June...it's much more than a vacation!

In addition to our annual vacation (see last blog entry and webalbum) we got to do a lot of other neat stuff in June.

BLAKE IS 8! It's hard to believe (I always say that but it's true) but that guy turned 8 on the 13th! Can you believe it?!

On the 14th I ran the Hatfield/McCoy Reunion Festival Half-Marathon. Pre-race nausea and abdominal cramps (bad pasta at the pre-race dinner???) for the last 10 miles kept me from running the time I wanted , but I still ended up 18th out of 126 runners. I guess I should be satisfied...

On the 17th Kyle and a few others were honored by the Board of Education for having achieved the Presidents Physical Fitness Award. It was a nice presntation complete with a patch and a certificate signed by ole G-Dub himself!

This month was also the Future Champions Football camp that Blake has participated in for the 3rd year now. Somehow he has earned the nickname "Crazy Legs". Does he look like a future champion?

Well, it's been a great month for us and we hope it has been for you too.
Take care and God bless.

Love,
Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

Vacation 08!

We're baaack! We had a great trip to the Northeast and New England. It was one of the best, if not THE best vacation we've ever had. While planning it I basically had 4 options:

1. Do more, see more - but this may have been too much
2. Do less, see less - it wouldn't be too much but maybe not enough
3. Scrap the whole NE/New England plan altother
4. Split the difference between 1 & 2

Now that I know what I know and all the info. is in, I'm more convinced than ever that #4 is the best!

Here's how it played out:

On the way to Philly we went to Gettysburg and Valley Forge. In Philly we saw the Liberty Bell, Independance Hall, toured the US Mint, walked thru Chinatown, and bunch of misc. stuff. It was all walking distance from our hotel.

In NYC we went to Ellis Island (very emotional) and the Statue of Liberty. We got on the Today Show (twice), went to Chinatown, Little Italy, Ground Zero, Radio City Music Hall, and Central Park (mine and Molly's favorite!). We walked all the famous streets and part of the Brooklyn Bridge, saw Times Square at night, went to Giants Stadium, and 100 other things! NYC was everyone's favorite!

We swung thru Rhode Island on our way to Boston where we walked most of the Freedom Trail, went on a whale-watching cruise, and were in downtown for the pregame festivities of game 2 for the NBA finals versus the hated Lakers! For a long-time Celtics fan like me this was big!

When we left Boston we went to a lighthouse on the Maine coast , put our feet in the Atlantic (chilllly) and, then we drove thru beautiful New Hampshire and Vermont. On the way home we went to Dorney Park in Allentown, PA. (Be sure to watch the water ride video on full screen mode with your speakers up...and a towel!)

There were some late nights and early mornings; there were some late mornings followed by later nights. Fast food, good food, bad food, and late night ice cream. A lot of laughs and a few tears. Light moments and poignant ones. I got to run in downtown Philly (tricky), Central Park (a runner's paradise!), and Boston Common and Garden (you could feel the history of this park est. in 1634 and used by men like Franklin and Adams!)

I was reminded of what a great country we have, what an incredible creation God has made, what a good family I have, and how great it is to drive barefoot!

I learned that stereotypes are usually wrong, that GPS is wonderful, and that a golf ball on the floorboard gives a pretty good foot massage!

2211 miles, 11 states, 10 days, 5 individuals, 1 fortunate family!

Other things have and are happening this month so another update will come soon, but for now enjoy the web album (upper right) of our vacation (unless you don't want to!)

Love,
Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

aMAYzing!

Well, it's hard to believe that another month has come and gone...but it has. So here's a brief review of our May.

Once again this year, Kyle was a "High Achiever" and was rewarded with a trip to The Great Wolf Lodge near Cinncinati. I was lucky enough to be a chaperone again this year. The best part: Kyle and I got to do something else together!

In other Kyle news, he placed high in the President's Physical Fitness challenge, being one of only 6 in the 6th grade.

And, he now has contacts.

And...last Sunday night he got stuck in the elevator at church! We didn't even know until the Fire and Rescue came (he called them on the phone) and let him out. I always knew his elevator didn't go all the way to the top!

As soon as we got back it was time for Molly's birthday party. She had a bunch of friends over and we all had a great time. Can't believe she's 14!

May is the birth month for many great people you know, including Nana!

Speaking of, Nana and PawPaw came and spent about a week with us and we all enjoyed that. While we were together we had a lot of fun, played a lot of rummy, and even took an overnight road trip to Lexington and enjoyed the beauty of the area, did some horsewatching, and fishing.

They timed their visit to see Molly graduate from 8th grade. Not only did she graduate (with numerous honors) but her poem was chosen to be the class poem, which meant to she got to read it at graduation...in front of 600 people. She did great!

And Blake...well, he's still Blake! Here's a new story though. A while back I took him to the birthday party of a female classmate. While there one of the mothers told me that Blake is THE heartthrob of the 1st grade. I said, "Really?" She said, "You didn't know?" All I could say was, "Nooo."

Well, it may be true: Saturday the doorbell rang and it was 3 girls who wanted to know if Blake could come out and play. (brazen hussies!) His response: Let me get my shoes! :-)

Since this is being finished from The City of Brotherly Love, here's a sneak peak at June's update.

Til next time...love from,

Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

Awesome April!

What a great month! It all started with our family Spring Break trip to Washington DC. I had been home from Tanzania for 28 1/2 hours so it was time to hit the road! :-)

3/31Monday headed to DC, saw the new Air and Space Museum. Since it was raining, doing some shopping was the Barnes and Noble thing to do!

4/1 I started the day with a GREAT April Fool's joke! Then we did all the normal DC stuff: Arlington Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, the Mall, and the Memorial walls. Kim and the boys did the Museum of Natural History (aka Evolution Central) while Molly and I went to the Library of Congress.

4/2 On Wednesday the girls went to the Holocaust Museum while the men did the National Aquarium. After lunch we met back and I got to go on a 7 mile run around the city. That was fun! Then we saw the Jefferson Memorial surrounded by the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin at their peak.

4/3 On Thursday we did the National Zoo (very good!) and then headed for the eastern shore of Maryland. We spent the night on Kent Island, an island in the Chesapeake Bay that was first established in 1631. Our waterfront room allowed us to watch some of the wildlife in the marsh. We were suprised by the beauty of the area.

4/4Friday we hit the capital of the first state. That's Dover, DE if you're not sure. After that we headed over to the sailing mecca and beautiful town of Annapolis. While there was toured the US Naval Academy. (I have now seen all 3 service academies) After that it was Fort McHenry in Baltimore. We spent the night in Hagerstown and headed home the next day.

This sounds like a lot (and it was) but we were never hurried. Good planning and good fortune made for a very fun trip.

4/12 Molly and Kyle both had their first soccer game of the season.

4/15 Molly and I attended the Pikeville College Spring Choral concert. We enjoyed the performance, laughed a lot, and went home with a new inside joke!

4/17 Kim headed to Eclectic for her 20 yr. reunion (WOW! She's getting old!) and the kids and I did Hillbilly Days. Yes, the guys had their teeth!

Here's a kid-friendly recipe I tried out while Kim was gone. I call it Mini-Tacos and it's easy and fun. Fill a cookie sheet with Tostitos Scoops and fill each of them with already-prepared taco meat. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Put the toppings on the table and let everyone top their own however they want.

4/19 My buddy Abe and I went to see Kansas in concert. It was a great show featuring 3 other acts as well. If you're interested, check out the Kansas video.

4/24-26 We had our annual Youth Rally and hosted 5 really good kids from Fairview, WV.

We had a great time and now have several new friends.

Whew! What a month! If you're interested in seeing more of our April just click the "April 08" webalbum and look around.

Have a great May! See you next time.

Love,

Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

March Madness!

March has been wild and wooly...in a good way.

The best news of the month was Kim getting (finally) her "new" van. You know you're getting older when you're excited about a minivan...but we are!

I had to go to Prattville to get the van, so Kyle and I headed out early Monday. While Kyle and Nana goofed off, Dad, Brian, and I played some pasture pool. We had a great time and it was a nice, unexpected surprise to have that time together. We headed back early Tuesday.

Then, on Thursday I headed to Tanzania. The trip went very well and you can check out a few of the pics in the webalbums.

After 14 days of travelling and/or teaching, Denny and I needed some R&R (at least that's what we told ourselves) so we hit Zanzibar! While Denny loafed around, I went diving. I am now a certified scuba diver. I used the camera on only one of the dives and wouldn't you know it, the other one was by far the best! Oh well...


Right before I left home, the boys and I split a package of "Bubba teeth" - they were a big hit with the folks there and they feature prominently in the photos.

I'm writing this on a layover in Amsterdam, so please overlook any errors that my foggy mind may have come up with.

That's all for now! Have a great April!

Love from,
Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

Kyle's 12th birthday party!

Kyle's Birthday party was so great that I couldn't wait until the next update to post these pics and videos. A decent snow came (finally) and forced us to change our plans. We quickly decided on a snow-fun party and the games we had planned are saved for another day.









Our fun in the snow crew:













These video clips are short, but may take a moment to buffer. First is the birthday boy followed by his favorite brother and Dad.

We've never had a better party and we couldn't have a better son!

Bye for now...

February

Our February rolled along quite nicely! Feb. in Kentucky means one thing: basketball! Here I am at the PHS game with my buddies Blake and Clayton. Kyle's team is finshed for the year. The team wasn't good, but Kyle really was!

It is also the month of love. 6 of us went to the Smokies for a Marriage Retreat and had a blast! See the webalbum (to the right) for more pics.

Blake and I love to watch cartoons in bed! Arthur and George are our favorite early-morning-turn-the-volume-low-so-we-don't-wake-Mom companions.

Even though I'm ready to "soak up the sun", I still wish we would have at least one decent snow this year but it hasn't happened yet. This is the best so far, but even this Florida-born boy knows that this isn't very good.

On the 28th, Kyle turned 12! We can't believe it!

He is a great young man and we're very proud of him. His party will be Mar. 8 so pics will come in next month's update.

BTW, Kyle and I found this great party game website while planning his party.

I'll close this month with another incredible sunrise from our deck.

Be sure to check out my new blog! (link at top right)

See you next month!

Love,

Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

A Good Start to the Year

Our 2008 is off to a slow and uneventful start...and that's a good thing! After a wild-n-wooly second half of '07, we have welcomed a saner start to this year. Of course I'm sure that'll change soon.

Kyle and I have been busy with basketball. Our team isn't quite the roundball version of the Bad News Bears, but let's just say that we've made sure that all the other teams have a win under their belt! Isn't that benevolent?! What they need is a better coach! (BTW, don't you love the way they all try to look serious and tough?!)

Molly's 1st academic team competition went well with them coming 2nd in the region which allows them to go to district competition on Feb. 14. You go girl!

I spent a few days (Jan. 20-23) preaching in Tazewell, Tn. Not much to do there but it's pretty, the people are nice, and I stayed in a great place on the lake.

>Here's my new toy. I'm hoping to have a chance to baptize it next month in Zanzibar! Look for some great underwater pics in the coming updates.

>Be sure to check out the new "Webalbum" section to the right, just under our family pic.

>Just in case you want to know...I wrote the first chapter in this book.

>See you later! I will now go enjoy my last 2 weeks of under-40-dom!

K,K,M,K,&B

A December to Remember!

As you may remember, the last update (not counting Porky Pig - sorry Porky) was posted on my way to Nigeria. That trip went fine and all is well. While there, they honored me with a custom made outfit. Groovy, ain't it?!?! This is what most men wear and it was a very nice gesture. It included leather sandals and matching pants. Kim and the kids laughed their heads off when I modeled it at home!

Shortly after I got home Molly participated in the annual chorus Chrsitmas concert. That's Molly in the middle behind the microphone. It's a big chorus (less than half is shown) but she is the prettiest and most talented of all!

In another annual tradition, Kyle's basketball team played at the East Kentucky Expo Center during halftime of a high-school tournament featuring teams from all over. On Sunday (1/6) they will play there before the East Kentucky Miners game. The Miners are a CBA (think NBA minor league) team. I'm coaching Kyle's team this year and I'm really enjoying it.

I HAVE to tell this story! Kim and her buddies (the Fantastic Five) did their usually holiday girls-night-out. After taking a group pic at Applebees, they went to WalMart to print it. Deciding it wasn't good, they walked over to the holiday section, grabbed a bow each, stood in front of some trees for sale, and got someone to take their pic. This one turned out good AND it has been good for a thousand laughs!

Our Chrsitmas this year was great! Our trip to Alabama went perfect and really enjoyed the time with our family. Christmas Day at home was good too. There are too many good pics for the blog, but you can see a few of them on the Christmas web album if you want.

Kyle and I ended our 1st hunting season together on a bit of a disappointing note. Last Sat. morning (12/29) we watched a group of deer that just wouldn't get close enough. We talked about it and decided to sneak up on them instead of waiting. Our plan worked to perfection! We were less than 100 yards away and they had no idea. Kyle was scoping them out (I was my hands and knees so he could use my back for a gun rest) when something spooked them. We looked and saw some trespassing quail hunters. Kyle went ahead and took a shot but missed. Oh well, there's next year AND we enjoyed this year!

New Years Day we had our traditional Hoppin' John because you gotta have black-eyed peas for good luck. So, we're ready for a great year and we hope that you have one too!

Until next time...

Love,

Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

Porky Pig - Blue Christmas

Please enjoy this classic as a little present to you. High-browed it isn't, but you know it's funny! I hope it makes you smile and that you don't have a bbbblllue Christmas.

November at our house!

As I sit in Detroit waiting for my flight to Amsterdam and then on to Lagos, Nigeria, I'll catch up on my memory of November.

It began with the beginning of deer season here in Kentucky and, most importantly, Kyle's first ever! He was really excited about it and has really gotten the fever. The big one is still out there but we've had a lot of fun together and there is still time left. This pic was posed but it was in our stand!

On the 16th and 17th, Kim and I headed to Athens, GA with our good friends, UK grads Mike and Heather Cecil to see the UGA/UK game in person. It was a great experience for us but not so great for Mike and Heather!

For T'giving, we all went to the house of our good friends Kim and Jerry Read. Kim's mother fixed all kinds of good food and we made a full day of it. Good food, good friends, and a lot of fun made our Turkey Day very nice.

It's hard to believe, but Christmas time is near. Here's our family Christmas card and with it here's wishing you a happy holiday and the best New Year you've ever had!

See you next month. Until then...

Love from,

Keith , Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

September&October

Our September and October were both so full that they really need their own update but that's exactly why I wasn't able to get to them! So...here they are!

It all began on Labor Day weekend when our Alma Mater, Faulkner University, played it's first ever football game in of all places...Pikeville! A bunch of people from days (long) gone by came and it was a really fun weekend.

But the best comapny of all was Brian, Natasha, Colton, and Ashby! We had tons of fun playing our own brand of football: backyard! The cousins all played nonstop, the adults stayed up late talking and laughing, the guys went out and shot every gun I own (very manly stuff!!!), and the girls all went shopping (very girly stuff!!!). It was a great weekend!

Shortly after they left I was off to teach in Arusha, Tanzania and to speak in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was a great trip except for all the anxiety I felt after receiving word that Pops had taken a turn for the worse while I was there. The scheduled hunt fell through so we did the next best thing and took a photo safari to Tarangire National Park. Click here to see my Tarangire album.

You can also watch this short video clip I shot. The elephants aren't the only dirty, smelly animals captured here; listen close and you'll hear Pat McIntosh and Mike Reese!



Molly's soccer season is quickly coming to a close. She has had an outstanding year and her team is still undefeated.

Meanwhile, Blake has been playing flag football for the first time ever, but you wouldn't know it by watching him! I know this will probably sound like nothing more than the babbling of a proud Dad...but that guy is good! He has scored several touchdowns, including a couple that went the entire length of the field; and he has made more "tackles" than anyone can count. Check out one of his tackles on this clip.

During the kids Fall Break (Oct. 4-6) we went camping at the Breaks and had a great time. The weather was perfect and we got to do a lot of Geocaching. On Friday afternoon some good friends (the Reads) came and camped with us. On Saturday Jerry, Molly, Kyle and I ran a 5K trail run at the park. Jerry and I took 3rd and 1st respectively in our age group and Kyle won 2nd in his first race ever!

This past weekend Molly and I ran the annual 10K here in town. We both set personal records. Molly won 1st in her age group and I finished 7th overal but only 3rd in my age group. Kyle was going to run it but got up sick that morning, which kept him and our race photographer at home. :-(

You can see my online training log if you'd like. Here you can see how much I've run and where I've run. Leave me a comment telling me that you will check it periodically...because even if you don't, just thinking you might will keep me motivated!

As the sun sets on this update, enjoy this pic of a recent sunrise here on the mountain. You know it's gonna be a good day when it starts out that pretty!

Happy Birthday Bro!

Until next time...

Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake

In Memory of Pops

IN MEMORIAM

William Edward Sikes
Nov. 10, 1942 - Oct. 14, 2007

I used to know him as Willie but when the kids started calling him "Pops", I did too. Early this morning Pops slipped into eternity at his home with his beloved daughters nearby. The past 6 weeks were difficult for him and the rest of us too, but we are thankful that the effects of the strokes didn't linger any longer than they did. He is missed already.

I learned several things from Pops .

>The vaule of a simple, uncluttered life - "stuff" didn't excite him.
>If a good guy shows interest in your daughter, don't interfere - he was always good to me.
>The value of doing little things for people when you can.
>You might as well do some living before you retire because retirement may not last long.

The suit I will wear to the funeral is a special one to me. Years ago when things were pretty tight, I mentioned in passing that I needed a new suit. Later in the visit he gave me some money and said he wanted me to have a new suit. Now my closet is full of nice suits, most nicer than the one I bought, but that one is a special reminder of a man who liked to do things for people when he could.

Any man with 2 beautiful daughters who loved him and cared for him to the end; 7 healthy and happy grandchildren; and more friends than you can count was truly blessed!

Treasure the moment! These pics are from the last time the kids and I ever saw Pops. We could never have known!

We will miss you Pops!

You can leave a comment for Kim -kinda like an electronic funeral guest book.

Funeral arrangements: Greenwood Funeral Home, Montgomery, Ala.

Visitation - Tuesday (Oct. 16) 6-8 pm

Funeral - Wednesday - 11 am

In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to the Will Sikes Memorial Scholarship at Backwoods Christian Camp to help a child (or more) attend camp every year. The address is:

BCC, P.O. Box 939, Lineville, AL 36266 - be sure to note that it is in honor of him. Thanks!

August

Welcome to the new and improved version of our family blog!

August has been a little slower and a lot hotter!
The kids are back in school and life is a little more normal now. (The pics are enlargeable.)

On the 18th Molly and I ran in a local 5 mile race. We both did fine and had a lot of fun together.

This month I had the opportunity to meet Kentucky's governor. He is a very impressive person (fighter pilot, physician, congressman, and now governor) and I was impressed with what he had to say. I had a minute to talk to him and am convinced that all our Kentucky-resident-blog-readers need to get out and vote for Gov. Fletcher Nov. 6.

How do you beat the Aug. heat? Head for the lake!!! That's what we did on the 25th. We went to Jenny Wiley State Park where I pulled the kids in the tube, we picnicked on the shore, and then turned off the motor and jumped in!

Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see a new addition to the blog.

Upcoming in Sept...Blake starts flag football, Molly's 1st soccer game of the year, and Keith goes to Tanzania and South Africa (9/12-25).
Until next time...take care and God bless,

Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake