Summer has started but you wouldn't know it!

The 4th of July has been her and gone.  The parties are still going strong in and around our town.  I took the girls to the fireworks last night at the capital.  Great viewing spot, not so great sitting spot.  We were surrounded by smokers.  But we refused to give up our great viewing spot.  Kole was with a friend and his family to watch fireworks.  They went to the top of the parking ramp of the Bayliss building.  LOL

We have our second foster Boston Terrier, a ten plus year old female named Gabby.  She is a sweetheart!  Reiko gets along with her well enough, Doodlebug feels threatened by her occasionally.  She is blind due to eye injuries and cataracts.  She sure can get around.  It didn't take her long to get things figured out.  She is the first one up in the mornings. 

Tasha had her yearly shave and feels like a cotton ball.  She is so fluffy.  They must have removed 10 pounds of hair! LOL   Mia is doing well and some days acts like a puppy. 

Tinkerbell is getting up there and is now 12 years old.  She sure doesn't act it.  Smores is a year old now and tries to play with Tink.  Sometimes they actually do play.

We had a stray yellow kitty show up one day.  Kole found him.  While searching for his owners, we found out he belongs to several people. LOL    His name is George.  He is not fixed and he was flea ridden.  He had also scratched himself until he was bleeding and missing hair on his tail.

 Boyd powdered him, Kali and Kole fed him and made him a bed in the garage.  He came back a week later and we put flea and tick stuff on him and then he disappeared.  He came back a week later to say.  He does that.

Now on to the kids!

Kole continues to grow by leaps and bounds.  He decided to not play football this year and instead go out for cross country.  He will be doing some long distance running.  I think he is built for it.  There are some things he is finally doing on his own, like showering!   yay!

Kaci continues to be the one constantly connected to the computer or her phone.  Since all her friends are away on vacation, she spends her time texting, emailing, tweeting, etc.  She loves listening to music and painting her nails.

Kali started working this year.  She is giving swim lessons as well as working lifeguard for open swim, lap swims, water aerobics and parties at the nearby indoor pool.  She likes it because it is so close to home.  Some days she is pooped and takes a nap after she arrives at home.

Boyd was able to get the pool opened and repair the pump.  WHEW!  But I've only been in twice now because it has been so cold!  The days it was in the 90's we didn't have the pool open.  Now that it is brrrr..  The temps have only been getting up in the 80's..  Plus we have had a lot of rain.
He is also still looking for a job and starting to realize because of his age, he is getting turned down for jobs that could be had by younger people.  sucks

Me, I am still working at the same place and have started my 22nd year.  I'm supervising now, and still learning something new everyday.  I also volunteer for Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue.  That is how we ended up with a foster Boston.  Our first was Raggyroo.  He was a wild boy.  Still a pup.

Summer is going by so fast and we have not had the summer fun  we would have liked to.  My van needed some repairs which cost nearly $2000 that I didn't have.  We have been facing our challenges head on and getting through.  Some days and weeks are easier to get through then others.

After five years of hosting foreign exchange students we are taking a break.  I know it is so hard to find families willing to take on the responsibility, but I need this next school year to focus on us.  Kali is a senior this year and I look back and wonder where did the time go!  When did she grow up?  Why do I feel like I have missed out on so much.  And Kaci, she is going into 8th grade this year.  One more year and she will be in High school.  Kole he goes in to 5th grade this year and is the oldest in his grade.  Sometimes I think we have done him an injustice but in other ways it has been good holding him back a year.  He is proving to his teachers that he is a natural leader (Bossy)..  LOL

The hopes of the kids now is Kole - maybe military, Kaci - Accountant, and Kali - Experimental Scientist.

Wow.  I have great kids!

Notice the change in title.   The Flying Bs. The kids say it means fling B.S.  Boyd thinks it means that we are constantly going somewhere and our last initial. is B.. LOL  Sometime the first fits perfectly.

Here are some pictures to enjoy!

Where have we been and what are we up to now

We have been right here!  BUSY!!! 

We have had Olivia (Hyo-Lim) Lee with us this school year.  She is a sweet quiet girl.  She didn't give me a bit of a worry at all.  Tonight is her last night here.  She flies out tomorrow to visit a friend and then home to South Korea.  I feel we have done her an injustice.  Things were so busy and sight financially that we just didn't get to do the things we always do with exchange students.  I hope her friend can make it up to her by spending quality time touring.

I have a Senior in High School now!!!  Where on earth did all the time go!  Kali will be 17 next month.  This doesn't seem possible.  She even has her first job.  Lifeguard at Porta Pool where  she first learned to swim.  Kind of a home away from home.  She teaches lessons and then just makes sure all the pool rules are enforced.  She is looking at colleges now too.  We have it narrowed down to Missouri State University, Kansas University, University of Missouri, and University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.   Kali has grown into a wonderful young lady.  She is on Student Council next year, Class officer, National Honor Society, Leadership Committee, and she participated on the Prom committee and helps out in all other areas.  She finally has wheels that she can drive until she can purchase her own.  This makes my life easier.  Looking to the future she is interested in Experimental Psychology.

Kaci is in her last year of junior high.  She is a sassy, take me as I am kind of girl.  She loves track and basketball.  She has had a lot of ups and downs this school year.  She has her few close friends and others she gets along with, but doesn't call them her close friends.  There has been so much he said she said and rumors and lies and just plain smack going on in her life, I am glad it is quieter with only those few.  But then, I miss all the friends she used to hang out with all the time.  I miss her having a feeling of camaraderie she has had in past years.  She has become less open at home and it worries me as well.  I can't even begin to guide her if I she won't talk about what is going on.  She has even stopped confiding in her sister.  This scares the bejesus out of me.  What has someone done to my baby to do this to her?  She is a straight A driven student.  She makes good decisions on balancing school and sports.  She likes to cook and prides herself in being able to do it.  Looking to the future she would like to be an Accountant.

Kole has really come a long way!  He is active in sports and still barely sits still, in perpetual motion.  I think even in his sleep.  He is really growing up!  He is an A, B student, plays football, basketball, and is trying cross country this next school year.  He has been through 3 more surgeries and bounced back amazingly well after all of them.  He is due for another one possibly next month to clean up his P-flap.  After that is healed he will start having aggressive orthodontia.   He laughs a lot still and when he gets mad, boy is he.  He goes to his room and you might see him the next day.  His sisters have been increasingly harsh toward him.  He is starting to go through puberty and it is tough for him.  It is tough on him being almost 2 years older than his classmates.  I still think he is in the right grade.  Now if we could just get his time on video games and computers cut back.

We have fostered a boston terrier for Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue.  He was a wild boy.  But, he has turned out fine.  He went to his knew home where he is spoiled rotten and loved like crazy.

We still have the rest of our menagerie.  Tasha, Mia, Reiko, Doodlebug, Tinkerbell and Smores. 
Smores is our newest kitty.  She is a year old now and always wants to go out, but we keep her in as well as we can.  All of the white on her makes her a bit conspicuous to coyotes, owls, etc. 

Boyd has been laid off work since late January, so we do the best we can. 
Me, I am still working at the same place.  Nine years until retirement.  This is the year that my wonderful grandma went to heaven.  This was sad while not being tragic.  She lived a long time.  She was 93.

 I hope you enjoy the following photos.

That's all folks!
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School year is already 1/4 done for this year

This school year is flying by.  Marching Band season is done.  Now onto the fall concert.  Football season for Kole is over.  Basketball for Kaci is halfway done.  Basketball season for Kole is just starting.  Kali is holding out for Soccer in the spring.  Kali keeps busy taking advanced classes and participating in Student Council, Student body treasurer for the Class of 2014, Leadership committee, and band.  These do keep her extraordinarily busy.  Kaci is in advanced classes as well and in 7th grade.  Math comes to her so easily.  It amazes me as to how easy she makes it look.  Kole is also very good in Math and you would never know that he spoke only a dialect of Mandarin when we brought him home.  Kali is very good with languages too.  Her accent and pronunciation of Spanish are amazing.

We have had a 4th young lady with us this school year.  Her name is Lee Hyo-lim, or Olivia.  LOL  We call her Olivia.  We have fun learning about Korea and she is loving learning about America and life in a mixed up family like us. 

It feels like we are always on the go.  But as my mom would say, I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't constantly on the go.  Well, there are days I know exactly what I would be doing.

Here is a video of the marching band from one of their performances.

followed by some pictures of the school year so far!

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures!  The line below is from Smores!

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