Happy Birthday Evan! Evan is 8 years old today so we celebrated with him at breakfast at Ray's.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

First and Second Place Cousins

Joseph and his cousin, Jayson

These are the days of brother vs. brother and cousin vs. cousin at the teen center! Now,  this is not nearly as bad as it sounds-it's actually fun. Because of the ages of my boys and sister Rosemary's boys being nice and close and all of them enjoying a game of pool, they often have to play each other during the pool tournaments at Non-Toxic.

Last year, all three of our sons would play and lots of times it came down between two of them. It can often be a cousin or brother who takes them out of the tournament -or one of each 'cause it's a double elimination meaning you have to lose twice before you're out.

Anyway, last night was fun. Jayson had the game against Joseph in has hand when he accidentally scratched on the 8-ball. But all the kids in the tournament are such good sports-they are gracious winners and losers.

Congratulations guys!

*Notice Jayson's nice newly brace-free teeth!!*

The Von Trapps live!

David and his Grandpa wearing their matching outfits: moss green sweaters and black pants. His Grandma and mother also ended up wearing moss green sweaters! 

Now it's only 'matching' outfits NOT 'identical' outfits (unplanned of course)  like Sam McCumber and David's Grandpa had on in the very first post on this blog. 

Today walking around we must have looked like one of those travelling singing families on tour.

Once More With Feeling

So here David is warming up before his audition. 

He was able to procure a practice room for students about an hour and a half before his app.  He played Jeff Hickey's "The Old Fishing Reel "  and then his own "My Refuge". It lasted 8 times longer than his last audition.

There was a crazy awesome piano player in the practice room next door. I peeked in, but didn't want stare--have no idea who he was but he really was crazy awesome.

David's audition went well; he liked the professor very much.

So now we just wait to find that letter in our mailbox accepting, denying or wait-listing him. 

Either way, it was a good visit today.

Ahhhh... Life is good again at Taco Bell

Taco Bell makes everything way better! Yes, it is the table picture part of our trip.
And this made Joseph think that tagging along on this particular little adventure was totally worth it. Grandma and Grandpa are at the table too.

"Have Gun Will Travel" movie marathon

Grandpa and Joseph in the 'way back' of the van on the way back home from Chicago.
Can you back-seat drive from the seat in of the back seat? Ask Mom what she thinks...she was the one driving back to Wisconsin.

They were back there watching episodes of "Have Gun, Will Travel" which Joseph thinks is the best show ever. It's so cute watching them watch movies on a little portable dvd player with earbuds in. Something I certainly didn't do with MY Grandparents!! Technology can help bridge the generation gap-amazing.

David finds out that music composition is NOT going to be his undergrad degree.

I wore a sweater and everything!

The Thinking Man

Son David contemplates his future after his audition. He will be having another audition next week perhaps-then, or middle to late March. The college admission drama continues!

A snippet of the praise team for urban missions week

This student body praise team was so awesome! The drummer in down in front on the left side with the lead guitar and bass on down on the right, and a Sam McCumber like guy at the piano and keyboard. They were movin', raisin' their hands and people out in the audience were clapping-which makes getting a good recording on a little cellphone really tough people!

Sterling North Show 2009

Here's Grandpa Hodges doing two songs. He was so great! The audience really enjoyed him.
FIVE of his grandsons (David, Clayton, Joseph, Jayson, and Joel) were also in the show.


MANIFOLD! Yes, this is the boy's band. It's Clayton (far left), nephew Jayson, friend Nathan singng, Joseph on drums, nephew Joel and friend Michael on the bass.
They performed a song called New Beginning composed by son David, arrangement by the band with lyrics by Nathan. It was very much a group effort. This was their first public performance outside of the teen center.


And finally, here we have son David. He's performing three of his original compositions. The first is Snow Drift Riff-which is a new favorite of mine.

It was a lot of fun that day. There is a lot of talent in the Edgerton area; singing, dancing, flags, poetic readings-it had great variety. It was just the sort of thing that makes living in a small town a charming experience.

The guys rock climbing- indoors! It's still January after all.

I think this might be David...or Jayson? upside down in the "cave".


Joel hanging upside down in the "cave" at the gym.

Joel on the ground, Joseph on wall, Nathan H. on wall

The guys went on their first non-parent trip-it was just them, "hanging' out!

David, Clayton, Joseph, Caleb H., Nathan H., Jason H., Raymond from Finland, T.J. McShane!, Jayson and Joel went to Boulders Climbing Gym today and from the looks and sounds of it, had a fabulous time!

Several of them passed their belay test so that they could belay a buddy up a wall, but I think many found "bouldering" even more fun.

They are a great group of guys!!

Marlie Rose at her swim meet in Milton

Here's Marlie right before she gets into the pool for her 50 yd backstroke. She has such good form! 

It was my first time ever being at a swim meet and I had no idea how loud, crazy, colorful and high energy they are. It wasn't boring even when my little niece wasn't in the water.

Seeing all the many, many kids there was cool too-you just want to cheer for all of them.

So-Way to Go Marlie Rose!

Sunrise Snowboarding and Snowshoeing

Joseph, Clayton and Cousin Joel

WOW!! Can you believe that getting up and out of doors before sunrise can actually be fun? I am surprised too!

While Rosemary, Kathy and I snowshoed around the beautiful landscape at the golf course Clayton and Joseph were joined by their cousin Joel on the big sledding hill where they met the sun coming up on their snow boards.

It was such a beautiful morning with gorgeous skies and that kind of snow that looks all sparkly-it was awesome-God is Good!!

My niece Marlie the Otter!

This is my niece, Marlie Rose. She is working hard during swim team practice! (She stopped just long enough to let her mom snap this pic.)  

Swim practice is over for the day so it's time to take the lanes down and swim for fun!

A Night at The Dry Bean

 Marlie and Joseph at the table!                                Joseph's debut at the Dry Bean.

Grandpa and Grandma Hodges took Joseph and cousin, Marlie to the Dry Bean near Madison.

Joseph has been learning the song "Wild Wood Flower" per the request of his Grandpa Flood and Grandpa Hodges. He intro'd his song, and even got to play a follow up of "Simple Man". 

Joseph was introduced by his Grandpa as "Rock River Red"--for those of you wondering, our little town is near the RockRiver and as for the red, I'm pretty sure  you can see why *smile* 

Marlie and Joseph had a good time visiting with each other and listening to their Grandpa and the rest of the musicians there at the open mike. It's a very encouraging atmosphere for musicians, and we look forward to Marlie's!! debut there in the future.