Jake's Wedding

Tanner and I got to take a mini-vacation to the mountains of North Carolina this past weekend because Tanner was a groomsman in his friend's wedding. We got to stay in this amazing lodge that Jake built on their property. Check it out at this website: http://www.vrbo.com/163324 I got to get a little bit of spring while we were there because some early flowers were already blooming! One day a few of us were planning on going hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, but we were running out of time, so we stopped short at a little touristy town called Cherokee. The boys got a little bit excited about the holsters they found in one of the shops.
I got swept off my feet by the river right before we stopped for ice cream.
The next day, Brent, Amy, and I went to The Arboretum ... I'm really not sure how that is spelled. Anyhow, there were lots of things to see there. Here is a picture of Brent and Amy hiking along a little stream. And one of me sitting inside a hollow tree I thought was pretty cool. And one of one of the butterflies in the butterfly house. Meanwhile, the guys spent most of thier day riding dirt bikes around Jake's property.

The wedding was really nice. I liked how Holly used a lot of candles. Of course, she was really busy the whole time we were there, so we only got to meet her for a few minutes, but if the adorable accent has anything to do with it, she is the sweetest girl I have ever met!!! Here's a picture of Tanner with the groom Jake and his brother and best man Josh.

And here is one of us at the reception.
All in all it was great to get away, hang out with old friends, and be reminded of how fun it is to get married... and maybe we'll get to go back next year!

Kids Connection

Tanner and I had a nice, relaxing Easter weekend. It was a little chilly, but you can tell it is spring. Tanner even wore shorts around town when we were looking for a pair of sunglasses for him. OK, so he kinda wore them out of spite, but he didn't freeze! I think God gives us such long winters up here so that we really appreciate spring when it comes. I can't tell you how exciting it is to literally watch snow melt and drip off of the branches. Beautiful! Anyhow, I didn't get any pictures of our Easter dinner with Amy, Jeff, and the boys ... so I thought I would show a picture instead of the 2nd and 3rd graders that I work with on Wednesday nights. At first, they were a little much to handle. They are pretty wound up after a day of sitting in school! But once we got to know each other a little bit better, it has been really fun. I love getting to act like a kid again! Hanging out with them is a wonderful way to get me energized again in the middle of the week. Plus, I've decided that it is good for me to look at the Bible through the eyes of a child sometimes. We as adults tend to make things so complicated and in, so many ways, it is really very simple! And, while I guess technically I am doing the teaching, I always do a whole lot of learning too. The girls were too shy to get in the picture. The boys definitely don't have that problem!

Powerlifting in the UP

Tanner took a bunch of guys from both Charlevoix and Petoskey High Schools to Newberry, MI in the UP for a powerlifting competition. I got to ride up with one of the boy's parents. It was fun to see Tanner really in his element. He was running around everywhere wrapping knees, helping with weight belts, and doing lots of encouraging to all the guys. He is such a great coach!

Here he is before the meet giving the Charlevoix team a little pep talk. You can see the 4 of the 5 platforms behind him. That was nice as a spectator becuase it kept things moving and there was always something going on somewhere.

We took a bunch of pictures of the guys lifting. A lot of them turned out pretty dark, but I just had to show this one. It is really fun becuase not only can you see how hard Kenny is working, but if you look close behind him you can see his teammate Otis yelling right along with him. I love it!!

Sunshine and Snow

While Tanner was in Pennsylvania this weekend, the dogs and I had lots of time to get outside and take advantage of the sunshine. The temperature was downright fridged, but without wind, with sunshine, and as long as you kept moving, it was worth it to get out of the house! Drake and I did actually walk on The Bay, but my camera battery must have frozen, so I couldn't get any pictures. It was pretty interesting because in some places you could actually see down into the ice, it was so clear. Kinda cool!

But I did get to steal some of Martin's pictures again that he took when we went on some trails on Oden Island with the dogs. This first one shows how deep the snow was at some points. Most of it was so packed down, you could walk across it with no trouble, but every now and then you would step in the wrong spot and just sink! This next one is of me climbing on the root system of a huge fallen tree. Dominique and Martin both got much higher. We humans do seem to have some kind of an common urge to get to the top of high places! Plus, sometimes, weekends are all about doing goofy things like climbing the root system of fallen trees. It was too incredible not to so something silly!Actually, looking at that picture really makes me want to go rock climbing. Maybe I'll convince Tanner that we should take a trip to the UP this summer to see what they have to offer in the way of rock climbing. Also, in that picture you can see that Drake was looking out for me this weekend with Tanner being gone. He's such a sweetie!

Caleb The Champ

Tanner's little brother (who is no longer all that little) competed in States for wrestling in Pennsylvania this weekend. This is his second year at States and he is a Junior ... that in itself is an amazing accomplishment ... especially in Pennsylvania which is one of the most competitive states for wrestling. This year he placed third, which is even more amazing! So congrats to Caleb, we are all proud ... especially, I know, his big brother!Oh, and I thought this picture was really cute of Caleb's parents that was taken at one of his earlier matches. Being a wrestling mom is not an easy job!!

Big Kids Sledding

I'm sure the kids that live in the neighborhood on the other side of the woods from us were very jealous yesterday afternoon of whatever group of kids was having so much fun. Our small group gathered at Adam and Dana's for tacos after church. Then we all spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the snow. Sledding was the chief activity ... and it was a blast! But there was also snowball throwing contests and making of snowmen. Ah, being a kid is so much fun!

This one is Tanner lifting the head of the snowman. Martin made it look extra cool with the back and white.

And Martin made a neat collage of me sledding. Thanks Martin!

And here's a fun one of Tanner and I. I don't think we actually stayed on the sled for very long after the picture was taken on this run. It was a fun attempt though!
Before too long, I'm going to have lots of pictures of spring flowers and beautiful blue lakes, but until then, it's fun to view the snow like a kid again!

Snowshoeing ... at Night This Time!

Have I mentioned how much I love my snowshoes?!!!! I got to use them again this weekend when a couple of us went to a snowshoe demonstration. I guess Bear Cub (our local outfitter store) gets a bunch of snowshoes from Tubbs that they can let people try out. So, the camp up the road from me hosts a night where they light up tiki torches along their trails, have a campfire with marshmallows available out in the woods, and have cookies and hot chocolate in lodge. Pretty much all the things that make winter wonderfull all wrapped up into one. Whoever came up with this had me in mind! I used my own snowshoes but you could use the Tubbs ones for free ... which is really nice! Here's a picture of us on one of the trails.

It was a beautiful night with breathtaking stars. One of the benefits to living out in the country is that the stars are incredible. I used to know a lot of different constellations and stuff, but I had forgotten a lot of it. Sarah helped to explain some of it to me again. Oh, and I can't take credit for these pictures. Charles and Martin are the experts, and they were really having fun trying out some new camera equipment! Mine would never turn out this cool! The last one is of one of my all -time favorite things to do ... roast marshmallows. I'm glad to have found another adult who shares my passion. Thanks, Dominique!

It was a great fun way to spend a winter evening with some friends.