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!

Happy New Year!