Merrick's Award's

Just wanted to share with everone Merrick's Jack Pine-Highland awards.

His name & his number (11) are inscribed on the gold plate at the base.

This is the medal they all received.

Happy Halloween

Here are some pre-Halloween & Halloween fun photo's. It was very difficult to get a picture of all 3 kids together. So we have individuals of them.

Enjoy
Ma Krause (a family friend) has a pumpkin run each year that she invites all her grandkids to. There are games for the little kids, treats, cider, doughnut's, coffee, and lots of fun.

Pumpkin bowling. Merrick won a 1st place for this and the prize was the 3rd largest pumpkin. You can't see it but they are using a small gourd. All the little kids got party favors as a prize.

Sophie and her new best pal Frank.

Ethan & Sophie attend a playgroup on Wednesdays, and they had scheduled a day at a local pumpkin farm. There were all kinds of fun and neat things for the kids to play on. Before they left each kid could pick a little pumpkin from the pumpkin river. They had a lot of fun, but it was FRIDGED COLD!!

Sophie found a place out of the wind to play peek-a-boo

A hay bale tunnel. That's Sophie starting thru the other end. Tim & I would have crawled in there just to get out of the wind, if it had been big enough.



Ethan & Sophie in the middle trying to figure out if they wanted to go left, right, or straight.


















Here we are at our first stop. Our neighbor runs a daycare & she had goody bags all made up for our kids too.

Ethan is Bob the Builder

Sophie was "Kitty meow-meow", as Ethan called her.


























Merrick's costume was all about the hair. We (meaning me) put lots of moose and hairspray in his hair and then put in holders to let it dry. After it dried, we combed it out, used a ton more hairspray & the hairdryer. To finish it off we used an entire can of silver hair color.




Count Merrickula

Jack Pine Conference Champs

Merrick played football again this year. His 8th grade Rocketfootball team was undefeated, again. They started the season off with a bang. Their first few games were shutout's with the other team never scoring. They even had one game where the score was 50 - 0! It was an awsesome season, and I look forward to following this team thru high school!

They ended their season yesterday (Oct. 25th) by playing in the Jack Pine-Highland Conference. They played against another team that was also undefeated in their district. It was a good game. Very cold (grandma Betty stayed w/Ethan & Sophie) and wet. But the kids had a wonderful time. They played the championship game at our local college field, Central Michigan Universtiy. The kids had a blast and have many memories.

8th grade Homecoming float


















Merrick was also #11 last year

They had been entering the field all season carring this flag (skull & crossbones in the middle, with Clare Rocket Football written on it). Here they are grouping up to head out onto CMU's field for the championship game.

Merrick participating in one of the kickoff's
















The final score of the final game of the season
Clare with 30
McBain with 14













The team celebrating after being presented with the trophy.














Serious group photo
(we were the largest team all season with a total of 33 players)













We're #1!!!!

Sophie's First Birthday!!

Today, the 26th, is actually Sophie's 1st Birthday, but we had her party yesterday. It was a small gathering with just family. Papa & Grandma Mann, Grandma Betty, and us. That didn't matter to Sophie, she had a blast. I can't believe how big she's gotten in just a year! My baby is now considered a toddler.....

NO, we are NOT having anymore babies.

So my baby is growing up. What an awesome year! She has her 1 year check-up tomorrow and I anticipate good things. Right now she's cutting 4 molars (1 has already poked thru a bit), so we have the obvious teething troubles, but everything else is just fine.

Enjoy these photo's of Sophie. A year in review, with a party at the end.

October 26, 2007

Arrived at 3:14 p.m.

8lb. 5 oz

19 3/4 in.

November

December

January

February

Enjoying one of Merrick's band concerts.

Being held by Barb Lockwood.

March

April

May

Did she take this photo???

June
Another self photo??

My, she's good.

July

August

September

October

1st Birthday Party

Daddy & Brother's helping her open cards & gifts.

Sissy showing us the pretty blanket that grandma & papa Mann got her.

Playing with the car that her brother Ethan got her.

Let her eat cake!

"Yummy cake Mom!"

"Yeah me, I survived a whole year with you guys!"

Fall

It is that time of year. The weather get's cooler, the trees turn wonderful colors, the dew is now frost, the leaves fall off the trees and blanket sections of your lawn, the rakes come out, and children play.

My children raking and playing: