The Wyman's: Winter Happenings

Ready for swim lessons

Showing off the bracelets I made them with the paracord kit Ryker bought with his birthday gift card.

It's wrestling season again. It was a tough one. Ryker was on the lower end of his age group so he wrestled a lot of 7 year olds. He didn't win many medals, but the ones he did win, he worked HARD for. It was an especially tough year for me to watch him get beat up on every meet. I just kept reminding myself and him that it's preparing him for life and all you can do is work hard in practice to prepare for the next meet. I hope next season is a lot more high fives and "at a boys" though and a lot less "character building." Seth was crabbing and wasn't able to go to many meets and this is one of those sports that I can't offer much advice in so I felt pretty helpless except for reminding him to keep his chin up. I must say though, that as much as I could tell he wanted to cry sometimes he held it together where a lot of other kids leave the mat in tears after a loss.

Practices were much different this year as we had a new coach. They did a lot of conditioning and he LOVED it. It seems that he likes to work hard so I'm happy about that.

The kids decided to join in the Perry Pond Plunge this year. Actually, the Perry's were going to skip it this year since they had to break ice off the pond to do it, but were all in after they heard Ryker and Kya wanted to do it. Kya went in to her ankles and ran back out. Ryker went in really slowly and then squatted to about his chest. I was calling him a wuss because he was telling me that he was going to run in fast and get his whole body wet and run out. He spent way more time in the water than if he would have just stuck with his original plan. Reed pointed out to me that he did get the worst part into the fridged water when he squatted down and that's a very valid point I didn't think of as a female.

They ran straight to the hot tub with Jenna and watched the college kids from there. Those crazy people jumped all the way in off the point and swam out! I can think of better ways to spend a January day, but I'm sure we'll be back.

Hot drinks!

Another meet

The Werder's have a creek that runs through their property called Whitehall Creek. Each November, chum salmon run up it to spawn. We stopped there almost every day after school for a few weeks to watch the progression. This is one of the first photos when they are thick in the creek, headed upstream with a vengeance.

Here is one of the last days, when the creek was littered with carcasses. The herons, eagles, coons, mountain lions and anything else living on Blanchard Mountain and Bow Hill will start to move in for dinner now.

It's a fight to take the flag out so not only do I have to remember what days are flag days, I have to remember who's turn it is to put it out. Veteran's Day is easy to remember because it is also Seth's birthday. The walk to the road gives us a lot of time to talk about what the flag means, what day it is that we are putting it out for, veterans, and singing patriotic songs.

I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died......

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dinner at Sakura.

And again at home the next day. We can't get enough candle lighting!

Wresting weigh in.

Seriously, who wrote this? I printed these leaves for my kids and told them to write what they wanted and I'd laminate them to use during the week of Thanksgiving. This is Rykers. I didn't try to influence him in any way. I didn't even know he was that into math! I was so happy to see that half the things on his list were people, Grandma Patti, parents, and Larkin. I'm glad he values people in his life and not things. I honestly expected him to write toys or something. I don't give this kid enough credit, I guess. And the other three: math, school, and Huskies? I can't argue with those either! By the way, he's talking about the breed of huskies in general, not UW. He's infatuated with that kind of dog right now. Exercises like this lead me to believe that we are doing something right raising our kids. Either that or he's already learned how to manipulate me by giving me the answers he thinks I'm looking for.

Kya's was just as good and just as heart warming. I helped her spell but that is pretty good writing for someone that just turned 4 too. Her's say's Grandmas, Mara, (I can't tell what that 3rd one is. I wrote it on the back and put it in her scrapbook though), hot showers (who knew? haha, actually we had just been outside all day and they were cold and wet), friends, and Cosmos.

Reunited with Keaton in Billings!

Taking in the State Championship Football game in Wibaux. They have made it to numerous championship games since 2001, but didn't come away victorious until this year. Hopefully they'll have another streak!