The Schutte Shuffle...yeah, it's a thing!

Way back in October 2014, we signed Joey up for ice skating lessons with the AC synchronized skating team. I read on a flyer 3 year olds were welcome, so it was official, Joey was learning to skate!

 Joey is about to step on the ice for the first time without Mark or me on the ice with him. At first he really wasn't sure what "skating lessons" meant, but after a quick explanation in the lobby, he was more than ready to get on the ice.

1st lesson

All of the "coaches" (as Joey called them) were really great with the kids! Joey has the same instructor every week, so I think that helped him because he always saw a familiar face. And, just like we do for our hockey boy after games, Joey's coach got fruit gummies after every practice.

 During the 1st lesson, Joey stayed close to the instructors and wasn't really up to the same level that other kids in his group were. He was easily the youngest kid on the ice...by a year!

 Hmm...first lesson and he is already picking his spot in the crease. (Pretty sure, he is going to be a goalie.)

 Slowly trying to learn to get up off the ice.

 Just a little high five for encouragement.

This video was from his 2nd lesson...not too bad.

He also figured out how to get up off of the ice by himself. Which in all fairness, was kind of hard for him...the way they teach the kids to get up makes sense BUT because Joey was so little his arms weren't long enough to be in the correct position. He figured it out though.

 Again...this is the spot he immediately went to during an open skate following his lesson.

 Confession: This event was one of the main reasons we put Joey in skating lessons so young. We knew that after the AC hockey game at 5th/3rd Field, we knew they were going to let fans skate on the ice with the players. I really wanted Joey to be able to skate by himself. Seeing Joey skate up to his favorite goalie (shocker, he loves a goalie) was 100% worth it!!!

 Seeing a lot of the college hockey guys skate with Megan and Joey was a perfect way to end this "once in a lifetime" day...so many great memories!

So here is it...Joey's famous "Schutte Shuffle." Not too bad for a 3 1/2 year old!

One last picture at the arena before the ice was removed. Now we have a Summer of roller blading and driveway hockey for both of these two and maybe, just maybe, we will have 2 kids in hockey gear in the Fall.

The short version of a LONG hockey season!

This season marked Megan's 4th year on the ice in hockey gear (only her 2nd as part of an actual team) She officially has the hockey big...she loves it! She plays for Adrian Youth Hockey Association AYHA and we have had nothing but a fun, supportive time with them. They really focus on having the kids learn the fundamentals of hockey before trying to push them into going out there to win...a perfect philosophy! Megan continues to learn and grow her skills on the ice, this season was no different. It was a great season, here is the quick version...seriously, hockey season is LONG from Sept - March with every Saturday having a 7:30 practice, but I wouldn't want it any other way!

 This season was great for many reasons, we had a great group of kids, a fantastic group of parents, all with a "laid back, our kids love this," kind of attitude. Plus this season, the 8U team had 4 girls on it. (Not that Megan noticed at all, but I loved seeing the number of girls in AYHA grow!)

 Having played 6U last year, Megan kind of knew what she needed to do during her games. This year on 8U, she was young for the team and needed to find the confidence to play with kids that have a full year of more experience than she had. (Trust me, and extra year of hockey at this young level, makes a difference!) She held her own and continued to learn and grow throughout the season.

 Love this...needs to be in every rink!!!

 Megan's official hockey picture!

This year, in an attempt to get more girls interested in hockey AYHA was awarded a grant to help fund 6 Girls Only hockey clinics. They were fun, but what was really interesting to see was how ALL of the girls that were currently playing hockey...ALL of them were SO much more confident on the ice! The played harder, skated faster and just looked like different players. Now, don't get me wrong, all of those same girls kick butt on the ice while playing on their co-ed teams, but there was something different when they skated with just girls.

 

Another fun addition to this season, the 8U team was able to work with a few Adrian College coaches during a few on-ice clinics at the start of the season. Not only did the coaches share tips to our kids, but they continued to support our kids throughout the season. Again, this goes back to being part of the "hockey family" everyone supports everyone! 

 Action shot!

Hey look, my Jr. Bulldog is using my Big Bulldog's locker!

 Our kids get to play in some pretty fun places. On NYE our kids got to play at the Huntington Center in Toledo.

 Slowly, becoming more aggressive...slowly.

For as "non-confrontational" as Megan is during games...she does has a little competitiveness in her. During practices, I loved watching her push herself to beat someone, or skate faster than she did in the last drill. She has the fundamentals down, now to get her confidence up. 

 Ready to skate in another game at the Huntington Center!

Best buddies, enjoying their Bulldog hockey cookies on Valentine's Day.

 Another fun thing I was asked to help with was Team Manager, AKA the person to wash jerseys and fill water bottles :) But in reality, I had a few more things to do to help keep the season running smoothly. Honestly, I loved it! I loved doing things that help support our kids, I loved getting to know the parents, I loved being apart of the association. Lugging stinky hockey jerseys back home after a game...well at least at the 8U level they didn't smell too bad!

 

 So it is no secret that I love doing things to make other smile...Megan's last big hockey exchange was right after Valentine's Day. I didn't do anything for Megan's class at school, because honestly, kids just see sugar, they don't care what it looks like. But I am so proud of all the 8U kids, that I just had to do something for them. They all got goodie bags with a granola bar, orange and a personalized "hockey puck" (ding-dong) plus a fun quote about hockey. Because of my team manager position, I knew these kids, I knew their parents and I was proud of them all this season!

As the season was coming to an end, a couple coaches had a fun idea of mixing up some 10U players with our 8U team for a scrimmage. You know what...our 8U kids held their own. It was a fun game, with lots of trash talking to the referee (the AYHA president) It was a fun way to end the season.

Mark and I grew up playing sports and both of us feel that being part of a team teaches kids a lot of different things. From learning to be a team player, learning time management, learning what it means to make a commitment etc. etc. Towards the end of the season, Megan made both of these signs. Our little girl, that didn't have the confidence to read out loud to her class at the start of school, is now writing motivational letters! The letter on the right was proudly displayed front and center in the hallway at school. We are beyond proud that Megan views herself in such a positive way! I know that she is an excellent student...but not going to lie, in the back of my head, I know her confidence came from being part of a positive team playing hockey.

Seriously, look at her smile...she LOVES this sport! She might not be the fastest and she might not be the toughest player, but she has the heart of a hockey player and we can not wait to see how she will grow on the ice.

When you write it down...then it's a goal!

Because I have a friend that stated, "It is only a dream until you put it in writing, then it is a goal." I am sharing my goals here because this is what I need to do for me.

I haven't really kept it a secret that I have been making healthy changes, but I also haven't been sharing my "mission health" journey either. Here are a few blog posts from last summer if you want to read about the start of my journey click here. or to read about the start of my progress you can click here. Here is a quick recap of a few things that I am proud to say I have accomplished.

1. I haven't had ANY pop/soda in over a year and a half.
2. I have been really good at cooking at home/reducing carb intake. (Bye-bye garlic bread)
3. I have logged lots and lots of miles walking and running.
4. I actually miss running/walking outside. (never thought I would say that)
5. Oh and over the last year I have lost 23 pounds!

This would normally be a place where people would show off lots of great before and after pictures, but my journey isn't done. Not to mention, pictures of me don't really exist!

 

Before I get to actually list my goals, I want to take a second to explain #5 in the list above...yes, I have lost 23 pounds, but I have no idea if anyone has even noticed. Why, because during the winter I completely embrace the typical "Stay at home Mom" wardrobe and/or I spend time in ice arenas rocking my numerous hockey hoodies and jeans. All really "safe" clothes to wear when trying to hide areas I am currently working on. So if you see me out and about, yes, I do look like a slob. Yes, my clothes are too big. No, I am not going to buy new clothes just because I can...I'm not done yet. My journey is not done yet, when it is, I might post pictures or I might just enjoy being a fit, healthy mom without any amazing before and after pictures, I don't know and I am okay with that.

 

So I guess this is my BEFORE picture of my new running shoes, purchased on my 35th birthday...let's see what they look like in October.

 

And now, because I have goals not dreams, here is my list of goals:

1. I WILL continue to increase the amount of meals we eat at home.
2. I WILL continue to cut out processed foods from our meals.
3. I WILL increase my water intake. (I seriously drink way too much iced tea.)
4. Once the weather has "stabilized" I WILL log at least 10 miles a week! 
5. By October, I WILL be able to run a 5K (for me, this is a big goal, I hate running.)
6. By October, I WILL NOT hide behind baggy clothes.
7. By October, I WILL NOT avoid conversations because I feel uncomfortable with how I look.

Okay, so some of those might not be legit goals, but they are things I need to work on. I should also stress that NO ONE has ever made me feel like I was being judged on my appearance. I have awesome friends.  On that note, I am off to celebrate my birthday, then off to slowly start working on a few goals.

 



Well, that was a long break.

I guess it has been awhile since I posted anything on the blog...sorry. I love sharing things with family and friends, but I felt that everyone might get sick of hockey overload. Then I got busy with lots of things related to hockey, then I just didn't know how to start it back up again. But I am here now, I have lots of stories and pictures to share and lots of hockey stuff to share, because you know what...our family IS a hockey family and I am not forcing anyone to read this blog. So I am back, ready to share stories with friends and family.

Thanks for reading,
Jana

Hockey...just call us one big family.

So it is no secret that we are a hockey family. Mark and I have always been fans of hockey, but it wasn't until our town had a hockey teams of our own to cheer for that we started to understand what "Hockey Family" really means. (FYI: I have no idea if other sports have similar "families" so I can't honestly say this only happens with hockey.) But over the past few years, we have been lucky to find our own little spot with our new "family."

The hockey teams in our town have players from all over, which means most of the players are hours away from their real families. Yes, sometimes that's great, being hours away from your parents. Other times...you just want home. So we have opened our house to give them a "family like" place to come to just to be around family. Because I would love it if a nice family would open their home to my kids when they venture off years from now. (I am done using quotes around family...because we love our hockey boys like they ARE family.)

Here is a picture from Thanksgiving last year, during No-Shave November, Mo-vember (whatever you want to call it) that is why the cute one has a mustache! Our original hockey boy spent the day with us and as you can see, fit in perfectly with our crazy family.

 We do our best to do non-hockey things with our boys, so every year we get to bowl with our hockey team. Our new hockey boy this year, is really good with the kids...both Megan and Joey love seeing him. It is going to be fun the next few years as they really get to know each other. (Side Note: Megan and Joey loved our original hockey boy too...but he left us. Luckily, we still hear his name everyday, when Joey plays hockey around the house.)

Nope, Megan and Joey don't like our hockey boy at all. It was so hard to get a picture of them together :)

 As if the hockey boys weren't nice enough, they even take time after their practice to talk with the young 8U hockey players. Seriously...I can't say enough nice things about all of the hockey players we have met along the way. Don't get me wrong, on the ice, they might be tough and "verbal" but off the ice, they are as nice as can be. That is why our kids and their friends, love our local hockey players.

 A couple of the boys came over the other night just to be "home" for a bit. Grace, Zeke, Megan and Joey, made sure that hockey boy 1 and hockey boy 2, knew what it's like to have younger siblings. Not sure if the hockey boys were playing hide and seek because they wanted to play or if they were trying to escape the constant screeching noise that the kids were making. Either way, it was a fun evening and I can't wait to see how our crazy hockey family grows over the years.

So when we say that we are a hockey family, for us, it is so much more than just being a hockey fan. (Yes, if you're thinking I left out names...I did that for a reason.)

This is Halloween, this is Halloween

 Somewhere along the way, Megan and Grandma discussed making a Halloween centerpiece. One afternoon, Megan and Grandma built this cool little thing.

 This year Megan wanted to be a witch...thanks to awesome cousins, we already had a costume. Thanks to an awesome Grandma, Megan had a cool purple hat, stripe socks and a super cool cape! Joey still fit into his fireman costume from last year so he was a fireman again! (It is such a realistic costume he HAD to wear it again.)

 Megan got to wear her costume to school, but after she got home, I added her witch make-up! It looked great for the picture....it didn't last very long once trick or treating started (more on that later)

 Look at this handsome guy. I got 1 blurry picture and 1 picture from a friend last year, so this year I knew I had to get pictures of his costume.

 After dinner at our friend's house (Thank you Barber family) the troop was off to do some T or T'ing! Well the troop minus Joey...he was at the AC hockey game because it is now a tradition that he watches the guys warm up (future post coming soon) I think this group of kids has gone T or T'ing together for years...so much fun!

I just want to record to reflect the sacrifices we make for our children...it was cold...and windy! But honestly, if you were dressed properly, it wasn't bad. We are all from Michigan, we know about cold Halloweens! We do it for our kids, because our parents did it for us...none of the parents in this group took the sissy way out either, we ALL walked with our kids mocking the parents doing the "car crawl" through the neighborhood. (Seriously sissy parents, suck it up, put on a coat and enjoy the few years you have that your kids actually WANT to spend Halloween with you.) It was a fun night...but I am glad it is a "once a year" thing!

A rare cousin visit

 Last weekend, our nephew Ace was "near" by (he brought his Mom too!) They were visiting Aunt Danielle's family in South Bend. Knowing that we had no plans to go to San Francisco anytime soon, we opted for a quick road trip visit. When we got there we had dinner at Danielle's mom's house. Grandma-Great was so happy, excited, filled with love so have ALL of her Great-grandchildren together.

We were staying at a hotel with a pool, so most of the cousin time was spent swimming! Here is Aunt Danielle being squished by children.

 Megan was being super sweet to Joey...or she was excited that she could touch the bottom of the whole pool and didn't need a life jacket (she knows how to swim...but she can't float...so that is an interesting combo.)

 The next day, we were back in the pool. Ace was warming up to us and it was just a fun time had by all.

 Megan having fun with Grandma and Grandpa.

 Umm...you know how taking pictures of small children is hard? Try taking a picture of small children in water...impossible! This was the best picture I got of G&G with their 3 grandchildren.

 Ace (green vest) and Joey are playing together in the water while Grandma-great soaks it all up.

 I think watching the kids wait for the elevator then take turns pushes the buttons was adorable! Ace (age 2) Joey (age 3) Megan (age 7) This was the rare time that Megan was the oldest cousin in the group.

 I can not tell you how much I love this!!! Megan and Grandma-great walked through the whole mall like this.

 Because we needed to check out of the hotel, we found a mall with a food court and a play area. I think the license plate sums up this picture.

 Ha! Walking through the book store Ace got a Peppa Pig book and was told he could read it on the plane (on the way home) He found a loophole...he grab his book and took off to sit in the play plane!

 Saying good bye :(

Grandma-great, Grandma, Joey and Ace...poor Megan was in tears because she was sick and just couldn't sit for a picture. (She truly was sick and it come on quick...maybe she was feeling guilty for missing school!?!)

So while it was a short visit, it was a lot of fun seeing part of the California crew. Ace is just as cute as he looks....and I think Grandma-great couldn't have asked for a better weekend :)