Foiled hair attempt

This was the first attempt at a prom hair-do. See the next picture for why it didn't fly. 

Connor IS TOAST

Here Connor competes for his Soccer team, the Moldy Toast. He is "working it", as you can see. 

Kira Competes

Kira keeps rocking for her first injury-free track season. Here she is running the 1500 at Prairie on a beautiful spring evening. 

Trevor survives a hurdle tumble takes first place

Who is the guy in first place??? T-DAWG. Trevor has been working on his track-star prowess. Here he is running the 7-flight hurdles. He has also done some scary feats. On his first 200 hurdle race, he rans so fast that he twirled over the first hurdle, landed on his fore-arm nearly breaking it, got up finished the race and WON. After an x-ray to confirm no broken bones, he ran the race again the next Thursday, won the race and set a new school record. That's our boy!!!! Congrats to Trevor and the North-west 7th graders who took the state crown yesterday!

CRAZY

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Spencer Family is OKAY. We had some nervous moments, as Kira was running at a track meet in Cedar Rapids. We got separated, when the stadium was evacuated. I had to drive home, hoping the team was okay. She called me on my cell phone to let me know she was on her way home with a team-mate and her familiy. She weatherd out the stom in Coralville, and we went to our basement. Just a few blocks from our house is devistation! Whew. so scarey.

Storm Damage Photos - Photos

Storm Damage Photos - Photos

The night the sky roared - Metro

The night the sky roared - Metro


It was a crazy night in good ole Iowa City. Our family and house are all fine. We had a little confusion as Kira and I were at a track meet in Cedar Rapids, and her event was about three events away, when the meet was suspended. We got separated...well I never did find her. I drove home and left her with the team and the coaches. She ended up at a a teammates howe and rode out the storm there. CRAZY!!!

Before Rudy...there was Lucky...Uncle Jeff and Aunt Patty's Dog. 

SPRING SING! Connor plays the xylophone during the concert 

YES MACALESTER

Kira got a GREAT letter in the mail on Friday. The envelope said YES Macalester. This school is probably her "dream" school. She is still waiting on a Carleton, College Decision, but boy we were very excited to get this affirmation, as little did we know that Mac was on Newsweek's list of 12 Hottestest college and was #1 in Hottestest Liberal Arts school.HOTTEST FOR LIBERAL ARTS from the website: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8939242/ "Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn. The 1,900-student campus in the middle of a vibrant metropolis has become a key recipient of the growing number of Harvard, Yale and Princeton applicants who are rejected for no other reason than that those schools don't have space for all the A-plus applicants. Macalester has one faculty member for every 11 students and an emphasis on international affairs, symbolized by one of its most famous alumni, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The college has six language residences: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. It offers the intimacy of the archetypal small-town campus—in the middle of the Twin Cities. Applications have increased 60 percent since 1995." The acceptance letter said they had 4800 applications for 477 slots. Congrats to our Kira!

Connor reads Harry Potter to mom while he gets over his cold. Some Spring Break! 

So fast she is a blurr. Kira at the Iowa Indoor running the 800. 

Connor giving his NARNIA booktalk 

Just a Little news and GET WELL LINDA JEANNE!!!

Well March is upon us and this "which college thing for Kira" must be coming to a close soon, as we are all on pins and needles. Must wait for Macalester and Carleton admit decisions (by April 1). Then shewill have 30 days to give her FINAL answer. Whooo baby. Other news...the grant Linda works for looks to be favorable to get funded again, and if so this is good news, with 5 more years of work. Dissertation defense is on course for an early August date...more on that in early April. Nathan starts coaching Jr. High Track in two weeks. Connor is still working on clarinet and chess club. Trevor's back is much better and he is in the thick of "core strengthening" and endurance training. Linda's laptop is in the shop with a broken AC connection. Finally Linda Jean's dear friend Linda Jeanne Pierson-Newall is hospitalized and underwent a nearly 8 hour surgery for Pancreatic cancer, undergoing a Whipple procedure. We are all praying for her swift recovery and have had her on our minds.
You are now up to date!

Holiday Party Time! Nathan is "tired" before it starts. You would be too if you went to bed at 2am every night. 

Connor practices to be the next Benny Goodman with his RED clarinet 

Rudolph Beans Spencer, Birthday Dog. Rudy was born on 2-2-02 and turned 4 yesterday. Happy Birthday puppy! 

Rudy under the table (Trevor's leg on his left) 

Another year, another Cake Walk. Horn Fun Night 06. The theme is "Into the Future" Kira helped Connor design this UFO cake.

Winter Band Concert 

Linda and a Cousin circa 1962...but is it Sean? 

Appeared in the Iowa City Press Citizen

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051223/NEWS01/512230304/1079/NEWSBack in 1984, my husband and I were celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple. We were both still in graduate school and were poor as dirt -- in fact, we saved aluminum cans to help pay for our wedding rings. That year, the Hawkeyes were going to the inaugural Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, Calif. My uncle happened to live in Los Angles and he surprised us by sending us tickets to fly out to the game. On Christmas Eve, my husband and I were driving to Lake City to spend the evening with his parents before driving to Omaha, Neb. Somewhere between Iowa City and Lake City, our car, "Old Blue," broke down. We were stranded on a cold December night, literally in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, a family stopped by, took us to their house and let us use their phone. (Remember the days before cell phones?) We were stranded at these people's house for several hours until my father-in-law and brother-in-law could drive the 100 or so miles to fetch us and tow "Old Blue" to Lake City. Of course, it was right in the middle of the family's Christmas Eve celebration. They were in the middle of making homemade pizza and were having a very nice evening. It had the potential for being a very awkward situation, but the family was so gracious. They invited us right into the happenings and we made pizzas with them, and it was such a warm joyous event we felt just at home. To this day, we don't know their names, nor do we even know what town we were in, but my husband and I established a new tradition. Every Christmas Eve, we make homemade pizza with our three children, and we say a blessing for that kind family that warmed our hearts all those years ago!
Linda Spencer, Iowa City

Kira turned 18 on Thursday! Despite having been a little on the peaked sideearlier in the day, she recovered and we had a nice family evening, with a roast, "sweet" potatoes and cake to boot! Happy Birthday sweetie. 

He is entertaining questions after the presentation. He did a REALLY great job...check out his poster and the sparkling graphics! 

Connor gives his STAR WARS book talk. 

Five years and you are OUT...we move on.

Five years, and you are out…we move on.

So you know I have an obsession with cacti of the Easter type and the Christmas type. I bought my mom and my sister plants several years ago, and they bloom faithfully. I got an Easter Cactus for our family five years ago IN BLOOM, and we have NEVER seen the darn thing bloom since. SO, this year we go ourselves a fully blooming Christmas Cactus. Lets see if this sucker will bloom next year! It sure looks pretty THIS year!

So the Christmas Cactus Blooms!

Nathan celebrates his birthday! A perfect day, really. XC skiing, nice amount of snow, a dinner at Red Lobster, and cake to boot. YIppee! 

The Birthday boy turns 46! 

Conference Day...an independent story by Connor!

The Kid With a Staple in His Hand
by Connor Spencer

Connor was a small young kid and not very smart.  When he woke up he got dressed and went down stairs.  And then he got a bowl of cereal.  He took his medicine and then went upstairs to brush his teeth.  When he was done brushing his teeth, he went to school.  At school he wrote in his assignment note-book and put his Personal Journal in the basket. Connor went to put staples in a stapler.  When he closed it, his thumb was too close to the stapler. He told his teacher and she told Connor’s friend to take him down to the office.  The principal gave Connor an ice pack, then Connor waited for a while, but then Jack’s mom came in and told the principle she’d drive Connor down to the hospital.  The principal called his mom.  Jack’s mom took Connor, and Connor’s mom came out and then they went into the hospital.  The checked in and waited for a little bit.  Then the doctor came and called for him to come here.  They went to the room and there were two doctors there. They got metal scissors and then got it out.  Then Connor got an American flag ball.

Health Updates

http://www.emedicine.com/sports/topic94.htm    website re: pars fracture

If you read the Spencer Family Blog enough, you will become very learned on medical conditions and procedures.  In the spring you learned about Connor’s Toxic Synovitis, and this week you can learn about the Pars Fracture.  Trevor’s sore back from TaeKwanDo was more than a muscle strain.  After and MRI and CT scan and the addition of a Back Brace, he was diagnosed with a bilateral pars fracture of the 5th lumbar vertebrae.  The docs were a little puzzled, as they could see old and new injury.  The final story is that sometime earlier (probably this fall in football) he sustained a pars fracture on the left side of his 5th lumbar vertebrae, and on Monday night he went ahead and fractured the right side of the vertebrae.  He is now in this “rigid” girdle like thing, and quite uncomfortable. He frankly hates it and I have to nag him over and over to keep the darn thing on.

In other news, Kira has been accepted to the following colleges Coe, with a 17K renewable scholarship, Luther, with an 11K renewable scholarship, and Knox with two scholarships adding up to 14K.  She also was accepted to the Iowa Honor’s program.  Just got the apps in for Carleton, Macalester, Lawrence and St. Olaf.  We won’t hear from those schools until later, however.  We sure hope the scholarship offers accompany any acceptance letters from those schools!

Well that’s all for now folks.  Better go check on the Trev and get him cinched up!

The November to Remember

The November to Remember.  The big news at our house is that Trevor has a girlfriend.  She is a little red-haired girl and sweet as can be.  Mom and dad approve.  So far they just see each other in band and at the school dance they danced together.  So cute!

Trevor is now nursing a strained back after sparring tonight at tae-kwan-do.  Poor guy.

Connor is well, and he is looking forward to french-toast stick Friday.

Kira has been offered a nice scholarship at Coe, and is hoping to get like offers from the Minnesota/Wisconsin schools, but they will probably not be as prompt with their offers.  The application deadline isn’t until Dec. 1, and notification of acceptance for those schools is after the first of the year, with award notifications coming much later.  

Nathan is relaxing after his XC season and has been compiling data.
I am continuing to revise and re-do my dissertation topic and this time the go-round seems to be better situated.  

We are raking leaves almost daily, and are looking forward to Thanksgiving, and taking in some good movies.  That is about all for now!

Rudy as the Devil he is. 

Rudy as a Ballerina and he's not happy about it 

Trevor as himself and Connor as the Grim reaper