We took the kids snowboarding again this weekend, and had the most unusual experience as a family. We rented a small "condo" at Crystal Mountain for Friday Night. We expected a CONDO. We got a HOTEL ROOM, with a microwave. Just imagine a HOTEL ROOM........ok....now imagine a microwave in it - yep, that's pretty much the CONDO I am talking about. So, anyway, we made the best of it - Ty slept on the floor, the "whirlpool tub" did not WHIRLPOOL. But, it's ok, we made the best of it - and took the kids to the pool, excited about a FULL day of snowboarding. At approximately 4:00 am - I awoke to a very YUCKY smell. I thought I was just dreaming, but come to find out, a SKUNK decided to "spray" directly under our "CONDO". Seriously, we all woke up and could NOT breathe!! They quickly found us (and 4 other families) another "CONDO" in the next building - so THE COOKS relocated in the middle of the night to another CONDO. Unfortunately, this CONDO did not have a microwave, and it was MUCH smaller. Don't worry, Ty still slept on the floor, but, there was a COFFEE POT - thank GOD!
We just got home tonight, and we will spend the rest of the weekend WASHING our CLOTHES - as they all smell like a skunk. For those of you that have known us for a while the PHRASE ~"I pell a tinky kunck" ~ came in handy last night. If you see us at church tomorrow, don't sit too close.......
Wow - how do you know when it's time to let them fly out of the nest? We were given an incredible BLESSING 2 weeks ago when the parents of Katie's good friend, CARINA, called and asked if Katie could join them for a SPRING BREAK trip. Realizing that we could never afford a trip to STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Colorado, we thanked the HOYER family and agreed to let Katie go with Carina and her dad, Bill. Although the immediate thought was "NO WAY" - How do you let your 14 year old go on an airplane for the first time?? But, after some prayer and conversation, we realized that God was providing us with a BLESSING. How exciting for Katie to have this opportunity! We will drop her off tonight at Carina's house and she leaves on a jet plane tomorrow from Chicago. Dan is very jealous, as his new found LOVE of snowboarding is pretty much over for the season here in MICHIGAN (unless we get ANOTHER snow storm). Dan has spent the last 2 weeks trying to figure out how he can hop in the suitcase. Your prayers are appreciated, as my oldest starts to fly.........
WOW! What an exhausting week! West Michigan Academy hosted it's 5th annual 'Festival of the Arts' week. This is a week when the kids get to see that ART is all around them - out in the REAL WORLD. We bring in artists from all around the state to work with or present to the kids - so they can see how ART impacts everyday life. The pictures above show a couple of the "ARTISTS" that came in - including AUNT JAMIE teaching Hip-Hop - and our favorite friend ANNCLAIRE who came to paint watercolor with the 3rd graders. Katie also did her Career Pathways project this week, where she took a test to determine which "CAREER" would be a good fit for her. Looks like 'Choreographer' would be a great one! Dan also usually makes an appearance this week, as he loves to take pictures and interact with the kids. We both LOVE to see 'Keith Hall Jazz Musician' - he comes every year.
