Square Dancing and Lake Michigan...

The go getter's had a summer picnic at the Christian Reform Conference grounds south of Grand Haven.....It was a very nice facility...they had a camp ground, hotel rooms, private lake Michigan beach , and a lot for the kids to do.

Square Dancing with one of the go getter's volunteers. What a hoot !!!! She wouldn't dance with daddy, but when one of the volunteers asked she was right there....Go figure..

A cold start to the fourth of July weekend.....We walked the lake shore near Pier Marquette Park.

This is so Kyla...She wanted me to take her picture with the big glasses....she has a real sense of humor !!!
Our Personal GPS system.....When we first leave the docks she goes below ( her freak out time)
Then she points the way back to the Yacht Club.....Then we have to talk her into coming top side when we hoist the sails....we raise one sail and she's fine and gradually we let out the roller furling.....next thing you know we are heeling at 15 to 20 degrees and just flying.....Kyla then loves every moment !!!!!

GETTING CAUGHT UP

Well It is about time I got caught up with Kyla's Blog.

Kyla went to the Fredrick Meijer's Garden with the Go Getters from Calvary Church.

BUTTERFLIES


Hey DAD....... :P LOL


This is one of Kyla's new friends...We met Bruce and his wife Mary at the Muskegon Yacht Club...quite by accident....we were having trouble with our out board engine....he offered to help us with it ....he was the person who really encouraged us to get Kyla involved with the Go Getters For Jesus at Calvary Church.....HIm & Mary payed for the whole group to go on this field trip...THANKS !!!!

looking back at winter and looking forward to spring and summer

We stopped by the Yacht club a few weeks ago to check on a few things. on our way there we drove by the big lake to see how it was looking, we had driven by it in December and there were huge ice burgs every where...but it looks like they are finely starting to melt.

This is the mouth of the Muskegon channel

Pier Marquette Park...looking southward toward Grand Haven.

Kyla is looking forward to the spring...she is like her mom and doesn't like the cold weather.
We have figured out that Kyla has not enjoyed the sailboat as much as we thought she did....she don't like it when it heel a lot, and it freaked her out when I would have to go up on deck and raise the jib & main sail....so this year we are installing a roller furling and a main sail raising system...where all the lines run to the cockpit and I won't have to go up on the deck.....

We are looking forward to sailing this season...in hopes that Kyla will start enjoying it a lot better.......At the end of the season last year we started giving her jobs to do ...and it started taking her mind off the fact that we were heeling and she actually started enjoying it...so we think there might be hope for her yet.....

This is a pic we took last year right before a storm.....It is so cool to see a storm come up on the big lake, and watch it crash up over the break wall....

we start our Seamanship class in a few weeks, and should have our boat ( just add water) in the water in about 4 to 6 weeks....CAN'T WAIT !!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY !!

Happy Valentines Day Daddy !!!
Kyla bakes a cake for every occasion in our family.
For Valentines Day this year she made her Daddy
a two layer heart shaped Chocolate cake with Great
Grandma Drapers Fluffy frosting.
I have to tell you a story about Kyla and her cake baking.
she keeps track of when every ones birthday is in the family.
well time came for Grandpa Normans birthday, as she does on
a regular basis she happened to go down stairs to visit her
Grandparents who live with us.
She came upstairs in a huff, come to find out Grandma Carol
not thinking had bought a cake at the store........Kyla would not
speak or look at Grandma Carol for over 2 weeks......until
Grandma carol asked her to make another cake for Grandpa Norman.
Then she was fine....All forgiven!!!!!!

Cross country skiing

This is Bruce, Kyla met him and his wife Mary at the Muskegon Yacht club last summer, and we have become good friends. Bruce and Mary are volunteers at Calvary church in the go getters for Jesus group for special needs adults......He also teaches the blind how to cross country ski....














So they asked us to go cross country skiing , and bring Kyla along.......Kyla fell down and he was trying to teach her how to get up on her own.

















We skied at pigeon creek in Ottawa county....here we are at the end of the trail..... we had skied on one of the easy trails....Kyla did real well so next time we go we will try one of the harder & longer trails.
































We had to bribe her with hot chocolate to get her to finish the trail.......we were ready to take our skis off and go in the warm house and have hot chocolate.....she was a happy camper































We have tried to do things with Kyla that would stretch her....and give her positive life experiences .
This was one....we hope to be able to do this a few more times this year with her...and next year buy our own Skies and poles.... we all had a great time...But were pooped out when we got home!!!!