado (yes, she's already been to Estes once this summer :), Wyoming and South Dakota. They saw Mt. Rushmore, and actually dug for dinosaur bones at an excavation site in Wyoming. The dig is run by a Christian college and they approach it from a creationist worldview.

Connor's been recuperating from that dislocated shoulder. He's begun playing 7-on-7 football, although I'm still unclear as to whether the doc has approved it :) He is currently at Beach Camp in Florida with the youth from Prestonwood Baptist Church.

Nick and I went to Kansas State for orientation and enrollment. He's enrolled for 15 hours for the fall, and we are having an ongoing conversation on whether he should just take 12 as he adjusts to college and pledges a fraternity. He is pledging Delta Upsilon and will be living in their house. I toured the house when we were up there and it's pretty cool: 3 levels plus a basement, sleeping dorms, study rooms, an industrial kitchen... they have a full-time cook and the pledges do all the cleaning! Nick did Wildcat Warmup, a welcome weekend for new students. I had a relaxing weekend at a hotel in Topeka while he did that. A tornado had hit the campus just 36 hours before we arrived, so there was a lot of debris around. However, the school did a great job of keeping the weekend going.

Nick had all four of his wisdom teeth extracted at the beginning of the month and it was a difficult week. Now, 4 weeks later, he has developed an infection under his gum and is just as swollen as the day after they were pulled! He's on a stiff antibiotic and the doc says he'll be feeling fine in no time.

Last week, Nick, Kelly and I volunteered at West Dallas Community School in the mornings. We enjoy doing that every summer. We may try to work it in for two weeks next year. The kids are great, and it's easy to bond with them in a short period of time.

Nick has been playing golf almost every day. Kelly has been writing stories. Connor has been hanging out with his friends, and looking for a job. Kelly leaves for Kanakuk Colorado on July 7. We all pick her up from camp on the 19th and head up to the cabin. Bill is taking two weeks off, so that will be nice. And Astro...well he's just been hanging out!

Kelly's 8th grade graduation

Kelly graduated from the 8th grade last week. She has loved middle school and is somewhat sad to leave it behind. Some middle school highlights: Wildnerness Trip (with all the 8th graders in the Ozark Mountains), Academic Awards for Science and Latin, National Latin Exam awards - 7th grade and 8th grade (gold medal summa cum laude), State Recognition for SAT score taken as in 7th grade under Duke Talent Identification Program, 6th grade Physics Camp by Women in Physics at University of Texas at Dallas (selective admission), and just enjoying school. (Hope this didn't sound too much like a Christmas letter! We are very proud of her and thankful that she enjoys learning and have a strong curiosity).