Pinewood Derby 2010

The day has finally arrived...
The cars have been thought about...
designed...cut...sanded...painted
and now it's the moment of truth!

Jonathan and Nicholas getting Nicholas' car ready to register

Graphite on the wheels

The cars have to meet a certain weight to qualify

The car has to be a certain size to qualify

Nicholas' Pinewood Derby Car...Go Blue!

Parker's last year in the Pinewood Derby

Parker's Car

Parker registers his car with Sister Hokansan

Parker's car meets criteria

Jonathan brought his tools and helped worked on any of our boys cars before checking them in

Jonathan helping get Courage's car ready for the races

The line-up of cars

The Hokansans are the creators of this track and owners of the system

Kyle ready to watch some races

Cory ready for the races

Dave Amsbury and Jonathan chatting

Jonathan and Jeff talk

Jonathan cheering for Nicholas

Mar cheering Nicholas on

Maria cheering Nicholas on

The cars ready to race

The boys ready for the races

Nicholas watches the races

Jeff, Parker and Luke watch the races

Nicholas came in Third Place in the Pack!
Jonathan worked on these cars for an entire month with Nicholas and anyone else who needed his help. He was pretty disappointed when he saw third place...that was until I pointed out that Courage's car was built at our place with Jon's assistance and Jon taught Brother Sayer what he was doing wrong last year and they modeled this years car after our car last year.

Our Pack

The cake

Nicholas shows off his award and his car

The primary presidency made these flags for each of our boys...the boys loved them

Nicholas can really be a turkey when it comes to taking pictures...
therefore, Mar put him in a head lock

Mar and Parker

Mar cheered on her two favorite Cub Scouts at their Pinewood Derby

Sledding

The kids wanted to sled at two places...The Northview High School hill and the church near where we lived on Granville

Kyle

Luke

Luke ready to go down the hill

Kyle ready to go down

Dylan is so good about looking out for his younger brothers

Luke heading down the hill

Reflections

Nicholas was so excited to play with his Zay today too!

Dylan got to play with his friend Mahdi

Nicholas

They climbed this hill again and again

You gotta love a little sledding fun!

2010 New Year's Resolutions

If I have learned anything over the last few years, it has been that I am the Master of my own Destiny...

• If I desire to make things happen...it is up to me to do the work to bring those "things" to fruition.
  
• If I want changes to happen...I need to put forth the effort to overcome the obstacles that face me.
  
• If I want to become a certain kind of person...it is up to me to work on developing the desirable attributes I seek.

Unfortunately, I tend to become my own worse enemy when it comes to making changes. I have always battled my self esteem and Satan knows all too well the words and ways to whisper the defeating messages to me to enlist me to give up.

I am encouraged with the changes I have made personally over the last few years in my attempts to become a more positive, happy individual. But there are still so many areas in my life where I feel I am still lacking. Every year when the time for New Years Resolutions come around...I grit my teeth. I try to set goals, but usually find myself right back where I started. This year, I thought I would try a different strategy and take on just one goal at a time. Focus on that goal, and then move forward from there. Even better than goals...I want to create habits. Habits that benefit me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Because this time of year usually finds me at my most ambitious...I decided to start with one of my most difficult goals/habits first and that is of not only weight loss, but working towards a healthier lifestyle.

• I will go to the gym and work out 3-4 times a week.
  
• I will get on the scale and face the weight that I have allowed myself to become (I know it isn't going to be pretty).
  
• I will meet with someone at Lifestyles and create a personal workout regime for myself.
  
• I will reduce the portions I eat.
  
• I will start thinking more about the things I place in my mouth and the value they have to my body.
  

Here goes nothing!

New Year's Eve 2009

We started a possible New Year's Eve Tradition
My mom wanted to take the local Grand Kids to
The Lights Before Christmas
at the Toledo Zoo
We bundled up and headed out to see the lights

The Lights

Penguins liked the cold

The kids looking for animals

Mar with Sammy, Nicholas and Carly

Parker, Dylan and Kyle

Nicholas warm with his Panda and Sammy posing so cute

This is the High School I graduated from

Simons Boys on Tiger

Parker, Sammy and Carly on Tiger

Lake Grandkids

Luke in Polar Bear Den

Dylan isn't that much smaller than the polar bear anymore...I have a pic of him as a little guy where Jonathan is holding him up to the Polar Bear (he is so much smaller than it)

Dylan with the Polar Bear

Sammy and Carly weren't afraid of the Big Polar Bear

Jonathan and Nicholas watching the seal swim around. Nicholas was fascinated by it.

Reflections

Sammy and Carly chat

Hot Chocolate at Mar's House after a chilly night at Lights Before Christmas

Ready for the Ball to drop

Watching the Ball Drop

Happy New Year's 2010