Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Go Blue!

Keaton has recruited another fan for Michigan. He and Laura used the Michigan basketball tickets on Saturday to watch the Wolverines defeat EMU. Matt and I were the chaperons/chauffeurs and dropped them off at the game and then did some Christmas shopping. Our shopping trip wasn't very successful - except for me and my purchase of some winter apparel (pink of course!).

Back to basketball news - the Trojans seem to have a pattern started: loss, win, loss. The two losses were for non-conference games and the teams were very good. They were fast and handled the ball well. We were slow and didn't handle the ball well. We're hoping to follow the pattern and have a win this Friday night. Go blue!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Happy Days

Our family did its share of helping the sagging economy this year on Black Friday. We carefully studied all the sale ads from the area papers. Matt was out and about at 11:30 p.m.Thanksgiving night doing reconnaissance on pre-sale items. He began to plan his attack, being careful to note direct routes to the merchandise and have alternate routes if any aisle was congested. He carefully planned his escape route, practicing his escape with speed and agility. He diligently observed the registers for the fastest cashier and fastest register. He came home at 12:30 a.m. to rest and get some supplies for his stake-out. He went back up to the store and bravely entered the battleground at 3:15 a.m., armed with reading material and his charge card. He moved in for the kill at 5:00 a.m. when the merchandise was released and with courage, speed and agility, he bobbed and weaved his way around carts and civilians to make his way to freedom at the check-out counter. He came home about 5:30 a.m. with a new TV for the family room. Needless to say, Keaton was THRILLED to have a new plasma when he rolled out of bed Friday morning. Little does he know that Matt is the new "Rambo" of Black Friday.

Thanksgiving was short this year. We were only in Flint for about 24 hours, but I did get to see my little McKenna. I think we have a special bond because she's my mini-me. She's VERY strong-willed and opinionated and she LOVES the color pink, high heels, jewelry and anything glittery or furry. She wanted me to spend the night with her and sleep in her tent (I'm sure it's either a Barbie or Princess tent). We'll have to have a slumber party at Christmas when we have more time for girlie things - like manicures, hair and make-up sessions, tiaras, and chocolate fondue. We might even let the boys have some chocolate fondue too. (But, we'll make them wear tiaras!)

In other news, Matt celebrated his 40th birthday last weekend. We went out to dinner with Keaton and his girlfriend on Friday night and then nearly set off the smoke detectors with all the candles on Matt's cake. On Saturday, we went out to dinner with Matt's brothers and others and friends. After dinner, we went across the street to hear a band play. The band wasn't the one we were expecting, but they were still okay. They played a lot of classic rock (which was WAY before my time, so I didn't know many of the songs) and there was a pinball machine, so Matt was still pretty happy. The alcohol may have contributed to his happiness a little...just a little bit though.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

November News

Halloween was a little different this year. It was the first year that Keaton didn't dress up. He and some friends did still go out, but it wasn't the same without them being dressed up and posing for pictures. Matt and I still dressed up - he was a gladiator and I was a Roman goddess. It was a stretch for me to actually have to get out of my everyday Domestic Goddess outfit - my pajamas. Cyrus was a hot dog with mustard. (It didn't really fit in with our Roman theme, but he was pretty darn cute!) We'll never be too old for Halloween!

This month's news is that Keaton was inducted into the National Honor Society. We're very proud of him! Unfortunately, Matt had to miss the induction ceremony while he was away at a conference. It's a good thing we have a video camera! The other big news is that Keaton now officially has a girlfriend. Her name is Laura (she's also in Honor Society) and she's very cute. He's been to her house a couple of times (I took pictures when he left for his "first date"), has taken her out to the movies twice (a scary movie each time - he's pretty smooth, isn't he?) and they've gone out to eat a few times (Applebee's and Burger King - I guess he can afford more than McDonald's!). They do a lot of texting and chatting on the phone when he's not with her. They're both pretty busy kids and he'll be even busier when basketball season officially begins next week.

Have a happy Thanksgiving! We're very thankful for our blessings of family and friends.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Keaton's 17th!

It's hard to believe that Keaton is now 17 years old. Holy cow, where did the time go? It seems like it was only yesterday when we were making his meals, doing his laundry, cheering him on in basketball, helping him with homework, and tucking him in at night. Oh, wait a minute...that was only yesterday. Seriously, he's a good kid. He makes us proud every minute of every day. He's a good student, a good athlete, a good son, and most importantly, a good person. He's pretty independent and doesn't need me too much anymore - except for the food and laundry things. (Although, I have to admit, he does make some pretty good scrambled eggs.) Matt and I left him home alone for the weekend while we took our trailer out for one last time. We were just in Battle Creek and he invited three friends over (all guys, no girls allowed!) Everything was all cleaned up and even all the dishes were done. (Either he's a responsible kid or he had a lot of help after the party!) It was hard to leave him home alone and we did a lot of checking on him via cell phone. I even made Matt call him at midnight one night to make sure the doors were locked, they hadn't left the oven on, they had let Cyrus out, they had eaten something decent, and they all had pillows and blankets. Matt knows how I worry and has learned in 18 years of marriage to humor me and just accept that I'm a control-freak.

We're currently looking into college options. He'd still like to go to Michigan and/or Duke, but he's also checking out some smaller schools and looking into their basketball programs. He's pretty much ruled out any northern schools because he really doesn't like the snow much anymore. (He stopped skiing when he got serious about basketball and didn't want to risk an injury during basketball season.) We're still looking into motor homes so I can park in the parking lot of the dorm and visit with him during the week. He still isn't warming up to that idea! (I personally think it's a fabulous idea. I can still baby my baby and Matt can spend all the time on fantasy football/baseball he wants without feeling guilty. It's a win/win situation for us all. Well, except for Keaton who thinks I'd cramp his college experience. I told him I wouldn't use binoculars to check on him or follow him to class to make sure he didn't get lost. I could just use the GPS on him.) Keaton doesn't think I'm funny anymore...he's a little worried that I'm serious.

One last update is that Keaton can now dunk fairly easily. He still hasn't dunked in a game, but is patiently waiting for the opportunity. They're practicing alley-oop plays in basketball class (yes, he really does have a basketball class), so he's ready for the chance to dunk. He's been playing in a rec. league for the past month and then basketball season will be in full swing in a couple of weeks. We're hoping for a better season for him - both physically and mentally. We're hoping for a better season for us too, because I really don't want to have to start bringing a flask to the games.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Poolside in Peru

We headed down to Peru, IL for the Labor Day weekend. We went with our camping buddies and had the site right next to the pool. It was great to be so close, but Cyrus got a little excited whenever the kids screamed and ran by our site on their way to the pool. We visited Mathieson State Park and Starved Rock. We went hiking on some trails in and around the canyons. The waterfalls and creek beds were pretty low, but were still pretty. It was a great weekend full of lots of laughs and activities...a great way to relax and celebrate Labor Day and get ready to begin Keaton's junior year.



Tuesday, August 19, 2008

South Haven

Julie and family came for a week-long visit in South Haven last week. They rented a house and most of the family went to stay for the week. We were able to go visit a few times during the week and take advantage of the spectacular view of Lake Michigan. One night, we met the gang for a golf outing. It was nice to see everyone again and see how much all the kids have grown.


Thursday, August 7, 2008

Weekend with the Bruces

Karie and family came for a visit over the weekend. We spent most of the time in the pool on Friday. On Saturday, we all went to the Perrigo company picnic and had a great time. McKenna was on my back as we walked up the fairgrounds and she had her nose snuggled in my neck. She told me she just couldn't stop smelling me. (I think that's a good thing.) The kids played some games, found over $1.50 each in the coin search, and Hunter climbed a volcano. Afterwards, we headed over to Grand Haven and the Coast Guard Festival. We had some yummy food at Eric's and then we headed down to the docks to watch the fireworks. We went to Binder Park Zoo on Sunday, where Hunter had his picture taken and Karie was interviewed for the Battle Creek Enquirer. We fed the giraffes and spent a fun day hangin' out with the animals. On Monday, we headed up to the mall in Grandville so Hunter could climb the rock wall, but it was unfortunately closed. I think the clothes Karie bought him at Abercrombie erased his disappointment. McKenna's wish was to visit Libby Lu's (which we did - and we have the sprinkling of fairy dust to prove it). They all left from the mall and Keaton and I came home so he could go to - where else - basketball. It was a great weekend and it went by too quickly. Perrigo is expanding with 500 new jobs, so we're trying to talk the Bruce family into relocating to our neck of the woods. I'd even offer free babysitting to help sweeten the deal!
                                




Our Hot and Sweaty Florida Vacation

Wow - I can't believe it's been over two months since I last checked in. We've been keeping busy with traveling and hanging' out in the pool. Keaton finished his sophomore year with high marks again and we're so proud of him! It's hard to believe he's now a junior. I really need to get going on his scrapbooks - we have less than two years before his graduation. I have so many pictures to embarrass him with. Keaton has been using the summer to play lots of basketball, earn money mowing, and spending time with his friends.

Our trip to Florida was AWESOME and not too eventful. (That's a good thing!) The Durango didn't break down, but our friend's truck did - right on the expressway. Luckily, we were near an exit, so we could all limp to it and set up at a truck stop, call a mechanic, and run out to get the part. The Durango did struggle towing in the heat and we couldn't run the air-conditioner while we traveled. That was NOT fun to ride for 10 hours in 97 degree heat. I won't be doing that again. Our first few days we spent on the west side of the state near Naples. We went over to Sanibel Island one morning to check out the beach and were amazed to see dolphins jumping and splashing in the water right along the shore. Matt and I took a walk along the beach and found sea turtle tracks and a nest she had just laid her eggs in. That was pretty cool to discover before the turtle patrol arrived.

Our next stop was to Fiesta Key. Our campsite was right on the Gulf of Mexico and our trailer backed right up to the Gulf. Keaton was able to do some snorkeling. We walked along the dock one morning to discover a huge sea turtle swimming up and down our little channel. We found lots of jellyfish, some lobsters, and even an octopus. We went out on the Atlantic Ocean from Key Largo one day - Matt and some of the group on a snorkeling trip and the rest of us on a glass-bottom boat tour. We went out over a coral reef and found some dolphins swimming and playing along our boat. Unfortunately, we hit some 5-6 foot waves idling over the reef and most of us couldn't stay inside the cabin to take pictures. I tried looking at the horizon, but the horizon was rocking about 10 feet in the air and that wasn't helping any - neither was the Dramamine. Keaton was a trooper and he was able to stay in the boat and get some pictures - without the aid of any Dramamine. The rest of us caught some sun on the upper deck of the boat and prayed the tour was almost over. Matt said snorkeling was tough as he had to constantly swim and fight the current the entire time, but is was a new experience for all of us. Another day, we took a drive along the Keys and the 7-mile bridge and went all the way down to Key West. We spent some time at the beach and some time wandering the town. It's definitely one we'll have to go back and spend some more time at.

Next we were off to Orlando and the Disney parks. We had so much fun park hopping. We hit all four parks - including a water park, nightclubs, and lots of shops. We rode lots of rides and had some really long days trying to fit everything in. But, we did it and I have lots and lots of pictures to prove it. We went to Downtown Disney one night with our friends, Dave and Kelly, and went to a couple of nightclubs. Our favorite was one that played 70s and 80s music (70s for Dave and 80s for us). We had so much fun, but it was really hard to be up at 6:30 a.m. the next morning to hit the parks. Staying at Fort Wilderness was great because we didn't have to drive. We just hopped on a bus or boat to take us to the fun. It was super hot and humid, but that's what we get for visiting Florida in July. I LOVE Disneyworld and would like to go back. Matt was disappointed because we didn't have time to hit Universal Studios, but maybe next time.

Our last major stop was to St. Augustine. It is the oldest settled city in the U.S. and full of lots of interesting history. We visited the fort and had the attention of all the kids for the first two minutes and then they all took off to find some ice cream and do some shopping downtown. I found the history very interesting, but was a little jealous they got ice cream. We hung out at the beach and we all did some boogie-boarding. Matt had a little nervous moment when he and Keaton were out waiting to catch a wave. He saw a fin the next wave over and his heart did a little skip - until the fin jumped out of the water a little and he saw it was a dolphin. Whew! I'm glad he didn't tell me about it while I was in the water. We went to the St. Augustine Light Station one day and did some exploring. Matt and Keaton climbed the 219 steps to the top. I passed since it wasn't air-conditioned and I was already melting.

We had a really fun time and really enjoyed the time with Keaton and our friends. We tried some local food, including alligator, conch, and crab. We really missed Cyrus, but were so thankful he could stay at my mom's house and get lots of tlc. It was way too hot for him to be in Florida. He doesn't like to be outside if it's over 75 (or humid, or rainy, or sunny, or windy), so I don't know what he would have done in the Florida heat. He was really happy to come back home and was my cling-on for days.

We're not sure where we're going for next year's adventure. I'd love to visit Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands. There's talk of Banff, Canada. We'll see...












Thursday, May 22, 2008

G-Ball & B-ball

Whew - it's been a busy month with Keaton playing both golf AND basketball. He played in both JV and varsity matches with the Trojans (his school). It was an up-and-down season with great games and not-so-great games. But, isn't that how golf is? (I would have been THRILLED to have some of the scores that Keaton thought were awful.) They had quite a few matches during the day, so Keaton missed a few days of school. We had to have Keaton gracefully decline a few matches because we just weren't going to let him miss any more school. Thanks to those darn girls forcing seasons to switch, most of the time the guys could only get out on the courses during the day. The first two weeks were canceled due to snow (This is Michigan - why would anyone in their right mind schedule golf tourneys in the middle of March? The boys couldn't play unless they shoveled paths on the course.).

Keaton is also playing AAU basketball in Allegan with a new team. The guys on the team are all from area schools and are a really good group of kids. They lost most of their games in the first couple of weeks, but still had fun. They've really bonded and are doing great - making it in the Elite 8 their past two tourneys. Keaton LOVES playing basketball again and it's so nice to see him smile and laugh again after such a disappointing season here in Plainwell. It's nice to see him on a team where every player is unselfish and positive. He loves his coaches so much that he wants to move to Allegan and go to school there. Matt's been looking for houses (and the coach and parents on the team). We'll see how things go. They have to convince me to move - I'd be an extra 15 min. from my beloved Wal-Mart.




Monday, April 14, 2008

Spring Break '08

We spent another spring break down in Tennessee. Matt & Keaton played golf just about every day. Matt won the first round and that's it - Keaton won the rest. They played at some really nice courses and played in lots of wind. I was the archiver and took lots of pictures, as usual. The weather was perfect - sunny and close to 70 each day. We only had one day of bad weather - and that was just a tornado warning that forced us to go in the tornado shelter. It seems that dodging tornadoes is an annual event when we visit Tennessee.






Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Happy Easter

Keaton and Cyrus happily posed for a picture on Easter morning. This was the first year Keaton didn't have his Easter basket - he had to be happy with Cy's toy basket. (Keaton's Easter basket is packed away out of reach while Matt is remodeling the basement.) We had a pretty low-key day full of lots of basketball - watching some on TV and some with Matt & Keaton playing. We had a traditional ham dinner and even Cyrus had some ham and potatoes with us (after he got some from Keaton's fork).



Wednesday, March 12, 2008

End of the Trimester

Not only did basketball season officially end, but the second trimester at school ended last week as well. Keaton had five exams last week and a well-deserved long weekend. They didn't have school on Monday or Tuesday, so it was strange having to get up early this morning. Keaton ended with high marks again and we're very proud of him. He had a rough basketball season and some tough classes that compounded to the stress he felt. But, he has a good schedule and golf practice officially begins today after school. He has a lot to look forward to: golf, AAU tryouts on Sunday, spring break in Tennessee in April, and only nine more weeks until school is out and he officially becomes a Junior. The time will fly by as quickly as the snow melts. Yikes!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr! Another cold day in Michigan, but at least the sun is out. We had another round of snow the other night and everyone here was disappointed to be one of only two schools open in the entire county the next morning. Tonight is our last regular-season game and then we begin playoffs on Monday night, taking on Paw Paw. We've beat them twice now, but anything could happen. If the boys win on Monday night, the next game will be on Wednesday night. Our girls' team just lost last night in their race to become district champs, so their season is officially over. Things are cooling off on the hardwood court, but that means that things will start warming up on the golf course for Keaton. First, we'll have to wait for all the snow to melt so we can even find the course!




Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Update

It's been a busy couple of weeks. We went out snow shoeing again with our friends and had a great time. This time, we went to a nature preserve and then headed over to a state park for our adventure. One trail had stairs on it which made for quite a challege. Since I didn't feel like spending the rest of winter in traction, I opted to be creative and slide down the stairs on my natural padding - my big booty. After warming up and taking a nap, we headed out for another birthday celebration with friends. We went to hear a live band play and had a great time out on the dance floor. I haven't decided yet if I'm done celebrating my birthday. I might have one more day because I get a new outfit everytime we go out to celebrate!



Last week, I did nothing but hang out on the couch. I had to admit defeat to the flu. I didn't do my hair or makeup for five days, so that's concrete proof of how sick I really was. It wasn't pretty - me or the illness. We had two snow days and did a lot of sleeping and shoveling. The sleeping was much more fun than the shoveling.

Basketball has been going well for Keaton. He's been starting and his level of confidence is improving. We won against Paw Paw and had another game cancelled due to the snow. He had a really good game against Vicksburg. We won in overtime and he had the 3-pointer that put them ahead. Whew! It's tough to sit in the stands and watch. It's a good thing I'm not a nail-biter or I'd have nothing but stubs left. We lost to Allegan last night, but deservedly so. Our defense was awful and Allegan doesn't miss ANYTHING. On the positive side, we had a snow day again today, so the boys can all sleep in and rest up for the tough practice they'll have today.


                           

The snow continues to fall. Poor Cyrus has been wearing his little t-shirt and cuddling up with us under blankets. He just got a hair cut, so he's been really cold. He doesn't like the snow and does his business as quickly as he can so he can get back inside and get back in the blanket. He's so spoiled that Matt shovels out little grassy areas in the yard for him so he can go potty and not have to walk in the snow. Is there anyone that spoiled (well, besides Keaton)? That's our boy!









Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Wicked in the Windy City

Our "Wicked" weekend was wickedly fun! After picking up our friends, Dave and Kelly, our first stop on the way to Chicago was to the Four Winds Casino where we donated some money to the local Indian tribe. Then, we continued on to Chicago and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. It was awesome! It was right downtown and easily accessible to everything. We met up with our other friends, John and April, at the hotel and went out to grab some lunch. We wandered around downtown a little and then got down to business of planning our summer vacation (it's to Florida - Orlando, Key West, Naples, and St. Augustine). We primped (well, I primped) and headed out for dinner at Tavern at the Park which was a great restaurant. After a fantastic dinner and a few drinks, we were off to hit some clubs. Our first club wasn't much to brag about and was pretty empty, so we only stayed for a drink. We went to a piano bar where there was a crush of people, but we were able to get a table after plowing our way through. We hung out there for a while, but with so many people, it was just loud and hot. The next morning, we headed out for breakfast and did some shopping along the Magnificent Mile. Surprisingly, the only thing I bought was some candy from Hershey's for Keaton. Our next adventure was to head to the theater to see Wicked. We had a little glitch with our e-tickets and they only had four tickets for our group of six people. Uh oh. We had to buy two more tickets and were lucky enough to get some in the sixth row that someone had just returned. So, since I'm the birthday girl, I got those seats and let Matt sit with me since he wasn't getting on my nerves that day. The show was INCREDIBLE and so much fun!! Now I'm spoiled and only want to sit really close to the stage from now on. It was great to be able to see the actors' facial expressions. We said our goodbyes to our friends from Wisconsin (Go Packers!) and headed for home. My birthday dinner was a quick trip to Burger King, but we were all anxious to get home to see the kids. We were happy to have Aaron able to come and stay with Keaton which allowed us to enjoy a fun, relaxing weekend without any worries (thanks, Aaron!). We had a wonderful, wicked weekend!!

Thursday, January 3, 2008

New Year's Night

Keaton and Cyrus enjoyed some downtime on the couch New Year's night watching a movie and just being still for a change. After a whirlwind week of Christmas presents, basketball practice, and lots and lots of video game playing with friends, it was nice for Keaton to be home and just relax. Cyrus was pretty happy to have someone to cuddle with too.


Snow Shoeing Adventure

We woke up on New Year's Day to about 6 inches of fluffy, white snow. It continued to lightly snow so we decided to try snow shoeing. We went with our friends out behind our neighborhood on a trail that leads to a park. It was awesome! It really was just like walking, but with really big shoes. The best part was that I didn't fall once!


Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Happy 2008!

This year we spent a quiet New Year's Eve down at our friends' house. We played cards and counted down to the new year with the kids. After we rang in 2008, we had a great time playing Rock Band (or trying to play!). We hope that 2008 is a memorable year for everyone - filled with lots of laughs and love!