Peter wrestled his way through February. One of the moms on the team faithfully snapped pictures at every meet and tournament and captured some great shots of Peter.

He wrestled more aggressively as the season went on.

It was fun to watch him progress.

It was also fun to see Jim in the coaching role.

The team formed a tight bond this season.

It did come to a heartbreaking end for Peter at regionals, though. He got a consoling hug from mom. I was so proud of how he fought hard all year.

Meanwhile, at USAFA, the firsties celebrated 100’s night, signifying the 100 days before graduation!

And at Wheaton College, Derek and Alyssa attended the President’s Ball at the Field Museum in Chicago.

They’re also on the track and field team together. Derek, always willing to try something new, has learned to throw the shot put.

Back at the homefront, we are having fun with our animals. We’re like a mini petting zoo here!

I never knew how much entertainment guinea pigs could provide. We laugh so much at these little fur balls.

Ruth taught Sugar how to play Phase 10.

As has always been the case, whenever we get on the floor to play a game, Molly immediately gets one of her toys and joins us.

The pup may be getting old, but she still loves her long walks on the prairie path. Just after a February snowstorm, I brought her out.

The next day was the coldest morning we had had all year, so Molly wore the sweater she got for Christmas.

There were some pretty snow scenes along the way.

As pretty as the snow is, we are ready for warmer spring weather!

Firstie cadets found out their job assignments in January. While Jake has formed a bond with his fellow aeronautical engineer majors, most of them have pursued a pilot slot. Jake ended up being one of only two cadets in the entire class to be given the job of aeronautical engineer!

This comes as no surprise, of course. Jake came out of the womb trying to figure out how things work. I’ve been thinking back to all the electronic devices he has taken apart and put back to together…

I look forward to seeing how God uses Jake’s mind in the future!

We said goodbye for now to Jake and Tiffany when they left for Colorado early in the month. We sure enjoyed the extended time with them!

Some of us carried on our annual Lord of the Rings marathon tradition. Jim and Dad joined us later on.

Derek still had another week of break, so guess what he volunteered to help with? Algebra 2! This meant a lot, considering how much Derek loves math.

For Christmas, Jeremy got The Double Dangerous Book for Boys. He likes it very much and has done some of the suggested activities. Here he is playing with fire.

The month was dominated by wrestling. Peter wrestled so much this season that he reached the maximum number of matches allowed for one wrestler in one season.

He developed so much as a wrestler this year; we are really proud of his hard work ethic.

The team won conference for the second year in a row,

and a week later, Wheaton Academy hosted the conference tournament.

Derek came for the day, and the two of us scored one of the mats and ran the clock and scoreboard. We enjoyed more than a few belly laughs at the table. Ruth was our runner, bringing finished scorecards to the main table in the gym. She also was in charge of alerting the ref when the period ended if he didn’t hear the buzzer. She was to alert him by throwing a towel at him.

She was disappointed that the ref heard that buzzer every single time it went off, so she never had to carry out her towel-throwing duty.

Peter came in third for the 220 weight class!

Ruth has had some babysitting opportunities, watching one of the coaches’ sons. Here she is playing with one of the boys at a wrestling meet.

Molly turned 11 years old this month!

She may sleep more during the day, but she is still full of spunk and enjoys time on the prairie path.

Jake sent a video of his first skeet shooting experience. No surprise, he shot every clay target that his buddy threw into the air.

Because Thanksgiving fell so late in November this year, our tree acquisition and decorating took place in December. As has become tradition, Football Santa was the first ornament to make it on the tree.

Derek made sure he was available to come home that Sunday to help put the tree up.

With all the helping hands, the tree didn’t take long to decorate. We were ready for the star on the top in no time.

We received the proofs from this handsome guy’s last year of school pictures.

Ruth and I kept with tradition and made gingerbread men to give as gifts to the neighbors.

Wrestling continued on for Peter. He wrestled in a tournament after Thanksgiving break,

and also in a meet in Rockford. Tiffany joined me for that one–the three hour round trip allowed us some good windshield time.

Jake and Tiffany arrived in the middle of December, which we were thrilled about. We were able to have sweet extended time with them. While the girls went to the wrestling meet, the boys headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up supplies to make balsa wood gliders.

One day, Jake and Tiffany helped with homeschool. Jake took on Jeremy’s math,

while Tiffany helped Ruth with her writing.

Peter went to soiree with a group of guys.

Tiffany and I had some future mother- and daughter-in-law bonding as we organized my clothes closet.

Then we celebrated with a sushi lunch. Yummers.

There was lots of wrestling among the four boys, just like old times. Only bigger bodies make a bigger impact on the floor and walls.

Jake and Derek joined my parents for a triple date in the city one evening.

Jake got this shot of the city lights reflected on the Bean. Beautiful.

Then it was time to prepare for Christmas Eve dinner with the Johanik side of the family. The table was set…

and the food prepared.

We had a fun time together.

Christmas morning, we gathered around the advent wreath and lit the Christ candle and read about the birth of Jesus many years ago.

The kids all bought gifts for one another, which meant lots of presents all around.

Even the animals received gifts. Lettuce and carrots for the piggies…

and a new sweater for Molly.

Molly and I went on our annual Christmas morning jog. It was unseasonably warm this year, so she went without her sweater.

Then we headed into Chicago to celebrate with the Giere side of the family. The seventeen of us spent all day in Mom and Dad’s condo, laughing, telling stories,

playing games,

building Legos,

and eating. We made our way up to the rooftop to take some pictures. We were grateful for the warm weather–no one wore a coat! I’m sure we could have squeezed another few people onto that elevator.

The whole clan:

And it all began with these two…

The Johanik clan:

The soon to be Mr. and Mrs.

This was a great shot of the city from the rooftop, taken at night.

The day after Christmas, most of the cousins went rock climbing. It was the perfect way to burn off energy.

The kids encouraged and helped each other,

as well as engaged in some friendly competition.

We knew it was time to head home when people were checking their watches

and more folks were watching than climbing.

Grandma and Grandpa treated everyone to Portillo’s.

While we were rock climbing, Jim and Derek drove to Detroit to watch Eastern Michigan play in a bowl game.

One day we opened up Wheaton Academy and set up the badminton net for some more competition. The teams were settled.

Ruth and I kept score and hit the birdie around on our own for practice. She didn’t think she was ready for competition quite yet. Probably a good call, since it got heated at times (shocker).

We enjoyed seeing some friends over the break. On NYE, we had the VanHuises over for dinner and games. We actually made it until midnight.

Earlier that day, some of us ran in a 5K race in Chicago. Unlike Christmas Day, it was cold and blustery. But that didn’t dampen our excitement. Pre-race gathering at Gma and Gpa’s.

The traditional race pic with Jake and Grandma.

We all finished well! Dad was the faithful cheerleader as we neared the finish line.

High school football ended in October, but there was still quite a bit of college football left to be played. Wheaton JV played against North Central JV on an absolutely frigid Monday night. It was about 15 degrees at game time! That didn’t stop the O-Line from going undershirt-less. They bore those big arms with pride.

The field had to be plowed just prior to the game because of all the snow that had fallen throughout the day.

I made another drive up to Wisconsin to see Derek play against Carroll College.

Four of Derek’s teammates are sons of men with whom Jim played football at Wheaton 25 years ago. Here are the dads:

Someone got a shot of three of the dads with their rejoicing sons after winning the conference championship. It says a lot about the program when you see sons following in the footsteps of their fathers!

It was a good day to celebrate.

Speaking of former college football teammates, Jim got together with three others to support Neal coaching his Eastern Michigan University team.

Jim and I drove home early from Michigan Thanksgiving weekend so we could cheer Derek on as he played in the second round of NCAA playoffs. It was cold and rainy, but that didn’t damper our spirits. Ah, football in November.

Another victory!

Loyal fan club:

We took Derek out to eat at a place nearby. We had a Groupon. The reviews were great. Let’s just say the experience was…interesting. We were literally the only customers because the place ended up being a night club. 6:00 was a tad early for the later-arriving party-goers. This was not mentioned in the description. At least the food and company were good!

In other college football news, Air Force beat Army! Jake and Tiffany were cheering for their respective branches. Tiffany was at the game, serving at the Army ROTC table at the tailgate.

Jake went on another field trip with his test flight class to Edwards Air Force base in California. It was the most exciting experience in his life, by his account, as some of the students got to fly in F-16s! They simulated a dog fight, went supersonic, flew through valleys, and experienced a mid-flight refuel. Jake took a selfie during the flight.

In case you were wondering, there is most certainly an ear-to-ear grin on that face!

We celebrated Ruth’s birthday (again) with my parents. It was her third tenth birthday.

After having it for 2.5 years, the front chandelier was finally put in. You can see why it took a while to build up the gumption to install it.

We had the WA football banquet. Peter was awarded the Hammer Award for being the hardest working o-lineman of the season.

He also played percussion in church one Sunday morning.

We traveled to Michigan for Thanksgiving weekend once again. Though because Jake and Tiffany celebrated the holiday in Colorado, and Derek had practice all through the weekend, our numbers were light this year.

Ruth and Mom preparing food in the kitchen:

Thursday morning was the annual Giere Classic 5K/optional distance run/jog/walk event. We put on the bib numbers,

warmed up with some calisthenics,

and posed for a group shot.

Without Jake and Derek leading the pack in running and competition, most took a more leisurely pace along the trail.

It was no less fun, however.

After the race, the boys hung out at the house, playing games,

while the girls went back to the Gieres’ to do hair and get dressed before dinner.

My cousin Jackie brought her two precious little ones to dinner, and oh how we loved loving on them.

The girls!

They had so much fun playing with this little guy too. Cars, trucks, and hide-and-seek.

Oh, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner. Derek drove up after practice Thursday and made it just in time. Unfortunately, he had to leave first thing the following morning, but it was so good to have him there for at least a short time.

The clean-up crew!

The next night we celebrated family birthdays from August through December. That included a lot of us! Moreover, it was Brian’s actual birthday.

We played a favorite game (similar to Telestrations).

Another full month!

Jeremy pulled out the bow and arrows in October, which attracted the attention of the preschool neighbors.

They helped him retrieve arrows from the target.

Peter went to Homecoming with a group of friends.

Ruth learned to play volleyball this fall and loved it. She participated in only the practices to get a feel for the sport. She is looking forward to playing games next fall.

Ruth also sang in the choir at church.

Once again, she earned a sister-of-the-year award by going to countless football games in support of her brothers. Many of those games were played in the rain and/or cold.

Speaking of football (football pics are unavoidable in October!), Jeremy continued to have a great season. He made a huge impact for his team. Here he is blocking a guy twice his size.

After one of his games, he came to cheer on Derek.

We enjoyed a celebratory youth football homecoming.

Peter continued with his season as well.

He played a little defense in October.

He caused and recovered a fumble on one play!

Posing after a game with some teammates…

The team had some heartbreaking losses that left Peter feeling spent.

Thankfully, Dad was readily available for hugs and pep talks.

Aunt Judi had a knee replaced in October…but that didn’t stop her from being at the Friday night lights!

Friend Anthony came to a game. These guys have been buds for many years. It was fun to have him there.

We had a couple Derek sightings at Friday night games whenever he had a free night and a ride to WA.

Ruth did a cheer camp at WA and had the opportunity to cheer at one of the varsity football games. She was quite happy when she got the green light to participate this year!

Jim ended the JV season with the best JV football record in WA history.

We had the JV team over for movie night to watch Greater. Guys left with tears in their eyes.

Derek came home for a couple days during fall break. He helped Ruth get through her math facts practice–adding in some humor, of course.

He joined some football dudes at the Bears game.

And of course college football continued throughout October.

Wheaton won the Little Brass Bell rivalry with North Central College. I’ve been to many football games in my life, and that game was the most exciting one I’ve ever seen in person. Here are the freshmen with the bell.

Derek’s high school offensive line coach was in town for the game, and some of the Wheaton College players from WA reconnected with him.

There was another reunion of sorts when Wheaton JV played Olivet Nazarene JV one Monday night. It’s neat to see the bond these guys formed in high school continue on in college.

We can always count on the support of grandma and grandpa.

Ok. A few more things from October that were not football related. Ruth entered the world of double digit ages! And to celebrate, I took her to get her ears pierced. When she woke up on her birthday morning, she found one of her stuffed animals with her ears pierced, announcing that it was now Ruth’s turn.

She was over the moon excited, and almost three months later, the excitement has not waned.

We carved a family of pumpkins, even including the dog and piggies.

Speaking of the dog, Molly got into the dressing up part of the holiday this year.

Halloween brought not only freezing temperatures but also record snowfall. According to the National Weather Service, Halloween 2019 was the second snowiest halloween on record in Chicago. This did not deter Jeremy the ski bum (brilliant, no?) and Ruth the pioneer girl.

They pounded the pavement for hours and came back with a bounty of chocolate and sugar. Then the inventory and trading commenced.

If you looked up “September” in the thesaurus (Johanik version), you’d find “football”. Indeed, as I look over the pictures from the month, 90% are football pictures.

I’ll start with Jeremy. This was his third year playing on FCA Force. Their home field is at Wheaton Academy, which is a dream for us since he is able to walk to practices.

Jeremy has been an offensive lineman for the past couple years, but he filled in as running back for part of this season and got to carry the ball.

Super-fan Aiden came to a Friday night game.

Dave and Judi came to cheer him on as well.

On to the high school level. After taking a season off due to an IHSA policy last year prohibiting “external noisemakers”, I decided to risk being penalized and pulled out the cowbell of cowbells for this season. It has special meaning, as it has been handed down from one WA football mom to another for years. It rang all season with no penalties!

Peter played on the varsity team this year as a sophomore.

He proudly wore #52 in honor of his big brother, and also filled the Center position quite effectively. Just like his emotions, he was Steady Eddie.

Super-fan Aiden showed up to cheer at several games. We enjoyed his running commentary from the stands, always with a serious face.

Jim coached the JV team again this year. He is settling well into his role, and the boys love him.

And now the college level. Derek played Center for Wheaton College, and boy did the team have a remarkable season. It was exciting to see Derek in a Wheaton uniform.

Because of Jim’s coaching responsibilities, I often drove alone to Derek’s away games. He played Carthage in Wisconsin one Monday night.

Looking back on all the September games, I realized just how much rain fell during the month! During one game, it was a downpour during the entire second half. It sure did not deter all the fans. Dedicated family…

and girlfriend!

Ok, now for the 10% of September that was not football. Derek bonded quickly with the other freshmen linemen.

He also went on his first field training exercise for ROTC.

Thanks to Peter, the green army guy lived on during Homecoming week at WA.

Jake went on a field trip with his flight test class to the Reno Air Races. He was on cloud nine!

Ruth continued her Botany studies by planting seeds

and putting them in a special box she made to encourage them to germinate and grow.

She also loves holding babies and playing with toddlers every chance she gets. Here, she’s holding my cousin’s 1 year-old daughter.

I continue to find beautiful and unusual things during my runs on the prairie path. Here’s a colorful fungus I found growing from a tree.

One morning, the air was particularly damp and cool. It seemed to make a usually unseen world materialize. I could see sunbeams as they shone on the foggy air.

The sun also fell on water droplets that clung to intricate spider webs among the bushes and tall grasses.

I didn’t do much running that morning because the beauty was overwhelming. I marveled at the sight of these spider webs, knowing that they’re always there but unseen.

And God saw that it was good–Genesis 1

The month of August began with a softball tournament among WA football summer competition teams. Each of the four teams choose a theme for the game. Peter’s group decided on dressing as ballerinas.

I’m not sure who came up with the idea, but let’s just say the final result was…interesting. I never thought I’d be found shopping at Walmart for white tights for my son. Their team played remarkably well, despite the tutus.

Once that was over, Peter put on his tiling hat and went to work on our master bathroom shower. The shower had been leaking ever since we moved in, so this upgrade was much needed.

Ruth enjoyed a girls’ weekend at Grandma’s condo. They went for a late night swim,

got their nails done, and toured the Art Institute, among other fun activities.

Ruth is learning to love cooking! She’s picked up chopping and dicing skills quickly, and I sure appreciate her help.

The biggest family event of the month–even the summer–was Derek’s move from home to college. He had his final doctor appointment with Dr. Eckberg, our most favorite pediatrician.

Jim and I took Derek out for an all-you-can-eat meat lunch.

Then the time came to move out, definitely a bittersweet event. He moved in to the dorm at Wheaton College a couple weeks before freshman orientation in order to begin football practice. He met with the team for the first time, along with parents.

He and roommate Christian knew a couch would come in handy in their spartan room, so our loveseat made its way from the basement

to the third floor of Fischer dorm.

Both families helped get the room all set up.

Another arrow launched.

Derek began dating Alyssa–who had already committed to go to Wheaton College–over the summer. Now they get to study together and hang out on campus!

We had one last s’mores party before school started.

We took our annual first day of school pic. Our numbers are dwindling here at home! Peter: 10th grade, Jeremy: 8th grade, and Ruth: 4th grade.

Peter put on his cook hat and prepared 200 crepes for a football moms’ breakfast.

Ruth learned how plants and animals are classified in her science class on Botany.

Out in Colorado, Jake was quite busy leading tours at USAFA. He led a couple of our family friends, the Crudeles

and the Hyatts.

He also led the family of one of Jim’s group guys. He loves sharing this part of his life with others.

At the end of the month, it was time for us to head out for our final parents’ weekend (for now!?). Peter stayed back for football, and Mom and Dad drove out with the rest of us. We left early in the morning in order to arrive in time to meet up with Jake and Tiffany for dinner.

The next day was the parade. For the first time, the sky was clear and the temperature was warm.

#ProudGrandma

We met up with Jake on the parade field,

hung out in his room for a while,

and toured the Aeronautical building.

We saw this poster of Jake’s graduating class of Aero majors. This group has bonded over the past four years.

There is no doubt he is right where he belongs. I marvel at God’s kindness in making the path clear.

Meanwhile, back at home, Peter won a football game. He had Aunts Jeanine and Judi and Uncle Dave there to cheer him on!

He hopped on a plane the next day to meet us in Colorado, where we were very eager to have him join us. We went to a USAFA game and spent time hanging out at the hotel. We celebrated Tiffany’s 20th birthday.

Parents’ Weekend continued into the first couple days of September, then it would be time to return home.

Lots happened in July. Jake was home for a week, so we drove up to Michigan for a day to visit Michigan family. My 93 year-old Grandpa Barker was our first stop.

He recently moved into an assisted living place, so he took some time to show us around his new crib. It’s always so good to see him.

Then we headed to the beach. Or should I say non-beach? We were amazed at how high Lake Michigan’s water level has become! Our backs were to the dune. Sadly, people have lost not only staircases down to the lake, but entire homes.

We also stopped at my Aunt Ellen’s and played with the dogs.

Cornermouse had a wedding job, making 150 cake pops for Peter’s teacher’s wedding. She supplied the tags that said, “So sweet of you to be here”

The Meat Monday tradition carried on throughout the summer, as we hosted the WA football offensive line each week.

These competitive football players couldn’t pass up the chance for more competition on the whiffle ball field.

Also while Jake was home we had fun-due. Always a great family meal!

We took a trip to Great America. Jake, always with at least one book going, made sure to wear his cargo shorts so he could carry a book in one of the many pockets. He would pull the book out and read while we stood in the long lines. Ever the Efficient One.

The four bros sure enjoyed each others’ company.

Not long after we said goodbye to Jake, we made our way out to Ft. Collins, Colorado for the Cru conference which takes place every other year. After much deliberation (and forgiveness) we decided to bring Molly back to Colorado. We thought we’d give her a chance to redeem her bad experience a couple years ago.

She ended up being a champ the entire trip! Having her bed and a crate helped.

In between the Cru meetings and gatherings, we managed to find some gorgeous trails and explore the northern part of the state. This particular picture was taken just before we found out that dogs are not allowed on national park trails. Jim and Ruth escorted Molly to more dog-friendly territory.

Meanwhile, the boys and I hiked to the top of a small mountain. The views were amazing. Only in Colorado.

Rain began rolling in, but before we called it a day, I took Ruth to see the very same rock at Bear Lake that I stood on when I was about 10 years old. I had some serious feelings of deja vu and nostalgia all at once!

One day we drove to a trail halfway between Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs to meet Jake for a hike.

Molly was allowed to join us for this one. Of course, because dogs were allowed, she was not the only dog on the trail. Every time she encountered another of her kind, she let out a frightened bark.

As nice as it was to drink in the beauty of the mountains, we were happy to return home and enjoy some summer.

After a long hiatus, I am back to summarizing the Johanik life month by month. Heading into the new year, I plan to blog at least once per month. Goals.

As I write about events from June, it feels like an eternity ago! Ruth played her final softball game. She really enjoyed the season and can’t wait for spring when she can play again.

Her end of the season party was at a bowling alley. Derek was her bowling buddy.

Ruth also made some money over the summer taking care of Walter the dog.

Golf carts were a theme that ran through June. Our new neighbors down the street own a huge golf cart. He thought it would be a good idea to let all the neighbor kids pile in one Saturday and have a 15 year-old who has never been behind the wheel of a car drive them up and down the street. Note that the sister of the driver was wearing a helmet.

Later in the month, we held the Cru golf outing, which meant more golf cart time! This time, however, there was an experienced driver behind the wheel.

Most of the month of June was spent preparing for Derek’s graduation party. We stocked up on a variety of meats and fired up the smoker.

We set up the tables and tents.

Mom and Dad came out early in the day to help with the preparations.

Then we were ready for people to arrive!

Our goal was for everyone to have fun and go home with full bellies.

Aunt Judi brought fun props for pictures

as well as beautiful custom-made cookies.

Jim took on some of the football guys in a pugil stick battle.

The fun lasted well into the night.

My brother and his family stayed with us overnight, and the next day we played some backyard whiffle ball.

When Derek opened up his cards the day after the party, he received so many kind words of encouragement. Here’s the card from his sister:

Jeremy got a drone for his birthday, and everyone is having some fun with it. He took an overhead picture of our house:

The boys thought it would be fun to video themselves playing whiffle ball in the backyard.

We built an outdoor enclosure for the piggies. They enjoy munching on grass and having a little more elbow room than they do in their cages. We do get a chuckle, though, when every time a bird chirps, the piggies growl. They do not like birds.

Ruth made some money selling lemonade with the neighbors.

And if you ever wondered how football players bond…watch this. That would be Peter in the Raptors shirt, winning the chocolate milk chugging contest. #proudmom

Jeremy celebrated his 13th birthday last month, which means we have another teenager in the family. I love how this guy is growing up and maturing, with a love for knowing God’s word.

Naturally, we started the special day with birthday pancakes.

Then the kids and I hopped in the car to go to Great America–the perfect way to spend a birthday!

Ruth was happy that she was tall enough to ride all the thrill rides. Though she did learn that it cuts both ways–she was told by the operator of a kiddie ride that she was too tall!

It was a great day celebrating a great kid!

Ruth and I got our puppy fix a couple weeks ago. I told her before we walked in that she could pick out two dogs to play with. The first was a Malamute.

He was cute, but a little too hyper for our taste. After playing with him for a while, we requested the next puppy: an Augie, which is an Australian Shepherd, Corgi mix.

And exactly what I was afraid of happened. His eyes bore into my soul and begged me to take him home. How could you say no to this?

Ruth and I played with him for quite a long time. Then we reluctantly said good-bye. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone adopted him soon after that.

The past four years have literally flown by. So much growth–physically and spiritually–in four years. So many events. And now it’s over.

The ceremony took place at Edman Chapel. Ruth met up with her buds, and they sat together.

Derek was one of three students picked to give a speech. He knocked it out of the park.

They called the 160 or so names, and we watched each graduate walk across the stage. Derek hugged the principal.

and received his diploma from the head-of-school.

Then it was time to meet up with him outside. Thankfully, the weather was beautiful!

I have a hunch that Peter is going to miss his brother in the fall.

We were so grateful to have Dave and Judi join us,

as well as Mom and Dad.

Joyful fam.

And the whole crew together!

From the moment Derek stepped outside, he was talking. Talking to friends, parents, teachers… Eventually we noticed that people were leaving little by little; but Derek remained talking.

He talked until he was literally the last graduate. I called him Last Grad Standing.

It was a great day, and one we won’t soon forget. Here is a livestream of the ceremony; Derek’s speech begins at 35:40.

We’re almost there! The blog is nearly caught up. I am looking forward to highlighting individual events, rather than broad-stroke brushing an entire month at a time.

Big news in the family occurred at the end of March (while we were in Canada): my dad retired! We finally celebrated this new season of his life at the beginning of May by going to a White Sox game. Mom rented a suite for all of us, which included delicious ballpark food.

It was so fun to see cousins!

Plus, by being among the first few thousand to the park, we got free Cinco de Mayo Sox soccer jerseys.

The crabapple tree in the front of the house blossomed in May. It was absolutely beautiful and vibrant. I only wish those flowers would last longer.

Jeremy continued to explore the giant maple tree behind the house–higher and higher every day. He even mapped out the branches in his mind and named them.

Jim did some paper-pencil coaching of Ruth after a softball game. We realized she didn’t know what a force out was.

We had an exciting surprise one morning after Peter left for school. He had percussion class first thing in the morning, and Mr. Willemssen thought it would be fun to march the drum line to Peter’s house. I had no idea they’d march all the way up our driveway, but I was happy I thought to video the excitement when I heard them nearing our street!

The class posed for a picture,

then it was time for them to head back to class. Molly said good-bye.

We had lots of baseball and softball this month, as we not only had the regularly scheduled May games, but also all of the April makeup games.

Ruth was fun to watch both at the plate

and in the field. She enjoys catching.

Jeremy is having a superb season. While his favorite position is shortstop, he has developed quite a bit as a pitcher.

He has poise at the mound, and shows consistency.

Not only that, but he’s perfecting that Johanik lip squeeze as well!

He has a good on-base average to boot.

We took advantage of a day when nothing was planned on the calendar, and the weather was cooperative to work on pitching and catching on the WA softball field across the street.

When it was time for batting practice, Molly retrieved balls that were hit into the outfield.

Jake and Tiffany attended the USAFA Ring Dance.

She looked beautiful! And look at that backdrop…

Jake donned his very first piece of jewelry he’s ever owned.

Posing with the guys…

And remember the altered party shirt? Business in the front, party in the back. It was gratifying for me to see it on him!

A bunch of their friends rented a house in the mountains the weekend of the dance.

These two are showing off their respective rings.

After that, USAFA held its graduation ceremony, where the president gave the commencement address. Jake and buddy Michael posed for a pic.

Meanwhile, back at home, Jim’s pulled pork has crossed state borders and is making a hit at Albert K’s Cafe in Michigan.

Jim always enjoys when he needs to travel to Colorado for Cru, because he can usually squeeze in some time with Jake. This time, both Jake and Tiffany were free to meet for breakfast! Jim loved seeing them both in uniform.

Back at home, Jeremy and Ruth kept the Cornermouse candle burning by fulfilling two different cake pop orders. The first order was for a birthday party with a Peppa Pig theme. They made pig pops!

The second order was for our friends’ daughter who is a student at Moody Bible Institute. We delivered the cake pops to her on her birthday.

For Jake’s birthday, I made a party shirt for him to wear to his upcoming Ring Dance. Most cadets wear these altered tuxedo shirts: they are business (unaltered) in the front, and once they remove their jackets, party in the back.

I also put together a matching fabric corsage for Tiffany.

We learned about circuits in science.

We took advantage of the mild weather by putting together a gazebo, and screening it in ourselves. Well, actually, Peter can now add “screen installer” to his growing list of home improvement skills. Yes, he did just about the entire gazebo himself!

Meanwhile, Derek assembled the table

which is now used daily.

We spent Easter in Chicago and enjoyed a beautiful day. After lunch, we walked down to Maggie Daley Park and played a game of whiffle ball.

What a gorgeous backdrop!

Ruth’s current goal is perfecting her softball pitches. She works on them all the time, with or without a ball.

The tree in the front of the house bloomed:

Despite more rainy and cold days than not, baseball was in full swing. Jeremy and Ruth started their seasons, but unfortunately had many rainouts in the month of April.

Peter enjoyed his first season playing high school baseball. He played catcher, and was consistent at the plate.

Speaking of Peter, he had quite a busy month. Not only did he have daily baseball practice and games, he also had two orders for cake pops to fulfill: one from a teacher, and the other from a coach.

And if that wasn’t enough, he performed in a percussion concert. Here’s the livestream of the entire concert.

After the concert, kids were invited to come on stage and play some of the instruments. Ruth joined Beth and Anna.

The month was also a very busy one for Derek. He was nominated to compete for Mr. WA. I never knew my second-born could dance like he did. I was totally impressed. Again, the livestream of the entire performance is below.

There was the awards ceremony, where we enjoyed seeing many of the seniors’ talents and character acknowledged.

And then there was prom.

Derek went with a group of friends,

and they had a blast.

The weather on the day of prom was sunny and mild. The weather the day after prom took a turn for the worse…to put it lightly. The temperature plummeted, and the skies opened up. The group had planned to go into Chicago for the day; rather than walking around all day, they hung out at Mom and Dad’s. It was nice to have a backup plan.

The weather continued its wintery trajectory and dumped a bunch of snow at the end of April. Here, Ruth is standing in it before church on April 28!

We capped off the month with Grandparents’ Day at WA. Mom and Dad had to divide and conquer, since we had two students at the high school this year.

Ruth continued her Wednesday nights with Beth in March.

Jake sent this cool picture he took of a verse he had highlighted in his bible under a blacklight.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Dave and Judi bought Derek a suit for his many senior year events.

We hosted a Cru event in March. Jim heard Colonel Gadson speak at USAFA a couple years back and was impressed by his testimony, so he invited him to speak here. This man lost both legs while deployed in Iraq, while returning from a funeral for two soldiers from his brigade. Despite this huge setback, he did not give up and continued to lead a battalion as an amputee. Jim and the colonel became fast friends.

We celebrated Peter’s 15th birthday…starting with birthday pancakes.

I love how this young man is growing and maturing.

We capped off the wrestling season with a celebratory banquet. The team was bigger than ever this year!

Winter decided to overextend her welcome and continued throughout all of March. The prairie path remained quite icy, and so I decided to log this by videoing one morning.

Finally in March, we prepared for our family trip to Whistler. Jim and I had been planning this one (and saving up) for over two years; we gave it as a family Christmas gift, so the anticipation was high for three months. Even though we would travel by plane and then car into another country, we couldn’t NOT make cliff bars. It’s become quite a tradition!

The trip is summed up in the video below.

The month of February was dominated by post-season wrestling. However, there were a few other things going on as well.

In science, Jeremy and Ruth learned about fossil fuels. We did an oil-drilling project. First, we placed empty egg shells randomly throughout the sand field.

Then we filled the shells with baking soda mixed with black powder dye, mapped out the oil field, and covered the shells completely.

They took turns drilling wells to find the oil underground by poking a hole and using a funnel to pour vinegar inside. Even with the map, it was not easy to find the exact locations. But we did find success.

Molly and I continued running on the prairie path, which was more of a wavy sea of ice throughout the entire month.

Molly had her claws, and I had my yak-trax to keep us from falling headlong on the slick, uneven terrain.

The ice made for pretty nature scenes.

Wheaton Academy had a signing day for seniors who are planning to continue their athletic careers in college. Derek’s football coach sat with him as he committed. Coach Thornton has been a tremendous influence in Derek’s life over the past four years.

Ruth enjoyed Wednesday nights with BFF Beth. On one such night, the girls went to a horse stable and learned how to groom a horse!

After completing the remodeling of our bathroom, Jim headed to Michigan to help his friend Neal redo his bathroom. It was good bonding time for those guys. Rub-a-dub-dub two men in a tub.

Derek’s wrestling coach agreed to teach some of the boys from Jeremy’s football team the basics of wrestling.

At the end of the season, they showcased what they had learned.

Wrestling. It was a big month for Derek. February is the road to State, which is an extremely difficult road. He had been on it for three years; the past two years coming within seconds of qualifying, but never quite making it.

Despite having to fight through shoulder pain most of the season, he was determined. With his eyes fixed on the goal ahead, he started on the road by wrestling Regionals and winning.

The following week was the Sectionals tournament. It’s quite a Sectional: in Derek’s weight class alone, there were several previous State placers, including last year’s state champion. He would have his work cut out for him, and his success would not come easy. Long story short, he wrestled his way to qualify for State!

Now he would have to wrestle to see how he would be seeded.

It was a long couple of days for all of us. Mom and Dad came out to Byron on Saturday to cheer on Derek, as well as offer moral support to Derek’s siblings.

While sitting at the tournament, Mrs. Cortez knitted a headband AND a scarf for Ruth!

Despite his hunger for a higher place among the four, Derek came in fourth overall.

As difficult as it was to end on a loss, we would find out later that Derek going in to the State tournament seeded fourth in his sectional would be a great advantage.

When we finally got home that night, we ate a Steak for State celebratory dinner!

The next weekend–Valentine’s Day–we traveled down to Champaign. What a sight it was to see the wrestling arena in person, filled with wrestlers warming up.

Derek warmed up with an opponent from the season. It was neat to see the former competitors helping one another get better.

The faithful fans:

Speaking of faithful, Peter opted to miss two days of school (which meant two days of missed work to make up) so that he could accompany his brother downstate. It was pretty neat: two brother coaches and two brother wrestlers (one supporting the other).

Ruth, the people-watcher,

and book-reader.

Poor Jim was more nervous than Derek was all weekend. He asked friends to pray for him as well as for his son.

Mom and Dad drove down for Friday and Saturday–talk about faithful.

Derek’s first match was against a number-one seed from another sectional. The coaches loosened him up beforehand.

Derek came out confident

and aggressive,

and before long pinned his guy.

First win of the weekend!

It sure felt good; and all the credit does indeed go to God.

His next match Thursday night would potentially clinch a spot on the podium at the end of the tournament. Even if he lost, he’d still have a chance to place, but it would be a long and nearly impossible road to get there. His opponent was big and strong.

The scene was so intense.

And after much back and forth, Derek prevailed!

This was definitely the highlight of the entire weekend. He knew at this point that he was a State-placer. He owes so much to these coaches.

Unfortunately, Derek would not see another win the rest of the weekend. But he nonetheless stood proudly on the podium Saturday night.

We welcomed him and Peter home with a sign,

and unbeknownst to us at the time, so did the neighbors.

Then we celebrated the first Wheaton Academy State placer since the 1970’s!

I am slowly making my way through the months lost on the blog. Molly continued bonding with the piggies (not necessarily voluntarily).

We were able to cheer cousin Hannah on in volleyball tournaments when she played in Aurora. The games were fun to watch!

Derek and Peter traveled to Colorado with the WA wrestling team in January. They wrestled Colorado schools, visited colleges (including the Air Force Academy),

hiked and saw the beautiful CO sights,

and toured the Olympic wrestling training facility. Derek met Kyle Snyder, a world-champion wrestler who is also a Christian.

One of the boys made this from a pic.

As long as we’re on the topic of wrestling, I’ll share some more scenes from the season in January. We had some home meets, where I got my baby fix holding the coach’s son.

The night of the Midnight Rumble in Rockford was a significant night in Derek’s life. He got a call from the ROTC officer that he was awarded the four-year scholarship to attend Wheaton College. At the same time, he connected with two future teammates who had already committed to play football at Wheaton and were wrestling at the same tournament.

It didn’t take long for Derek to sign the letter of commitment to Wheaton football. He was confident that God was leading him there.

Meanwhile, he continued wrestling,

always with an eye on the State tournament.

At home, the bathroom project was completed.

And I’m having fun training my mini-me in things like flossing teeth. Jim is quite entertained by this.

We had tons of snow fall in January,

but this did not stop Molly and I from running on the prairie path nearly every day. One day I found a fallen wasp nest and snapped a picture of it.

Not only did we get a lot of snow, but the temperature plummeted.

We hunkered down: people

and dog alike.

Finally, we celebrated Molly’s birthday. She entered the double digits (in human years).

Boy, oh boy, was December ever a big month. I didn’t realize how much happened until I went through the pictures! I’m going to break it down into sub-categories to keep it organized.

Wrestling
The wrestling season for Derek and Peter ramped up in December. Derek was happy to be competing at the heavyweight level, for this meant that he did not need to cut weight. As soon as football season ended, he ate to his heart’s content, knowing he would not even come close to the 285 pound maximum weight.

He found much success at the beginning of the season, which proved to be a sign of things to come.

We enjoyed watching Peter as well.

This video captures his very first pin. The video was taken by my mom and dad, since we found ourselves split up on this day. Peter wrestled in Chicago, while Derek wrestled in Stillman Valley.

The team bonded well this year.

Every once in a while, I scored a meet or tournament (with my helper by my side).

Family Stuff
The guinea pigs continue to entertain us. Ever since we found out that Cinnamon is male and not female, I never imagined how often I’d hear the phrase, “Sugar’s in heat today.” Thankfully, she was not in heat the day this picture was taken.

We continued work on the bathroom. The kids were a tremendous help with tiling.

Bet you’ll never guess in what romantic way Jim and I spent our 23rd wedding anniversary. Grouting and cleaning the tile! #truelove

Jeremy has taken the reins of the espresso machine.

He took it to a whole new level when he created order sheets for me to fill out in the afternoon.

Jake found out his glider won and is now encased with gliders from decades past outside the aeronautics department.

Ruth sang in the Christmas concert at church.

We enjoyed having some family join us. Some brother sister bonding…

Derek went to WA’s Soiree.

Dad joined us for our annual Lord of the Rings marathon.

Molly joined us for part of it too.

Engaged!
Big, big news came from USAFA in December. Jake proposed to Tiffany! He surprised us all with how thoughtful and romantic he was.

He had set up a scavenger hunt all around CO Springs, with clues for Tiffany, which led her to the USAFA chapel. He dropped to his knee and asked her to marry him.

And she said yes!

What’s even more special is that he proposed on our anniversary!

Christmas
We kicked off the Christmas season with a cookie exchange at Judi’s house. I came home with about six dozen cookies which lasted all of a couple days.

The Vacudas had us over for some dinner and presents and games.

We appreciate all the work Linda puts in to make the night special. Here’s a glimpse into Christmas at the Vacudas’:

The Johaniks came over Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning we lit the center candle of the advent wreath,

and took turns opening presents, Molly first.

Molly and I went on our annual Christmas morning run. I figure this allows me to eat some extra bread pudding later in the day!

We headed to Mom and Dad’s Christmas Day. It was great to hang out with cousins!

After nearly 50 years of marriage, Dad continues to enjoy surprising Mom with Christmas presents.

Some of the kids went ice skating at Maggie Daley park.

Christmas break/New Year’s
Jake and Tiffany arrived home a couple days after Christmas. We were so eager to see them and celebrate Christmas with them.

The next day, three of Jake’s friends came and stayed with us the rest of the break. A couple of them joined us at church.

There was much activity here, and we loved every minute of it!