Anna's Blog

 Posts Tagged ‘Family’

If you had the opportunity to check out my last blog you found that Nick and I recently visited a farm in Oregon searching for the perfect pumpkins to decorate our house.  The carving is now completed on our masterpieces!

Take a look below to see how our pumpkins turned out. Ya know, it never hurts to have a partner who happens to be artistically gifted. I SOOOO love my Boo-tiful Therap pumpkin (thanks Babe!)!!!

Nick carves out the details for the Therap Pumpkin

The finished product...it is so AWESOME!

My two passions - Therap and the Oregon Ducks!

A beautiful thing about Therap is how focused we are on FAMILY. With all the travelling we do and the hours we keep, there is still a lot of emphasis placed on time with your family. I love that about Therap!!!

I got to spend some quality time with MY family this summer and I wanted to get all of my Therap blog followers a kiddo update since I am often asked how my boys are doing.

This summer I had Elliot with me for a month. We did some kayaking and hiking on the weekends.  I’ve had Connor the entire summer.  He’s kept be fit with evening tennis games on those days we don’t have rain. He’s also travelled with me on some of my Therap adventures and got to hang out with the Colorado Alliance folks for a week. Hunter was able to break away from his football program for a week and spend some time with Mom. I am hopeful that Andrew will get a break from his performance schedule to visit this part of the country but right now he is engulfed in plays through August. 

Take a look at how big my kids are getting. Two seniors this year – one in college and the other in high school! Can you believe it???Totally blows me away!

My youngest son is 14 today….how in the world did THAT happen?  I guess it is just how life is…

Happy Birthday Connor Erik Keith! I love you so very much!!!!

Its bragging time for Mom…I have to tell you that the Neodesha Bluestreaks are tearing up their division this season. Hunter had an awesome game last week…41-0…how is that for INCREDIBLE!!! I’m holding out for him to announce that he wants to play for the Oregon Ducks…then I’m all over that!!!  What’s a Duck Mom called anyway…a mama duck…yeah, I’m good with that.

PS. Hunt turns 17 on next Monday. Gosh does time fly! Happy Birthday Moose…I love you so very much!

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and an opportunity to reflect on all that you are truly thankful for. This Therapite was thankful for a number of things. As I gathered with my family and all of my extended family (there were 65 of us), I was able to reflect on what I’m grateful for in my life. There is a tradition whereby we all say the prayer below before we begin our meal.  Please feel free to borrow it.

I'm thankful for my little sister, Amy

I think it summed up a lot of the things in my life I am thankful for. Above all else, I am thankful for those that I love, and who love me.

I'm thankful for my family (I think Connor was hiding from the camera all day!)

I'm thankful for my Dad

I'm thankful for my extended family

I'm thankful for my nephew and nieces (they were outside playing)

We give thanks…

* For the variety of our skills and interests

* For our different ways of thinking and moving and speaking

* For common hardships and common hopes

* For this family gathered here

* For all our good times and our not-so-good-times

* For growing up and growing older

* For wisdom deepened by experiences

* For rest and leisure

* For the privilege of work

* For time made precious by its passing

* For all that has been

* For all that will be…

I'm thankful for Hunter's humor

I'm thankful for the health of my children

It’s almost here. The countdown has begun. This week I’ve located the traditional new backpacks, sat through countless shoe choices…oh, no!…not my own…Master Connor is totally picky when it comes to the “new school tennis shoes”. It’s an experience that this mother has to prepare for days in advance. Its BRUTAL. Connor must have tried on 10 different pair of shoes and EVERY one of them had an issue. Too tight, too blue, too white, not cool enough…the list goes on and on. This adventure is not nearly as much fun as the choosing of the Trapper Keeper/binders and folders. Now, that’s just a whole different sort of fun!

As for Hunter, its all about the items he needs for football. Cleats, practice shorts, under armor, oh, can’t forget the no-show socks (this is so new to me…why do kids “not” want their socks to show?). He could care less about the new school shoes. His only requirement… make sure they’re lightweight for running.

My favorite part about the first week of school… PICTURES!

My boys have always indulged their mom’s need to capture every blinking moment of their lives on film. Now that I have a digital camera they are totally doomed. No film to deal with. Immediate gratification. I’m in shutter-bug heaven!

So, as it is every year, the boys gave in to my “issue” with taking the traditional “First-of-the-School-Year” pictures. Hunter, the Freshman, gave me some nice shots that I can frame for my office. I even got to photograph him in his new football jersey.  Connor, Mr. 6th grader, was all smiles as well. He even let me take some pics in our backyard.  I’m beginning to wonder what’s up with all the cooperation…hummmm….?!!???

Now we wait until Wednesday morning when school officially begins. Where Hunter “The Moose” Keith is concerned, it starts bright and early Monday morning with “Two-A-Days”. Basically it means that Hunt will be up at 5:30am and on the field in his football gear by 6:00am for a couple hours of conditioning and then back again at 3:45pm for another couple hours of running plays and practicing. I don’t plan on seeing much of my young man aside from feeding him and turning off his light after he crashes in his bed from exhaustion. The first full week of practice is simply a grueling experience..and I’m just the mom! But, as Hunter tells me, its all about a player’s AEP. Yeah, I know, what’s AEP stand for?

Its where the rubber meets the road in the quest to be successful. Wouldn’t it be cool if we all had a personal mantra like that? If you don’t, you are welcome to borrow this one.

Do you have any back-to-school traditions or stories that you would like to share? Tell me, I’d love to read them.

~ Ciao Summer! Hello Fall !!!!

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Planet Ehtpar may be in Waterbury, CT. but Therapville is in any location that a Therapite happens to inhabit. Why you ask? Well, because Therap is a passion that follows each of us no matter where we’re based. In this case, at least over the next couple weeks, Therapville, for me, shall be located in Neodesha, Kansas, about 90 minutes east of Wichita. This is where I’ve raised my family, grown a business, and contributed countless hours to our community, schools, and civic clubs. It is “home” and I’d like you to be a guest of mine, at least virtually, for the next several days.

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As I mentioned, while here in my SE Kansas office, I want to share some of the fascinating features that small-town living has to offer. Nope, it’s not all about Dorothy, Toto, and flat land…in fact none of those features are indicative of this area. Instead, SE Kansas offers lakes, trees, hills, and lots of land that you won’t see a single human being on for miles.

There are some special features to my home-base that I want to tell you about including the real Little House on the Prairie, Cobalt Boats, Elk City Lake, and a few other surprises. But first…the history lesson.

The land Neodesha now sits upon was first settled by the Osage Indians in the early 1800′s. Coming from an Osage word, Neodesha (Knee-o-day-shay) means “where waters meet.” And the town is appropriately named, sitting between the Verdigris and Fall Rivers.

In October of 1867, A. McCartney and A.K. Phelon came from Neosho Falls to the neighborhood of what is now Neodesha and established a trading post for traffic with the Osage Indians. In one year, from the erection of the McCartney and Phelon store there were 200 buildings in the town, and six months later the population had reached 1,000.

In March, 1871, Neodesha was incorporated as a city of the third class. A post office was established at Neodesha in 1870, and A.K. Phelon appointed Postmaster. The first school was taught in the town in 1870, James A. McHenry being the teacher.

Today, Neodesha has a population of just over 2,800 people. Although most folks haven’t heard of our little community, you have probably heard of Cobalt Boats.

Founded by my friend, Pack St. Clair, Cobalt Boats is an icon when it comes to luxury ski boats and yachts. Why have a boat company in Kansas? I bet Pack would like a dollar for every time he’s been asked that question. Well, why not? It’s in the center of the US and near a pretty nice lake.

Cobalt Boats has received numerous J.P. Powers awards for Excellence and is known nationally as well as internationally to have an impressive reputation for quality and customer service (hey, sounds a lot like Therap, don’t you think?). No wonder I love these guys so much!

For Geocaching enthusiasts, Eastland, TX. is located at 32° 23′ 55″ N, 98° 49′ 16″ W.

Just 96 miles west-southwest of Ft. Worth, Texas, this little community has about 3700 people and reminds me of my home in Neodesha, Kansas. The only difference..this community has a Starbucks!

Kara and I spent a pleasant Saturday in three training sessions at the AHS Northview Development Center. Sharing the Therap system with approximately 45 staff, the day pretty smooth.

We decided to be a bit adventerous in the late afternoon and drive east to Dallas so that we could find a cool theater for viewing the new Dark Knight movie.

My son, Andrew has seen the movie. Andrew is working in Okoboji, IA. this summer as a member of the Stephens College summer stock theatre. He has been cast in five of their productions. Andrew gave the Dark Knight an “A”. I have to tell you, when Andrew gives a performance an “A” it is definately a “must see”. He never misses when it comes to great theatre, be it stage or the big screen!

In fact, Drew enjoyed Heath Ledger’s performance so much that he tried his hand at re-creating the character. He’s creepy looking huh?! That’s my boy…Wow.

One other family tid-bit. Elliot, my second born, that currently lives in Colorado, studying Zoology at the University of Pueblo, turns 19 today. Geez! Where does all that time go?

Happy Birthday Elliot!

You are a bright light in this world. We will celebrate your b-day “family-style” when I get home from Texas!