Well, lets start off with thank you. We appreciate you taking the time to look at our story and learn a little about us. Rod and I are loving, caring, hardworking people. We like to have fun in our own goofy sort of ways. Having fun and spending time together is what we enjoy the most. We like the little things the best such as an evening at home together or going out of town for the weekend just to get away.
A Few of the places we have been
A little about us
We have known each other since we were very little. We believe we went all through school together starting in preschool and continuing on through High School Graduation in 1999. We were friends and never dated until a couple years after college. In 2002, we decided to become roommates and rented an apartment together. After living together a year or more, a loving relationship developed. We have been together ever since.
After a few months into our relationship, we decided to find a smaller place to rent to save up and buy a house. Well Kallie's Dad, being the helpful guy that he was, found us a place. He was always good at finding things people needed, and usually at a good price. Plans changed and in July 2003 we started the process of buying a small 2 bedroom trailer house. My thoughts were "This is nice Dad but where are we going to put it, we can't live in it at it's current spot." "Well Siss (my nickname), we are going to move it to our place and you are going to live next door to us," he said. This was not something we had thought about, going to live next to my parents??
The next day was "moving day." It was a Friday evening and I went to check in with Dad to get the plans for the evening and see what he wanted us to work on. He said, "Take the night off Siss, go have some fun." I listened to him tell some far off story and told him he was full of it. I said goodbye and left to go spend some much needed time with my friends. That was the last time I spoke to my Dad, he passed away later that evening.
The next weekend, our family and friends stayed around after the funeral. It seemed so fitting that we were moving in next door to my Mom right after losing Dad. It's where we were suppose to be I guess. God really has a funny way of putting us where he wants us and when.
Christmas Eve 2003, Rod and I became engaged. Sorry for the black eyes in the picture below, I broke my nose a week earlier.
June 4th, 2005, we were married in a local park. It started out to be a cloudy rainy day, but cleared off just in time for the festivities.
Fostering
In August 2011, we became kinship foster parents to Rod's cousin's children.
Taking in the kids was the best decision we have made by far. It was hardest and most rewarding thing we have done. We are firm believers it takes a village to raise a child. So the more people children have that love and care for them the better off they are. Well, this is what we have come to believe anyway. We definitley learned more from them than they could ever learn from us.
The children remained in our home for nearly 2 years and we hoped we would be able to adopt them. However, the court decided the kids should return to their parents. We were left devastated and lost; our lives were empty and torn.
some more about us
At about the same time, Kallie's mom decided to divide the family farm. My brother and I almost flipped a coin as to figure out who was going to stay and who was going to move. I stopped when the coin hit the air, and thought to myself, this is his place. "Ben you can have the farm and we will move. But can we stay here until we find a house and get things in order?" I asked. "Sure thing Siss" he exclaimed; and it was done. Mom wanted to see us enjoy what her and dad worked so hard for all these years... and so far she has.
So with all the moving and things to be done, it helped to occupy our time. In the next year or so, we bought an actual house in town. It is in a great location for us. Some people do not even know there is a house back here, so it was a good transition from living in the country. It was almost like pulling teeth to get Rod to move to the country! Now, he didn't want to leave the country to move to town! We only live a couple of blocks from his folks so its really not bad at all. We have really enjoyed it.
After a couple of years in our new home, we still continue to have that "something is missing feeling." We believe it is a family of our own. We absolutely love to be around children. Rod and I are unable to have any children of our own and have tried for many years. We started going to church and praying about what we should do. Adopting has always been an idea in the back of our minds but now it has moved to front and center. Through prayer, we feel this is what we are being called to do. We really do want a family of our own.
We have become very active in our church and participate in many activities such as teaching Wednesday night Kids Klub and Vacation Bible School. We have both been baptized and became members of the First Baptist Church in Cimarron in July 2016. This has been the next greatest thing we have done. We both go to Adult Sunday School, and helped with the Christmas program. Rod even cleaned up Dad's cooker and helped cook for breakfast at the county fair. He is also active with the church worship team.
our church and activities
rodney
I am a Diesel Mechanic working for my parents. I can get very dirty at times and usually come home smelling like "Shop", dirt, grease, fuel, oil, solvent, and more grease and more dirt, but I clean up pretty good too!
I went to college at Southwest Kansas Technical School for machine work and graduated in 2001. I have worked for my parents since I graduated. I enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together.
I like to hunt and fish as time allows. I also enjoy spending time in the yard and playing with Jack, our Corgi. We all like to hang out on our patio, go to ball games, and spend time with family and friends. Seeing our friend's children grow up learning new skills is a treasure.
Kallie
This is me hard at work, or we hope so anyway. I am a receptionist at a local telephone company. I have always had a job in some sort of customer service since the age of 14. My main goal at work is to make sure everyone I come in contact with will smile before they leave. So whatever it takes, I will do. Even if it means winning the Ugly Sweater contest and spreading some extra Christmas cheer. Halloween is fun too! I have worked at United for 9 years and still enjoy it.
I attended Salina Area Technical School for Commercial Horticulture and graduated in 2000. I still enjoy gardening and my flowers as time allows. There are always weeds to be pulled and watering to be done! I also like to cook and am pretty good at it too. If you give me an idea for something I have not made before, I will try it and usually make it come out. After some bacon adventures on the barbeque grill, I am not allowed to cook bacon on the grill anymore because of too many flare ups and charred food. Bacon is one of Rod's favorite foods, so it is usually incorporated into meals as often as possible. If you have a special request for something let me know. I like to make people happy and see smiles on their faces.
traditions
Ok so you know about our lives together and you have seen our families. Now this is about our family traditions. This will help you to see how deep our family traditions run and its all about the family. Both of us came from a long line of hardworking family members. We both have been taught you work hard for what you have so enjoy it. Make time to enjoy it and have some fun. Around here, we work hard and play even harder.
Hog Roast has been a Legg Family tradition for many years. Almost 37 to be exact. It started as Kallie's parent's wedding anniversary celebration. Dad always said most guys take their wives out to dinner; not us, we throw a big party. Cook a pig, have everyone bring a covered dish and have plenty of drinks for all. Above all it has always been a family celebration. Us kids were always there and are always welcome. The crowd has changed a bit through the years but we always have fun. People and family will come from out of state for this. We have it the same weekend every year. It is a tradition.
This background picture is Kallie and her Dad when she was almost 3. She was always his sidekick and they were always very close. He is the one she could always talk to and he always had a good explanation to figuring things out. What I wouldn't give to sit on the swing and have one more talk with my Dad.
KALLIE & HER MOM
But now its mom I go to. My mom has always been there for me through thick and thin. She is now my rock and I am hers, or I hope I am anyway. I try to be there whenever she needs me but more often then not she doesn't need me, but I need her. She recently had a small bit if cancer. You never really know how you will feel until the words are actually said and told to you. She is now cancer free. We are just hoping and praying it stays that way. We plan for her to be here for many years to come.
ROD & TRADITIONS
Rod has stepped up and helped with Hog Roast and enjoys it as much as we do. He has even done some repairs to the old cooker and got it working well again. Rod and Ben may have to do another overhaul on it before too long. Mom made us new aprons for Christmas that we use when operating the grill. They are a tribute to my dad as he would have thought these things were the coolest ever. We even used these aprons and headbands to cook for the church breakfast at the county fair.
Rod and his family like to go hunting, especially during opening weekend of Pheasant Season. It starts out the night before with the Turkey Shoot at the trap range. Then it continues early Saturday morning with Uncle Mike's biscuits and gray before hitting the fields just before sunrise. It's always exciting to see what they bring home for supper and to hear the stories of the day.
hog roast pictures
What Kallie tends to think of rod
Rod is smart, charming and hardworking. He is always there when I need him. I think I love his smile the most as he has this totally infectious laughter that comes out of him. It can go for a little bit or go on for 10-15 minutes. Either way it turns a rough day into a good one and makes me smile. I really love his dedication to his family and those close to him and his faith. He is always helping and thinking of others. I feel that our journey in life has only just began even after being married 12 years. I cannot wait to experience the adventures this man will lead me and our family on in the future. He still has that same smile he did as a kid. I love him dearly.
What rod has to say about Kallie
Kallie is a smart, caring, hard working woman. She loves to cook and I enjoy her cooking too. It's fun to come home and find her dancing around in the kitchen making a mess while fixing a meal. Kallie has a big heart and strong faith and enjoys helping others. Her sense of humor goes well with my infectious laughter. Kallie's off the wall ideas seem to keep me busy, but these projects seem to always bring us closer together. I enjoy spending time with her and continuing our adventures together. She is my rock and I could not imagine life without her.
rod & kallie
Growing up and living in rural Southwest Kansas, family values and morals are important. We have both learned that if you work hard and put your mind to it anything is possible. These values are part of our daily lives.
We have definitely grown over the years to rely more on each other. We have experienced the loss of our parents, grandparents, foster children, and family friends. This has been hard but it has drawn us closer together, and made us stronger.
Through our faith, God has given us the strength and perseverance to pursue a family of our own. While Rod and I are great together we long to have a child in our every day life. Our church family gives us a lot of time with kids and we sure do enjoy it. When you are in the local grocery store and you hear a little one holler your name from across the store and he/she comes running up to give you a hug, it sure does warm up the heart. Getting asked by a three year old to go to day care instead of going to work is an awesome feeling. We wish we could go to day care for the day, it would be better than going to work for sure.
The gift of a child would be the most amazing thing that ever happened to us. We love children and think they are best people on earth, they know so little but you can learn so much from them. The emptiness we currently feel will be filled with more love than imaginable for years to come. This will be a completely selfless act of kindness for you. You will always be welcome in our family as much as you and your family would like to be. Families can always grow and the more people a child has that loves them the better off they are. It really does take a village to raise a child.
Thank You for looking at our profile.
Love, Rod and Kallie Staats
Credits:
Created with images by Wokandapix - "family letters scrabble"