AWANA Games

Last week-end Trent participated in his last AWANA games..tear tear.

We have attended many many AWANA games..as have the grandparents!  Tyler & Troy both participated when they were 3-6th grade.

Every spring, a group of kids from our church, compete with other AWANA clubs from other area churches.

We have enjoyed watching the boys compete over the years and they have almost always taken first place!

Trent's cheering section...both sets of Grandparents + Dad!

Trent being the center thrower for his team....took first!

Trent & Caleb participating in the tug-o-war....took first!

Trent ran the marathon for his team...6 laps around the circle..2nd place

Balloon Relay....first again!

having fun with his friends!

lined up to get there medals!

getting his medal!

His team!

with the banner!

The 2 boys teams together

The 6th grade boys all together

Trent and his friend Casen after the games!

Trent and his 4 years of medals!

He did such a great job and we are so proud of him..he plays with a good attitude.  He is a great sport and tries his hardest.  He represented our church well.  Well done Little T! 

Back & Age

Wa Wa Wa..whine whine whine....

A few weeks ago I hurt my back...not a pinched nerve or a "fall" back problem....more a...I can't bend over problem.
I didn't remember doing anything that was a jolt or straining.  At first, I thought I had the flu...you know an ache-y back kind of thing....  I spent a couple days sitting against a heating pad and minimal chores...that didn't help.  That Monday I finally cried "Uncle" and made an appt to see Dr Freeland...he did some adjustments and it felt better...but not close to normal.  I made another appt for that Wednesday...and he REALLY reefed on me....and a massage on that Friday...Cheryl did an AMAZING job...but lets be real, can you have a BAD massage???...I think NOT!!!  I think I need a few more massage appt to make sure it's okay!

All in all it's pretty good and I am gonna make it!  It's rough getting old..things just "go out" for no particular reason!!!!

ICY!

We were living on the "edge" going out on frozen Lake Michigan..along with 200 other people!  I've lived in MI all my young life and have never made it over to the frozen lake!  I always want to...just never get there!  This year Kelly called and we committed....

2 mentionables...  Grand Haven does NOT plow their sidewalks!!!!  it was all bumpy, icy and in some areas the snow/icy was as high as the TOP of the hand rail..which made me a little uneasy...one little slip and over the edge and into the channel you go!  &  it was much colder than we (I) had expected it to be....I guess the wind just comes blowing across the icy...lol...who knew (duh)!

I wasn't dressed real warm in my fashion boots

(Dad & Linda on the right)

I thought ahead, for once, and grabbed a spray bottle and the dye

Can you say...trend setter!  Next year, you will see it all over,,,lol!

the front of the light house..incredible amount of icy!

the icy all stacked up!

Trent & I

I know there was a lot of talk about being out on the icy and the safety of it.  I'm all about being safe and not taking safety chances....but this icy was ridiculously thick.  The few people that supposedly fell in...were in the channel area ...where there is MOVING water....you NEVER EVER WALK ON A FROZEN RIVER.  I believe these people took significant risk by walking around the lighthouse and too close to the channel area.  I don't even like to walk on frozen small lakes because I have a fear of falling through!

Happy Birthday Little T!

The cutest little guy turned 12 this month!  He came into our world on February 6.  He was a 9lb 8oz bundle of joy!  He was the BEST sleeper any mother could ask for!  He slept through the night at 6 weeks!  We had lots of hands to hold him...and he had lots of action to watch from his swing!!  

One of the things I remember most about his younger years was how friendly he was....ALWAYS saying hi to EVERYONE in the store (perched in the cart)..wanting to sit on complete strangers laps (in the Med Center)..never afraid of anyone...

He enjoyed camping!(lower picture from our camping years at N. Muskegon)  

Everything he did....he did/does with SPUNK!

We let him open his presents before he went to school.... iPod touch!

Then....we surprised him with a trip to the Great Wolf!  We left on Sunday after church.  He is my kid that is observant..so I was sneaking around with the suitcases.  We made up a story about Steve having to look at a fire truck in Buckley..so we were all going to ride along. (unfortunately..Troy couldn't get off work..so he couldn't go!)  

He questioned us A-L-L the way heading north!!!  Why are we going?  Are they buying a new truck? Why don't they like their old truck?  Is it going to be a pumper or a tanker or a rescue?  How much is it going to cost?  What is the name of the Chief?  Where are you meeting him? Is it going to be red?....  As we were approaching he said.."hey there's Great Wolf..can we go??"  We said no you have school tomorrow!  Steve pulled in and he told Trent he was meeting the Fire Chief in the lobby.  He jumped out and said I'm going in too! (still not realizing we were staying)  I got in the check-in-line..he went to the bathroom with Steve ..and asked Steve "well where is he??"..Steve's said .."Trent we are staying here..there is no chief!"  He was so surprised!!  

He could hardly wait to get his suit on! 

When the bucket dumps! 

Tyler 

Steve 

Tyler & Trent 

Trent 

AWWW! 

Steve & Trent on the Lilly Pads 

Joanne & Trent 

water snake! 

We had a Birthday dinner for Carrie & Trent, who share a birthday!!

blowing out his GF cupcake! 

Trent we love you so much! 

You bring us joy and happiness!  

You fill our days with excitement (and exhaustion!)

Cold Journal

This is for my own recollection because I have a feeble mind..and next year I will be wondering if we had a cold winter in 2014!!!

Snow days...

We had the Friday off  BEFORE Christmas Break and Monday and Tuesday AFTER Christmas Break.

We now have had Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday off this week..they have to make up Wednesday...and any other snow days we have!!

They have been because of snow but a lot because of cold temps.  

It's been consistently in the single digits and the wind chills have been brutal!!  

They have dipped into the -20's...burrhh!

The roads are clear of snow but are like a sheet of ice...they can't use salt because it doesn't work when it's this cold.  When the sun shines a bit it freezes it to a glaze!

Steve was heading North on 131 today and called and said there were so many cars in the ditch!  He said the road was horrible...at one point they had to stop traffic so a tow truck could pull a vehicle up on the road!

On the upside..

...if you over buy frozen foods you can just set them outside!

!!MICHIGAN is closed till March!  DO NOT ENTER!

Snow Fun

We have been freezing our hineys off this winter!!  OR maybe I'm just getting older and enjoy the snow less??  It's not really the snow that's the problem...it's more the cold lately!

The wind chill Friday night was ..well...cold..lol!

It use to be called "Winter" now it's called "Polar Vortex"!

Trent convinced Steve to help him build a snow fort this afternoon...Dad's build the BEST forts!

They have plans to make it taller....

Awww... 

playing around... 

To sum it up, we do live in Michigan ..and Michigan has snow...so we need to DEAL!!

I like to think it is God's way of proving He's in control of the weather...not man!

Buck- Hart Festivities...

This year for our Family Get-Away..we tried out a new town...we wanted to give every town a chance to host the Buck-Hart Holiday Happenings!

Ludington was the lucky town!

We arrived on Friday staying for 2 nights.  This is the first year, in quite sometime, we haven't been there for New Years Eve!  It was just the way the holidays fell this year..that we choose to go the week-end between.

On Friday night, we (the Buckners) went to El Rancho.  The Isenharts went to Applebees!

Can you see Steve in the picture....

Steve & his Daddy-O! (turn down the shirt!) 

One of our dear friends from Kent City moved to Ludington quite a years ago.

The girls took a trip over to Susan's to catch up! 

She is such a lovely lady..she has had some recent health issue but has such a positive attitude!  She is basically home bound.  If you think of it, pray for Susan, it has to be hard to not be able to get out!  We enjoyed some good laughs with her!  She is a gem!

When we came back we found this.... 

....and this 

and the guys taking over the pool area!  They were playing football...hogging the whole pool! 

SATURDAY NIGHT

We always have pizza first and then we start FFF.  This year we played Minute to Win it Games!  We divide up the teams by random drawing.  We have 71 to 11 year olds playing! 

This game:  stack 3 golf balls a top each other....needless to say no one could make it happen ( I think the tables are too wobbly for this kind of game!)

(Nikki, Carrie, Maddie & Kristi) 

....a straw, 3 nuts and a ping pong ball...stack them up, leaving the ping long ball to rest on the straw.

(Dave got this first!!)

(Mike, Trent, Karen & Dave) 

"Christmas Ornament Conveyor"

You work as a team of 2, moving ornaments to the other player.

Drew & Reece successfully moved their 6 ornaments along the "conveyor"

From left: (Steve, Neil , Drew, Carrie, Jordan, Reece, Jim & Wes) 

an action shot.... 

"Baby Blocks"

Stack 5 blocks on a plate balanced on your head.

Renee was first!

(Bonnie, Nic, Renee & Lynette) 

"The Elephant March"

you swing your "trunk" (a baseball in a pair of hose) to knock over water bottles.

Jim & Darica racing to the finish line!

Darica beat her Dad!

Trent & I did this for our team too!  I beat him!  

We had 2 Euchre tourneys after this...we were up till 2 am both nights!! ( Little Trent took 2nd place after Steve & Drew tied for first...making G-pa Bill proud!!!)

We had a Fun Fun time together!  It was a great hotel for our festivities!  We had a separate "conference room" to carry on and make as much noise as we wanted to!  We have been getting together for close to 20 years now....What family memories we have created!  The kids (at least mine) have such fond memories of going to the hotel!  I'm glad we can all get together as family and have fun together.....not all families can do this!  We enjoy seeing each other and look forward to this trip every year! This year we had a special guest...little Caleb....Danielle and Wes's little guy!  He's 5 months old..we are starting on the next generation...