Oct. 22: Youth Group

Youth Group

We host the Lee County Youth Group at our home every other Wednesday. This week Pastor Lane was on vacation so we had a bonfire (we always try to have a lot of fun when she is gone!). We roasted hotdogs and marshmallows (for s'mores) and played hide-n-seek in the dark. We missed several kids for various reasons, including the team dinner for the district meet for cross country.

 Reece

Kyle, Jeff, Connor

Bailey & Andrea

Andrea, Kyle, Jer

Kayla & Rose

Bailey, Shayla, Jer, Alex

Oct. 25: Pumpkin Walk

Pumpkin Walk

We like to go on the pumpkin walk. It is held in Nauvoo, Illinois on one weekend in October. Local people and businesses carve pumpkins and display them in the streets. There are approximately 500-600 pumpkins! The highway is cordoned off for a kiddie costume parade. Vendors sell various food: ribeyes, pulled pork, walking tacos, lots of pies, fudge, etc. Once it gets dark, the pumpkins are lit up with candles. Some of them are truly amazing and intricate. Here is our adventure:

Kaydey, Karley, & Lynney

Bailey, Alex, & Jermaya

Alex and Jermaya were wanting to wear costumes, and we told them this was the perfect time to do so. Alex chose the old man mask out of our bucket of costumes, and Jer picked the hula skirt. He chickened out and didn't wear it! I got out my cane from when I had knee surgery, and Alex was very excited to have it! I was disappointed neither one wanted to wear the wolf man outfit! 

 Conner, Alex, Jer, Lynney, Bailey

Karley, Kaydey

When Alex was getting food, Kaydey snuck over and surreptitiously put on the mask and grabbed the cane. She just stood there silently until we noticed her, and she didn't say a word! We were totally dying laughing!!!!

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!!!

Nauvoo-Colusa Marching Band, playing "The Addams Family" theme song on their kazoos. Hilarious!

This is the Latter Day Saints Temple in Nauvoo. This is a replica of the original. The LDS people, led by Joseph Smith, came to the area to settle in the 1800's.  The LDS people are a HUGE piece of Nauvoo history.

Oct. 19: Senior Night

Senior Night at the Ballgame

Each sporting season, one night is picked to recognize seniors and their sporting achievements. Tonight was the night for fall sports! Alex was chosen to participate in this activity because he will not be here when he is a senior. The students and their parents are all gathered at the Bark 'N' Bite, and put in alphabetical order within their sports. Some kids and their parents are in more than one fall sporting activity, and get to go through the line 2 or 3 times. The announcer tells the student and parents' names, and then the future plans of the student. Alex was announced as planning to attend college in Nigeria and major in accounting. We are so proud!

Oct. 16: One Proud Mama

One Proud Mama

At 6 am Jermaya headed off to The World Food Prize! He is one of 6 IRIS students chosen. He wrote a paper called :Egypt: We Need Clean Water. The Food Prize is held in Des Moines Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Security is insane, and we are not even allowed to go this year! Evidently there are 3 security checkpoints and lots of guards. 

I'll add to this post as well, as soon as Jer shares some photos with me! :)

Sorry, Jer, for not getting this out before now! I have been having much difficulty getting the pictures onto my computer so I can do this page. I still don't have homecoming stuff, so at least I finally got this one going! :)

We are so very proud of Jermaya for being one of 6 IRIS students chosen to present their papers at the World Food Prize. Jim helped him write the paper on many different nights. The kicker was that the paper was due after they had been here only a couple of weeks! Yikes!

I am going to Jer do most of the details about his trip on Facebook. However, let me just say that he had a fantastic time, and it was a once in a lifetime experience! He was very motivated to go, and very excited upon coming home! He met a lot of new friends, made tons of contacts, and enjoyed the whole experience.

After school. the boys ran in the Conference Cross Country meet in Mount Pleasant. We are so very proud of both of them!

Alex ran his best race ever, he said. He was very excited that he got 19th place. He is sad that cross country is over, however, because he will miss the children. Pretty sure he means his team mates! :) Alex had a great season, in spite of a couple of injuries. He did an awesome job running for the team, especially when you consider that he has never really run before, and has certainly not run cross country! Way to go, Alex!

Jamo, too, had a great race and beat out the varsity runner. This means that Jamo will get to run in Districts next week as a member of the varsity team. Way to go, Jamo!

Oct. 11: IRIS Field Trip

IRIS Field Trip

We drove the boys to Muscatine for this mandatory, yet fun, field trip. More details and pictures later!

Oct. 11: Homecoming Dance

Homecoming Dance

Don't you love my innovative titles? I really don't lack creativity, I just want the boys to be able to find what they are looking for when they get home!

Note: This post is in progress. I am gleaning photos from several sources. With the boys doing 3 different groups at 2 different times, it was impossible to get photos for all 3 myself.

So the Homecoming Dance is a fairly casual affair. Most boys wear khakis or jeans. Girls wear shorter, fancy dresses with mixed footwear. Pretty much anything is acceptable. Kids don't usually buy flowers for each other. Either the boy or the girl can do the asking. The dance was in the MPR (multi purpose room) and was moderately decorated. 

Alex: was asked to go by Emma Dravis. They went with a group to eat out at Big Muddy's. 

Jermaya: asked Haley Guzman. They went with a group to eat at Chandler's.

Jamo: asked Kierra Pauley. They went with a group to eat at Hannah Goebble's house. Her mom made dinner for the kids. They had filet mignon with pesto pasta. Yum!

Don't tell anyone: the boys were nervous to go to the dance! :) I understand- they had never been to an American dance before and didn't know what to expect. Everyone, however, had a GREAT time at the dance and enjoyed themselves.