Koralewski Family

We got Eggs!

2012-02-11T20:49:00.004-05:00

About a week after we moved in we got 2 roosters with hopes of getting a dozen hens or so. I found someone on craigslist getting rid of 2 young pullets a few weeks later so we introduced them to our roost. As you can imagine the roosters started to fight as soon as we introduces the females. We put up with it for about a week until we ended up eating one for dinner. The whole process was quite an experience. Since then, we have been eagerly awaiting all winter for eggs. This evening I went into the coop to take some measurements for hen boxes and to my surprise we had 3 eggs. They were nearly frozen and I was lucky to get them before they cracked. We look forward to many more... By the way, does anyone know anyone getting rid of any hens?

It's been a while...

2012-02-11T20:32:00.005-05:00

Well, I know I am way behind on posts. It has been a very busy and challenging year so far. We moved in November and sold our in a day. What a blessing. We are all SLOWLY adjusting to the new home. Some more than others. The house is technically bigger than our last one but, it has a very open floor plan so we are always near each other. With hard wood floors everywhere it can get quite loud. Especially with our aspiring singer in the house. By the way, Emma was asked to perform with the National Wizard of Oz show when they were in town in January. It was a great honor and she was so exited. She was one of ten kids selected from the Toledo Area. We were very proud of her. (2nd from the right in the front row)Jamey began homeschooling the older 3 kids right after we moved. Therefore, Jamey and the kids are ALWAYS together. Most days are a challenge but, it seems like they are all starting to settle into a routine. Each of the three are being challenged and are doing well.
Last week we begin building 3 rooms in the garage. One for each of the older girls and a play/craft room in the middle. With help from our Dad's and a friend, we got the framing and rough wiring completed in under a week. Every is eager for the rooms to be finished so that the kids can get a little space of there own.
Hannah just finished her second concert with the Toledo Youth Symphony Orchestra. This session she was moved up to a more advanced group that better fit her abilities. They sounded great and it is so hard to believe they are all HS students. The next concert in March is with the TSO and she can't wait.
Both girls have applied to the Toledo School for the Arts for the Fall. This year there is a lottery just to be interviewed. We are praying that they make it.
Grace is happy to have Caleb home all the time. They play very well together. Nearly every weekend Caleb visits a friend and she always crys when he leaves.

Getting Settled

2011-11-29T21:44:00.003-05:00

We have been in our new house for just over 2 weeks. Since then, Jamey has started homeschooling 2 of the 3 kids. There has been many challenges and a whole new set of routines to establish. It has definitely been a struggle and trying all of their patience's. We have also welcomed 2 roosters to our homestead and are planning on picking up a few pullets, young hens, this week. We also discovered we have TOO MUCH STUFF! It is hard to imagine that we will ever get through it all. Luckily we have space in the garage to sort through what we want to keep, sell and donate. Hopefully we can make a successful dent into the piles by Christmas. There are so many projects to start but, so little time. I am lucky if I am home at all during day light this time of year and the weekends are never long enough. I guess we will have to continue to work on little bits at a time.

Hannah at the Peristyle

2011-10-16T20:52:00.002-04:00

Today Hannah had her Toledo Youth Symphony Orchestra (TYSO) debut. They play there concerts at the Peristyle at the Toledo Art Museum. It is amazing to hear all the young talent. She has been playing for 5 years with Perrysburg and this is her first time branching out from school. She was also asked to play with the Youth Band at church. We are so blessed to have such talented kids. We have no idea where they get it...

Happy Labor Day

2011-09-05T18:18:00.002-04:00

This weekend we were able to get some work done around the house. We also had a nice time a my mom and dad's with Brian, Mary and all the in-laws. It was a lot of fun. We took the kids out in the evening and played 4 holes. We each chose 1 club and played until dark. This morning Hannah, Ampa, Mema and myself went to the Sandusky County Sportsman's Club which I joined this summer. We shot 22s and a few hand guns in the cool, fall like weather. It was fun and we hope to go out again soon. Finally we spent the afternoon laying around, mentally preparing ourselves for the week ahead.

Moving????

2011-08-27T08:23:00.009-04:00

For the longest time, Jamey and I have wanted to move out of the city and purchase a home with some property in a more rural setting. We both liked the idea of having the ability to have a large garden, livestock and pool and/or pond. The ultimate goal to be able to have a more self sufficient lifestyle. We wouldn't want to be Amish, the Internet and other electronic niceties are too enticing. Anyway, we spent the last month or so looking in our area for properties that meet our expectations. Last week we had a excepted offer on one that full fills nearly all of them. Did I mention the 9 car, 2500 sqft., heated garage. It also is boardered by the Maumee State Forrest on 2 sides. Venison anyone?

Satellite View - Just paste in the address:

6320 Jeffers Road, Swanton, OH.

it is the first one on the left hand side as you head south out of the woods.

We just had our inspection yesterday and it is all in God's hands now. I just have to keep reminding myself about that.

By the way, anyone need a house in Perrysburg?

New Members of the family

2011-08-27T08:03:00.003-04:00

Well as many of you know we have been dogless for over a year and a half. We tried a rabbit and leopard gecko but, neither filled the gap in our hearts for a dog. So in July we added not one but, two Labradooles to our family. Jamey had been talking to a breeder for nearly a year and this summer, on Caleb's birthday, she had litter of two. We originally were only going to get the boy, Oliver (on left), due to having more of the Poodle traits. Our main reason was due to their hypoallergenic qualities. But, when we took one of our MANY trips out to the farm where they lives, we ended up with two in the car. We couldn't resist the playfulness of his sister Elli.

PS. Don't let the cute little puppy photos warm your hearts too much. They doubled their size from 6 to 9 weeks and now at 11 weeks, they are the largest puppies the breeder has ever had.

Catching Up with this...

2011-08-27T07:45:00.004-04:00

Again my posts have been very limited this summer. We have been so busy with the kids and family that it has been hard to keep up. I last left you all with Emma's casting in Alice in Wonderland. It was a big commitment, taking up all of July and most of August. She did an amazing job and received a lot of praise from the directors, actors and parents. In addition to singing lessons, she took part in a camp called Broadway Bound. The highlight was working with the singer who played El Woods and Sarpay on Broadway, Bailey Hanks. All of it continued to help her out of her "shell". I know it is hard to believe she has one but, on stage can be intimidating. We were both very proud of her and it is exciting to see her talents grow.

Both studios she work at have used videos of her singing on their websites and if you follow Jamy's FB page you can see postings from time to time.

Congratulations

2011-06-26T12:10:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Emma who has been cast as Tweedle-Dee in the the Toledo Rep's version of Disney's Jr. Alice in Wonderland. This was Emma's 2nd audition at the Rep and her first role in a production outside of school. She is very excited to be in the show and can't wait learn more about the theater.

Show Information

Update: Emma has been to sing at a private party prior to the fireworks display. She will be singing Amazing Grace and the National Anthem to kick off the festivities. She is really excited. Break a Leg!

Happyh 4th Birthday!

2011-06-26T11:57:00.004-04:00

We can't believe how fast our little one is growing up. Despite our efforts to keep her baby, she's starting to become a pre-schooler. He now has some of her own friends and everything that comes with that. I'm sure Jamey will want to extend this time as long as possible. I hope she doesn't mind being the only 10 year old in kindergarten.

Holy Cow!

2011-06-16T22:35:00.000-04:00

Why didn't someone tell me it was 2011 already...
I've got sooooo much to post but, sooooooo little time to do it. Where to begin?

Well, I hope to do better during the last half of the year.

First Snow Fall

2010-12-13T17:45:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we had our first snow fall of the season. Emma was being a good, big sister and took Grace outside for 30 mins. or so after dinner last night. We ended up receiving around 4" and the kids were able to stay home from school today. I love it!

Latest Addition...

2010-12-04T15:54:00.004-05:00

This weekend we got the kids a Lion headed rabbit. It is part Christmas and part an "I don't want a dog" gift. We had been thinking about it for awhile and we found a girl in town who just bread them and had them for sale. He has been a good addition to the family so far.

Turkeybowl 2010

2010-12-04T15:48:00.003-05:00

Halloween 2010

2010-11-13T09:49:00.007-05:00

Halloween is always a busy time of the year are our house. It always seems like the kids have several ideas of what they want to be. This year was no different, except for Caleb of course. He had his mind set on being Luke Skywalker for a long time. He prepared by watching the original Star Wars Trilogy all month long. Literally, every night before bed he was watching. Grace's ideas were all centered around princesses. Princess Leia, Snow White, Cinderella... He settled on the Butterfly Princess that you see here. Emma went out trick-or-treating with her friends from the neighborhood for the 2nd straight year. As you can obviously see they were "80's" girls. Hannah was doing homework on the 31st until an hour before Halloweening began. I am still not sure what we was. It didn't look like a costume to me. Unfortunately she ran out the door before we could snap a picture of her.

RWVA Appleseed Project

2010-10-02T10:30:00.005-04:00

For some time now, Jamey and I have been wanting to take a shooting course to learn about marksmanship and gun safety. Jamey saw a spot on the news about an organization that combines American History and learning to become a Rifleman. The Appleseed Project is run by the RWVA, Revolutionary War Veterans Association, and has been in operation since 2007. They host events in most states and have had nearly 60,000 attendees over the last 3 years. In addition to marksmanship and the history of our nation, they promote being an ACTIVE member of society. They preach that if you are not participating in the local and federal government you will get the government you deserve. Since all of these are near and dear to our hearts, it was a great experience. The event was from 8:30Am to 6:00 PM Saturday AND Sunday. Jamey attended with me the first day and Hannah on the second. One of the great philosophies is to get the whole family involved. With that in mind, all woman and children under 21 are FREE. We all learned a lot. After spending the weekend shooting 22s, I got to fire an AR-15 at a long range, 500 yd., target with iron sites (no scope). We were shooting 16" targets from nearly 1/3 of a mile. Pretty cool for a city boy.

Kings Island and the Creation Museum

2010-09-28T22:23:00.009-04:00

The first weekend in September we took the kids to Kings Island, out side of Cincinnati, and the Creation Museum on a last minute "vacation". Jamey found some great tickets to the amusement park through Friends of Liberty, a grass roots organization in Ohio. We spent the day with the kids riding what we could ride. The girls enjoyed some freedom form most of the day but, the rides got the best of Emma so they came and found the rest of us during the evening. Grace loved meeting all the Snoopy characters and had to give each one a hug. The girls drug Caleb, who is afraid of just about everything, to ride Ocean Motion. As you can see, he was not amused by the ride. Hannah and I hit a few coasters at night before we enjoyed a concert hosted by the F.O.F. That night we stayed a few miles from the park and headed to the Creati on Museum in the morning. It is located just south of Cinci, over the state line. We explored the exhibits that took us on a trip from creation up to present day. They had a 4D theater and many other multi-media displays that epicted various Bible stories and other historical events. We also enjoyed visiting the petting zoo where we all got up close to the animals.

Restoring Honor 8/28

2010-08-28T23:16:00.011-04:00

One 8/28 Jamey and I took her bother, Brandon, to Washington, DC to participate in the Restoring Honor Rally. The rally, for lack of a better word, was set up by Glenn Beck to celebrate, America, her soldiers and to challenge all to reestablishh: Faith, Hope and Charity. At the event, 3 soldiers were recognized for there selfless service and heroic efforts. There were also 3 civilians who were honored. One for Faith, one for Hope and one for Charity. One of the key speakers was Dr. Evita King, MLK Jr.'s niece. She added to her uncle's dream and stresses the importance of faith. Glenn wrapped the 3 hour event up by asking us to focus restoring honor and truth in our lives. He challenged us to: Pray daily on hour knees, in front of our families, tell the truth, tithe to our churches, etc... It is through these values that our country will be restored.

As you can see, we were able to get great seats. We road our bikes to the mall at 2AM where there were already 10-20 thousand spectators. Jamey "talked" with the park police and were able to move just to the left of the stage. (Okay it was a lot more complicated than that but, you will have to ask us about that part of our trip in person.) We sat with a couple finishing their honeymoon and 2 of the groom's brothers from Pennsylvainia. It was great to meet people our age with similar views and values. The crowd of over 500,000 was primarily 40-50 year olds but, there were pockets of younger people and families throughout. I would bet that 99% of people, of any race or political opinion, would have enjoyed the event and supported the message fully. Unfortunately, people listen to how the news and pundents reported and there is a lot of lies about the rally.

The day before the rally I was able to snap this photo around lunch time as Glenn visited the Lincoln Memorial to do a sound check. He was very friendly and obviously humbled by the all the response he was receiving from the crowd.

Back to School

2010-08-25T22:39:00.003-04:00

Back to School today. It is hard to believe the summer is almost over. This year, 2 of the 3 kids will be moving to new schools. Hannah into High School and Emma into Junior High. Unbelievable! Caleb is the only one on our street attending Frank this year. He will be walking to and from school alone for the next couple of years. There were all excited to start after an uneventful summer. Well, as long as you consider a dog bite and hospital stay uneventful. Right Emma... Emma was a bit anxious last night. She was up till 2:30 AM and could not fall asleep. I found here passed out in my bed when I came home tonight. Poor girl

4th of July Weekend Festivities

2010-07-14T21:55:00.010-04:00

Our 4th of July weekend was as busy as ever. We celebrated our country with family and friends on land and on sea. On Friday night, half the family watched the fireworks in Sylvainia at our friends the Demseys and the other in Perrysburg at Ron and Pegs. Saturday morning we headed to the boat with my extended family. We headed towards Port Clinton where we visited Taylor's cottage on Lake Erie. It was the first time I was out there since I was Caleb's age. The kids had a blast tubing and I scorched my feet on the beach. It was unbelievably hot. Saturday night we had Kent, Terri, Brandon and our friend Jen over for a cookout. In the eventing we drove to Ft. Meigs for the Maumee-Perrysburg fireworks. Sunday we hung around the house most of the day. We headed back to the boat to head downtown Toledo for the fireworks on the river. It was a warm night but, we had a blast for the 2nd year in a row.

Sadly on the 3rd our good friend and neighbor, Paul Szymanski, past away after a 14 year battle with brain cancer. Over the past several months we all enjoyed visiting with him and his wife, Sandra. Paul loved life like no other and was a true inspiration. He loved talking with the kids and made us all laugh. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of his family and friends.

Grace is Three!

2010-06-23T22:02:00.005-04:00

This year the family celebrated Grace's 3rd birthday at Chucky Cheese. Grace had a nice time with her brother and sisters exploring all the games and rides. We all enjoyed visiting with Aunt Jenny after living in California for the past year. She especially liked her new Dora the Explorer "big girl" bike. The following day she celebrated again with her cousin Mak, who had his 2nd birthday on the 23rd.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T15:49:00.003-04:00

This Father's Day, Brian, Dad and I, spent the morning at Rockwell Trout Club. It was a beautiful morning and there were several anglers out there. We had a lot of luck, catching 14 between the 3 of us. Brian pulled in the largest of the lot. We had a nice time and can't wait to return. Thanks Dad.

Happy Birthday to Caleb

2010-06-11T17:55:00.005-04:00

This past Monday we celebrated Caleb's 9th birthday. Jamey surprised him early that morning when two of his closest friends, Pete and Mitch, came to spend the day with him. The boys had a blast. Nana and Papa visited for dinner and we went to Mema and Ampa's on Wednesday. We can't believe how fast our little, "bub", is growing up.

Dog Days of Summer...

2010-06-11T17:47:00.005-04:00

I am sure many have all heard, via Facebook, that Emma got bit by a boston terrier this week. She was walking with two other neighborhood girls who were returning two dogs to their owners, one street over. The dogs were on leashes as they headed around the block. When they were one house away, one of the dogs (pictured below) lunged at Emma. She put her arms up protecting her face and it bit down on her left arm, under her bicept. The dog hung there for a few seconds before Emma could get him off. She was taken to Toledo Hospital where she was given 9 stitches on her lacerations. We later found out that these dogs have been loose before, running around the neighborhood. She is pretty sore but, in good spirits. The only bummer is that she is heading off to summer camp on Monday.

Graduation Day

2010-06-04T21:56:00.002-04:00

This week Hannah graduated from Perrysburg JHS. I can not believe she will be going to the big high school next year. Here she is at her reception with her friends, Jessica, Mikeala, Grace and Jake. They all look so grown up.

Happy Birthday to Hannah

2010-05-23T00:17:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe that Hannah is already 14 and will be starting high school next year. She spent her 14th birthday a Cedar Point yesterday with her orchestra class. They had a competition and then spent the day in the park. It sounds like fun but, Hannah had to spend the day in a wheel chair. She fractured her fibula about 1 1/2 weeks ago on our trampoline. She was bummed but, a trooper even in the rain.

Crystal Bowersox comes home to Toledo

2010-05-14T22:51:00.004-04:00

American Idol finalist and Toledo native came home today for her home town visit. She performed all over Northwest Ohio. Jamey was able to get Emma some really good seats for the sold out Mudhen's game where she sang the National Anthem. Thanks to Papa who was her chaperon for the night. She (Emma) is so spoiled!

Grace's Debu

2010-04-30T20:55:00.003-04:00

Carrie Underwood Concert

2010-04-25T10:18:00.005-04:00

Last night Emma and Hannah went to see Carrie Underwood at the Toledo's Huntington Center. The tickets were Emma's birthday present from mom and dad. We couldn't decide who would go so we worked it out for the girls to go together. When they got there, they were told that the seats on the the tickets we purchased from Ticketmaster did not exist. They were given other seats but, Jamey purposefully picked these seats on the isle so Emma could see. We are pretty sure that the seat attendant messed up. Other than Emma's view, they had a blast.

Track Season

2010-04-19T22:31:00.003-04:00

This spring Hannah has been putting on her spikes for the second year in a row to run for Perrysburg Jr. High. She is running both the 100 & 200 m hurdles. She is generally in the middle of the pack in the 100m but, her times in the 200m continue to improve. She has finished in the top 3 all but one meet this season. In the last two weeks has been recording the top times for Perrysburg. Her long legs are a great asset and we can't wait until she "runs harder". She always seems to be jogging along the track. It's a lot of fun to watch her. I only wish her events were closer together. The first meet we waited 2 1/2 hrs between races.

Ripley's Aquarium Then and Now

2010-04-12T22:05:00.008-04:00

While in Mrytle Beach on Saturday we recreated a photo from one of the last times we where at Ripley's Aquarium. What a difference a few years make (2003 - 2010)

Got Crabs!

2010-04-10T08:49:00.004-04:00

This week on vacation we spent a lot of our free time crabbing. We used traps and crabbing lines, which are simply a weight with a hook, for the bait, tied to the line. We found rotten, raw chicken and dead fish to work the best. The crabs were most active when the tide was starting to coming in. The water was also the clearest then so it was easy to spot them. The other thing we learned the hard way was that you can drowned a crab. If we store them in too much water over night they we die. We did this twice before figuring it out. In total we caught 15 to 20 crabs and had a wonderful dinner on Thursday night. Next time we need to vacation with people who like seafood. There was way too much for the couple of us who ate them. We have a lot of leftovers to try to freeze. In addition to crabs, we also harvested clams, oysters and whelks (a conch sized looking snail). We have the whelks in the fridge to eat tonight. Bon appetit!

Fun in the Sun

2010-04-07T07:55:00.006-04:00

Monday and Tuesday we mostly hung out at the beach house. We rented a kayak for the week and we have spent many hours touring the intercoastal waterway behind our place. The kids continue to spend a lot of time in the water and playing in the sand. Yesterday all the boys and Em

ma spent the morning geocaching around the area. It was a lot of fun.

Vacation Memories

2010-04-05T00:15:00.007-04:00

Jamey found an amazing deal for us on Pawleys Island in South Carolina. This was the second time we have been here in 4 years. We are sharing the house with her cousin's family. Above is a photo of the house we rented (2nd from right) from this morning just before sunrise. Today, Easter, we had a laid back day. A nice morning, including an Easter egg hunt and breakfast. We spent all afternoon on the beach. The older 3 got way too much sun. We had a good dinner and the kids enjoyed playing in the sand again. I got to hunt for clams after dinner. I found 8 and the stopped looking because I was certain I was the only one who would try them.

RISEN

2010-04-04T07:54:00.002-04:00

Easter Morning- Pawleys Island, South Carolina

First Famliy Vacation ...

2010-03-29T22:59:00.003-04:00

Well it is true, we are going on our first full-fledged family vacation since we had Grace. Sure, we do travel; however, we are always able to convince someone to watch one or more of our kiddos. But this weekend we are heading to Pawleys Island, SC will all the kids and Jamey's cousin's family. I can't wait. I just hope we all fit in our minivan. We will see... We rented a house on the beach just down from the house we stayed in four years ago. I can't wait.

Skiing in Snowshoe, WV

2010-03-05T20:07:00.004-05:00

Imagination Station

2010-03-01T21:19:00.005-05:00

Sunday I took the kids to Imagination Station in Toledo. It was similar to COSI, with many of the old attractions. It had a few new ones that were were a lot of fun for the kids and I. The Cartoon Network section was one of our favorites. It allowed you to create videos, animations, etc... They also had a 180 degree camera that allowed you to try to recreate Matrix like action poses. There is a new energy exhibit, sponsored by First Solar and BP Energy, scheduled to open this spring. I wish we would have waited for that. All in all a fun afternoon that was cheaper and more educational than a movie.

Alpine Mountain

2010-02-20T21:01:00.006-05:00

The Friday before President's weekend Jamey and I took Hannah and her friend Fiona skiing for the day. We had decent conditions and the slopes were empty. We planned on a short trip with the kids before the end of the season. At the last minute Caleb and Emma decided not to go come along. It was her first time skiing but, you wouldn't know it after watching her on the slopes. She amazed us as the day went on and I think we have found a skiing buddy for Hannah.

Crytal Mountain with Family

2010-01-13T22:21:00.007-05:00

This past weekend we took our annual ski trip with my family and the kids. This year Caleb joined us after a Hyades due to lack of interest. We splurged on Saturday and signed him up for a full day lesson. It was a great investment. He became a lot more confident and learned from an adult that didn't want to spank him after listening to him whining. In fact, after I picked him up he went flying down the slope, out of control, and I rushed to "save" him. By the time I caught him, he was back in control and ready to stop to get on the lift again. He did have one minor run in with a tree and a barrier but, nothing too serious. I on the other hand went through the barrier with him on Saturday night and ended up straining my knee. We both landed just below the dinning room window at the condo we were staying at. I was able to get the others attention by throwing snowballs at the window as they were sitting down to eat. The girls both enjoyed the freedom we gave them on the slopes. It is amazing how giving them a little 2-way radio makes us feel that they are safe. We really enjoy skiing together and are all blessed that my family got us into a sport we can all enjoy together. I also found another use for the GPS Jamey bought me for my birthday last year. I was able to track the entire weekend on the slopes. I was also able to track my speed down the slopes. That may we dangerous for me. My top speed just 47.7 mph just short of my goal. Better luck next time. By the way, this proves that I am a geek!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T00:09:00.006-05:00

This year we stayed in and had a quite evening. That was until Emma tried to make it a party.

Hannah spent the evening with a friend's family. This is the 3rd year she skipped out on us. Emma had a fiend over and the rest of us just hung out. Most of the house hold has been fighting the flu so it was pretty low key. We would like to wish all of you a wonderfully blessed twenty-ten.

Merry CHRISTmas 2009

2009-12-24T13:28:00.003-05:00

Hanna Family

2009-12-16T00:47:00.000-05:00

Saddened Hearts

2009-12-12T20:59:00.005-05:00

Genevieve Regina Kaurich Hanna

January 21, 1929-December 11, 2009

Yesterday we rejoiced with sadden hearts as our Grandma Hanna peacefully left us to meet the her Lord and Savior. Grandma had been slowly deteriorating over the last several months due to several ailments including liver cancer. She was eagerly waiting to she her husband who she lost last November. She will be missed by all of us. Last night most of the family met at her home to celebrate her life and share many of the fond memories we all have of her. We look forward to seeing the balance of the family as they all travel this weekend back to Ohio.

Happy Birthday to Jamey

2009-12-08T10:41:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to Jamey as we all celebrate her 34th!

Happy Thanksgiving!`

2009-11-26T13:27:00.004-05:00

This morning, as many in the past, the Koralewski men, and boys, met at Uncle Rick's for our annual Turkeybowl flag football game. This year we missed the rain by a day and the weather was somewhat mild in the 40's. The game was tied at the half but, the gray team came out blazing with two scores in the first two plays after the break. One breakout reception by Mitch put them up by one TD. Immediately followed by an Uncle Rick interception after the red team put Dan in as QB to give them a spark. They pulled him after that one attempt to rally his team. It was a high scoring game with very few defensive highlights. The only exception came late in the game as Pat has 3 sacks to prevent the gray team to capitalize on their lead. This earned him the MVP and led his team to 2 unanswered scores ending the game in a tie.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Halloween Time Again

2009-11-01T10:08:00.004-05:00

Still waiting for photos of Caleb. He was at freinds and we didn't see him all dressed up for Trick or Treating.

Popcorn Time..(again!)

2009-10-06T21:40:00.003-04:00

So it is that time of the year again for us in Scouting. It is time to get out an sell POPCORN! Last year Caleb did a great job, selling over $2,600 for his pack. The great thing about this fundraiser is 70% goes directly to BSA. 30% to Caleb's pack, 30% to the Toledo Area, and 10% to BSA nationally. This is our only fundraiser of the year and is important for us to maintain what we can offer the boys each year. If you are interested in supporting Caleb and local scouting feel free to check out the on-line catalog link below. The prices listed include shipping so it is cheaper to order directly from us. Just send us an email or give us a call.

On-line Catalog

Our Busy Life...

2009-10-01T22:46:00.002-04:00

Well, we are barely into the 2nd month of school and I am exhausted. The kids are constantly on the go and Jamey and I are right there with them. Jamey continues to be a lead writer for our church weekly Bible study, Living It Out. In addition, she will start teaching 4 week on-line courses for Cedar Creek. This year I am Caleb's cub scout den leader again. We have a smaller group of boys, which is more manageable. I have been more organized so far but, that means more work. By the way, Caleb is selling popcorn again and if you are interested let us know and he will hook you up. The pace a work has also increased over the last month. Busy is good but, it has led to longer hours. On top of that, we have 3 kids with homework, friends, activities, etc... Oh yah, I forgot Grace!

This past Sunday, Caleb ran into a tree and gashed the top of his head open. He lucked out and didn't get stitches because the doctors were able to glue the wound together. He seems to be recovering and we were finally able to wash his hair the other night.

Back to School

2009-08-26T10:09:00.008-04:00

This morning the kids headed back to school. I can't believe how fast the summers fly by these days. They were all happy to get back to class to see the friends that they missed over the summer break. This year Hannah is in the eighth grade. Can you believe it. She has really grown up this summer and is starting to look like a teenager. Unfortunately here attitude and attention has followed close behind. For example, when I asked her to get out her clothes for school yesterday three times I didn't mean "think" about what your were going to wear. So I wasn't too happy hunting for her green shirt this morning for 30 minutes, having to wake up Emma and Jamey to figure out where it was. Luckily she was able to get it together and make it to the bus stop by 6:45 AM. Yeah, I said 6:45 AM! Emma on the other hand was as organized as ever. Bags packed, lunch made and clothes laid out in order. She even labeled all of Caleb's supplies and had them organized in the bin for us to get him ready this year. I guess that is why we refer to her as, "Mem-ma", a.k.a Mamma Emma. Pretty good for a 5th grader. Caleb may be the most excieted about school to start. He loves it, especially compared to last year, when we tought he would never want to leave the house. He is glad to have a few familar kids in his 2nd grade class and to work with his new teacher. Both were much easier to get out the door this morning. Luckily for them, their day does not start until 9:00 AM. It works out nice for Jamey. She can put Grace down after lunch and spend some time alone before Hannah gets home. She can then be with her with out too many distractions to work on school work and find out about her day before the other two get home. All in all it was a pretty uneventful summer and everyone was getting a little stir-crazy. Jamey and I are both glad to have them back in school to help get our lives into some sort of structure. Now all we have to worry about is whether homework is done, lunches are made, who's wearing what to school, cub scouts, girl scouts, orchestra, kids club, track . . .

11th Annual Hanna Open

2009-08-16T18:12:00.006-04:00

Last weekend we all enjoyed our annual family reunion & golf outing with the Hannas. This year we fittingly renamed our outing to the Mark Nelson Hanna Jr. Memorial in honor of our grandfather who passed last November. As usual we had a great turnout with family coming from coast to coast to enjoy the fun family fellowship This was the 11th straight year of the event and the first one with rain in the forecast. We were able to tee off dry but, by the 2nd hole we pulled out the umbrellas for the majority of the round. One of the many highlites was watching Mike's club slip out of his hand on #14 par 3 ending up lodged between the branches 30+ feet in the air. The group tried for quite awhile, including Brian climbing up a good 15 feet or so, to get the iron to drop. In the end he had to ask the green's keepers to give him a hand. This may have been the tightest scoring event with 2 teams tied in first and the balance of the 6 teams within 6 strokes. Kudos to the event coordinator, Aunt Patty. Luckily the rain subsided for the second part of the day and we enjoyed a hot, sunny day at Mark and Terri's house. We played a lot of volleyball and cooled off in the pool. The day was nearly injury free until Kyle severely jammed his pinky-finger. The tip of his finger resembled the letter Z until uncle RoRo came to the rescue and relocated it. In true Hanna fashion he was back on the court and only missed 1 or 2 serves.

Happy Birthday Grandma Seagert

2009-07-27T21:51:00.004-04:00

This weekend we headed to Long Lake to celebrate Jamey's Grandma Seagert's 85th birthday.

Weekend Project

2009-07-12T21:01:00.003-04:00

After a week or so of talking about it I finally made a teepee for Caleb and the girls to play in. The whole think blew down 5 minutes after covering it the first time so I had to improvise. There are still a little items to address but, the concept is completed. Did you know duct tape came in YELLOW?

Camp Michindoh Time

2009-07-10T18:23:00.005-04:00

For the 3rd straight year Hannah spent a week at Camp Michindoh with Fusion from Cedar Creek. She had a blast and for the first year had no major injuries or illnesses while at camp. Above is a photo of Hannah in the crowd at one of the many group events. Below you see Hannah and the rest of her cabin mates. I'm not sure what they were doing but, it looks impressive.

More and more and more baby news

2009-07-07T20:14:00.005-04:00

Well, I have been terrible at posting the latest baby news through out our family. There have been several new additions to our extended families this year. Here is the list of the kiddos joining our clan:

John Michael (Jack) Adamski III
Born: July 7, 2009 (okay, I am just on time with this one!)
Parents: Mike and Mary Adamski

Emerson Marie (Emme) Adamski
Born: May 28, 2009
Parents: Chris and Courtney Adamski

Logan Lane Christian
Born: April 28, 2009
Parents: Nate and Melanie Christian

Max Nordhaus
Born: May 2009
Parents: Chris and Kevin Nordhaus

Grand Canyon Trip 2009

2009-06-27T11:49:00.003-04:00

Grace is TWO!

2009-06-22T22:28:00.006-04:00

Mom, Dad and Hannah arrived just in time to celebrate Grace's 2nd birthday at Nana's. We were all happy to see each other after a long week apart. Watch as we sing happy birthday to her. She loves to sing. Unfortunately for her, Grace got a little too close to the candles as she tried to blow them out. No harm.

Vacation Update from Flagstaff, AZ

2009-06-18T22:34:00.006-04:00

We are on day 4 of our vacation and we find ourselves in Flagstaff, AZ. We Spent the first 2 days in Las Vegas and yesterday we paddled 12 miles of the Colorado River after starting from the base of the Hoover Dam. We had to get permits to launch in the restricted location. It was breath taking and butt kicking. We spent the night in a Cabin, it sounds better than it was, near Lake Mead. Today we visited a Ranch, panned for gold. We actually found some gold flakes. We took a "short cut" down a 30+ mile dirt road before intersecting historic Route 66 which took us to our present location. Tomorrow Hannah and Jamey are going horseback riding in Kiabab National Forest outside of Grand Canyon National Park. I am planning on some hiking while they ride. We will spend the next 2 days in the Park and will returned to Vegas for a day and a half. It has been great but, exhausting. I wouldn't have it any other way. Here are a few sneek peeks of our photos.

Hannah's Big Trip

2009-06-12T23:02:00.002-04:00

After hundreds of hours gleaming at our PC monitor we are finally almost ready to depart for "Hannah's Big Trip". For several month Jamey and I, mostly Jamey, have be planning a trip for Hannah, her and I. We hope to spend some quality time with her while she still "wants" to. We have literally looked from the Northwest in Alaska down the Caribbean in Dominica before we found a stop that fit most of Hannah's priorities. Horses, Volcanoes and Adventure. On Monday we fly to Las Vegas for three days, then to Arizona and finally to the Grand Canyon Village. We still have bags to pack and final reservations to nail down so wish us luck and keep us in your prayers. Not necessarily for our safety, rather our sanity after the draining task of planning a vacation on a budget for a teenager.

Happy 8th Birthday Caleb

2009-06-08T17:54:00.007-04:00

This weekend Caleb turned 8 years old. He spent two days at Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky celebrating the occation with the whole family. We were able to get the kid's family suite for a great price via cub scouts. The kids had their own "log cabin" inside of the room. It was a great fit for us. ALl the kids enjoyed the water park. It is not as big as Kalahari but, a good size for Caleb and Grace. Here Caleb is being a good big brother helping his little sis down the slide. Wat you don't see is him hit the bottom and lunging Grace face first into the water. She didn't like that so much. All and all we had a good time and Jamey and I think it was our first "family trip" with all the kids.

Day Off = Kayaking

2009-05-28T23:12:00.005-04:00

On Thursday I took the day off work to spend time with my lovely wife. The day was pretty overcast but, we waited out the rain and headed up the Maumee River to Grand Rapids. We rented a tandem kayak and went on a 5.5 mile paddle to Otsego Park. We stopped 1/3rd of the way there for lunch at a great stop. We found a nice "hideout" that area teens used to drink and smoke at. It was on a rock ledge with a great view of the surroundings. We were able to stay dry and had a lot of fun. We can't wait to bring the kids some time.

Day Hike

2009-05-25T08:20:00.003-04:00

This weekend Hannah, Caleb and I went on a little hike to Bluegrasss Island in Maumee. It it just across from Sidecut and can only be accessed when the water is low. We had a lot of fun and went Geocaching while out there. I have a tendency to push the kids to go a little further and I'm sure Caleb didn't know what he was getting into when he said he would come with us. We enjoyed the 75ish weather under the sun.

Happy 13th Birthday Hannah

2009-05-23T17:20:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe but, this Thursday we celebrated Hannah's 13th Birthday. Can you imagie, our little Hannah who now towers over both of us, in now a teenager...

Picnic at Three Meadows

2009-05-09T11:44:00.005-04:00

This Mother's Day Weekend we went to Three Meadows Park in Perrysburg. While it was a great idea in the morning, by the time we arrived the weather had turned significantly. The sunshine was replaced by overcast sky and the winds picked up 20 mph. Despite the change in weather we made the best of it. Emma took orders and made us a nice picnic lunch. We had to weight down our plates with rocks but, it hit the spot. We fished for a while and ended up landing about 15-20 blue gill for a combined length of 4'. (they were 2"-4" whoopers) Hannah and Emma flew a kite and the kids enjoyed chasing the ducks. We can't wait to go back when the sun is shinning again.

Good Bye Aunt Jenny

2009-05-02T20:41:00.002-04:00

This morning we kissed Jamey's sister, Jenny, good bye and wished her well before she began her trek across the country. She is moving out to Santa Rosa, Ca for work and continue her education. With only a car load of belongings, Jenny and her friend headed West to discover new places on their way to California. Luckily they have 3 weeks to get out there and find a new place to live. We wish them well and ask the Lord to place a hedge of protection over them as they start their new life away from home.

Walleye Anyone?

2009-04-20T10:42:00.003-04:00

Caleb, Hannah and I went out last night for about an hour and I came up with this catch. She was a beauty. Caviar anyone? This was our third attempt this season and our 2nd catch. Jamey and I even tried on waiters this weekend but, had no luck from the water.

&$%#$*&!

2009-03-21T20:52:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been over a month since I have posted anything due to problems with my PC at home. When I try to post anything my computer locks up and I have to shut it down. I (actually Jamey) am trying to fix the issue since I'm sure you are all eager to see how we are doing. We are all still alive and things are busy as you can imagine. Hannah's running track this spring, Grace is more mobile and vocal than ever, Emma got one of the leads in the Spring Musical Concert and Caleb is busy with Scouts. Last month we adopted out Judah, our Golden Retriever, to a family in New Jersey after several months of debate.

Signing off from Nana's computer,
- Steve

Good Bye Old Friend...

2009-02-18T23:05:00.002-05:00

This weekend we sadly had to adopt out our beloved Judah after having him for nearly 6 years. Over the last several months, Hannah's allergies have been getting the best of her and with the dog in the house it only made it worse. After many long discussions, we listed Judah on an adoption website and received a huge response. Jamey got to know several families during the process; however, one from New Jersey stuck out. She established a wonderful relationship with a woman named, Jen, who had 3 kids. She was a dog trainer and groomer some years ago but, had to change professions when she divorced her husband. Jen and her son came and visited us last weekend. We spent two days with them including coming to church with us Saturday evening. We shared several laughs and a few tears during our time together. On Sunday they loaded Judah and his gear into their car and hit the road. We have enjoyed the many photos she had posted on Facebook this week. We look forward to hearing about Judah and his new family in the future. We already miss him cleaning our kitchen floor after meals. It seems like Grace is trying to prove a point every day by dumping something off her tray. We all look for him to clean up her messes.

Shuss Mountain Michigan

2009-02-09T19:02:00.009-05:00

Jamey and I went to Belaire, MI this weekend with our friends Chris and Jen. We had a great time together. Jamey went there 15 years ago with her family but, it was my first time at the resort. She found a great deal, as she always does, so we were able to stay right on one of the slopes at Summit Mountain. Our place was the one lit up to the right of the chair lift. We skied a bit Friday night because we were not sure how the weather was going be on Saturday. The forecast called for rain and temperatures in the upper 30s. I was the only person on the slopes at 9am and was able to get 2-3 runs in before I saw another soul. Fortunately we did not have any rain that day;however, the afternoon was a sunny 45 degrees. The snow was a bit sticky and a little challenge but, it was still a great day of skiing. We played games until late at night. Jamey and I ended up beating Jen and Chris at Wii tennis (my new pass time). Sunday morning there was a lot of ice since it dipped into the lower 20s during the night. I was up for the challenge but, the rest of the group slept in and waited for the the ice to soften up after lunch. Sunday was a bit cooler than the day before and the conditions were great. We skied until 4pm and then headed home.

Shuss Photos

Pinewood Derby Time

2009-01-28T21:26:00.005-05:00

So this weekend we finally had the Cub Scout pinewood derby. Of coarse, this event is the only true reason that any 7 year old wants to join scouts. About a week prior we began working on our cars. I say "our" cars because the pack allows the parents to enter there "own" car to race after the boys. I guess this encourages the dads to let the boys actually touch their cars. Anyway Caleb was into to it at first, drawling several designs, etc... He drew out the shape on the block of wood and that was about all his attention span could take. I cut and sanded it and then spray painted the base coat. He later wanted to "detail" the car with a "V" and a red dot on the top. Race day was no different. He was all into the first and even the second heats but, after that he was not interested. In total each of the boys raced 8 times in about an hour and a half. During this time I was in charge of organizing all 23 boys and making sure that they were in the proper order and ready to race when it was their turn. Caleb spent that time tell me how much he didn't want to be there, why he was going to quit scouts next year, etc... It was a real treat. I of coarse was getting in to it. The pinewood derby has come a long way since I was a scout. The track was made of about 50 feet of extruded aluminum, sensors tied to timers on each lane accurate to the 0.001 seconds. The entire thing plugs into a laptop that projects the time, mph and place of the each of the scouts on a large screen. It was way cool. Both of our cars had a decent showing in our respective races. The competition was tough and I think I picked up some tips for future races. I'm sure next year will be better, that is if there is a next year.

Happy BIrthday to You!

2009-01-21T20:51:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Emma's 10th Birthday. I met her at school for lunch and delivered the goodie bags that Jamey prepared for her classmates. They loved them. Confetti and all. I hung out with Emma and her friends and we had a blast. That evening, Jamey and I treated her at her favorite restaurant, Biaggi's. On Sunday night, after her Baptism, we had cake and ice cream with the rest of the family.

We also want to wish a Happy 80th Birthday to Grandma Hanna and just a "normal" Birthday to Nana!

My Changed Life...

2009-01-21T20:35:00.005-05:00

On Sunday evening Emma went in front of our Church to proclaim her faith in Jesus Chirst. She was Baptized with about 35 others at our monthly New Community Service.

My Changed Life

"On March 20, 2007, I was at an after-school Bible group called “Kid’s Club”. Before we left, the leader asked if anybody wanted to ask Jesus into their heart. I thought about it, and then I decided to do it! I wanted to ask Jesus to forgive all my sins and become my forever-friend! Before I let Jesus into my heart, I thought only about what I wanted to do all the time; now, I try to do what Jesus wants me to do. I’m learning that following Jesus is the best cure for a bad case of the “I want to’s”! I decided to get baptized because I want to obey the Bible, and show everyone how much I love the Lord. "

-Emma Sage

Hitting the Slopes

2009-01-12T21:42:00.011-05:00

This weekend we made our annual pilgrimage up North to go skiing with my family. Joining us were: Mema, Ampa, Brian, Mary, Sophia and MAK. The conditions were nice and both days were beautiful. This weekend also marked the 60th Anniversary of Boyne Mountain and there were several events planed to celebrate the occasion. Friday night we hit the slopes after our long day of packing and driving. On Saturday, we all went outside to watch the fireworks that the mountain put on for my mom's birthday. What a surprise, she said it was the first time she watched fireworks on her birthday. Emma skied more than any of us including going out for about hour by herself. She had a blast despite several arguments with mom and dad on the slopes. Hannah also enjoyed herself; however, she was not as independent as her younger sister. Both Sophia and MAK were awesome all weekend and did very well in the condo. Brian took all the kiddos to the indoor/outdoor pool while the rest of us skied. What a good uncle. After skiing each night we hung out and played games. We brought our Wii and Ampa enjoyed playing Golf and Mema beat Brian and I at Bowling. Overall we had a great weekend but, we all missed Caleb and Grace who stayed back to spend time with Nana.

Happy Birthday Mom and thanks for a great weekend!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T23:03:00.003-05:00

Sorry faithful Readers

2008-12-30T08:34:00.002-05:00

Well, I have noticed that I have not been blogging much this month. The fact is that I signed up for Facebook about a month or so ago and have been spending/writing on there a lot more and have somewhat neglected our blog. We also purchased a new PC on Ebay and I have had issues with uploading photos. Since my writing is less than stellar, I heavily rely on pictures to tell all my tails. So, with the new year I hope to get back to updating all of you on our lives.

The girls and Jamey did have a bit of an adventure this week. Yesterday Jamey went up north to pick up a college friend to stay with us for the week. You will never guess where they picked her up at? Well, I'm sure the photo gives it away. Oh wait, they didn't get a picture. (duh!) They picked Abby up at Jeff Daniel's house outside of Ann Arbor. The girls both received signed copies of Winn Dixie, one of their favorite movies, that Jeff stared in. They said he was very nice and was amazingly tall. (6'5" or so) Both of the girls can't wait until their teachers ask what they did over the holiday break. They think that no one will be able to top that.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T10:30:00.007-05:00

May God bless you on this special day, the day He sent us His one and only Son, as we celebrate this greatest gift of all!

Here is rare photo of all of us.

Hannah's Orchestra Concert

2008-12-16T21:53:00.004-05:00

Being that it was Hannah's parent's anniversary, PJHS's Orchestra put on a Holiday Concert for us this evening. Hannah did a great job and the kids have significantly improved from last year. We both enjoy watching Hannah play the violin as much as the piano and hope she keeps it up through high school.

Happy Anniversary To Us

2008-12-16T16:39:00.006-05:00

Today Jamey and I are celebrating our 13 years of marriage. It is amazing to think that it has been that long already. Four kids, five homes and several pets later, we are still surviving.

Jamey, there is no one I would have rather spend those years with. Thanks for putting up with me. Achoo, Steve

Happy Birthday Jamey

2008-12-08T11:36:00.003-05:00

Baby News!

2008-12-05T23:02:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Travis and Jessica on the birth of their first little one. Kaelan Dean was born on Dec. 5th in Singapore at 9:36PM . KD weighted in at 7lb. 14oz. and 21+ in. long. Mom was rushed into an emergency C-section Friday night after several hours without progressing. Both mom and baby are doing well according to "Auntie Nan" and should be out of the hospital in a few days. Visit Travis and Jessica's site in a few days for more updates.

Turkeybowl 2008

2008-11-29T09:34:00.008-05:00

Thanksgiving morning we had our annual Turkeybowl game with the Koralewski's. Like every other game, we all had a chance to live in glory of yesteryear. This Thanksgiving I was extra cautious due to my back; however, that was no reason to miss out. Brian and Pat were the captains and some how, we had the young guys (I was the oldest) vs. the Not-as-Young Guys. It turned out to be one of our more evenly matched games in many years. The NaYGs tied the game at 42 with 30 seconds to play. They attempted to delay the game but, we snapped the ball right before the time ran out. Brian through a Hail Mary into a group of 4, Ethan tipped the ball up and Sam came up with it and scurried into the end zone for a 49-42 Victory. The NAYG's protested, stating we had some players off-sides. I guess "history" will have to decide. Since the YG's should be around longer, I'm sure history will decide correctly. Ethan was awarded the Turkeybowl MVP for 2008 with 4 amazing catches while fighting through coverage on each grab.

Give Thanks...

2008-11-27T13:05:00.001-05:00

Saddened Heart

2008-11-04T22:03:00.005-05:00

Tonight our grandpa, Mark Hanna, went home to be with his Lord and Savior. He was surrounded by his family and went peacefully this evening.

Click to read Grandpa's obituary

Tent City

2008-11-03T19:04:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we participated in the annual Tent City event in downtown Toledo. Tent City is a organization the ministers to the homeless by providing medical attention, state IDs, prescriptions, counseling, etc... Jamey, Hannah, Emma and I volunteered Saturday night and into Sunday morning. We registered people as they came to the event, issued blankets, coats and just lending a ear to many of our city's homeless. It was an eye opening experience.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T15:35:00.003-04:00

What a lovely family!

Caleb's Rain Gutter Reggata

2008-10-20T10:47:00.009-04:00

Last week Caleb's Tiger Cub Den participated in our pack's Rain Gutter Regatta. While Caleb, "didn't want to waste his breath," by overexerting himself, his boat did get selected by the Cub master as the best design in the den.

Last Chance...

Thanks to all of you who have ordered popcorn from Caleb in the last month. If you still haven't ordered and want to, give us a call before the 31st.

Girls Road Trip...

2008-10-14T21:34:00.002-04:00

This weekend Grace, Jamey and Jamey's friend Jen headed to Florida for a short get away. The trip started off rough when I dropped them off at the Gate 30 minutes before take-off. Due to our tardiness, they did not get their luggage until the day after they arrived in Ft. Myers. Needless to say, we miss them dearly and can't wait until they return on Wednesday night.

Caleb's First Campout

2008-10-07T19:20:00.005-04:00

Lesson 1: Improvise

This past weekend Caleb, I and the rest of our tiger cub den headed to Camp Miakonda in Sylvainia for the district's annual family Fall camporee. The boys had a lot fun: B-B guns, bow and arrows, rack cars, rockets, etc... We took several tents to lend to some of the families who have never, or rarely camp. Most did not like the 39 degree weather we had Saturday night. Needless to say I did enjoy going back to Miakonda after 15+ years. The place has barely changed.

ReUseAShoe Recycling PSA

2008-10-03T10:04:00.001-04:00

Hannah's gym class was assigned a project that required they educate their peers on the the "Keep Perrysburg Beautiful" campaign to promote Nike's "ReUseAShoe" recycling program. Hannah and I had a lot of fun putting this together, despite the late night... Not too shabby for a first attempt at "film-making"! She put a lot of time and hard work into this, hoping to educate and entertain at the same time. She could have just turned in a poster-board and short report; but, our little "over-achiever" wanted to put her creativity (and my technical skills - thanks) to the test! She had SO many ideas that I think, if she would have had more time, this little PSA might have ended up a 2 hr "feature film"! She actually produced 2 seperate films over the last week; but, her first one had "technical issues" (aka - Steve is much better with a camera than he is with a VIDEO camera :). She had fun involving the whole family in this, and even recruited some of the neighbor kids along the way! She's not holding out for an invitation to "The Sundance" just yet; she is, however, banking on an A from her gym teacher!

Cheerleader for a Night

2008-09-27T15:55:00.005-04:00

On Friday Emma was able to cheer with the Perrysburg HS Varsity Cheerleaders. She attended the annual Cheer Clinic this week and was able to cheer for the entire 2nd quarter of the game. The team blew out their opponent. Emma had a blast for the 3rd year in a row. We may have a future PHS Cheerleader in the house. What a performer!

Hide your Checkbooks, Caleb's selling Popcorn

2008-09-21T22:55:00.003-04:00

This is Caleb's first year in scouting. He joined Pack 209 at Frank/Ft. Meigs Elementry schools. I am lucky enough to be selected as the Den Leader for the 1st graders. For now we have 13 boys in our den and Caleb is loving it. He enjoys learning the Boy Scout Promise, salute, etc... It is like he has joined a "secret" society. On Friday he put on his uniform at hit the neighborhood by himself. He sold nearly $150 of popcorn on his first outing. I have to admit, it is hard to pass up a face like his while he is on your front porch. Once he hits the rest of Perrysburg he will most likely be ringing your door or calling you on the phone so watch out.

Hitting the Trail

2008-09-07T21:30:00.002-04:00

Well after the first semi-full week back at school the kids and I went hiking at Sidecut Metropark in Maumee. The river was quite low allowing us to walk to Blue Grass Island to explore. It didn't quite have the same topography at the Niagara Region but, was still an adventure. We also were able to take Grace with us with her all-terrain stroller. It was a good thing because we maneuvered over large branches, across all sorts of rocks, and down some decent banks. We had a lot of fun and manage to hike 3-4miles.

Niagara Falls

2008-08-22T11:50:00.008-04:00

American Falls

This past week we traveled to Niagara Falls for a quick family vacation before school started. Unfortunately for Grace we left her back in Ohio so that the older kids, including us, could have more of an adventure. We drove to Buffalo on Wednesday and spent the night on Grand Island in a little Motel. We visited the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Louiseton, NY , as well as, explored Niagara State Park in the night to watch the quick fireworks display. The falls were an awesome sight while lite up and walking through Goat Island was a blast in the dark.

Thursday we purchased the Niagara Fall Discovery Pass. This allowed us to visit all of the attractions on the US side of the falls. We stopped at the Niagara Aquarium, Discovery Center, rode the Maid of the Mist and traveled to the base of the American Falls on the Cave of the Winds Tour. We were told the Maid of the Mist is a must do in Niagara. While we all enjoyed the boat ride, it did not compare to walking up the base of the falls to the Hurricane Deck on the Cave of the Winds. It was truly amazing to stand under the falls while the water smashes off of large boulders and engulfs you. This was the tops on everyone's list.
After the day in New York we traveled to Ontario for the balance of our trip. Jamey found us a great deal on a house just a mile north of the falls and only about 100 ft. from the Niagara River Gorge. It was no mansion; however, we could not have found a better place for a us and the kids. We would highly recommend it to anyone traveling with a family on a budget. We were also able to save a ton of money on food by eating in for most of our meals. Of course we ended up spending it on all our "activities" but, it was well worth it. That night went downtown to travel up nearly 775 ft to the observation deck of the Skylon Tower. The view was again amazing. It would have been great to see it on a clear day. Caleb was happy to, "finally have concurred his fear of heights."

Friday morning we traveled north a bit to take a tour on on the Niagara River. By tour I mean racing 50+ mph up the river, doing Hamilton Turns in the Niagara Whirlpool and riding Class V rapids on a Jet Boat. It was a blast and we all looked as if we just took a dunk in the river upon our return to the car. Another must do in the area. A bit pricey but, worth the ride. That night we walked through the town and took a carriage ride near the Horseshoe Falls. We ended the night by watching the fireworks from the Canadian side. If timed right, you can see the fireworks 2-3 during the week.

Saturday morning we went on a hike at Niagara Glen Park. We descended over 200 ft. down to the Whirlpool on the Niagara River and hike around to the rapids that we rode on the day before. This was one of our most memorable parts of the trip and was a close second to the Cave of the Winds tour and it was ABSOLUTELY FREE! There are miles and miles of hiking and biking trails along the Niagara River and the views are amazing. That afternoon we raced back to the house for a quick showers and caught the matinee of the Greg Frewin Theatre. It was a Vegas Style Magic show with Tigers and amazing illusions. After the show we ate our only meal out at an Irish Pud. We sat on the Patio overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. We spent the night hitting a few other attractions on Clifton Hill. We split up the kids. I took Caleb to Brick City (Lego Museum) and the fun house. Jamey took the girls to Ripley's. We ended the night at 2Am in the hot tub which the kids refereed to as the, "Family Tub". We spend most nights in the hot tub trying to recover from all the walking we did. Other than the 9 hour trip home (compared to the 5 hr trip to NY) we had a blast. Hitting most of the sites mid week was also great. Parking was cheaper, lines were shorter and we could do a lot more. Niagara is definitely a must do trip for all but, plan on spending more time there then you think you need. There is so much to due and we could spend another trip there seeing all the rest of the attractions.

Our House (for the weekend)!

Check back soon to see more of our pictures from the trip..

He Rides!

2008-07-31T19:55:00.002-04:00

Well after many long discussions on how riding a bike would, "Kill him," Caleb finally is starting to learn to ride this week.

On the Go

2008-07-30T22:48:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday the entire family headed out on Lake Erie to spend a day on the boat. We had great weather and the kids all had a blast. Heading out to the Toledo Lighthouse was a bit rough and many of us did not have our sea legs. Everyone managed to survive the ride and enjoyed the day under the sun.

Baby News!

2008-07-26T12:31:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Kyle and Natalie Hanna on the arrival of their daughter Ava Louise. Ava arrived last Thursday around 6:00 PM. She weighed around 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was about 20 in. He she is with mom, dad and big brother Ayden.

We can't wait to meet the newest member of the Hanna family!

Election 2008

2008-07-16T22:01:00.001-04:00

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Hannah leaves for West Virginia

2008-07-13T10:52:00.005-04:00

This morning Hannah and the group from Cedar Creek's Fusion (Jr. High Ministry) left for the McDowell Mission in West Virginia. The two teams will be spending the week with needy families working on small home projects and sharing the Gospel with them. It is a great opportunity for someone her age and should be a wonderful experience.
UPDATE: Sunday evening we received a call from the phone tree and the kids arrived in WV safely. They are getting settled and prepared for there service projects. They are scheduled to be at the work sites from 9AM to 4:00PM daily. I'm not sure if Hannah is ready for they type of work load. I look forward to hearing about it when she returns.

Guess Who's 60?

2008-07-11T13:09:00.002-04:00

Look, all he can eat is SOFT foods!

Happy Birthday Papa!

Back from the Hospital

2008-07-08T19:35:00.002-04:00

Monday I had my appendectomy after several weeks with a ruptured appendix. Everything went well and I am already back at home. I am really sore and will not be able to lift anything over 10 lbs for 6 weeks. It is going to be rough not being able to pick up Grace for that long. The kids are a big help but, I'm not sure how long that will last. We will see how it goes next week when Hannah is on her mission trip with the church youth group.