Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day helping out at the Westin.

Every year since we've been here we help out at the hotel on Christmas Day. This year it has been featured on the news a few times already. To view today’s segment click on Christmas Meal.

By the way, that is Alyssa in the background photo at the dessert table! As you can see from this photo taken in 2013.

Kids wanted to stay up later but couldn't make it.

Kids had their first snow day of this school year. We had rain on Sunday and then overnight we got 3-5 inches.

Went out from 6-8pm. Another year with rain and cold. Don't think they've every gotten this much candy!

Alyssa's team won a tournament over the weekend. She scored 2 goals in one of the four games they played.

John scored 2 goals and 1 assist in the first game of a tournament in the rain. Later he was awarded the sportsmanship award from the other team.

Rainbow on the walk home from the bus stop after school.

The elementary school had a 5k race and festival. Both kids and I ran. It was John's first time doing a 5k and Alyssa's 2nd time. She had a soccer game earlier in the day so am sure it was tough for her.

On Goal Passion FC Sports ministry program loses $30,000 of equipment to thieves

The On Goal soccer club John and Alyssa are members of had their trailer with equipment stolen on Friday night. You can watch the news clip from Channel 9 news. In the clip you can see Alyssa kicking the ball and her coach talked about seeing the broken lock from the trailer. John's head coach is Tom Fite who you see at the beginning and John's assistant coach is who you see standing on the sidelines at the end of the clip. Channel 5 News came the next day and also on local 12 WKRC.

Alyssa is shown just to the right of the arrow.

In the morning getting kids breakfast we noticed 3 deer in the yard. They hung around and didn't even seem to care when we knocked on the windows. They just stopped and stared at us. After getting back from taking kids to bus stop they were still there! They were between our yard and several others.

After John's soccer game (they lost 6-1 and John had their only goal) we stopped at Shooter's for dinner then came home and I quickly (as you can tell) frosted the cake.

Ordered this to be delivered to the house but when I found out they were really busy and wouldn't be here until 5-7 I had to pick up from the store. John had a soccer game that evening. She managed to eat it all with just a little help from the rest of us.

Alyssa and other members of her team volunteered to be ball girls during a high school soccer game. They seemed to have a great time.

Waiting for the bus on their second week of school.

Went with her team to see a girls High School soccer game.

John after first soccer game of the fall season.

John during his second game of the tournament.

John doing warm up drills before his game on Sunday.

First game in the first tournament of the season and first time the boys played 8 v 8. In the spring they played 6 v 6. John scored 4 goals and had 1 assist. His team won 8-1 John scored 1 goal was picked as the most valuable player by the other team. His team won 2-0. On Sunday, they needed to win to go to championship game. John's team ended up losing 2-1. The team that beat them ended up winning the championship game 2-0. John got an assist and was once again picked as the MVP by the other team. We are super proud of him!

Just got off the bus after their first day back to school. I keep wondering where the summer went.

Went to Grand Rapids for a wedding reception. The kids had a great time. It was a lot of fun watching John out on the dance floor.

On a walk in Grand Rapids before dinner.

A stop at Kilwin's after dinner.

Ready for a bike ride.

Alyssa helped John decorate his cake.

Didn't want to get up early to pick blueberries so we went around 11:30. Not many people then and John helped me pick almost 5 pounds. He said he didn't like them but after trying a few of them he said he did. :)

After leaving Mackinaw City where we spent the night, we drove along Lake Michigan to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. We hiked the 3.5 mile trail to Lake Michigan and back. It was only 3.5 miles but took us 1 hour and 45 minutes. Tough walking up and down in the sand.

Water park in the former Hampton Inn was a nice surprise for Alyssa and John.