This spring the kids decided to participate in track at the local middle school. Almost 50 kids turned out for the sport. No prior experience except the form of p.e. we do at home, including 2 mile runs almost every day. They cannot wait to get to practice in the afternoons and seem to be doing well at some events, but most of all enjoying the sport. Spencer chose the discus, javeling, high jump, and the 50m dash as his competing events. Amanda started off with the high jump, the tripple jump, the 50m and 100m dashes; however, she changed out the tripple jumpt for the long jump and feels she does better at that event. They participated in their first meet against three other schools on April 22, 2010 and will travel to Wentachee, 70 miles away to participate in their second one April 29, 2010. They enjoy every minute of it and it is fun for us to experience this with them. Spencer threw discus 58.9 his first meet, and the javelin 79 feet, both just above the average scores for the day. Amanda placed third and fourth we think in her running events. She came in with a personal best in the 50m dash at 8.9 seconds and she hopes to beat that in her second meet. Such is the beginnings in the sport of track for the Lance family.

MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS

This year has been full of events, most of which revolves around the childrens' activiites. Spencer completed several more merit badges at an awards ceremony earlier in March. They both are required to give presentation and create a poster board of information for 4-H to enter into the fair. Spencer performed at his first solo/ensemble festival this spring, playing the trumpet. He is involved in band and they recently gave their first formal concert. We are very proud of the kids and hope you enjoy seeing some of the pictures of these events.

THE HOPKINS CLAN

The Hopkins clan and their families are all represented in the above slideshow. My brother and his family flew out from Wisconsin and enjoyed being here for over a week. My sister and her family drove up from California the Sunday before Christmas. Our family drove down from Moses Lake, Washington the Saturday before Christmas, giving Dale a day or so to visit with everyone before returning to work due to schedule conflicts at work. Sixteen of us enjoyed close quarters for a week, visiting, playing, laughing, eating, and creating memories. Thanks to mom and dad who literally planned and saved their pennies to help make this all happen. It will be a memory to cherish for the rest of our lives.

FAMIY GATHERING

December 23rd brought together four generations of family for fun, dinner, games, singing, photos, and lots of visiting. My grandmother who is 94, was unable to eat that evening and sat in awe of all 42 members of her family represented in one room during these few short hours. Several members were missing, including my husband. Had they all been present, the number would have grown to 50. In another year there could possibly be three more added to our clan. I sat amazed at the amount of family I have and how close we really all are even though much time lapses between our visits. Had my grandfather been present, it would have been his and grandmother's 72nd anniversary. As my mom reminded everyone, grandpa would have sat there and said, "Martha, look at what we started." In our day and age when so many families do not get along or they are scattered many directions, we all felt blessed to know the ties that exist still continue to be tied tight.

MT. HOOD SNOW DAY

December twenty-second found the whole Hopkins clan, my uncle, and my cousin's family at Mt. Hood enjoying a day playing in the snow. The mountain was beautiful for a few minutes, showing off its white dress against a deep blue sky. The fog did not stay away long, but the glimpse the mountain allowed us to take in of its magnificence seemed to be a moment of awe to four of my nieces and nephews from Wisconsin who had never seen a mountain so tremendous in size. After eating lunch at Timberline we quickly set off for Snowbunny to sled. I think our whole group took up at least half of the hillside. Ten cousins, 14 and under, squealed and laughed as they went flying over the snow. At one point, some of the younger children took a trek through the woods with snow sometimes up to their calves. Nine adults lined the top of the hill overseeing and enjoying the show, intermittently taking a child for a ride on their lap or their back. It does not get much better than this.

MT. HOOD LODGE

The day on Mt. Hood came to a completion at a lodge made available by my uncle and aunt who own a condo in a small town called Government Camp at the base of the mountain. The lodge provided a warm pool, hot tubs, big fireplace, and cozy furniture to curl up in for a good visit. Pizza, cold beverages, and hot cocoa filled the tummies of some very hungry snow bunnies. Another cousin and his family joined us, giving us time to catch up with them and see their youngest one. The noise made by the kids in the pool could be heard all throughout the condo village, while some of the adults took to relaxing in the hot tub. The generosity of my uncle and aunt cannot be described and they lavishly contributed to the making of many memories that cannot ever be replaced with anything but fondness.

CHRISTMAS 2009 FUN PICTURES

Some good ole' fashion fun took place during our Christmas season, celebrated in Oregon with my brother's family, my sister's family, our family, and my parents. Lots of goodies prepared certainly added to the holiday spirit. Cousins settled on the floor playing with legos, dolls, or games reminded us that home is where the heart is. My brother taught Spencer some orienteering skills for Boy Scout advancement, which ended up in a hike at Tryon Creek State Park. While the boys bushwacked their way through the woods attempting to find their route by compass and map, the rest of us stayed on the path. My niece drew me into the fantasy world of Narnia as we hiked through trees covered with green moss that hung like hair on the branches. The evidence of lightning left trees hollow, which we quickly declared to be the accomplices of the White Witch. A lamp post shown through the woods, roused the anticipation of a seven year old causing us to run quickly to its location. At home, my sister drew out an insane puzzle of a tiger, which many of us spent time attempting to sort out colors, shapes, and sizes. Hopefully she will complete it before she and her family leave so that we can actually see the finished piece via a photo. The hotel in which some of us stayed allowed for both adults and children to enjoy swimming and relaxing in the hot tub and sauna. The slideshow above depicts only a brief overview of some of the fun times we shared together this Christmas season.