Middle School Dodge Ball Night

Last night, Sydney and I went to a middle school dodge ball party at Holy Cross. For $5, you could have a pizza dinner, some open gym time, and a fun game of dodge ball.

We played various games, including capture the flag, "continuous dodge ball", and a game called train wreck.

Pastor led a small devotion after dinner, which I honestly enjoyed.

Thanks to everyone who helped with this event! I had a fun time!

NFL Week 15

This NFL season is becoming more and more unsatisfactory. The Bears feasted on the Vikings on Monday. Brett Favre actually started the game, but injured his shoulder 18 minutes into the game. Retire time?

Despite a valiant effort, Green Bay lost to New England. We had the lead most of the game, but when they scored following an interception late in the game, we couldn't answer. Matt Flynn, filling in for a concussed Aaron Rodgers, impressed me, but we certainly could've used A-Rod.

Every game matters now. We lose next week to New York, and we're out of the playoffs.

Probably the most exciting game of the week was the Eagles-Giants game. The game was tied with seven seconds left in regulation, and the Giants kicker stupidly decided to punt to DeSean Jackson. This decision didn't seem so bad at first. Jackson fumbled the ball, but then scooped it up and ran all the way into the end zone.

The Saints fell to Baltimore after a seesaw game, and the Lions beat the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Indianapolis kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating Jacksonville at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Tim Tebow played well in his first NFL start. Not surprisingly, he had a rushing touchdown, and he should've had a passing TD, but his receiver dropped the perfect throw.



GO PACK GO!

Downtown Caroling 2010

Today was the Junior Choir's annual downtown caroling day, and I'd say it was even more fun than last year.

We visited the same places, including the courthouse, Aunt Millie's, Fifth Third Bank, the Lincoln Tower, and the mayor's office (unfortunately, the mayor wasn't present this year), and sang mostly the same songs. As always, we ate a free lunch at Coney Island.

My favorite spot was Cindy's Diner, a cute little place with really good donuts.

I think we did a fantastic job.

NFL Week 14

Everything is going wrong for Packers' fans! Despite New England slaughtering the Bears at Soldier Field, Chicago is still first in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions handed us a piece of humble pie, so the standings don't change.



The Colts aren't helping their playoff chances. They lost by two in Tennessee, which leaves them in second place.

The Buccaneers beat Washington by a mere point, due to a high snap on Washington's part. Tampa is still a team to worry about.

The Jets are also worrying, losing to Miami on Sunday. A Jets trainer has been suspended for tripping a Dolphins player, during a punt return. Even though he apologized profusely and sincerely, I think that was an awfully dirty, disgusting thing to do.

Philadelphia beat the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night. After the game, the Cowboys' running back asked Michael Vick for an autograph. I can't blame him. Vick continues to play unbelievably.

With luck, we can beat New England next week. Assuming that Chicago loses to New York, we'll be tied for first. Cross your fingers!

GO PACK GO!

Snow Day!

Following a painful Packers defeat, a school cancellation was exactly the thing I needed.

A few inches of snow was enough to close school for the day, and I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful snow.

The roads are cleared, though, so unless we get some more snow tonight, I'll have to drag myself out of bed tomorrow morning.

NFL Week 13

I can't complain too much about this NFL Week. The Vikings beat the Bills at home, but Benedict Favre left the game with another injury. He hasn't practiced as of Thursday, and his streak of 298 starts is in jeopardy.

The Browns came out on top against Miami, and lowly Jacksonville had a convincing win against the Titans.

The Saints nearly lost to Cincinnati, but a fourth quarter penalty in the red zone saved them. A New Orleans loss would've really helped Green Bay, as would've a Chicago loss. However, the Bears don't seem to care much about Green Bay's fortunes, because they defeated the Lions 24-20.

Oakland continues to prove their playoff-worthiness. They beat the heavily favored Chargers on Sunday, by a margin of 15 points. Another underdog victory went to St. Louis, who beat the Arizona Cardinals. If the playoffs started today, the St. Louis Rams, against all odds, would be in.



The Cowboys managed to beat Indianapolis (I can't remember the last time they've played this bad), and New England picked apart the Jets' defense in a 45-13 win.

The Mighty Pack ran over the 49ers, leaving no doubt that they were the better team. Aaron Rodgers had a spectacular game. He was 21 of 30, with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Donald Driver also put on a show, and James Starks, an undrafted free agent, played surprisingly great.

GO PACK GO!

2010 Basketball Season

The Lady Crusaders are 5-6, as of today. We have a long season ahead of us, but we have all the keys for a successful team.

We recently lost to ESM, the best team in our league. We played our best game, and I am very proud of our effort.

I've been having a lot of fun - probably the most fun basketball experience I've ever had.

GO CRUSADERS!

NFL Week 12

Thanksgiving and NFL football - the most perfect combination in the world. I really enjoyed this year's Thanksgiving games. Dallas came within a field goal of beating the Super Bowl Champs, and New England embarassed Detroit in front of the Lions' home crowd (this isn't really a good thing, but at least it was good, exciting football).

The Steelers were nearly upset by the Buffalo Bills, but a Pittsburgh field goal in overtime ended the game.

The Vikings improved their record this weekend against Washington, but they're still third in the NFC North. Chicago, who leads their division, defeated the Eagles 31-26.



The Rams are still in contention for the #1 spot in the AFC West. They beat Denver on Sunday, and if the playoffs began today, they would be in.

Thankfully, the playoffs don't begin today, because if they did, Green Bay's season would be over. Following a 20-17 loss to Atlanta, the Packers are 7-4.

The game was close, and I mean very close. The Mighty Pack were down by a field goal with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. They marched up the field (with little help from Brandon Jackson) and scored the timely touchdown.

The Falcons then reached the 30 yard line, burned some clock, and kicked the field goal. The Packers couldn't do much with 19 seconds remaining, so Atlanta got the win.

Packer fans aren't the only ones suffering. Indianapolis was crushed by San Diego on Sunday Night, and the Arizona Cardinals - who competed in the Super Bowl two years ago - lost to San Fransisco. Their record is now 3-8, and they continue to suffer from their quarterback situation.

GO PACK GO!

Thanksgiving 2010

On Wednesday, after my choir sang at the courthouse, we drove up to Crown Point. We arrived at my Aunt Sue's house at 11:00, so we went straight to bed.

Thanksgiving Day began with donuts and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. After our sugary breakfast, we hung out upstairs, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in between turns on Star Wars Battlefront 2.

After three hours of this, we changed into more suitable clothes and greeted the first guests. Quality family time is always a good thing, and the delicious meal only added to the peaceful atmosphere. Dessert was followed by more dessert, and then we watched the football games.

At around 8:00, the guests started leaving. My mom stayed at Aunt Sue's house to play a few rounds of Apples to Apples with us. Inevitably, we got to bed very late.

After another day of video games and fun, we said goodbye, packed our things, and headed to Valpo.

At Grandma Speckhard's house, we watched Toy Story 2, while Ella and I had an iPad conversation. When the movie was over, we decided to brave the temperatures and have a game of football.

As always, our football game was full of unbelievable plays, including a one-armed interception, a flea-flicker touchdown, and plenty of sacks. Ella and I were the first to retire, and the boys soon followed.

We had leftover Thanksgiving desserts for cocktails, and then filed into the living room for the first Advent devotion.

Each cousin was $20 richer after devotions, for Grandma and Grandpa had given us our Christmas presents.

I spent the night at Rob and Sue's house with Ella, Anna, Rachel, Josie, and Stephen. We piled four comforters onto our beds, because their attic is quite possibly the coldest on record.

Ella and I arrived downstairs fashionably late, as is our custom, to a breakfast of cereal and donuts. A trip to Rob's is never complete without a hike through the nature preserve, so we bundled up and journeyed into the wilderness.

We took a few pictures of a very strange tree, explored deep ravines, and even found a deer bone, which we took home for Roxie.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Silhavy, playing "Bug Wars" and listening to music. Ella, Benjamin, Sammy, and I convinced Sue to take us to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (which I had already seen twice). We were all highly satisfied with the movie (Sam only liked it because of Emma Watson), and we went back to Grandma's house for cocktails and devotions.

Sunday was football day, so after church, we all headed to Rob's house to watch the Packers game. We had pizza and dog food dip while enjoying a blazing fire. The game wasn't very satisfactory, so we built a huge castle upstairs.

Our trip ended after cocktails. We waved farewell and hopped into the frigid van, looking forward to Christmas.

I hope your Thanksgiving was as delicious as mine!

Halloween 2010

Yes, this post is coming much too late. The delay is probably caused by a sugar overdose, leaving my brain groggy and unresponsive. This Halloween was, indeed, one of my sugariest (yes, that is a word), something I should be grateful for. By all rights, I shouldn't have even been able to go trick-or-treating at all, but after days of begging, my dad allowed me to go.

My friend Meron and I went as the Weasley twins. I was George and she, Fred. Yes, I know, it was terribly clever. The costumes were about as last minute as possible. We were still in the constructing process as trick-or-treating hours were starting! Finally, after we cut down a long, orange wig so that it looked remotely like Fred and George's hair, donned black capes, and found a good stick in the backyard to serve as a wand, we were off.

Unfortunately, we had to skip the first few houses in order to catch up with our group. Despite this setback, we still brought in a fairly good haul of sweets.

My brothers were strange, disturbing monsters that barely passed as Halloween costumes. Needless to say, we're running alarmingly low on costume ideas.

This Halloween may have been my last, but I think I went out with a bang.

NFL Week 11

Man, the 2010 NFL Season just keeps getting better! All the underdogs have been winning, there has been no shortage in spectacular plays, and Brett Favre is having arguably his worst-ever season.

Following a humiliating, 31-3 loss to arch-rival Green Bay, head coach Brad Childress was fired, adding yet another plot twist to the Brett Fave Circus. Favre threw two interceptions and had a 51.2 passer rating, while Aaron Rodgers had a career day. He threw four touchdowns, three of them to Greg Jennings, and didn't throw a single pick. The Vikings now have a miserable 3-7 record, while the Mighty Pack are sitting pretty at 7-3!

The New York Jets, who I have mentioned numerous times the past few weeks, beat the struggling Texans in another overtime game. Mark Sanchez has been surprisingly reliable, due in part to his fantastic supporting team.

The Buffalo Bills got a huge win against Cincinnati. Even though they've already dug their graves, the Bills have been playing with a renewed vigor.

Jason Garrett has won another game as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, this time beating the Detroit Lions 35-19. At this point, the Cowboys are just playing for pride.

The New England Patriots beat Indianapolis by a mere three points, thanks to a rare Peyton Manning interception late in the fourth quarter. I don't know what happened to the Colts, but their season has been mediocre, to say the least.

Eli Manning is also in the hot seat, after his inexplicable fumble on fourth down against Philadelphia. He could've (and should've) slid, but instead he tumbled awkwardly forward, losing the ball in the process.



GO PACK GO!

Joseph's 11th Birthday

Joseph's birthday was celebrated at Matt's house on a chilly November afternoon. After opening presents, feasting on the gigantic Rice Krispy Treat "11" Sara made, and listening to the techno song Avery and Chandler wrote for Joseph, we walked to the park to play some football.

The game was almost as spectacular as Green Bay's win over Dallas. We all had fun, even though our fingers were numb with cold. Finally, we retired back to Matt's house for some delicious potato soup, courtesy of Sara.

There's nothing better than potato soup and NFL football. We joyfully watched Brett Favre's beat-down and then played Joseph's new board game.

It was quite late when we left. The party was highly satisfactory. Happy birthday, Joseph!

Suburban Bethlehem Tournament

This basketball season has been eventful and exciting. After our latest tournament at Suburban Bethlehem, we are now 4-4.

All of my AAU teammates played in the tournament as well, so I was very familiar with my opponents. Playing against my friends was pretty weird.

During the second day of the tournament, I competed in the 3-point shooting contest. I sank two shots in 60 seconds, a record I am not happy with. On a good day, I could easily drain four threes in sixty seconds.

Despite the disappointing 3-point shooting contest, the tournament was lots of fun, and our team gained valuable experience.

GO CRUSADERS!

NFL Week 10

Week 10 was practically perfect in every way, despite the Packers' bye week. For Green Bay, all the right teams won, including Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas.

The Cowboys, under new head coach Jason Garrett, finally scraped a win against New York. Their season is virtually over, but a good morale-booster never hurts.

The Cleveland Browns could not finish off the Jets, but they certainly put on a good show. Mark Sanchez proved unstoppable in overtime, but the Browns persevered until the end.

Randy Moss' situation continues to worsen. The Titans lost on Sunday, but that probably wasn't Moss' fault, since he was only targeted once.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who many view as the best team in the NFL, couldn't bring down the Patriots on Sunday Night. Led by Tom Brady, New England has very little to worry about, and the loss of Randy Moss does not seem to have affected them.

Michael Vick and the Eagles performed brilliantly against Washington on Monday, thrashing them 59-28. Michael Vick is being considered for NFL MVP, while Donovan McNabb is facing a dilemma similar to Brett Favre's.



GO PACK GO!

Indy Tournament

This past weekend was arguably the third-most enjoyable weekend of my life.

It started on Friday, when we pulled out of the Holy Cross parking lot, headed for Indianapolis. The drive down was mostly uneventful and boring, but it was certainly anticipatory and tense. We were all a bit nervous, some more than others.

Finally, after several minutes of shouting at the erroneous GPS (which we dubbed, "Lola"), we arrived at our hotel. The hotel was the best I'd ever stayed at. The huge lobby boasted a touch-screen TV, two computers for visitor use, a Starbucks, and "The Market", which sold over-priced snacks and beverages. Not to mention the pool and fitness center.

Our first game was disastrous. We couldn't handle the opponent's tenacious press, our shots wouldn't fall, and turnovers killed us. Needless to say, we were very disappointed. We spent the evening gloomily watching TV, trying to forget about the game.

After an unpleasantly early morning, we beat our next opponents easily. Spirits lifted, we won again. The game was tough and physical, but we survived, with nothing more serious than a few bruises.

That evening, we ordered pizza, "worked out" in the fitness center, and swam. We watched random MTV movies until 11:00, and then finally got to bed.

We had a delicious, Starbucks breakfast in the lobby, checked out of the hotel, and then headed for the mall!

After an early, food court lunch, we split up and explored the huge mall. A French hair-dresser did our hair for free (this particular hair-straightener cost $250), I found a pair of $290 sunglasses, and Meron and I reveled in Hot Topic, where every shelf was stacked with Harry Potter merchandise.

Our day at the mall came to an end, and we focused on basketball once more.

We now were playing in the losers' bracket, and if we won this game, we would finish in third place. However, we couldn't settle down, and lost the game by five points.

In my eyes, the Indianapolis tournament was a complete success, and we all had a great time.

NFL Week 9

This week was about as perfect as they come. Upsets, overtime, huge hits, and high scores abounded in Week 9, making this week my favorite so far.

The Browns, coming off a stunning victory in New Orleans, defeated the New England Patriots. The Raiders have been playing surprisingly well also, beating rival Chiefs in overtime.

The Minnesota game went into overtime as well, but Brett Favre and the Vikings came out on top. Brett Favre had a record day, throwing for a career-high 446 yards.

The New York Jets nearly lost to Detroit, and again, overtime decided this game.

The Dallas Cowboys continue their streak of awfulness, losing to the Mighty Pack 45-7. Their pathetic effort prompted the firing of head coach Wade Phillips. Clay Mathews still leads the NFL in sacks, and Greg Jennings is having an unbelievable year.



GO PACK GO!

Camping

Another camping trip with the Fisher's has come and gone, and despite the near-freezing temperatures, it was really fun.

The huge fire was fed constantly, and we were never far from a decent outhouse. The backwoods ravine was always fun (and slightly dangerous) to play in, and we brought our brand-new football to pass the time.

Of course, a camping trip is never complete without roasting marshmallows. We sang campfire songs, passed around a can of Pringle's, and succeeded in burning most of our marshmallows.

At around 11:00, we would brush our teeth, zip up the tent, and huddle together under a gigantic gush blanket. We could practically see our breath inside the tent, and the sticks, acorns, and rocks underneath the thin layer of tarp only added to the uncomfortableness.

Somehow, we made it through those long, cold nights, and woke to a delicious breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and fruit, courtesy of Mr. Fisher.

Our nature hike was reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, and we even spotted two deer, fleeing from our raucousness.

This trip was probably our best yet, and I can't wait until next year's!

NFL Week 8

Week 8 of the 2010 NFL Season earns the "Coolest Trick/Accidental Plays Award". In fact, Sports Center created a Top Ten Trick Plays countdown exclusively for this week!

However, there were no thrilling plays in the Packers - Jets game. It was a defensive struggle, and neither team could execute on offense. I was a bit uneasy. The Jets are widely regarded as a top defensive team, while the Packers main threat is on offense.

Turns out I needn't have worried. Not a single touchdown was scored in a Jets shutout. The Mighty Pack scored three field goals, and our only huge plays were on defense, including two interceptions and a Clay Mathews sack.

Indianapolis got revenge against Houston on Sunday Night, thrashing them easily. Matt Schaub was pressured all night, and the Colts handed out unforgiving blows left and right.

The Lions defeated Washington for their second win this season. Controversially, Donovan McNabb was benched late in the game, resulting in a Rex Grossman fumble for a touchdown.

Both St. Louis and Oakland won yet again, and the 49ers managed a win against Denver in the annual NFL game in London.

After spending a few weeks with Minnesota, Randy Moss was waived by the Vikings and is now a Tennessee Titan. I'm sick and tired of Moss' on and off-field theatrics, and apparently Brad Childress was, too. Moss was more or less ineffective during a Vikings loss to New England, and Brett Favre needed ten stitches in his jaw after a monstrous hit.



GO PACK GO!

3-on-3 Tournament

This Saturday was my long-awaited 3-on-3 tournament at Concordia High School. Brooke, Madison, Cierra, and myself were all very confident coming into the tournament.

There were only two 7th grade teams in the tournament, so we played a 6th and 8th grade team as well. We easily beat the 6th graders, but couldn't match the 8th graders teamwork and physicality.

After a short break, we played the 8th graders once more, and this time, they were allowed only two dribbles. Thanks to our advantage, we defeated the 8th grade team by four points.

Our last game was against the 7th graders. We had learned from our previous games, and beat the 7th graders by 10.

The 3-on-3 tournament was a valuable, fun experience for me, and I plan on participating again next year.

NFL Week 7

In the NFL, you can't take anything for granted. The defending champions, New Orleans Saints, against the Cleveland Browns. It's a no-brainer, right? Most people would predict a New Orleans blowout.

However, the Browns shocked everyone by defeating New Orleans 30-17. Drew Brees threw two interceptions for touchdowns, both of them to a defensive lineman! What's more, the Cleveland punter ran all the way to New Orleans five after a fake punt.

The Chicago game was even more fun to watch. Jay Cutler threw four interceptions against the Redskins and is the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL.

The Bills nearly beat Baltimore, letting the victory slip from their grasp in the second half.

Many people have faith in the Oakland Raiders again. They crushed the Broncos 59-14 in the highest-scoring game in Raiders' history.

The sun has gone down for Cowboys' fans. The Cowboys are 5-1 following their loss to the Giants. On top of that, Tony Romo suffered a broken collar bone and is out for eight weeks.



Brett Favre was finally beaten by his former team, in what is most likely his final game at Lambeau Field. He broke an ankle bone and threw three interceptions, losing to the Mighty Pack 24-28. His start against the Patriots is doubtful, and the Vikings are now 2-4.

With this critical win, Green Bay improves their record to 4-3. We play the New York Jets next week, and if we continue to shut down on defense, I think we have a pretty good shot.

GO PACK GO!

2010 Crusader Run

This year's Crusader Run nearly killed me, but I had fun all the same. I ran with Jessica, and happily, we never stopped running. We ran faithfully for half an hour, for a total of 24 laps.

Hopefully, the students and faculty of Holy Cross have reached our goal. If we have, the principal has promised to have a tricycle race with Mr. Renken.

GO CRUSADERS!

NFL Week 6

The NFL never fails to amaze me. Every week, at least one game is a complete surprise.

The Rams, who were killed by Detroit last week, defeated San Diego 20-17. If ever there was a roller coaster season, it's this one!

The Dallas Cowboys lost to Minnesota on Monday Night, and move to 1-4 on the season. The Cowboys have plenty of talent, but can't seem to take advantage of that.

There were a surprising number of vicious, helmet-to-helmet hits last week. The NFL has threatened to suspend players for such violent hits, but many people argue they're negatively changing the culture of the game. Me? I think many of those hits were unnecessary, and it's probably the best thing to do.

The Packers couldn't handle Brandon Marshall and the Dolphins, and we lost by a field goal in overtime, for the second week in a row. All of our weaknesses were exploited by the Dolphins, and we couldn't hang onto a lead all game. Aaron Rodgers didn't do well, Charles Woodson was schooled by Brandon Marshall, and the Packers were generally put to shame.



We're now 3-3, and unless we beat Minnesota next week. . . well, I don't even want to go there.

GO PACK GO!

Happy Birthday, Mother Dearest!

Yes, this "Happy Birthday" post is really late, but at least I made the post title overly affectionate and loving!

Your 41st birthday isn't such a milestone as your 40th, but in this household, surviving one more year is a big deal. It takes effort, patience, hardship, and suffering, but in the end, you realize - there's nothing quite like family.

Thanks once again, Mommy. We love you!

In case you were wondering, no - I did not forget about Brett Favre's 41st birthday. This year, I'm actually pleased that he turned 41, because, not only did his old, achy joints age another year, he has all the more reason to retire!

Back To School League Basketball

My AAU team continues to improve, and I'm very impressed with the progress we've made, even since this summer.

We played two games a week this month, and only lost four games - all of which were nail-biters, decided at the last minute.

I have gained valuable skills from AAU, and I'm much more confident. My coach and teammates have been great, and we've grown very close over the past months.

I averaged 5 points a game, and I can't wait for school basketball.

NFL Week 5

The latest week of NFL action was highly entertaining at times, but at others, it was sorely disappointing.

The Chiefs - who were previously the last undefeated team in the league - suffered their first loss this week against Indianapolis. The Colts have had a very mediocre year, while the Chiefs have shocked us all. Hopefully, Indianapolis can get back on track.

Detroit and St. Louis, two of the worst teams in the NFL, played on Sunday, and it turns out Detroit is closer to recovery than the Rams. The Lions defeated the Rams in a 44-6 blowout, even though Matthew Stafford is still injured.

Unfortunately, the Bears beat the winless Panthers, putting Chicago at the top of the NFC North standings. The Packers, however, are close behind, while Minnesota's chances are questionable. Brett Favre's right elbow is hurting so much it may end his 289-game starting streak, and they lost to the Jets on Monday Night, 20-29.



Washington gave Green Bay their second loss on Sunday, and I hate to say it, but my optimism is officially gone.

Two of our stars, Aaron Rodgers and Jermichael Finley, were injured in our overtime loss. Rodgers will likely miss only one game, but Finley will probably be out for the remainder of the season.

We'll definitely need Finley and Rodgers on offense, because our defense doesn't look its best. We deteriorated against Donovan McNabb and the Redskins. After a missed would-be game-winning field goal, we just couldn't stop the Washington offense in overtime, and they kicked an easy field goal to win.

If we defeat Miami next week, perhaps some of my foolish optimism will return, but until then, I'll be disgusted.

GO PACK GO!

F20M 2010

F20M: the perfect combination of family, meat, and inappropriate prizes.

As if the Festival of 20 Meats wasn't enough, the Green Bay Speckhards came to town the Friday before the festival.

They arrived at noon, after their parents dropped them off for a convention at the seminary. We left school early, and were greeted in the van by Ella and Josie. I was still surprised when we pulled into our driveway, where Sam, Rachel, and Anna were riding the Green Machine (which should be a mandatory toy for every family in the country).

We messed around outside for a while, and then headed to Pio Market with a ten-dollar bill. After we wolfed down our candy and pop, we played hide-and-seek until dinnertime.

We spent the rest of the evening playing records on our phonograph, which turned into speeding up the record until the song sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks. Uncle Pete and Aunt Heidi soon arrived, and the kids were kicked out of the house.

We built a fairly large fire in the ti-pi, and despite the 50 degree weather, we were all comfortably snug beside the crackling flame. When the fire finally died, we trooped upstairs to watch You Tube videos on Aunt Heidi's laptop.

At around 10:00, we prepared for bed, a very long ordeal, seeing as their were a total of 11 kids in the house.

Since Uncle Pete and Aunt Heidi were staying in my room, I slept with Ella and Josie on the bottom bunk in David and Jacob's room. Rachel and Anna slept up top, while the boys all crashed together.

We woke up fairly early to a delicious casserole breakfast. Luke had a soccer game, so the majority of the kids came along. Sammy, Ella, and I stayed home.

Ella and I looked at photo albums, played cards, and played Mario Kart Wii until my family returned. Upon their arrival, we hopped in my van and headed to Valpo!

When we arrived at F20M, the festival was already in full swing. All three grills were going, uncles were playing cornhole, and Uncle Jody was firing bottle rockets at Mike.

Of course, Ella, Sarah, and I waited impatiently for the meat candy, which was just as heavenly as always. The throng surrounding the zebra bacon was too thick, so I settled for some frog legs - a personal favorite. Next, I sampled crab for the first time, but before I could savor the last, delectable nibble, Uncle Dan started shooting off the rockets.

It happens every time. The highly-anticipated rockets are one of the most fun aspects of F20M, yet we always seem to lose the rocket after two or three goes. Of course, we vainly chased down the mini parachutist, quickly losing it.

Our disappointment was quickly erased when Uncle Jody announced it was time for inappropriate prizes.

This year, I actually won something. After the $10 lottery tickets, huge bags of Snickers, and cigarette candy had been thrown to our greedy hands, Uncle Jody produced a huge turtle shell and randomly handed it to me. It was by far this year's best inappropriate prize, and I was the envy of all the cousins.

After the meat candy, rockets, and inappropriate prizes, the 2010 F20M was just about wrapped up. Most of us headed for Grandma's house, where we watched the timeless classic, Bugs Bunny Road Runner for the millionth time.

Sadly, I had two basketball games on Sunday, so we were forced to bid adieu.

F20M was great, as always, and I look forward to next year!

NFL Week 4

Another NFL week has come and gone, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Bears (Jay Cutler in particular) were pummeled on Monday Night against the Giants. Chicago is now tied with Green Bay in the NFC North.

The Colts had a disappointing loss against Jacksonville, which ended in an astonishing 59-yard field goal.

Donovan McNabb beat his former team, while Michael Vick broke two ribs on a run. The Mighty Pack will have to face McNabb next week, and I'm slightly unnerved by his brilliant performances.



New England destroyed Miami on Monday Night, 41-14. It was Tom Brady's 100th career win, and also Randy Moss' final game as a Patriot.

The Rams defeated Seattle, and Sam Bradford performed admirably. I'd say St. Louis is off on the road to recovery.

Detroit, another team on the road to recovery, couldn't quite defeat the Packers. Well, they almost beat the Mighty Pack, but in the fourth quarter, with Green Bay up by two, our backup fullback had a few, solid runs, and the Packers were able to maintain their lead.

It was uncomfortably interesting, but at least it's a win.

GO PACK GO!

NFL Week 3

This season has been about as unpredictable as Brett Favre. The Chiefs are still undefeated, and they dominated the Top 10 Plays on Sports Center. Who would've predicted that?

There were numerous jaw-dropping plays this week, and many intense games. The Falcons defeated New Orleans in overtime, after the Saint's kicker missed an easy chip shot.

It is my sad duty to inform you that the Packers fell to the Bears on Monday Night, 13-10.

The game started out well, and after we scored 10, unanswered points, I thought the game would be a pushover. However, our arch rivals blocked a field goal and then marched down the field to score. Being the optimistic person that I am, my hopes were still high at halftime. My hopes were soon shattered when Devin Hester returned a punt for another touchdown. Robbie Gould knocked in a field goal several minutes later, and the game was even.



Aaron Rodgers quickly answered, running into the end zone with seven minutes left. When Chicago went 3-and-out, my hopes were fully restored, only to come crashing down when Chicago recovered a James Jones fumble.

The Bears waited until the waning seconds of the fourth quarter to kick the field goal, which sealed our loss.

Not only did our special teams fail miserably, we were penalized 18 times. That's a new franchise record.

Hopefully we can avenge our loss next Sunday, when we face 3-0 Detroit.

GO PACK GO!

Cousin Sarah's Confirmation

On Saturday, my family drove up to Valpo for Cousin Sarah's confirmation. We arrived shortly before dinner, and immediately began playing football across the street. After several epic touchdowns and interceptions, we headed back to Grandma's for dinner.

After tooling around on Aaron's new iPad, the older cousins walked to a nearby McDonald's for ice cream and pop. We then headed to Sarah's house, where Mike showed us Mexican rap music videos and Marine Recon Commercials (he intends on joining the Corps after high school).

The girls (Sarah, Ella, and myself) stayed behind, while the others walked back to Grandma's. Ella and I watched Airplane on TNT while Sarah showered. Afterward, we relocated to Sarah's room and straightened her hair. It took two straighteners to eradicate her stubborn curls, and once she was satisfied, Aunt Heidi drove Ella and I to the Klett's, where we spent the night.

We woke to a breakfast of Frosted Flakes and Honey Smacks, and after dressing in our Sunday best, we headed to Immanuel.

My mom, as Sarah's godmother, participated in the Confirmation Ceremony, placing her hand on Sarah's shoulders during her blessing, along with Sarah's parents.

After the long service, we changed into more comfortable clothes, and proceeded to the cafeteria. We set up a TV and, during our delicious, catered lunch, watched NFL. Tragically, we missed the Green Bay game, but Danny provided coverage from his laptop.

After devouring cake and admiring Sarah's Confirmation gifts, we shot hoops in the gym. Eventually, we formed teams, and after a spectacular, intense game, the Fort Wayne crew headed home.

Congratulations, Sarah!

NFL Week 2

The Vikings are 0-2. The Cowboys are 0-2. This season couldn't have started out better!

On top of these unexpected failures, The Mighty Pack steamrolled the suffering Bills in a 34-7 victory. The game wasn't exactly a nail-biter, but there were many big plays. Aaron Rodgers had 255 passing yards and Brandon Jackson performed admirably. As always, Clay Mathews played like an NFL veteran. My hopes continue to grow.

Ironically, the Jets' star cornerback, Darrell Revis, has injured his hamstring, mere weeks after his regrettable holdout. What's more, he was hurt while defending Randy Moss, who humiliated him by grabbing a spectacular, fingertip-touchdown pass. The Jets got the win, but they'll miss Revis.



For just the second time in NFL history, two brothers (Peyton and Eli Manning) faced each other in an NFL game, both as starting quarterbacks. The dynamic Colts' offense easily defeated the Giants. Peyton is now 2-0 against his brother's Giants.

If Atlanta had creamed Arizona a year ago, it would've been shocking. Today, it's not only unsurprising, it's almost expected. Arizona has enormous receiving talent in Larry Fitzgerald, but they just don't have the means to get the ball in his hands.

We play out oldest rival next Sunday: the hated Chicago Bears. The Bears are also undefeated, but I think we can manage them.

GO PACK GO!

NFL Season 2010

The 2010 NFL season officially kicked off on Thursday, when the defending Super Bowl champs, New Orleans Saints, defeated Benedict Favre and the Vikings. Just like last year's NFC Championship game, the Saints pressured Favre throughout the entire game. Favre was 15 of 27 passing, with a 71.7 passer rating.

Sunday's games were exciting, surprising, and - in Detroit's case - controversial.

Chicago was leading Detroit by 4, late in the fourth quarter. Shawn Hill - playing for the injured Matthew Stafford - apparently completed a pass to Calvin Johnson for a touchdown. However, after much review, the officials ruled the pass incomplete, and Chicago would eventually win the game. It definitely looked like a touchdown to me, and I'm disappointed that the Lions didn't get the win.

Sam Bradford did well in his first NFL start, but a late interception cost them the game. The Cardinals are still hurting from their quarterback fiasco, but they managed to win their season opener by 4.

Tampa Bay beat the much-improved Cleveland Browns, Seattle smashed San Fransisco, the Redskins beat Dallas, and - most surprisingly of all - Houston beat Indianapolis by 10.

Happily, the Mighty Pack won their season opener against Philadelphia. At first, my dad had his doubts, but I was confident the Packers could walk away with an easy win.

Both teams got off to a slow start, but Green Bay dominated in the second half, scoring 20 unanswered points. (Three of those points, I might add, were due to a 56-yard Mason Crosby field goal, which set the record for longest field goal in franchise history.)



The Eagles' starting quarterback was concussed by Clay Matthews, and Michael Vick, the backup, was impressive in the second half, rushing for over 100 yards. However, the Packers' running game did not fare as well. Ryan Grant, coming off a 1200-yard season, was disappointingly unproductive, and he was injured in the third quarter. Brandon Jackson performed better than usual, but we'll definitely need Ryan Grant to have a well-rounded offense.

The season is off to a great start. It's finally football season!

GO PACK GO!

Brenneman's Lake Visit

This weekend, my family (excluding my mom, who was studying algebra) spent Labor Day at our friend's lake house.

About 15 people were there, relaxing and enjoying the day off, including my friends Jessica, Ashley, and Alison. Many of my brother's friends were there also, and our many games of "King of the Raft" were intense.

The lake was choppy, but we all braved the stormy seas. The tubing was excellent, and Joe, our driver, whipped us around mercilessly, flinging many off their tubes.

The kids played football while hamburgers sizzled on the grill (for the record, Jessica and I connected for so many touchdown passes that it must be some sort of record).

After dinner, as the sun slowly succumbed to darkness, we all gathered around a blazing fire.

Finally, after a fun-filled day, we hopped in the van and headed home. Thanks, Brenneman family!

NFL Preseason 2010

First of all, I'm sorry for neglecting to write in such a long time. Honestly, nothing exciting or important has happened lately. It's been school, homework, bed, and so on for the past two weeks.

Anyway, the NFL preseason is just about finished up, and the regular season starts in one week. I am extremely excited, because this preseason was a very promising one for the Mighty Pack.

We started out slowly, losing by a field goal to Cleveland in our first game, but we slaughtered Seattle in our next game. Next, we easily defeated the Colts 59-24! We struggled against the Chiefs, but neither team played their starters.

If our O-line stays consistent, our run defense continues to dominate, and Ryan Grant keeps producing, we should go far. Many NFL experts agree, the Packers are serious Super Bowl contenders.

GO PACK GO!

First Day of School 2010

"First day of school." The four most hated, dreaded words a kid could hear. Alas, it's that time of year again.

It's time to set our alarm clocks again. It's time to tuck our shirts in. It's time to wear shoes again (most of us will have forgotten how to tie shoelaces by now). It's time to. . . well, need I go on?

Have a great school year. No, seriously. Have a wonderful year.

Zoo With Cousin Sarah

All summer, my cousin Sarah and I have been planning a zoo trip, to celebrate her 14th birthday. The scheme was heavily doubted by higher-ups, but happily (and a bit surprisingly), it worked out.

Sarah and Aunt Terrie arrived in Fort Wayne on Thursday, and after lunch (which seemed to take forever), we headed to the zoo.

As if our wait hadn't been long enough, my mom had to renew our zoo membership before we could enter. Finally, after several long, agonizing minutes, we walked through the entrance.

Sadly, and to my great disappointment, the awesome frog fountains at the zoo have been replaced by a giant, ugly, blow-up lion, which just sits there and isn't any fun at all. I mean, it's been a while since I actually played in the frog fountains, but I have many fun memories there.

Anyway, our first real excitement came from the monkeys. Two of them were playing together; chasing each other, rolling around, and hiding - much to the delight of the onlookers.

We next meandered over to the African Journey, my new favorite section of the zoo. We came unnervingly close to some storks, which made loud, throaty noises if someone reached their hand over the enclosure fence. Also, the hyenas were prowling near the glass, not to mention the lion, which was literally laying against the glass, in all it's splendor, glory, and hugeness.

We were able to feed the giraffes, which is always a neat thing to do. I love the way their long, black tongues curl around the piece of lettuce. It's awesome - in a weird, gross sort of way.

After this, Sarah and I loitered behind the group - careful not to attract attention - slowly making our way to the Sky Safari ride. We had planned this sneaky maneuver with my mom. She had handed us a few dollars, and said that, if we could manage it, we could ride the Sky Safari, which is basically a ski lift that carries you above the African Journey.

I had never been on the Sky Safari before, and it was really cool. Sarah and I really enjoyed it, and after viewing the African Journey from on high, we headed to the Indonesian Rainforest, to meet up with the group.

After this, we watched the sea lion feeding, which I haven't seen in quite a while. It's really fun to watch.

After a quick stop at the aquarium, we headed to the farm, where we brushed and fed the goats. (Sarah, at one point, was literally cornered by goats, who jumped on her, begging for food. In the end, she dumped the food in their midst. Only then could she escape. It was really quite funny.)

Aunt Terrie bought a few souvenirs at the gift shop, and we all hopped in the van. So ended our zoo adventure.

Sarah and Aunt Terrie visited for a few more hours. We swam down at Matt's, we enjoyed homemade snow cones, and we watched Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Finally, after an extremely fun, memorable day, Cousin Sarah and Aunt Terrie headed back to Valpo.

Sydney's Birthday At The Lake

As always, Sydney celebrated her birthday (which happened to be her 12th) at the lake.

She and I arrived a day early, along with her grandpa. Unfortunately, the forecast predicted rainy skies all weekend. Indeed, the weather was gloomy and wet on Friday, and Saturday brought little change.

After our breakfast of Tom's Donuts, Sydney and I decided to swim, even though it was drizzling at the time. We must've looked pretty odd, going for a leisurely swim in the rain. Well, we are pretty odd.

Luckily, it stopped raining, the sky cleared up, and we were able to go tubing. It was so much fun, and we both wiped out several times.

Soon, Sydney's family arrived, along with Luke. After some ping-pong (Sydney's dad whooped me thoroughly), Sydney opened presents on the porch. She received some books, Silly Bands, money, and she still hasn't gotten my present yet (it's taken a while to find it)!

We had brownies (which Sydney and I had baked earlier) with ice cream, a truly delicious combination.

After this, we started packing up. It was a great time, and I thank the Nash family once again!

New Bike Trail

Sydney and I went on a very enjoyable bike ride the other day. We took the newest addition to the River Greenway, which winds around Concordia and IPFW, and leads right back home. It lasted about an hour, with a quick stop in a garden for a drink of water.

I'm really looking forward to using this trail again. It's wide, smooth, and runs under bridges, over bridges, along the river, and through a quiet, beautiful garden.

Lake George Visit

Yesterday, David, Sydney, Dever, and myself drove up to the lake with Sydney's Aunt Jenny. We ate lunch in the van, which proved to be the more efficient, easy way to go.

We arrived at Lake George in the early afternoon, and immediately began to swim. We played a fun game called "Survival at Sea", in which we pretend to be castaways, floating in the middle of the ocean on a piece of wood.

We went on several boat rides, both speed boat and pontoon, but unfortunately, we never had the chance to go tubing.

After we watched the movie, "The Incredible Mr. Limpet", we all competed in a ping-pong tournament. (For the record, I beat Sydney 10-9 in a very close, intense game.)

After dinner, we packed our wet towels and swim suits, and headed back to Fort Wayne. It was a great day. Thanks, Nash family!

Not Again. . .

Okay, I lied. Two posts ago, I said Brett Favre is retiring. Brett Favre is (sigh. . .) coming back. I was really convinced he was retiring. I got my hopes up and everything. . .

How much longer can this possibly go on? It's ridiculous.

Just another chapter in the Brett Favre Circus. . .

Roxie

Welcome, Roxie!

No, my mom did not have another baby. We bought a dog!

It's our very first dog, and we've been waiting for a very long time.

Roxie is 1 year old. She's an Australian Shepherd/Spaniel mix. She's a medium-sized dog, and she won't get any bigger. She's the perfect size for our family. She's a very pretty, unique dog. She's very active and playful, and loves playing fetch. Plus, she's already house trained.

We'd seen Roxie once before at the shelter, but it came as a complete surprise when my parents came home with Roxie! We're all very excited! (Pictures coming soon)

Brett Favre Finally Retires

Yes, I know this is pretty much old news by now, but I wanted to wait a while just to make sure Benedict Favre didn't change his mind again. Just kidding, but it wouldn't be very surprising if he does decide to come back and play another year with the Vikings. He's been annoyingly changing his mind since 2006, much to my disgust and dismay.

Realistically, I'm fairly sure he's made up his mind. He's finally retiring for good, instead of keeping the football world guessing. The reason? Brett Favre only knows.

Do I forgive him? Can I find it in my heart to show this traitor mercy? Well, I don't forgive him entirely (he has committed unspeakable acts of treachery), but I do think he is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever take a snap. It is obvious that he loves playing football. He played because it's fun, not for the money, not for the fame. He played for the love of the game.

I definitely respect him as a quarterback (he's much better at making quick decisions on the football field than in real life). He had his great moments and his bad, just like any other NFL player. Sadly, I never got to see him win a Super Bowl for the Packers (he won his only Super Bowl a year before I was born). However, I did get to see some pretty amazing performances from him.

He will be remembered. Not always as Brett the Viking. Maybe I can look past his stains and blemishes. No, for me, he'll be remembered as good ol' Cousin Brett.

"Hot Dogs On The Grill"

If anyone was wondering, here are the lyrics to the aforementioned song the cousins wrote to the tune of "California Girls":

Verse 1: I know a place where the water's hypothermic. (Oh oh)
Swimming in the lake, where the splashes make you shiver. (Oh oh)

You can travel the world, but nothing comes close to Duchess Island.
Once you cocktail with us, you'll be falling in love. (Oh)

Refrain: Hot dogs on the grill, they're unforgettable
Hamburgers with ketchup on top.
Sunkist pop so gross, will give you cavities. (Oh)

Tasty sizzlers, they're undeniable
Pops in the cooler, we've got it unlocked.
Island represent, now do a loon call (Ooh)

Verse 2: Fishing off a dock, using slimy, squirmy leeches. (Oh)
Watching chimney logs, now we're tanning on the beaches. (Oh)

You can travel the world, but nothing compares to Duchess Island.
Once you cocktail with us, you'll be falling in love. (Oh oh)

Refrain

Rap: Intense games of capture the flag, I gotta free the guy that just got tagged. Ow, ow, stubbed my toe, on a root, but all I know is there's the flag, it's over there, I get behind a tree so they can't see me. Oh, no, they've got our flag, they've crossed the line. Dang! The game is over, but I'm like "Sweet!" 'cause now it's time for -

Refrain

The song is surprisingly good, if I don't say so myself. I don't mean to brag, but I wrote the rap. Hope you enjoy!

Dives

Diving was taken very seriously at the Island this year. Here are my favorites.

Island 2010

As always, this year's Island trip was too great for words. Once again, I'll simply make a list of significant occurrences.

1. Our friends from Minnesota visited on Saturday and Sunday, after all our family had left. We had a great time fishing, and we caught quite a few decent small mouth. It was a 6-hour drive for them, but they stayed for less than 24 hours! Even so, we had a really fun time with them.

2. My dad's cousin Tommy was on the Island for a few days, and he brought his dogs Buster and Buddy. For the first time, there were 4 dogs on the Island at once! (Buster, Buddy, Ginger, and Sasha)

3. David and Rachel both passed their swim tests! I believe David is the youngest person to ever pass a swim test.

4. I beat my cousin Mike in ping-pong!

5. My Uncle Jody dumped me - fully clothed - unceremoniously into the lake! I do not recommend swimming in clothes. Not if you can avoid it, that is.

6. Uncle Dan, Danny, and Mike re-shingled the rec. house roof. The cousins were appointed the unenjoyable task of cleaning up the old shingles and nails.

7. We wrote a song about the Island to the tune of "California Girls" by Katy Perry. It's actually really good.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Welcome, Sarah Grace!

Yesterday, my mom, Luke, David, Jacob, and I had the privilege of visiting the newest Kemme Nash, Sarah Grace.

She is a tiny baby, much smaller than any of my siblings were. She mostly slept while we were there, but she was adorable nonetheless.

Congratulations, Kemme Nashes!

Crown Point Week

Graciously, my Aunt Sue offered to take all five of us kids for a week, to give my parents a week off. All of us loved this idea, so we arrived at Crown Point on Sunday.

The first few days were mostly spent swimming and playing Star Wars Battlefront 2. On Tuesday, we went to see the movie Despicable Me, which was a pretty funny movie. After the movie, we went to Dairy Queen, where I got a delicious Midnight Truffle (basically, the only two ingredients are chocolate and chocolate).

On Wednesday, Aunt Sue, Gianna, and I went to the mall in Crown Point. Gianna bought a few sweaters and jeans, and she kindly bought me a fluffy, round pillow shaped like a dog. After browsing through the mall, we had a delicious lunch at Panera Bread.

Later that night, my Uncle Brian assembled a popcorn machine that they had ordered! We popped our own popcorn and watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The week was over much too soon, but we all had a fantastic time. Thanks Aunt Sue and Uncle Brian!

Jill's Dance

Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, my cousin Mark was able to plan a dance from a grimy tent halfway across the world. He hadn't been able to take his girlfriend, Jill, to the prom, so he arranged this dance as a surprise for her.

The whole family was invited, along with Mark's friends. We arrived in Valpo at around 6:00, and were greeted by our cousins from Racine. We played basketball in the church parking lot until 7:00, when we headed to the Immanuel gym, where the surprise dance took place.

The gym looked amazing, with streamers hanging from the basketball hoops, a disco ball, balloons, and American flags bedecking all the tables. Soon, the Green Bay cousins arrived, including our new cousin Stephen, who I had never even seen before!

We were all told that Mark was supposedly taking Jill to dinner, but would take her to the dance instead. At 7:30 Mark and Jill walked in (Jill was blindfolded), Mark untied her blindfold, Jill proclaimed in an astonished voice, "What?" and Mark yelled "Surprise!"

Everyone (except the adults) had a great time dancing, eating, and socializing. After three hours of fun, we finally had to clean up and head out.

The cousins suggested that we make this a yearly tradition, and I heartily agree. I had a blast.

Cousin Mark Is Home!

My cousin Mark, who is serving in the US Marine Corps, is finally home, safe and sound, after a grueling year of service in Afghanistan.

He was never involved in serious gunfire, but mostly patrolled the streets of Afghanistan, building bridges, digging wells, and altogether keeping the peace in the war-torn country.

Sitting around my grandparents' living room, the family listened attentively as he told stories of his deployment. Most of them convinced me to never join the Marines (such as going without a shower for six months), but a few suggested that being a Marine is the best job in the world. Apparently, Mark and his platoon frequently watched movies, listened to iPods, and surfed the Internet, not to mention they bought a dog to keep them company!

However, Mark's deployment wasn't all fun and games (but pretty close, I'm sure). He related to us how, as he was driving a Humvee across a narrow, rickety bridge, his front right tire slid off the metal bridge, causing the large vehicle to flip upside down. Nobody was injured, but they had to wait six hours until someone could come help them out, and then they had to take a long, winding path to base, merely to keep the Taliban guessing.

Another negative aspect of Marine life is foot patrols in the middle of Afghanistan desert. Mark tells us that the terrain is perfect for a twisted ankle, plus the weather is either boiling hot or freezing cold. The patrols lasted for hours, and were largely uneventful and dull (sometimes, Mark said, their dog would come with them on patrols).

Living in the dirty, unsafe conditions of Afghanistan, halfway across the world, to spend countless hours risking your life, for a whole year, takes true bravery, courage, selflessness, and patriotism. I'm relieved that he's home.

Concordia Basketball Camp

During the week of July 5th, I participated in the Concordia High School Girl's Basketball Camp. Many of my basketball friends attended too, and we all had an awesome, fun time.

Every day, all the campers shot 25 free throws. After the fourth day, the counselors tallied up the baskets each camper made. The highest percentage of free throws made was 69%, and I made 64 out of 100, a personal best.

Also, my five-on-five team won the competition, even though I hardly ever touched the ball. I was playing with the 8th and 9th graders, so nearly everyone was bigger, faster, stronger, and better than I was. Sorry to say, I did not play my absolute best, because when I'm nervous, I tend to be tentative and unsure.

I enjoyed three-on-three a lot more, since I was playing with girls my own age. My team was really good, and we had many amazing plays, but unfortunately we didn't win the competition.

It was another productive basketball week, and I was able to hone my skills even more in preparation for school basketball!

Hives

The past few weeks have been sweltering here in Fort Wayne, so we took advantage of this and went swimming at our friends' in-ground pool.

The water was perfect, they had a diving board and slide, and it was a blast. We were getting ready to leave, so I decided to go down the slide one last time. As I was pouring more water on the slide, I must have enraged a few hornets that nested underneath, because I felt a stabbing pain on my chest. Sure enough, I looked down and saw two angry hornets.

I felt fine all the way home, and since I'd never had a reaction to stings before, I wasn't worried. However, as we were eating dinner, my brother exclaimed, "What's wrong with your face?" I felt my forehead, where huge hives were swelling up. My mom also noticed several hives on my arms and legs. Seriously alarmed now, my mom called the doctor. He said to simply give my an antihistamine pill and the hives will be gone by tomorrow. However, the hives were maddeningly itchy, and they covered my entire body. I was extremely uncomfortable, not to mention my eyes were nearly swollen shut.

I laid down at 7:00, and when I awoke, all the hives had, thankfully, disappeared. I've certainly learned a lesson from this: hornets are no good.

Parks and Rec League Basketball

For the past three weeks, I played for Concordia High School's Parks and Rec League basketball team, and I am happy to say that dominated. We only lost three games, and even then the score was close (Except, of course, in the Homestead game. We lost by ten points, but bear in mind that Homestead has never lost a game in about four years. They play together year-round, and we've never come even close to beating them.)

I think I've noticeably improved my game, which is great, because next season I'll be playing for the varsity team at Holy Cross. Well, I can't wait for next basketball season!

Computer Problems

Please forgive me for failing to blog in several weeks. I have a perfectly valid excuse, however. Our computer crashed a few weeks ago, and for a long time we simply could not connect to the Internet. Thankfully, however, my amazing father fixed the computer, and now I can continue blogging to my heart's desire. I appreciate your patience!

Crown Point Visit

This weekend, we stayed with my grandparents in Crown Point for my mom's 2nd Grade Reunion (yes, it was a 2nd grade reunion).

On Saturday, we woke up to a breakfast of waffles and sausage. After saying goodbye to our grandparents, we drove to Lakes of the Four Seasons, the site of the reunion. My brothers and I played with our friends Lucy and Gina on the playground, and we nearly caught a frog lakeside.

Thunderclouds had been hanging in the sky, threatening to unleash a storm all day, and they finally did, just as we finished building canals and dams by the lake (we christened the city "Elusive Frog City" in homage to that tricky frog that we just couldn't catch).

Sitting under the pavilion wasn't much fun, so we headed to our hostess' house, where we watched Man Vs. Wild until the rain stopped. We then got out a few fishing poles, dug up some worms, and tried our luck at fishing. Surprisingly, we did catch quite a few fish - one of them David caught with a makeshift fishing pole: a crude, Huck Finn-style pole fashioned with a line tied to the end of a stick.

Soon, the mosquitoes came out by the hundreds (I counted 14 bites on my legs alone), so we sat around a bonfire, roasting hot dogs and attempting to evade the merciless mosquitoes.

After a fun day, we said goodbye to Lucy and Gina, and headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We got back at around midnight, and we all fell asleep quickly and easily.

On Sunday morning, we visited my Aunt Marge, who lives a few doors down from my grandparents. The kids soon tired of the adults' talk, so we watched Tom and Jerry until my parents came home.

The rest of our time was mostly spent packing, and as soon as we had loaded the van with our suitcases, we waved adieu to Grandma and Grandpa. We stopped at Uncle Dave and Aunt Michelle's house, and watched Germany slaughter Australia in the World Cup. The kids headed downstairs to play, but after about ten minutes, we were back on the road, heading for my Grandma and Grandpa Speckhard's house.

We had an enjoyable time there, sitting on the swing talking to Cousin Sarah, talking and laughing with family at cocktails, watching Youtube videos, and watching the Eyewitness video about reptiles.

All too soon, we hit the road and arrived home at 1:00 AM.

Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup

For the first time since 1961 (the year that Barack Obama and Wayne Gretzky were born), the Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in an intense, seesaw series, which ended last night in Philadelphia.

The Hawks were hoping to repeat their Game 5 dominance, in which they steamrolled the Flyers 7-3. However, the Flyers had other ideas, and the game was tied 2-2 at the end of the second period.

When we scored, midway through the third period, our hope was renewed. We were mere minutes away from winning the Stanley Cup. It was so close, we could smell it. However, the Flyers, being the resilient team that they are, took advantage of our lazy defense and scored with four minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game, 3-3.

Game 3 had gone to overtime as well, but the Flyers had come out on top. Needless to say, we were very worried that Philly would win, causing a Game 7 in Chicago. I don't think I could've taken the anxiety and stress of a Game 7, so I could hardly watch the overtime, fearing a Philadelphia win.

However, we didn't have to fear for long. Four minutes had barely elapsed in the extra period when Patrick Kane received the wide-open pass from across the ice, wove his way around a defender, and fired the puck at Michael Leighton from a bad angle.

The game-winning goal was a bit anti-climatic, because nobody realized the puck had gone in. . . except Patrick Kane. He took off down the ice, dancing with joy and shedding equipment as he went, and we were still staring at the TV screen, not daring to believe that he had actually scored. Soon, the other Hawks came barreling toward the celebrating Kane and Niemi, and the the number 4 ticked onto the scoreboard. We realized that the Chicago Blackhawks were the NHL champions and began jumping around the family room, slapping high-fives and yelling at the top of our lungs.

The replay of was shown, and the puck just barely slipped through the pads of Michael Leighton and into the goal, where it was stuck in the pad of the net.

Jonathan Toews was soon presented the Conn Smythe Trophy, the award given to the MVP of the playoffs (This decision, however, was somewhat controversial. Most people agree that Patrick Kane deserves the Trophy, since he had more goals than Toews and, more importantly, he scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal. Others think that Antti Niemi should've won it, since he was phenomenal throughout the playoffs.)

Then, the moment that we'd all been waiting for arrived. The Stanley Cup was brought onto the ice by two gloved, reverent Hall of Fame hockey players. It was gently, respectfully set on a table, where the NHL Commissioner presented it to Jonathan Toews. After pausing for pictures, Toews performed the most coveted, dreamed-of act in hockey. He hoisted the Stanley Cup. The ultimate goal of every hockey player on the planet.



After whooping with glee along with his teammates and kissing the gleaming cup, he handed it to Marian Hossa, who had played in three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams, to no avail. . . until now. The cup was passed to each team member by age, and chills went up and down my spine as they celebrated with the most storied trophy in sports.

I later pointed out to my dad that this is my first championship. I have never witnessed the Packers win a Super Bowl. I have never witnessed the Cubs win a World Series (I don't think anyone currently alive has). Now, I have witnessed the Hawks break the Stanley Cup drought.

Is this the beginning of a Chicago dynasty? We have all the ingredients. We've locked in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Duncan Keith for a few years. We have the momentum. With luck, next year we can win the Blackhawk's fifth Stanley Cup of all time.

GO BLACKHAWKS!

End of 2009-2010 School Year

Strangely, our last day of school was on a Monday. This caused many raised eyebrows, but since it was the last day of school, nobody really cared.

I got up early on Monday, determined to end the year right. In fact, I got up even before my dad, and I was ready to go at 7:40, while my dad, Benjamin, and Luke were still eating breakfast.

Once I finally got to Holy Cross (yes, I was early), my class and I started cleaning out our desks and lockers, the dreaded task that faces students once a year.

After our book bags were stuffed to their absolute limit with books, notebooks, pencil cases, and papers, Mr. Albertin put in a Three Stooges, one of his favorite shows.

Next, we headed across the street to Lions Park, where we played on the playground, tennis courts, basketball court, and baseball field for two hours. All of us were growing a bit bored (Jessica even claimed that she would rather be doing schoolwork than stay at Lions Park), so we walked back to Holy Cross for the cookout.

The cookout tradition started about five years ago, and it's always a great way to end the year. The whole school eats hot dogs, chips, and a dessert outside on the playground or in the field. This year, we went over to the preschool playground, and lunch was followed by an epic, intense pine cone war. We all went back inside scathed and scarred, but it was a really fun time.

At last, we headed to the church for perhaps the most anticipated yet unexciting event of the school year. The end-of-year chapel service.

After the short chapel service, we sat through the award ceremonies.

Not only are you bored out of your mind, but your hands grow numb from clapping, and towards the end of the ceremony, the award-winners hardly get any applause at all.

For me, the only exciting occurrence was when I won three awards, Honor Roll, National Physical Fitness Award, and Spelling Bee Recognition. The most unexpected award I won was the National Physical Fitness Award. I didn't think I did exceptionally well in PE. Apparently Mr. Schroeder, my PE teacher, thought so.

Finally, after our librarian handed out awards for AR winners (a third grade student broke the school AR points record with 1,500 points), we were released.

I had previously invited my friend Meron to participate in our end-of-school year tradition of going to Atz's, a delicious ice cream shop near Holy Cross. We said goodbye to friends, and then headed to Atz's.

Several other friends join us for this ice cream tradition, including Parker, Joseph, Madison, and their families. It's a fun but somewhat hectic time (for the moms).

I ordered a plain old chocolate shake (Not just any shake, though. An Atz's shake, which is two huge glasses filled to the brim with rich, thick chocolaty goodness.) Ben had a peanut butter sundae, Meron had a cherry sundae, Luke got vanilla ice cream smothered in whipped cream, and Jacob and David shared an Oreo split.

As always, we had an excellent end-of-year celebration.

It's summer!

Camp Lutherhaven

One of the most exciting and enjoyable experiences of sixth grade is our Camp Lutherhaven trip. I started packing last Tuesday night, and after much anticipation, we took off after chapel on Wednesday.

The bus ride to Albion was long and hot. Thankfully, the trip was only about an hour long, so we didn't have to suffer for very long. Finally, we pulled into Camp Lutherhaven and unloaded our bags.

As soon as we were settled into our cabins (I was in Cabin 6) and applied gallons of bug spray to our already itchy bodies, we ate a quick sack lunch around the fire, and then divided into groups of three and set off on a scavenger hunt organized by the counselors. The real goal of the hunt was to help us grow accustomed to the whereabouts of camp. My group - not unlike any of the other groups - was tired, hungry, and a bit uninterested, so we were not very successful.

After we were somewhat comfortable navigating around the camp, my homeroom teacher, Mr. Albertin, insisted that we all take part in a baseball game. We grudgingly headed to the baseball field, but the game turned out to be quite fun. My team won, and I hit a few out of the park (this was super easy, because Mr. Albertin would throw us slow, underhanded pitches).

After baseball, we split into three large groups (I was Group 3) and went to our assigned activity. Our first endeavor was archery, a challenging but addicting pastime. I am very proud to say that I actually hit the target several times (something that most of my group couldn't do) and even thwacked an arrow right down the center of the target. Archery was probably my favorite activity of Lutherhaven.

We switched activities a few times and then assembled for lunch. We did more or less the same thing for the rest of the day, going from one station to the next, until dinner and devotions time. After our pizza dinner and devotions by the fire, it was a mad dash for the showers.

The showers were a nightmare. There were only 8 showers that we were allowed to use, so if you didn't reach the bathroom first, you either had to call a shower or wait. . . for a long time. Waiting wasn't half as bad as the actual showers. The water was lukewarm, and it smelled like eggs. Not to mention the bugs flying around the stall.

After showers, we got about half an hour of free time, which most of us spent down at the playground. I enjoyed playing tether ball immensely, and I dominated most of my class (I suggested to my dad that we install a tether ball pole in our backyard).

By 10:30, I was really tired, but unfortunately, my cabin mates were not. Lily, Katrina, Nicole, Timerah, and Lisa forced me to get in countless group photos and help them make human pyramids. Finally, after the boys in the cabin beside us started banging on our walls, our chaperon, Mrs. English, told us to get in bed.

Since it was so hot, I slept on top of my seeping bag, which also provided some extra padding on the thin, uncomfortable mattress. Nevertheless, I got a good night's sleep. It would've been even better had I been able to sleep in. Yes, we had to get up at 7:00 sharp, even though we were at camp.

After our delicious breakfast, Group 3 went to the orienteering station, where we located certain items throughout the camp using a compass and a bearing. It was really fun and interesting, but my partner, Jack, and I got lost in the woods and couldn't find the seventh item.

After orienteering, we got to canoe and kayak around Lake Muncie. Everyone wanted to kayak, but first we had to prove that we could listen to instruction and honor boating safety rules in a canoe. Unfortunately, I was partnered with Bryce and Jacob, who share the role of class clown and all-around goof. I would've passed our counselor's inspection easily if I had been with anybody else.

Bryce decided to play bumper boats with the other boys, Jacob flung seaweed at Lisa, and both of them drenched me by scooping up water with their paddles and tossing it backwards. By the end of our time, I was soaked, tired, and mad. However, my mood quickly improved when we went exploring through the woods.

The vast woods that surround Camp Lutherhaven are filled with paths, and one could literally spend hours trekking deep into the dark, lively forest. There is even a small marsh, where we caught a frog (Jack's entire foot was submerged in the green slime during the attempt). If you journey even farther into the maze of intertwining paths, you will find the enormous tree house built by the counselors a few years ago.

The gigantic tree house is actually four real sheds, supported by trees and connected with wooden bridges, about ten feet apart. There is a small fire pit, a slide, and a fireman's pole, and we spent quite a while in this amazing tree house.

After our forest adventure, we headed to the main fire pit for our cookout dinner. The hamburgers were superb, grilled to perfection by Zach, a counselor with wild dreadlocks (who is also, ironically, a vegetarian). The hot dogs, on the other hand, weren't as good, because we had to roast them ourselves over the fire (we either burned or barely singed our hot dogs).

After we finished dinner, we had devotions around the fire, and the race to the showers began once more.

When everyone was finished showering, most of us played a game of pickup basketball on the basketball court. Of course, the game was really fun, but C.J. managed to bump and bruise us all with his merciless physical play.

After our game (My team lost, but we demanded a rematch. The game is still unfinished), we said goodnight and headed to our cabins. Once again, my cabin mates kept me up until 11:45. I finally drifted off at about midnight, but was woken abruptly by the annoying, blaring noise of a fire alarm, which was coming from a few doors down. We didn't panic, because we knew that Cabin 4 had been experiencing difficulties with their fire alarm. Disgruntled and sleepy, we tried to get a few more precious hours of sleep before 7:00.

We woke up a bit grouchier than the previous morning, and our dispositions didn't improve when we found out that we were playing an early game of Predators and Prey, a continuation of yesterday's lesson.

Predators and Prey is a really fun game (but it's much more fun when played during the afternoon, and not immediately after you get up). The class split into two groups, one group of predators, and one group of prey. The object of the game is simple: the predators try to find and catch the prey. My group was prey first, so we got a few minutes' head start to hide. I decided to hide in the playground, beneath the giant tire half buried in sand. Luckily, I was never caught; in fact, I was never even found, and I got pretty bored just sitting underneath the tire for 15 minutes, listening to Predators chasing Prey around the camp.

At last, the bell sounded, which meant that the groups would switch from Predator to Prey. After the new Prey disappeared into their hiding places, we leaped down from the fire pit, madly sprinting around the camp, searching for Prey. Bryce and I scoured the woods, wandering aimlessly along random paths until we finally discovered Nathan relaxing in the tree house. Startled and amazed, we caught him unawares and proudly took him back to the fire pit. Next, I spotted Lily peering out from the eaves of the forest, and after 15 long, hard minutes of giving chase, I finally caught her.

In the end, Group 1 emerged victorious, but nobody really cared, since brunch was about to be served.

The delectable brunch consisted of pancakes, French toast, mixed fruit, sausage, and eggs. Needless to say, everyone was nourished and energized for our next project: service hour, the joy of Camp Lutherhaven.

Group 3 was appointed the delightful task of moving couches and chairs upstairs to make room for more tables in the cafeteria. After our grueling task was done, we headed to the devotions center to rake leaves from underneath the benches and place new mulch. We worked hard for a whole hour, and our reward was punch, Popsicles, and granola bars.

After the service project was over, we had a few minutes of free time, which I spent in the game room, beating Lily at Foosball.

Finally, we ended our Camp Lutherhaven trip with a closing devotion.

The trip home was uneventful for the most part, and everyone spent most of their time itching bug bites or singing a favorite song from devotions.

Camp Lutherhaven was (deep breath) sweltering, itchy, interesting, tiring, exciting, and sweaty, but most of all, it was unforgettable.