It's Official! We have a 2nd grader!

Yes, it is true.  Hunter is now officially a 2nd grader!  We are beyond excited and very proud of our hard worker.

During this process, we have been asked questions, been questioned on our decision, and have been supported.  Talk about mixed emotions and feelings!  And I'm sure since it is all official, and not everyone knew we were in the acceleration process, I am going to explain how we came about this decision and why we feel like it is best.

For the past two years, Hunter has been in a multi-level class at his school.  His class and the grade above him currently have a combined total of 28 students, forcing the school to combine the two grades.  Last year it was K-1 and mid-year they split due to an increase in students.  Students moved away, some transferred schools so by the time school started this fall they were combined again to 1-2.  Last year didn't go ideal, but I did see some benefits of multi-level.  We had heard good things about this years teacher and how well she has handled a multi-level grade in the past.

Last year we saw Hunter excel in Kindergarten.  His reading took off and by the end of the year he was reading at a 2nd grade level.  He also did well in math and things came easily for him.

This year at fall conferences, we were blown away at Hunter's progress.  We knew he was smart and did well, but to see it on paper and to have a teacher talk so highly, assures our thoughts and feelings.  It was at that point that Craig and I began talking about accelerating Hunter to the next grade level.  We decided not to jump the gun and wait and see how he was doing at winter conferences.  Well, once again we were blown away.  He is now reading at an upper 4th grade level, he has been switched to doing math with the 2nd graders in his multi-level class and is still the first one done with worksheets.  He loves the science that is being taught and he has a broad range of knowledge of history.  His writing has become more descriptive and many details have been added to his stories since the fall conference.  That was the one goal we made.  After an amazing conference, we asked Hunter to step into the hallway.  This is when Craig and I asked his teacher what she thought about moving him up to the next grade level.

She understood why we would want to do this, especially knowing that they are one student away from splitting classes for next year.  She said that she knows Hunter would do well with this year's 2nd graders since he already is and would be a great fit to continue on with that class.  I did ask her if she thought we were crazy for wanting to do this and thinking it would be a good decision to accelerate him.  She assured me that she felt like this would be a good move, especially with the way things are currently set up at his school.  She then told us that she would contact the principal and see what our next step would be.

Next, Craig and I met with Hunter's principal.  It was very brief and she agreed with us that this would be a wise move for Hunter.  Also, given his age, he could technically be a 2nd grader.  We chose to do an extra year of preschool because at the time he was more interested in the social aspect of school and with Craig's work schedule we wanted one more year of freedom.  She gave us paperwork to fill out and return once completed.  She was excited to start this process because she has never had a student accelerate in her career.

We brought the paperwork home.  I did not like it!  It wasn't much but I did not like the way some of the questions were worded.  I wish I would have written some of them down, but I didn't.  Basically, it made me feel like we thought our child was extra gifted, talented, and if he wasn't getting the proper services at school.  With the help of Craig, we finished it.  We answered the questions honestly.

The paperwork was turned in and we were told that it and Hunter's work would be looked over by the district's gifted and talented coordinator and that Hunter would be observed by a psychologist during school.  Once these two things were completed, we would meet again and do what needs to be done next.

That brought us to today.  We set up a date that Craig would be home, but as luck would have it, the poor guy woke up with a stomach bug.  He was unable to attend.  I went in after school and met with Hunter's principal, teacher and student teacher.  His principal shared with me all of the different options available, the opinions of the gifted and talented coordinator and psychologist and what his teacher felt was best for him.  We all agreed that acceleration would be the best option for him along with other enrichment possibilities.  Once again, nerves got the best of me.  I knew we were making the right choice, but I asked his teacher to assure me that even though we move him up he won't be struggling as a 2nd grader and 3rd grader next year.  She reminded me that he is usually the first one done of the two grades with any assignments and he understands the material well.  She also reminded me that he is already reading above grade level and that he will still be ok.  She wants to see him challenged instead of being bored and that now is the time to make the switch.  It was everything we already knew, but before it's official and signing away on paperwork, it is reassuring to get a pep talk and know you're not making a horrible decision.

So, I signed away, along with his principal and teacher and decided that he would officially start as a second grader on Monday.  Same class, same kids, same work, new report card.  Hunter was waiting patiently in the office while we met.  We then brought him in and his teacher told him how proud she is of him and that due to his hard work asked him how he felt about moving up to be a 2nd grader and moving on with the 2nd grade class next year to 3rd grade.  Silence.  The wheels turning.  No emotion.  Just thinking.  I'm slightly panicked.  What if this isn't what he wants?  He has mentioned before he wishes he was with that class.  Silence.  Then, finally a smile and the simple answer, "I would like that." Phew!! 

We explained to him that we didn't want to hurt the feelings of others and that we weren't going to make a big deal of it.  We told Hunter we didn't want him to be bragging to his friends about it because we don't want them to feel bad.  We just want what is best for him academically.  He smirked and agreed.

And that was that.  Hunter and I went and had ice cream to celebrate his last day as a 1st grader.  Monday, he will go to school as an official 2nd grader and we are excited and so proud of him. 

We know he is special, but do not believe he is a genius.  We want to see him excel but also be challenged.  We felt in order for this to happen accelerating him was the best choice. 

First Date: 10 Years Ago

Tonight makes me travel down memory lane.  On this day, 10 years ago, Craig and I went on our very first date.  Now, we weren't officially dating, but he was taking me out for a night with no other friends. 

 

Let's rewind a little bit.  We met at a baseball game in August.  I will never forget my first time talking to the cute boy who was sitting on the other side of my friends in the bleachers.  I was in line getting some food at the game and he showed up right behind me.  He said, "Fancy meeting you here.  I'm Craig Zappe."  And he went for the handshake.  I told him my name was Janel-I didn't feel like the last name was necessary-and we made small talk.  We started spending more time together with mutual friends.  Our feelings quickly grew towards one another but neither one of us were ready to take the next step.  In the eyes of a high schooler, 3.5 months is a long time to get to know a person.  Most dive in to a relationship and hoping it all works for the best.  But, we didn't.  So, I was second guessing whether or not he really liked me, but I was quite confident he did.  We talked almost daily on MSN Messenger-oh yes, you remember the good ol' days.  We hung out with mutual friends.  He completely plowed me over while playing two hand touch football at a friend's house.  Somebody forgot the rules and got into game mode and charged straight at me leveling me to the ground.  We sat by each other at lunch.  Besides the chats on MSN, we emailed back and forth.  And we began to form inside jokes.  All signs that things were going to happen.  And finally, they did.

 

Our first date went a little like this.  We started the evening at 5:45 (I know this because I have kept every email ever sent my Craig) by him picking me up in his classic 1991 Buick Regal.  It was maroon with a white rag top and sported a fancy CB antenna on the back.  We made our way to a local restaurant in town:

 

Since then, this has grown to be our favorite restaurant in town.  Not only does it have great food, but it is where we started.  We had a great time talking and getting to know each other.  Next on our agenda was a movie, but we finished dinner too fast so walked around the mall a little bit.  But, we eventually made our way over to Cinema 7 and decided to see this movie:

It was the perfect movie for a first date!  It was hilarious!  This movie is one of our favorite Christmas movies now and our kids quote it often-especially around Christmas time.  It was time to bring me back home because we had school in the morning.  As we were driving the classy looking Regal to my Mom's, we went over a bump and the radio station changed.  I thought for sure since his car was so old that it changed stations every time he went over a bump.  It just so happened that he could switch the station on his steering wheel!  Joke was on me!

I was quite confident the date had went well and that he would ask me out.  He walked me to the front door of my mom's apartment building, but nothing.  He didn't try to hold my hand and there was no kiss to finish the night.  So, even though I felt like it went well and I really liked him and our time together, I didn't know how he was feeling.  And I was heading to North Dakota the next day for Thanksgiving.

We officially started dating on November 30th after a night at his parents.  Mr. Zappe, my former geography teacher, showed me Snow Village nicely displayed in their living room and we played a game of Candy Land.  His mom told me they had games for our age but I was fine playing Candy Land.  It wasn't until that drive back to my mom's apartment that night where we had a little conversation:

 

C: So, what if people ask me what's up between you and Janel tonight on MSN?

J: Well, what do you want to say?

C: Well, I would like to say that we're going out.

J: Ok.

C: Ok.  So we're going out?

J: I guess so.

 

Smooth, right?  It's pretty funny looking back.  And I will never forget it.

I have asked him since why he didn't try to hold my hand or kiss me or ask me out.  His response-he wanted to get to know me for me.  He didn't want to take advantage of me because he respected me.  And it finally made sense.  He was a genuine guy who truly cared and liked me for me.  He wasn't looking for anything physical, he was looking for someone to pursue to marry and that is when I knew that he was the one for me.

 

So here we are about 10 years ago.  This isn't from the dinner and movie date or the Snow Village, Candy Land, MSN asking out night.  It was from a night of bowling with friends.

 

And here we are now.  10 years as a couple and going strong!  Even though we don't spend much of our time together, we talk on the phone multiple times throughout the day and I am always the last person he talks to before he goes to bed.  I'm a night person so sometimes I have a few more phone calls after him.

 

Craig Zappe, yes, the last name is necessary.  After all that is how he introduced himself to me.  I love you more and more every day.  I love you for being my best friend, for respecting me, for going above and beyond to make me happy in life.  Thank you for blessing me with 7+ years of marriage, 3 beautiful children, a home to call our own, a reliable vehicle even though I do miss that Regal, and working so hard for our family and allowing me to live out my dream of being a stay at home mom.  The past ten years with you have flown by yet at the same time has brought on a lot of challenges, changes and decisions for us.  But I am thankful for each and every day spent with you (even though we are apart).  You amaze me daily and you still know how to make me smile and laugh.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the next 10 years and I can't wait until you get home later this week so we can go out to DMB's and come home and watch Elf.  Oh, and I love you more. :)

The Outtakes

I am completely guilty of always wanting that perfect picture.  You know, the one where everyone is looking, smiling and we look like the perfect family.  It looks like I have the perfect kids.  They are always happy and always willing to smile and pose for a picture.  But what about the outtakes?  We all know sometimes they are hilarious, sometimes they are awkward and sometimes they show the true emotions of the kids-'I'm done!'  'I'm not going to smile!'  'Yes, I really am crying now.' 'Oh, look!  A bird!'
Last time Craig was home, we had family pictures taken.  I met our photographer at her studio and we got some cute shots of Finley.  Then we met up with Craig and the boys and headed out to our location.  Unfortunately our little man, Brody, was not in the mood.  Like at all.  It was cold, he was tired from a day at school and he was cold.  Trust me, he made it known to all of us.  But somehow, Lindsey was still able to capture our family all smiling and looking amazing.  She even got a single one of Brody smiling.  Trust me, I didn't think it was going to happen.  Due to the weather being cold, Brody being done and not wanting to have Finley out in the chilly fall air, we called the session.  We weren't able to get any sibling pictures.  I was a little bummed but the following week, MN had a nice warm up so I pulled out the outfits from our photo shoot and took the kiddos to a local park by myself.  My sister later met up with us and she snapped a few with their cousins.  They're super cute!  And I managed to get some fun ones of my kiddos together so I can now have a few options when it comes time to display our happy little family because you know...we always look that happy.  Kidding, kidding. 
It got me thinking though, what about all the outtakes?  Why don't we ever share them?  So, I decided I am going to.  We're not the perfect family by any means.  We are real.  My kids fight, they cry, they kick each other, they make a mess-I could keep going but I'll stop.  But in the end, I will always love them.  Even if we don't always manage to get that perfect picture.  So enjoy these outtakes because trust me, it is hard to capture that perfect picture.  All I can say is thank goodness for digital cameras!

 Looking classy, Hunter.

 I'm smiling but not looking at you.

 Chheeeeesssseeee!!  There's something really cool over there.

 PHOTOBOMB!

 Oh, look!  A pine needle.

 Just a little awkward...

 H: Is this what we're supposed to do?

F: Seriously, this is really not my idea of fun.

B: I'm smiling.  But there is no way I'm looking at you.

 Ok, this is just painful now...

 Hey, Brody!  That's a pretty sweet pine needle.

F: Don't mind my drool/spit up.

 H: Ok, I'm kinda smiling and holding my sister.

B: I'm smiling, but whatever is over in that direction is way cooler.

F: Really, mom?  This is lame.

 Uh, like this?  Cheeeeeeeese!

 You want them to smile?  I'll make them smile!

Yet, I love this picture!  Hunter being silly to make his cousin and brother laugh!

 Insert eye roll and a sigh of "I'm done!"

 So, we're supposed to look like we're happy and having fun?

Sometimes we are done and we want to throw up...literally.

 

Hope you enjoyed!

Thumb Sucker.

That's right!  We have a thumb sucker!  I always said I would never have one, but I'm not going to break her of it quite yet.  We have a video monitor (which is amazing!) and one night I was up way too late-kind of like tonight-and noticed her squirming in her crib.  I watched her as she wiggled around.  She was crying or making noise, just moving.  Then all of a sudden that little thumb made it's way into her mouth and she was still.  This little girl knows how to self-soothe at an early age.
The thumb helps her make it through the night.  Yes, she is amazing and has been sleeping through the night since six weeks old and she will also put herself down on a nap with the thumb.  She will even spit out the paci for the thumb.  It's crazy.
When she was born and they put her on me, she instantly found her thumb.  I think she's been a thumb sucker since her womb days.  We will see how long this will last. :)

Look how little she was!

New York City

For the past 30 hours or so, Brody has informed me we have to go to New York City.  He is so excited to go to NYC!  Our conversations go like this:

Me: Brody, where do you want to go?
B: New York City!
Me: Why do you want to go to New York City?
B: To eat some food.
Me: What do you want to eat there?
B: (In a quiet whisper with a smirk on his face) It's a surprise!

Haha!  He claims Grandpa Neal told him about NYC this weekend, but I'm not sure if that's true.  He is determined we are going to go there for some food.  I just don't know what kind of food since it's a surprise!

Where did October go?

Well, so much for my goal of keeping up this blog!  I can't believe we are three weeks into October with only ten days to go until November.  And our schedule isn't slowing down anytime soon.  So, I bet you're wondering what exactly we have been up to. 
On October 4th, Craig's Grandma Jo passed away at the age of 90.  Watching her health dwindle away the last couple days of her life was very hard.  Craig was in Texas and was unable to return home to say good-bye to her.  We were told her time here on Earth was getting short so in the days previous to her passing, I tried my best preparing Hunter and Brody for what was to come.  Brody was ok with the situation mainly because he couldn't comprehend exactly what was going on.  Hunter on the other hand had a hard time accepting that the end was near.  I told him to keep Grandma Jo in his prayers and when he prayed, his prayers were to keep her alive so he would have more time with her.  Hunter loved his Grandma Jo dearly and he knew he wanted to see her one more time.  I debated on whether or not to take him.  On October 1st he told me he had to go to the nursing home.  There was no way he was going to school the next day.  His exact words were, "School can wait.  Grandma Jo may not."  Ugh.  Deep words from a seven year old!  That night I talked it over with Craig and with his sister Melissa and we came to the conclusion that he would go to school on Wednesday and I would bring him to see her after school.
On Wednesday, October 2nd, it took a lot of convincing to get that little boy on the bus, but he did.  Melissa told me to tell him that she wanted to come too but had to finish out her day at school.  I went to Jo's earlier in the day to see how her condition was and if it would be acceptable to bring Hunter.  She slept the entire time I was there but seemed peaceful too.  I talked it over with Craig's mom and aunt and we all agreed that it would be ok for Hunter to come after school.
I picked up Hunter and we ventured into town.  I tried my best explaining to Hunter that Grandma Jo was very tired and she may not talk to him and he was ok with that.  He just needed to be near her.  While we were there, she slept the entire time (about an hour and a half total).  Hunter did talk to her a little and he read books aloud.  Grandma Jo was a teacher so I'm sure she loved hearing his little first grade voice reading children's books.  After our time there we had a nice evening out with family for supper and talking about memories of Grandma Jo and what needed to be done in the days to come to prepare for a funeral.  At bedtime, Hunter was very thankful for the time he had with her that day and once again his prayers were to keep Grandma Jo alive because he was not ready for her to leave Earth.
I went back to the nursing home on the 3rd while Brody was at school.  Her condition had gotten worse, but she still seemed at peace.  I had a few moments alone with her and I told her how much I loved her and considered her to be my own Grandma.  (My last grandparent passed away in December of 2005.)  I thanked her for always accepting me and never judging me and that even though we would all miss her here on Earth, we knew she was ready to be in the arms of our Savior.
Grandma Jo passed away early Friday morning.  I did not tell Hunter before school.  He needed to go because I knew he would be missing a day the following week.  After sending him on the bus, we got ready and headed into town to be with family.  Finley was such a comfort to all of us that there is new life in this world.  We spent a few moments at the nursing home and then proceeded to the funeral home to make arrangements.  After a busy and emotional day, I went home to get Hunter off of the bus and tell him the news.
Once he walked in the door, I asked him to sit down so we could talk.  I told him that Grandma Jo had gone to heaven that morning.  I was unsure as to what his reaction would be right away.  He was mad.  Very mad.  I let him go downstairs and blow off some steam.  He was literally yelling "God, you said you could do anything!  I prayed for you to keep her alive for a little longer!  Why couldn't you do that for me?"  It broke my heart hearing him be so upset.  After a few minutes I went downstairs and asked him if we could talk.  He curled up in my lap and started to cry.  He had a lot of questions.  First, why didn't God answer his prayers.  I reminded Hunter that here on Earth we want a lot of things.  We want life the way to go we want it to.  But, God's will will always be before ours and He was ready for her to come home.  He was ok with that.  He was also very concerned that since she passed away that now his other two great-grandparents will any day.  I told him that we do not know when their time will be and when it does come that it won't be easy, but for now we need to enjoy the time we do have with them here on Earth.
After getting him calmed down, I asked if he wanted to go to Grandpa Neal's and Grandma Connie's house.  He did.  On the way I gave him a book to read that the funeral home gave to Brody about what to expect in the upcoming days with the loss of a loved one-sadness, the visitation, the funeral and the burial.  He was looking through it and reading it on the drive and all of a sudden I heard him crying.  I asked him what was wrong and he said he really appreciated me giving him the book but it wasn't helping.  It was only making him more sad and miss Grandma Jo more.  I'm pretty sure his maturity level is beyond that of a 7 year old.
We spent the evening with Craig's parents and Hunter was able to talk a little more with them about what had happened and what was to come.  I think it was healing for all of us that night.  I am so blessed to be married into such a wonderful family with caring people.
Craig returned home on Saturday.  It was so wonderful to see him.  Saturday evening we spent time with family and had supper together.  We were busy getting photo boards ready for the visitation which would be on Sunday.  It was great talking about our memories and being around loved ones from near and far.
Sunday and Monday were busy with the visitation, funeral and burial.  It was emotional but at the same time we were all able to find comfort in knowing she was no longer suffering here on Earth and we know she is in her eternal home.  And with the sadness there is also great joy.  Monday evening we went to Craig's other Grandma's and brought supper over to celebrate her birthday.  We figured even after having a day of saying good-bye, we still needed to celebrate the wonderful people who are still here with us.
Here are a few pictures of us with Grandma Jo this summer:

 Grandma Jo meeting Finley.

 Grandma Jo with Brody, Hunter, Finley and Craig

Grandma Jo and Hunter hugging.  They hugged for about 5 minutes until we had to separate the two of them.  And then they hugged again.  Hunter said this is his favorite memory with Grandma Jo.  Being in her arms and hugging her.

 

Well, that was our first week of October.  Craig was home for the next few days until he had to head back to Texas on the 13th.  Our week was filled with doctor and dentist appointments though!  He was home, but at the same time I felt like I hardly saw much of him because we were running here, there and everywhere.  Just not with each other.  We were able to have a fun family night where we ordered pizza and rented a movie.  Craig also got an extra day with the boys and they went to the zoo with Craig's cousin, her husband and son.  They had a great time while I was at a baby shower for my amazing friend, Kiley.

It was so wonderful celebrating the upcoming arrival of Kiley's little boy who will be here in January.  I am beyond excited for Kiley and her husband, Dirk.  There is no doubt in my mind that they will make amazing parents.  Watching the two of them interact with my kids over the past 7 plus years assures me that their little boy is so lucky to have the two of them as his mom and dad.

Sully, Kiley, Baby Henry, me and Finley at the shower.

 



Well, that gets us through two weeks in October.  Now for the third week.  The week itself was short!  It was MEA which means only a three day school week for Hunter and only one day of preschool for Brody.  Hunter was excited for a break but Brody was disappointed that he didn't get to go to school twice that week.  Thursday was spent catching up on laundry and trying to pack for five people while taking care of three kiddos.  Talk about busy!!  I was seriously wondering if all of this stress would be worth the weekend getaway.  I was short on sleep and patience and the boys seemed to push each other's buttons like crazy.  Not a good combo.  Well, Friday morning came and I finished up packing and was finally ready to go.  I was only a half an hour behind schedule.  Not too bad, but not how I wanted things to go.

I brought the kids out to Craig's parents.  They were kind enough to take our three children for the weekend.  Craig and I were invited to a wedding in Eastern Wisconsin for our friend and decided it would be easier and more fun to not bring the kids with.  I was very nervous about leaving them.  Not that I don't trust Craig's parents but more nervous that I was forgetting something.  How many outfits would Finley go through?  How many diapers?  How much milk did I need to have built up?  I knew how to pack for the boys, but for a baby....it's been a good four years!  When in doubt-over pack!  I was a bit frazzled when I dropped them off.  On the way to their place I realized that I forgot the wedding invite on the island in our kitchen.  It had all the info and I knew we would need it.  So, after say a quick good-bye I left.  I tried really hard not to cry in front of them.  I knew they would have fun and that they were safe but it was my first time away from my little girl!  That first time is always so hard!  I kept it together until I drove down the driveway.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad.  The tears began to flow steadily, but then my sister called and calmed me down and told me how much fun I was going to have.  Thank goodness for sisters!

So, back home I went to get the invite only to see I was almost on empty for gas.  Seriously, I was never going to get out of town!

But finally, I did.  An hour and a half later than what I had hoped.  But better late than never, right?  To the airport I went to pick up my husband for our weekend away.  I arrived only about 30-40 minutes after his flight landed so I thought that was pretty good.  Plus he had some work he could catch up on.  We switched drivers and then headed to La Crosse to pick up our friend, Ryan.  It was great to see him and see his work project behind the scenes.

The three of us trekked across Wisconsin and finally arrived at our destination of Lake Geneva, WI late into the evening.  We were all exhausted and headed our separate ways to sleep.

The next morning we woke up, had breakfast and explored the Lake Geneva area.  Talk about some gorgeous area and homes!!  And with the fall colors and the sun peeking through, it was perfect.  We went back to the hotel and got ready for Dan and Jennifer's wedding.  Craig and I clean up pretty well, don't you think?

 The two of us on our balcony before the wedding.

 The newlyweds-Jennifer and Dan-sharing their first dance.

 Love this man!

So thankful for our friends!

Ryan, Jennifer, Dan, me and Craig

 

After a fun night of dancing and spending time with friends-old and new we went back to our room to get some sleep.  The next morning we attended a wonderful breakfast buffet with the wedding guests and then packed up and hit the road west.  We drove and drove and drove.  We dropped Ryan off at his apartment in La Crosse and then we were off to the airport for Craig to fly back to Texas.  We decided to take a different route home and sneak our way up to the cities along the Mississippi River.  A great choice with some beautiful fall scenery!  And it was great spending time just the two of us. 

This was our first time in over three months having uninterrupted time for the two of us and it was so nice to talk about things and enjoy one another's company.  It made me realize again how lucky I am to be married to such a wonderful man and that we still know how to have fun with each other.  We both agreed that we need to make a point of taking time for us because if we don't we will have a harder time working, being good parents and being each other's best friends.

 

 

 Enjoying some fall colors along the Mississippi River

How beautiful is this?

 

After a tearful good-bye, seriously, why don't they get easier? We have been doing this for years! I headed home to get my babies.  I was a little nervous that I would run into icy roads but the coolest temp was 35 and just had some wet roads.  No snow or ice!  Yay!  I did however see some of that white stuff on the ground.  It's still too soon and can stay away until after Thanksgiving in my opinion.  After 9 hours of driving for the day, I was at my in-laws!  I think I was more excited to see them than they were me.  They were having too much fun!  We packed up, headed home, got ready for bed and that brings us to today.

See, I told you we have been busy!!  And there is no sign of it slowing down.  This week we have school, Bible studies and working on a bridal shower that will take place this weekend for my sister-in-law, Melissa!  Followed by a hayride with my senior high kids from church.  And then Halloween next week!!  Stay tuned for some cute costumes.  So even though the rest of the month is busy, it's a good busy!  And it will keep me occupied until the next time my husband comes home in November.  Did I really just say that it's going to be November soon?  Yikes!







The Amazing Race

Last year I took on a new role in my life.  I became a youth counselor for the senior high youth in our church.  I have always wanted to work with kids in some way, but didn't know exactly what I would be doing, where it would be or when.  So, when I got the letter that I had been a person they were considering to work with the youth of our church, I knew I was meant to be there!

Yesterday we had our fall kick-off to begin a new year with the senior high youth.  I wanted it to be something big.  Something different.  Something fun.  Something to get the youth excited for the year.  Something amazing.  What better than our very own Amazing Race!  I knew this would be a challenge and take a lot of planning, but was totally up for it!

I met with our Pastor and we mapped out a plan of locations we could go to.  We wanted to be respectful of places and people, but also wanted the youth to have fun.  We worked on writing clues to 8 different places around town that everyone would know.  We have some pretty great landmarks in our town, so we used them.  They included: Noonan's Park, the YMCA, the Maritime Museum, Big Ole, Zion Lutheran Church (our sister church), City Park, Le Homme Dieu Beach, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (our church), the Runestone Replica and then ended back at our Pastor's house for pizza and games.

We picked our teams by picking out different colored Starbursts from a bag.  Even the adult drivers picked their color so no one knew who their driver would be.  We thought it would be safest to have an adult drive each team around so no one would speed or get in an accident.  We took off and each team received their first clue in the vehicle from their driver.  It was up to the youth to direct their driver to the location.  Once they arrived at their location, they were given their challenge envelope.  Each location had challenges that incorporated the place we were.  There were two choices and as a team they had to decide which challenge they wanted to perform together as a team.  The driver also acted as a judge to make sure the challenge was completed.  They were also responsible for documenting it with pictures/videos.

Partway through the race, we had a person for our church waiting at Big Ole.  The first team there got to pick which way their team would go by choosing "Envelopes #1" or "Envelopes #2".  Each envelope would send you to a different location.  The second team to arrive would get the opposite and the third team got a choice.  So we split and then met up again.  It was really fun and you didn't know who was ahead at the time.  We all finished at the same location and the grand prize: 100 grand!  Yep, quite the generous prize, wouldn't you say?  We told the kids they were playing for a prize worth a lot.  And it was...I mean 100 grand!?!  I think they may have been a little disappointed when it was a 100 grand candy bar, because they honestly thought they were playing for  money.  But we all had a good laugh and a lot of fun.

If anyone in the area would like to do this with a group, let me know.  I would love to share some of our clues and challenges with you.  It would be great to put them to use again.

We had an amazing day at the Amazing Race.  I think everyone had fun, there were no broken bones and people got to meet people they don't know as well.  I look forward to an amazing year with some amazing youth.  We have a busy and fun year planned and I am so excited to get to know each of them more and help guide them in their walk with God and build on their faith.  I pray that God will use me in teaching them and being a person they can trust and go to with anything that may be happening in their lives.  I am so excited for an amazing year!!

Now, here are some pictures from our Amazing Race:

 

 This was my team, Team Red.  They chose the challenge of running around the duck pond at Noonan's park while quacking.  Their other option was to waddle across the bridge and through the yellow house.  Since we parked on the opposite side of the pond from the house, they decided it would be easier to run around.

 Here they are completing 50 jumping jacks outside of the Y.  They got some looks from people inside.  Their other choice was to sing YMCA with the hand motions.

 Team Red at City Park.

 This was Team Pink who made a sign at the Runestone trying to get 20 people to honk at their sign.  It said "Honk if you love Jesus!"  I think they needed to make their sign darker because it took them awhile to get their honks.

 And the winners are: TEAM RED!!!  We came back from behind to win it all!

 Team Pink

 The prizes: 100 Grand!

2013-2014 Fall Kick-off for Good Shepherd's Sr. LYF

What a great group!