Of course we always kick off October celebrating Mateo.
God bless you Mateo Michael Robert Joseph Denja
Dad and I kicked off the school year with a few lunch duties. I always schedule our lunch duties on Wednesdays so we can go to all school Mass too. The Ekblads ended up coming to Mass at HVCS a few times too so that was a nice bonus of getting to hang out with them!
This year Mateo exclusively played defense for Saints. He was a great safety!
A few times we parlayed game days into a sleepover or hangout with Isaac and guess who else decided to shave their head???
One of the Saints games was at St Hugo of the Hills so dad, Lucy and I explored the grounds while Mateo did pre-game practice.
Thanks to some significant solar flares, the Northern Lights were visible all the way down in Southeast Michigan. Brandon Ekblad took these photos.
So many good friends: Paulina with Sonia and Lucy with Casey
Lucy and Elisabeth Dirkes share the same middle name: Jacinta and were born about 2 weeks apart!
Our office decided to have a tailgate for an EMU game. It was the same time as one of Mateo's games so I didn't get to tailgate much but I was able to make it for the game, half time with the Temptations!
Saints little Sisters
My favorite UM player! #36 Go blue!
We snuck in a visit to Hudsonville and brought Grandma Paula and Liliana along with us!
Des and I were able to sneak in a visit during Cecilia's last post-knee-surgery chemo. Unfortunately, not long after being clapped out from that, she had to have a lung surgery and has already started another round of chemo post-that-surgery. But James 1:2-4 is our battle cry - COUNT IT ALL JOY!!!
Paulina and friend Kate (Kateri)
Thanks to a very special coach, Mateo got to play his final Saints game at the Big House. Since the team had beat them in a "close out" the first time we played, we fully expected to get stomped. Instead, we ended up ahead at the half and had a great game with lots of scoring and what an incredible experience for the boys!
The cutest cheer squad ever!
October brought so much sunshine. It hardly rained a day and was such a pretty, pretty fall. We took lots of walks and watched many football games, FGR and Saints alike. For my actual 50th Birthday we also got lucky enough to have Isabel come into town from TX and meet the DeVries for a celebratory dinner half way in Lansing. Then Isabel, Lucy and I went home with them for a sleepover.
He doesn't mean it.
The student athletes at EMU had a trick-or-treating day that I took the girls to.
My friend Jen has the same birthday I do. This year she turned 45 when I turned 50 and our third wheel (I mean that in a good way) Lydia turned 40 in April so we got our hubbies to come out with us and celebrate!!
Isabel and Mikey took the girls to Three Cedars...because really is it fall if we haven't taken a trip?? And Isabel needed donuts!!
For All Saints we had a Saint Lucy since HVCS only does K-4.
For Halloween we got lucky enough to get to trick-or-treat with Paulina's two besties: Etta and her cousin, Liliana. The giant axolotl costume was a bit intense and a hot box after walking a few blocks so about half way around the neighborhood Paulina and I switched and then she dressed up as a flapper to match Lili for trick-or-treating round two!
The DaddyLu Productions!
Isabel and Noah at a Stars Hockey Game!