LCA Boys Basketball

Today just ended what I call a GREAT season of basketball for Kallen!  Kallen made the traveling team this year, so we not only had games during the week but also joined classmates and their families on Saturdays for tournament play.  The boys lost 1 game the entire season and placed first in all but two tournaments.  Kallen grew tremendously in skill and in the game of basketball.

  

Ensenada Mission Trip

Dad and Elyse just spent the last week doing something Elyse has been asking for a few years to do now, attend a mission trip.  They joined a few family friends/classmates on the trip to Ensenada, MX.  They spent the first day there visiting an orphanage but focused most of their time on building homes for two families that have nothing.  In just about 48 hours, two solid houses with electricity were built.  Such an amazing experience and so thankful they both loved it so much they plan on making it an annual thing and including the rest of us five.

Ian's Basketball Season

Today ended Ian's basketball season.  This year Legacy started an in-house program so Ian was beyond thrilled to play for LCA.  Dad was able to coach the team and even though they won and lost about the same, the boys played their hearts out and did a great job.  

Skiing with Dad

Today is a day that dad has been waiting on for years, he took Caleb and Kallen skiing. Dad loves skiing and so when the opportunity came to take the boys, he couldn’t pass it up. Thankfully it was all successful, kids loved it and no injuries happened.

Top 10 of 2022

I can't believe 2022 has come to an end, but thankfully it was packed full of fun memories.  Once again below (in no particular order) is our 10 favorite things that took place in 2022.

1. Getting another dog, Loki. 
2. Visited with extended family, Papa and Nana Speckman, CA Klausers, Speckmans, and, Grandpa and Grandma
3. Family road trip to 10 states (Zoos, Arcade, Biltmore, Sliding Rock, Nature Parks, Gatlinburg).
4. Celebrated 17 years of marriage.
5. Seeing the ARC and Creation Museum on our family vacation.
6. Kallen got baptized.
7. Dad passed his test for being a certified financial planner.
8. Watching kiddos participate in many sports and activities (Elyse- volleyball and drama, boys basketball and soccer).
9. Family trip to the Kalahari Resort.
10. Attended the MN State Fair.

Some other fun things that happened this year:

• Mom started teaching at Legacy.
• Mom began using a Cricut to make great things.
• Kallen graduated from elementary school and started middle school.
• Dad and Kallen attending Deep Portage together.
• Dad and Mom went to Junior Achievement with Kallen.
• Dad and Kallen attended the Toby Mac concert.
• Watching Caleb and Kallen perform in Legacy's 5/6th grade musical (Kallen's solo).
• Watched all the kids participate in the large obstacles of the MANE event.
• Elyse and Kallen attended Camp Lebanon, loved it, and grew in their faith.
• Elyse got braces.
• Swam together as a family in our pool.
• We babysat chicks and unfortunately one of them didn't survive.

Well, we made it through 2022, but honestly ready to see what God has in store for us as a family in 2023.

Happy New Year!

Celebrating Christmas

Our Christmas this year was wonderful.  We spent our day doing normal traditions of wearing matching pajamas, watching the Disney parade, eating delicious food, hanging out as a family, and the obvious, opening gifts.  This year, dad added the new tradition of taking turns reading the Christmas story in the bible, and it really was kind of magical, loved it!  Plus a major bonus this year was we had both sets of grandparents there.

Merry Christmas