Jenna and Payton at it AGAIN!

Well Ann was brave again this year and invited Jenna over to bake - above is the ginger bread house they made - looks great - must have tasted good too because they dug in soon after this picture. By the way, this was the cleanest part of the kitchen! Jenna continues to enjoy time with Payton!

BIGGBY - Radio Interview

Had a chance to be interviewed on the radio this past Saturday, it was great fun! Bob, our founder placed the interview on the blog - if you would like to listen - www.biggbybob.com

Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did doing it!

THAT JUST AIN'T RIGHT

You know sometimes the holiday decorations just go a little past annoying? Can you believe someone would do this to my deer? I believe Jacob is the one to blame!

Christmas Prayers

Good Morning,

I have a friend Jim Williams whom I was a peer district manager with at Best Buy, he worked in Chicago. He has a son Kyle (Kyle and Jim above) that is 5 years old and has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. They have relocated to New York for the best medical treatment possible.

They have been an inspiration to me with the courage at which they are attacking back. I can't begin to fathom the emotions of this Christmas Season for them.

Please, if you like take a moment and read about Kyle on the following link and include them in your prayers.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/kylejameswilliams

Christmas Cookies 2009

Jenna and Jacob helped to make cookies yesterday. But what they most enjoyed, I believe, was making boxes like this and taking to our neighbors - they both love to make others happy. Jacob truly has a servant's heart!

When they weren't bickering over frosting (brotherly and sisterly love) they were truly embracing the essence of the season.

Merry Christmas!

Jacob's Wish List for Christmas 2015

I am not sure how this happened but Jacob has fallen in love the VW Bug - It may because he is great at playing "slug bug." This is his dream car, he has designed it on the website several times and I am sure he will be asking Santa for it in a few years. His savings account needs to do a lot of growth in the next 6 years!

Flying Kids

Jenna and Jacob got to flying twice this year. One time when we were at Grandpa's in KY and then just a week or so ago they got to go up with Aunt Micki. Jacob even got to hold the stick with Aunt Micki - they enjoyed both a great deal!

Jenna and Payton at VBS

This was the theme song from VBS at Trinity this year, the theme was Boomerang Express -they had a blast.

Not Jack and Jill but Jack and Jenna

This is Jenna's friend Jack, oh my are they trouble. As you can see with all of the toys they have and the playground attached to our home they choose to play in a rain filled garden buggy! OH my do they have fun together. They are somewhat like an old married coupled! They truly enjoy each other and have a special friendship which will remain strong for years I am sure.

Jacob's Summer

Jacob is really growing into a young man! He has had a fun summer but is very much looking forward to school starting. He gets his own locker this year and has to ride a bus, exciting things for a young lad! He is volunteering at church both to help in young children's classroooms and run the sound boards in the children's services, he has a servants heart for sure.

He loves his ice cream as you can see above! This was taken in old town here in Lansing.

GREAT FATHER'S DAY

As you know I am an avid hunter and it was with great anticipation that I took Jenna to a field day that included guns and bow and arrow. I can't even describe to you the emotion I had when Jenna after shooting her first .22 said, "That was fun can I do it again!" YEAH another hunter is born to our family! Anyway we had a great day, she hit the target with the bow everytime! HURRAY!

Wise Words

A customer recently wrote these words in an email auto-signature - I really liked them so I thought I would share. Enjoy.

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes...your destiny.



'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle'..

Cocoa Returns

Can you believe it. Cocoa our male cat has returned from a 6 month vacation. He took off the first week in October and showed back up today. He obviously had been taken care off well over the winter, not sure by who, but he is fat for sure!

Welcome home Cocoa!

TV Commercial

Jenna and Jacob got an opportunity to be in a Junior Achievement Commercial what fun it is! Jacob will have a speaking part toward the end of the commercial. This is a picture of Jenna who was on camera while AJ, the Fox47 weatherman, did his speaking part! We will post the commercial when I get a copy!

Jacob - SERIOUS and FUN

Jacob is such a cool kid! Here are two pictures that show both sides of this young man. He is serious in comptetition and loves to compete in board games. Then the other picture was while I was getting my hair cut and he runs around and cracks everyone up! What a wonderful mixture of ability to be serious and poking fun at himself!

Jenna - Easter 2008

Jenna's Easter outfit - I think she looks great - clearly an objective Dad's opinion. Jacob looked great for Church today too but he ran off, he is a volunteer to work the kid's desk, and was no where to be found at the time to take pictures! Anyway, it was great fun, great worship and Laurie and her family got baptized.

Solar Powered Car

My cousin Jeff was in town, this is a guy who graduated from West Point and was a tank commander in Germany - he and I built this solar powered car, watch what it does when it hits the shade! What fun, we were like two kids - it is a good thing I made him read the directions! I am thinking we should be able to get some "stimulus" money for working with alternative power!

Jacob's Last Elementry School Fair

Today, was Jacob's last elementry school fair, he was excited to tell me that. Jenna enters this same school next year, so he will be going for the next 5 years too he just doesn't know it! The kids and I had a blast, bowled, played hockey, putted golf balls, ring toss, picked the floating duck, bean bag toss, and face painted! What fun we head!

Jenna's Time on the Trampoline

Well, the minute Jacob had an entry on the family blog Jenna felt the need to demonstrate her skills. So here you go! Jenna and Jacob are sleeping much better at night since the trampoline has been set up, thus Mom and Dad enjoy it too!

Spring - Trampoline!

Jacob anticipates the setting up of the trampoline every year! This year was no exception, he comes home from school takes off shoes and socks and starts leaping! He loves this and this year has already taught himself a new flip which is on this short video!

Air Show - Thanks Captain Joe!

Captain Joe Shetterly - showed the kids around his plane at the airshow last year in Traverse City. Joe is our cousin and flys an A10 Warhog. What a great day to see them fly and for the kids to see his plain up close!

Stylin Jenna!

I think she has quite a future in fashion design!

State of the State - Michigan

What a great evening for Jacob and I, getting to attend the State of the State address! We got to go because I wrote a letter to Senator Birkholz's office and Amanda Price called me back within 24 hours and let us know that she might be able to help us. In the end the Senator and Amanda helped us out and we were able to attend.

Prior to actual speech Jacob and I were invited onto the Senate floor and Jacob was able to sit at Senator Birkholz's desk and meet our Lt. Governor Cherry, both pictures above. We were also able to meet three other Senators. It was great that they took the time to come and meet Jacob - a special thanks to Senator McManus, Senator Jansen and I think the third Senator was Senator Switalski.

All in all it was a fun evening, party politics aside, it was fun for Jacob and I to watch the whole process unfold as the evening progressed.

Thank you very much to Senator Birkholz and Amanda for helping Jacob and I to attend, we hope to do so again next year!

An interesting fact for you. I wrote to Senator Birkholz and Representative Joan Bauer and Representative Rick Jones and heard back from everyone but Representative Jones. Rep. Bauer and I ended up having a great conversation on the phone, I appreciated her thoughtfulness in calling personally. I hope this is not indicative of how Rep. Jones listens to his constituency.

Jacob - Politics!

Jacob has taken quite a interest in politics. He paid close attention to election night and knows more about politics then most of the teenagers in our life. Last Monday evening we went to see the State of the City address by Lansing's Mayor Virg Bernero and Jacob loved it. We were lucky enough to get his picture taken with a former Mayor, David Hollister. What a cool night! We are working now to get into the State of the State address from our Governor next week.

Wind Damage - 2008

Here is the tree that fell over in our backyard last week. Of course, as always, I was out of town again and Kristy woke up to this! I am not sure why it always happens when I am out of state, I have my own philosophy on this but it probably wouldn't do me much good with Kristy to share - wink!

Jenna's Methodology to Room Cleaning

Jenna was charged with cleaning her room the other day and as she picked up things in her room instead of putting them away she put them on - the result is what you see! She sure enjoyed it but I am not sure in the long run it was effective, but it was cute!

Christmas 2008

Wow, the stockings were hung, the cookies and milk were out for Santa and the house was quiet by 2:30AM. We had a full house, Laurie, Nathan, Samantha and Alex not to mention Kristy and I and Jared, Jacob and Jenna - Grandma Turrill and Grandma Susan showed up too! Tracy joined us for a little while but didn't feel to good so slept in the family room! It was a full day with presents and a great breakfast in the morning and wrapped up the day with a prime rib dinner in the evening. We were all exhausted by the end of the day! Thanks Santa for a great day!