Fall 2008

Fall was back to school, Jean's 40th birthday party (and trip to New York City), Jean's appearance on Oprah, and Halloween.  We also took Kylan's scout den to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center near Terre Haute.  Brian, Kylan, and Kristofer attended a Butler football game.  The whole family got to enjoy a Pacer game in the Bryant suite and Erik and Kylan competed in the Raingutter Regatta for scouts.  Erik was the defending champ but his catamaran boat design from last year was deemed illegal because it gave him an unfair advantage.  The boats are very tippy but the catamaran was much more stable.


The boys line up for the school bus on the first day of school.  Kristofer isn't riding the school bus yet but he took his backpack anyway.
 

Lilac walks with the Jean and the boys to the bus stop each morning
 

Kristofer checks out his new pre-school classroom
 

Jean is very proud to look as good as she does at 40.  Losing nearly 50 pounds in the past year definitely helps!
 

Jean participated in a live taping of the Oprah Winfrey show.  This picture shows the Skype kit sent to us by the show.  The kit included a laptop, speakers, microphone, and camera.
 

This picture was taken after the taping but this was where she was sitting
 

Her question section lasted about 3 minutes
 

Because of time constraints, she didn't get to ask her original question to Suzy Orman.  It was surreal to see Jean, Oprah, and Suzy on the same TV screen.
 

The Wolf Den of scouts gather around as our tour guide explained how the EFRC works
 

The owner is the only one allowed in the enclosures with the cats and only if he hand raised them as cubs
 

The cats eat food donated by local farmers who lose horses or cattle.  No fancy diets here.
 

This is one of the newest cats rescued just a couple weeks before our visit.
 

  The teeth were very large and intimidating!
 

This white tiger is blind and very thin
 

Eliot, Kristofer, and Erik sat and played in the leaves.
 

Jean and Sophie listen to the tour guide provide us more facts about the cats
 

Kylan and Kristofer at the Butler football game
 

This has to be one of the strangest college football stadiums in the country.  The "bleachers" are all at one of the stadium and the rest of the space is a grassy hill.  The press box is also in need of replacement.  The building in the background is the famous Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of Butler basketball and site of the movie, Hoosiers.
 

Erik as Harry Potter
 

Kylan as Indiana Jones
 

Kristofer as a yellow crayone
 

The boys dressed up and ready to out on Halloween night.
 

One of our neighbors hosted a gathering of kids to eat before heading out for trick-or-treating
 

This picture is a little fuzzy but you can see Larry Bird, president of the Pacers in the second row.

The Pacers played the Sixers and this is their star, Elton Brand
 

The best player for the Pacers this year is Danny Granger

This is the view from the suite.  We are on the second row of suites but on mid-court.
 

Jean being the sports fan she is brought a book to read.  Erik talks with Shelby, the daughter of a co-worker.
 

Kristofer lived for the dead ball music so he could dance
 

Kylan was the one glued to the entire game
 

This is Erik's boat before the sail was attached (whoever heard of Titanic with a sail?)

Kylan's boat was a bengal tiger, not a boat honoring the Cincinnati Bengals as some thought
 

We had an extra boat kit so we made a "Duck Boat" for Kristofer
 

Kristofer didn't race but he got to try out his boat.  It was too top heavy and didn't go anywhere.
 

This is a compilation of all the boats that competed.  We had 32 boats this year which is the most anyone could remember.  There are many great designs here.
 

Kylan raced Aidan in his first race and lost
 

He also lost his second race but was a little more competitive
 

Erik lost his first race but came back to win this one...
 

...and this one...
 

...and this one...
 

...and this one...
 

This race was for a chance to compete for the championship but Erik lost finishing in 3rd place.  He had to win 5 or 6 races to get to this point though so he did a great job!!
 

Here are all the winners for fastest boat, best in show, and rookie of the year
 

Erik took 3rd place in the fastest boat competition and Kylan took first place in Best of Show!  Congrats for a great job in this year's race!