March 2018- 10 on 10

In March, basketball wrapped up and soccer started the very next week. Michael read all 12 books in the Brotherband series by John Flanagan. Spring break was the last week of the month so Michael and Chris went to Springfield, Missouri, to visit Chris’ family for a couple of days.

Saturday, March 3- White vs Lucas 26-18

Wednesday, March 14- Michael’s basketball team had an undefeated season so Coach White threw a pizza party complete with trophies and cookies.

Sunday, March 18- Max wanted to see what his boy was doing outside.

Thursday, March 22- I helped with the annual book inventory in the library at Michael’s school- 10 books at a time. We need 8.67 more volunteer hours to get to the required 25 before the end of the school year.

Friday, March 23- Llamas on my afternoon walk.

Saturday, March 24- Atha at Pederson 9-0. Michael is the team captain again this season.

Sunday, March 25- Chris took a photo of me setting up a Lego photo. We’re getting close to having them ready to list on Ebay.

Wednesday, March 28- Chris brought these home for me on Sunday. So pretty!

Thursday, March 29- Michael reading one of the Brotherband books on the way to the airport this morning.

Friday, March 30- Michael on the Branson Coaster. Photo by Chris.

Thanks for reading...see you next month!

The ones who win are the ones who stay at it after everyone else has quit.
Michael Hyatt

February 2018- 10 on 10

In February, Liberty Middle School basketball wrapped up but Parker Rec with Coach White was in full swing. We celebrated my nephew Ben’s 12th birthday at Spider Monkey and Sweet Tomatoes and we went snow tubing in Frisco.

Thursday, February 1- Liberty Middle School basketball practice was tough today- one coach for 60 boys and Michael's team was fighting so coach sat them down for a few minutes.

Saturday, February 3- We had dinner at Sweet Tomatoes after Spider Monkey for Ben’s 12^th birthday.

Monday, February 5- LMS Number 25. Today was the last game of the season.

Tuesday, February 6- Michael reading book 7 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan on the way home from school this afternoon. He’s read all 12 books in this series and is currently on book 3 in the sequel/spin-off series- Brotherband Chronicles.

Thursday, February 15- Michael had his annual eye exam after school today.

Thursday, February 15- Now THAT’s the way to nap!

Saturday, February 17- What I’m Reading- Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34808520-future-home-of-the-living-god 

Sunday, February 18- We went snow tubing in Frisco this afternoon!

Monday, February 19- Today was my first try at taking photos of Legos for Ebay listings. Hopefully they are good enough.

Saturday, February 24- White vs Roberts 17-5. Coach White bought all 10 boys Arizona Sun Devils shorts.

Thanks for reading! See you next month...

Eighty percent of success is showing up.

Woody Allen

January 2018- 10 on 10

January was all basketball! In addition to Parker Rec basketball with Coach White (Sun Devils), Michael also played with Liberty Middle School (Wolves). Challenge School doesn’t have sports teams so he played with his home school- Liberty. It was a 3-week season from January 16 through February 5. Practices/games were Monday through Thursday at Liberty. I took 1 ½ hours of vacation time every one of those days so I could pick Michael up from Challenge when they dismissed at 3 pm to get to Liberty in time for the 3:55 pm practice/game. Michael knew a few of the 60 boys from elementary school and we also saw some familiar faces on the opposing teams including a current Parker Rec teammate who just happens to be Coach White’s grandson! We saw Michael’s 2017 Aurora Rec coach and all of those teammates too. Chris even got stopped at work by a parent he sat by at one the games! And a true blast from the past- a preschool classmate also played for Liberty (but on a different Level 1 team). The 60 boys were divided into 6 teams of 10- three Level 1 teams and three Level 2 teams. Michael was on the red Level 1 team with an elementary school G.T. friend. It was an exhausting but fun month!

Monday, January 1- We started 2018 with breakfast at Mimi's Cafe.

Saturday, January 6- Michael really is on the verge of being too big to snuggle. The big book on the floor was the book for the second test (Fundamentals of Insurance Planning) for the ChFC designation Chris is working on through The American College. He took and passed! the test on the 29th.

Sunday, January 7- The week 1 prompt for Amy Johnson-Crow’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge was "start". I started a visual family tree project for Michael. I’m hoping to do something similar for Kyle and Keila. Thanks to all who have provided information and photos when I’ve asked! The collage on the left is me, my parents and grandparents and the collage on the left is Chris with his parents and grandparents.

Saturday, January 13- First Parker Rec game of the 2018 winter season. White (in white) at Harmon 40-9. (Michael is # 3.)

Sunday, January 14- Michael is ready to let go of some Legos. It's going to be a process to get the sets back together. Balls and Legos are not friends.

Monday, January 22- Michael's team was the first coach named- the red team. Their first game is Thursday! (Liberty Middle School)

Thursday, January 25- Five *****! the Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg.

Saturday, January 27- White (in red) at Booher 40-10. (Parker Rec)

Monday, January 29- Liberty 6th grade boys Level 1 teams with Coach Moore before the game against Thunder Ridge Middle School. (Michael is # 25 front and center.)

Wednesday, January 31- Liberty Red (in white) vs. Falcon Creek 29-20.

Thanks for reading! See you next month...

With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.
Thomas Fowell Buxton

December 2017- 10 on 10

In December, Michael’s fall basketball season wrapped up, he had a small part in the Jesus’ Family Tree skit at church, the Cherry Creek Math League season ended and he had an emergency tooth extraction. Michael turned 12 on the 16th and Keila turned 21 on the 24th! Chris’ parents were here to celebrate Michael’s birthday and an early Christmas with us. And finally, we enjoyed Christmas and New Year’s.

Friday, December 1- Michael made a free throw in the last 2 seconds of the game to tie the score but his teammate Brady stepped into the lane and it didn’t count.

White vs Willis last seconds YouTube video

Saturday, December 2- Max not being a good photo subject for his photo with Santa by Tony of Mile High Weimaraner Rescue at Chuck and Don’s pet store. (Photo from their FB page)

Putting up the Christmas tree time lapse YouTube video

Monday, December 11- Final Cherry Creek Math League Meet at Smoky Hill High School. Michael’s team won the top West Division 6th Grade Team and he also received an individual award- 2017 Math Team All Star Challenge Middle School.

Saturday, December 16- Michael turned 12! He got a ping pong table, played at a trampoline park with cousins Ben and Carl and had dinner with family afterward at CiCi’s Pizza.

Friday, December 22- We made brownies to take to Christmas at Dad’s.

Saturday, December 23- Evers’ Christmas. All three boys got fishing poles from Grandpa. I wonder what they’ll be doing this summer?!?

Christmas at Dad's 12-23-17 YouTube video

Friday, December 29- We got the card game Exploding Kittens for Christmas and have played multiple times per day ever since.

Sunday, December 31- Waiting for our table at Maggiano’s.

Thanks for looking! See you next month.

November 2017- 10 on 10

In November, Chris took a trip to Las Vegas, Dad turned 74, my Aunt Margie (Dad’s older sister) passed away and we went to her funeral in Beatrice, Nebraska, Michael played basketball and competed in the Cherry Creek Math League (meets 3 and 4) and we took a quick trip to San Diego over the Thanksgiving break.

Saturday, November 4- The birthday boy with his cake! Every year he picks the same restaurant (Piccolo’s) and orders the same thing- a half order of spaghetti with sausage and minestrone soup.

Monday, November 6- Aunt Margie’s funeral. This was one of Aunt Margie’s photos and I’ve never seen it before. Taken about June 1939 this is a 4-generation photo of Grandma Frieda holding infant Aunt Margie, my Great-Grandma Rosie (Huttenmaier) Meints and my 2x Great-Grandma Katherine (Lenz) Huttenmaier. My GG and 2x GG (as well as the rest of their family) came to the US in 1902 via Hamburg, Germany arriving in New York. My GG was 9 years old.

Sunday, November 12- We played mini golf at Boondocks this afternoon but Michael didn’t want me to take photos so this was it!

Wednesday, November 15- Basketball practice at Cimarron Middle School.

Friday, November 17- Taking Max around the block on his daily walk.

Saturday, November 18- 1 p.m. basketball game at Sagewood Middle School. White vs Boyle.

Wednesday, November 22- Chris and I enjoyed Hefe Weizer beers and we all played ping pong while waiting for our MarBrisa room to be ready. Carlsbad, California.

Saturday, November 25- Snuggling on the airport rental car shuttle to the San Diego airport.

Monday, November 27- Cherry Creek Math League Math Meet #4 at Campus Middle School.

Tuesday, November 28- “When I get home I’m going to take off my shoes, have a piece of fudge and watch YouTube.”

Thanks for looking! See you next month...