Annual Charity Benefit - Detroit Area

Mark your calendars for our annual charity benefit at the Berkley Front in Berkley Michigan for Saturday, October 24, 2009. What a Band,What A Band will be starting off the night of entertainment. Johnny B.'s band "Square One" will also be there for our musical entertainment. The minimum donation will be $10.00 per ticket. It will start at 7:00 p.m. Call us at 517-592-4252 if you have any questions, or want to buy tickets ahead of time. Tickets will also be on sale at the door. All money raised will support our programming at the ranch. Many new things happening here, so come and join the fun and find out how you can help some kids who just need a little more TLC in their lives. See ya there!!! Yu'all!!

Softball Game - Youth Center

Friday night we spent at the Jackson County Youth Center playing a softball game with the kids and their staff. We had so much fun! I think the mature adult males had more fun than the kids. They could go back in time and be kids again! Bill hasn't played ball for a very long time. Bill was never a home run hitter, but he always got on base with singles and doubles. He shined Friday night with a couple of hits. I teased him about how much slower he runs the bases, though!! I got a single my first time at bat, but I pulled a couple of muscles as soon as I left the batters box! It serves me right for teasing Bill, right?? We shared a meal together after the game of Kentucky Fried Chicken and homemade apple crisp and peach crisp. Chris made the peach crisp from peaches from our peach tree. The apples were donated by Hanover Orchard. Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right.

Big Brothers - Boys

Last Saturday we had a group of boys come to the ranch for a weekend of fun. These boys either have a Big Brother or are on a waiting list for a Big Brother. There are quit a few kids in Jackson County waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister. If you are interested in mentoring these kids, please contact Big Brothers/Big Sisters at: 517-784-7181.
We believe mentoring is key to a child success. Even though we only spend 24 hours with the children, relationships can form. These kids know they can count on us if they need help. Deshon did not want to ride Oreo, our most trusted friend, or even get near her. However, with some encouragement from Miss Janet, he got over his fear and Deshon walked Miss Janet on the trail while she rode Oreo. What a creative idea to get Deshon on the trail! I wish I would have thought of it! We really like the kids to walk the trail. There is much discussion that goes on during the trail ride, so it is important for them to at least walk it. Miss Janet had to leave early in the afternoon, so she wasn't here for the rest of the activities. Deshon knew she wasn't here, and asked me later, "where is Miss Janet?" That proves that one-on-one mentoring can make an impact! Later in the day Deshon even wanted to help clean the horse stalls! Take a look at the pictures by clicking the link to the right "Big Brothers".

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.