Sunday, December 26, 2010

Merry Christmas !


We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, from our family to yours! May God's love shine in our hearts and the spirit of the Christ child reign in us to motivate us to love all men the way He loves us!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Fun With Spoons


All the kids know that spoons is my favorite game. It can be a little dangerous, though. Last Friday was our last Friday Play Day for the year. Amy, Ashley, Ashley, and myself cooked dinner. Believe it! After dinner I made the kids stay inside for at least one game of spoons before they went out to play hide and seek. It got a little crazy as usual. HEATHER, we have found some competition for you with the "Junior Claw, Josh" Take a look at the pics by clicking the link to the right called, Fun with spoons.

Fun With Pictures


This Friday the kids took my camera and decided to take some silly pictures. Megal was fascinated with the birds sitting on the barn and in the trees. We had pizza and as always, the kids went outside after dinner to play hide & seek. It has become a tradition and they want to do it even in the snow. These kids really know how to have fun. Take a look at the pics by clicking the link to the right, "Fun with Pictures" 12/10/10

Friday, November 26, 2010

Buffalo Ranch


A group of us went to the Buffalo Ranch Sunday. It was great fun! We took a wagon ride back in the field to meet and greet the Buffalo up close and personal!
They are huge!!! The kids were a little intimidated, but when they learned they had to stay in the wagon to feed them, they felt a little better. We fed them 4 large buckets of corn cobs. There was a new baby buffalo just born a few days ago. That was cool to see. Big Max weighs 3000 pounds. Wow! During our ride we had a corn kernel competition to see who could get a corn kernel to land on the brim of our driver's cowboy hat. Megal did it! Dave, our wagon driver, took it all in stride and had fun with us. We all came home with a few corn kernels in our clothes! Of course, we didn't limit our target skills with just the driver's hat brim!
Take a look at some pics by clicking the link to the right called Buffalo Ranch.
We hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.
God Bless!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Friday Dinner


Well this past Friday, Chris actually was gone. She went to Howell to babysit her grand kids. She had a great time and I was really glad she got to do it. However,
I am next in line to do the kitchen stuff. The kids knew last week that I was going to be in the kitchen, so two of the kids volunteered to help me. I made the spaghetti sauce and cake in the morning, and then all the kids had to do was to make noodles, garlic bread, and ice the cake before dinner. Matt made the noodles, Jalen made garlic bread, and Gilbert iced the cake. Between the three of them and myself supervising, we pulled dinner off without Chris! Amazing!! I told Chris she can't do that too many times, though!
We had nine youth here Friday, Donna came and helped with horses, and then Bill and I had dinner with the kids. Because we have grown into a big "ranch family" this is all possible. Matt asked to say grace before dinner, and I know giving honor to God for our blessings is why things go so well on Fridays.

Berkley Benefit


This year's Berkley Benefit was another success. Chip pulled together a great night of fun, food, and music. We saw some friends we hadn't seen in a while and that was awesome. Bill and I appreciate our old friends from the Detroit area pitching in and helping us with funds to care for these kids. This is amazing to me, because they probably will never even meet the kids. The bands were great and by 9:00 the house was packed. A little too crowded, which is good, so maybe another venue next year??? We are trying to raise some funds to get a 12 passenger van to transport the kids.
Brian and Janet put together a great slide show of lots of pictures of kids, horses, water games, archery and just about everything that goes on at the ranch.
Many thanks to Berkley Front for allowing us to have the benefit in their facility.
Our hats go off to Chip for a great night, thanks CHIP, we LOVE YOU!!
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Berkley Front Benefit.

Group Hug


Two Fridays ago on Y.T. Play Day, the weather was not great. Our first snow flurries! However, we had a few kids willing to bear the cold with the horses and we went out in the arena and played around with the horses. Didn't go out on the field, it was just too cold. Also, the kids came still dressed for summer! The temperature changed so quickly. So, that night we hung aroud in the house and played games and just talked. Chris made soup that night, and after we said grace the kids were in line to get their meal, I announced that Chris finally got some temporary work at Toys r Us. I explained to them how much she cared for them because she told the manager of the store she could not work after 3:00 p.m. on Fridays so she could be here with the kids. After I said that they all ran up to Chris and gave her a big hug. What a joy that was to see!!!
((I'm sure their joy had nothing to do with the fact that if Chris wasn't here on Fridays, that left me in charge of the kitchen and they could starve!!)
This Friday group has become a family to the kids and to us, every time I think about it I get tears in my eyes.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Young Travelers Bonfire


Last Saturday we had a fall bonfire for our Young Travelers groups; both boys and girls. We had a lot of fun. The weather was beautiful; couldn't have been better.
All the kids got to ride, shoot archery, and play games. We did three races, two with brown feed bags. Ashley and I teamed up for the three legged race; didn't win, but we tried hard!! I was too tired and slow to do the wheel barrow race, so I bowed out of that one! The boys had no trouble getting a bite out of their apples; the girls couldn't do it! I think the boys have bigger mouths. We roasted hot dogs and had mac & cheese and Chris's famous baked beans. It was just a great day!
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called Young Travelers Bonfire.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Big Brothers Big Sisters


Two evenings this past week, we had a few groups out to the ranch for a trail ride and campfire. What a pleasure it was to serve these folks who take their time out of a busy schedule to mentor youth. Four "matches" came on Tues. and five "matches" came on Thurs. The weather was so beautiful and eveyone had a great time. We were very impressed with the dedication of the mentors, and was happy to hear that some of the matches have been together for more than a year. They spend time together weekly doing all kinds of stuff together. Big Brothers, Big Sisters arrange for the outing and I am sure they will be back. It is hard to find things to do with youth that does not cost a fortune. Lazy B's does not charge for anything so we can help the mentors in that way. Ron and Dorian have been together for 1 1/2 years. They had a blast and sent us a thank you. Ron and Dorian, it was our pleasure!

Young Travelers Last Day - Persistence


Well this Monday was our last day for this Young Travelers group. Our lesson for the night was persistence. I have to say that these 4 boys were very persistent in learning about horses. One was very frightened at the beginning, but by the eighth week he was riding out in the field with the rest of the "cowboys". It was a laid back evening; the boys all took a ride with Bill and then we just sat around the dinner table and talked about persistence, their goals, and just about anything. These boys have been a permanent part of the ranch and we will continuing mentoring them. We will miss our Monday nights together, however, they will continue to come to the ranch on Fridays. During the Winter, be are going to work on some leather projects that the youth will sell at our fund raiser in the Spring. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Young Travelers Oct 11 2010

Monday, October 11, 2010

George & Johnathan's First Ride


Today we tacked up George for the first time since he came to us last week. He is settling in and he has become boss over the herd. We kind of figured that would happen. Leslie, from Equestrian Outreach, told us that he bossed her herd around too. Sometimes this is hard to watch because in our eyes they appear to be mean. However, this is how horse herds do things in their social structure. It is not like humans. It's just the way God designed it. We have to remember they are animals, not humans and they do not think like us. Johnathan has earned the right to be the first Young Traveler to work with George. Johnathan has worked very hard this year at the ranch, and he was pretty excited to be asked to help. George is very short, which makes him less intimidating to beginners, but very strong and round to be able to carry heavier riders. He is going to be a great addition to the herd.
Johnathan groomed him, tacked him up , and rode him with no trouble. What an accomplished day, again! God has really blessed us with all we need to accomplish the work He has given us to do.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Young Travelers Play Day 10/8/10


Today was an accomplished day! Austin got the thumbs up from grandma Donna to go out in the field with the "good ole boys". He was very excited and I totally understand. I remember when I was learning to ride and started to go on the trail. It was very exciting. We had 7 kids here and all got to ride. Josh was here and they did some archery. They enjoy that as much as the horses. George will be a great addition to the herd and he got a lot of attention Friday. Take a look at a few pictures by clicking the link to the right Young Travelers 10/8/10

Young Travelers - Forgiveness 10/4/10

It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun with the horses. Tonight's lesson was on forgiveness and the boys had to maneuver their horses around an obstacle course again. This time they had to back up their horses while pulling a bale of hay. This was very challenging, but the boys and horses worked thru their "issues" and came up on top! Horses can teach a lot about forgiveness. They are very forgiving animals! They don't hold grudges like people do. My biggest joy in life is to see the youth succeed and learn something new and feel accomplished.
Chris made breakfast for dinner and there were NO leftovers! Discussion time was very eventful because we talked about forgiveness. This is a tough one, but I think the boys understand that we it is a good idea to forgive people and most of all to forgive ourselves!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Miss Elaine's Group


This past Saturday we had a group come to the ranch from South Street Church of God.
The weather was not the greatest, rain mostly. But that did not stop the kids from having a good time. They still were able to go to the barn and meet and greet the animals, shoot archery, and do a leather project. We had a bonfire and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. All in all is was a great day!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Ranch Benefit

Mark your calendars for Chip's annual charity benefit.
It will be again at the Berkley Front in Berkley Michigan; Saturday, November 6th at 7:00 p.m. He has three bands on the schedule. Should be a great time. We are trying to raise money for food and gas for our Young Travelers program.
Twice a week we go to Jackson to pick up kids to bring them to the ranch for the program and we feed them dinner. They really like having a family meal together. It is one of the most important things we do as a mentoring group.

If you cannot make the benefit, please consider donating gift cards to purchase food or gas. That would be a great help! Call the ranch at 517-592-4252 to see how you can help the Young Travelers program.

Kids Explosion - Boys 9/25/10


This weekend was our last overnight campout for the year. We hosted Kids Explosion boys and a great time. It was pretty cold and windy Saturday, but that did not deter the kids from having fun. No complaints. This time archery was the favorite thing to do. All the boys really enjoyed it and did very well. The games were also a big hit. I spent time with the boys encouraging them and I did a lot of cheering. As a matter of fact, my voice is a little off today from all the cheering! Chris made apple cobbler over the fire and wow was it good. Sunday morning was pretty cold; about 48 degrees. The sun came out and and got a little warmer. We had breakfast, and Brian lead worship with the boys. Jan spoke about being who God created them to be and not copy others. The only person to copy is Jesus. It was a great weekend to end the summer season. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right Kids Explosion Boys.

Young Travelers - Decided Heart 9/20/10


Today we worked again with the horses. Bill and Sharon set up an obstacle course in the arena and the boys had to lead their horses around the course. If the horse had any problems with anything the boys were encouraging their horses to move forward and trust them. It was a good exercise for tonight's lesson; Having a Decided Heart. Chris made a great pot of Chile (no leftovers), and we discussed making decisions and sticking to them; not wavering if they get opposition from other people . The example in the book is Christopher Columbus. Everyone one told him he was crazy; the world is flat. What would have happened if he decided in his heart to listen to everyone else??? Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called Young Travelers 9/20/10. This is a great group of boys and we are all having a wonderful time.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Young Travelers - Action 9/13/10


Monday was a beautiful day! It was warm but not too hot. Just perfect. The boys are still working on their belts. They dyed them this week and are getting ready for buckles to be put on. Sharon did a demonstration in the round pen with Hilbilly. She showed a lot of action to get him to do what she wanted him to do!
It was a lesson for both horse and the boys. She had to take action.
During dinner and discussion we talked a lot about what the boys want to do in the future. And what they need to do to take action to accomplish their goals.
It was a great discussion and we are really enjoying spending time with these young men. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Young Travelers 9-13-10.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Kids Explosion - Girls


This past weekend we had a group of girls from the Kids Explosion program in Jackson. During the summer, the kids were working on memorizing Bible verses and after the program was over, their names were drawn to win a trip to the ranch for an overnight camp out. Kids Explosion is a great program for kids who may or may not have a home church and go to Sunday School. They play games, sing songs, and listen to a Bible story. They learn about God's love and forgiveness.
It rained most of the day Saturday and it was a little cold and damp. But the girls took it all in stride and never complained. They were still able to do all the things we do with the exception of archery. Sunday was a beautiful day and they were able to take the trail ride. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Kids Explosion Girls 9-11-10.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Young Travelers Week 3 - Wisdom


It was a hot Monday, so we decided to use "wisdom" and not saddle horses. The temp was 90 degrees with 80% humidity. I am sure the horses appreciated our "wisdom".
The boys started to tool their leather belts. They are looking pretty good.
Brian and Janet invited us all over to their lake house to finish the evening with a little swimming and our dinner/discussion time. The water felt really nice.
We talked mostly about our decisions and how it affects us and the people around us. We all had a great time. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called Young Travelers 8-30-10

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Jackson County Youth Center


This past weekend we hosted our friends from the Jackson County Youth Center. The weather was amazing and we had a great time. This year was a little different. The Super Kicker Rodeo was at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds, and we all went. The performance was great and I think everyone who went enjoyed it. Only one of the youth had ever been to a rodeo. Josh's daughter Mia participated in one of the events; Muttin Busters. This is where the kids under 50 lbs ride sheep into the arena and try and stay on for 8 seconds just the the cowboys on the bulls. She did pretty good and was a good sport when she fell off. When we got back, Chuck had a fire going, so we were able to make smores and play some fireside games.
Sunday, we had breakfast, and Jan shared a word from the Lord. The weekend ended with the "Chubby Bunnies" tradition with JCYC counselors. Greg beat his record and won the contest with 12 marshmallows.
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right; Jackson County Youth Center.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Young Travelers - Week 2 - Responsibility


Yesterday we worked with the horses and started our leather belts. This week's topic of discussion from the book was Responsibility. The boys had to tack up their horses and groom them before they could ride. The group is taking responsibility for their own horse for the entire eight weeks, getting the horses ready, and then putting all the equipment away. Some of the boys are ready next week to tool their belts. This group is taking their time, and it shows. They are very creative.
Chris made spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert.
Discussion time was very good and all the boys participated. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Young Travelers 8-23-10.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Kids Explosion-Memory Verse Contest


Saturday we had a group of 15 kids from Kids Explosion come to the ranch for a few hours of fun. These kids were awarded the trip by memorizing their weekly Bible verses during the kid parties that were going on all over Jackson this summer.
The rain kept them from riding the horses, much to their disappointment, but we still had fun anyway. We had to stay under the tent and do craft projects. They made leather bracelets, beaded necklaces, and made door hangers. Bill also took groups of 5 down to the barn to meet the horses and donkeys. They got to take Little Guy for walks in the rain and enjoyed doing that. We had hot dogs, baked beans, and chips for lunch. All had a great time. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Kids Explosion 8-21-10

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Young Travelers Play Day


Lately, on Fridays, we are having a "Young Travelers play day". We have set this time aside for the youth who have been part of a Young Travelers class for them to come to the ranch to just play and have fun. They ride, play volleyball, games, maybe cool off in our cool tub (opposite of hot tub) and we all have dinner together.
The interest for this program is growing and we are all having a great time.
Yesterday, Jalen has graduated in his riding skills to ride out in the field with Bill and Johnathan. He was pretty excited to be able to finally get out of the arena and onto the field. I took a few pictures, check it out by clicking the link to the right called Young Travelers Play Day 8-20-10. The cat in the VERY DRY BIRD BATH is Nine.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Young Travelers - New Group 8/16/10


We started another Young Travelers group this past Monday. What a fun group of boys!Six boys will be learning about horses, leather tooling, teamwork, and mentoring, but most of all learning about themselves and the tools we have to give them to help build character. Each boy will be paired up with a horse and work with that horse for eight weeks. They are going to set a goal they want to acheive with that horse during the eight weeks. Janet and Brian were with us and took some awesome pictures.
Take a look at them by clicking the link to the right called: Young Travelers (the one at the top). Next week we will be discussing the book, The Young Travelers Gift, and the first decision for success; responsibility-the buck stops here. Should be interesting; since the boys will be responsibile to get their horse, saddle him/her, and groom him/her.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Wrap Boys - Aug 7th and 8th


This past weekend another group of wraparound boys came to the ranch. A few of them had been here, but most had not. Those who had been here were able to ride a different horse and they really enjoyed that. The other boys also had a great time riding. The horses have become the best part of the weekend for all of us. This year, the kids are given a picture frame to decorate and then I go to the store and develop pics for them to put in their frames. They are able to go home with a picture of their horse and themselves. Most of the kids like putting their names on the frames and the names of their horses and wranglers. This has become a fun part of the ranch. I like that they get to go home with a fresh picture to show off to their family and friends. The water games were a lot of fun also. We had a competition between Johnathan and Josh (our bunk captains). They were blind folded and each team was to direct their bunk captain were to throw buckets of water on the other captain. I don't think Josh's cabin got it, though. We was pretty wet after Johnathan got him!! Dinner was great and they kids were pretty wore out and went to bed before 11:00. That was amazing! We had Sunday morning breakfast, Stephen led worhship and Jan spoke a blessing over the boys. They really like doing the leather tooling. With the grant money we received from Ronald McDonald's charities, we were able to purchase more leather crafts and got some pretty cool stamps.
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link at the right called: Wrap Boys Aug 6th and Aug 7th. There are two sets of pictures, (I am still learning how to work my camera with my computer picture program)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Young Travelers Presentation


Friday we hosted 6 juvenile probation officers at the ranch. We presented to them our Young Travelers program and actually had them doing some of what the kids do.
They went on the trail ride and we discussed the 7 decisions for success, they made a leather craft (bracelets), and we shared a meal together. They also took the personality profile test. I never did find out who is a Lion, Otter, Golden Retriever, or a Beaver! I wonder just how actuate that test really is? Anyway, we all had a great time. I think they liked the program and was glad to see what it's all about. They refer a lot of youth to us. Take a look at some pictures by clicking the link to the right called, Young Travelers P.O. presentation.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Claw


I wanted to let you all know that the last few pictures of the Wrap Girls 7-24-10
is not the girls. You see, after the kids go home we have a stress relief meeting. This week Johnathan decided to teach Kelsi the game of spoons during our meeting. Spoons is a fun game, but very competitive and somewhat dangerous. Take a look at the pictures at the end of the pictures from Wrap Girls 7-24-10. (Notice the claw; can you guess who's arm that is?)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Wrap - Girls


This past weekend we had a group of 10 girls from Highfields. While driving to Jackson in a rain storm, I was thinking we would have to rearrange our whole schedule! As soon as I got to the pickup point to get the girls, the rain stopped and the sun came out! I am sure Jan was praying back at the ranch for good weather!
Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day and all activities went as planned. The water games have been a big hit for young and old! I know you will enjoy the pictures of that. The girls loved everything and had a wonderful time. We had a bad storm in the middle of the night, though. But the girls toughed it out thanks to our awesome bunk captains, Lizzy and Kelsi.
Sunday we had breakfast, Stephen came to lead worhsip, and the girls made their leather bracelets. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called Wrap Girls 7/24/10.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Last Night-Girls Young Travelers


Well Monday was our last night with this group of girls. It was a special night because we received our first financial grant from Ronald McDonald's charities. They came out to check out the ranch and present our "big cardboard check". Twiggy was a little nervous about what the "big cardboard check" was, so we took the picures in front of Oreo. The girls finished up their belts, and dreamboards, and Sharon taught the girls how to back their horses up. It was a great night. We talked about our last point which was persistence. Today we are going to the lake and the rodeo with the girls. Should be a fun time! Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right Y.T. Girls 7-12-10

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Brightmoor Garden Club 7-10-10


Our friends from Brightmoor, Detroit came back again this past weekend. Reit came with 7 girls. It was a beautiful weekend. They all rode, competed in the archery challenge, played games, and sat around the campfire discussing the seven points while swatting mosquitoes! We then played a few rounds of spoons, and went to bed. I think they all had a great time. Stephen came Sunday morning to lead worship with special guest Bill Latocki on percussion. Jan shared a word from the Lord, and then they worked on their leathercraft. It was a lot of fun. Johnathan shined again working with Oreo and this time he really looked like a cowboy with his new hat.
Take a look at pictures by clicking the link to the right called, Brightmoor Garden Club.

Save Our Youth March


Sat. July 10th was a great day in Jackson. Many people came together in unity for one purpose; to recognize the need to help the youth in Jackson. The weather was picture perfect. Johnathan and CeCe were two of the youth that spoke at the rally; speaking of their struggles in life and where they are going. Johnathan praised his grandmother for her part in his life. I wished she could have been there. (she was on vacation). He wore his new cowboy hat and boy did he look great in it. It is the same hat that Bill wears when we go out. CeCe looked great and spoke with passion and confidence. Four other youth spoke who are living right now in the Jackson County Youth Center. Their stories were moving and really set the stage for compassion to rise up inside those who were listening.
We walked from Jackson Arts and Tech. to Ella Sharp Park and joined the Human Relations Commission Picnic. It was a beautiful day. All the ranch volunteers who were there had to leave early to go back to the ranch to greet a group of youth coming from Detroit. Take a look at pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Save Our Youth March.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Young Travelers Girls 6-28-10 Forgiveness


It was a beautiful night and we took the girls out to the arena and Sharon worked with them on their riding skills. Each girl is at a different level and improving each time we work with them. Tonight's subject was forgiveness. Horses are a great example of this and we like to use them to describe how forgiving they can be. I love the use of horses to discuss the 7 decisions outlined in the book. The girls should be riding on their own by the end of the class. Yeah! They really like it. They continued to work on their belts and are close to attaching the buckles. They are coming along very nicely.
Chris made breakfast for dinner and we talked about forgiving each other and ourselves. We spoke about how not forgiving someone is just hurting us and not the other person. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called Young Travelers 6-28-10.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Save Our Youth March

We are partnering with the Mentoring Collaborative of Jackson County on Saturday July 10th for the "Save Our Youth March". It will start at 10:00 a.m. at Jackson Arts and Tech School and finish our walk at Ella Sharpe Park and join the Human Relations Comission Picnic. We are very excited about doing this. There will be 5 youth sharing their life struggles and how they have overcome them. The purpose of this march is to open the doors of opportunity for the community of Jackson to get involved with the youth of the city and see what they might be able to do to make a difference in their lives. Two of the youth are part of our Young Travelers program. Please, if you could take a few minutes out of your day to come and hear what the youth of Jackson has to say, I know you will be glad you did.
Thanks for your support and prayers.

Salvation Army 6-25-10


The Salvation Army came back again this past Friday. We gave five kids a trail ride out on the field and spoke about the 7 decisions for success with them. All of The Lazy B's Ranch programming is built on 7 principals we found in a book called "The Young Travelers Gift, by Andy Andrews. Even the young ones can learn about, Responsibility, Wisdom, having a Decided Heart, being a person of Action, having a Forgiving Spirit, being Happy, and being Persistent. This time no one decided to try and take a kitten home with them!! The kittens will be taken to their new home next weekend. Take a look at some pictures by clicking the link to the right called Salvation Army 6-25-10.

Wraparound Boys - 6-19-10


No power didnot interfere with the activities and fun at the Lazy B's Ranch last Saturday. We woke up Saturday morning wondering how we were going to keep the boys cooled off with no water! It was suppose to be hot that day. Thanks to Jill Clark from Highfields loaning us her generator and Charlie and Josh's handyman experience hooking it up to our well, we had running water! Thanks to you guys for making that happen. We had so much fun, they all rode, learn to shoot a bow with an arrow, made a leather bracelet, and enjoyed fun with water and the Lazy B's Olympics. Chris came up with the good water games, and bunkhouse one needed a fifth player, and I was it. It felt very good to get very wet! They had no problem with an old lady being on their team. I think we won most of the games!
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link "Wraparound Boys 6-19-10

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Young Travelers-Girls Week 5


This week we spent some more time working on our belts. The girls have used their creative gifts to design them. Larry and Charlie were a big help in punching holes, but Alyssa shined and was able to do them herself. We played a word game and discussed different career opportunities. I was a naturalist and Ashley actually knew what it was! You go girl! Our discussion this week was being a person with a decided heart. We talked about our dreams and what we need to do to accomplish those dreams. Chris was a big hit in the kitchen and made tacos and nacho cheese dip. Thanks to Chris for taking care of the food. We love you! Kathy and Bill Latocki came and joined us for dinner. Kathy was given permission by Andy Andrews publisher to record the book on CD so people could listen to the book if they don't have time to read the book. She did a great job. Thank you Kathy! The kittens are always a big hit, so Ashley wanted to take some pictures for you to see. They will be going to there new home next week. Our tractor guy, Jerry, plans to take all five kittens. Next week we will be discussing having a joyful heart.
Take a look at some pictures by clicking the link to the right, Young Travelers Girls 6/14/10

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Night Out At The Rodeo


Last night we went to the 3 Bar B Rodeo in Adrian Michigan. Our very own wrangler, Josh, participated in the bull riding event. We took some of our ranch kids, Johnathan, Jalen, and Keith. Josh took us back behind the shoots to check out the activities behind the scenes. The kids got to touch the bulls. Without a bull strap on, they seemed pretty tame, but wow, when they got in the arena, look out cowboys!!! Josh came very close to qualifying in the event finishing at 7.53 seconds. To qualify, you must stay on the bull for 8 seconds. Good thing for Josh, no one else qualified, so he is still in the running for the prize buckle he is working towards. I wasn't able to get a good photo of Josh riding, but he looked good. We had a lot of fun, and the boys would like to go back again.
There was also barrel racing, pole bending, and calf roping. There were a lot of good riders and if they work hard, they could soon enter the pro rodeo. There was a young girl, about 7, participated in the pole pending, and another participated in the race to the barrel, (grandma running with her). The discipline of horsemenship can start at a very young age with the right horse and the drive to press on in the sport. Take a look at some pics by clicking Night Out at The Rodeo.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Salvation Army

School is out and kids need something to do! Yesterday, Jackson Salvation Army came to the ranch for a few hours to ride and play games. Chuck, Bill, Johnathan, and Annie all walked horses in the arena and gave 23 kids a ride! Wow, I missed a lot.
Johnathan shined as he moves into his role as "wrangler in training".
They got the kittens out to show the kids and they were a big hit. One child was going to take a kitten home, but Chuck caught him just as they were getting ready to leave!! Too Funny!!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Young Travelers - Girls

This Monday we talked about being a person of action. Do not put things off. Have a plan and stick to it. The girls rode in the arena with help and instruction by Sharon. She used to be an instructor. The lesson was to move your horse in the direction you want him/her to go. This was challenging to those who haven't done it before, but a learning lesson on having a task to do and taking the necessary steps to do it. They all enjoyed learning the basics of riding. The girls also started to tool their belts. We had sloppy joes and cheesy potatoes for dinner. Our discussions with the girls are going well. It will be hard to vote at the end on who participated the most. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link at the right Young Travelers-Girls 6/7/10 and Making Belts

1st Overnight Campout - Young Travelers Boys

What a fun weekend we had. There were 4 boys from our Young Travelers group. They were really looking forward to this camp out. We started off the day with grilled hot dogs and chili cheese nachos. Then they took a ride on horseback and shot archery for points. They did pretty well and I even shot the bow and hit the target. We took off down the road to play softball and had a great time. We all hit pretty good, however, we all could brush up on our fielding skills. The rain came and it came hard. We continued to play in the rain, but the game was called after the 3rd inning (I think, who's counting anyway). I think that was the most fun we have had in a long time. The boys really enjoyed it. We went back to the ranch to cook cowboy dinners, but it was raining too hard to cook or eat outside. We stayed in the ranch house for dinner and played board games. We waited for the tornado watch to be lifted, and then went to bed. We played pretty hard that day . Dan made an awesome breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and fried potatoes. Brian led us in a few worship songs, Megal and I read my favorite psalm, and Jan spoke about God's forgiveness and mercy. It was an awesome time. These Young Travelers boys are part of our family. We continue to mentor these boys on a weekly basis. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right Young Travelers June 5-6.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Volunteer Kick Off 2010

Last Saturday we had a volunteer kick off wrangler training and party. We had a beautiful day and the food was great. Thanks to Kathy and Chris for taking care of the food! They all know not to leave me in charge of food!! We have some new wranglers this year, WELCOME to Josh, Sharon, Larry, Linda, and Angel. New volunteers include Naomi, Nate, Tammy. Thanks to all of our volunteers. We could not do anything without your passion and dedication. Many kids will be blessed because of you!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Week Three-Wisdom


Our third week with the Young Travelers girls was great. We worked with the horses and explained all the responsibility involved with caring for them. Even though they may never own a horse, the girls can learn the concept of caring for someone other than themselves. Horses make great examples of many of the concepts that are outlined in the book. I love that book! We started to design our leather belts and will begin tooling the leather next week. The girls are very excited about making the belts. We had dinner and discussed the 2nd principal, wisdom. We discussed the difference between knowledge and wisdom and who we go to for advice to gain wisdom.
Again, the girls were very open during discussion and talked a lot about making right decisions. We talked about the fact that we need to make decisions now that might not make sense today, but could effect their future.
I didn't do too well with the pictures, but take a look by copying and pasting this in your address field: http://picasaweb.google.com/LazyBeesRanch/YoungTravelersWeek352410#

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Helping Hands - Let's Dream Together


Our second night with the Young Travelers Girls was a lot a fun. We are starting to get to know the girls and they are getting comfortable with us. This Monday the weather prevented us from using the horses to illustrate Responsibility, so we stayed inside and started working on dream boards. We are cutting pictures out of magazines and making a collage of things that we are interested in and what we might like our future to look like. We also started our belts by learning to cut and trim leather. Chris made her famous sausage and biscuits and scrambled eggs for dinner.
Our discussion about responsibility turned into a discussion about forgiveness. Wow, it was awesome! What a great group of girls.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

First Week-Young Travelers Girls

Monday we started our first girls mentoring group at the ranch. We have 6 girls signed up for this class. Heidi was sick with the flu, hopefully she will be better by next week. We had a great time with them Monday and already know we are going to need Chris's talking stick during discussion time!! They are very talkative. This is good, and they all seem to get along. They all took the trail ride around the property and were introduced to the seven decisions that we will be talking about in the book, "The Young Travelers Gift", by Andy Andrews. The girls took a vote and decided against making purses and decided to make belts like the boys did. Chris made dinner, guess what?? SLOPPY JOES AND CHEESY POTATOES! Chris volunteered to make sure we have dinner, and I heard next week she plans to make gravy and biscuits. Bill, Paint, and CeCe teamed up, then Dawn, Skeeter, and Ashley, then Sharon, Twiggy and Alyssa, then Jonathan, Chelsea, and Oreo, then
Larry,Hilbilly, and Crystal. I didn't get there until late, so I don't have any pictures, but we will be doing more with horses next week when we discuss, responsibility. I'll get pictures then.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Young Travelers Girls

We are getting ready to start our first Young Travelers class for girls. We will be meeting at the ranch starting May 10th on Mondays for eight weeks. The girls will be making purses/handbags from an original piece of leather. They will then tool them as they personally design them. This shold be a great project for the girls. We will be also working with the horses, weather permitting, and studying the book,
The Young Travelers Gift, by Andy Andrews. Discussion during dinner is always eventful. This is a great time to get to know the girls.
If anyone would like to help with the dinner part of this class, PLEASE let me know! My skills in the kitchen are not my strongest!
Take care, we will keep you updated on the girls progess.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Getting Ready to Ride


Mondays still continue to be busy at the ranch. We are still mentoring our Young Travelers boys. Johnathan wants to learn all he can about horses. He will be helping us this summer with the kids program. We are having a good time with these kids and I pray that spending time at the ranch will be a positive influence in their lives. Johnathan's grandma wanted to come and see what all the fun was about. She came this past Monday and we had a nice visit with her. I think I can get her on Hilbilly next time! We all had dinner together (sloppy joes and cheesy potatoes, no doubt!) Check out a few pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/LazyBeesRanch/GettingReadyToRide4122010#

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Charity Benefit March 27


Wow, we had a great time on Saturday! Many people came to show their support of the Lazy B's ranch. I think we counted 125 people! Our ranch kids served food and did it with a smile, (I think, I never did eat!) We had about 130 auction items including a lot of artwork from our kids. That is my favorite part of the auction. We have found a lot of kids have talent and I like to encourage them. Stephen and Edwin started the music with their duo gig. They are awesome!! Chip and What a Band played next while Stephen and Edwin joined in. I watched them all play together and they were amazing! I am so envious (just kidding) of musicians who can just start playing with others they never played with and it sound good! We had a surprise birthday cake for dessert for Jenny, the kitchen manager of New Jerusalem Church. "Happy Birthday, Jenny" Lots of door prizes went out and almost everyone went home with something. Jenny Ward, from The Daily Telegram, bought most of the kids artwork and then turned around and gave them to me! Jenny, you rock! What a blessing she is! I want to have an art board at the ranch, so that when people come they can see the kids artwork. Jan shared the Lord's heart for the Lazy B's and the kids. She prayed a special blessing over them. Two of the kids teachers came, and some parents. It was a pleasure meeting them all.
Thanks to Janet for taking all the pictures, and thanks to all those who participated in putting this all together. Something like this takes teamwork, and we have a good team! Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right called: Charity Benefit March 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Young Travelers First Real Ride


This Monday was the last day for this group of Young Travelers. The weather was beautiful, so they got to free ride Hilbilly and Oreo. They had a continuous smile on their faces the whole time. We had pizza for dinner, and they created a dream board. They cut pictures out of magazines and glued them onto a poster board. They can look at the pictures and dream about their future. Dreams are good to have and we encourage that. Johnathan and Casey are very interested in helping us this summer with the horses and the kids overnight camp outs. So even though Young Travelers is over, they will be still coming out on Mondays to work on becoming "wranglers in training".
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right: Young Travelers First Real Ride.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Young Travelers 1/25/2010 - Wisdom

Tonight the boys continued working on their belts. The adult volunteers are learning a lot too. They are coming along nicely. We talked about wisdom and discussed the difference between knowledge and wisdom. The boys are staring to get engaged in conversation. We are getting to know each other more and having fun together.
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link: Making Belts.

Young Travelers


This week the boys got a chance to play in the hay! The weather did not permit us to ride, but we got to spend time in the barn. Tonight we talked about forgiving others. It was a really good discussion. These boys really are engaged and very intelligent when it comes to things of the heart. Miss Donna lead the discussion. The boys really respect her, being the elder of the group!
Take a look at the pictures, click on the link: Playing in the hay

Young Travelers-Saddle Up


Monday was our last Young Travelers class. The boys finished up their belts and they really turned out nice. Jalen's brother wanted to wear it, so he gave him a few bucks! We finished our discusion of the Young Travelers Gift Book with persistence. Somehow the conversation ended up about trusting people and who do we trust. It seems trust is a pretty big deal and it really gives us as leaders and volunteers a lesson, that if we want to help the teenage generation, we need to be trustworthy. It was an eye opener for me. We need to do what we say we are going to do, nothing more, nothing less. It gave me something to pray about and ask God, am I trustworthy???
Anyway, we had a great time and the kids are very engaged in conversatin with us. I believe we have formed lasting relationships with these boys, and they will be coming back to the ranch for other activities. This was the first time they got to saddle up and ride. Take a look at the pictures with the boys on their horses. They are pretty proud of these pictures. Please click the link to the right: Young Travelers Saddle Up

Thursday, February 18, 2010

March Benefit

Bill started going to area business to help with our silent auction. So far, they have been very receptive and helpful, so I think we are going to have a great selection of items for the auction.
If any of our readers have anything to donate to the auction, please let us know. It doesn't have to be new, but gently used. You can bring them to the ranch anytime. You can also help by getting the word out to your family and friends about the benefit. It should be a great time! There will be good food, good "stuff to buy" and good music! See ya there! If you have any questions please call us at
517-592-4252

Date: March 27, 2010
Time: 5:00 P.M.- 8:00 P.M
Bidding Ends: 7:00 P.M.
Place: New Jerusalem Christian Fellowship
14977 Harper Road
Somerset, MI 49233

Summer Overnight Schedule

We are scheduling groups for this summer for our overnight trips and only have one available weekend! Wow, things are really moving along here at the ranch.

June 5th-6th Available August 7th-8th Taken
June 19th-20th Taken August 28th-29th Taken
July 10th-11th Taken September 11th-12th Taken
July 24th-25th Taken September 25th-26th Taken

We will be scheduling a horse clinic in case there are any new volunteers that would like to work with the horses. I'll let you know when that will take place. It seems funny to start working on summer activities, but time moves so quickly summer will be here before you know it.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Spring Cleaning?? Yet??

Well, I don't know about you, but I am getting tired of snow and cold and ready for Spring. We are gearing up at the ranch, and we could use your help! Before you throw away all those used basketballs, baseballs, baseball gloves, soccer balls, board games,crafts, etc., consider donating them to the Lazy B's Ranch token redemption store. A lot of our friends kids have grown up and left home, but left all their stuff behind! Last year, they donated a lot a sports equipment and games to our store. What a blessing!! We cleaned them up, put them on the shelves and they are all gone. The kids really enjoyed earning their tokens and going home with a gently used basketball!! Also, if you have any other items appropriate for teenagers, we could you them as well. (no electronics, we like them to take sports equiptment, games, or crafts).
Your donations and support are greatly appreciated.

Kids Explosion


Kids explosion is back and in full speed ahead. We have seen some new faces, and some old faces return. Bill and I, along with Bob, Pat and, Tracey are working with the kids at Southridge Park on Friday nights. Bill is doing an awesome job getting the games ready for the kids. He has been very creative lately and the kids are having a lot of fun. Bob and Pat are working on the lesson and object lessons, and Tracey and I are making sure the kids are listening and paying attention. We are quite a team. God is truly blessing the city of Jackson with this after school program. We pray that good seed is planted in these kids that will stay with them when they have to make life's decisions. We have been hearing all the bad stuff that is happening in Jackson, Kids Explosion can help turn that "Bad News" into "Good News".
God Bless!

Here is the week schedule:

Mondays 4:30-5:30 Innerfaith Shelter
Tuesdays 4:30-5:30 Arbors at Lakeside
Wednesdays 4:30-5:30 Shahan Apartments
Thursdays 4:30-5:30 Chalet Terrace
Fridays 4:30-5:30 The Salvation Army
Fridays 5:00-6:00 Southridge Park

I got a new camera and tried it out last night. Take a look by clicking on "Kids Explosion Friday Night" at the right.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Kids Explosion Pizza Party


For the last two Saturdays, we have had a group of Kids Explosion kids here for a pizza party. The kids won a trip to the ranch for learning their weekly bible verses during the Kids Explosion Parties. Both weekends went well and the kids had a great time. The weather did not permit us to ride horses, however, we still had fun down at the barn spending time with them, and playing in the hay!
We had pizza, and played games, and had a coloring contest with prizes. All the kids went home with a Lazy B's Ranch Activity Book and a prize for playing the game.
Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right "Kids Explosion Pizza Party".

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Mark Your Calendars - March 27, 2010

We are planning another silent auction/dinner at New Jerusalem Christian Fellowship this spring. Last year's benefit was a big success and we expect this year's to be even better. The dinner this year will be a little different. We have a mystery menu planned. MMMMM!!! what's up with that??? Come and see what is on the menu and what's going on at the ranch this year. There will be a lot of auction items to bid on. I will update you with more details on the auction items as they come in. Come and support the kids that come to the ranch. More details to come.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Young Travelers - Jan/Feb 2010


We started another Young Travelers group last week. Four boys, Casey, Jonathan, Megal, and Jalen are going to work with the guys in Bill's shop making leather belts, and wood key chains. As soon as the weather cooperates, we will also take the boys on a trail ride. The boys will come for 8 weeks on Mondays after school. We are going thru the book, The Young Traveler's Gift, by Andy Andrews. The first week was orientation and getting to know the boys. This past Monday, we talked about responsibility and making right choices. This is always a must when we talk to the kids. This group of boys are a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.
We have a great group of mentors: Rufus, Bill, Charlie, Jerry, Larry, and Gary. The men are very excited about getting to the know boys as well. Donna, Dawn, and I are providing some "female" insight to the discussion group. Casey's mom brought Chili the first Monday, Sloppy Joes the second Monday, and next week making stew. WE LOVE CASEY'S MOM!!!! You go girl!!! Take a look at pictures by clicking "Young Travelers Jan 2010" at the right.