Graduation has now come and gone. Klara has been here for 10 months with us, and 11 months total in America. Time truly flies anymore, and I cannot believe that in two days she will be boarding a plane and heading back to the Czech Republic. What can I say about the year with Klara?? So many things. Klara has been my kid who has been so caring and sweet. She's a beautiful person inside and out. We have had great times getting to know her. All the laughter and stories that we have shared. I hope that she remembers us as fondly as we will remember her. Klara has always been a great help to me, during this crazy year. She jumped in and helped with everything we ever asked her to help with, and of course I have to say that she helped even more than we'd ask...(I'd have to tell her to stop doing the dishes...because I wouldn't have anything to do during the day...haha).

I know that Wesley will miss her terribly, and Ryann won't even know what happened to the best baby food feeder she has ever known. I am always amazed at the bravery of the kids who come here. I would be scared out of my mind, not knowing the people I'd be living with for the school year. I'm just thankful that Klara has been the great kid that she is.

I will miss teasing her about America's Next Top Model (I hate that show), the yummy cookies that she'd make, hearing her and Wes fighting, her laugh, talking with her about my family, and most of all I will miss her accent. (sorry Klara, but I love your accent!!)

Klara has grwon so much in the time I have known her. She may only think that her English has gotten better, but I can see how she has matured even more than she already was. Looking bac now I cannot imagine my life not knowing her. I am blessed to have been able to host her in my home and have her become a part of my family forever. I love her and I will miss her so much.

We can hardly wait to visit our sweet Klarinka :):)

More Sugar Please....

This Years cake

Last years cake

Tonight was our Young Women's Cake Auction and Spaghetti Dinner. They raise money for their girls camp by auctioning off yummy cakes to us. Well last year was a doosie....and by that I mean the Casper family went nuts....mainly mama Casper(which is me) lost her mind temporarily...and spent $350.00.....yes I said it three hundred and fifty dollars on one cake. Can I just say that the ward thinks that we are crazy about cake....well truth be told....I just really wanted to do something really good with my ex-husbands alimony check. What better way to do it...than to take it from him(his wages were garnished) and give it away. Okay...so it really wasn't as noble as it should have been.

This year it was a different story. I am still the crazed nutball who feels compelled to win the biggest cake....(bidders beware...Casper's in the house)...but I felt a different spirit behind my cause. I have grown to love so many people in the ward I am in, and I truly want to help out where I can, well maybe not nursery....and definately not primary. I feel connected to the youth. I know that is where I lost my faith, I began to see people are not always good and that sometimes bad things happen. I guess in a way this is my way to do something for others who are at an age where I felt I was all alone.

So moving to the point...at my house this week there is a huge chocolate castle on my kitchen table...and I know that somewhere down the line I will be blessed because of it. At least someone gets something good out of my compulsive behaviors.

Come to think of it...I recently told Klara that I always wanted a castle...so maybe this wasn't exactly what I was thinking...but hey I got my castle!!!!

Nosebleed section...

Beautiful Klarinka

Ronnie Brewer # 9

Andrei Kirilenko #47

SWOOOOOOSH

Kyrylo Fesenko #44 and little Miss Klara

So whenever we have had the opportunity to go to a Jazz game, we have been high up in the "nosebleed" section. The reason I am telling you about this is because it has always been fun to watch even from out vantage point....never thought twice about it. It was a blast just being there and doing something that we don't always get the chance to do.

Well this last time has really put it all into perspective. I was able to get my students down to the floor and they got to meet #44 Fesenko, #9 Brewer, and #15 Harpring. This is where all that perspective comes into play...These guys are HUGE!!! At nosebleed level, yes they were small, but if they were normal they would look like children...LOL. I never really thought about their height and now that I have meet some layers in person....wow....it was such a great night and I think that the kids really enjoyed it!

Casper News Update...

Klara and Mrs. Cook at East Elementary



Klara talking with the second graders about the Czech Republic

Wes lost his third tooth....with three more that are loose

Ryann at six months thinks that she needs to rock my world

and start crawling....nothing is safe anymore!!

She has all those toys, and she likes to play with the cord and
plastic bag!! What a bad mom...giving them to her!!

Alot has been going on in the Casper household....Klara has been busy with being a track manager at Union. She has been doing lots of stuff with them. It was comical to see her after she got her hoodie....they forgot the "r" at the end of Manager....she was wanting to know if I could sew one on for her....it was driving her nuts! I think that my OCD behaviors are beginning to rub off on her ;)

Wes has lost his third tooth....he was sooo excited that it came out all by itself....and that I didn't need to help him at all...(sorry Jason there is no way that I can sit on him and pull his teeth and still tell hi that it is for his own good!!) Unfortunately the "toothfairy" was a little absent-minded and forgot to trade his tooth for money two nights in a row!!! Stupid toothfairy...she is fired!! She managed to come will he was eating breakfast....and I "heard" her trip over all the toys in his room....thank goodness I have these super hearing powers ;)...all is well now that she came and delivered her golden dollar. Sacagawea has to be good for something right??

Ryann on the other hand thinks that she needs to make my life a little more interesting....the days of just hanging are now gonna be full of running around keeping her out of stuff. She has decided to learn how to crawl...and she has also decided that I need to know that she is a very fast learner. No need to tell her, or show her twice!! Pretty soon she'll be all over the place...and I will have to step up my cleaning skills...and Wes will need to close his door. It has been a long time since I had an anklebiter...and had to deal with all this exploration. Gates are looking like a great idea!!

Klara and "Audrey" as in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

This is the typical way that my son talks to me...with

eyes closed or rolling, and his hands moving for extra

emphasis on things he is saying

Wes scored a cookie after his batting accident:)

Wes is my kid who, like his mother, will learn everything the hard way. Last thursday I got a call from the school saying that Wes had taken a hit to the face with one of those plastic bats. OUCH! I could just imagine the sting from it. Now, also like his mother, Wes is not athletical in any way shape or form. In my younger days I could hit a softball, but because I have always been over weight...I had to learn to hit that sucker hard...so I could make it to first base.

Wes thankfully is skinny....I think he is almost a self made anorexic!! I actually have to force him to eat...or he "forgets". Unfortunately though, he isn't into sports very much. So I am not surprised when the teacher told me that he was standing directly behind the kid swinging the bat and caught it in the face. I guess I need to at least teach him the basics.

He did try soocer one year....he was the kid walking around the field picking the dandylions!! Plus it was funny to watch...the kids would run one way...with Wes trailing behind. He tried though. He takes swimming lessons every summer, but he refuses to get his hair wet. He doesn't like the water. We gave him plastic golf clubs one year, he used them more for swords, than anything else.

I have to give him lots of praise for having the best imagination!! He can imagine some of the most outragous stuff. He likes to read, he is very good at putting legos together. He tells me all the time that when he becomes a robotics engineer, he is going to invent two robots for me....one to clean the house and one to cook:)

My little guy isn't very good at sports, but he is such an amazing kid in his own way. And I can't wait for those robots!!!

PS...I had to include the picture of Klara and Ryann. Klara bought these huge sunglasses and she just loves them....well they just remind me of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's...so I call her Audrey every time she wears them. She put them on Ryann the other day and made me take pics of them. I don't know what we are gonna do when Klara goes home. I just grow to love these kids so dang much...this is always the part I hate(thinking about when they leave).

I have no excuse now....

So this past weekend we found a good deal on a stroller. Enough said...Now I have to use it. My ongoing Goal/New year's resolution/dream/medical issue is of course to LOSE WEIGHT. And like any other obese person I am full of excuses, whining all the time but never getting into action....blah blah blah. I even dream that by sitting on the couch and watching others losing weight, and working out that it will magically change me. And yes my mind probably believe that it will work!!LOL

I have a goal, which is to lose 100# and then the hubby has to buy the Harley Davidson that I want....did I mention that I cannot drive one?? Any way I have always wanted to drive a harley. I refuse to be the size I currently am and ride the harley. Now back to I have no excuse to not at least...and I mean at least get out and walk.

So I think that I have done pretty good. Last week I walked up to the meeting that I attend every Thursday and home....then I walked to pick Wes up from Musical Mustangs at school on Monday...then today I walked down to the high school to attend a fun lunch activity that my aunt was putting on for the kids. The funny part is every time I have walked somewhere...everyone is in shock!! Not because I am walking...mainly because someone would actually walk somewhere instead of drive.

I think that if more people were on my case and more people supported walking as a form a transportaion people might become more physically active. My excuses in the past have been such as...."it's too expensive for my to buy a gym membership"....okay....walking is free....biking is free....throwing a ball is free....what is my problem??

Motivation, follow through, staying focused. You would think that my diabetes alone would motivate change in my life....no...after having diabetes for twelve years... I have learned to cheat through having to lose weight!!! Yes I learned how to eat horribly still and keep my blood sugar under control, but my weight is out of control.

So, I guess my whole point is that when you see me walking....don't be shocked that I didn't drive:)

Las Vegas

The other day we took a trip to Salt Lake...we had to go there by way of Price to pick up two other students for the trip. As we were getting closer to Price, Wes...who had obviuosly been thinking about this for some time asked one of his famous questions....

First let me just say that my son since he has learned to talk....has never learned the art of stopping and being quiet, having tact, or speaking softly! One time at the night clinic I had to wait for two hours....and anyone who has been to our local night clinic knows what I'm talking about....Wes talked and talked and talked...needless to say as any good mother...I tuned him out and was looking through a magazine...saying yes and uh hmmm...every once in a while. Finally a little old lady touched my arm and asked, "Does he always talk this much?" She was facinated that in two hours Wes had not run out of things to ask me or say!

Back to our trip...about 10 min. from Price Wes asked me, "MOM...How come Vegas is Lost??" We nearly laughed our butts off. We went to Vegas last year, and we have been thinking about going again...so he has heard us talking about Las Vegas....and during our drive I know that his little mind was running in circles trying to figure out why Vegas was lost...God knew what he was doing sending him to me...he knows I need a good belly laugh every now and then...and Wes never fails to give me one!!