Days With the Duerksens

Chelan and I took Delaney to Kansas City for the championship game of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament - a birthday gift given to her in August. What a cool experience! From posing with the trophy to testing her vertical (6th place for all girls who tried!), to watching the match between Texas A&M and Kentucky, to a real life reindeer in the arena, we had a fun day!

Cambry was selling some art pieces at Prairie Lights at Dyck Arboretum, so we made an impromptu trip to Hesston to walk the path with her. It was a beautiful evening with our girl!

Besides volleyball, Delaney found plenty of ways to be involved in school activities this fall. Powder Puff Football - she was on Team Unicorns, who won by 2 points! Music Dept. Variety Show and dessert auction Fundraiser - Delaney and her friends came up with 2 sketches: a dance to "Ice, Ice, Baby" and a "Staff Fashion Show" - both were highly entertaining! And we came away with a couple of incredible desserts!

We are enjoying a much-needed Saturday at home, but truthfully, I wish we had been in Dodge City for the final volleyball matches of the season. Our thoughts on this team went from: "Well, they might figure things out after a while," to "I think they've figured things out!" and finally, to "They made it to the state tournament!" What a ride! We are again thankful for Delaney's coaches, Crysta and Olivia, who built this young team into a force to be reckoned with. Here are some highlights: 1. 3rd place at home tournament 2. Runner-up at Olpe tournament 3. 4th place at Canton tournament(Coach Guhr got her 600th win!) 4. Regional Champions 5. Sub-state Champions 6. State Tournament: 1-2 in pool play (wish we could have that Centralia match back - they were beatable!) It's so much fun to be along for the ride as a parent, and we certainly enjoyed this ride! New dream unlocked for next year: Destination Dodge City!

Bethel College, Beautiful Night, Free Concert - need I say more? The Administration Building has never looked better! Delaney and her friend Elaina got to meet them afterwards - that's Delaney in the shadows! :)

This summer, I started a new venture: learning how to bake with sourdough starter. Once we got our oven fixed, bought a Dutch oven, and my starter arrived in the mail from King Arthur Flour (with instructions), I was finally able to work with it. After about 6 weeks in, I have an active starter and I feel pretty good about things! My loaves of bread have varied, but all have been edible. Along with the traditional rustic-type loaves, I've also tried some sourdough Italian bread and sourdough sandwich bread. And I've learned that I can use the discard (from the feedings) in other baked goods, too. Our favorite is the chocolate chip cookie recipe I found. Learning new things at 46 feels good!