Happy Halloween!

What a beautiful Halloween!! It's also my 30th birthday and I couldn't have asked for a better day. I don't think I have ever received as many happy birthday wishes as I did today, so thank you to everyone! I feel very blessed. We took the girls on their first outdoor trick or treat. There were many houses in our neighborhood that were handing out treats so that was nice. We also had a few friends over to help me celebrate my birthday. We relaxed around the fire pit and enjoyed the nice night.






Click here for more pics.

And the Winner Is....

Thanks to all 3 of you that voted on the Cyclone trivia poll, but only one of you was correct! The Cyclone that holds the record for most yards passing in a single game is...Todd Bandhauer!! Can you believe it? It's true. In 1998 he passed for
437 yards against the Texas Longhorns. Thanks for playing!

Carvin' Pumpkins

Last night we carved pumpkins with the girls. They were a little freaked out by the "pumpkin guts" but it was still fun.







Click here to see all the pictures.

Halloween Party!

Tonight we took the girls to a Halloween party at our church where they were able to decorate pumpkins, color trick-or-treat bags, and play games. Afterwards we had a potluck dinner. A lot of families showed up and it was pretty fun. The girls had a great time. They love dressing up in their costumes. Olivia was a princess (of course!) and Sylvia was Tinkerbell...well...more like TinkerBALL! Hee hee. Just kidding Sylvia, you're super cute.







To see all of the pictures from the party click here.

Homecoming...ISU style

This Saturday was Homecoming at ISU and hopes were high that the Cyclones could pull out a win over the visiting Texas A&M Aggies. This game was basically a battle for last place in the Big XII. Well, the Cyclone won the battle for last place by losing 42-35. There were a few bright spots in the game, our QB had his best game statistically and threw for the 6th most yards in Cyclone history (Can you name the QB that holds the record? And against which team?) We are a young team and injuries to our O-line haven't made things easy for us this year. We should see improvement as time goes on (otherwise they may be handing out complimentary anti-depressants before each game!).

It was a beautiful night for football, a crisp 50 degrees or so. I'll never get sick of watching the Cyclones play in Jack Trice, regardless of how many games we lose.
What's up D?
Reunited with Jerrid after how long??
Another day at Jack Trice!
Keep chillin' Corey
The Cyclone Ladies
Mr. Cyclone, Zack Meissen
Jerrid got a little sleepy

Here's some video from the pre-game at Jack Trice. It's one of my favorite cheers. CYCLONE!! POWER!!!

The Serpent and the Redeemer

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41

Without warning. Slowly. Silently. Secretly. In these ways Satan works into our lives. He knows how to set you up for failure. He knows how to turn you away from the things you hold onto the tightest. How to make the path of least resistance seem so enticing. He knows your weakness and tells you all you want to hear only to lead you into sin.

Lately I have sure felt the pressures that Satan can bring. It is in this time that I must turn away from my sin and trust in the LORD. I must seek His refuge and find comfort in the redeeming power of His sacrifice. I cannot overcome sin on my own. I must call on the LORD everyday.

"The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him."Psalm 34:22

The Family and the Huskers come to Ames

The Rudens descended on Ames this weekend to join us at the ISU/Nebraska game (all 13 of them!) We had a lot of fun despite losing horribly to the Huskers (nothing says fun like getting up at 4am for an 11:30 game!) Thanks everyone for making the trip over to Ames to help cheer on the Cyclones!
Ab and Ashley
Even our Hawk fans sported some Cardinal and Gold, nice try covering up the "State"
Keepin' warm on a chilly morning! (Happy Birthday Corey)
Ab and Courtney
The Men
Dad, Mom, and Me
All the kids snuggling in

Interesting....

It's reassuring to know that Abbey and I both have jobs that rank in the top 8 most stressful according to this article.

Olivia's First Field Trip

Today Olivia's preschool class went to the pumpkin patch. They were able to see and pet various farm animals like sheep and pigs and they also saw some roosters. They were also introduced to all kinds of vegetables that they grow there. Olivia was very excited and had a great time. Here are some pictures that her teacher emailed us.

Weekend Update

What a disappointing sports weekend. For those of you that were not privileged enough to witness the ISU/Kansas football game, you missed watching my beloved Cyclones blow a 20-0 halftime lead against the 16th ranked team in the nation. We ended up losing 35-33. What a huge let down. I think if I'm a Cyclone fan much longer I will need some medication!! I suppose I can chalk (or rock chalk for you Jayhawks) it up to growing pains for the Cyclones. We should get better every year. Hey, last year we lost to Kansas 45-7, so I would say that's an improvement.

At least the Cubs still had a chance to advance in the playoffs...oh wait, they lost their 3rd straight to the Dodgers to be eliminated from the playoffs. Ugh...

On the bright side, my Cowboys pulled it out against the Bengals on Sunday. Finally, a team I'm rooting for wins! It is definately not easy being a sports fan. I guess you have to take the bad with the good. All these heartbreaking losses will just make it all the sweeter when my Clones win the National Championship and the Cubbies win the World Series! uh...where was that medication again?