September SUN...and MORE SUN

Crown Knights Football is in full swing with the Knights 3-1. Joel is an amazing defender. He has a spectacular spin move that allows him to rush the quarterback endless times and cause fumbles and rushed plays. Isaac is a wall on offense. He and the rest of the linemen can hold back hundreds of pounds. Ike is now weighing in at 200 pounds and he is proud to say it is "all muscle".

This is Isaiah getting bashed around for his birthday. He turned 12 this month. We had a great day of celebrating by going to Whirley Ball (a form of basketball/scoop ball in bumber cars) and Lazer Tag. We had cake and ice cream and were joined by Isaiah's friend Tanner. We can't believe that next year we will have 4 teenage boys.

This is our Crown Knights rooting crew, back to front we have David Chauncey (our Pastor), Anna, Sarah Chauncey, Alan Smith, Lori Smith, Daniel, Donna, Steve Olson (Gary's friend from grade school) and Gary. Steve, Donna and Daniel live in Comer, Georgia and we were able to connect and catch up on the past 30 years. They are wonderful people who treated us to an amazing home cooked southern meal.

Lacrosse started again. Isaiah is here on the right in black and white. He flattened, legally, a kid at their first game. It is wild that a guy as small as Izzy can take out such big kids. He loves that game and really hustles. Josiah has started too and he is keeping up well with his team. He holds his own and mixes things up on the field.

For Labor Day we went to North Carolina and visited our friends the Weavers. They are such a great family. The boys, Zach and Eli, are so generous, helpful, kind and patient. It is a treat to see them grow into such wonderful young men. The girls are treasures. Sierra, Sky, and Summer will put a smile on your face instantly. It is so special to see my boys interact gently and compassionately with them. Even Ike was able to be nice. Having girls around helps them control their testosterone a bit. Greg and Marta are as active and amazing as ever. Marta is doing beautiful things with her jewelry business and Greg has a "ministry" at his new job working near the University of North Carolina.

We enjoy each day God brings. These are just the highlights and the rest of our time is filled with school, chores, church and friends. God has kept us in His care during this whole adventure. I couldn't ask for better neighbors, church, friends, and sports teams. What a treat to follow Jesus, even through the HOTTEST summer EVER on record in Atlanta.

August Rush

This August Gary got to venture down to Argentina. He broke away from our record breaking heat of Atlanta to enjoy some cool days in South America. His experience was enlightening in that Argentina is not as glamorous in the outlying regions as we thought. There seems to be much crime with locked restaurants and hotels that "buzz" you into each establishment. He did great using his Spanish to help the plant improve.

INPO had it's annual party at Stone Mountain. The boys did the SKY HIKE. They are all risk takers and try to make the course as challenging as possible. The food was good and spending the days with the Smiths was wonderful. The night ended with a very patriotic and inspirational laser and fireworks show on Stone Mountain Memorial lawn below the giant granite carving. It is amazing how many songs refer to Georgia. We will have so many fond memories triggered by music.

Football started....GO KNIGHTS! Sammie, got to do her life long dream of being on the Chain Gang. It is a challenging and stressful job. The vantage point of the game is great, but being a target for 500 pounds of young mass is very scary. Being the first down marker is a game of Dodge. Joel and Ike are doing awesome as starters on offense, Ike and defense, Joel. They practice in this incredible heat and never complain. We are so proud of them.

We went to a new air museum in Marietta. There were several old war planes that the boys were able to explore. It is amazing how far technology has brought us.

Josiah is currently creating a solar powered Ipod charger. He is so creative and patient. His tenacity to teach himself and try new things is inspiring.

These are some co-workers Gary met in Argentina. This is in Buenos Aires, the "Time Square" area.

Isaiah has had some active employment working for Mrs. Jenny, our neighbor. She has a diabetic cat and dog with thyroid issues. While Mrs. Jenny was away Isaiah had to medicate both animals. He got real good at giving the kitty shots. The kitty even purred after the shots. It is fun to see him do his passion. He loves animals.