I know you have missed these - Kellan and his marching trombone!! Marching Band Season #11 for the Horner family - this year’s show - Jekyl and Hyde…………not a clue what that means or what it will sound like!! A HOT week for band camp this year - but all survived. Kellan doesn’t know what to do this season as the “jerk trombone” players have graduated………..”Who do I smart off to this year?” I am sure he will figure it all out!

17 games over and only one left to go till Kellan’s SMNW Soccer Season for this year comes to a close. He’s had a good week - a couple of goals, an incredible assist and good aggressive play all the way around. Tonight on the team bus on the way to the game, Coach told the team to get the ball to Kellan as he seems to be making the most plays lately - a huge compliment I’d say! This weeks highlights -

Another Header…….



Goalie is down, so Kellan kicks the ball……………



And into the GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

















Tries to head one in to the goal - but not quite………..





Struggles at the goal………….



Still battling away…………



GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



In support of breast cancer awareness - the boys were PINK one night -

Another busy week for Kellan - 3 soccer games, a homecoming parade, a football game halftime and 2 marching band festivals. Saturday alone we had the parade, a soccer game and then a quick trip to Raytown for the Raytown Marching Band Festival. Kellan was able to catch up with the band just in time for their warmup prior to their performance.

SMNorthwest performed 2nd to last……..and what can be said………there was just NO comparison. Their show this year is “The Sound of Music” which I’ll admit, I yawned when I first heard that. BUT……..wow………what a show! Unless you have sat through one of these competitions, (and this is our 9th year of having a kid in band) it is hard to describe some of the shows you see……….some are totally bizarre (my favorite - when SMN did the “parting of the Red Sea” and had 2 plexi glass boards right up front with blood red liquid cascading - literally - the whole audience was in shock!)………and some, very little movement…..which hey……….isn’t a MARCHING band supposed to move?? Drill teams can be interesting and DISTRACTING if they do not coordinate with what the band is doing………and too often, they appear to be “doing their own thing”. (Last night though - we had a boy in one of the drill teams, wearing the same skin-tight turquoise blue jumpsuit with the hot pink stripes that the other girls were wearing - I can honestly say I didn’t see much of the band - I kept looking at that poor kid!) SMNW, however, has been blessed with an incredible band director, Penny Snead, and if you know me (and Kirk) you know how much we love and respect her - she is incredible and has been so wonderful to all 3 of our kids! She ALWAYS picks a first class show, no gimmicks, nothing corny just GOOD! This year’s is no exception. Tuesday night was the Shawnee Mission Marching Festival in which all 5 bands perform for each other (not a competition - just a chance to see what the other high schools are doing). NW was by far the best of the 5. Kirk commented on how he would be upset as a marching band parent if he were at another high school and saw what Penny is able to get our kids to do. Last night…………..a big WOW, a flawless program, over 12 minutes long, and for the first time since Penny has been at NW - SMNW was selected as Grand Champions for the entire festival. A huge honor!! As Kirk and I were leaving, we had people asking how much they practice, how long have they worked on it, just one compliment after another………it was very fun! :)

Prepare yourself to be inundated with marching band pictures - finally the lighting was good that some descent pics could be taken - so here are a few of the 200 I took!! :) To hear and see the entire show from afar -



Marching out on to the field………..



Yes, they begin the program “asleep” on the field - Kellan is the trombone with the outstretched hand………..



























And then the trombones get a little fancy - Kellan is the last one………









After they exit the field, they stop on the track and SING……….”so long, farewell”…………as you can see - Kellan’s lips appear to be moving!!!! :)

The Homecoming Dance at SMNW is coming up on October 15th and Kellan decided he wants to go this year…………so…………how to ask the girl “creatively”????? After some thought he decided to borrow the way Kelsi got asked her senior year - PUMPKINS!! (Apparently we got a good deal too - only $3.50 each……..that night on the news, a pumpkin shortage due to the flooding & predicting pumpkins will be as high as $15 a piece in New York - sorry Suki!!)

No comments please about his fathers……..”Farmer Kirk” attire :) (he was taking a break from staining some stuff)







And the final product!! We drove to her house at 8pm where Kellan placed them on the front porch, lit them and ran. We knew they had been discovered when we saw camera flashes coming from her house!



And………..30 minutes later………..this is what appeared on our front porch…….
Looks like he’s got a date!



And of course - gotta throw in a few more soccer pics - last Saturday against SMWest…..a rain delay and a loss :(

3 games this past week…………..a busy one, another one tomorrow and Kellan is really playing well. They have lost a few, but he still says he is having fun…….the most important part in all this adventure. Here - some random shots from this past week -

Against Washburn Rural in Topeka -





Against Olathe South -



And against Lawrence High -







Homecoming is coming up in a few weeks (and Kellan assures me he has a date!) and one of his teammates asked for help in asking a girl…………..so…………..he made “letter” shirts………..and asked the boys to line up………..well…………sometimes it is not that easy to sort it all out…………yes………the first attempt spelled “homo”……….not what he had in mind……….



and still confusion………….



and finally, they get it right!!! The kid with the questionmark was the one asking. His mother then presented the girl with a bouquet of flowers in the stands…….

We went over to Manhattan last weekend for the opening game of the football season - KSU vs Eastern Kentucky……….a sellout crowd………one of only 14 college teams in the country that had a sellout. An “uncomfortable game”………..KState took the lead with 1:39 left in the game……….but hey………..a win is a win!!!! :)

Meeting Kelsi at the Theta house……….



A picnic in City Park before the game - somehow everyone was “mid-bite” in the pictures.





Our seats were good - but a bit “high”………only 5 rows from the top……….note the flag………..it was a “bit” windy……..but it never rained and was quite comfortable.



This was our view of the game……….and Manhattan!!!! Gotta love all that purple!!



And this was Kelsi’s view………front row!! Kellan saw her on the jumbo tron at one point. Amazingly - these girls are all Thetas and there are no “kites” in this picture!!!!!

First official marching band gig last night at the football game………..football sucked - losing 28-3………..but the band was AWESOME!! Only 100 degrees yesterday - they did the pre-game in Tshirts. Kellan, as always………greatly appreciated his cheering fan base whenever he returned to the stands!!

Second game of the JV season and they won 3-0………..but more importantly Kellan SCORED! Pretty exciting stuff! Next game - Wednesday night at 8pm………….which will be nice since temps are in the upper 90’s. This is fun soccer!!

Kellan takes the corner kick……..



So close………..but stopped!



GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Kellan is the one with the up-raised arms!

Ahhhh……….the first day of school………….sophomore year of high school - and the battle that Kirk is getting dangerously close to
losing……….height!!



And what kind of mother would I be if I did NOT stalk his first trip of the year to the bus stop???



Dressing up for his first JV soccer game for NW today………he looks like “Mr. Northwest” here……..Kellan claims he is NOT bow-legged………..hmmmmmm…………



And his first JV soccer game tonight……….they lost 2-0……….but Kellan was ON FIRE! He left the field with a big grin on his face - he said this was the first time soccer has been fun in a LONG time. (His old club team coach had lost HIS fire…….making things NOT so fun anymore!) He played a great game and had LOTS of playing time. We have 2 more games this week plus a marching band performance on Thursday night (when it’s only supposed to be 96 degrees……..that will be fun!)

Kirk, Keane and Kellan did their annual Colorado 14’er this past weekend - this year taking on Mt. Princeton at 14,197 feet! Kirk and Kellan brought Jay Brann (a boy scout who has done this with them before) and Josh Van Auken - a friend of Kellan’s who has NEVER done anything like this before - but who runs cross country, so in pretty good shape. The KC Four left on Wednesday around 1, stayed Wednesday night in Colorado Springs, then drove on in to Buena Vista (south of Aspen) where they set up camp near the base of Mt. Princeton. Keane joined them later in the day - after driving in from Salt Lake City.



Jay, Kellan and Josh wait for Keane to arrive.



At ariverside park in Buena Vista - a living room set, all made out of ceramic tile





Thursday morning at 4:45am they began their assault on the mountain.



Look over Keane’s shoulder and to the left - there go Kellan, Jay and Josh



A bit of a steep slope!



Still scrambling to the top



At the top - 14,197 feet - Josh, Kellan, Kirk, Keane and Jay



Can’t go anywhere without a KSU flag in your pack!



And you gotta do……….”K”………..”S”…………”U”…………





See that trail down there……….it’s a long walk back!!



Uh…….Kirk claims he climbed barefoot………not believing him……….



Kellan and the smooth walk downward………they had GORGEOUS weather!







Back to the trees!



Celebrating Keane’s 23rd birthday in camp - a box of Kansas City for him - Boulevard Wheat Beer, 6 bottle of KC type BBQ sauce, and 3 bottles of different KC meat rubs!



A visit to a state park the next day……





Packing up to leave early in the morning - they left Keane’s car in town and borrowed Grampy’s MDX (thank you!!) as they needed a 4 wheel drive to get up this high - Kirk says there is no way the van would have made it through.



And that teeny tiny peak at the top…………that’s where they climbed to! Awesome!