Breck or Bust!

This past Christmas, Steve and I surprised the kids with a week long ski trip to Breckenridge.  They were all super excited, and even more thrilled when they heard that the Bantas would be staying at the same resort for part of the week.  With Bennett in middle school now,  we can't pull the kids out of school to go in February like we have been doing the past four years, so spring break is it.

Since the break is so late here in Alabama (late March), we chose a place that has a higher altitude and historically lots of snow!  And boy oh boy did it have a lot of snow this year!  It had a record base, and it dumped a lot before we came.  We flew out Friday after school so we could acclimate in Denver.  Though we arrived late, the kids were thrilled to officially check off another state.

1st day on the slopes!

Saturday morning we met Jim and his girlfriend, Sophie, for breakfast before heading to Breck.  The drive over was very easy, with little traffic.  We immediately went to check in and dump our luggage, and then went to the grocery store, to get our skis and just figure out the lay of the land some.  Our condo was at the bottom of the mountain, so the kids could easily walk to ski school and one of the speed lifts.  The Bantas arrived late Saturday, so we met up with them on Sunday morning for our first day on the slopes.

We did things a little differently this trip.  Walker went in ski school all five days, and we kept Preston out altogether.  Then Bennett skied with Shannon, Henley and a ski instructor (Anna) for the first three days.  Since Christian decided to give snowboarding a try, he was in school, along with Lucy for the first few days.  Brian, Steve, Pres and I tore it up though.  We all enjoy about the same stuff, so we pushed ourselves and stayed pretty busy going up and down all day, averaging about 20,000 vertical feet a day.

After we picked up Walker, he was anxious to show us what he had learned, and then we hit the hot tub!  Everyone had a great first day, but we were happy to just relax some.  That night, we went out to dinner with the Bantas and then called it a night early so we could pack in another full day.

This one likes to fly down the mountain - no fear!

3 happy kiddos!

Pres trying to get some air!

The kids all have a blast together, and really enjoyed spending time with one another.  Bennett had perfect company with Shannon and Henley, as none of them are speed demons or risk takers.  Plus they had a phenomenal ski instructor.  In fact, Brian, Pres and I used her one afternoon to try and get better at moguls, particularly on very steep slopes.  Breck is a huge mountain, with a little bit of everything.  There are a ton of bowls, and double blacks, and Preston wanted to do those every chance he got.  Day three was another gorgeous day, with lots of sun and warmer temps!  We definitely skied in less layers that day!

Hanging out at our condo (Pres wasn't feeling well and went to sleep)

Day four was our rest day, and we decided to try something new with the kids...snowmobiling!  We slept in some, had a nice leisurely morning before driving about 40 minutes towards Leadville.   Once we got fitted in our snowmobiling gear, we got on buses and drove a short bit to San Isabel National Forest where all of the snowmobiles were, as well as the practice track.

There we got broken down into smaller groups.  Bennett rode with Steve, Walker with me, and Pres was the lucky duck that got to ride with the guide and went the fastest.  We practiced driving the snowmobiles (as fast as we wanted since it was a huge open area) around the practice track.  Then while we waited for everyone to feel comfortable and for the adults to learn how to maneuver the machines, the kids got to ride mini snowmobiles around a smaller track.  Everyone had fun!

Following our riding, we decided to try out a little mom and pop place in Leadville, and check out the old Silver Dollar Saloon that has been around since the late 1800's.

Walker LOVED driving the mini snowmobile!

Family shot while snowmobiling

still the original bar, mirrors, piano, artwork...pretty cool!

checking out downtown Breck

After eating dinner out together!

Day 5 and 6 on the slopes was more of the same.....skiing hard and enjoying the warmer ski weather.   Steve and the kids even ventured out Thursday to try the infamous crepes.  They are custom made, and take about 15 minutes....after standing in the long line.  However, the kids all agreed that they were worth the wait!

Proving that he skis double blacks - his goal for this trip

It was incredibly windy, but Pres and I had to make it to the Summit!

Friday afternoon, we headed back to Denver before flying home the following morning.  It was a great trip, but a tiring one after skiing 5 of 7 days.  All of the kids did great, but came home with some tired legs. 

4th Grade Boys Bible Club Comes to an End

What a great school year of learning about God with these boys!  Every week the boys gathered for breakfast, fellowship and learning.  We decided to end it by Spring Break, as the last month or two of school is always crazy busy.  Cheers to these fabulous boys and their futures!

Discovery Weekend 2019

Snack Time

One of the things I love most about our church is the huge youth group, and the presence that it has in the Homewood community across all denominations.  Trinity is great about inclusiveness, and offering a safe haven for the middle schoolers after school.

When Bennett first started at the middle school, she wanted to be apart of any and all groups at our church.  However, her schedule quickly got busy, and she became limited.  She did enjoy going to "The Haven" after school though at least once a week for a snack and to hang with friends.  Though she didn't attend Sunday school, she did go to youth group on Sunday nights when she could and "Fusion" on Wednesday nights when she could.  All of these opportunities to be at the church and pray, bring our youth closer to God.

praise and worship!

Candlelit hallway for the children leading to the sanctuary

Praying over our girl - one of my favorite moments!

Discovery is just one more way for our middle schoolers to connect with God, the church and each other.  It is a two day lock-in at our church that involves a lot of singing, praying, learning, games, eating and a little bit of sleeping.  Bennett, along with many of her friends, wanted to do it.  We helped with various aspects of the weekend, and the whole experience was awesome for all of us!

B's Discovery Small Group!

Bennett loved the weekend, even though she decided to not spend the night at the church the second night (because she was dog-tired).  The letters that family and friends wrote for her, the family chain of praying over her....those are moments that last a long time, and Bennett LOVED them all!

Can't wait for next year!

Getting Older Sucks, but Dementia is the Worst!

If you would have asked me 10-15 years ago what would have happened with my parent's health, there is NO WAY I would have guessed that my active, healthy father would be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, or later Lewy Body Dementia.  But sadly that is just what happened in 2014.  After we began noticing odd little things about my father, my mother finally took him to a physician and received the bad news.

At first, it wasn't a big deal.  Dad was himself, he just was forgetting some things.  But over the past year, his memory has gotten significantly worse.  He went from forgetting some names, to "losing" his words and basically unable to carry on a regular conversation.  He is more emotional, he is delusional, and having difficulty remembering how to do simple things like showering, dressing and more.

My mother has been his rock.  She covered for him in the early stages, and has loved and helped him every step of the way.  However, when he began waking up in the middle of the night (when my mother is in a dead sleep), we realized he needed to be kept safe.  This wasn't a decision that was made easily, or without A LOT of thought and tears.  My mom did her research and found a safe and clean care facility for him.  She toured it, met with the directors and met with previous patient's families, but she needed emotional help.

Brian and I flew back mid February for the dreaded task of helping get Dad situated in the facility.  It was definitely a difficult weekend for all of us, but we tried to make the best of it.  We flew in a day early so we could hang out with Dad in a familiar setting, his home.  We told stories, laughed, cried and just enjoyed our time together.

The next morning we took Dad to the place, took a tour and met some folks.  Dad quickly made friends with his new roomie, as well as other residents.  He was confused as to why we were leaving him, even after we repeatedly told him he was there to get help.  He was sad, we were sad.....and it ranked up there as one of the worst days of my life.  That night we went out to dinner at the country club, just the three of us, and people immediately noticed the void.  No one addressed it directly, but it came. That night we returned home, drank more wine and just reminisced.

It was a horrible weekend, but I have never seen my mother so strong.  For someone who has been on the receiving end of care her entire life, she sure surprised us with her unwavering devotion to my Dad, and his ability to stay home for as long as he could.  As much as Brian and I would like for them to move to Birmingham so we can assist with his care, and see them more often....that was not even a choice for my mom.  She loves Peoria, she loves her friends and as much as she loves us....she wants to stay.  So we will all just have to visit more often.

Roughing It

This weekend Preston and Steve accompanied Brian and William Tanner to their hunting camp about an hour outside of Birmingham.  They left Friday after work, and hit the grocery store on the way there.  Once they got there, they got the quick tour, and met some of the other guys and their children that were there as well.  Preston learned how to drive William's 4-wheeler and was instantly in heaven.

Supposedly the hunting camp is set up with small trailers along both sides of the road with a camp fire at the main cabin, and a large trail surrounding it where the kids can ride 4-wheelers and dirt bikes.  Since all of the riding toys have lights on them, the boys did this for hours that night.  The guys finally made the boys go to sleep around 11pm, but Steve and Brian stayed up WAY too late solving the world's problems.

You can tell he is smiling by his eyes!

Boys loved carrying the guns to the blind!

Sunset on Friday night

The next morning, they woke up the boys and got dressed to hunt.  Since it was a little cooler, they drove out to the blind where they sat for hours.  Sadly they didn't see anything but a few turkeys (which they couldn't shoot).  They came back for lunch and rested some before going back out later that afternoon.  During the down time, they made the boys chop some firewood. They also allowed them to shoot bb and pellet guns.  Once again, they enjoyed riding the 4-wheelers.

Round two of hunting wasn't any better than the first, but Preston didn't seem to mind.  He really just enjoyed hanging with the boys.  That evening, they did more of the same, and stayed up until 11pm.

Sunday morning, they were all exhausted after two late nights, but the guys got up with the alarm.  Since the boys were sleeping hard, they just enjoyed their coffee before waking them up.  They road the 4-wheelers out to the blind that morning and saw a doe and buck on their way, but they were too far away to shoot.  They waited patiently for more deer to show up, but none did.  During the wait, Preston took a nap (he doesn't sit still for long doing nothing without sleeping).

Brian finally called it, but set up a couple targets and taught Pres how to shoot the gun using the scope.  This was his first time actually firing a real gun, so he wanted him to have some instruction.  I don't know if it was beginner's luck, but he blew apart the can on his first try, and barely missed it on his second try.

They decided to leave on a high note, and left after they packed up everything.  Pres was on a high all afternoon from his experience, and claimed it was the "best weekend ever."  He said he would totally quit basketball if Steve would join the camp and take him every weekend!  He absolutely LOVED it, and his time with the Tanners.

HMS Winter Jam

Homewood Middle School holds a winter party every year, but this is Bennett's first dance and we were both excited!  Bennett and I went shopping several weeks ago, and found an adorable dress.  I knew it would be perfect with some black tights and booties, and she agreed.  I surprised her with mini feather earrings (her first dangling), and she was thrilled!  It totally completed her look.

We tried to schedule an appointment at Blo Hair Salon to get her hair done, but they were all full in the afternoon, so a friend of mine stepped in and helped out.  Marianne Siegel did a fantastic job, and really did exactly what Bennett wanted.  I put a little make-up on my pretty girl, and WOW....this is the final look!  Isn't she stunning?

B with Ada McElroy

About a month before the party, Cass Klimcak and I decided to host a pre and post party for any 6th grade girl.  We were trying to avoid exclusiveness, and also provide an opportunity for each girl to walk into the dance with someone.  We initially thought it might be about 50 girls, but as we kept hearing from people, we realized that number would be greater.  By the time the day rolled around, everything was in order, and the dressed up 6th graders kept on entering the Klimcak's house.  By the time we were ready to take a group picture, we had 85 girls signed in for the party!!

Over 85 young women - I couldn't even get them all in the picture!

Tate Robertson, Emerson Buck, Carmen Klimcak and B

Ada, Annie McBride and B at the dance

The middle school dance allowed the 6th graders to stay from 6-7:30 (the other grades each got an extra 30 minutes).  Following the party there, parents brought the girls back to our house for an ice cream party!  I thankfully had several moms who helped scoop ice cream and clean up, because I estimated that we had over 70 girls here!  The hour time limit was the only thing that saved me since I am little crazy about messes.  I still can't believe I agreed to host the after party with that many girls eating ice cream all over the first floor of our house.  THANK GOODNESS it was warmer, and I could open our deck because there were over 30 girls out there at one point.

Following the party, Bennett had three of her girlfriends stay the night (since Walker was at Mimi's and Steve and Preston were hunting).  It was the perfect night for company, and it all went very smoothly!

I'm so thankful for Bennett's sweet friends.  She has not gotten caught up in the dramatics of middle school (yet), and has friends that any mother would approve of!  Here's hoping middle school continues to go as smoothly as we have started!