Jackson is 24

Sunday, October 14 was Jackson's 24th birthday.

He spent the afternoon with us, helping coach Hudson's football game and hanging out watching football on TV.  Grandma and grandpa came over to have birthday cake--which Naomi baked for him--after the game.  He was lucky enough to have pink frosting.  

After having cake, we took Jackson out for dinner.  It was nice having the chance to catch up with him and talk about his future plans.  I'm pretty sure I reminded him that Iowa has several graduate programs for Athletic Training, but I think he has his heart set on going out of state.  

When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,

He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.

Proverbs 4:3-4

Macklin's 8th Birthday

Macklin's birthday comes at a busy time of year for us.  We are smack dab in the middle of Football, Volleyball and Soccer seasons.  We have somewhere to go every night of the week, and weekends are just as bad.  That makes it difficult for us to plan a party for him anywhere close to the actual date.

 This year he had to wait until September 29th to find a free evening to have some friends over to celebrate.  He was able to invite friends from his class in school as well as his soccer teammates.  

We ate sloppy joes, played some games, and they spent plenty of time running and screaming through my house.  I'm still finding nerf bullets.  

What a fun age...still little kids, but growing up so fast.

We love you Macklin!

"My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;" 

Proverbs 3:1

Macklin's 8th Birthday

On September 11th Macklin celebrated his 8th birthday.  Grandma and Grandpa and Alex, Moriah and Greyson came over, and the big brothers were there, too.  

He helped decorate his cake.  It was one of our more unique cakes. I don't think we've ever had one with eyeballs on it in the past.  

Greyson enjoyed singing and blowing out the candles with Macklin.

Macklin is a super smart guy who is growing up way too fast. He still loves to snuggle, and is kind to other people.  He thinks of ways to do nice things for me, and always has something funny to say.  He does a great job at school, too.  He's been a dominating force on his soccer and flag football teams this season, also.

Macklin got out of school early on his birthday to go to Ankeny and watch Chase play soccer, then we went to Olive Garden for dinner, and finished out the evening with some shopping at Target.

We're planning a birthday  party with his friends next weekend.  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall [b]direct your paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6

Papa Joe Turns 90 Years Old

On Wednesday Papa Joe turned 90 years old. We celebrated by having dinner with the family. Shannon's brother John flew in from Virginia, but the rest of his family were not able to come along.

Today we had cake and ice cream at Papa Joe's house. Several of Papa Joe's nephews and their wives visited, as well as my parents. I did not get a photo of the entire group, but did get one with the great-grandkids.










Papa Joe passed his driver's exam,so he is legal to drive for the next two years. We're trying to convince him to stay within city limits.










Jackson was in charge of cousin patrol. What could possibly go wrong?

Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. ". Proverbs 8:18


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COLTON IS 14!!

Today is Colton's 14th birthday.  It has been a memorable day for him...but not in a good way.

Early this morning he missed the bus.  Shannon had the honor of driving him to school.  Then he got a crappy grade on his algebra test...along with the rest of his class.

We brought him home some leftover pancakes, but Macklin ate them.

We made the MONUMENTAL decision to get him a puppy, but the one we were interested in was not available by the time we pulled the trigger and made the call.

We pulled him out of school early so we could go get his driver's permit.  Then I remembered that we do not have his birth certificate because we had to mail it in with his passport application.  There was a chance that we could get a copy of his BC at the Grundy County courthouse, but then discovered that it has to be done at the original county of birth.  So he was not able to take his permit test.

No one baked him a birthday cake.  Katie is I am now in the process of mixing up a pan of brownies. Maybe that can salvage a little bit of his day.  

We have a substate soccer game tonight for the Rebels, then we'll decide if he wants to go out for dinner after that.  He mentioned something about Hickory Park.  I'm not sure we are up to that this evening.  We'll see.  

Colton is so much fun to have around.  He is funny.  He has a great personality.  He does a great job in school (despite his algebra test).  He is great with his little brothers, and has fun hanging out with the older brothers.  He is having an awesome soccer season. 

He enjoys serving in our church, and is looking forward to the planned mission trip this summer (thus the passport application).  He's going to do great things in high school this fall!

Being stuck smack dab in the middle of our large family is not always easy, but it's not often that Colton doesn't have a smile on his face.  I know that I can depend on him to help me out when needed.  Despite his crappo birthday, I suspect if you see him yet today, he's gonna be smiling.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CO-CO BEANS!!!!

"My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands."  Proverbs 3:1

So Many Things...

This time of year we have so many different things going on.

Of course, it's FOOTBALL season.  Jackson and Chase play on Fridays.  Bryce plays on Mondays and Thursdays.  Colton plays on Sundays. Whatever day they're not playing, they're practicing.  I'm helping out with the Varsity Spaghetti Dinners each Friday afternoon.  The Rebels have qualified for the State Playoffs, and have one more district game this week before Playoffs begin on the 24th.  Jackson has had a short season due to knee surgery last month.  He only played in 3 games, but has done very well.  He had his first college recruiter come to his game last Friday night.  Chase has had a successful year.  He's within striking distance of the school record in rushing yards, despite a burst bursa sac in his right arm which has caused him some grief.  Bryce just played his last JV game last night.  His team won all but one game this season.  He will continue to practice with the Varsity team until the season ends.  Colton played his last game on Sunday at Wartburg College.  He did a great job as running back, too.

 It's also SOCCER season.  The girls are on separate teams this year, so we have different schedules and games for them.  They practice twice a week and play on Saturdays.  Colton also practices each week and plays on Saturdays. We will finish up games and practice within the next week.

Oh, and there's school, too.  The public school group seems to be enjoying it and they are all doing very well.  I miss my time with them, though.  My home schoolers are doing a great job this year, too.  Several people have asked me how the transition to public school has been.  I like to think of it in terms of childbirth.  I delivered two babies by c-section.  I delivered five babies naturally with no medications.  I delivered two babies with epidurals.  All of the babies were healthy, perfect little creations.  Same result, different means to the end.  The no-med deliveries, much like home schooling, is difficult and hard work, takes a lot of discipline and self-control, but is very rewarding.  My epidural deliveries, much like sending the kids to public school, is less painful, easier on the mom, a bit selfish, but still results in the desired outcome.  Clear as mud, right?

Sunday was Jackson's 18th birthday.  We celebrated with our friend Conrad.  He turned 21 on the 12th, and is an avid COD player.  The boys like to have COD marathons on the weekends and waste tons of time and miss out on their beauty sleep.  After Colton's football game and Naomi's soccer game, we finally got the opportunity to bake a cake.  It's not much for decoration, but it tasted good!  We took Jackson out for dinner Sunday evening for his birthday dinner.  We also did a quick shopping trip to get him some new clothes for his senior pictures, which he had taken on Monday.  It was a beautiful Fall day, and like Jackson says, how could they possibly turn out bad when he's in them?  I'll post some as soon as I get permission from our photographer to do so.

Alex and Moriah spent the day with us on Sunday.  Aren't they cute?  We enjoyed the time with them, and they were good sports about sitting out in the rain and cold through both Colton and Naomi's games.  It meant a lot to the littles for Alex to be there and see them play.  Alex continues to play soccer at Faith and will be competing in his conference tournament this week in Kansas City.   Regionals are next week north of Minneapolis, and if they continue on, nationals will be in Florida.  We've not been to as many of his games this year, but have still seen the majority of his home games. 

As our sports schedules wind down a bit, we've had the opportunity to get up on the roof and we are just about finished shingling.  Yesterday was a perfect day to be up there working.  I wish July and August had been so nice!

Yesterday was the anniversary of Alex and Hudson's car accident and subsequent air flight trip to Iowa City.  We continue to thank God for the blessings He has given us, and are thankful for the complete healing for both of our boys.   I read through the post regarding all that happened last year, and I am so humbled.  What a difference a year makes!

  

"The man's heart plans his ways, but the LORD directs his steps."  Proverbs 16:9

Birthdays

I just went back through this blog to see  who's birthdays I have missed. Turns out I missed everyone from June through December of 2011 except Macklin, and four of us so far this year.  I'll see if I can find pictures of everyone...

Chase had his 15th Birthday in July.  It appears as if I even baked him a cake!  Often times we are at IRBC over Chase's birthday, so he misses out on cakes.  We tell him that he's still getting the biggest birthday party ever, but it doesn't seem to appease him.  Chase is always fun to have around.  He has a funny answer to everything, and loves nothing more than to compete in sports.  In 2011, his freshman year, he was the third highest scorer (by one goal) on the varsity soccer team, and he even had to sit out 8 games due to injury.  He was the highest rushing RB in football on the varsity team in the fall.  We're looking forward to soccer season beginning again next week, and games beginning on March 29th.


Jackson turned 17 on October 14th.  I have no pictures of him.  He did not get a birthday cake.  We did feed his football team breakfast that morning, and we made lots of panCAKES.  I thought they would be a good substitute, until Jackson reminded me he doesn't like pancakes.  He also reminded us that we haven't gotten him a present for his golden birthday...three years ago.  Poor guy.  We did take him out for dinner to celebrate.  This is the only picture I can find of him from that time period...



Alex turned 19 on November 17th.  His soccer awards ceremony was on his birthday, so we went to Ankeny and took him out to dinner afterwards.  We didn't have a ton of time to spend with him, but we enjoyed the time we did have.  He continues to take classes at FBBC, but is unsure of what his plans for next semester are.  He's keeping his options open and searching out God's will for his life.




 

Shannon had a birthday in December.  We celebrated by getting away for the weekend.  It's been such a blessing having big kids that we can trust to watch the littles while we take some time away.

Hudson's 5th birthday was January 9th.  He is at a really fun birthday age.  His cousins, aunt & uncle, & grandma and grandpas came to help him celebrate.  Of course, just our immediate family is a whole party in itself.    Hudson entertains us all day, every day.


The next birthday, on January 28th, was Katie's birthday.    She is now 8 years old, and is such a big girl.  She does an excellent job reading, and does well in all of her school work.  She's incredibly helpful around the house, and can be counted on to help out with the littles when needed.








I had a birthday a week after Katie, and Naomi's 7th birthday followed on February 18th.  Naomi loves to design clothes.  She is very creative, and can spend hours contentedly coloring.  She is either hot or cold, happy or sad.  She still loves to cuddle with me, and we have our own special spots on the sofa to watch TV in the evenings.  She loves everything girly, and most mornings she'll wake up, get dressed, and put on her eyeshadow and lip gloss before coming downstairs for breakfast.




We have a couple weeks off before Bryce's birthday.  I'll attempt to get his pictures posted in a more timely fashion.

"The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."  Proverbs 18:15

September 2011 Recap

September started out with football games, and ended with football games.  Sounds like August, huh?

We celebrated Labor Day Weekend by having our usual group of friends over.  The Methenys came Saturday, and brought along some mini bikes and go-carts.  The dads, big boys, and little kids all had a great time riding them through the yard and along the track in the pasture. 

Sunday evening, Jeffry rolled out of the go-cart and broke his arm and got a big gash in his forehead.  We splinted him up and took him to the ER.  A few hours later, everyone was back and plans were made to continue the party the next day.  Nothing else bad could happen, right?

Monday morning everyone was up bright and early and began riding again.  Minor adjustments had been made, tires switched out, and we were ready to go. 

A little after ten I decided I would venture out and take some pictures. 

The boys challenged me to beat their lap time, so I got behind the wheel, belted myself in, and off I went.  After a practice lap, I took off for my timed lap.  I was SO going to beat them!  Then, coming out of the first turn, I rolled the go-cart.  I'm not really sure how or why.  It's kind of crazy how it happens so fast, yet still seems like slow motion.  I have a distinct memory of my arm raised above my head, and bent backwards across the roll bar midway down my upper arm.  I remember thinking, "Wow, that's not supposed to bend there!".  As the go-cart came to a stop, I knew immediately my arm was broken.  The guys came running, and assessed the damage.  They got some more 1 X 4's out of the garage, some duct tape, and a towel, and splinted my arm.  I wasn't in any pain, but had a weird, kind of surreal feeling that things were messed up.  My shoulder and elbow were dislocated, too, so one chunk of my humerus was just kind of floating around.  Creepy.  We drove to the ER in Waterloo, and I was fine after some drugs : )  Our company continued on with the grilling and fun back at our house, without us.

 This is my before picture.

And these are the after pictures.

I am now bionic.  I have a titanium rod and two screws holding everything together.  After a night's stay in the hospital, I was sent home.  Shannon and the kids took good care of me.  Our church family sent meals for several days, my book club girls brought food, and other sweet people in the community fed us.  The big boys were thinking it was a pretty good deal!

I spent the first few weeks sleeping on the reclining end of the sofa.  I was never casted, just wrapped because I had some pretty deep abrasions that needed to be dressed.  I went to physical therapy a couple times, then decided to rehab on my own.  After about 4 weeks I was able to give up the sling. 

I'm now as good as new, with the exception of some icky looking scars.  No more sleeveless tops in my future!  My ROM is a little bit limited when pulling my arm behind my back.  As long as I'm never arrested and put in handcuffs, I should be able to function okay. 

Football and soccer continued throughout the month.  I did more supervising at Spaghetti Fridays than working for a few weeks, but the other ladies picked up the slack.

Alex continued to play soccer and go to classes. 


On September 11th, Macklin turned ONE year old!  We celebrated with cake and ice cream, and had family over to help celebrate.

This is the first birthday cake Shannon has ever made and decorated.

Macklin just getting started.

 I think he kind of likes it!

Although it doesn't really look like it, Macklin REALLY enjoys it when Jackson does this.  Who says you need to go to the gym to lift weights?

God continues to teach us in new and unique ways to trust in Him in everything and every circumstance.  He's got our backs.

"A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps."  Proverbs 16:9

Family Camp 2011

Every summer we spend a week together at IRBC.  We can't decide how many consecutive years we've gone, but it's over 10.  We don't always go the same week.  Throughout the years we've been to Family Camps 1,2,3,and 5.  This year we attended Family Camp 2.  Next year we have reservations for FC 3.

We have several friends that we go with each year.  That's the best part!

I've got tons of pictures to post.

Naomi panning for "gold"

Hudson, Noah & Farah panning for "gold"

Colton ready for the zip line

There he goes!

Jackson, Taylor, Chase, Jeff, Shannon and Bryce in the Mud Pit

It's all fun and games until you get mud in your eyes.

Taylor, Chase, Jeff, Bryce and Shannon playing Tug of War

Jackson playing Tug of War

Alex playing Tug of War in the mud pit

Christmas card?

Bryce striking a pose

Not sure what Hudson was sad about...

Colton conquering the climbing wall.  He's such a monkey.  He completed all six levels, and repeated levels 5 and 6.  Bryce, Tate and Taylor are looking on from above.

Jackson's long, lean body helped him set the speed record up #6.

Katie made it to the top of wall #1

Chase on #6

Alex on #6

Katie tubing with Jeff and Taylor

Katie driving bumper boats

Jackson tubing with Jeff and Taylor

The jet ski needed a rest...

and a tow.

Hudson's turn on the jet ski with Jeff and Macy

Naomi lost both front teeth Friday morning at breakfast.

There are so many fun things about family camp.  Our team won the volleyball tournament this year.  We didn't do as well in the Squinny Ball tournament as usual.  The kids enjoyed the pool.  We played basketball, ga-ga ball (Colton, Chase and Jackson each won the tournament), carnival games, tether ball, and tons of other activities.  Later I'll download some of the pictures taken by the camp photographer. 

The best thing about camp is the Christian environment.  The services are spiritually uplifting.  We get to see friends that we only see at camp each year.  The kids have made many friends over the years.  We would encourage all families to spend a summer recharging at IRBC each year.


"Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you my be wise in your latter days."  Proverbs 19:20