Favorite moments with Jaden!

Whoops, thats a Jona picture, don't know how to delete?




This one is extremely easy but unfortunately I don't really have any pictures:( My absolute favorite memory of Jaden and I was the day we spent in Lake Michigan while camping with the Neely's and the Stowe's. I had NEVER been in the lake when it was so warm and had such huge waves!!! It was a riot and jaden was a true fish. We had a blow up raft/boat that we hung on to and jumped waves for hours... Came in to rest and snack and would head right back out again. The waves went completely over our heads and he was never scared. In fact, I was more scared that he would get swept away from exhaustion..... as he would refuse to stay close!!! The waves never got old as we screeched with excitement each time they came. You and Calder played in the sand and all the kids fed the seagulls.... I loved this day and wished I could have had 10 more of them that awesome July!!!!!!

I got a little behind with my "Favorite SUMMER events" Posting!

I believe I did Spencer, then Ivan! Now on to one of my favorite moments of the entire summer with my oldest and most gorgeous preteen (at the time) Olyvia Satja McKenna! It was actually difficult to come up with just one.... I had to pick so I picked the day we went to Ludington Beach while camping in Lakeview Mi with the Neely's and the Stowe's! Lake Michigan had unusually HUGE waves and was also extremely warm for the big lake. We were told it was because we had SW winds all summer. The lake is more shallow near Indiana so the water warms quicker and comes on up to us that way? We had a blow up raft and would float out to the sand bars. The waves were so BIG they would crash above us and land in the boat or float us inland... We did this for hours... laughing till we cramped. It was so much fun! Jaden also loved it but more so on foot than in the boat I think. Jona scared easily, especially if I let go of the boat.... But Olyvia and I road the waves for hours!!!!! Don't have any fun pictures of the "event" no water proof camera:( The pictures from the beach are just as beautiful. Later that day we went to Ludington Pier and climbed an awesome Lighthouse together for the first time EVER. Also road a bus out to Sable Point light house and both Olyvia and I bought sweatshirts to remember the occasion! So many fun memories from this short but AMAZING camping trip. Can't wait till Summer 11' it will be hard to top this summer for sure!!!!

Trying for the second time!

This may have worked?

http://http://www.highschoolsports.net/local/grandrapids/Bleachers/?bctid=645587286001

Olyvia went to a mud bowl! Football dirty style!

The Spencer Elliott Show so the story goes on West Mi all star:)

http://westmiallstar.com/?p=6697 vote for Quarterback of the week!

I hope this works!

If this doesn't bring the "Real" article then click the browser and go have a look see!!!! Awesome Article!

http://westmiallstar.com/?p=6672

Whoop Whoop

High school football, Week 8: Forest Hills Eastern 37, Catholic Central 13

http://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/10/video_forest_hills_eastern_pou.html

Perhaps this is it?

Never know when this will work?

http://www.highschoolsports.net/local/grandrapids/Bleachers/#/highschool/Forest+Hills+Eastern+35+South+Christian+7/221189307001/51325922001/622814936001

Rolling along with Football!

I Love this guy and all his moves.....

First day of School, 1st day of NO UNIFORMS:)

Their most exciting event was hot lunch and no uniforms....

Seeing if this works this time??????

My 2nd most fun Event!

Dads Birthday Ribs @ Fat Matt's!!!!

Our farewell Brady Bunch Shots!
In front of the Kings Memorial!
Uncle Ivan and Orion!
1 of many pee breaks on our trip, this one leaving Nashville!
I love these two pictures! My 007 coming from the deep end:)

So, a week after school got out our family headed South! This would be our first road trip together... I am NOT a fan of long car rides so I wasn't sure how this adventure was going to be. Ivan and I stood in the kitchen before pulling out of the driveway. We prayed for safety, for patience and for an awesome family vacation! Minus Spencer who was staying home bc of his first ever "official" summer job! We first drove straight through to Mammoth Cave, I don't know if Ivan or the kids were more excited? I was excited because they were so excited and because I new we'd be getting out of the car after 8 hours! Ivan was SOOOO patient on the drive. Not ever once breathing deep, huffing or yelling at the umpteen stops we made before even getting out of Michigan! The caves were an awesome experience with my family! I hadn't been there since I was 8 years old... the exact age of Jaden! We new ahead of time that it was 112' degrees in Nashville... ICK! Ivan loves the heat.... but the cold of the caves was a WELCOME surprise! After spending the afternoon at the caves, we headed for Nashville where we would sleep. On Monday we spent the day at Nashville Shores.... for many of us this was one of the BEST days of our entire summer! It was squelching heat and the wave pool was a HUGE hit, Jaden and Jona rarely came out of it! I was always taking note that mom and dad never argued once! That evening we finished the rest of our road trip arriving at Levi and Nichelles house late Monday! We spent the entire week with them. Going to the most awesome man made beach, play practice, Martin Luther Kings museum, church and several New restaurants for the Young's. It was both fathers day and Ivan's 42nd birthday while on vacation! His gift to self (a road side firework stop across the Kentucky border.) I'd say the most impacting memory of the week in Atlanta was the time Ivan was able to spend with his cousin! Levi is a very spiritual and uplifting man! Every morning before his family awakens he goes on a prayer walk through his neighborhood. He prayers for family, friends, neighbors, strangers, the world, his church and I'm pretty sure whatever else floats into his head! This was quite inspiring to Ivan who upon returning home started doing the same thing, both alone and with his children! How transforming to have a father prayer walking every morning to start the day! This was a fantastic trip and I can't wait for the next one!!! It took way WAY to long for this to happen and by far it was one of my best summer memories with my husband.

Next to come... My Most memorable summer moment with??? You'll have to stand by!

Spencer's First TV interview as HS Quarterback!

All the best of summer 2010!

Ronell visiting us about 6 weeks later?
CO Hot Springs... I can never remember the town?
Hannah Grace and her Fella's :)
First Night in Golden/Denver
Red Rock!!

I'm going to do an entry related to each of my family members individually! I'm going to write about MY BEST experience of the summer with them INDIVIDUALLY!!! I'm starting with Spencer because it's chronologically the first BEST experience I had:)

In May we visited Colorado for 3 college campus visits! Spencer and I went alone and I'm certain that in the past 9 years this was the most time we had been together (and alone!) Did I mention, we were alone:) I didn't get emotional, as I thought I would for sure! I enjoyed each and every moment that we were together (but I did find myself floating off into the realization that it was our last time together in such a way!) He absolutely LOVED the state and all it's beauty! He commented on every mountain peek we passed. Rick took us 3 hours North to the hot springs.... for the first hour and a half both of us couldn't get enough of the mountains and all it's beauty. Of course we tried to take a hundred pictures while driving.... they are NEVER as good as the real thing. Hannah Grace is in love with her cousin Spencer... she smiled for all of the pictures, we are told she doesn't do this ever! Our first night there I took him to Red Rocks! I was so excited to show him where U2 sang.. Unfortunately, there was a wedding going on and the inside was closed:( We did get to tour the amphitheater though! Our Second day we left at 0600 for the Hot springs.... We spent the day Up North, shopped, visited NIKE town and the POLO outlet! Secretly it was probably Spencer's favorite part! We had lunch in the mountains and swam in the Hot Springs! Our Third day we visited CSU, fantastic campus and the coach that met up with us gave us our own 2 hour tour... Spencer loved it! Next day we visited DU and University of Denver? all the letters confused the Hell out of me! Denver State? The campus in Boulder felt like Old white Cronies and the academic advisor didn't end up meeting with us? University of Denver felt like Harry Potter's second home. Old majestic campus buildings. We invited ourselves into the Lacrosse Coaches office and had a great visit. Our tour guide was drop dead gorgeous with boob-a-lishes flowing all out of her strapless dress with leather cowboy boots! Yea, that was a hot campus tour. We had an 80 year old grandma and grandpa on our tour that asked a million questions:) IT was a great day! On our last evening Rick and Marissa took us out to dinner at a local pizza joint. We bought ice cream and came home to watch the season finale of 24!! Bitter sweet that was!!!! Spencer and I both love Rick and Marissa's kids, they make us laugh all the time! Rick has an amazing house with spectacular views and neither of us would have a problem moving in with him:) I'd feel so happy if Spencer picked a school in CO. I'm sure I'd be able to visit some what regular and get to see family as well!!! Rick could keep (long distance) close eye on things and Spencer would have a place to go for Sunday dinner once in a while! We didn't know at the time of our visit.... but several weeks later he went back to CSU for a Black Student Caucus camp and met a really nice young man Ronell. Ronell came to Michigan several weeks later to attend a football camp and again..... Spencer went back to CO several weeks after that and stayed at his house. His parents seem amazing on the phone and I'm sure would also be a safe place to find help if Spencer chose a college so far away! They treated Spencer like their own son when he visited. I love this kid, I will miss him sooooooo much when he's gone! I'm so glad that we had this time together! This is a year of lasts for me as his mother (sniff sniff tears rolling now!) It's a year of endings and beginnings for him! He is So excited to reach this point in his life that I'm praying for God to give me strength and peace with all of it! How horrible to have a mom crying all the time when your so excited, right?

So this is what I'm going to do!

I'm going to get back into the swing of things here! So that I don't feel overwhelmed and so that I continue to dialogue I'm changing things up a bit! Of course I'll blog about fun family events and 1 liners that Jona and Jaden say! However, I'm going to also try something new. I'm going to pick one particular family member and talk about them and their goings on for the day slash week slash month!

Like this one liner today!
Jaden says "Jona, stop kicking me, you hit and squished my "Vital Cord!" He either meant Vital organs or spinal cord? Neither of which would I have any idea how he knows about?

Jona, Olyvia and I swinging on the hammock today! GORGEOUS weather, beautiful breeze and Jona leans in to Olyvia, rubs her leg and then her stomach... "Olyvia, you are so long and tall and skinny and you will make a great wife one day!" WTH? Where and why does she come up with these things!

My thoughts for the day! Well they are plentyful but for now I'm sharing this one! These next 12 weeks are going to be some of the most exhilarating, exciting, nerve racking and anxious filled weeks of my life with Spencer! I'm the proud mother of the VARSITY QUARTERBACK! It will be a bitter sweet season for me FOR SURE, as well as for him I'm sure. It's his last of everything this year on his path to a lot more First's of so many more things. Last High school games, dances, practices, etc etc etc! I can't even imagine my life without his sporting events in it! No Friday night football games, no Bball or Lacrosse after this year! Jaden is so far behind in age that it will be a long time before we see the likes of a HS football field again:( Unless Olyvia decides to play a sport of that nature. I am so proud of his accomplishments and the man that he has turned into, at the same time I'm going to have to figure out how to move from this chapter to the next without crying all the time!!!! HUGS

I've got an idea!

I'm at work and have to do my 0500 vitals.... so I can't share my idea yet:) But just you wait, I'm gonna do it realllllly soon! Wish I could start right now, but alas... I waited to long in the evening at it will have to wait. PS, we are computer-less at the moment, so it probably won't start until the next shift I work... Patients willing hahaha Meaning, if they sleep!!

It's a long loooong night at the Saints

After a really REALLY busy day of scheduling, sports, birthdays, laundry, meals and naps... I'm doing a 13 hour shift. Rearing lives by day, saving them by night:) Accept tonight they are all sleeping and it's going by r-e-a-l-l-y slowing!!!!! I guess I'll start writing my rough draft letter to the Superintendent of Forest Hills Schools. The one that I'm meeting with bright and early Monday Morning and going to let him hear ALL that I have to say about his 10 yeared teacher that thinks it's ok to make sexual and racial remarks and to humiliate my son and then thinks that I won't stomp the grounds!!!

No One will ever catch my Ari, well... Chernetta's Ari really!

Gotta love it when they "shmoke" em!

I will never get weary of watching Spencer and Jeshuran SMOKE a relay team.... Yup, we came from 3rd place maybe even 4th and Jesh won by a hair!!!

Some Easter Color... Olyvia looking FAB-U-LOUS!

OK, found a couple of Lax and Track!

A random lady in the stands who's hair I thought was AWESOME!




Big brother telling Little brother to Whoop some of that What?? No I did not say that:)

Nothing, I have nothing...

It seems I never have good track pictures of Spencer, I'm to far away? Lacrosse def has no good pictures to offer, I'm even farther away. I had pictures of Jadens Soccer game, but computer seems to have eaten 10,000 of my pictures and left me with only 4,000!! Yes, panic mode has set in.. Ivan keeps promising me that they "are in there" however I can't seem to find them ANYWHERE???? Took pictures of Jaden's birthday party last weekend and none on Mother's day? Who wants to load any more pics in the puter though... with them disappearing and all????? So for now, Nothing, I have Nothing....

Ivan would call this a Half Ass kinda morning:)

Ivan actually swears very rarely, So I can't think of how he phrases it right this second? I say what he really means is "Don't do things half Ass!" So a joke around here when a lot is going on and nothing is getting done is "Yes, Ivan, I'm a half Asser. That's exactly what this morning feels like. Started mowing the back yard on foot... good exercise right? I ran out of gas. Started picking up dog poo, and for whatever reason I stopped to unload the truck. I carried 5 50lb bags to the barn (good exercise) why have the boys do it, right? I dropped the 6th one in the driveway. It's sitting there now waiting for me to sweep it up and put in bucket to drag back to barn. Then I raked up a whole bunch of sticks and straw in yard that looked trashy! But now the pile is sitting there waiting for me to scoop it up. Then I saw the recycle buckets overflowing all over. So I found some boxes and separated it all out into 4 piles. Now I'm hungry and have to eat, then I have to finish dinner b/c we are all eating in motion tonight (no McDonalds for this family!) So, Hmmm, maybe I won't want to be here when Honey Bear wakes up! LOL

Little house on the Prairie(ing) it today!

I'm going to play Little House on the Prairie today... just like when I was a young lad:) Brought kids to school, came home cleaned up kitchen and switched laundry. Went to barn, collected eggs, put down fresh bedding, fed and watered chickens. Came inside, swept floor. Then facebooked and blogged for a good while (not very little house of me.) Now I'm going to P90X still not very little house of me:) THEN I'm going back outside to try and rebuild two rabbit hutches and re-staple gun the wire that's falling off the chicken coops! Very Laura and Pa of me don't ya think. I'm sure they had a staple gun in 1850:) If not I'm sure they wish they did! HA, I make even myself laugh even if no one else does. Then I'll start dinner and hop in the horse and buggy to collect kids and head to track meet! See-ya!

THE GIRL~ THE BOY THE BIG DOG ~THE SMALL DOG WE HAVE TRBLE CALLING THEM BY NAME?

LOOK AT THE LEG OF THE REF.... SHE CRACKED ME UP!!! ALWAYS THERE TO ENCOURAGE THE KIDDO'S I SUPPOSE:) LOLOLOL

Whoooo Hoooo it worked!!!

I am SOOOO PROUD OF THIS GIRL I can hardly contain myself!! I love you Olyvia Satja McKenna!!!!!! We all know you got your jumping abilities from your momma! I jump from one thing to another to another to another... :)