Kay turns 18!!

 Its indescribable to have a kid turn 18. It seems like just yesterday that she was 18 months old and now this?!  However, she is the same cheeky, clever, creative, determined, kind, funny, loyal, fierce, courageous, independent kid that she has always been.

Kay, we wish for you that you step into all that you are, your power, your strengths, your faults ... and find the "self" that you love the most and then project that into the world. You are a brilliant ray of light, we cant wait to see how you shine in the years to come. Let go of anything that is holding you back and know that you can not fail.

We are also so grateful for your birth family, foster family, teachers, coaches, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, grandparents, god parents and neighbors that helped you become who you are.  It hasnt been an easy or straight line but...it never is!  

It was fun to celebrate YOU this weekend.  We love you beyond measure. Forever and for always.

XOXOXO - Mom and Dad (and Jimmy, Billy and Maui too)  

Our girl LOVES opening presents:)

Lots of gooders in here...

1st birthday dinner -> steak lobster tail, apple fennel salad and garlic mashed 

:) 

Daddies girl, for sure! 

Luke Bryan tickets 

Strawberry ice cream cake, perfect for a July birthday 

custom M&M's!! 

Loving being loved up 

She DOES love her Jeep and looks darling in her new trucker cap

Fancy dinner, including kid champange 

Too fun to eat, but we did anyway! 

2nd birthday dinner with Grandpa Jeremiah and Uncle Pat - Salsa Verde Pork, hearts of palm salad green beans and cilantro lime rice 

There's our girl:) XOXO

Reigning National Champion…,

 

Billy is the current reigning 16-17 yo weapons national champion! For a kid that didn't even want to compete in that event, I'm pretty impressed!!  He's thrilled and it was an amazing showing.

Billy and I (Tracy) did a quick turn around after our Glen Lake trip and were back on a flight to Vegas on Tuesday morning 7:30am.  Billy was schedule to compete in forms and weapons Wednesday and sparring Friday, with another crack of dawn flight home on Saturday (6a) so that we'd be home in time for Kay to turn 18 (more on that later).

This was my 1st time traveling with his new competition team - Master Franklins, Master Corwin and MN Star Martial Arts. What a great group of kids, parents, coaches and families. Small but mighty!

Of course, Vegas is NOT my favorite place and the 115 degree weather didnt help (not to mention MGM is a rip off) but...the kids had a gas and Billy is not a "little" anymore, he's a full fledged young adult who navigated Vegas without me while hanging out with his friends. In fact, other than the team dinner I planned for Friday, I didnt even eat dinner with him once.  Totally different experience.

Tuesday was check in, figuring out weigh in (which changed direction a million times) and connecting with the team.  We also explored the hotel and competition and got a lay of the land (so to speak)

Wednesday was the typical taekwondo craziness of waiting in holding, changing ring #, and adjusting brackets.  Billy was on fire and took 4th in pomsea (forms) and, as I mentioned above, 1st in weapons. He was on top of the world. The rest of the team did really well too with more medals and everyone cheering each other on and boosting each other up.

Thursday was our "down" day, including pool time, a coaches workout and LOTS of talking around the strip. It was really hot but, seeing the dancing lights was a highlight (for me at least). Coach took Billy's posse out to dinner and I went back to that great hole in the wall Indian place we found during our trip in March. Yum!

Friday was sparring for 1/2 the team (the other 1/2 was set to spar on Saturday after we left) and it was a rough start. Billy was not happy with how he did and was mad at himself. It was new technical equipment (socks) and they worked slightly different than daedo His competition had obviously used them before and used that to his advantage, hooking his foot on head shots and racking up points.  Its tough to lose when you work so hard, are agressive, fast and skilled but...dont have experience with the equipment. There were tears and a quiet few hours but everyone (including his friends) kept boosting him up letting him know that he was just as good as his competition, hugely improved from last year and it was a good learning experience.  I'm so proud of him. And, while I had to see him so upset, I love how passionate he is about is sport.  Isaac did place, which was a fun way to end the day.  

We watched the matches on Facebook Live on Saturday and were really proud of Master Corwin for taking 2nd and for how hard and fierce Kirstin fought. What an amazing team.

As with most tournaments its a LOT of sitting around and waiting interspersed by moments hight excitement and intensity.

So proud of everyone on this team. Grateful for the coaches and love the other parents.

Go MN Star!!  XOXO - Tracy

Pomsea and Weapons team

Sparring team day 1 

The posse

Getting ready to compete

The coaches 

Boys...

National Champion!

4th place!

Squirrels win their new jackets - BARS, what ever that means

So excited to take 1st 

This guy (Maverick) stole the show 

Day 1 medalists!! 

He worked hard for that bronze including 2 bloody noses and hives. 

The brackets 

Happy Birthday Tracy!

 Admist the craziness of our lives I missed posting one of the greatest days in our family, Tracy's birthday!

We are blessed having Tracy as our Mom, Wife, friend support , admin, and partner. She is always finding the positive things and keeps us focused on what's around the bend not what's behind us.

She loves the outdoors, taking us fishing, walking the dog or just sitting on the front porch reading her book. She loves trying new foods, and exploring different restaurants and events around the twin cities. She is always helping a friend, co-worker and keeps everyone dear to her in the realm of calm , centered and peace.

Tracy, Happy Birthday and we are thankful for
you being you ,we love you!

Tradition! 4th of July, family and Glen Lake

 Tracy's favorite place on earth. Tracy and her family have been going to Glen Lake/Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park since she was 2 years old. There is big water (her favorite),  clear spring feed lakes, white sand dunes for miles and miles, bike trails, hiking paths, no cell coverage, unbelievable sunsets and...most importantly - family.

It actually "hurt" in 2020 when we couldn't go up and be with everyone. Not to mention, Taekwondo nationals seems to fall during the week of the 4th of July each year (with this year being no exception) so...it makes the time up there even more precious.

This year was an abbreviated version.  We flew into Grand Rapids, Jimmy flew in from DC to meet us, and we were going to do it "all" in 4 special days.

Our flight was uneventful but Jimmy's was delayed over an hour, putting him in at 1am. We were supposed to go to Tammy/Jeffs, spend the night, and then head up. But, NO WAY were we showing up at their house at 2am only to have to leave by 9am. So, Kay had a brilliant idea and we got a hotel in Grand Rapids. After trying out 3 rental cars until we found one that a) the key worked b) didn't smell TOO much like smoke, we got a hybrid van that was rest right. They kids were starving so Kay ordered us all pizza. Tom was a saint and went back to pick up Jimmy once we were settled and he landed.

We were up at the crack of dawn (well, 8am when you are up to 2am does seem like the crack of dawn) and we had a great drive up to the cottage. Everyone caught up, exchanged stories and were ready to face the fam.

The 1st day was getting settled, checking out the RV (did a VRBO RV thing, VERY cool!), catching up with Grandma and Grandpa and chillin. Reece and Kara had gotten up a bit before us and it was nice to connect with Jami/Kurt/Lynn/Gary and cousins/2nd cousins. Chalupas for everyone!

Friday promised the coolest weather so Tracy, Grandma (79) and Billy did a 1.7 mile hike over the dunes to Lake Michigan, then hiked over 3 more miles on the beach to the Coast Guard station where Grandpa picked them up. It was a gorgeous hike. 15 stories, 5+ miles barefoot. Never be out done by a determined grandma.

Friday afternoon Tammy, the kids and Sue arrived - FINALLY!  Georgia said "I know I can count on Kay getting us the best room in the house" very true.  There was thunder (basketball contest) corn hole (bags), comparing stories of prom, graduation and 1st year of college.  Lynn made Chinese Sundaes (YES!) and we started to settle in.  (Tammy, Grandma and Tracy did a 12 mile bike ride and Tom/Tracy walked the 3.5 miles to town - did we mention that grandma is the beast!)

Saturday was our turn to make dinner (jerk chicken, red beans and rice with sausage and apple fennel salad) and Tammy/Jami took the kids out on an amazingly blue pontoon ride. Kay had a meltdown (think Marsha Marsha Marsha only Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy ... basically feeling ignored, left out and overshadowed by a 6'2" extroverted 19 year old who can't shut up - she has a point, I'm sure its hard but... almost booking a flight home was a bit stressful. Luckily, she rebounded and had a great time on the boat.  Everyone loved Tom's food and Tammy/Jeff did the dishes - yeah! 

Sunday was the traditional 4th of July parade, boat parade and hamburger/hot dogs, potato salad, chips for dinner. There was an epic battle of tips (volleying the volley ball in the lake), bags and more thunder. The fireworks on the lake on both Saturday and Sunday night were amazing, not to mention the sunsets. Kay was cheering each one, all the kids were sitting on the dock cuddled up and it was perfect. 

Monday was clean up and pack up and battle traffic home. We almost didnt make our flight due an hours delay of traffic, not at all stressful. But...we all made it, got home, started wash, changed sheets and started to pack up for the Taekwondo tournament - never a dull moment.

We spent hours talking about family, dreams, struggles, love and how we all support each other and how things always work out.

Love everything about this weekend. The highs/lows, good/bad, tense/funny ... family.

XOXO

T