Us

It all started when Josh popped the question on Christmas day 1995-wow-almost 26 years later, college degrees, three kids, two dogs and a grandpup, Dixie and Louis and Jessie, and then that time we lived in New Mexico and now Alaska, and then back to Texas.....well, here we are! This blog might take a back seat at times, but I do enjoy showing my family and friends (especially those far away) what keeps my family busy.  And yes, we are very busy.

This is our journey, our opinions, our life . . . we welcome you on the ride!

Cameron is our nine-year-old big sister. Cami plays the violin, and is growing up way too fast.  She has recently decided that she wants to be a vulcanologist when she grows up.  Dad and I particularly like this, since that means we might have to go visit her on a Caribbean volcanic island one day.  

Update:  Cameron is now 14 years old.  She is becoming a beautiful young women inside and out.  She still plays the violin, but now she plays in her school's orchestra.  When she found out we were moving, her new high school had two requirements--an orchestra and German--well, Santa Fe High School has both.  She is very excited and nervous to begin this next step in her life in a high school setting.  She is also very excited about driving.  Josh & Cami both share a love for everything German, so their trip to Germany this past summer was very, very special.

Update:  Cameron is now 18 years old.  She drives, has her own car, has her own job, and is ready to begin life as an official adult.  She is everything we imagined our oldest daughter would be.  She loves history (she wants to be a high school history teacher).  She loves eating healthy and exercising.  She loves being with her friends, and has truly some of the best friends we could have ever wanted her to have (a.k.a. Maddyson).  She loves to travel, and she LOVES music (only the good kind though--Metallica, ACDC, Megadeath, etc.).  She can play the guitar and will occasionally play the violin to appease her mom.  

Update:  Cameron is now married to Jared Ballesteros!!  We moved from Alaska because Cami could not imagine living her life there, and then ended up marrying an Alaskan.  We couldn't be more thrilled!  He fits in with our family easily, and is one of us now.  Cami and Jared live in Bastrop, Texas nearby. They do threaten to move back to Alaska, and if that happens, we will be going back to...... Jared is a plumber's apprentice with Parobek Plumbing.  He looks forward to obtaining his plumbing license.  Cami is subbing for Bastrop Independent School District while she is working on her degree to be an elementary teacher, SPED teacher, or high school history teacher.  She hasn't decided quite yet.

Karston is entering the second grade, this will be his second year at the gifted and talented elementary school.  He is our layed back, no trouble at all little boy.  He loves doing 'boy' things. 

Update:  Karston is now a sixth grader!!  He started his first year in middle school this year.  He plays the baritone in the band, loves playing baseball, and loves playing video games.  He still amazes us with his smartness, and his ability to learn useless facts like his Dad.

Update:  Karston is almost 16 years old.  He is looking forward to driving his own car, and being independent like his big sister.  He started ground school this past semester, and has dreams of flying his own aircraft one day.  He continues to astound us with how mature and smart he can be.  He is willing to get out of his comfort zone, and try new things.  Last year that was being on the wrestling team.  Karston is oh so close to getting his Eagle Scout rank, and is currently serving as Senior Patrol Leader.

Update:  Karston is a senior in high school.  He will be graduating May 28th!!  He has already enlisted with the United States Air Force, and will be going to basic training on September 7, 2021.  We are so proud of our Karston, and the man he is becoming quicker than we would want him to grow up.  He already has his job as a loadmaster in the Air Force.  He is looking forward to basic training, loadmaster school, and being able to jump out of an airplane.  Big things are in store for our little boy. 

Kayden, our little girl, is growing up fast. She is four-years-old, and enjoys being the boss of the family. It is Kayden’s way or the highway (maybe we’ll work on that this year).  She is working on being ready for kindergarten, she'll be starting school next fall.

Update:  Kayden continues to grow up right before our eyes.  She is in the third grade, and has a smile that is purely contagious.  Kayden loves gymnastics, and playing with her best friend, Hailey.

Update:  Kayden is now 11 years old, and in the 7th grade.  She loves animals, especially her new dog, Dixie.  She actually says her dream job would be working at Petco.  She loves to cross country ski, play with horses, and hang out with her friends.  

Update:  Kayden is finishing her freshmen year in high school.  She is sooooo talented.  She plays flute, piano, guitar, and pretty much any instrument she picks up.  And she draws better than anyone else I have ever seen.  She is currently going to Texas Connections Academy which is an online school out of Houston.  The covid pandemic has hit her hard.  She is a social butterfly, and she misses her friends tremendously.  I often have to remind myself that she is still just a teenager.  She is wise beyond her years, and one of my very best friends.

Josh stays busy with work, but thoroughly enjoys his hobby, windsurfing. He can be found quite often on Bird Island, and we definitely don’t mind following him to the beach.  And, of course, he loves running, even during our Christmas vacation--in the snow--he ran.  We love our Dad!

Update:  It is a little tooo chilly to windsurf in Alaska, so Josh flies his drone, hikes, runs (of course), rides his dirt bike, you know...pretty much anything that can get you and keep you outside.

This is us . . . enjoy!