PUMPKIN TIME....

It's Pumpkin carving time!!! Trent's pumpkin has a split personality, he wanted it to have a face on the front and on the back. So everynight we flip it around to show the other face! This is the first year Troy totally carved his own pumpkin...he did a great job and no blood! Tyler, well you know, no carving for him...till he gets a girlfriend and she wants to!
Trent REALLY enjoyed the cleaning out of the pumpkin...wierd! He actually put globs full of seeds and goo back in the pumpkin, so he could get it back out?!?!?! He must have got that from the Buckner side, I don't think the Rexfords enjoy getting their hands that gooey!
Well gotta run....party time....
~joanne

Lost Art....

This is a picture of a lost art, It's called cookie baking. You mix sugar, eggs, flour and a few other ingred. and Viola... dough!! Amazing...you thought dough was only purchased in a plastic tube by the rolls...nope! Troy actually made this gluten free dough while I was making Sunday dinner. We rolled it out later that night and enjoyed some warm cookies. We made pumpkins with no frosting...crazy, I know! Troy doesn't like them frosted?? I'm not sure he is really mine! These were great cookies, especially for being GF, not known for their good taste & texture! I'm not sure any of you could tell the difference. I couldn't help but snap this picture of them watching them bake.

Speaking of GF cooking, I made my first trip to the Asian market last week. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, they were very helpful. They didn't even laugh and point at me and speak another language, I'm not sure why I thought they would!! It was the gas station I stopped at after that, that was a bit more challenging. I wanted to buy gas and a car wash, then you got 10 cents off per gallon. Oh, did I tell you it was Asian run! The gas wasn't so hard, it was the car wash and the lady explaining it to me that was scary! She kept saying NO brake NO wash, NO brake NO wash.... I made it out and didn't have to place a call to Steve explaining how I was stuck in a car wash in GR.

~joanne

Oh Well.....

Ok, so we didn't move on in the Districts. We kinda figured that!! We actually didn't even make it to the 2nd half. We got mercied (meaning they were up by 8 pts at a certain point in the 1st half)!! They played hard but it's hard to beat a team rated 12 in the state! They will try again next year....
~joanne

Believe It or Not....

This will be just a short post...promise! Tyler's Varsity Soccer Team won there first game in Districts!! I know we were all in amazement too, they played there hearts out. The other team, a 'B' school (KC a 'C') was not impressed! They didn't have a stellar record, but who wants to be beat by a smaller school! We play again on Wed. (just betwen me and you, I think this might be the end of the road...but who knows)
It's been fun watching the team grow and develop along the way. They really have come a long way......GO RED! I'll let you know how it turns out.....
~joanne

Me & Trent....

Me & Trent attended the Annual Hayride while the 'big guys' were up 4-wheeling. It usually falls in October. We have a potluck, hayride and bonfire at Uncle Jim & Aunt Karen's place, better known as the Ponderosa! Since they have moved up there, I don't call it that anymore.
It's hard to believe this is a picture of the hayride...that is a picture of the shoes I wore up there...flip flops! Can you believe it? Believe me, it has not always been so desirable! It seems like when we had little ones, it was much colder. We would bundle them up in snowsuits, boots, mittens, hats...the works! Now that they don't need all that, it's 75! Go figure! Some of the kids were actually wearing shorts, tanks & t-shirts! We were wondering how we could cook our hot dogs without building a fire (certainly didn't need a heat source!)
Dad and Linda came with me and Trent. Dan & Sherry Wylie, Jeff & Diane Johnson, Neil & Bonnie, Mike & Carrie & kids, Aaron & kids, Dave & Lynette & boys, Jim & Renee & kids, Amie & siblings. So we had quite a group, plus some spare kids that came with others. ( I think 23 kids in all!)
When Craig & Kristi adopted Florin this was the first family event they brought him to...I wonder what he must have thought? Talk about culture shock! He loved the 4-wheelers (still does!). At the time, Neil & Bonnie were living in their motor home while they built their house, he had a hard time understanding house with wheels!
We had a fun time visiting, walking, 4-wheeling, motorcycling.... When the kids were little we used to have a pumpkin carving contest (sometimes knives-sometimes markers) We had prizes for the scariest, cutest.... Those were the days when a boat load of dollar store toys would keep them quite for hours!
Now, where have all those little toe-headed kids gone? They have turned into a bunch of teens...WOW!!! What are we in for next? It's so weird how life goes fast but yet slow! It seemed like our kids were little and needy forever. Now it seems like forever ago that they were just little guys running around. We longed for the time when we could sit at the fire and not chase them around. Now where here and wish for those cute little voices to ask if they can sit on our lap! Life is just crazy....are we ever happy were we are??
Enjoy life were you are.....don't long for the next stage of life.....it will be here before you know it!
~joanne

Where Boys Become Men!....

These are pictures from the latest 4-wheel 'in excersion. Steve, Tyler and Troy headed to the UP early Friday morning for some fun, they met Uncle Craig, Florin and Nicholas. They were able to do some riding on Friday before the rain set in on Saturday. It rained on Saturday pretty much all day, hence the rainsuits...for boys that's just more mud to ride in!! The picture of all of them was at Lake Superior after a full day of riding. Middle is Nicholas going through a mud hole, that's his headlight! A picture I didn't post showed Craig pushing him out! Lower is Nicholas dumping out his boots, which I hear, happened more than once!! This sounded like a boys dream trip come true...good thing no mom's were aloud! I think they could have done without ALL the rain...but oh well, you can't always know the weather here in Michigan! They had a wonderful time rain and all! What a memory this will be for those boys! I wonder what the story will sound like in 20 years!?!?!?

Speaking of weather, it's been like 30 degrees above normal temps for this time of year. We actually turned on our air yesterday...isn't it October??? Is this global warming?

Check back later to see what Trent & I were up to while they were gone!
~joanne

Soccer Mom??....

I guess I never thought I would be one! That's Tyler out on the field at one of his soccer games. He has had his haircut since that picture, just in case you were wondering if that was a girl!!!

They have not been what you would call a winning team. Let me start by telling you why.... 1) Kent City doesn't have a 'team' till you start high school 2) We lost 5 seniors! 3)Gained 5 freshman 4) program started 4 years ago..... WA WA WA

Also....we started this year with a team of 8! (if you know anything about soccer, you will know you are starting 3 short of a team!) We are up to 20 now!!

But best of all Tyler is enjoying the sport! I think with some confidence he will get pretty good at it! At least he is out trying something and learning the basics of some sports. He plans to play on the Golf team in the spring, not a real spectator sport.

They only have 3 games left this year...I'm pretty sure they aren't going to Districts!

~joanne

Braceface....

Here is Troy with his new braces. He has not enjoyed this week of being with wires yet. We told him to 'get over it' or it was going to be a long 2 years!!! He picked black and blue elastics. I told him not to pick green because it looks like lettuce in your teeth!! Any advice anyone has for Troy and his life with wires....besides loooong!!!!

~joanne