More fun pictures from Hawaii

The skyline of Oahu

Beautiful Diamond Head.... Rachel and Matt at lunch

On the beautiful beach

Beautiful Maui

Beautiful Maui... this is the ocean view from the Paki Maui where we stayed. We took the road to Hana - it was 600 curves one way! The scenery was worth the long trip - seeing the beauty of Maui - waterfalls, black sand beach, and the seven pools.

This was the black sand beach....

Hawaii Adventure Trip - First Stop: San Francisco!

Tuesday, February 13th we flew out of Grand Rapids to Chicago, where we changed planes for San Francisco. A huge snowstorm was coming, and we were so thankful that we were one of the last planes to take off from Chicago- we heard later that 600 flights were cancelled due to weather!
We arrived in beautiful San Francisco, and had two wonderful, fun-packed days there.

Our first stop was at the Muir Woods...where we saw the most majestic redwoods! We took the walk through the forest. The redwoods were just awsome in their height and beauty!

We also got to see Alcatraz from a distance....

We also have fun walking through Chinatown....

What a fun "trolley car" ride we had at Fisherman's Wharf! We LOVED walking all over and having a "fresh clam chowder" right on the boardwalk at an outdoor stand!

Here we are at the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge

AWANA Regional Quizzing

Today our church hosts the Regional AWANA Quizzing and Grand Prix. The morning is for quizzing, the afternoon for the Grand Prix. We have a great group of 3-6th graders competing...it consists of speed, multiple choice and a written section.

WILD GAME DINNER

The friendly bear!
Anyone for a taste of Mountain Lion???
We had a great group of men...there were around 220 there!

Here are some of the animals that our men got on hunting trips! Glad we didn't have eat this meat!
This was the "welcoming committtee"!!!!

Fun Groundhog facts......

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

How Did the Groundhog Get a Day of His Own?

The lowly groundhog, often called a woodchuck, is the only mammal to have a day named in his honor. The groundhog's day is February 2. Granted, it’s not a federal holiday; nobody gets off work. But still, to have a day named after you is quite a feat.
How did the groundhog come by this honor?
It stems from the ancient belief that hibernating creatures were able to predict the arrival of springtime by their emergence.

The German immigrants known as Pennsylvania Dutch brought the tradition to America in the 18th century. They had once regarded the badger as the winter-spring barometer.

Traditionally, the groundhog is supposed to awaken on February 2, Groundhog Day, and come up out of his burrow. If he sees his shadow, he will return to the burrow for six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, he remains outside and starts his year, because he knows that spring has arrived early.

In the U.S., the “official” groundhog is kept in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Every February 2, amid a raucous celebration early in the morning, “Punxsutawney Phil” as the groundhog is called, is pulled from his den by his keepers, who are dressed in tuxedos. Phil then whispers his weather prediction into the ear of his keeper, who then announces it to the anxiously-awaiting crowd.

Of course, this is for show. It’s a fun celebration and a great tradition. But Phil's keepers secretly decide upon the "forecast" in advance of the groundhog's arousal.

Besides, spring always arrives on or near March 21, so whether the groundhog decides to return to his den or remain above ground. The fact is- spring is always at least six more weeks - especially here in Michigan!!!