Merry Christmas

The kids dressed up as elfs today. Check out the video. We think they are good dancers.

ELF VIDEO

Getting The Tree

It is that time of year again when the Deuel family heads out with Aunt Jody's family to get the Christmas tree. We have a great time getting the tree, riding the wagon, drinking hot chocolate, eating marshmallows, and sometimes we even get to go sliding.

This year we went to Lendricks tree Farm. We picked out the tree really fast. Found just the right one for the new house. It was one of the best trees that we had gotten in a long time. When we got home ... the tree did not look like the one we picked in the field. Oh well, we still love it and it is OUR tree.

Check out some of the pics from the tree day or look at this video: Tree

Halloween

We forgot the camera on Halloween night. We went to Dondit's house for the annual trick-or-treating. Saurs, Dondits, Grandpa and Grandma Bogart all came over. It was a cold and rainy night. The rain stopped after about 20 minutes but we were wet. Camden did not last long. After he got cold, Camden just wanted to trick-or-treat at the old house.

We got lots of candy, saw old neighbors, hung out with friends, and saw a rainbow! We had a great time. These are a few pictures that Mr. Dondit sent us that dad took with his camera.

Great Wolf Lodge

We went to Great Wolf Lodge with the Saur Family, Dondit Family, and Stargardt Family. Last year we decided to join the Saurs after football season. This is a treat for the kids for putting up with dad being gone so much during football season. This year the other families joined us and we had a wonderful time. Check out some of the pics.

Pumpkin Hunting

The Deuel Family was invited to go to the Country Basket to get pumpkins. We were invited by the Fikes, Andrews, and Coops (all new neighbors). We had a great time and decided this will be the place that we go every year. The kids loved the baby kittens, slide, hay maze, and all the fun. If you are looking for a place other than Klackle's, then this is the place for you. Check out the little video that we put together with the pictures from the outing.

PUMPKIN TIME

Sports Update

One season ends and the next season starts. Camden had his final game on Saturday. He made a good improvement from the first game. The only thing he did not like about Flag Football is that kids pushed him. This made him upset.


Ryann starts her soccer games this Saturday. Her team is purple and I think we will call ourselves the Purple People Eaters.

Jen figured out that we do not have a Saturday off until Dec 22. So if you want to see us on a Saturday ... come to the field or basketball court.

First Day of School

The kids started school this week. Wow are they getting old. Ryann is now in the 4th grade and Camden is in his second year of PPI. They both had a wonderful week and like their new teachers. Check out the pictures:

Flag Football

Camden has started his career to stardom. He has had two games. They are very fun to watch. Check out this video. It last about 4 1/2 minutes. This is his second game.

Click on the title to view the video.

Camden's First Sleepover

All summer long Camden has watched Ryann have friends sleep over or has watched Ryann leave to spend the night at a friend's house. He has often asked us when he could have a sleepover with a friend. Recently, he got his wish!

Camden was invited to spend the night with the Saur family. He loves spending time with Brendan and Gavin, so he was very excited. Even more exciting was the fact that he was going to be sleeping in a treehouse that Mr. Saur built.

After Camden had counted down the days for a week, Mr. Saur came to pick him up. The night was filled with playing at a playground, doing a little fishing, eating marshmallows around the bonfire and finally, falling asleep in the treehouse.

It was a great night!!! Unfortunately, there were a lot of mosquitoes that chose to sleep in the treehouse too. Camden always reacts to mosquito bites so by the time we picked him up the next day, he was quite a sight to see. Camden is looking forward to the next time he has a sleepover. He said he hopes that this one is inside where there are no mosquitoes.

Home Sweet Home

We have made the first house payment and we still love the new house. Things in Rockford Meadow are as great, if not better than we expected. The kids have made great friends, had friends over for lunch and dinner, had sleepovers, and have made many memories already.

The house is starting to come together. We have done a few decorations in the house, but realized that we would have to wait to do everything. Camden's bedroom is transforming into a Detroit Tiger's room and Ryann's room has become the beach room. They both are very proud of their new rooms.

Here are a few pictures of Hope and Camden in the master bedroom:

Ryann win's writing contest

Ryann wrote a winning essay for the Rockford Squire. Even though they thought Ryann was a boy, we are very proud of her. The essay was about her wonderful mom! A link is attached (found near the end of the link) along with a copy.

http://www.rockfordsquire.com/

Flexible mom is tops in essay
Ryann Deuel, age 8, wrote this creative essay telling why he thinks his mom is the best. Deuel's essay was chosen as winner for this year's Squire Mother's Day Essay Contest along with the following runner ups. We received so many wonderful essays about the great moms of Rockford that it was very difficult to choose.

When I close my eyes, I see my mom's hair, like a sea of chocolate, her brown eyes, like chocolate chips, and skin like the sand.

I know my mom likes... James Patterson. I know this because she reads them a lot.

I know my mom doesn't like... when my sister has a blow out in her diaper! I know this because she always says, "Hope!"

Mom you are very... flexible. I know this because when she was in the hospital for 21 days she was flexible at that time.

When I grow up I want to be... a teacher because my mom is. She will be proud of me because she is a teacher.

Most of all I want to tell you... I love you very much!! Thank you for being there for me!

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Love you very much,

Ryann
Happy Mother's Day!!!!

We are Moving

The Deuel Family is on the move. We are moving to a new house. It has been an exciting 12 years in our current house. We have many great memories that will stay with us. (three children and marriage to name a few)

The new house is a four bedroom, two story, walkout, and a 4 1/2 car stall garage. It is in a great neighborhood off of 10 mile. We move June 2. The phone number and e-mail will be the same. Stop by and see us!

Relay For Life

What a year it was. The Relay raised over $400,000. The total for the 5 years is over 1.35 million. That is impressive. Thank you to all that have contributed.

Friends For Life raised over $40,000 this year. It was an incredible year for us as a team. Check out the articles in the Rockford Independent: http://www.rockfordindependent.com/pages/current-issue.htm

Changes at the Deuel House

Camden finally talked mom into letting him shave his head. What do you think? Camden loves it. We think he looks a lot like his cousin Dalton. Camden thinks he looks like Dad and Uncle Brian.

Istock

Most of you know that Brent has a new hobby and love in his life -- Photography. We are excited to announce that Hope will be featured in a national ad campaign. Three pictures were bought for a nice sum of money. The pictures will be exclusively used for the ad campaign for three years.

The add campaign is for a drug called Synagis. This is a drug that helps to prevent RSV in premature babies. This drug was used by Hope when she was young.

Check out Brent's portfolio at one of the two sites.

deuelpics.photoreflect.com

Ryann's Celebration

Grandma and Grandpa Bogart, Great Grandma Bogart, Uncle Brian, Aunt Terri, and Kasi all came over to celebrate Ryann's Birthday. Jen made her famous ice cream cake for all of us to enjoy. (Yellow cake, chocolate ice cream, and fudge frosting)

Here are a few pictures of the celbration. You may notice one candle still burning!!!

Ryann's Birthday!!

Today Ryann turns 9. We are waiting for her official birth time (12:40). We went to Anna's House for breakfast this morning. The Birthday Girl decided to have macaronni and cheese and hot dogs. She has decided that tonight we will go to dinner at her favorite restaurant -- The Corner Bar.

When you turn 9, you become impatient. The Corner Bar had a 30 minute wait so Ryann wanted to switch to Arnies (The Old Mill). We were joined at dinner by the Dondit Family and Ryann's friend Jenna. After dinner, all the waitresses and patrons joined in to sing happy birthday. Ryann was a little embarassed!

When you turn 9 -- you become very sassy. She thinks today she is "the boss" because it is her Birthday. Brings back memories of when Mr. Banfield called her "Boss of me Fred".

Tomorrow is the celebration with family. More pictures then!

Spring Vacation

Wow, what a wonderful time we had on Spring Break! We went down to Florida to visit Grandma and Grandpa Deuel. The only problem, they were in Michigan. We still had fun with Uncle Randy, Aunt Jody, Ashley, Abbey, Uncle Brian, and Aunt Terri.

We played at the beach and pool a lot. The weather was in the 80's and sunny, so we are very tan!

At night, we went to dinner a lot. Here are a few pictures from dinner:



Here is a picture of the family on the last night. Dad had to get some pictures in or it would not be vacation.

Coloring Easter Eggs

Even though we were in Florida, we had to get ready for Easter. The kids colored Easter eggs on Thursday morning. They had a great time. Even cousins Ashley and Abbey joined in on the fun after they got up.

Cam's Birthday

Camden turned 4 in Florida on the 4th of April. This was his Golden Birthday. We had an eventful day. We started out by going to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. The only bad thing about the day was that a bird went to the bathroom on Cam. Luckily, Camden handled the incident quite well!

After the zoo, we came home and opened presents with everyone.
After presents we spent the day outside in the sun. It was so fun.
For dinner we went to Jimmy Iguanas with the entire family. The Dondit Family also joined us. After dinner we went to the pool and got to play in the water before going home for cake and ice cream.