State AAU Tournament on Saturday

Jamie played in the state AAU volleyball tournament - their were 15 teams that qualified for the gold tournament in Newton IA (by Des Moines). Jamie played in 8 matches of 2 games a piece - long day but they had a great day!! 1st game she played was against Newton high school - a little later in the day we found out that Aunt Harriet had a granddaughter playing that first game against Jamie - she was playing against her distant cousin and didn't even know it! Aunt Harriet was there and so was Kathy so we visited with them for awhile too which was nice.

After the final game this is Western's two teams that were there and MOC's team got in a big circle and one of Western coaches led them in prayer - was very neat to see - they played FOR HIM and then gave HIM the glory for the great day.

This is Jamie's team - they got 3rd

Both teams from Western!!

Tairin Van Tol - Amber Westra - Josie Kollis and Jamie - great friends of Jamie's

And then pics with her parents!!! MOC got 1st - Western got 2nd and 3rd and Sheldon got 4th. We all drove 4 hours to play and all top 4 teams were from NW Iowa!! Pretty fun and we had a great time - now Jamie is started Golf today - no rest for her I tell ya!!

Pictures from State Basketball

At this game they had a white out - I crawled through the crowd and took pictures of Marcus and Jamie before the game started but only this game didn't want to embarass them at all the games - This is the Seniors - Marcus has a great group of friends and they get along really well - if you can see it - Mariah the girl in the front way on the left has a 20 oz. pop can in her hair - was quite unique and the guys are sporting headbands with hair that Peoples Bank handed out when tournaments started.

Here is a close up of the hair - Marcus is impressed with the picture as you can tell and Brandalyn is inbetween Marcus and Brandon :)

And the freshmen - hard to get their attention - but I got a few!!! Hard to believe that this year is almost over already.

White-headed Robin!

Marcus has spotted this Robin lately around our home and last night right after supper - he found him again and quickly got the camera and got a great picture!! He was busy running in our flower bed and by our mailbox - we watched him for the longest time - so fun to see Spring on its way - the weather this week is in the 50's all week - we are almost feeling a bit spoiled!!

PAINTING!!

We will haved lived here 8 years come this August - the guy that built our home said that routine maintenance on a house is that you should repaint the inside every 5-10 years, to keep moisture in your home and keep the drywall good - well I am repainting!! I started in the office, did the entry, the downstairs bathroom is finished, started the sunroom and the big room downstairs will be finished after today - no big color changes but just warming it up and staying pretty neutral - I am having fun and doing major house cleaning at the same time - good insentive that Marcus is graduating in a few months!!! Well, I better get back to work - next week I hope to do kitchen/family room upstairs and the master bedroom!!

What a weekend!!!

BIG DAY here yesterday - but a great day - Marcus is now an official Red Raider!! Jamie had a volleyball tournament in Hull at Western yesterday - so she and I took off at 7:15 this morning for that - Mike came around 11 and it was running quite a bit behind, so we had Marcus come to Hull as well since we didn't have time to go back home and get to Orange City by 3. Well Jamie's tournament didn't get over till 2:45 - Mike and Marcus took off at 2:30 (we didn't want to show up late) Coach was visiting with someone else when they arrived so it gave Jamie and myself time to get there as well (thanks coach)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marcus signing and getting the low down on the schedules and times when he is required to be there and moving in date!! August 14

A parent also had to sign - GO Mike - this is head coach with him Kyle Achterhoff

The three football coaches that were there for the event and of course Marcus

and a very proud little sister(and quite a tired one too)

From Norhtwestern in Orange City we went with two vehicles to Sioux Center to go to Dordt's basketball game - Mike and I had some of the players in youth group and have been trying hard to get to a game - we saw a very good game they played Doane and beat them 101 to 71. Well, from there Marcus took Jamie home to shower and Mike took me to Walmart to get a few things and then we had to go back to Hull and get Marcus' car. On the way home from Hull, I made reservations at Cedar Rock Grill in Rock Valley, picked up Marcus and Jamie and went to celebrate Marcus' day with a nice supper - YEAH!

Home by 8 and Brad and Kerri brought Sawyer around 9 to stay with us for a week while they go to Cancun Mexico.

And this is now Sunday..........

We are in the middle of an ice storm - churches are all cancelled for the morning for sure and the storm warning is until 6am tomorrow - so we might be home for the day. Here Mike is trying to save his Swamp Oak - it was really bending lots - he shook the ice off it and put a pole under it to hold it up - hope it works!

and our other trees have branches falling like crazy - this one is a big one and Mike just came and told me we lost another big one too :( As of now he is hoping the wind doesn't come up cuz that would cause a big mess.

Brad and Kerri were suppose to fly out of Sioux Falls at 6 - all planes were grounded - they drove to Omaha - which took them a LONG time cuz the roads were horrible till they got passed Sioux City and then they were in just rain - she just called and they have tickets in their hands to fly out at 11 to Dallas and then from there on to Cancun - so glad all worked out for them and hope they enjoy the sunshine for awhile!!

Special Prayer concern

Western Christian would like to extend our Christian sympathy to the family and friends of Trisha Wood. Trisha, a junior at Western Christian, was killed Friday morning Feb. 11 on her way to school in a car accident. Trisha is the daughter of Todd and Deanna of Sheldon, Iowa. Please keep the Wood family and the extended Western Christian family in your prayers. Details of the funeral are pending. This was posted on Western's web page today - very sad day at Western.

Kim's birthday was Sunday Feb. 6!

Not sure if you all know but Kim is working on a cruise ship sailing around the world - She departed from Germany in November and will be back next May. This is her dream job and she is loving it and having a great time seeing the world. This picture is on magic mountain in Moorea. Yesterday on her birthday she was in Apia/Samoa snorkeling on the beach on her afternoon break. The ship usually ports every day or few days and she has break from 1:30-5:30 every day to go site seeing or just relax. I was at a ballgame the other night(before Christmas) and she called me from Hawaii on her afternoon break - she was just walking along the beach and was in the states so decided to quick call. So happy for this experience she is getting to go on and from this picture - it looks like a gorgeous place! On the ship she is a head waitress in the top 12 rooms on the ship and I'm sure she is extremely good at it.
What a birthday to remember - Happy Birthday Kim!!