Photo shoot

A good friend of ours and former student of Trolls, Alyssa Mowery, did a photo shoot for us recently. I just got the disc in the mail yesterday and was thrilled with what a GREAT job she did. Here are just a few for you to see.





Reag is not in this picture cause it was pretty close to the end of the enduro shoot (for him!). He was laying on the kitchen floor shaking his head. No matter what we bribed him with it didn't work. He was totally DONE! The thought of having to get up and kiss his mom was more than he could handle! LOL!

Troll and "the wrapped-around-his-fingers" girls.

I really like this picture. The covered bridge at the park we went to was a perfect place for pics.

Wow! We sure do fill that up don't we?! :-)

Maybe I'll post more later. Just wanted to let you see what a great job she did. Here is her website address.. http://www.wix.com/digitalphotography/Photography-by-Alyssa

Of glasses and cats

Reagan and I got new glasses this week. Reag picked these out and they look so cool on him. Navy blue on the outside and green on the inside. Of course this kid doesn't like to cooperate with pictures so he looks gooby!


We were eating supper tonight when Troll got up to go get a drink or something. The cat immediately jumped up onto his chair for a bite! It was so funny. I took a pic of him right as he jumped over to Bia in the highchair so it didn't turn out. I told Troll to put him back on his chair to see what he'd do and this is the shot I got! He escaped with a noodle! :-) Yes, mom, Troll finished his supper even though the cat had his face in it.

Catching up

Ok. So I need to catch up on some events. Saturday nite we went out with another couple. We used to pastor them back in the olden days!! We became quick friends and have managed to keep up the gr8 relationship that we found with them. We'd had an outing scheduled back in December and...yes...I became the invalid. So...after pushing the date twice...we finally got one to work. We actually went to a place in Lebanon where their daughter was releasing her new CD. Unfortunately the photos are not the gr8test due to the lighting but at least you can get the idea.

Missy and the guys she sings with. She did a terrific job and the restaurant had AWESOME food.

Melissa Dyvonne


Monday we took off school to go visit with my family. My cousin, Chad, and his wife and son were in from California. I hadn't seen him in 14 years! (terrible...I know) He is leaving in 3 weeks for his (third tour?) in the Marines. I'm proud of him (and all the others that serve for our country) and was honored to get a picture with him. He and his one sis, Anita, have always been on my favorites list as to the craziness we used to do as kids/teens! Thanks, Chad, for serving our country. It was gr8 to see him.

This is Chad's little guy, Shepherd. He is SO cute. Sorry...I never managed to get a picture of his wife or his other sister who was home from Haiti! I'm failing as a photographer!

This is another cousins little guy, Kaden. (i don't think i spelled that right...sorry Kara) He is such a cute and HAPPY guy!


There were quite a few that were there for the get together. My poor kids were a nervous wreck at not knowing the family! Guess we need to get our acts together and get the Ketners together more often!

Farm Show!

Here are some pictures from the farm show Tues. nite. The first one is due to a catastrophic event in Bia's life! We were walking around checking everything out in the animal life and having a nice time. Jetta was pushing Bia in the stroller. Chickens, ducks and other such animals were the first on our walk thru. For those of u that have been there u know how the cages are stacked with rows of animals. You also know that the larger animals have a bigger cage all to their own. We'd just walked down a row with some turkey's in it when I hear this screaming coming from in front of us. I looked up to see Jetta dying laughing and yet trying hard to appear compassionate! I ran up there to see Bia totally loosing it in her stroller. I mean loosing it. She was shaking, screaming and crying all at the same time. Here when they'd gotten ready to turn the corner of the row...the turkey to the right (which was right on Bia's level) had puffed himself all out and gobbled! A little too up close and personal for her. Intervention was required in the most hastely manner. I wheeled her over to a "quiet" corner void of any type of animals and hurried to get her out. She grabbed me and burried her head into my shoulder and refused to look at anything else for quite some time! :-) We ended up carrying her through most of the rest of the animals all with her saying, "Mommy, please don't make me see those chickens again. I don't like those chickens!" It traumatized her so badly that Wednesday nite at church she looked at me and said, "I don't wanna see anymore chickens!"
Reagan seemed to have a gr8 fascination with the rabbits.

Of course, those of you that have been to the farm show, know that you meet up with and see MANY people that you know. We ended up with the Rine's, Hallenbachs and Ellisons. This is a picture I got of Justin that I think is so cool! We were getting ready to watch the cart racing.

Jetta is Bia's second mom. She loves her to pieces. In fact...sometimes she even wants jetta over me. Bia wasn't upset here...she was trying to get a piece of popcorn outa her lip!

And here was the rowdy ones of the group we sat with! Specially that first one right in front! I didn't get a picture of Kayla who is just in the corner of the picture here. It was her hat that Jetta had on.

Anyway...very fun evening. Kids really enjoyed it. We hadn't gotten to go last year for some reason. Normally we go on Tues nites cause of the horse pull. However, this year the horse pull was in the small arena and it was so jam packed full that u weren't allowed in. So we settled for the cart racing. Which was pretty cool. So until next years farm show.....

Take 2 Christmas

Saturday morning we did Christmas with my immed. family. Again, we missed Doran and his family sharing with us. Below are the kids waiting ever so patiently to be handed their stuff!

Titus and Anita. Not sure if Titus was getting ready to break out in song or what!! Lol! Actually he was the trash man and everyone had to throw their paper at him.

Nadia decided she'd rather go watch Barney than have to deal with all our hubabaloo!!

Mom was the official present-hander-outer this year...much to her dismay!! Here she'd just gotten her yearly box of dark chocolate covered cherries!

It was so funny to watch Bia this morning. For some reason (yes, it baffles the greatest of minds) she was fascinated with Titus. She sat and held his hand for quite awhile just jabbering away. Hopefully Titus didn't mind!! :-) She explained to him that she was 3 and he was 4 so maybe that was why they got along so well!! We hadn't seen them in a year and usually she is shy around people she's not been around much. Guess maybe that's why they say blood is thicker than water? She knew he was part of her!

Ritchey Christmas

Friday the 8th was the Ritchey side Christmas get together. It was to be at our house and I was so looking forward to having it. However, due to me becoming the Christmas invalid...it was decided that I didn't need to do it. So mom had it in the gym at their church and everyone brought finger foods. As per usual...there was so much food it looked like a buffet! Below is the "older" table. My pap and gram, uncle Dave, uncle Scott, Ruth, Nadia, Mom and Dad.

Here is the kids' table. Left side from front: Caitlyn West, Brianna Ritchey, Jetta, Katressa Ritchey (I think). Right side from front: Landon West, Brianna West, Austin, Lynisa Ritchey, Hannah Ritchey, Bia. Karen Ritchey was sitting here with the kids but I'm not sure where she got to. I think she skipped out when she saw me taking pictures.

The young table!! From left front: Troll, Wes Ritchey, Paul West, Jaron Byler. From right front: Titus Ritchey, Anita Ritchey, Andrea Ritchey, Liz West, Sheri Byler. We missed my brother Doran and his wife Diane and their two kids, Courtney and Taylor, being with us but Idaho was a bit far to travel for an evening get together! Also my aunt Carol and her husband Dave and their daugther Dakota weren't able to be there. Other than that.....this is the Ritchey crew.

Here is my favorite picture of the evening. My cousin, Liz, from Alaska and I have been told numerous times that we look alike. At times I've seen it and at times I've felt bad for Liz to be told she looks like me!! Lol!! Anyway, I don't get to see her that often due to distance and it's always gr8 to be able to get together with her. After Troll took this picture I was shocked to see that we really did look allot alike. :-) And i'm really not taller than her in real life. Guess that was due to my 3" heeled boots!!

So there ya go. That's what my dad's side of the family looks like. Good looking crew, huh?! It was nice getting together with everyone. Even had a rousing game of golf going on at the "young" table.

Take 2 of Potentate.

Here's our Potentate. Kalvin did a tremendous job of being the "star" of the show. I will admit that this photo makes him look just a bit....ah.....middle eastern? :-)
Kalvin and his wife, Chas. O...and the famous footwear that we all loved!

Kalvin and Brian Funkhouser. Brian was in charge of all the flyers, bulletins and newspaper article. As usual...everything looked great! (Not sure where Brian was looking or what he was thinking.)

Here are "Kal n gals"!! :-) Sam and I were elected to be the directors of this program. We started in October and due to my kids being sick some and then me being out all of December...Sam took on the load. She did an amazing job and I'm proud of her. Thanks, Sam! And by the way.... I luv this picture. For some reason the looks on all our faces lead me to believe that we were on our way to being very mischeivious!

And here is the lady behind the costumes. Wow! Course she's also behind Kalvin at the moment!! Getting rather squished! Kim did a tremendous job on the sewing and putting together of everyone's outfits. Of course my favorite was the Potentate's but all of them looked really great. Thanks, Kim, for your hard work. (Hopefully she has recooped from the squishing on the alter!)

Potentate at last!

So finally I got pictures of our Christmas program at church. The village set was done by Kalvin, Kim, Chas, and Jenny. Sam and Rob did the manger scene which is to the right. (minus the chairs!)

Austin is hanging out the first window there. Austin Funkhouser is singing his solo.
James Fuller singing his solo. Bia is down in the lower corner. She was Mary in the morning production and asleep on the front seat in the evening production! Ethan is the kid right behind James with his back to everyone sitting on the alter!

Reagan is right in front with the yellowish outfit.

Kalvin was also the "Great Late Potentate". His page was Quinton Myers. This was during a song where all the kids had to mill about talking to each other. Jetta and Jasmine were striking up quite a conversation!

Brain Loss!

OK, so I've forgotten (AGAIN) to take pictures of the truck. Let's just say that things are mashed up a bit. The estimate is a bit over $1,200.00!! I'm liable to never get a picture taken so just forgive me for being a bit on the lost brain cell side!!

Got our family pictures taken tonight. Oh my! This is why we only do this once a year or two or three!! Thankfully our photo shoot happened on our turf which was really nice. I had everyone change from their school things into casual clothes and we drove quickly to a park with a covered bridge where we had 25 min to shoot until the park gates were locked. Then we came home and ate supper. Then the kids were thrilled beyond words (came out in groans and moans) when I said, get upstairs, brush your teeth and put on those clothes that I ironed for you cause we're doing a dress up shoot now! Bless dear Alyssa's heart for what she went through tonight. It was an ordeal and a half to get all 5 kids to cooperate at the same time. Hopefully in a couple weeks I'll have some shots on here for you to see. She does a terrific job so I know her part of the pictures will look superb!

I'm also sure that my boys will be thrilled beyond imagination when I tell them they will be wearing these same clothes on Sunday!! :-) Ethan was the only one that actually liked his clothes while the other two groaned and muttered their "Mom's!" Sigh. O well.

Tomorrow night is my side of the family's Christmas get together. My brother, Titus, and family are coming in from Ohio, my cousin is in from Alaska....it's gonna be gr8 seeing everyone. I'm really looking forward to it. Been quite a LONG time since I saw my brother. Course it's been even longer since I've seen my other brother, Doran, and his family but Idaho is just a bit far to come for an evening get together. :-) Anyway...we'll do the thing tomorrow night with my dad's extended family and then Saturday morning is Christmas with my parents and Titus'.

Ok...I'm in desperate need of getting some sleep. Trust everyone has a gr8 nite/day!!

Deer prints...hair...dents...and what's that? EWWW!

So today about 9:38 I got a text from Troll wanting to know if I was up. I answered him back and got no response. I tried two more times and still didn't get an answer. So finally I texted another friend at school to see what the deal was and then I got a call from Troll.

He and the kids were on the way to school this morning when out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash and before he could react he had come face to face, in a very unromantic type of way, with a fashionably medium sized doe. She hit the brakes but didn't hit them fast enough to avoid contact with the big, green Burby and it's occupants. She hit the grill and light assembly on the drivers side and whipped around from the force to finish out her damaging debut down the quarter panel/driver's door....and rounded it all out by leaving some hair and yucky brown stuff that I'd prefer the hunters to be stepping in while hunting not on the side of the truck!! Jetta was in the front seat with Troll and was thrilled to have the "cat-bird-seat" view (as Troll called it). Austin was devastated that he'd been dozing and missed the event and the other two boys just exclaimed about the incident in their typical "oh, cool!!" fashion!!

I'm ever so thankful that this incident didn't happen in my car. Troll is planning on taking that to school tomorrow due to the truck needing to be dropped off at the shop for a driver's door handle needing fixed. With the force and damage that was done to the Burby it would have totalled my poor little car and done who knows what to the occupants inside. So insurance has been called, the estimate man has done his estimating and we await the papers for that so that we can get ol' green fixed. The deer was picked up by a man from our church and delivered to a needy family. So all around...everything is good! I will go out tomorrow morning and take pictures so I can post em tomorrow eve! Again, I don't want to take for granted the fact that the Lord had His hand on them and kept them from anymore damage than what happened. He is good to us...ever so good to us!

And from the deer...

"Hmmm...Should I go? Should I wait?"

"I am DEER! I am Invincible!"

"Uh, oh! I am STEAK!"