January 2014

I have been slacking and I'm going to try to catch up.  The past few months have been crazy busy.  I'll start with January and try to work my way up to the present. 

 Christmas with the Merrills
All 10 Grandkids
 
This was at the end of December, but we got together at Nick's mom's with all the siblings and cousins.  We spent the night and had lots of fun, even though it ended up being way too cold to go outside. 
 

 Raegan and Gracie at an ISU gymnastics meet
 
 They found Cy at the meet!
 
January was filled with ISU events, wrestling, and a lot of snow and cold.  The kids went to a few basketball games and gymnastics meets and Gracie took friends with her a couple times.  They still get pretty excited to go to Hilton to see dad and watch ISU.
 

 I was lucky enough to get to take a few friends to the Jason Aldean concert at Wells Fargo in Des Moines.  We made it down there despite a snow storm!
 Gracie and Owen in the Ballard wrestling room
 
It didn't happen very often, but there were a couple Saturdays that we decided to stay home instead of go to the Ballard wrestling tournaments.  This was one that I took the kids to the wrestling room to play for awhile since it was so yucky outside.  I think on this particular Saturday we played for almost 2 hours.  Gracie practiced tumbling and Owen did sprints up and down the mat.  I ended up showing Gracie how to do a few things and ended up pretty sore myself.  It was a good way to spend a really cold afternoon.
 This is our view on most Saturdays from December - February
 
Gracie doesn't always get excited to go, but once we're there, they both have fun.  The high school kids are great and love entertaining Gracie and Owen.  They have also made friends with a couple other younger kids who go every week, too.  Gracie and Owen really do great at meets and stay pretty content watching.  I don't usually have to worry about them running around too much or doing stuff that they're not supposed to.  They also do great going to practices now.  Gracie helps the managers most of the time and Owen wrestles with the coaches or watches.  They both love being involved.  As long as Owen behaves at school he gets to go.  Sometimes he forgets that he's not supposed to wrestle and tackle at school.
 

 Ballard won the conference meet and had 4 conference champs
 
Owen and Landon wrestling after the meet was done.
 
Like I said, January was pretty busy.  I'm sure there were other events that I'm missing, but it was mostly wrestling and ISU stuff.  I had started another class for school, which is done now. Only a year left until I'm done!

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