Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1)

We had a great weekend with family up in Michigan over the Thanksgiving holiday. The weekend kicked off with our fourth annual Giere Classic 5K. Chris and Ronnie joined us for the first time this year.

Ruth walked the short course…that is until she realized Jake was about to run past her, and then she decided to throttle up. He was a good brother and let his sister cross the finish line first.

These two were running buddies.

After the race, we relaxed, chatted and played games. Then everyone got dressed up for dinner.  Poor Jeremy forgot to pack his button-down shirt, so he wore one of Derek’s.   He was quite concerned about the excess fabric.

My mom carved the turkey…with supervision.

After a cousin sleepover, my dad took the girls for a walk to the windy beach.

Then we celebrated two birthdays. Uncle Jim and Nathan suddenly grew mustaches during the party.

The weather was beautiful on Friday, so we spent much of the afternoon outside.

Two of my cousins recently adopted puppies, and they brought them over so we could meet them. Guess who was especially happy about this?

Most of the family gathered again Friday night for a delicious meal. It was fun to have a new member at the kids’ table.

We drove home Saturday night and headed to church before having to bring Jake to the airport.

As always, it was tough to say goodbye to him. I’m still waiting for it to get easier.

We ended the weekend with hearts overflowing with thanks to God for family, and most of all for Himself and allowing us to know Him!

As I’ve mentioned before on the blog, Jeremy and Ruth are studying birds and insects in science this year. A while back, my mom informed us of a new exhibit at the Field Museum called Specimens. We were eager to check out the vast number of items the museum has on display, and the various ways they preserve the items.

So we hopped on a train and made our way to the city. We arrived when the museum opened, which meant we beat the crowds.

Not only was the trip educational

but also fun, as we watched a 3D movie about the Galapagos Islands.

By the end of the day, these kids walked a total of eight miles! I’m sure they were wishing for a ride on the elephants back to the train station.

It was a fun day with grandma, with lots of learning in between.

Just as Derek’s season came to an abrupt end, so did his brothers’. I suppose it’s never easy unless you win the big championship… and even then, the way these guys love to play the sport, there is always a tinge of sadness when the season ends.

Doesn’t this face say it all? It was the final talk to the team by the coaches after the final game, which ended in a loss. Hard to fight back the tears.

I’ll start with Jeremy. He started on the offensive line, as he was a lighter-older player. Most of his teammates were a year younger than him. But what he really excelled at was playing defensive end. He was a master at shedding his block and getting to the ball.

I love this shot of him reaching to block the kick. He wasn’t successful, but boy, A+ for effort!

Here, he’s collaborating with his teammate.

It reminded me of a pic taken of his big brother way back in 2009:

There was an additional emotional element to the end of Peter’s season, as this was his final year playing youth football. Next year, he’s on to high school football He’s been playing youth football every year since age 5!!

I can’t help myself–look at this little munchkin running onto the field in 2009!

Now look at him–one of the big boys.

He had a great season with great coaches. Two big lessons he learned this fall by being on this team were hard work and perseverance. His coaches pushed the boys physically starting on day one, that Peter would get into the car after practice, absolutely exhausted from all the conditioning.

This team practiced more than any other we’ve been a part of. And downpouring rain did not stop them.

Peter proved to be a versatile player and was a positive contribution on the team.

He enjoyed his experience and definitely exited youth football on a good note.

The youngest person in the family is now eight years old. We rang in Ruth’s special day with birthday pancakes.

She is growing up so quickly!

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)

Our family had many reasons to celebrate in October. Derek and Jake expressed at about the same time a desire to be baptized, so we arranged for Jake to fly home for the weekend. At College Church, you get to wear a nice robe!

We had family and a few friends join us. Ruth was sure happy to have cousins and friend Bethy!

Jake went first,

then Derek.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)

I had many people comment how touching it was that Jake stood on the stage to observe Derek’s baptism. It does warm my heart to see these brothers express love for one another.

Far more delightful than that, though, is knowing that these two guys have made a decision to trust and follow Jesus.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4)

Afterward, we came home and had brunch.

Cousins!

And for the 8th year, we celebrated both my mom’s and Ruth’s birthdays, since they are just a day apart.

It was a special day, full of joy!

In between school and football, the boys had a steady stream of business throughout the fall. It has been a lesson in time management for these guys!

They really enjoy it, and the more they practice, the better the product.

If you want to find out more about Corenermouse Catering, you can go to their website.

Derek’s junior year football season came to an abrupt end this year. Here are some of my favorite scenes from the season:

Everyone on the team wrote on or painted a link in the team chain at the beginning of the season. The captains wore the chain as they marched onto the field before each game.

Coach Gray taping up Derek’s wrists before the game:

He started on offense as the center

and often on defense too.

We definitely saw him grow this fall, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Among other things, he learned about leadership and persevering through pain–lessons that translate to life off the field.

It seems I have some catching up to do on the blog. I blinked, and an entire month passed by! Our fall season included the start of homeschool, three football seasons, Jim coaching high school football, involvement at church, a job change for Jim, and kids’ extracurricular activities. We were so busy living that there was no time to record the happenings!

Last month we had the opportunity to go to an opera performance for kids. My friend Laura invited us, so I asked the kids if they wanted to go to an opera. When they responded by asking, “what’s an opera?” I knew we needed to go. These kids needed to experience some high culture!

They enjoyed the performance, but what they relished even more was time with friends.