Motycka family

Homecoming

2011-10-03T12:20:00.000-04:00

Joe and Jon both had their homecoming on Saturday night! Jon left with a bunch of friends and promised me he would get a picture of him all dressed up~(right, I haven't seen that yet)and I headed off as the driver for Joe and a bundle of his good friends! We headed to a local business for some pictures and then we dropped them off for dinner. We did "mom" stuff until they called and then we drove them to the dance! I think they had fun, but are glad next year they can drive themselves to dinner and the dance!! Enough of mom being the driver already!!! LOL!! I had a blast taking the kids pictures and they were very cooperative! :)

Cheerleader in the house!

2011-10-01T21:41:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, with all these boys I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would have a cheerleader! Low and behold, along comes Powder Puff football during homecoming week! This is when the girls and guys switch positions on the field....girls play football and boys get to cheer and be the homecoming attendants! I tell you what....I haven't laughed so hard at these kids for a long time...they are obviously very in touch with their femine side and not afraid to have fun... here are a few I snapped during the fun. The boys lead the team in the parade and cheered the entire game, they created their own cheers...the bicycle was my favorite...

Lot's of this going on...

2011-09-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

Lot's of Soccer action at our house... The team is doing great this year! They have their best record ever at 4.4.1~we are headed into a really tough week as we are playing two state ranked teams...I am really proud of the boys and their teamates, the are really having fun and playing so well! Look out...Van Wert Soccer is up and coming!

One more time, just for fun and giggles...

2011-09-13T07:20:00.000-04:00

Marching band has for a long time been a large part of our life. The title of this post is something my band director used to tell us all the time...so much that I now use this on my own kids!! LOL!! Jon and Nick both participate in band and play percussion, along time ago I also played the flute(and the piano)~okay...so, not very well, but it is a fact :) Back to the story~Jon is really, really, really(insert more reallys here)talented at percussion and has even attended ONU music camp to better his talents. He was named most outstanding performer @ ONU camp as an 8th grader...(the camp is for H.S.)...and he is the first chair of the Lima Symphony youth orchestra...I know, brag, brag, brag...that's what I do...(for reference on this refer to the posts below...) anyway... He definitely moves to the beat of his own drum in all he does in life and we are very proud of him! He has already been offered music scholarship money for college, it is really a joy to see him perform and hard to imaging in a few short years he will no longer be marching in the V.W.H.S. marching band. This year the band is featuring the percussion so we really get to see him display his talents, the band is playing music from Lady GaGa, and Coldplay so we are really looking forward to the complete season of marching...here are a few images from the band show at this years fair!

So, What are we up to these days?

2011-09-12T13:23:00.000-04:00

We are knee deep in Fall Sports and school! After a very full summer which included a Mission trip with the youth group and a trip to the West with our family, we have settled back into the fall routine of school and events for the boys. It is hard for me to wrap my arms around the idea that Jon is a Junior in H.S. and is not far from leaving the house, Joe is a Freshman this year and Nick is in the 7th grade, Drew is in his second year at Lincolnview as a 4th grader and loving it! This year Jon and Joe are on the Varsity Soccer team, Drew has switched from football(to his dads' disappointment)to soccer. Nick is playing fall baseball as it is his favorite sport and is also running Cross.Country! He knows he is not the fastest nor going to be the best but he is so dedicated and determined to be fit~I can't begin to express to you how proud of him his dad and I are! He never gives up and hasn't missed a practice, even though his knees are really bugging him(did I mention he is growing too)... I certainly wish I would have had his dedication and commitment at that age! Here are a few pictures from his first meet...

Bloggin'

2011-09-06T17:53:00.000-04:00

After much contemplation I have decided to blog again about my family...you know, 'cause I have found that I really do enjoy it. I have spent many months considering if it's the best choice for me(and them)..you know, it's sorta putting yourself (and your family)out there, the good. bad. and ugly too. I guess my decision was based on a few simple things...here they are in a nut shell... People can say what they want, I for one have choosen to do my own thing..I only report to me(and the big man upstairs)and I can do as I please, my kids are my life~if you don't like to hear me bragging about them then don't come and don't read~please. There is a lot more I could say here...but I choose to be ~~done~~ Finally~ I remain steadfast on the quote I live by... Say what you mean and mean what you say, those that matter don't mind and those that MIND DON'T MATTER! :) Here we go!!!!!!!

Been awhile~

2010-11-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hi all~it sure has been awhile, busy here as I'm sure you are there! Here's a new picture of the boys(taken in front of Ohio Stadium). I hope to have an update post soon~peace and blessings to you.

First Day of School 2010

2010-08-25T11:57:00.001-04:00

Bags packed, pencils sharp, first day of school 2010!! Where has the time gone, I officially have 1 Sophomore in H.S., 1 8th grader, 1 6th grader and finally a 3rd grader. In just a few short years we will have our first college bound student~WoW...I'm getting old :)

Where Oh, Where have the Motyckas been?

2010-08-03T11:00:00.002-04:00

Good Gravy~have we been busy...I know, it's been months since the last post and I am sure I have lost all my followers~well, it's not like I had any really followers anyway...just blog stalkers, but I welcome them too!
So, here is what we have been up to...in no specific order... :)
1. Baseball.Baseball.Baseball...we have played so many games I can't count.
2. All-Star Baseball...5 tournaments= lot's more baseball
3. trips to all the pools in the area with the "Moms" club! (Wapak is the best!)
4. trips to great friends pools(yes, that's you Deb)! ~hugs~
5. visits/date nights with great friends and families!
6. trips to the lake(almost every weekend)
7. Reds baseball games
8. IKEA/Outlet shopping trip~Awesome! ~trent even participated! LOL!
9. New jobs~ I am not the Senior High Youth Director at our church.
10. Photography~my business is really moving along! 4 weddings on the books, Seniors, families, babies...you name it~loving it!
11. Music Camp/Band Camp
12. Soccer Camp/Basketball camp
13. Church Camp(the boys are their now for the entire week).
14. Football(yes, it has already started)
15. Family Bonfires~smores nights with our subdivision!.
16. Zoo trips
17. broken wrists~yep, Drew...
18. heart murmurs~yep, Nick...
19. planting a garden~keeping the garden~the veggies are coming up great!
20. birthdays...all the boys were born in the summer, everyone is now a year older!
21. birthday parties and campouts~the boys have all gone to so many parties this summer I can't count!
22. working on the house
23. fishing~Drew has a fishing rod attached to his hand :)
24. bike rides and fishing trips with friends at the reservoir
25. four wheelin'
26. water balloon fights
27. Laser Light shows
28. Trip to Disney~Joe participated in the National Soccer tournament!

This is just some of the crazy fun summer we have been having...who has time to sit at the computer and update? Not me, I am having to much fun and the summer is going by way too fast! So, watch for me in the fall when I have more time to update~ Hope your summer is as fun as ours~enjoy tthe rest!!! God Bless!
The Motycka Crew!

She's Got My Vote!!

2010-05-15T20:50:00.002-04:00

Gifted Festival...Nick the Knight!

2010-05-14T00:32:00.001-04:00

Nicks' Gifted class at school has been studying about the Renaissance and Medieval times this year. They had a festival for all the parents, all the students made costumes and put on a play for us! Then we had lunch as they would in the 1400's~good times...:)I am glad I live in the 21st century... :) Nick was a Knight...he had a blast and really enjoyed learning about the early centuries! Enlightening for him :)

Cubs Baseball 2010

2010-05-14T00:19:00.001-04:00

White Sox Baseball 2010

2010-05-14T00:03:00.001-04:00

Soccer, Soccer, Soccer

2010-05-04T10:53:00.001-04:00

Joe is playing baseball and soccer this spring. He tried out for a team this winter and was selected to participate. The team is coached by the Ohio Northern Soccer Staff and sponsored by Under Armour(which he thinks is very cool since all of his gear is U.A.), he is really enjoying it and looking forward to the rest of the tournaments!

A New Talent!

2010-05-04T10:47:00.001-04:00

Jon decided to take the year off from baseball this spring, which was a great releif to his mom :). Then he decided to take up tennis~he played JV as it was his first time ever picking up a racket. They didn't get many matches, but it was a great way to learn the sport, we may have a new talent on our hands!

Horsen' Around

2010-05-04T10:39:00.001-04:00

Drew is back in the saddle and really enjoying his time with EZ. He is now working on barrel riding and will be in his first show at the end of May!

Click'n Chick

2010-04-21T17:31:00.001-04:00

And one more just for fun. Stay tuned...I have a lot of catching up to do!!

Click'n Chick

2010-04-21T17:24:00.001-04:00

I have been busy shooting families over the past several weeks! I can't get my web-page for my business to post pictures so, until I get the kinks out I am going to post them here! This is Brenenn and her mommy~I spent the morning with B, her mom and dad, aunt and uncle and two twin cousins on Saturday. It was quite the experience. I had a blast...here are just a few I edited.

Confirmation 2010

2010-04-19T21:36:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Jon's Confirmation this Sunday...
The Class of 2010

Monk Style...

Jon with his Awesome Cake designed by Tiffany Spray...the Cake Crazy Lady...you can find her link to the left. This cake was not only amazing on the outside, but the inside as well! Yummie! If you are in the market for a cake~get it from Tiffany!

Moving on...

2010-04-13T10:59:00.001-04:00

Like any crazy family with 4 boys we have entered the baseball season as well...nothing like playing 3 sports at once...Joe is on the 7th grade baseball team doing a great job! He is hitting the ball very well~yep, my kid! Drew has been at the ball park more in his life than any kid I know! :)... He is ready to play baseball too~that is if we can get him to stop dribbling that basketball for a second. It is attached to his hip at all times :).

Van Wert Hornets 2010

2010-04-13T10:48:00.001-04:00

We finished up the basketball season this past weekend with a Runner-Up in the Ottoville Shootout! We only lost by 1 point and the boys all played a great game! It was a great season...one tournament championship(wayne trace), one final four appearance, and a tournament runner-up(ottoville). The kids all have new hardware to add to their collections from each tournament and I think they have all become better basketball players and team members. GO HORNETS! Trent was hoping to have the summer off(from basketball that is), but some of the kids were begging him to coach an AYBT team...I am thinking they won't have to beg toooo much~he's just loves coaching these kids!

The Spelling Bee Champ!

2010-03-23T18:31:00.001-04:00

I forgot to add this one of the spelling bee champ~he was pretty excited to get this trophy with his name on it!

Laser Tag

2010-03-23T18:27:00.001-04:00

Today, my good friend Deb and I took the kids to play Laser tag~boy did they have a blast...he's a shot of our fearless crew! We laughed and talked as our kids shot at each other~hummmm... We had a great day with great friends!

Spelling Bee

2010-03-23T18:11:00.001-04:00

It sure has been awhile since I have blogged~between the last quarter of school, kids, baseball, and my business...I have had literally no time to think, let alone blog about what I am thinking~ :). Nick was in the Journal Gazette Regional spelling bee~as the winner of the V.W. county Bee. He did a great job and placed 11th! We are so very proud of him and his abilities, he is a fun kid!

Neighbors!

2010-03-12T10:06:00.002-05:00

We live in a neighborhood full of great people! We are enjoying getting to know all of them...Joe introduced me to this guy today~seems he lives right across the street in the creek~I think he is saying, "Welcome to the neighborhood."

Well...

2010-02-22T12:27:00.001-05:00

Well, in more ways than one our lives have been very busy! This contraption along with bull-dozers, and other digging tools have been in our yard this week~the ground was still frozen and they were able to get our well in just in time! 134ft. down...lots of pressure, great water! Better than we had before. No rust, No smell...just clean, fresh H20. Love it! It sure was messy, but we are glad it's all completed.
As for my blog...it is in need of a freshening~Spring makeover...lol...I have been working with a company for my business(editing and online proofing)and we are going to make some big improvements. Obviously the blog has not been my priority. It will be messy around here for the next few weeks, so be patient...good things come to those who wait!!! Additionally~the weather around here is looking up(FINALLY), I have booked several sessions already and have session appointments available for Spring/Summer sessions. I have a few weddings on the horizon too~Things are going great! If you are interested in booking a session, give me a call or shoot me an e-mail! Peace and Love~ Carole

Who am I...can anyone guess???

2010-02-10T13:00:00.001-05:00

In the great state of OHIO!

2010-02-09T18:33:00.002-05:00

we are really getting a ton of snow! and better yet, tonight it's really gonna blow! Oh hey, it's good to live in OHIO!!

My Boy!

2010-02-09T18:08:00.001-05:00

When I get down, this one makes me Happy! He's my boy~oh, how I love my littlest boy!

ARISTOCRACY~You WIN!

2010-02-05T12:08:00.001-05:00

guru
postmortem
gordita
harmonica
stipple
loam
topography
acronym
taj
orthodox
caribou
ambiguity
clapboard
iguana
aristocracy
Those are the words Nick will remember to spell forever, as that list is what lead him to become the 2010 Van Wert County Spelling Bee champion last night at the Marsh Foundation in Van Wert! All his fans were there to cheer him on including mom and dad, brothers, and grandpa and grandma Motycka! Needless to say, we were all speechless considering Nick was the youngest in the competition of mainly 7th and 8th graders! Congrats to Nick~WoW!

Basketball!

2010-01-27T10:28:00.000-05:00

Joseph is on the 7th grade Basketball team this year, here are a few shots of him in action. We are so proud of him, he works so hard no matter what! He is a 4.0 student, involved in many sports and other activities, and still finds time to hang out with his mom!! Bragity Brag, Brag...I know...I love this kid~call me his MOM!

Few More of the house!

2010-01-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

We're BACK!!!

2010-01-27T10:06:00.002-05:00

Yep, I have finally found a few minutes to Blog...thank you for all of your encouragement! It was nice to hear I was missed. I am going to try and get back on track! The business is going great, I even have my first wedding booked and calls all the time for spring photos! I am excited to get the Winter cold over with so I can get busy with all of my ideas! In the mean time, we bought a new house and are still remodeling...here are a few shots of what we have done so far...
Basement livingroom...

front door...into basement and livingroom/kitchen on first floor!

livingroom upstairs~this room will get new carpet next week, and then some furnishings!

Kitchen! Love how it turned out!

Picture-less...for now...

2009-12-16T21:26:00.000-05:00

Dear Blogger Friends...sure, it's been awhile since I have posted anything...I have so much to share, I'm happy to report~my business is moving along fantastically. But, the scoop~it will have to wait until after Christmas...why? you ask...WE are officially homeowners. It has been a long grueling process, but we finally have purchased a new home here in our neck of the woods~one with 5 bedrooms and more than 1 bathroom! We are living in piles of boxes and anticipating our moving on Saturday. There is so much going on with moving and remodeling, and of course the always crazy life raising 4 busy boys. We have managed in between everything else going on to totally remodel the house prior to moving in, that is from top to bottom! My husband is a truely amazing man, besides working his tail off, he has spent every non-working awake moment with his dad remodeling and re-doing our new home from top to bottom! He is truely my hero~he has worked so hard! We even bought our first "non-hammiedown" appliances...all stainless! LOVE THEM!! And the new carpet gets layed on Friday morning! I can't wait to share pictures...but, for now please be patient and stop back often, you never know when I will post something fun. I will be off line for awhile during the move, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish my all my family, special friends, and blog-stalkers out there ;0) a Very Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year~Peace, Love, and Joy this holiday season! (Yep, no Christmas cards this year~this is much less expensive!!!)....maybe next year!!! Happy Holidays!

Trent & Carole and the boys!
~Click'n Chick Photography

The Rager family

2009-12-05T17:51:00.001-05:00

My friend Deb asked me to come and take some pics of her kiddos this week, I am learning about indoor photography so I was very nervous about how I would do...these kids were great! They are such nice children(and such a great family!!), ahem...maybe they could teach my boys a thing or two about behaving!! We had a fabulous time and I was able to get some great indoor pics of the kids together and seperate, but mostly I am proud of this shot with the family pet! Deb said she wanted to try and include the dog into a few of the pics if we could(of course I was up for the challenge), it was my first attempt at including a furry friend in any of my photography. It was a lot of fun trying to get everyones attention at the same time...thanks Rager family for the great session, can't wait for family pictures!

2009-12-05T17:43:00.001-05:00

Spray Family

2009-11-29T17:59:00.001-05:00

I meet up with the Spray family on a most blustery day! This family was a blast and it sure didn't take long for this session as they are soooo photogenic. Tiffany(the mom)is quite the baker and has a cake business, if you need a really cool cake~Tiffany is the one to go to! Her blog is on my page..check out the cakes she makes!!! Awesome! Thanks again Spray family, I had a great time! Hope you enjoy the sneak peeks~lot of great pics!

The Dunlap family

2009-11-28T19:45:00.001-05:00

My sister was home this weekend so of course we had to do a family session! I just adore my sister, brother-in-law, and most of all my little Jack-man! We had a great time together exploring, and I think we managed to capture a few really cute pictures in the process! They are huge BUCKEYE fans and both graduated from The Ohio State University~my sister has a degree in Molecular Genetics...yeah...that's what I said...so, we had to do the traditional "OSU" shot, check out Jack...he is sporting the entire football outfit! Thanks Kris, Matt and Jack for taking time to let me drag you around town to "try" the new places I wanted!! Love you all!

2009-11-28T19:37:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Lauren

2009-11-28T19:01:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Lauren, her mom and I meet this weekend for a session after having to cancel earlier this week due to yucky weather! How cute is she~right, and I tell you, this gal is soooo SMART~she loves school! We had a great day to take pictures...and, she was a great model! Hope you both enjoy the sneak peaks(and your daddy too!)...many more cute ones...wish I could post them all!

2009-11-28T18:58:00.001-05:00

Thankful!

2009-11-24T22:02:00.001-05:00

There are many things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving, the list is quite large these days...but no matter how many things I come up with for this list nothing tops being a mom to my 4 beautiful boys. There is no better job I could have, nor anything I could be more thankful for...even on the bad days. When those little eyes smile at me~well...needless to say, it absolutely melts my heart! When they lean over and give me a kiss and say, "I love you Mommy"...all the bad days simple are forgotten.
I wish you all many blessings this Thanksgiving, we are fortunate to have many things to be thankful for!

The Berryman children

2009-11-22T16:43:00.001-05:00

I have the best job in the world!! Photographing beautiful children is the best job ever! I met the Berryman kids and their mom for an afternoon session this weekend. These two were such a fun session~Allison should be a model with all that beautiful naturally curly hair, she is simply stunning. He little brother Adam~what a ham~boy he is full of spice and vinegar and all that little boys are made of, so sweet! Thank you Berryman children(and Mom)for a great afternoon session, enjoy the sneek peek!
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2009-11-22T16:32:00.002-05:00

2009-11-22T16:29:00.002-05:00

The Moonshower family

2009-11-22T15:44:00.001-05:00

I had the privledge of shooting the Moonshower family recently. What a great crew they have, these kids are soooo photogenic. We had such a great time on a beautiful fall day!! There are 3 gals and 1 little guy in this family and they are a hoot~so much fun! Thanks Moonshowers for a great afternoon, hope you enjoy the sneek-peek!

2009-11-22T15:42:00.001-05:00

2009-11-22T15:39:00.001-05:00

Miss Lexi

2009-11-20T23:42:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Lexi, her mom and I met up for a morning session this week...it was a bit chilly but that didn't stop us and Lexi was a great sport! She has a diva side for sure~she is simply adorable. She can really strike a pose and loved smiling for the camera...this girl is a model in training for sure. In addition~she had the best wardrobe ever, dressed from head to toe...thanks Lexi and Stacia for a fun morning, enjoy the sneek peeks!

2009-11-20T23:26:00.001-05:00

I can't ever resist~yet again!!!!

2009-11-15T16:18:00.001-05:00

One more....to cute, I love to share...!!!! Thanks Katie and Lori for a great session! Looking forward to family pictures!

Little Miss Katie

2009-11-15T16:03:00.001-05:00

What great days I have had taking pictures of such beautiful families and children~hopefully this fall weather holds out a few more weeks as I have lots of families scheduling for pics(fingers crossed). It's not to late to get pictures for Christmas, send me an e-mail and we can schedule a session in time for holiday cards and gifts. I have been contacted by a company that deals with online order and processing soooo....things are getting exciting for me! I am just loving it!!!
Katie, her mom and I met for a session Sunday afternoon. She is the most polite gal anyone could ever meet, and such a nice young lady! It's no wonder Drew(yep, my Drew)likes her so much...maybe in 50yrs. or so, I'll be shooting their engagement photos(right Lori~?????)LOL!!! Enjoy the sneak peek~

How could I resist!!

2009-11-10T08:03:00.001-05:00

I was finished up editing pictures last night and decided I wanted to share one more of the "Triple Threat" with you!! These girls are just to good to be true and I just love this picture.
I wanted to also take a minute and thank those of you who have offered kind words and encouragement in my new photography adventure~it means more than you know to have friends who compliment your work and tell you your doing a bang-up job(or not!)! I appreciate and love you all so much and am lucky to have you being my cheerleaders and telling me to GO FOR IT!!! Welp, gotta run...off to school for the day, busy week ahead...shooting 3 families on Saturday, and 2 on Sunday...I have 1 appt. left on Sunday if anyone is interested(1:00). Please contact me via e-mail for more information, pictures will be ready before(way)Christmas~still in time for holiday cards too!! I have a new lens coming...should be here by the weekend, I am really excited about it!! Should make my images even better yet~not as much background noise!! Yeah!!! Again, thank you to all for your words of encouragement!

One More!

2009-11-08T20:04:00.001-05:00

The Proffitt Family...

The Proffitt Family

2009-11-08T19:49:00.001-05:00

The second family today was the Proffitt Family...the previous post today was of their little gal! This family is full of spunk! They all looked great on this fabulous fall day! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Little Miss Raelyn

2009-11-08T18:04:00.002-05:00

Today was the second chance I had to shoot little miss Raelyn(along with her family)~more on that later...I had to dedicate a special post just for her as she is simply way to cute...I don't think they come any cuter than this!!! Enjoy!

Triple Threat!!

2009-11-08T17:27:00.001-05:00

My first family of the day today was the Vaughns! These girls are soooo adorable,and identical triplets! Not to often do you see identical triplets as beautiful as these three!...they had the time of their lives with their mom and dad today! I really enjoyed spending time with this family and look forward to getting to know them better. I am also certain of one thing after this shoot, I neeeeeeed a girl!!! Hope you enjoy the pics girls~(oh, and mom and dad too!).

Hint...Hint...

2009-11-01T20:57:00.001-05:00

Okay...I have been doing good keeping my secret...but it has started leaking to..ahem...media...here in VW. So, here is a little...well, okay...BIG hint about what the gang is up too!! Knee deep in fact! Stay tuned!!!

Trick or Treat!

2009-11-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

The boys headed out for the annual Trick or Treat adventure on Saturday! We headed out with our friends, the Lautzenheiser's and loaded up on the candy. We even ran into a cute little fairy and her gang along the way, after trick or treat was over Nick headed off to a party with friends and Drew and I hit the Burcham's party...a great night for all!

Soccer~

2009-10-29T22:40:00.001-04:00

Jon received his letters for soccer at the awards banquet this past Monday. The boys all looked so handsome, and the coach said something about each individual on the team...then we all pigged out on desserts! My kind of evening!

Physics 101...

2009-10-27T21:57:00.001-04:00

The lesson for today was "sink vs. float"...aka: Water displacement theory. Yep, you all remember it from High School Physics, well, those of you who took physics~me not included! If I have lost you, just google it...anyway, back to the story. Nick is in the Gifted Education program here in VW, and the project for the 5th grade is to build the "duct-tape and cardboard boat"...um...right! Nick had a great time with this project and today we put the product to the test...and...IT FLOATED, that is, until Nick decided to man-overboard!

Tailgating with my point-n-shoot...

2009-10-27T21:31:00.001-04:00

Nothing is better(okay, I know...)than a fall Saturday in Columbus watching my favorite team in their latest showdown...Minnesota gave the Buckeyes a run for their money for a quarter or so, but they just didn't have enough of something. We took advantage of some great seats in A deck and had a glorious day!!..cough, cough...it seems I payed triple fold the next day and ended up spending the entire day in bed. Seems the flu doesn't always have the same agenda I do!

2009-10-27T21:16:00.001-04:00

Back to the Shoe!

2009-10-22T21:37:00.001-04:00

GO BUCKS!!

Drew!

2009-10-22T21:27:00.001-04:00

Just playing with my new editor...Picasa has new updates for anyone who uses it!

The End...

2009-10-21T22:22:00.001-04:00

Football season has come to an end for our family this year, Nick had a blast this season!

Jack again...

2009-10-21T20:09:00.000-04:00

Battle of the Bishops

2009-10-21T19:33:00.002-04:00

Friday night lights, such a wonderful time of year. We spent last friday night with our dear friends, The Campbell Clan(whom are huge Buckeye fans)in the Fort. See, their son is the starting center for Bishop Dwenger High School(you may have seen his pictures in a previous post), anyway...from where I live football is going thru a sort of program building...but I hope it has a great future, we are having a great season, but where I come from we only have 35 kids on our football team...so, when I was told about Scott being a starting center I thought(to myself...)no big deal right! WRONG...this is a HUGE!BIG!HUGE deal! There are 97..that's right...97 boys on their H.S. football team(that's soph. thru senior!)and 45 or so Freshman on the freshman team...WOW! I was blown away! They are undefeated for the year, and Friday was the battle of the Bishops~both Catholic schools. It was quite an atmosphere and I could see the pride all the fans had for their team...the stadium was full. It was Senior night and Scott and his parents were honored, I think his parents are pretty proud of his accomplishments and at how tough and mean he looks in his uniform(trust me, this kid is so kind and sweet)but, I saw another side of him Friday night when he attacked the guy with the ball...Jodi, you may have missed it so here it is again! Good Luck this weekend Scott as you start the tourney trail!! GO FIGHT WIN!!!

The Boys of Summer(fall style!!)
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Scott and his very proud parents!

Scott taking down the guy with the ball!!!!

Drew and EZ

2009-10-10T15:28:00.002-04:00

Drew and EZ, originally uploaded by carolemotycka.

This is the first picture of Drew and EZ~she is a 26yr. old mare who is very sweet! Drew is officially taking riding lessons with EZ and will join 4H in January, he would like to be an Outlaw but will have 1 year of Cloverbuds first. Although he has only had one lesson, he would like to go back everyday...he is in love!

It's been awhile...we've been busy...

2009-10-10T11:20:00.002-04:00

Haven't posted in quite some time. We have been so busy with new news...which by the way is coming soon! As well all of the other activities of the fall, including, but not limited to: birthday celebrations, fall parties, football practice and games, soccer practice and games, band practices, Symphony auditions(Jon made 2nd chair Lima Area Youth Symphony), football Friday nights, horse riding lessons, church activities, school(both for me and the boys), packing(more on that later!),meetings of all sorts and lastly Buckeye Football of course! Trent has been to every game this year, I have been to three...he took Joe today for his first game today...since we were able to welcome Mr. Sun back into our lives...nice to see it out as it has been so rainy, Trent and I considered building an Ark! Last night...in the rain of course, we had PAL football night at the stadium...this is a chance for the young boys to be a part of the "big boys" night! Amazingly enough they had fun...in the poring down rain and all! I was able to snap a few pics before Trent made my put my camera away!!! LOL!! Have a great week and GO BUCKS!

Change is Good!

2009-09-30T10:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my All-New Blog…
First off, I define myself first as a mother and wife to the most extraordinary men in the universe. I am a Christ followin’, photograph takin’, soon to be college graduatin’, Midwest and small town livin’ woman, workin’ my way thru this thing called life. Learning along the way that the road isn’t always clear, that…I have found, is the tricky part!

I have been contemplating change for quite sometime as I have hinted along the way. Never a dull moment around our house and I felt the blog was getting, well, kind of dull. After much searching and exploring (both soulfully and internet style) for ideas on names and layouts etc.…;0), I decided on this title. I wanted it to encompass my passion for photography(which I am hoping is budding into a new business)my personal walk as a Christ follower, and the love I have for sharing our families adventures with family and friends who don’t get to see us often…okay, and several of you that I still have yet to meet. Some of you are quite elusive…but I am glad you are here!

Why the new name and what does it have to do with me, what does it have to do with our family, what does it have to do with being a Christ follower you ask…well, a lot quite frankly. First of all~you all know how much I adore photography and most of you have seen me clickin’ away on my camera…I am a Clickin’ Chick amongst other things mentioned above. Secondly, our lives are busy, crazy, hectic and all of the adjectives describing life with four busy little men,(I will call them that since Jon would be offended if I called him a little boy at 14 right!)and honestly we have an easy time losing control and focus. You see, the blog…, it’s about OUR journey…the journey isn’t always clear, it can be out of focus, and hard to contemplate, but often times it can be very straight forward, enjoyable and easy, focused~ sort of like a clear path verse one you have to clear, does that make sense? That goes for my walk of faith as well, I am learning that the most important part of life is the journey, not the fastest route to the destination, and the journey often times is unclear and distorted with challenges and obstacles along the way to confuse and blur the picture~but the most important of all is keeping Christ in the picture throughout the travel. We, as a family and as individuals hit bumps along the road and loose focus sometimes, as I am sure all of you and your families do too. Thirdly, in my opinion, life(and the journey), is sort of like photography, we don’t always get a clear picture and I have realized that it is about zooming in and out and finding the best aperture and balance for what life gives you at the time. And then still, we find often times the picture may not come out the way you want it…but that’s okay…I have found that’s the tricky part, you know, that is…to say it’s okay! So, there you have it, the meaning of the new name of my blog…this is OUR journey through life, the struggles, the tears, the joys, the laughter, the times we are IN and OUT of focus thru our journey as a family…all of it wrapped up into my own words and all the stinky socks that go along with it! I hope you enjoy the great new things to come, this is the beginning of many exciting things to come…stay tuned…welcome to our journey.

Another Great Day in the Shoe!

2009-09-28T21:01:00.002-04:00

We have had a fabulous time putting our OSU tickets to good use! This week, we headed down to C-town with Deb and Nate, we met up with Kris and Matt and headed out for a great day of fun(despite the rain). The weather man called for a 30% chance of rain...they were wrong! We were soaked for sure...looked liked drowned rats!! I can say hands down it was the best trip to the shoe EVER! Can't wait to do it again!!!

Scott!

2009-09-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

Scott again! Been having problems with my uploader...started over! Again!
This is Scott, my first "official Senior". What a blast we had. He was such a great sport even though his mom said he hated having his picture taken, in the end he turned out to be a great model. Enjoy~

A face tells everything!

2009-09-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

Todays game didn't go so well...let's just say all the fumbles didn't help our cause! The boys had fun though, and when the hotdogs and drinks were passed out after the game all was well...don't they say it's important to have a short term memory if you are playing sports? Our boys do that very well!!

2 down 24 to go!

2009-09-20T12:09:00.000-04:00

To earn a varsity letter in soccer you must play in 26 halves of the games. Jon has now officially played in 2! Way to go Jon, we are so proud of his dedication, even though there aren't many JV game he sticks in there...never complaining about all the practices and hard work he puts in, never missing a practice or game! He's a freshman so Varsity will happen soon if he keeps up his dedication and hard work. The team has won two games now, which I know doesn't seem that great, but it is quite an accomplishment for our program...I know there are many more wins coming in the future!

Changes

2009-09-14T20:09:00.000-04:00

I am in the process of changing the blog...stay tuned!

I am a BUCKEYE!

2009-09-14T18:51:00.000-04:00

Went to the game this weekend~best time in the shoe ever...I am still a BUCKEYE and am proud to be a student at The Ohio State University!
Oh Come let's sing Ohio's Praise, and songs to Alma Mater raise;
While our hearts rebounding thrill, a joy which death alone can still.
Summer's heat or Winter's cold, the season's pass the years will roll;
Time and change will surely show, how firm thy friendship O-HI-O!!!

GO BUCKS!

2009-09-14T18:42:00.000-04:00

2009-09-14T18:35:00.000-04:00

Empowerment...

2009-09-10T11:27:00.002-04:00

Make your own choices, be who you are...don't be who someone else wants you to be. There're a million ways to do it...choose which is right for YOU. Do it for you and do it to the best of your ability no matter what your choice. PEACE and LOVE!

Soccer Boy!

2009-09-10T00:07:00.000-04:00

Joseph decided to trade in the football cleats this year and give soccer another whirl...see, he broke his arm last year playing football and decided that he doesn't want to risk basketball season(which is his 2nd favorite sport)~I'm not sure he realizes he could potentially break a bone playing soccer as well...oh well, what do I know! He is playing U14 and really enjoys it, and might I add, does very well. He is very agressive, I keep telling him it's not legal to break someones arm or leg...he could get a yellow card for that! LOL!

Go Vikings!

2009-09-09T23:57:00.000-04:00

Drew has started flag football. At first he said he wanted to take a year off, then, when his brothers started he changed his tune. I wouldn't have minded either way. This year his team is called the Vikings...and he gets to play with his best buddies from school! I really enjoy watching him play way more than the older boys...maybe it's because I realize now that this stuff doesn't make them into an "all-pro" athlete, and I am not wrapped up in him being "the best", I just want to see him having fun. We have been thru all of the all-star stuff with the older boys(it's so...not what it's cracked up to be), and now, I am much happier watching him have fun and listening to the other parents whom haven't come to that realization yet, who make complete fools of themselves thinking their child has some "amazing" athletic ability at age 7 or 8! Give me a break!!! LOL!!~Life is good for Drew!

Fair Show

2009-09-09T23:44:00.000-04:00

Jon played in the VW County Fair band show on Tuesday! We had one of the largest bands there(for once)I was a proud band parent! The kids sounded really great..no, I'm not bragging~they really did...
The fair is winding down now and it's time to get back to school(pray for no fog!)and into the routines of fall here! We will be in the "Shoe" in Columbus again this weekend using our season tickets! GO BUCKS~it's a night game...should be really fun! Big news is coming soon, until then, enjoy the pictures of the fall activities!

VWHS Marching Band

2009-09-08T16:33:00.000-04:00

Jon played for the first time with the band at the statium this past friday night! It was pretty exciting to see him come in all geared up...the band did a great job! Jon multi-tasked playing the cymbals, snare, and base drums all at once, and he even got his groove on. His mom was just glad he didn't loose his balance and fall over out there! Here are a few shots from the night(Trent made me promise I wouldn't bring my camera every friday night!)...

One Last time...

2009-09-08T16:20:00.000-04:00

Just a few more to share of my favorite little 4yr. old!

Jack

2009-09-04T16:29:00.000-04:00

I have had my nephew staying with us for the past week! What a blast he is...I can't believe he is already 4. We are celebrating his birthday on Sunday at the lake. My sister wanted some pictures for his birthday, and since I am working on my photography skills I figured he was a great test dumbie!!! Here are a few of my favorite!
Have a great weekend everyone!! GO BUCKS!!!

VAN WERT RED 1st Victory!

2009-08-31T10:21:00.000-04:00

Nick had his first football game of the season on Saturday at Eggress Stadium in VW. JV and Varsity both won...Varsity won 27-12~GO RED! Nick played both Offense and Defense. He loves tackling...here are a few of him in action...I printed his name where he is since you really can't see his number. He was tackling the other player. And of course the last pic is of the best water boys around. Drew is having a great time helping the team! GO RED!

What was I thinking!!!

2009-08-31T10:06:00.000-04:00

Joe turned 13 this year as mentioned in previous postings...He wanted to have a big party since he was officially a teenager. Of course I said "OK", a few friends would be fine. Um...this is how many showed-up! LOL!! Yeah~apparently Joe and I weren't on the same page with "a few"! Never-the-less...the party was a great success. They played wiffleball, basketball, jail-break, and had a fire. They were a great bunch of kids! Joe had a few boys spend the night and of course like all good teenagers, they spent all night texting and facebooking.

#58

2009-08-25T22:22:00.000-04:00

Nick made first string for football, he was really excited. Here are few shots of #58.

First Day of School!

2009-08-25T22:15:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe this day is already upon us. It seems like as the boys get older the summer goes by more rapidly. I had Nick make a list of all of the things we did this summer~boys was it long and fun! We had a great summer and we are all glad to get back into a routine(well, I should say I am speaking for myself)again! The first day of school pic is a must at our house...I have started hearing, "mom, put down the camera", but this time it wasn't going to happen. I know your all asking why Jon is dressed in a shirt and tie for the first day~he had a soccer game on the first day of school and they have to dress up. We spent most of Sunday night figuring out how to tie a tie correctly~that's complicated stuff!

Happy Birthday!

2009-08-25T22:05:00.000-04:00

Birthdays are the best...WoW, can you believe he is 13! He looks just like my dad(so handsome) and is growing up soooo fast!

A Birthday Ride!

2009-08-25T22:02:00.000-04:00

Joe turned the big "13" on Friday the 21st of August. This means I offically have 2 teenagers in our home~heaven help me. This is what he purchased with his birthday money~he's so practical!LOL! He took everyone on a ride(well, except me~I wasn't getting in that thing)all around the lake.

Finally, Already~

2009-08-25T21:55:00.000-04:00

We have tried and tried to get Drew to go tubing with all of the boys...see~the boys are water rats in the summer as we are lucky enough to have 2 lake cottages in our family. All of the boys have tubed since they were 2 or 3, except Drew...couldn't get him to even sit on a tube in the water! Well, that is until this last weekend...he decided that he might try it...and he did, exceptionally well. Grandpa clocked him at 17mph! Whoa!

Of course there's always Nick showing off!! This kid is scared of nothing! He stands on the raft while it's being pulled behind the boat~crazy.

Not to be outdone by his big brother, Drew decided to go free-style! Look mom~no hands!!

Sock Hop!

2009-08-25T21:44:00.001-04:00

Every year our neighbors at the lake have an End-of-the-Year party~this year the theme was "50's", of course we were the most stylish guests at the party~my sister and I. Look close, someone else snuck into the picture...who is that weirdo?

3:45 a.m.

2009-08-15T09:03:00.002-04:00

Thank you for all of your prayers. At 3:45a.m. union and company officials agreed on major issues of the contract with the details to be worked out later today. The current contract has been extended until 12:01 tonight. Your continued prayers for all union and company officials, as well as the many families potentially being effected by a possible strike are appreciated.

Trent and Carole

12:01 a.m.

2009-08-14T17:42:00.002-04:00

Trent has left for work tonight anticipating word on contract negotiations. The current contract officially expires at 12:01a.m. tonight. Please say a pray for company and union officials to be able to work thru this and come to an agreement that is acceptable for all involved(before 12:01a.m.), not only for our family but for the other 1500 employees families!

Oh, The Places We Go!

2009-08-11T00:53:00.000-04:00

Boy have we been on the go around here(I know, typical right!). Drew and Nick both spent a week at church camp this summer. Trent and I went to pick Drew up on Friday, he had a really great time and didn't change his socks or take a shower~per Drew(did I mention that he was really proud of this fact?)what a goof...he did have a certain stench to him!!

He was really glad to be back in Van Wert and with his parents! So much so that when grandpa called on Saturday morning and asked him to go to the lake, well, let's just say it was a really tough decision! NOT! So, he headed of with Grandpa for the weekend. Nick was wisked away in another direction with my mom to Coldwater Lake so we had kids in every direction! Needless to say we couldn't sit still so we made plans with Jill and Ryan(Trents oldest and bestest..if boys have BFF's)to visit their lake. It was even better that it was a mear 15min. trip from Coldwater. I can't tell you what lake it was on as Ryan drove us all around the lakes, see, they are all connected. But, I will tell you we had an absolutely grand time.

2009-08-11T00:40:00.002-04:00

Ryan gave us the royal treatment...I think we visited 3 different lakes while all of the kids enjoyed their Mountain Dew.

Jill and her little ones! They are simply adorable.

These two girls were a trip! This is probably what happens when you drink to much Mountain Dew...maybe!

2009-08-11T00:33:00.001-04:00

I caught a few shots of Ty on the beach...all I had to say was I'm not taking your picture and his little head would be out from under the beach towel in a flash!

The kids had a great time on the golf cart~Nick managed to not crash!

A boy and his dog! The best dog ever might I add! Thanks Spray family for a wonderful visit and for the terrific Ribs!!

Up against the big guy!

2009-08-06T12:31:00.000-04:00

So, I get to football practice and to my dismay Nick is attempting to take down the biggest player on the team. Yep, he's really 2 heads taller than Nick and a 6th grader..but my boy is tough..not afraid. He fought like a champion, or played like one...or something like that! He loves football! I secretly told him to imagine every player is his brother...I think it is working(that and of course his cool new shoes!!smile!). So, we now officially begin the fall sports! Yippy! I am trying to figure out how to talk Drew out of playing(that's not nice right!)so we could have spare time! LOL!! Yeah RIGHT!