Sunday, January 13, 2013

"Well Done Good and Faithful Servant"



"Well Done Good and Faithful Servant" are the words I believe Joe's Dad heard as he enter heavens gate April 23, 2012 at 7:40 am.

There are some many things I don't want to forget about the days leading up to and including his wake and funeral.  

*Going to get Drew a suit and Hunter immediatley picking something out for himself.  He ended up with the new suit. Drew wore a jacket of Hunter's and a new pair of pants.

* Hunter wanted to get a tie in his Granpa favorite color.  Joe called his Mom she said it was blue not dark/not too light and that Grandpa would have that color tie on.  We got 3 ties all in the most beautiful color of royal blue. 

*It was is that same conversation that I was asked to do a reading and Joe was told that he was voted on as the one to say the eulogy.  No pressure.  We had been working on an obituary that everyone liked.     

*Drew and Hunter were asked to be honorary pallbearers.

*We had a band trip as well as other family members being out of town.  Joe's Mom graciously gave enough time for everyone to get home and gather their thoughts.  His funeral was a week after he died.

*The wake was from 2-9pm.  It was heart warming to have a steady stream of people for all 7 hours.  

*ALL of Joe's friends stopping by

*The next morning saying a last goodbye with all 6 of his children gather around their mother and all of his granchildren in attendance.

*The pallbearers being called to circle up for instructions Joe, his brother, Bob and Jim, Son- in- Law George, grandsons Bobby, Drew, Hunter and good friend Tom Dunn.

*The persession to the church and upon entry the preist said the most beautiful prayer and draped a cloth with a cross over the casket. 

*The song "Surely the Present of The Lord is in this Place" as we proccessed in.
   
I read Revelation 21 1-7  The New Jerusalem

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.[a] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Joe finished the service with a eulogy befitting of his life. This is what he said:

Robert Joseph Dorman, a.k.a. "Bob"; entered the Pearly Gates of Heaven on Monday, April 23, 2012, he was 82 years old.  Apparently there was a need for another electrician to help keep the lights on. 
Survival
Dad survived being born during the Great Depression; Scarlet Fever and the resulting 28 days of home quarantine;  he was crushed by an overhead crane at work;  had two back surgeries; a quintuple heart bypass surgery; hernia repair surgery;  six kids; and 30+ years of Meigs disease. But it was Alzheimer's that finally took its toll on Bob.
 
The Beginning
He was born on November 5, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Werner and Adeline Dorman.  He graduated from St Rita High School class of 1947 and played the tenor saxophone in the band.   After high school he attended Washburn Trade School and the Illinois Institute of Technology and studied electrical engineering. 
 
Work, Military, and Civic Life
He delivered newspapers for the Chicago Herald American Newspaper and worked part time at Englewood Electric Supply Company making 40 cents an hour. 
He joined Hyre Electric Company in 1947 working in the stock room and loading trucks, making 60 cents an hour.  He spent 4 years working as an electrical apprentice, then 8 years as a foreman until suffering his back injury.  After his recovery he began working in the office as an electrical estimator and project engineer, eventually working his way up to the position of Vice President and remained there until his retirement in 1993 after 46 years of service.  His largest project was the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the world at that time.  Dad had to miss the topping out ceremony for the Sears Tower because my brother Jim was being born.  I’m told that at these ceremonies, that workers write their names and messages on a special beam before it’s hoisted into place.  Obviously, Dad missed the ceremony, so the next time he went to the job site he took elevators as high as he could, then climbed the stairs, and finally he had to climb a few ladders and found that beam way up high in the building and wrote everyone’s names on it.  By the way, the Sears Tower will ALWAYS be the Sears Tower to everyone in our family. 
He was a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, local # 134 for over 60 years.
Bob also served in the Army Reserve for 6 years in the 681st Transportation Truck Company and received an honorable discharge with the rank of Sergeant.
Dad also served on the advisory board of St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island; was an usher here at St. Linus Church; and was instrumental in starting the St. Linus Boy Scout Troop 1615 and held many leadership positions in the troop.
Courtship
He married the love of his life and best friend, Mary Delores Jann, on September 12, 1953, at Little Flower Catholic Church.  They met at a Sunday night dance at St. Kilian’s Catholic Church; a dance that Mom had to lie about her age to get into.  You see, she was too young!  During their courtship, Dad would call Mom all the time. During those days you had to actually give the operator the phone number you wanted to call.  He called so often, that his sisters, who hid under the table to listen and make funny sounds, still remember Mom’s phone number  “Stewart 3 - 0844”. They settled into their first home on Christiana Street until 1963 until it became too small for their growing family.   They have lived in Oak Lawn ever since.
  
Family
What a family he had.  Bob is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Delores, his children, Robert  (Maureen), Julie Boone, MaryBeth Dorman, Joe (Tiffany), Joan Crosse (George), Jim (Josune), and grandchildren in birth order, Kristina, Howard, Ashley, Becky, Kathryn, Bobby, Drew, Hunter, Brittany, Matthew, Isabel, Sofia and Victoria.  Bob was preceded by his parents, granddaughter Beth Ann Dorman, sister Adeline Dees, and trusted canine companions Pal, Lassie, Smokey and Juneau.
He is also survived by his siblings, brother Tom, sisters, Dolores Dorman, Betty Bauer, Mary Pozeck, and Monica Diehl.
Friends
You know you've found a good man when you can find someone who has been his friend for 80 years.  That award goes to Mr. Adolph Gabriel who first met Dad as young neighbors.  They were so close that they created their own language and would communicate in a gibberish that no one else could understand.  Dad did make other friends over the years and was a founding member of the ADGVT Club, which was a group of friends that met monthly for dinner at each other's homes.  Apparently, at some point during the evening, my Dad would saunter quietly off to the host's bedroom and reset the alarm clock for 2:30 AM.  It took awhile for the group to make the connection that it was my Dad behind the early morning alarms, and not a malfunctioning alarm clock.  But they let him remain in the club.  They still meet today.
 
Toys and Hobbies
Pop-up camper
We enjoyed many summer vacations camping in National Parks, especially Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, and Glacier National Parks.  We started camping in a pop-up camper.  In order to save space, Dad would allow each family member to pack whatever they wanted, as long as it fit into a brown paper grocery bag, he was the only one allowed to use a suitcase. This is the reason that Mary Beth came up with the nickname “Chief”.  He was the Chief and everyone knew it.
I remember a camping trip with my Jann cousins.  We were at Devils Lake and I remember it raining like crazy.  The only problem was that my cousins were camping in a tent towards the bottom of a hill and water was entering their tent.  My Uncle Joe was out there in the rain with his hammer digging a trench around the tent so that the water would flow around it and not inside it.  This was happening while we were high and dry in our pop up camper.  Ahhhh, the memories!
 
Bus
You know, with all of the things that went on in a house with 6 kids, 2 parents, dogs and cats, and an undetermined amount of fish.......there is one event that sticks out in my mind like it was yesterday.  It was the day that Dad came home and said he bought the bus.  The family was eating dinner, it was raining out, and Dad comes in through the side door into the kitchen, he says, "Guess what, I bought that bus", and he proceeds to walk through the kitchen into the living room so he could hang up his coat in the front hall closet.  Mom was following him hot on his tail and she was saying "What?, You bought that bus?  How could you?", "Bob, what the BLEEP were you thinking?" 
He spent many weekends restoring the bus, repairing broken windows, the plumbing system, and fixing electrical problems.  After about a year of work the family began to enjoy many more years of family camping. 
Now his family traveled in style and everyone could pack their clothes in their very own dresser drawer.  During vacations with the bus, my brother Bob and Dad would fight to get in the driver’s seat first; I was so jealous because I was too young to drive at the time. 
I think that my brother Bob secretly enjoyed driving the bus on those winding mountain roads with big drop offs right at the edge of road, just so he could watch how "excited" Mom got seeing those edges.  Hence the term "edge-itis" was coined to describe Mom grabbing onto anything close to her and holding on for dear life.
Fishing
An avid fisherman found him the proud owner of 21 foot Fibreform boat where he spent many weekends and summer vacations chasing after Chinook Salmon in Lake Michigan and Door County Wisconsin.  Joan caught the largest fish on his boat, weighing in at 32 pounds.
BUT, you should have seen the one that got away!  Before the big boat, Julie recalls a fishing trip when she was about 3 years old when Dad caught and landed a large Northern Pike.  The fish was in the boat flopping around and Julie was starting to climb the sides of the boat to get out and she could here Mom shouting at Dad from shore to watch out for Julie.  Dad was torn, but after measuring the fish, he threw it back in the water and kept Julie.  Later that night, he was telling folks about his tale and how large the fish was and they all said he should have kept the fish because it would have been a record.  Over the years, on those rare occasions when Julie would do something that was not so pleasing to Dad, he would mutter "I should have kept the fish."
Somehow, he even got Hyre Electric to spring for a fishing trip to the Arctic Circle so he could "entertain customers".  That trip resulted in the mounted Rainbow Trout that has been living in the basement for decades.
When Dad found a good fishing spot, he would mark the bottom of the boat with an "X" so he would know where to come back to next time.
Dad taught us the fisherman's creed:  "Early to bed, early to rise, fish like heck and make up lies."
Stocks
He was an avid and knowledgeable stock market enthusiast spending many hours reading over stock reports, looking at stock tables in the newspaper, and preaching his most famous stock tip, "Buy low, sell high".   He also became quite good at predicting the direction of the next few days, months, or years of trading....his prediction was...that the stock market would "fluctuate". 
Bob would always fill out those forms to get free annual reports for various companies, but he would check the "all" box, instead of selecting individual companies, and within a couple of weeks boxes and boxes of annual reports showed up at the house.
Dad’s Jokes
Then there are those corny jokes as his granddaughter Kristina fondly recalled on her facebook page last week. Have you ever heard this one?
"Do your hands hurt?"; which you reply "No, why"?  And he would say, "Well, they should, they have nails in them!"  AND……he would laugh every time!
Has anyone heard his advice on the three most important aspects of real estate?  “Location, location, location”.
Did I tell you I’m working on my 2nd million?  I gave up on the first!
Annnd another classic……
"Why do firemen sleep on the second floor?"......everyone, all together now,....."Because their beds are up there!".
I cut it twice and it's still too short!
 
Retirement
Upon retirement, Dad would frequently comment that he was so busy he doesn’t know how he had time to work.  He would spend hours and hours every morning hanging out with friends at Dunkin Donuts, solving the world’s problems and trading stock tips.  He now had even more time to devout to his stock research where he would underline important information in research reports and newspapers.  In the summer of 1995, he was also able to fulfill a dream of his to take a road trip up the Alaska Highway.  He did this trip in yet another toy, a Class-C motor home.
Summary
He was a faithful man, faithful to his God, faithful to his wife, and faithful to his family.  He worked hard to provide for his family and taught them respect, kindness, humility, and the value of a strong work ethic.  Bob was a kind man with a great sense of humor and was always willing to lend a hand.
Dad was always proud to get in the last word; "Yes Dear".
 
We would like to thank: 
All of the staff at Providence Health Care Nursing Home who treated him with care, dignity, and respect.  
And all of you who visited him at the nursing home; Tom Dunn for his providing his special attention; and everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers.
I used to say that my Dad was in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer’s, well, he’s not suffering now. 

*We processed out to "On Eagles Wings" and in the narthex another prayer was said.

*Afterward we went to a chapel on the cemetry grounds. Everyone gathered close around the casket and the preist said a last prayer.   
 
This is what appeared in the paper: 
Robert J. "Bob" Dorman, 82. Loving husband and best friend for 58 years of Mary Delores; beloved father of Robert (Maureen), Julie Boone, Mary Beth Dorman, Joe (Tiffany), Joan (George) Crosse, and Jim (Josune); proud grandfather of Kristina, Howard, Ashley, Becky, Kathryn, Bobby, Drew, Hunter, Brittany, Matthew, Isabel, Sofia, Victoria and the late Beth Ann; devoted son of the late Werner and Adeline Dorman; fond brother of Tom, Dolores Dorman, Betty Bauer, Mary Pozeck, Monica Diehl and the late Adeline Dees. Bob joined Hyre Electric Company in 1947 and worked his way up to the position of Vice President and remained there until his retirement in 1993 after 46 years of service. A 1947 graduate of St. Rita High School and attended Washburn Trade School and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Served in the Army Reserves in the 681st Transportation Truck Company. Proud member for over 60 years of IBEW Local #134. Visitation Monday 3:00-9:00 p.m. Funeral Tuesday 10:15 a.m. from Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 4727 W. 103rd Street, Oak Lawn to St. Linus Church, Mass 11:00 a.m. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.


Oh What A Night......

Late December back is 2012......


Hunter and a friend put a puzzle together:)

 

 

Some day when they are Engineers we can tell them, "Told you 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Cajon Drum

 Hunter wanted to do something original for his girlfriend's Birthday. 

 She plays percussion in the band and was wanting a Cajon drum

He did alot of google research and video watching on youtube

 and decided it would be special if he made it........

 He and Joe started Wednesday night.

They measured and cut, sanded and stained


Watched and waited for polyurethane to dry.

There's a place for a whole, it was Joe's idea to cut a cross instead, good call!

The inner working of a Cajon drum

After four days it was finished! 

 He went over to her house tonight, the day before her 17th birthday
 and gave it to her.....and she liked it!  Really, really liked it! 

The End :) 

Friday, April 13, 2012

Call Him "Tiger" For Short

When Joe turned 40 his sister, brother and sister-in-law all wore shirt that said "It's All About Joe".   In keeping with that theme he can have back to back blog posts :)  

Tuesday he had a team building, male bonding, boondoggle golf tournement . 



Mission accomplished. It was a perfect day weather wise and he had a couple great shots.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Not Such a "Good Friday"

Joe was sheduled to arrive home friday afternoon after a 2 week trip to Kazakhstan. Thursaday night we found out that wasn't happening.

He left Atyrau, Kazakhstan early Friday morning for a flight to Houston with a connection in Moscow. He noticed they were circling Moscow, the pilot came on and said something in Russian. The only word Joe understood was "Sheremetyevo", the name of the WRONG airport.

He asked the flight attendant and she said they were being diverted because of fog.....THE SKY WAS CLEAR.
They landed, come on the intercom and asked by vote if they wanted to stay on the plane (for several hours) or get off. It was a unanimous get off! There were only 23 passengers making connecting flights. Joe was going the farthest.

The 23 were segerated.......forever. No monitors, very little info, wrong airport, lots of frustation. At one point I texted Joe and asked when his plane for Houston was leaving; his reply.....20 minutes ago. There is one flight a day from Moscow to Houston on Singapore Air.

Finally he flew to the correct airport 100km away and started the process of trying to get home and hoping there would be a seat on any airline. There were several scenarios, but the best was for him to wait and take the same flight Saturday morning.

I'm thinking fun, 1 day and night in Moscow. Then he reminded me, you have to have a visa processed in advance.

He spent the next 18 hours in the airport lounge with these two chairs together trying to sleep.

  

He finally made it home Saturday afternoon after 45 hours of travel......and had a very Happy Easter!

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Fo' Rent


If you talk real nice to me, tell me I'm pretty and offer to clean our pool....I'll go before the king, on your behalf, and beg to heat the pool for a birthday party...... for someone of no blood relation. In other words, we're the teenagers answer to Chuck E. Cheese and I don't think it's any cheaper.

And when the friends decide to come over and make a cake and cake balls, I'll go to the store, buy the ingredients and clean the kitchen no less than 3X in one afternoon, all for the sake of a good time. Oh how I wish I had taken pictures...the mess it took to make this cake...


When heating the pool isn't enough.....we'll throw in bubbles



While you luxuriate in  the bubble tub, Hunter will serenade with "My Heart Will Go On" on his tuba. Not makin' this up.... 


 Then there be movie time, agin and agin and agin 


All for the love of our kids and their friends :) 

Friday, March 30, 2012

Drew's Epic Paper

This was the title of his word document.  He's trying out for Drum Major today. He decided before spring break and at the time there was more than a hand full of contenders.  At a meeting about the job description and learning how to conduct he found out there would only be 4. The drum major from last year and 3 new recruits. Of the four, two will be chosen.  Since there's a good chance last years DM will be one, she is great, he's got a 1 in 3 shot.

The process is as follows:

Conduct a band with a piece of music they provide in advance.
March and Conduct in a pattern. They've chosen for them to march in the formation of a sword.
Be interviewed by Directors and other outside people they bring in to judge.
Be voted on by peers
Write a paper saying why you're interested.

This is what Drew wrote:   

For as long as I have been in the Langham Creek band I have heard about the trombones of old. I want to be a DI because I want next year to be the year that people look back on as a model for future trombone sections. I want to be a Drum major because I want the same for the band as I do for the trombones, to be the model for future bands. I think I would be perfect for DI or Drum Major because I care about achieving these goals. For example on the marching field the past two years in the trombone sections there was a lot of time that was wasted by waiting in between reps therefore losing valuable practice.
Of my DI’s and Drum Majors the past two years I can pick out qualities that I like and want to replicate for myself. Anthony Harris always gave something to work on as well as new ways to look at a concept. Michael Greenburg would show up to every practice energized and giving it 110% all the time. Elijah Ramos provided a good model for marching and behavior. Kevin Land was a great teacher because he was patient and went the pace needed for whoever he was helping. Edward Alcantara would not only help those who ask, but he would also seek out the chance to help others out. These are the qualities that I would try to have as a DI or Drum Major.

No matter the out come it's win/win.  He loves band and would like to be drum major but would like even more to march and play his instument next year.

A friend posted the best quote of facebook today ...."every accomplishment starts with a decision to try".

We are so proud Drew made the decision to try!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

We Headed to the Big "D" and I don't mean Dallas!

Last weekends competion in Duncanville ended this year's marching season. They came in 11th out of 23 other bands. This not being a state year, means that the show is usually more theatrical. Which LCHS band is not! According to Drew and Hunter, they are a marching band with precision.


Sunday, Joe and I headed home to get ready for our church's "trunk or treat". We were supposed to set up a beach theme for Drew to sit and pass out candy. Half way home we found out the band was running behind. Sooooo, I passed out the candy!


Dressed as Santa! One guy said I should have been Wal-Mart!


Monday night Hunter dressed in his go-to "Justin Beiber" outfit and went out with a sweet girl in a morf suit. Drew grabbed his banana and hotdog costumes and trick or treated with friends.

Having no kids at home, guess what Joe and I did? Closed every drape, turned off the lights and pretended we weren't home. BEST Halloween ever!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Parents Weekend

It's not just for college kids anymore :) Our Mom's blessed us with a visit last week and we did a TON of fun stuff. After picking them up at the airport our first stop was lunch at Yia Yia Mary's , so good!

Our football game was Thursday night.

Joe, his Mom and Hunter


Our Happy Drew, he REALLY didn't want to have his picture taken. He was trying his best to hide it, I think he did well. You can barely tell........

Friday we headed for a drive in the country to Round Top. We ate lunch here, my Mom and I shared a shrimp BLT and each had a mug of Chicken Corn Chowder. We thought it went better with Joe's Jalapeno cheese soup, so we mixed the two together. We were right!

Everyones knows when you're out to lunch you have to stop by a cute shop, so we did! The Apotheacary doesn't disappoint!

Then if all that wasn't enough, Joe indulged my wander lust and went in search of this and came up with this too!

Saturday Drew and Hunter marched in their UIL Region 27 Marching Contest. The band did great getting all ones for the 22nd consecutive year.


Saturday night we celebrated Hunter's birthday at one of our all time favortie restaurants, Shogun




Sunday we said Goodbye to Joe's Mom and headed to Austin. First stop was UT to check out a sweet friend's dorm.


My Mom and I have read about and seen this airstream/foodtruck for years and have wanted to visit! Only problem, there was a 45 minute wait once you placed your order:(


We had lunch at The Oasis, which has beautiful views and even better company! Coming and going we always stop here!


Monday the guys went back to work and school:( My Mom and I headed to Pappadeaux's for lunch and of course more shopping :)

For dinner we tried a new recipe. It was a hit....for those who ate it!

And finally today was my Mom's last day, we squeezed in one more restaurant. This time we went with an urban theme and headed downtown to The Bombay Pizza Company which was AWESOME! And because we have that go-to-a-cute-store-after-you-eat rule. We crossed the street and went to CVS and bought some killer lotion that makes your hands sooooo smooth!

It was a great visit and we can't wait to do it again!

PS I think our dogs will miss Grandmas the most!

Monday, October 17, 2011

It's Not Easy Being Green


Once upon a time.....Drew took a chance and shared his green friend with the world by taking him to MYF.


The trio on the far left of the couch are leading the group in Praise and Worship. It moved Drew's friend so much he sat up. I think the guy on the far end would like to trade places with him. Laying on the floor, that is, covered up in a green morph suit.


The evening ended with an outside prayer at dusk. And everyone one went home, had quaintly time with their parents, got in bed at a decent time, and lived happily ever after. The End.

Drew and his friend being green of another kind:

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Katy Marching Invitational Festival

Say that fast 5X, Katy Marching Invitational Festival,Katy Marching Invitational Festival,Katy Marching Invitational Festival,Katy Marching Invitational Festival,Katy Marching Invitational Festival

Saturday was one of those all band all day days. The schedule went like this:

7:00am - Call Time which means get there 30 minutes early always
8:15am -Load - Shower - Eat
9:15am - Depart for Rhodes Stadium
11:15am - Warm Up
12:00 - Perform
1:30pm - Return Langham
2:30pm - Arrive Langham - Down time until we leave for game
4:00pm - Leave for Pridgeon
5:00pm - Arrive Pridgeon
6:00pm - Cy Falls Game
10:30pm - Approximate Pick Up time

The game got rained on and the band loaded up early leaving a few instruments to entertain the crowd and support the team. After the game Drew headed to IHOP with a group and Hunter came home and went to bed!


Here's the results for their performance:

Congratulations to the Langham Creek Lobo Marching Band. This past Saturday our band competed in the Katy ISD Invitational Marching Festival and earned a 1st Division trophy for their performance. In competition with 17 other Class 5-A bands from Cy-Fair, Fort Bend, Houston ISD, Katy, Tomball, and Spring Branch school districts our Color Guard was named the "Outstanding Color Guard" of the contest and our Drum Majors Michael Greenberg and Katy Bertlshofer were named "Outstanding Drum Majors of the contest. The band also took 1st place honors in the Ensemble and Individual Marching Captions and our "Lobo Marching Band" earned 1st place overall and were named the Class 5 -- A Champion of the Contest. Congratulations Lobo Band!

I was so grateful they had nothing to do but rest on Sunday until I say Hunter's facebook status, IM SO BORED IM GUNNA DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just when I thought it was all too much for them, they once again proved my wrong. It's too much for me! They love being busy and aren't going to know what to do with themselves after marching season!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Homecoming?

One word, it's all you need to ask a girl to homecoming. Homecoming?

Here's the 411. It can be very involved and require several steps. But can be Lot's of fun and stress free if you're a guy and have a Mom who'll take care of everything...... Love ya, Drew and Hunter :)

First, if you're a guy, you have to decide if you want to go. I don't know if for girls that's ever a question. Then who to ask, in our case it was easy.

Now for the tricky/fun/what is everyone else doing, how to ask her part.


Hunter's girlfriend is in the Lobo drum line and likes penguins. He put yellow sticky notes on his drum set saying Homecoming? and finished with giving her a pillow pet penguin.

Drew has a love of road reflectors. He wrote Homecoming? on one and gave it his girlfriend when she was over watching a movie.

Other friends we know decorated yards and bedrooms.

Next step, the mum! Which I have come to love and really want to make next year. The Thursday before the game/dance guys and girls exchange mums/garters and wear them the next day to school. I'm kicking myself, everyone was here that night and I didn't get ONE picture....I forgot!


But we were ready Saturday night! Hunter left first. They opted to do something just the two of them and had dinner at a sushi place. Which means Hunter really likes her, because he doesn't like sushi!


Is was fun seeing them dressed up:) Can you see their "band tans"?


Drew and his girlfriend went with a group and had Italian. When he heard where they were going, he said he'd probably get food all over himself. His girlfriend told him she'd bring a tide to-go pin, take him to a bathroom men's or woman's, it didn't matter, and clean him up, funny stuff!


Me? Homecoming? You betcha!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Shine


This is what Hunter did after band practice yesterday.


It reminded me of one of my favorite Newsboys songs:

Shine
Dull as dirt
You can't assert the kind of light
That might persuade
A strict dictator to retire
Fire the army
Teach the poor origami
The truth is in
The proof is when
You hear your heart start asking,
"What's my motivation?"

And try as you may, there isn't a way
To explain the kind of change
That would make an Eskimo renounce fur
That would make a vegetarian barbecue hamster
Unless you can trace this about-face
To a certain sign...

Shine
Make 'em wonder what you've got
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored
Shine
Let it shine before all men
Let'em see good works, and then
Let 'em glorify the Lord

Out of the shaker and onto the plate
It isn't Karma
It sure ain't fate
That would make a Deadhead sell his van
That would make a schizophrenic turn in his crayons
Oprah freaks
And science seeks a rationale
That shall excuse
This strange behavior

When you let it shine
You will inspire
The kind of entire turnaround
That would make a bouncer take ballet
(even bouncers who aren't happy)
But out of the glare
With nowhere to turn
You ain't gonna learn it on "What's My Line?"

Shine
Make 'em wonder what you've got
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored
Shine
Let it shine before all men
Let'em see good works, and then
Let 'em glorify the Lord

You SHINE Hunter!!!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Oh, Drew


Do you really think it's a good time to take apart the computer when your Dad's out of town,it's 9pm and Hunter needs it for home work? Apparently you do, cause that's what you did and in Drew fashion it all worked out.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Broom Ball!

One the THE funnest things our youth group did this summer was a Thursday night, 7:00pm-2:30 am almost all night lock-in. This was after a day of band camp, the day before a band all night lock-in I did think Drew and Hunter would make it. I was wrong. First they met at church for games and snacks. At 10:30pm everyone loaded up to go play........


Broom Ball! So fun....afterward was breakfast at IHOP. We opted for go home and sleep before the 7:30am wake up call. It felt so good to be cold! Fun Times:)

Monday, September 5, 2011

He Hangs Out At The Car Wash

Drew had the best time at the Band's Annual Car Wash fundraiser. The trombones worked the first shift and decided to come back at the end of the day to help with advertising.


They brought their instruments and played on a street corner. Sweet G even helped!


Oh yeah and costumes too. Like a banana, hot dog and king outfit.

This sweet 3 year old boy got his mom to stop the car, get out , give a dollar, not knowing that it was for a car wash (oh no, you get a car wash with this kind of entertainment!), with 3 other little kids in the car, to watch them play.


So, OF COURSE, they had to let him give it a try! Drew's my favorite today!


Tuba Kings, present and accounted for!



Sunday, September 4, 2011

Music To My Ears

Hunter gave me the best gift today. He's going to a quinceanera and needed his clothes ironed.



Guess what he said? "I'll do it", sweet music to my ears. I thought I heard wrong, so I asked again. He had the same reply, "I'll do it". He's my favorite today :)



Joe and I think he's a keeper :)



Lucky for him, his ride was none other than Sweet G!