Polar Vortex - Yikes

January totally got away from us. Between end of semester finals, gymnastics meets, work travel for Tracy, a Taekwondo banquet for Billy and 3 days off of school due to -25 degree weather, we couldn't see straight.  So, let;s get you all caught up...

Jimmy - continues to love his youth group and church. He's starting to play drums in the music ministry and is learning to run the sound. He's been practicing like crazy and its fun to see him so invested. He and Melanie "took a break" for week because they didnt feel like they were "walking the same path to Jesus".  They gave each other space, reflected and came back together.  It was his 1st brush with heart break and its hard to see your 6'2"  210 lb 17 yr old crying at the kitchen table. But, they handled it in a very mature way and are now back to dating.  I worry when he really does get his heart broken.  He also had a band concert as well as jazz concert. its so fun to see them play, they are SO good!

Kay had a tough few weeks - 7 gymnastics meets in 14 days on top of 2 finals (Biology and Geometry).  While she failed both tests (yes, got ~ 55 pts on each out of 100), she managed to get most of her homework in and passed the classes (with a C- and a D+).  I'm just glad she passed.  During all this, she had a mildly sprained ankle and wasnt able to compete in the big meet against Wayzata - sigh.  However, she's made it through, we started a new semester and are hoping for a fresh start.  Each meet she does get better on vault, floor and beam and its fun to watch. She is back to doing  back tuck on the beam and a tuck on her vault. Its exciting and scary to watch.

Billy had his annual Taekwondo banquet and while he SWORE he isnt a dancer and wasnt going to dance. .. low and behold, who's on the dance floor with Rick Astley? ! It was super fun to see all the kids having fun together and every single one of them dancing up a storm.  Tom drove Billy and Ace to Winnipeg for a camp and they all stayed in a big house together - 15 kids, 5 adults and Tom cooked for all of them. It was a great bonding trip and they managed to drive home about an hour ahead of a major snow storm and the polar vortex....

Tom is a saint.  Not only did he race a blizzard home for 7 hours in the car on 94, but he also dealt with 3 stir crazy kids when they were off school for 3 days due to dangerously low temperatures (-15 to -35 for 3 days straight, thats not even wind chill!).  He got lots of putsy stuff done around the hours  and even did the boiling water challenge (see below)

Tracy had a week long conference in Florida during the polar vortex and that brought a weird combination of mental exhaustions (conference), guilt (polar vortex) and relaxing (ocean walk every day).  She came back in full swing with a Super Bowl inclusive event with the Vikings and the Taekwondo banquet where she danced with all the mom's to hip hop.

Whew.  Now, onto February which will hold.... Gymnastics Sectionals and State (if Kay makes it), Sadie Hawkins Dance (juries out if Kay's taking a boy or not but she has a dress!), Iowa and Minnesota State as well as the US Open in Taekwondo and...Tracy's annual work celebration, the Togetherness Celebration.  Jimmy has a big Jazz fest and band concerts as wells.

No moss grows under our feet!  Send us energy and peace in the process.

Love to you all!


Boiling Water

Billy channeling Rick Astley

Kay Vault

Kay Vault 2

Ocean

Jimmy's Jazz Band

Jimmys Band