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

Fun Filled Week-end....

The group from KCBC! Renee, Kristi and Me A view fron the chapel Caryn and Me
Kathy, Me, Renee, Cathy, Kristi and Caryn (not looking so smiley!)
I was able to attend a Ladies Retreat this past week-end at Lake Ann camp near Traverse City. We had a wonderful time of renewal (not by sleep!). We slept in the boys cabins otherwise know as Otter #2 not to be confused with Badger #3! (sorry girls!) I got to spend time with my sister-in-law Kristi, with long time friend Renee (and her friends) and ride home with special friend Caryn. My social tank is full (some of you are thinking....right!?) One of the other perks was, I didn't have to cook !! YEH! We did all have to share an outside bathroom...not literally outside, just out of our cabin!
Ken Rudolph is an exceptional speaker and motivator...if you ever get the opportunity to hear him...GO! He can communicate the scriptures like few can! Time whizzes by when he is speaking, even when you are sleep deprived!
As a kid, I attended Lake Ann many times, so I had some time to re-live some of my childhood memories! I was actually a Tepee Village Alumni....I know, hard to believe I would sign up to sleep in a tepee all week! I sometimes wonder myself! Harder yet to believe we had to go into the "BOG", eat outside, use outhouses and be outside all day! The amazing thing about that week, it stands out as one of the weeks I remember the most about! Maybe I'm still in shock over it....more likely, I did things outside of my comfort zone! Isn't it those times in our lives, when we go outside of our comfort zone, that changes who we are and where we are going! Some have gone on pilgrimages and come back with a different attitude and memories that will stay with them forever!
Camp obviously holds very dear memories for me. One year my dear Grandma (aka Aunt Marian) took all 6 of us grand kids to camp with her (3 Rexford & 3 Watson girls!) We had so much fun with each other and at camp! My Grandma is a saint! The next year she took 4 of us for 2 weeks to Camp Dottie! My Grandma is a Saint! No...she really loved her grand kids and other kids and wanted to see them give their lives to Christ at early ages. I can't imagine her crown in Heaven! What a Godly example of a Christian woman, life, grandma, servant.... I am soooo blessed to have you in my life grandma!! You Rock! (well sometimes, literally you do now!) I also must thank my dad and mom for making it a priority to send us to camp!
One of my favorite memories was when my cousin Dawn and I went to Tepee Village. We were given a compass and we were suppose to be hiking to a huge crater/pit. Which we managed to do, the problem arose when we didn't realize we were there and we continued walking and walking till we hit a road, I think then we decided we had gone to far! I mean this pit is so huge, you would wonder how we could miss it! Okay I'm still directionally challenged today..maybe that was the start of the problem! (no comment Renee!)
Okay, did I just write a chapter to a book? Sorry, I wasn't planning on this long dialogue, I was just planning on a few pics of camp!
Well, to some it up, send your kids to camp and go to retreats!! We all need them!

~joanne