Spirit Week

The kids had spirit week at school last week:
Monday was hat day - they adorned themselves with elf and santa hats.  Except Jessica, she took Matt's Chicago Bears hat.  Her teacher is a Vikings fan (I love her) and the Bears had just beaten the Vikings so Jessica decided to rub it in a little.  Although if the Vikings win, the teacher gives each kid in class 5 extra tickets, so she does like it when the Vikings win.
Tuesday was pajama day.
Wednesday was favorite sports team day.  Maria wore MN Twins, all the other three wore Chicago Bears apparel.
Thursday was crazy hair day - this should say it all.

Friday was school colors day.  The mascot is the Spartans yet the colors are blue and gold. Its a confused MI school! =)

Bentleyville

I am able to add pictures - at least for now, so I added two pictures to my Thanksgiving post a few days from a few days back.

Now, for this post.

You should all know by now how much I love a good adventure.  We were able to fly to MN and back because of my job at the airport.  Our last hurrah.  The kids got to experience what it is like to fly above the clouds. It was cold and gray in Muskegon, but above the clouds was a beautiful sunny day.  They thought that was cool.  I couldn't get us into Minneapolis because the flights were full, but I could get us into Duluth.  So off to Duluth we flew.  Our good friends met us there and we packed 7 kids into the van and off we went.  Adventures awaited.  We decided to stop at the end of the pier at a park I remembered from two summers back.  I remembered this really cool pirate ship park.  We drove for a long time and finally found the park, which was much cooler in my memory than in real life, but it did provide a place to swing and climb for a bit. It was getting dark so we decided to head out and find some food.  Crossing back over the bridge we saw all these Christmas lights.  A few of the kids asked to drive by it, so why not, another adventure.  Turns out we happened upon Bentleyville.  What is Bentleyville?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  I had to ask the volunteers myself. You pay $5 to park and then you walk through this lighted town.  Its along the bay in Duluth, right by the aquarium, along the walking path.  They have set up little houses to stop at and everything is lights.  There are bridges and dinosaurs, and lawn ornaments and you name it, they built it and lit it up. The centerpiece is a tower shaped like a Christmas tree and the lights are computer connected to the music that is playing.  The first stop along the path is for cookies and hot chocolate.  The next hut has popcorn.  The third hut gives you marshmallows on a stick and has several outdoor camp fires to roast them on.  Then you can visit Santa in his house, then you can visit Mrs. Claus and she gives you a candy cane.  We stopped at all the huts, except Santa, and all the goodies were free! =)  It was a great adventure.  We were cold, but it was fun!  Thanks guys!

The centerpiece tree

The bridge in the back ground

rockin with Santa

car troubles

Our van has been possessed since we purchased it.  It has always wanted to pull to the right.  We would get it aligned, and it would still pull.  We got steering columns, rack and pinions, tie rods, you name it, we've changed it, and it still pulled.  I went to have the tires rotated and balanced and they wouldn't do it because the tires were so badly worn in one spot.  They suggested a place I go to, and get it looked at.  So, off I went.  And I explained my whole saga to them.  They assured me that they had the right equipment and the right people on staff - some more than 20 years - that could get my van running smoothly again.
I am pleased to announce that they accomplished their goal.  It wasn't cheap, but I can drive my van STRAIGHT again!  IA here we come for the family Christmas party!
We found out from someone at church later that we went to the most expensive place in town.  I don't even care, they fixed it!  But we know where to go now!  Matt got his breaks fixed at the place suggested by the guy from church and I am got some fluids flushed there. I also received a new radiator and a cellanoid, whatever the heck that is, so hopefully I'm good.  They say things break in threes, I wish I had been keeping count since we moved into this house.  I'd like to know which multiple of three we are on!
Never a dull day in MI!

Whitefish fishing

Matt and a friend took Brandon Whitefish fishing a two weeks ago. I waited to post so I could give a picture!  They are fairly large fish that live in Lake Michigan and spawn in the rivers.  They run through the channels in schools late at night.  This beauty was caught around 9 PM.  I wasn't there but I will give you the information to the best of my knowledge.  They run in large schools and are attracted to shiny spinners.  No bait is necessary but you are only allowed to keep the fish if it actually takes the hook.  You cannot snag a fin, or a tail or something like that.   From what I understand, there were 10 fish caught that night, but only one was allowed to be kept (Brandon's).  All the others were snags.  There are so many fish that they literally get their fins stuck in the hook.  Isn't that crazy!  And I guess, if you catch a fin or a tail, they can put up quite the fight while being reeled in.  Nice work buddy!

Funny family time

I had to write these down somewhere so I would remember them. I'm sure in years to come, my kids will kill me for this, but right now, its too cute to pass up.
Anika told me on the way home from school yesterday that she was the second runner up in the geography bee for her class.  The first thought that ran through my head was 'how can any child of mine even be in the top ten?' but I let that pass. I am fairly geographically challenged as far as the world is concerned. I am great with directions and maps, just don't ask me where are any countries in Africa or South America!
So, she goes on to explain at supper that they had taken a geography test to see who would be in the school geography bee.  There were six students who all got the same score - she was one of them.  So they had their own little geography bee in their classroom with those six students.  At the end of six rounds, places 1, 2, 5, and 6 had been determined, but Anika and another classmate were still in the running for 3rd or 4th.  The teacher was tired of spending most of the morning on geography, so those places were determined by a coin flip.  Anika chose tails 'because it never fails'.... well, it failed.  So, she is officially 4th place in the 6th grade class and the second runner up.  On the day of the geography bee, if both the first and second place students fail to show up, Anika is on.  I'm not holding my breath, and neither is she, but it was a funny story!

Jessica also came home with a sheet of paper in which she had to write about what she would do with $100.  She had to give it away to a person or to a charity.  Her first choice was her best friend back in MN, but I persuaded her otherwise.  I first had to explain what a charity was, and then I gave her about ten examples:  Operation Christmas Child, Feed my starving Children, Kids Against Hunger, American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, etc.  She first decided she wanted to do Susan G. Komen and talk about our friend that had breast cancer and squirting people walking on the 3 - day walk.  So I was having her tell me what she was going to write and she stopped and looked up with her big eyes as only she can and said 'wait, I want to give the money to the parsonage.'  My first thought was, little xxxx, wants to somehow keep the money herself. Thankfully I didn't say that out loud, but asked some questions.  I tried to figure out if she meant where we lived in Grand Haven, or to the pastors that live in the house, or to the church.  We had explained to the kids when we lived in the parsonage in Grand Haven that they kept that house for people who didn't have a place to stay, like us... pastors, missionaries, etc.  So, I was grasping that maybe she had remembered that and wanted to give it to someone like that.  'No mom, to the kids that don't have dads or moms.'  OHHHHHHH big smile, hidden chuckle.  'You mean orphanage' (me)  'Yes, how do you spell that anyway?' (her)  So we got the paper written.  At the end, she has to say what she wants them to do with the money.  I suggested food, clothes, toys, books....... but she came up with the best one:  LOVE.  She said she wants them to use the money to hire more people so the kids have someone to love them.  Then she decided she wanted to go and work in an orphanage some day so she could love all the kids that lived there.  How sweet is that.

Symphony

We were gifted with two tickets to the West Michigan Symphony on November 11.  It was a wonderful concert.  Great music and several of the pieces had ballet accompanying it from the Joffrey Ballet.  We were in the balcony at the Frauenthal and had great seats.  Sadly, from working so much those weeks, we were exhausted and fought sleep through the darkness, warmth and soothing music.  But, it was very enjoyable and good to get some culture!

A weekend to give thanks

I was given the message that I have used my quota for pictures on my blog - this was a scary message -  but best I can tell, I have a certain quota for one year and then it renews.  Hopefully that is true - then, in a few days, I will add our Thanksgiving feast picture to the end of this post.  One year.
Which brings around what I was doing one year ago today.  As I am writing this, we were driving here, to Michigan, for the last time, or first time, depending on how you look at it.  We left one home to make a new one.  One year ago today, I was driving, through rain and tears, we arrived safely at our destination.  This blog is proof of all the heartaches and joys that one family experiences in one years time.  I am often asked 'How are you doing?'  or 'Does it feel like home yet?'.  I never really know how to answer.  We are fine, we are blessed. We have clothes, food and a warm beautiful home.  Home feels like home.  Its nice to have your own bed and a place to walk in and dump your stuff until tomorrow.  A place to hang Christmas lights and make memories.  So, yes, those things are happening and make this more like home.
We went back to MN for Thanksgiving.  We have been celebrating Thanksgiving in the same way with the same people for 4 or 5 years.  It was funny listening to the kids tell us what we were going to do on Thursday because we had to, it was tradition.  Cue Fiddler on the Roof.  We did all those things and then some, and laughed and smiled and cried and laughed some more.  I love that I can drop my kids off in several different homes/situations and they just take off as though they never missed a day.  I love to see the hugs my kids give the adults that they miss in their lives.  I hate the heartache in their voices when they ask to move back.  I was asked several times to move back, by both my children and by the people they visited.  Its hard to be back there, to see life go on, to miss it. Its hard to come back here, to see life go on, to wonder.  But yet, its all so good.  No I did not mean also good.  I meant ALL so good.  We love MN and our family/friends there.  We love visiting them.  We love it when they visit us.  We are asked what are favorite things here are and sometime its hard to have an answer, but we do always have the beach, and the beach day with friends.  We have jobs, and a school, and much to be thankful for.  A video we saw on Thanksgiving morning reminded us to be thankful where we are.... for sight, for hearing, for feet to walk, and if you don't have those things - which many people don't - be thankful for the right here right now.  There was an open microphone in the church that morning.  Jessica asked if she could go forward and talk.  I told her to go for it.  You have to understand, this girl loves the stage and the opportunity to hold a microphone.  She got up there and said 'I am thankful I am back in MN again.'  Much of the church got a kick out of that one!  I can look back to where we were a year ago, and see all that we have learned and found and hold on to and be ever so thankful I have another day to count my blessings.

kids eat first

bowling, part of the tradition