Favorite Teacher

Kels' class assignment for English.

Dear Mrs. Brudwick,
In English class we are writing to our favorite teachers, and I instantly thought of you! You were always there for me, and I could not have asked for a better teacher!

I thought of you as a second mom to me. You would come support/watch me play sports, you helped me pull my loose teeth out, you taught me valuable lessons, but more importantly you made 2nd and 3rd grade the best years. You made coming to school so much fun! Though I am now in 7th grade at DMMS, I definitely miss Hoover and everyone there.

I hope you know that you were (and still are) a huge part ofmy life. I will never forget you!

Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Kels
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Hoping everyone is lucky enough to have an influence on their life like this...

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Basketball and Stuff

Kels played in her first “real” basketball game with her school team (which they won!). Scored a basket on a layup and everything! There’s still a lot to get use to with the pace of the game and understanding all the rules and plays but she looked great on the court and was even helping direct others to where they should be for each play. She also joined a traveling basketball team which has their first tournament November 13th. What started as something to do to get in better shape for softball may be becoming a new sport to pursue. Either way, it’s great to see Kels competing, playing with her friends and having fun.

Lil’ TK made Big TK and Ang very proud with how he worked hard and brought his grades in Algebra and Science up before the end of the quarter. He is finishing the quarter strong and looking forward to whatever the next one brings (and especially PE class – his FAVORITE subject!). His traveling basketball team is practicing and getting ready for their first tournament on November 20th.

Big TK and Ang are guides at church for Club 78 – the name for the confirmation program. Each has 4-5 kids in their confirmation class. They will stick with these kids for the next 3 years as they go through the confirmation process and become adults in the church. It’s been interesting so far and promises to only get more so.

Abby takes all the running around her family does in stride. She has a nice nest made in her big comfy pillow in the living room. Ang is working on getting her out for more walks as she loves them. Say the word, “Walk” around her and she is up and ready to go. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could have that energy and ambition to exercise?





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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Seasons End - Seasons Begin...

The 2010 7th Grade Hickorytech Rams from the West side ended the season with a win and a 6-0 record.
The team was fun to watch all season as the boys played hard, played together and played a full game each and every time. As the games continued and reached the 4th quarter, the Rams seemed to get more energized and hungrier for that notch in the Win column. Everyone is looking forward to watching this group play as West Scarlets in 8th grade next fall and carry on the tradition the Varsity team has started. The West Scarlets are 8-0 on the season and heading into playoffs. Here’s hoping they can add a State trophy to the Jug (won in the West vs. East game 10/20!) in that trophy case at the high school!

The DMMS D1 Volleyball team ended the season on a sourer note with losses to cross town rival East and Fairmont. Kels had fun playing with her friends and seems to have really improved as a player. Being the competitive athlete she is, she was hoping for a better season but it seems like there is a lot of potential with the serious players and next year should be another great experience.

Next up for the Kopp Crew: Basketball. School ball for both Kels and Lil’ TK starts with the Parent Meeting the last week of October. Lil’ TK again tried out for the traveling b-ball program in town as well and was placed on the “White (B)” team. Expecting practices to start soon for all of it…Ang and Big TK might actually be busier with b-ball than baseball/softball in the summer with 3 different teams to coordinate!

Mankato/North Mankato got deluged with rain at the end of September - some towns around us didn't have running water for a week due to flooding at their water treatment plants...everyone seemed to have water in their basements (but not us -  Thank you Lord!). The MN River got freakishly high...these pics from the stoplights at Lookout Drive and Lee Blvd - near the Judson Bottom Road - which was almost completely under water!

Ang is excited to FINALLY have a real grown-up bedroom to call her own. After 10 years of working slowly on the rest of the house, the bedroom finally got painted and decorated. Now to get going on Lil’ TK’s room, the kids’ bathroom and Ang’s office…it never ends!

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Start of September...

Lil' TK (#33) and the West Hickorytech Rams are 3-0. The team plays really well together...and hits HARD. They aren't afraid to tackle and they aren't afraid to go for the ball. The team has been fun to watch and cheer for.

School started for Lil' TK and Kels. Both kids love their new school and the new routine they follow as "sevey's". Both are making a ton of new friends and seem to have taken on the additional responsibility of "Jr High" without much anxiety or trepidation.

Kels and the West Scarlets Dakota 1 Volleyball team have played against three school teams - 16 matches total...winning more than they've lost. Kels is the starting server so far and has gotten good at placing her serves in just the right spot. Ang wasn't expecting to get so hyped up to watch and cheer for volleyball, but fans really can get into it and have fun!



Ang and Big TK are just trying to stay on top of things with getting the kids where they need to be and when. Big TK is actively looking for that one job opportunity that will end the unemployment roller coaster ride.

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

August 2010

August started out with a sigh of relief that baseball and softball had come to an end and the weekends were free. Or so was thought!

8/9 – Ang, Kels and Lil’ TK went to the Vikings Training Camp with the cousins from SD and WI and super-awesome Aunt Sharon. It was way too hot to be comfortable but everyone had fun checking out practice, checking out the *hot* players and watching the younger boys have fun at the activities and autograph sessions. The cousins were able to get some cool Vikings gear so that they can cheer on the purple and gold with pride back home!

8/11 – Abby Lou’s birthday. 6 years old!

Kels has pitching tryouts for the 14U Peppers 2011 teams. First year trying out at that age level…said the older girls (16U and 18U) made her nervous but she did her best and even got to tryout with BFF MM.

8/14 – Andy and Jenny’s wedding in St. Paul. St. Thomas More church – incredible!! Again, too hot to be comfortable but a good time was had by all. Adopted Kopp Crew member, JM, gave an awesome Best Man speech. We laughed; we cried…it became a part of us. Oh – and the Vikings won the first pre-season game!

8/15 – Kels has fielding/batting tryouts for 14U Peppers 2011 teams. Weather was a little nicer, which was good since tryouts took over 2 hours! Gets a call a week later that she made the B team and will have the same coach she had her very first year in Peppers. Very exciting! Will also have her other BFF's from summer softball, KE and AL, on the team again!

8/16 – Lil’ TK starts Football practices. Is placed on the MNMYF West - Hickorytech Rams. Ang cannot wait to start cheering on #33. Pain heals, chicks dig scars…Glory lasts forever!

8/20-8/22 – VACATION at Mound Lake. Truly God’s country. Located by Burtrum/Upsala/Long Prairie/Grey Eagle. Lil’ TK’s adopted family – The Marshes – have a lake home there. Invited the whole Crew up. So blessed to have such great friends. No internet, no cell phone, no plans. Just relaxed riding the waves on the pontoon all weekend. Very sad to have to come home to reality but the Crew did miss Abby Lou - who was overjoyed to see us return. Although a quiet house and Gramma Nita to herself all weekend could not have been bad….

8/25-9/6 – Big TK is working at the Great MN Get-Together…the State Fair for the Vikings Locker Room. Blessed again with a great friend –JM – who offered to let him stay at his place in Bloomington the whole time he is working at the fair.

8/30 – Kels starts school volleyball practices. First match is 9/9.

9/9 – Kels and Lil’ TK start Dakota Meadows Middle School. As 7th graders. Ang is going to need to start buying a lot more hair coloring kits to fend off the gray hairs that will be coming…Holy Cow – 7th graders! Where has the time gone?

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Summer's Flying By...

Happy 6th Birthday Abby Lou!

Summer storms featuring wind and hail hit in July and now the homestead needs new siding and a new roof. Celebrating no more yellow house! Now onto the fun part – picking new colors.

Lil’ TK and Kels are gearing up for Middle School – 7th grade. They are placed on “trails” in 7th and 8th grade here on the WEST side. They are assigned a certain section of the school, with certain teachers and half the total 7th grade class. They are assigned a home room/teacher and will be moving to different rooms within the trail for classes. Gives them a taste of what high school will be like without all the upper classmen to worry about.

New school, new rules and the opportunity to play school sports. Kels starts volleyball at the end of August. Should be an exciting year.

Kels has tryouts for the 2011 14U Peppers summer traveling softball program today. Because she will be 13 by the end of the year, she has to “move up” to the next age group for softball. It’s a big step but Big TK and Ang are confident she is ready. She had such a great summer and grew so much as a player...she’s got this…;o)

Big TK is enjoying working for the Vikings Locker Room at training camp and was asked to work the State Fair at the end of August for them as well. The discount it nice, it’s air-conditioned and he will get to spend 2 weeks with his buddy, Jeff, who lives in Bloomington. Jeff has graciously offered to let Big TK stay with hm while he is working the fair. Great friends make life so much more fun! Ang is just hoping she isn’t certified insane by the end of Big TK’s extended stay in Bloomington from trying to keep the tweens from killing each other at home. Hopefully the excitement of a new school will pre-occupy them enough!

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Summer Sports Come to an End...

Kels and the 12U Peppers Blue went 6-2 at Nationals and took 5th out of 46 teams. Kels pitched in all 8 games and was really “on fire”. The whole team played like the parents and coaches knew they could for those first 6 games but unfortunately reverted to bad habits and silly errors in the two losses. It was tough to see them lose their mojo in the two most important games of the tournament but Ang tried to remember something Lil' TK's coach said at the Royals end of the year party, "Enjoy the Moment."
Now Kels has to get ready for the 14U Peppers tryouts which take place in early August. Hard to believe she is moving to 14's already!!

Then it’s onto volleyball for Kels at her new school – Dakota Meadows Middle School. She will start playing for the West Scarlets – which is the high school here. Now sure who is more excited to see her wear the Scarlet uniform – Big TK or Ang!

Lil’ TK starts football through a community organization that runs an outstanding program. Football doesn’t start until 8th grade through the school so this will be his last year with this program before putting on the ol’ red and white of the Scarlets as well. He plans on playing basketball in the winter at DMMS. It will be an exciting year!

Big TK starts working for Vikings Training Camp in a couple of days. The whole family is getting excited for Vikings football. Will he or won’t he?? The Purple Moses is keeping us in limbo as to whether he will play for the Vikes again or not. But that really isn’t anything new, is it? ;-p

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love