The year started with a lot of snow and a lot of basketball. After 14 winters of shoveling, Mike finally broke down and purchased a snow-blower. It's funny how long it took to actually use it; we kept getting 1-2" snowfalls so the snow-blower sat idle. But it's Minnesota so the white stuff finally came and Mike got to play with his new toy. Once again Mike and Elizabeth created a sledding ramp (affectionately referred to as "the snowhill"), this year decked out with lights and the perennial jump:
When not building the snowhill, Elizabeth kept busy as part of the RAHS Defenders Junior High basketball team (6th-8th grade, she in 6th). Beth has dreamed of being a Defender since watching her cousins, Sam and Gabe, play years ago. Her team had a winning season and Elizabeth enjoyed every minute of it. She made new friends and learned much about the game.
Spring brought warmer weather and a desire by Mary to try a vegetable garden. Our family isn't known for green thumbs, but we were motivated to give it our best. Mike built a walk-in raised garden with a bunch of square foot plots. Mary did a lot of research on what soil to use and what varieties to grow. We planted tomatoes, celery, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and strawberries. This was a learning year so we didn't plan on a big harvest. But the plants grew and did produce a pretty good crop. We're excited to try it again next year!
Mike and Mary celebrated 15 years of marriage on May 15th! Very exciting and so many good memories over the years. The celebratory mood was dampened when Mary's father, Marv, experienced serious health problems. First it seemed like a stroke, then a heart attack, then the experts at the Mayo Clinic were just not sure if it was either. It took Marv a while to recover, but by Fall he was strong enough to experience his favorite pastime - golf! We're still impressed by the stamina he shows for an 81 year old!
Summer was full of softball, basketball, and aerial adventures. Mike played softball again, but this year he also coached a second men's team. This second team was a partnership between our church, Berean Community Church, and the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge ministry (mntc.org). Words cannot describe how greatly the Lord worked through this softball team. We were definitely "one" team and mutually encouraged one another throughout the season. Teen Challenge is a ministry we've been acquainted with for several years, but this was the first time we were able to minister so directly. Lord willing we will do this again in the 2015 softball season.
Elizabeth joined a 3-on-3 basketball league with some of her Defenders teammates and another friend. The style of this league is more like "street" ball so you can imagine it gets a bit rough. But this was great for Elizabeth as it grew her confidence to drive in to the basket and take contact. On August 13th Beth had the experience of a lifetime - she got to attend the Maya Moore Academy in the Twin Cities. This was much more than a simple basketball camp. There were over a dozen experienced players/coaches (some former NBA players) who pushed the girls really hard. Maya was always present and interacted with all the kids (nearly 100 in the camp). Beth got to talk with Maya and will treasure the moment for years to come. There was even a cameraman from channel 5 news (kstp) who caught Elizabeth dribbling! See her 5 seconds of fame from 0:11-0:16 in the video below:
What about these aerial adventures? For over a year Mike dreamed of owning a DJI Phantom quadcopter. It always seemed like a distant hope (mostly since Mike is such a cheapskate), but he finally took the plunge and made the purchase. He chose the Phantom2 with Zenmuse H3-3D gimbal and a GoPro Hero3+ Silver. The "drone" has definitely lived up to the hype; many videos were captured from hundreds of feet up in the air. The gimbal provides extreme stability for very smooth video. Here are a couple samples:
Fall brought more basketball as Elizabeth worked hard to complete her "300 hours" of basketball. This is a relatively new off-season challenge by the Defenders program. Attaining 300 hours is much more intensive than we imagined. She worked very hard and was able to reach 302 hours - we are so proud of her! This experience taught so much more than basketball. It taught the value of hard work and reaching toward a goal. Hopefully these life lessons will stick for years to come.
In September Mike and Mary were able to take a short, belated, mini-cation to the North Shore. We are so blessed to have such beauty so close to home. It was relaxing, refreshing, and a time to recharge. We visited the Glensheen mansion in Duluth and ate at a couple unique restaurants ("unique" as in one being an old-time family-style restaurant specializing in organic cuisine - wha?). Mike enjoyed flying his quadcopter over Lake Superior for some video footage (like the one above).
In October Elizabeth turned 13 - we have a teenager!!! As part of her birthday gift we allowed her to create an Instagram account. This is her first experience on social media and she really, really enjoys it. It is a good way to connect with friends and share her interests and creativity.
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Now it's the end of December and we're in the midst of a new basketball season (now 7th grade). Snow is on the ground and Mike just used his snow-blower for the first time this winter; his back is definitely thankful. Soon it will be 2015 and we'll be driving to more basketball games. This is a great season of life and we treasure the moments we have with Elizabeth and the rest of our friends and family. We are excited to see what the Lord has for all of us in the new year! God bless!
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