House-to-House

The Ozog's have been doing House-to-House for well over 30 years. That term is something we all know. In looking at Dan's facebook I was surprised to see people posting questions about it.

House-to-house was always the highlight of the holiday week when we were kids. We got up early and went to all our aunt's and uncle's houses. When we were younger it was always cool to drive with people who were not your parents. The goal was to not drive with the same person twice.

Over the years as we grew up house to house continued, but not as robustly as the early years. This year Dan and I decided to go just to the end and have dinner with the family. Well a lot of my other cousins had the same idea. Holy Cow there must have been 60-70 people at my parents house.

One of the things that makes the Ozog family unique is its welcoming spirit. We are definitely an in-your-face family. There is no warming up period. And with house to house everyone shows up at the same time, so it's instant chaos. While this is something that I am very use to, it took Matt and Nate a minute to get use to it. I guess I now know how Morgan and Gwen feel when they visit.

Dan and Suzi.Sr. Pat, Sr. Ann and Aunt Lottie. It was nice to see Sr. Pat up to the day. Dan will do anything for his mother-in-law. Here he is cleaning up a spill. Some of the cousins. Nate, Matt, Chris, Mary Ann (who I haven't seen in YEARS), Rick, Kate, and Al
Al and Uncle Wally-Look they have the same hair!! Me and Bobby - again haven't seen him in years.

**Pictures compliments of Lori's facebook- thanks Lori***

It's been a busy Christmas

We started out Christmas on December 22 with a trip to Ann Arbor to celebrate with the English Family. After that we did Christmas Eve at our house, followed by Christmas day at Busia and Papas. Spent the night there until the 26th. Home for a day and then back to Plymouth for the Ozog Tradition House-to-House.


These pics are from the English Family Christmas. It's nice to have little ones running around. Brody (top left) looked so cute in his Christmas outfit. The only bad thing was he didn't have a belt. On more than one occasion he lost his pants while chasing something or someone around the room. We were able to fix this with a pipe cleaner. Maureen did a great job putting everything together. She was a little worried. This was her first party - usually she is the girl who brings the rolls. No one left hungry!


Christmas at Busia's is always lively. Brian, Heather and the boys were in. Eric, Patti and the girls and Heather's family also joined us. There are always SOOOO many presents under the tree. The little boys had no problem figuring out the Santa thing. We all must have been very good, Santa brought lots of great things for everyone. The second highlight of the day is singing St Lat to all those December (January) birthdays. Unlike last year the music was not too loud and the little boys seems to enjoy the Polka Dancing.

Merry Christmas Mrs. English

There are times when 8th graders give their teachers a little something for the holidays. Today I got the sweetest sweet. One of my students made gingerbread people for all her teachers. She painstakingly went to the trouble of decorating them to look like each teacher.

Every day when I get dressed for school I take an inordinate amount of time picking out just the right necklace. And every day in class at least one student every hour will mention my necklace. Well, this students depicted me wearing a beautiful necklace. I am very touched.

August 7, 2011

Matt went on Friday and signed on the dotted line and swore an oath to Uncle Sam. He starts OCS on August 7, 2010. (That is if things in Washington don't delay things - ie budget cuts) At least now he has a definite date. In the meantime he will continue subbing and hopefully be able to get his Pepsi job back when the weather breaks.

Trying to get into the Christmas spirit.

For some reason I am having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit. I came across this youtube video - and yes I was able to sing along. I do prefer a faster beat though.

Cancer Free

I had my last procedure yesterday. As of today-NO MORE SKIN CANCER! Out of the three spots: face, head, back - the removal from the head was the most painful.

I felt like a baby Chrissy doll. Baby Chrissy was the most sought after doll when I was in the 5th grade (for those of you who are too young to know). She had this red hair that you could lenghten by pulling straight up from the top of her head.

After they stitched up my head the tension was so tight that for about 8 days I felt like some little girl was pulling at the top of my head trying to make my hair grow.

And yes I did have a Baby Chrissy doll. Got her for my birthday. She was big enough to wear real baby clothes. While I loved her I never loved her as much as baby Thumbalina.

The parts are ordered

Yesterday we got the approval to have the car fixed. The dealership in Madison WI seems very on-the-ball with keeping us informed on things. Hopefully this diligence will be apparent in its workmanship. One more hurdle we have crossed.

Dan and I are usually very uptight about things like this. We are both trying to take a different outlook. We decided that it's crazy to worry about things we have no control over. And we obviously have no control over this. I have to say I like the calm as opposed to the stress and tension that worry brings.

Where is the car today

Well the car has been moved from Osseo Wisconsin to Madison Wiscoson - a little closer to Hillsdale. Dan got a call yesterday - estimated repair $8,000. Holy Crow. I was expecting it to be 4 or 5, not 8. I guess we'll find out next week if they are going to fix it or total it. If the insurance company decided to total the car this will be the second car on two years that I have totalled. Neither incident was my fault.

This made me smile at 7:30 in the morning.

Nate's speech

This is from the Charger's football banquet that was held a few weeks ago. Nate definately does have the gift of gab. We are VERY, VERY proud of him. We cannot tell you how many people have come up to us thanking us for the effect Nate has had on their son's life.

What would you do?

When this football playoff situation came to light last week, Dan and I were not sure how far the Chargers would go in the playoffs. If they won on Saturday they would travel to Deluth the next Saturday. We knew we couldn't afford to fly to all the games, so we decided to drive to St. Cloud, and then fly if the Chargers should continue their run.

Well this proved to be a costly mistake. On our way home, just about two hours outside of Minneapolis we hit a deer. We were in a town called Osseo Wisconsin. Interestingly we live near an Osseo Michigan. The car was not drivable. We ended up having to spend the night in a hotel. There was another couple in a similar situation, except they hit a BEAR instead of a deer.

We were able to get a one way car rental - this was somewhat of an ordeal - to get home. On the plus side we were not hurt, and we do not think our car is totalled. We are also friends with our insurance agent and were able to talk with him right after the accident.

I guess this was one of those situations where you don't know what to do until you're faced with it. So for now we are safe and sound at home, while my beautiful, roomy car, with the heated seats, sits in a lot in Osseo Wisconsin.

The end is here

Well Nate is officially a "Former" football player. The Chargers ended their season on Saturday with a loss against St. Cloud Minnesota. Both teams were evenly matched, but the Chargers fell short.

There were no stands on the visitor's side so the Hillsdale fans had to sit on the home side. With the loss, this was not the most enjoyable place to be. Behind the visitor sideline is the Mighty Mississippe, not so mighty this far north though.

It was COLD. If you can't tell this picture is of Dan and I.

Senior Day

Last Saturday was Senior Day. It follows the same general format as high school. Parents escort their player on to the field while the announcer says kind words about them.

These are some pics that Matt took. We were shocked to see similar pictures on the front page of the local paper. I guess it was a "Local boy does good" kind of story.
Even though Nate is a big guy, he's never going to be too big to give his mommy a kiss.

I do have things to say

I know, I know - where are the postings? I have lots of pictures and videos to post, but the battery in my camera died, and until I get a new one my camera is the only one enjoying my stories. And yes I did try going to Walmart, but they do not carry the battery I need so I had to order it (One of the many perks of living in a small town).

Hillsdale College did make the playoffs. That means Dan and I will be travelling to St. Cloud Minnesota this weekend to watch Nate. If the Chargers win we will be travelling to Duluth the following weekend.

Last football game - maybe

Well today may have been N8's last football game. The Chargers won and ended the regular season 9-2. I'm not sure how I feel about ending this part of my life. I have enjoyed EVERY game from 7th grade on. Rain, snow, heat, mud, they have all been fun. I know that Nate wishes for a different outcome personally. He has been battling injuries since he entered college. Tomorrow is the team's banquet. Every year each senior gets a chance to speak. Nate has always been a very eloquent speaker. I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say.

Weekend update

OK I realize that it has been a while since I last posted. It's not like I don't think about it. Here is an update on what has been going on.

Nate has decided not to take a 5th year in college and will be graduating May 8, 2011. It has been extremely difficult for him to constantly deal with injuries season after season. Besides he will have all his course requirements done this year. He is planning on throwing for the Chargers this spring (if his foot can handle it).

Matt is in Las Vegas for the weekend. He met one of his friends who now lives in Oregon. The two are staying at the Hard Rock Hotel. We watch a reality show that is filmed there and the hotel looked like just the place for two good looking guys.

On Tuesday I am having some skin cancer removed. While I am not happy that this is happening already, I am glad that the cancer that is being removed is the easiest to treat. I have three spots that need to be removed. Hopefully I will have all this taken care of before Christmas.

Hopefully this has all of you updated on what's happening in Hillsdale. I will try to be more diligent in posting.

313

A few weeks ago Nate had a game at Wayne State. It's nice for Busia and Papa to travel 20 minutes instead of the usual hour and twenty. While the outcome was not a good one -the Chargers lost, we did have fun.

Nate was able to not go home on the bus and after the game we went to Lafayette Coney Island. It was fun, especially when the server balanced the utensils on the salt shaker and toothpick.

Another win for the Chargers

What a beautiful day for football. The Chargers were at home (thank goodness) against Michigan Tech. This game is always a big game. Both teams came into it with only one loss. Hillsdale was able to pull out yet another win. Nate did see limited playing time (3 plays on the punt team). His foot is still not 100%. The good thing is if he doesn't play, he doesn't get hurt.

Nate is definitely making the most out of football in spite of his injury. He is the one to watch on the sidelines. Not a week has gone by where a Charger Fan has not made a comment either to Dan and I or Nate about his enthusiasm.

This season has been personally disappointing for Nate. He worked so hard in the off season and started the year so well. The injuries have proven to be just too much for him. Even though Nate has the option of coming back for a 5th year he decided, this week, that he is going to graduate in May. It was difficult watching him the last couple of weeks. He has definitely been struggling with this decision. In talking after the game yesterday - he is ready to move on. While he will have fond memories of Charger Football you can tell that it's time for him to launch.



Because of all the tape, padding, and other injury aides - Nate has to wear two different shoes. His shoes and a much wider shoe to house all the stuff.



We're all wondering what we're going to do on Saturdays next fall-we have all the tailgating stuff!!

Nate IS traveling this weekend

Well, it's been a long couple of weeks. Nate has been nursing his foot for the last two weeks. He was able to practice (not very well according to him) on Tuesday. Did not practice on Wednesday. And again practiced today (a light day). He is traveling with the team to Columbus, but he may not play.

I know what you're wondering. Are we going? Of course we're going. Before we know it this part of our life will be over, and there won't be football games to go to. So we might as well enjoy it while we can. A group of parents are meeting early to watch the Michigan/Michigan State game at a bar in Columbus (God help us). After that it's on to Ohio Dominion for a 7:00 pm game.

Anchors Away

I know many of you have been wondering about Matt. Well yesterday at 1:00 he heard from his recruiter - he has been selected for Officer Candidate School for the United States Navy. All he knows as of now is that he is in. His recruiter thinks that he will be going to Rhode Island either January or February. I think that everybody in the house is happy that Matt will finally be starting his own life - not just living in Mom and Dad's basement.

With every up comes a down. Nate is still not feeling any better. They took an X-ray after the game that showed nothing. He is waiting to find our when he is scheduled for a MRI. Until then he is doing his best to stay off his foot - when he is walking he is wearing a boot. I'll keep you posted.

This puts everything in perspective.

I feel like I'm on a gerbil wheel

Now that we are back in school and football season has started I feel like time just rotates like a merry-go-round. Monday through Friday - work, Saturday - spend the day watching football, Sunday - clean, laundry, get ready for another week at school.


First let me update on Nate's game last week. The Chargers played in Ashland Ohio. I absolutely love watching games in that stadium. It was a good game with the Chargers coming out on top. Nate was able to play, even with his ankle not being fully recovered. We had Max for the weekend. While he didn't watch much of the game, he did have fun playing on the baseball field with some other kids his age.

During the week we suffered a tragedy at school. One of my former students, who is now a junior at the high school, collapsed in the hallway at school and was later pronounced dead. Since the high school principal, assistant principal and counselor are all new, much of the responsibility of getting things in order fell upon Dan and the principal of our building. It was a very hard week for everyone associated with Hillsdale Community School, staff and students alike.


Yesterday the Chargers were home. Nate seemed to be playing better and running faster. He was having a good game - until the end of the first half (again) when he started experiencing pain in his (other) foot. He tried to play the second half but was not able to do so. Dan and I feel so bad for Nate. We don't understand why these things keep happening to him. Nate, of course, is devastated. He worked so hard this summer getting ready for the season and to be sidelined week after week with some sort of injury is so disheartening. After the game we took him to the hospital for yet another x-ray. He will hopefully get the results today at injury check.


I know that many of you are waiting to find out about Matt. As of today he is still waiting to hear from the Navy. That, too, has been stressful not only for him, but for Dan and I.

Sometimes I wish the boys were the ages of Ben and Neil - when they were that age I could fix all their problems. Now I can't - I just have to sit back and go with the flow.

I don't want to end on a down note - We finally won the 50/50 raffle this week at the Charger game. We all pooled our tickets together: me, Dan, Norm, Al, Paige, and Meg. Matt was too cool to sit with us-too bad for him. We won $340.00 and split it (no mom it wasn't $840.00 - we were messing with you). Just for the record, though, I had the winning ticket. And yes we have already given some of the money away, just to keep the good vibes going.

injury update

Nate called yesterday - he practiced yesterday for the first time since Saturday and said he felt ok. As of today he is planning on playing on Saturday.

2nd game curse

I don't know how many of you remember what happened in Game 2 of Nate's season last year. He sprained his ankle severely and was out for a few weeks recovering.

Well yesterday was week 2 and, you guessed it, he twisted his other ankle. He was having a good game. The score was back and forth between Hillsdale and Grand Valley. In the middle of the second quarter Nate went to tackle a guy, fell on him, and then on the ground, twisting his ankle as he fell. To make matters worse he got flagged for a personal foul-late hit.


After that Nate had his ankle taped and did play a few more series before calling it quits for the night.To make matters worse Hillsdale lost the game. It wasn't your typical loss either.

With 1:16 left to play Hillsdale is up 35-34. Hillsdale has the ball on the 3 yard line. They decide to score; the score is now 41-34. The extra point was blocked and a Grand Valley player ran it all the way down the field for 2 points. Now the score is 41-36. Hillsdale kicks an onside kick-Grand Valley gets great field position and ends up winning the game 44-41. Talk about a night of roller coaster emotions. Needless to day no one here is in a very good mood.

#52 is 22

Happy Birthday to Nate - 22 years old today. My how time flies.

Chargers win home opener

And I thought Friday night football was reserved for high school. Hillsdale College had their first game of the 2010 season last night. It was a great game. Hillsdale won. But even bigger than that (ok I'm being a bit proud here) Nate played very well.

After three years of patiently waiting to get his change - he was finally able to show what kind of football player he is. He had a great game. He was relaxed, confident, and a leader on defense.

What I loved most about the evening was that after the game the first things he did was look for his mommy (me) to give her a big hug.

This is the weekend of Nate's birthday, and over 20 people came out to cheer on Nate and the Chargers. For some of the posse this was their first exposure to Division II football. Needless to say they are hooked. Great football at a great price, with no TV time outs and ample room in the stands.

Sorry there aren't more pictures - I just couldn't get it together-I guess the players aren't the only ones who had first game jitters

BFF

Even at 48 years old Dan still likes to play. Now that they boys are grown the only one for him to play with is Daisy. And she LOVES the attention.





footnote-these pics are taken with our new camera-thanks Bri and Heather

A couple more pics from "vacation"

My friend loaned me the bounce house she has for when her granddaughters come to visit. The bouncing wasn't what they liked though. All of them loved crashing into each other on the slide.


Even though we have tons of toys the favorite things to do was smash rocks. One morning all 4 kids took hammers and went down to the rock pile and started smashing away. Megan and Paige loved it so much they continued when the little boys went down for quiet time. Do they still have chain gangs?

We're on vacation

They boys played army guys in the shot put area while we watch Nate at practice Watch practice from the top of the bleachers Nate taking a break from the first day of pads.

For years we have been taking the Roden girls, both the Texas girls and the Jackson girls for a little R and R. This year we have included the two Chicago boys, Ben and Neil - ages 3 and 2 - at Club English. The boys came here on Sunday and are going home on Saturday. It has been awesome. We work out, swim, play, have parties, watch movies, go watch football practice, and play with the dogs. They love their vacation (what we call it every morning). Yesterday Joanne and her kids came over for the day and tomorrow Busia, Papa, Al, Sarah and Kate are coming over to help celebrate Ben's 4th birthday before they all head home on Saturday. The other day Matt taught the boys how to do cannon balls - their new favorite thing.

Weekend wedding

Three of the four of us traveled to Traverse City for Maureen and Rob's wedding. It was beautiful. Mary Ellen and Randy were gracious enough to offer of their beautiful backyard for the event. Maureen and Rob, surprisingly, had a live band playing. They were AWESOME. They played lots of classic rock, blues and jazz. Even though there were no single ladies for Matt, that didn't prevent him from cutting a rug.

Football Camp - day 1

Today is the first day of football camp for the Hillsdale Chargers. Generally the day is spent in meetings and testing. Nate had his first round of testing this morning. He was so excited about his results he called Dan as soon as he had a minute.

Weight - 228 (he worked hard all summer to put on 10 pounds-ahh sweet youth:)
40 time - 4.7 seconds. This is down from his usual 4.9. For those of you who do not know speed testing-this .2 seconds is HUGE!
Pro Agility - a personal best even though he fell down.

He was so excited about how he tested. There are other areas of testing, but I'm not 100% certain on the numbers, and he gets mad at me when I misinform readers.

Dan did ask Nate how he stacks up against all the other linebackers. Nate's response was that his numbers put him toward the top of the entire team!! I hope he continues to have a good showing.

First day in pads is Thursday.

One down one to go

Nate is off to football camp today. I remember 4 years ago when we took him to camp. We spent days getting things together; Dan and I both went; we helped him get his room all set up, and we made sure he was all situated before we left. After 4 years things change.

Nate got his stuff together (in about 2 hours); he loaded up the truck(while Dan and I sat and watched a movie), and left while Dan and I were at the gym. While part of me was a little sad that he didn't say goodbye, another part of me was happy that he is back where he belongs.

There were a few things he forgot - luckily we do live close enough and dropped them off for him on our way to lunch. No we didn't go in to see his room. We sent him a text telling him to meet us outside. As we waited for him we were watching all the parents helping their freshman sons. Four years ago I was not ready for my boys to launch into their own lives. Now everyone is ready. The boys want to be on their own and we WANT them on their own!

Family Dinner??

As summer winds down it is getting harder and harder to find time to eat as a family. We decided a few days ago that we would have a smoked turkey dinner on Sunday. Well, along comes Sunday and Matt informs us he has to work, and Nate is doing some things at the college. So our family dinner turned into dinner for two.

With Nate leaving for football on Thursday and Matt ever so close to going into the Navy we don't know how many family dinners we have left.

Dan cooked the bird outside - as you can see it came out picture perfect. The rest of the meal: twice baked potatoes, green beans with almonds, crescent rolls, was equally as good. And it will eventually get eaten.