Young Travelers - Week 6

This past Monday was our last day with the boys of Young Travelers. They came a little early so they could all free ride the horses and learn a little about riding. They finished their birdhouses and seemed pretty excited about them. I will really miss this group. We will have a celebration party for them probably in Oct. after they start school when we know all of their schedules. Hopefully the bond we had with them will help them in the future and we will continue to have a relationship with them. It looks like we will have another session, but still not sure of any details. Many thanks to the wranglers, mentors, and of course the cooks! All of you made this program a success and really touched the lives of these young boys.
God Bless you all!!
Take a look at pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/LazyBeesRanch/YoungTravelers082409#

Wraparound Boys

This past weekend we had a group from Highfields/Wraparound Jackson County. This was a small group of five boys, so it was great; we could give them a lot of positive attention and encouragement. One of the biggest things this weekend was the flying of kites. We haven't gotton out the paper kites for a long time. The weather was perfect and Kevin starred as he kept his kite high in the air for at least 45 minutes. The first time he brought it down he said "I am looking to see if it was wet", "Maybe it touched the clouds!" The clouds moved about all afternoon, but never rained, so we could do all the normal activities. Sunday was a different story with the rain; it rained all morning. Our rodeo was cancelled, but again, we got to spend more time with the kids under the tent with breakfast, Sunday worship, crafts, and games. When we dropped the kids off in Jackson, there were smiles all around. Many thanks to Christine and the wraparound crew for putting this event together. We all had a great time!
Many pictures to view, so click the link to the right called wraparound boys.

Upcomings Events

We have three more overnight trips scheduled:
Aug. 22rd and 23rd - Wraparound kids (boys)
Sept. 12th and 13th - BBBS - Boys
Sept. 26th and 27th - Detroit group - mix with chaparones

Mark your calendars:
On Fri. September 18th we will be playing a softball game with the Jackson County Youth Center. Any of our volunteers who would like to play let us know. This should be a really fun event, and it gives us another chance to get to know these kids.
Saturday October 24th is our annual benefit in the Detroit area. It will be at the Berkley Front again and Chip will be playing with two bands. More details will be following. For our local friends in the Jackson County area, we will be hosting another dinner/silent auction at the beginning of the year. We will keep you updated on the details. Chris wants to do a mystery dinner. Ymmmmm!! very interesting!!

Young Travelers - Week 5

Well, the birdhouses are just about finished. The boys will come back next week to finish them and wrap things up. This week we talked about responsibility which is a very touchy subject. I think this is the hardest one to talk about, mainly because no one likes to admit they might have done something wrong. We ran out of time, so I think we will continue this subject next week. The boys are engaging in discussion, which is good and what we want. Sometimes we adults have to stop and listen to the kids to really hear what they are saying. We could take many weeks on the subject of responsibility.

Youth Center

This was a special weekend. Jackson County Youth Center came for a visit. They were accompanied by three great counselors. Greg, Peg, and Jason. We had a lot of fun this these kids. There were 7 boys and 1 girl. A couple of the kids didn't want to ride at first, but seeing how awesome our horses are, they changed their mind. Bobbie was very nervous when she mounted up on to Paint, but wrangler Chuck had her relaxed and laughing after just a few steps onto the trail. She was smiling bright when she came back. She started asking a lot of questions to Donna about horses. I am certain we will see Bobbie again. Greg and Jason also competed in the Lazy B's Olympics and scored high with a tie. We used the famous tie breaker "chubby bunnies" and Greg lost his title from last year to Jason. We were laughing so hard, I had a hard time with the camera to take pictures. but I did get some. Everyone loved the campfire meal and after dinner we got a little serious around the fire talking about the 7 decisions the kids talked about on the trail. Rufus shared with the kids some of his testimony and the kids really took to heart the things he was saying.
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right: Youth Center

Young Travelers - Week 4

Another great Monday with our Young Travelers boys. They are still working in Charlie's shop on their birdhouses. This week we talked about forgiveness and being happy even in bad times. This was a very good discussion with the boys, however, we did hear some sad stories. The boys are getting to know each other and seem to get along just fine. I forgot to get my camera out, so I do not have any pictures to share with you. Andre offered to pray the blessing over our dinner. During his prayer, he thanked God for Lazy B's because if he wasn't here , he might be getting into trouble. This is the 2nd time we heard this comment from the boys. Mmmmmm, boy does this get me to thinking!!!
Do we do another session??? Only God knows!!

Little Sisters

This past weekend we had a group of girls from Big Brothers/Big Sisters come to the ranch for a visit. Some of the girls have a Big Sister, but most did not. They are on a waiting list. The storms did not just pass away this time. The rain came in down pours and we ended up going into the ranch house to wait out the storm. We played a game with the girls and they made some bead necklaces and bracelets. They really were great about it, no one whined really at all. We got to do all of the normal activities, just not in the order we are used to. One girl was a little nervous about riding, however, after she saw the other girls riding, she gained some confidence and Janet took her for a ride on Oreo. Oreo is our faithful girl!
Pete and his son Nate were our substitute chiefs (Dawn,Dale,&Dan were out of town).
Nate is a participant in our Young Travelers program and Pete feels this program has made a differene in his son. Pete was surprised that Nate consented to help out in the kitchen!! Many thanks to our cooks!!!! Our hats go off to you.
My sister came for a visit on Sunday and shared with the girls about pursuing their dreams. and don't give up! Another great weekend at the ranch!!
Take a look at the pictures by clicking on the link to the right named Big Sisters.
Also, you can view the pictures "getting ready for the rodeo" at:http://picasaweb.google.com/LazyBeesRanch/Rodeo080909

Young Travelers - Week 3

Well the guys started their wood/metal project in Charlie's shop this week. It sounds like they all enjoyed what they were doing. The boys are making a wood birdhouse with a metal roof. Bill and Charlie are instructing the kids with the project, while Larry, Rufus, and Jerry are talking with the boys about the 7 principals outlined in the book we are using, The Young Travelers Gift. We told the boys that they will be giving their project away as a gift to someone. Two boys will be giving the birdhouse to their grandma, the others are still thinking about who they want to give it to. We want to teach the principal of giving. Nate is giving his to his grandma because his grandpa passed away and she doesn't have anyone to make her things anymore. The two principals we talked about this week was "person of action" and "decided heart". We may have to continue discussion about these two next week. Sometimes it is hard to keep these boys focused on one subject! They all seem to be enjoying themselves, and I know after the six weeks are over, we will see these boys at the ranch again.

Salvation Army

We have had some great kids coming from the Salvation Army Summer Program. They are escorted by a lovely lady named, Annie. What a blessing these kids are to us! They come for just a few hours to ride the trail and play games, but how much fun they are! They always want to come back. I tell them thru Kids Explosion, they can win an overnight trip by entering a Bible memory verse contest. That puts a smile on their face. I think we will see these kids in the fall at Kids Explosion learning their memory verses. Getting God's word in our hearts is important because you never know when you are going to need it! and you don't have your Bible with you!
Take a look at the pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/LazyBeesRanch/SalvationArmyJuly312009#