I Am Just Beat.....

Well this week was long and full of things for me to learn.  I started my training at work for the midday/shift manager position that I was given.  I was so nervous on onday when I showed up to work that I was not even sure what I was doing at all.  Needless to say that by the time the day was done I not only survived but felt that I did a good job.  Tuesday was another long 10 hour day, but when it was done I again walked away feeling satisfied with my job and the decision to acept the oppurtunity to move up.  Now here it is Saturday night and I have completely survived my first week of training.  My job rocks!

Monday was busy not just with work, but also with life.  The kids all had their conferences for school on Monday.  Jessa's was first and that girl is doing great she is amazing.  She is in 4th grade and reading at the level of a 6th grader.  She is like 10 points away from being an independent reader at school.  Then I went to Jayde's conference....well Jayde has mastered everything that she needs to for the year, but hr behavior is a bit on the rough side as well as she would do much better if she always applied herself.  Jonathin is reading right where he should be his math is great and his teacher was very proud of how well he is doing too.  I am very proud of all three of the kids. 

Monday night was also the first round of district basketball games for the varsity boys.  Newaygo played Fremont again and what a match up it was set to be.  However Fremont not only kicked Newaygo out of the district running, but on Friday they won their tird game for the week and the right to be called District Champs.  If Newaygo was not going to win it I wanted it to be Fremont as they were the other team that played in our game so overall Varsity ball ended not to shabby!

My sister also got married on Monday.  It was a shotgun wedding, but she is happy.  So I now have a brother-in-law and a new nephew.  My family grew and I did not have to have another baby to do it.  Monday was tremendously busy!! 

Friday I picked up the kids from GP's and my sister and her husband took us out to dinner at the local chinese restaurant.  After dinner I took the kids to the movies and we seen "Rango".  It was a cute movie, but I have never heard the word hell so many times in a two hour period.  If it were not for the words hell and dam being said it was a great movie, but had I of known this before we went to watch it we would not have went and seen it.  Not to mention I paid $5 for Jayde to not even watch half the movie as she fell asleep causing the poor highschool girl behind us to start laughing so hard that she had to bury her head in her jacket.

Michigan weather is always a mystery to me.  The weather here is still not sure if it wants to be warm or cold and so we are in that limbo where we are all sure that spring is on its way.  Despite the weather I took a walk outside today for a few minutes to try and get a clear head.  It didn't work!  My head is still foggy!  That's all I have to say about that.

Well I was right that the amount of time I would be able to see Phil this week would be limited and it was.  I took him out to dinner Tuesday night and now this evening when we seen eachother has been all the time we have been able to spare this week.  So we watched the Michigan State/Penn State game today.  Boy was that disappointing.  I really thought that they would win.  We went out to dinner and now he's sitting on the other side of the couch and we are watching Encino Man.....Hopefully church tomorrow and lunch with my grandma.....Yes life is fitting together nicely in my little piece of the world.....

So this week as every other week I did think of Ethin.  I can never help think that everything that makes me happy right now I would not have if Ethin were here.....And as much as I love some of the things/people in my life I would give it all up to have Ethin back.  Someone close to me lost a brother this week and she told me how his son keeps talking about Heaven as though it is a place that he can go and visit.  Wouldn't that be nice if Heaven were a place we could just take a vacation too for a weekend?  Which led me to write this poem please enjoy and I will write on Monday for the Meet Me Monday.....Please give me your questions!!!

Love and Blessings,

Jessica

I wish that Heaven wasn't quite so far away

For I would love to come for a weekend stay

I would love to come and have a holiday with you

If my thinking is right I know you'd love to see me too

Just to stay a few days and linger in your light

Fall asleep together listening to your breath through the night

To hold you in my arms or have you walk and hold my hand

Walk along the beach with you our toes in the warm sand

I'd love to see your smile and here your laughter fill the air

Talk to you and have you tell me about your life there

For as much as I wish that Heaven were a place that I could come for a night or two

This could never be as one more night would never be enough with you

So while Heaven is not a place I can share with you today

God has a place for me up there and I promise when I get there we'll play

Jessica Twigg

3-12-11

Meet Me Mondays

Welcome to Meet Me Mondays!!!  I am so excited!!!  I have missed doing the meet me Monday posts as they were just a way of not writing about everyday life!  And I love for people to get to know me!  So here we go with the two Meet Me Monday questions!!!

What is your favorite Bible verse?

I for years had one Bible verse that I just loved and it is the one posted at the top of my blog.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have in store for you," declares the Lord, "Plans of good and not evil to give you a future and a Hope!"

This Bible verse was given to me my senior year of highschool as a way to get me to "see" God's plan by a family I went to church with at the time.  When I read it I fell in love with it and realized that God ultimately had every intention of me succeeding in life!  What a wonderful promise that is to hold onto!!!

A very close second to this verse however is Joshua 1:9 which says, "Be strong and corageous, do not be terrified for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you are."  I had never heard this verse or read it until I had Ethin and after that it was another way for God to assure me that I was NEVER alone and for Ethin it just spoke volumes!  

Though these are my top 2 there are many I love and I encourage everyone to really look at these verses specially the first one and just feel God speaking to you! 

What is it like coaching your children in sports? 

It is like being the ultimate mom!  I have coached Jessa for 9 seasons of soccer and I truly loved it.  Last fall I coached Jayde for the first time and well some of your kids you can coach and others you should not.  I have never got to coach Jonathin.  However in coaching too it is a great feeling to have the trust of other children and to teach them something fun and physical!  I also love that when coaching I am given the oppurtunity to teach kids about being a team player, good sportsmanship, respect, self worth, & skills!  Kids are truly just fun to be around and it normally will bring out the best in you.  Sadly last fall was my last season of coaching soccer as life is just to busy to continue to do so and my kids are all done playing soccer as they are moving onto different sports.

As I close this update I would love for you all to share with me your favorite Bible verses. PLease comment your Meet Me Monday questions for upcoming weeks! Glad to report that my first day as a manager went well!!! 

Blessings,

Jessica

Busy, Busy, & More Busy

What a long week.....I think at the end of most of my weeks I give a sigh and just say that was a long week!!!  However this week was a little rougher than most.  With being with Krysten's family on Wednesday and then just the normal hustle of the week.  Needless to say I am just exhausted and would rather go to bed right now instead of going into work tonight to close to wake up and open tomorrow morning.

So tomorrow morning I will go into work and start my first day at work as a manager.  I start my trainging as a shift/midday manager.  I am so excited, but so nervous too!  I love my job though and am excited to feel like I am going places with my job.  Besides when I can go to work and know that where I work wants to be involved and make a difference that makes it even better.  

So Friday I got out of work and picked my kids up from GP's and we went and rented two movies and got pizza for dinner.  We spent the night relaxing as a family and laughing and watching movies.  We all went to bed and when I woke up in the morning the first thing I seen was Jessa who was holding my hand and with her face right up to mine she said, "Mom I love you."  It is in moments like that where I jusst melt!  I love being a mom.  The very next thing I heard came from the living room and it was Jonathin, "Jayde you are such a JERK!"  Whoa rewind.....No instead I had to get up and deal with that.  LOL  Such is the life of a mother.  We all cooked breakfast together and before I knew it their dad was there to pick them up so I could go to work.

However Saturday before work was the Michigan Michigan State basketball game.  I love watching sports and I did so Saturday in my own leisurely way before I had to leave for work.  Michigan State lost, but hopefully we willl still be in the NCAA tournament.  Phil was nice enough to text me when the game was done and let me know the score.  He is a HUGE MSU fan like me which is good.  

I feel like that part of my life this week has truly been missing.  I have not really seen him since last Sunday morning and it seems that our schedules between work and kids is not going to allow for it this week either.  The first thing I said to him this morning when we talked on the ohone was that I miss him....Man I am no good at that missing him stuff.  We are used to having time for eachother and this week it just was not possible and as I look onto this week with starting management at work I just do not see it being possible this week either.  Relationships sure do require give and take on both parts and we talked about that.  it seems that we are going to have to make time to see eachother this week if it is what we want.  I am hoping that tonight I can see him while I am on my break at work.  It looks hopeful, but we will see.

Also I received a phone call this morning from my little sister that has been living me.  She asked where I was and then proceeded to tell me that she is getting married at 4pm tomorrow.  WHAT!!!  Really she is getting married and apparently I need to be there to sign as a wittness.  Talk about a shotgun wedding at the courthouse.  That is really just never what I would have wanted for my sister!  However this is what she wants and so as her sister it is my job to just support her in it and hope the best for her and my soon to be brother-in-law and my niece and his sons.  

Alright Blog world tomorrow is Monday which means there will be a Meet Me Monday post!!!  Oh I am so excited!!!  Please make sure to comment your questions to me I will anszwer two every week!  This sis going to be so much fun!!!  However it can only last as long as I have questions....Don't be shy leave your questions and I will get them answered.  My first two questions tomorrow were from someone that personally just asked them of me, but that is OK as I did not have any left.  So until tomorrow enjoy the rest of your beautiful Sunday!

Blessings,

Jessica 

I am Blessed

Well I got home from Grand Rapids this afternoon and got some work done.  Being at the hospital today was just all to much.  I do not know how my friends that I love dearly in the heart world can do what I saw today.  As a parent having to give your child to someone as they are saying, "No", or "Me go home".....Oh I just do not think I could have done it.  That is the one area with Ethin I never progressed to was him being able to talk to me like that to say please don't make me go.  I was so distraught after seeing all that and hearing it all and being there that the first thing I did was called Stef to just vent. 

This is an area in my life where I am blessed.  I have all these wonderful friends that let me call no matter what and for anything.  My heart family is truly amazing and I am so thankful for them.  Sometimes it is hard though as I feel so much with them and they with me.  We truly put ourselves out there for eachother and share our burdens with one another.  Sometimes it is hard to have some of my closest friends be so far away, but I truly have cried with them and they with me, we have laughed together, and we have held eachother strong....Greater Love has noone than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend. John 15:13  Yes we may not lay down our lives in the way you are thinking, but we have stopped our lives and layed down pieces of our lives for eachothers joys, heartaches, triumphs, and tradgedies....I would be nothing without so many of my friends!

The kids and I had an amazing night on Friday together.  We went to the last home basketball game with Jen & her boys, as well as when I picked up my kids from daycare I picked up Phil's son too and so he also met us at the game.  The boys lost, but Jen got a new camera and did not miss any photo oppurtunity! 

Jessa and I at the game

She put on my glasses and Oooh that tongue!

This is Cate & I Conor's sister...Amazing what having one young man play a basketball game with Ethin's name on his back got me!  This girl rocks!

Jayde and I at the game she was not impressed!

My little man and I

He is so lovable he will kiss his mommy in public I Love it but I am sure it will not last!

Phil and I at the game with his son looking on....He was my picture yesterday for my 30 day challenge on face book...Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without....This was easy as I can not imagine my life without him.  He is not just that guy that makes me feel like I have butterflies in my gut, but he is my confidant, my best friend, and he has stolen my heart!  I am so blessed...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

This is Zach Franks he played last year and this year for Tommy Schomaker in the Newaygo Lions Have Heart Game...I'm so proud of him, but this year was his last year for that game as he graduates this year...I am so honored to know him he is truly just a great young man with great potential.  At the game on Friday Zach and I talked and he let me know that he is looking at going into the service after high school.

Jayde loved that Conor held her for our family picture with Conor at the basketball game and has wanted a picture of just her and Conor since.  It was so funny Conor asked if she needed to be held for the picture and before I could answer tater Tot Yelled, "Yes I Do!"  LOL I think she has a crush.

Saturday I woke up and was a garbage girl!!  It's a dirty job but someone has to do it!!

Um There I think???  LOL

 

Yes hoisting garbage!  This was after I tackled a garbage can football style.

And in we go!!!

My hands stunk so bad after we were done!!!  I am trying to convince the company I need a pink shirt!!  I want to be a pretty garbage girl ya know???

Saturday night Phil took me out to dinner and then we went and spent some time with this very special little girl!  Any guesses who she is????

Yes this is Sofi LaPres wearing her jersey from the game!!  Thank You Steve Lisee for proudly wearing her name for 2 years now.  This was also Steve's last year for this game as he is also graduating!

She is a total poser though and I loved seeing her and loved even more that Phil was there with me to experience her vibrance and zest for life.  Sofi's mom Krystin and I are very good friends and it was so nice to spend time with their family on Saturday night.

On Sunday I woke up and went to my church that I grew up in, but had made the decision this past summer that I knew God was pulling me somewhere else.  However on Sunday it was Pastor Nate and Andrea's last Sunday at CLC as they too are being called by God to move on in their ministry.  Pastor Andrea was the pastor that I did my public profession of Faith with almost 6 years ago.  She also dedicated Ethin just 4 hours after his birth and she sat with me through his second surgery.  She was a great friend after Ethin passed away and she did the graveside service for the funeral.  Her Husband Nate baptized all four of my children, was there for Ethin's first surgery and rushed down the night after his second one...He was there for the third one too.  He gave Ethin's entire Eulogy at the funeral.  Both Pastor Nate & Andrea rushed to the hospital the day Ethin was called home to Heaven.  They are both very close to my heart and I promise you if I ever get married they will have to marry me!  I will miss them greatly and feel so blessed they have been my pastors for 7 years....They have seen me at my worst and helped me through some tough times.  We have shared many joys though too....I will miss them, but also know that where ever God calls them they will succeed.

Also on Sunday going to my "Home" church I was able to see many people that have watched me grow up and have supported me through so much in my life.  One of those people in my life is Pat who also helped with the Title sequence at the top....She gave me her idea of Love...Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow which I "chewed" on and used.  Thank you pat I love you!

Church on Sunday was also overwhelming for me in one other way.  I have one living grandfather left and he also goes to that church.  When I was little he was my pal, my fishing buddy, and many times his strong hand would hold mine, if I fell he would pick me up in his arms.  My grandfather has Parkinson's and has been slowly falling to it.  On Sunday as I held my grandpa up through the last song and walked him out to sit in the Narthenex I could not help but feel my eyes well up with tears.  Once he was sat down in a chair I looked at him with watery eyes and said very affimatively, "I Love You Grandpa."  He looked at me and said this, "Today when I opened my eyes I was here and it was a blessing, because I am still here and I got to see you. One day I will open my eyes and I won't be here and that will also be a blessing I will be OK.  I love you Jessi."  I could not stop the tears not even to seem strong for him.  I love my grandpa and it has been very hard for me to see him like this, but when he said that to me on Sunday I felt as though there I was in a role reversal, but my grandpa was still being strong for me as he always has been in trying to let me know it will all be OK.  Please pray for my grandpa and my grandma as she cares for him.  I think the kids and I will be going to see them this weekend.

Alright also I want to start doing something really fun on my blog again.....I am bringing back Meet Me Mondays!!!  What I need is any question you have for me that you would like me to answer.  You can leave them as a comment and I will answer two every single Monday!  I am so looking forward to this so please do not be shy about your questions they can be anything from what inspires me to what my biggest pet peeves are.  The questions are limitless please comment them!!!!

Until next time, Blessings my friends!

Jessica

How it Feels

Well blog world here is the new revamped version of my blog.  It is still Ethin's Heart Still Beats but that is a subtitle.  The new title is Living Life with part of me in Heaven....Love....Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow.  I vamped the whole blog to reflect so much more than just being a Heart mom and the mother who lost a child.  It reflects me being those things, but also it reflects me being the mother to the J Triplets, a friend, a woman of God, a girlfriend, and everything under the sun.  I like it I hope you all enjoy it too.  I also added pages under the title sequence. 

So there are things that I went through with Ethin that have allowed me to be there for other families.  I write that statement as I am sitting at Helen DeVos Children's hospital with a local heart family from where I live waiting for my "niece" Krysten to come out of a heart catherization procedure.  How it feels to me is almost surreal.  I feel like just yesterday I was sitting in hospitals waiting for Ethin.  I'm not sure how ready I was to be in a waiting room under these circumstances, but I know I could not have been anywhere else today.  Please just pray for Krysten and her family as we wait the day away in the hospital.  Here is a pic of Krysten and I from the ball game a few weeks ago.

Yeppers my life as a Heart Aunt!

In other news families are starting to get there jerseys from the basketball game and are posting pictures and writing about it on there facebooks and blogs.  Please check out Logan in his jersey at Stef's blog When Life Hands You A Broken Heart.

I will give a more full better update in a couple of days, but Krysten is out of the heart cath and we are waiting to go see her....Love to you All,
Jessica

So it goes.......

Wow what a couple of months.  Etihn's Heart Still Beats keeps me very busy.  On top of that though I have my kids, my job, and dare I say it a boyfriend that I am completely in love with.....So many of you are pry wondering what has been going on in my life as I have completely eluded the blog world on a personal level.  So here it goes....
The kids are all doing well.  They are growing like weeds and I love my time with them.  They always bring up their brother which is nice as I still NEED and LOVE to hear Ethin's name and talk about him.  The kids are doing much better with not having Ethin here.  The holidays were overwhelmingly hard on all of us, but as a family we did it.  Jayde however is constantly telling me she wishes she could be a big sister.  That at times is so hard for me, because it does make her sad that she does not get to experience that.  She wants me to have another baby all the time, but she also understands that I will not be doing that.  She really was a great big sister and so many times I also wish that I was able to watch her be a big sister.  So it goes that some things are not the way we want them.  So it also goes that there is some pain that I can not take away from my kids no matter how bad I wish I could.  As a family though we are strong and we continue to get stronger as we go through this together.
So it goes also that as I have said many times that this pain does not ever get any better.  I would still stand very firm on that statement and say that it does not get better.  However it does continue to get different and that different is really becoming a new normal in our home.  Life also has continued to move on in a forward direction.  A year ago I was still on my year off from work.  Now I have been at my job 10 months and in a week and half I will be in management.  A year ago I was roommating with a friend and I have now been in my own apartment for 7 months.  So life does go on.  I think that I could say that it has mostly gone on in a positive uphill motion.  I am truly happy and feel so very blessed.
So it goes that I am happy I am still sad.  So it goes that my life is so very full yet so very empty.  The total opposite feelings are still there and most days I am sure that life will always be that way.  I have been so blessed in life yet as I have started going back to church and I sit there and listen to the sermons I can not help but just let the tears roll down my cheeks as I question God's authority in my life.  So it goes that I am far from perfect and am thankful that God loves me just the way He made me. 
When I talk about the blessings in my life I guess that the one area in my life that I have kept from my blog is my "love" life.  It was easy to hide this area of my life when I started my blog, because it did not exist.  So my confession is that once it did I still never really let on that there was something huge and important going on in my life.  I have now been dating my best friend for almost 8 months.  It has been amazing.  He helped me get through that first angelversary.  He was just there for me when I needed him and before either of us knew it there were a ton of feelings that had developed.  July came and we both finally fessed up our feelings and have been together since.  It has had its ups and downs, but has been pretty darn amazing to me.  I have never in my life felt so much for one person that was not one of my children. He is truly the best part of everyday and he is the one person I can not imagine my life without.  And so it goes dare I say it, but I have fallen head over heels in love.  I posted pictures of him on my last update.
Life is moving forward and so it goes that there is and always will be a part of me missing, but I know that I can do this.  I know that I am needed here and that even though Ethn is not physically here he is everywhere.  The last year and a half as hard as it has been God has put everything in place for my children and I to continue living a happy and meaningful life.  Ethin changed everything that my life was or ever would be.  There is nothing in my life at this very moment that Ethin was not a part of in some way.  My children and I look for Ethin in everything we do and we make sure that he is a part of our life.  I am positive that if Ethin were here life would be different for us than it is now, but I am also very positive that Ethin changed everything.  God has been working in my life and showing me countless blessings through the loss of a child.  This blog since Ethin passed away ahas been just that a way for me to express my feelings and share my life as I walked through it after the loss of a child.  This has been and always will be my journey through grief, hope, and faith.  However I am starting to see that this is not just about my grief anymore, but the happiness that is overflowing in my life.  So in the next weeks I am going to be changing the blog a little bit.  This is my journey through grief, hope, faith, and learning to live happy again!  My journey through life with part of me in Heaven, but having happiness here.  My journey through life as it goes from extreme to extremely wonderful!......Needless to say I am in need of some titles for the blog and what to use on the title sequence at the top.  Please share with me your ideas! 
Thank You from the bottom of my heart for being such a huge support for my kids and I,  God Bless,
Jessica

I'm Late!!

Well I owe the blog world a huge apology.  My life has been so busy and hectic with Ethin's Heart Still Beats, my job that I still love, my kids, and my personal life as a whole.  So I am so sorry but that also means that this update will be lengthy and fun with lots of pictures and so much to share!!!!

So I guess I looked and the last time I wrote was the day after the Heart Ball on Ethin's birthday.  So let's start with the Heart Ball.  We hosted the 2nd Annual Ethin's Heart Still Beats Heart Ball on January 8, 2011 here in Newaygo.  What an amazing night!!!  We started setting up the night before so we were ready on Saturday when everyone would be arriving. 

The Welcome table

A table dedicated to Ethin and EHSB

A trifold board of everything EHSB has done since Ethin passed away

 The hall before it was full

And boy did it pay off.  The night started with an amazing dinner prepared by our chefs Scottie and Tony!!! 

Throught dinner we had fun with the auction and after dinner we presented the managers from Wendy's of Newaygo with a plaque for helping collect blankets for the Cuddles From the Heart blanket drive.

This is a pic of the Wendy's crew that were there.  Me, April, Kandi, and Terri

From there we introduced the Guest speaker Dr. Mark Russell one of Ethin's cardiologists from U of M Mott Children's Hospital.

After he gave his tear jerking speech we took a picture.  Dr. Russell is very near and dear to my heart and I am so glad that he was able to come down and speek.

The night included a memory waltz again.  I was able to dance with an amazing partner this year Fred Hoffman.  And we rocked it!  However I was very afraid I was going to fall on my face!  LOL

Yeppers I was scared he would drop me just cuz it would have been funny!  LOL

Then his girlfriend Brenda and him gave waltzing lessons to everyone.  It was fun, but clearly not for everyone!  LOL

After the Waltzing lessons there was some time to just dance and have fun!

 

So just so we are clear yes this would Phil my Best friend and clearly this was my favorite dance of the night!

Yeah he is pretty awesome and good looking and charming, and well I kinda dig him!

So here are just some more pics from the night enjoy!!!

All the Heart Families that were there L-R Goodfellows parents of Heart Angel Faith, Myself Mommy to Heart Angel Ethin, LaPres' parents to Warrior Sofi, & Amador's parents to Warrior Krysten

 The Heideman's they were 2nd year attendance

 The Amazing Board of EHSB

 Fun with the local business owners of Newaygo, Wisner Rents Canoes, Sportman's Bar, Elizabeth Haulsey Botique, and A-Waste

The Amador family had their own table!

Rai Wisner and I

The Wendy's crew having way to much fun! 

The board sharing a group hug

Tammi and I she took all our pics for us again this year

I love our caterers and they clearly love me!

This was the head table

 Me with the all the Heart dads there Matt Goodfellow,  Mike LaPres, & Leonard Amador                                                 

Jen Menken and her business donated all our printing

Love the DJ Jim Bowman too!

There really were so many pictures and you can see them all on the Ethin's Heart Still Beats Facebook album!!

And the Grand Net Total of the ball this year was just over $1300 so it was clearly a great success!!  Thank you to all of the auction donors, the local support, friends, family, and of course the inspiration Ethin!

The theme of the ball this year was the difference of a heart and all I can say is these warriors and Angels there hearts make a difference!

Alright onto the next big thing we did! 

The 2nd Annual Newaygo Lions Have Heart Basketball Game!

Announcing your Newaygo Lions and Fremont Packers!!!

The Newaygo Lions Line-Up
#1 Zenn Timmer playing in Honor of CHD Warrior Brycen Halas
#2 Zach Franks playing in Honor of CHD Warrior Tommy Schomaker
#3 Eric VanDam playing in Memory of CHD Angel Lindsay Groen
#5 Steve Lisee playing in Honor of CHD Warrior Sofi LaPres
# 10 Tyler Arends playing in Honor of CHD Warior Logan Jacks Sponsored by Newaygo Printing & Copy Center, LLC.
#12 Nathan Brown playing in Honor of CHD Warior Brittney Butcher Sponsored by Short Stop Motorcycle Parts & Accessories
#20 Brad Wright playing in Honor of CHD Warior Jayden Valasek
#21 Conor Bradley playing in Memory of CHD Angel Ethin Twigg sponsored by Postma Monument INC.
#23 Alex Roberts playing in Honor of CHD Warior Andrew Huegel sponsored by Blue Heart Trading company
#25 Christian Crotser playing in Honor of CHD Warior Derrick Carter sponsored by Ken Page, Jr.
#32 Damien Longoria playing in Honor of CHD Warior Jordan Snyder sponsored by DanMark Graphics
#33 Jakob Mazur playing in Memory of CHD Angel Ethan Bilpo

FREMONT PACKERS Line-Up
#3 Tyler Krim playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Taya Delperdang sponsored by vanderzaden Farms
#4 Tyler Krim playing in Honor of CHD Warior Lily Hansen
#10 Ryan Ansorage playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Lindsay Dean
#11 Zach Montoya playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Mason Strickland
#13 Tyler Silvernail playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Westen Bouwkamp Sponsored by All About You Salon
#22 Cody McCombs playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Peighton Bonk Sponsored by Cronk's Oakridge Restaurant
#23 Robbie McPherson playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD WariorEmillo Ruellas Sponsored by Steve & Deanna Traxler and Family
#24 Josh Nelson playing in Memory of CHD Angel Faith Goodfellow
#33 Mike Seigel playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Krysten Amador Sponsored by Newaygo Printing & Copy Center LLC
#34 Chase Curtis playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Ethan Sidlauskas Sponsored by Wisner Rents Canoes
#55 Lucas McKain playing in Honor of playing in Honor of CHD Warior Hailie Miller Sponsored by A-Waste

All the players from Fremont & Newaygo, all the families that were there, the sponsors, and the EHSB Board

Krysten Amador and her player Mike Siegel #33 Fremont

Sponsor Ken Page with #25 Christian Croster of Newaygo playing in honor of CHD Warrior Derrick Carter 

Zenn Timmer #1 playing for the 2nd year in honor of CHD Warrior Brycen Halas with Brycen and his family

The Newaygo Boys!  Love these guys!

My back and Conor Bradley's back

The backs of Jakob, Tyler, and Zenn

Christian's back

Heart families at halftime center court

Krysten Amador's family, sponsor and player

The Bonk family with their warrior Peighton and their player #22 Cody McCombs of Fremont sponsored by Cronk's Oakridge of Newaygo

This was so funny when we took the picture of the boys from the front our photographer said Turn around and all the boys laughed.

Steve Lissee #5 from Newaygo with his Heart Warrior Sofi Lapres and her mom this was his second year playing in honor of Sofi

Heart transplant patients Brittney and Sofi

Me with Krysten I love this lil warrior

Conor Bradley #21 with all of Ethin's family that was there, God mother Mandy, God sister Heather, Aunt Krista and cousin Taylor, Mom, His sisters Jessa & Jayde, brother Jonathin, cousin Landon and Aunt Alivia

The boys from Fremont

After the game the Amador's and the autographed ball from the game they won it!

Me with the autographed ball during the meet and greet with all the players from both teams.  I am so proud of these boys!

In the last year since the last game I have gotten to know some of the players that played last year.  This years game was much more emotional for me, because of this.  Zach Franks played for the second year for Tommy Schomaker and I have gotten to know Zach so knowing this was his last year to play was hard.  Next year for the game he won't be there.  Eric VanDam also was a second year player for Lindsay Groen.  For me the boys of the Newaygo Lions Varsity basketball game have so much heart and they are truly hereos to me.

The next part of this is about the game and the player that played for Ethin.  Ethin was represented by #21 and the jersey was wore by sophmore Conor Bradley.  There was no rhyme or reason to choosing Conor to play in memory of Ethin except the fact that he was a sophmore and I thought it would be really neat to have the same young man play for Ethin a few years in a row.  Conor and I met a month ago briefly when I talked to the whole team.  Since that time Conor's twin sister and I have also met and I have met his parents too.  Conor gives me a hug when he sees me now like many of the other boys that played last year and this year and he completely embraced the oppurtunity to play for Ethin.  He said he was honored to do so.  I look forward to sowing him support in his varsity endeavors.  He is an amazing young man.  Thank You Conor!!  It was honor to watch you play so hard for Ethin!!

Conor was great with my kiddos and he held Jayde for this picture!  Thank you!!

What a full update!!!  Love you all and have missed you all so much!!