The Unusual Teenager

My teenager never sasses me. He never wants to stay out
late. He never tells me that I embarrass him. He never rolls his
eyes at me. He still lets me hug him.


My teenager goes to a beautiful, new and modern junior high school.
He's going into the 8th grade.

My teenager rides the bus to school everyday but the cool thing
is that his bus picks him up right in our driveway.

My teenager has a classroom designed specifically for him. He has
his own space, his own pictures and his own bean bag for naps.

Tanner has a few genuine teenager characteristics though. He has a

tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants, he's sneaky and he's

always hungry. There is one more characteristic but I won't mention

it.....

Life Is Good

6th Grade Has Been The Best Year of My Life!

So says Hailey...

"I loved my sixth grade teacher. I had the best kids in my class.

The boys were hilarious, the girls were nice. I learned how to

dance, I did pretty good in math and I loved history. I'm

scared to go to Junior High because it will never be as good

as 6th grade."

BFF (best friends forever)

Hailey was very diligent with her homework. She knows that next

year ( Jr. High) will be "more harder".

First Love: Braydon (lucky for me he has moved to a different state)

First dance ( no pairing off....yet)

Leaving for her first "real" babysitting job next door : "I'm going to

buy a lime green Volkswagon Bug with all the money I make".

First Instrument: acoustic guitar. Some day Hailey and her dad can

play some Jimmy Buffet tunes together.

Favorite Sport: definitely soccer!

Still "imaginating" at twelve years old. I want her to stay like this

forever. Next year, Junior High, will be much harder on ME than

it will be on her.

Like Father Like Son

In recognition of Father's Day Tanner presented a rather unique gift
to his dad. Although Tanner can't express it verbally, all he really
wants is to be just like his old man.


Two peas in a pod, watching golf together.

The "Big Ride"

There was a big bright light in the morning sky. I think it was
called the "sun". After weeks and weeks of dark clouds and rain,
we breathed a sigh of relief because today was the big bike ride:
The annual Little Red Riding Hood bike ride for breast cancer.

It was a crisp morning, the snow line on the mountains was low.
It had snowed just a few days ago. Car after car of biking ladies
arrived ready to tackle the road; three thousand independent women
muscling their bikes off bike racks with not a man in sight.

Jen and I are ready to get going. Once the blood starts pumping
we'll be able to feel our hands and stop shivering. It's going to be a
beautiful day.
My riding buddies and I experienced the smell of cow manure
and freshly cut grass. We rode on country roads through the
green pastures surrounded by snow capped mountains on all
sides. All the while nice ladies commented on our "nice calves"
as they passed us.


Everything you see here is made possible by my MOM!
Thanks mom.

Can't wait for next year!

Sometimes Everybody Just Needs a Good Cry

The movie "Snow White" has always touched Tanner's heart. He watches as the kind and lovely Princess falls under a jealous witches spell. Snow White is laid to rest in a glass coffin where the Seven Dwarfs mourn her "death". But then, of course, an admiring Prince comes and kisses her, awakening her from her deep sleep. He carries her off into the sunset, waving goodbye to the little men. And they live happily ever after!

Tanner doesn't get emotional until the finale. Then he is beside himself with happiness, playing the final scene over and over again, shedding fresh tears each time.

Adventures in Moab

Once again we traveled to the best playground in the world--MOAB,
UT. Thirteen Hosenfeld adults tackled the best that Moab has to offer:
hiking, biking and climbing.



Fiery Furnace: The website warned us. The ranger warned us.
Not recommended to attempt this without a guide. No GPS coverage.
No marked trails. Enter at your own risk.

We didn't take it seriously. We explored and climbed around,
discovered some beautiful arches. And then it happened.

We lost Jason P for a short while. He had to saw off his own arm
to get out of the slot but we waited for him. We anticipate a movie
of his ordeal to be named " 2 hours". (If you don't get the humor
just watch the real movie "127 hours")


The mountain biking was great, except that Jared took us on a trail
that was uphill both ways.

Dave climbed this cliff face as if the Colorado River was rising up to
get him.
We wore Dad out and he had to pause and take a little nap on the
tracks.

Still, Mom and Dad continued with the rigors of the great outdoors
eventually coming across the coolest arch in the world, Corona Arch.


We all were able to put another stone on the "Cairn of Survival"

Antigua 2011

A Vacation of Discovery

Dave, Hailey and I took our holiday to a little Caribbean island called
Antigua. We discovered that although our vacations are formally
a suspension of work they are definitely not a suspension of activity.
In other words, we often need a vacation from the vacation.

Dave discovered that his real calling in life is to be master and
commander of his own sailing vessel.


Hailey discovered that starfish are harder than they look, especially
when you step on one


We all discovered that little people like Hailey can gracefully
surmount a challenging jungle obstacle course while the rest of
us were stumbling around and holding on for dear life

Dave discovered that he would rather be hanging in a tree than
driving on the crazy roads. This is the most relaxed he was on the
whole trip

We all discovered windsurfing to be super fun, especially
because our instructor looked like Igor from Young
Frankenstein.... a bit "abby normal"

I discovered that holding a sea ray feels like holding a big slimy lougie


Jason discovered the underwater marathon


I was also thinking that if Dad decided to spend some time in
Antigua he could end up looking like this old geezer.