Merry CHRISTmas 2009

Hanna Family

Saddened Hearts

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

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

Happy Thanksgiving!`

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

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!)

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...

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

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

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

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

Weekend Project

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

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

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

Grace is TWO!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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.

&$%#$*&!

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...

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

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

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!

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...

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

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!