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SHAWNEE LIFE Coates’ Summer Road Trip 2022

If only it were that simple...

Submitted by Mike & Michelle Coates of Indianbrook

The Coates’ live in the Indianbrook subdivision. Michelle is an OB/GYN at Women’s Health for Life, while Mike is a stay-at-home Dad, and keeps the house (and boys) in order. Dax and Drew both attend Shawnee schools and are in 4th and 1st grade. Mike grew up traveling during his summer breaks with his extended family – camping in his parent’s pop-up camper and grandparents’ motorhome all over the continental US. Trips to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, and Denali National Parks are formative memories for him. With Mike’s birthday in late June, he spent every birthday from the age of 10, until about 16, in a National Park or Forest.

Michelle’s sister got married this summer, and it was a great excuse for Mike to plan a major road trip for the boys. With that in mind, a re-master of the same trip Mike’s family took thirty years prior was perfect for the final destination to be his sister-in-law’s house in North Western Montana. Stops in Union Grove State Park, Badlands National Park, and Custer State Park in South Dakota was the plan for the first 10 days. Then a quick jaunt across Yellowstone National Park’s northern end in Wyoming on the way up to Glacier National Park in Montana, with only single night stops along the way. Glacier was to be the pinnacle of the vacation, with a five night stay there, seeing the sights and hopefully driving the famous Going to the Sun Road.

If only it were that simple…

After three days on the road, Mike, his parents, and two boys arrived in Badlands National Park. The first night was a stark reminder of the kind of weather the Midwest likes to brew in June. Mike took this picture (below) of a super cell that was on the North side of the park from his parent’s site while they were watching the lightning. The evening was spent sleeping in the car instead of Mischief Managed (the Coates’ Sylvansport GO tent trailer), and the boys slept in Grandma and Grandpa’s A-frame camper.

The next day brought even more severe weather, including tornado watches and severe thunderstorm warnings. Mischief Managed survived the previous night, but not without some leaking due to the high winds; so it was collapsed and secured for another night spent in the hardsided vehicles. The storms that night had other ideas, however. Mike’s parents’ A-frame was severely damaged by sustained winds of 50-60 mph, with gusts upwards of 70-80 mph. No one was injured, but it made for a traumatic evening. Emergency repairs to secure the camper from further damage were performed, thankfully the rain and hail stayed away. They all retreated to the safety of a hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota, which became their home for a week while plans were adjusted to accommodate the lack of a hard-sided camper for when they were scheduled to be in bear country in Glacier.

During the week in Rapid City, the storms also devastated Southern Montana and Northern Wyoming and wrought 500-year flood levels to many of the rivers, including the Yellowstone River. The National Park Service closed down Yellowstone completely. Mike and the family canceled all of their camping reservations up until those at Glacier, as his parents had found a camper that they could rent in Kalispell for the stay in Glacier. Day trips to the Black Hills National Forest and Custer State Park were the name of the game that week. The boys got to see Mount Rushmore for the first time and walk around Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park.

This week turned out to be the meat of the adventures this summer. The Going to the Sun Road in Glacier was closed until mid-July (tied the record for latest opening date) due to the snow-pack and late snow storms they had in the region the week before the family’s arrival. Michelle joined the family in Glacier, finally. Mike was able to do some astrophotography while in the park, and on his 42nd birthday, at that. The Milky Way, over Lake McDonald, was clearly visible to the naked eye, and he very much enjoyed spending the wee hours photographing the stars with his father.

Savvy Spaces Simply Declutter

by Sherri Frantz, Professional Home Organizer

Decluttering and organizing go hand in hand and I would like to show you how well they work together. Marketing and advertising are great at letting us know that we can’t possibly live without their products, which means we end up with items we don’t like and don’t use. We all tend to accumulate more stuff than what we really need. The secret is not to buy a larger home for all our stuff or even lots of totes. Getting rid of those items and making sure what we keep in a home is key to relieving the stress we have from having too much stuff in our lives.

Disorganization and clutter affect our mental health and keeps us from spending time with those we love and the activities we enjoy. Clutter can be overwhelming as our closets and drawers are overflowing with clothes we barely wear. A garage busting at the seams with stacks of boxes and toys that aren’t played with any longer. I want you to know that you are not alone and you can start with just organizing a drawer if you want. Once you see progress in your decluttering, your stress level goes down and the feeling is refreshing. Organizing is only done after you have decluttered, no need to buy totes to organize until you have narrowed down what you really want to keep in your home.

Start with an area that would not be difficult for you to part with the items, such as your pantry. Pull everything out and separate into piles of keep, trash, sell or donate. Getting rid of old spices and outdated food should be an easy task. Then you can put away everything that you use and has a current date. Labeling small totes with similar products is very helpful and getting rid of small appliances you don’t use is satisfying. The items in the other piles should be gotten rid of right away, either to the trash or out of the house. This procedure can be used in any type of area that needs organization.

So if you want to take control of your life and home again, dig in and do some decluttering. If you get stressed or feel overwhelmed, please feel free to give me a call. I love helping people see that they can live stress free without all that clutter. I can help you talk through your reasoning for keeping an item that maybe should really go and help you organize so that it works the best for you. Whether you are downsizing, transitioning to an empty nest or want help decluttering and organizing all your children’s belongings, I am here to help. I will treat you with respect and not judge as we work together to make your area meet your needs. Here’s to having more time to spend with those you love!

Favorite Space

I enjoy keeping my countertops free of clutter so cooking is easier. It feels good to clean up after every meal so the next meal is easier to prepare. I also feel good if company stops by and I don’t have to worry about a messy, cluttered kitchen. It is much easier to keep the countertops free of germs and looking sparkling clean.

Sherri Frantz Professional Home Organizer 567.525.8484

Say ALOHA to your New Favorite Chicken Dish Baked Sweet Hawaiian Chicken

From the kitchen of Micah Floyd and Kitren Pearson of Wenatchi Trail

by Janine Douglass

Micah Floyd, a team leader/shift leader at Allen County’s Proctor & Gamble plant for almost 20 years, works a physically demanding swing shift, rapid rotation schedule. She and husband, Kitren Pearson, corrections officer of the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, enjoy this baked Hawaiian chicken recipe often for its light, not heavy quality, and its easy-to-reheat and serve convenience. Micah cooks frequently in their Indianbrook home since April of 2017, moving from her former Shawnee house now inhabited by son, Cedric, also with Proctor & Gamble. Micah and Kitren enjoy traveling to Spain, or any Caribbean Sea or oceanside location, when their super busy careers allow.

Ingredients: • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts • Salt and Pepper to taste • 1 cup cornstarch • 3 large eggs beaten • ¼ cup vegetable oil

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 cup pineapple juice • 1/2cup brown sugar • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce • 1 clove garlic minced • ½ Tablespoon cornstarch • 1 red bell pepper chopped (seeds removed) • 1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x13” baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Cut chicken breasts in bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place cornstarch in a large bowl, and eggs in separate medium bowl. Dip chicken pieces in cornstarch to coat, then coat in eggs. Heat vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook coated chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown on all sides. (You’re not cooking it all the way through. It will finish in the oven.) Place chicken in the prepared dish. In a medium bowl whisk together the sauce ingredients: pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and cornstarch. Pour evenly over chicken. Sprinkle the tops of chicken with the chopped bell pepper and pineapple. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring chicken every 15 minutes so it gets evenly coated in sauce. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 5. Enjoy!

Introducing our Newest Junior Writer... Paige Brinkman!

by Paige Brinkman

Greetings! My name is Paige Brinkman and I’m excited to join the Shawnee Life Tribe as a Junior Writer. My goal in writing for the magazine is to share all about the interesting students and happenings that occur at Lima Central Catholic High School and St. Charles School. I also think it will benefit me to fill my resume with experiences such as this that will hopefully contribute to future opportunities. I grew up in Breezewood and still live there with my family. My family moved to Breezewood about 16 years ago and in this neighborhood it is easy to grow close with your neighbors. Throughout the years of living here in Shawnee, we have made many friends and created unforgettable moments. My family is a party of six! My mom is a Pediatric Dentist at Children’s Smiles Dental Care and my dad works at PalmerDonavin. Ben is the oldest out of the four kids and he graduated from Miami University with a degree in biology and plans to attend medical school. My sister Madie is a junior at the University of Dayton and she is also studying biology in order to become a dentist. Evan is the youngest sibling and is a seventh grader at St. Charles. I am a senior at Lima Central Catholic and try to balance academics and sports. At LCC I am part of the National Honor Society, tennis team, soccer team, and swim team. The sport I enjoy the most is swimming because I love being in the water. My plan is to attend college next year but I am still figuring out my path of study. My friends would say I am competitive, reliable and a great listener. I enjoy having concerts in the car where my friends and I sing our hearts out! I love the Justins…Bieber and Timberlake! My favorite movies are John Wick movies because they are action-packed and keep my attention.

Summertime, like for most kids, is my favorite time of the year. Over the summer, I spent most of my time at the Shawnee Country Club pool for swim practice, working, or hanging out with friends. I have been part of the Shawnee Tide Swim Team for the past 13 years. At the Country Club I also work as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. One thing I enjoy most about summer is being able to spend time with my family. We love going to Indian Lake, watching movies, and going on family vacations. In early June, we went to Europe, where we visited many cities and towns in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Rothenburg was by far the prettiest town we went to in Germany and while there we explored the town and all of the small shops. My favorite stop was this little ice cream place where I can still remember the taste of the mango ice cream. Lucern had beautiful sights and the highlight was visiting the top of Mount Pilatus. Mount Pilatus is part of the Swiss Alps, so at the top we could see the rest of the Alps and the lakes below. This trip was a great experience and will definitely be one of my favorite traveling memories. I look forward to connecting the readers of Shawnee Life Magazine to our school community and beyond, through the stories I will contribute to the Amazing Achievers section, as well as other featured sections. I am currently working on an article for the Making a Mark section about the local Equestrian Therapy Program at Fassett Farm.

WELCOME WAGON

New to Shawnee? Welcome to our Community!

If you’re new to the area, we have a beautiful gift basket full of wonderful donations from our magazine sponsors and friends.

Introduce yourself and your family by emailing our Welcome Wagon Coordinator, Nicole Davis, at WelcomeToShawnee@gmail.com, and we’ll deliver a gift basket to your doorstep.

Welcome Basket made possible by:

Bayliff & Son, Brunk Electric, Cleaves American,

Kwik Dry, The Meeting Place, Mercy Health, ProForma Add-A-Line, Purple Feet Wine Boutique, Tracy’s Appliances, Westgate Entertainment Center

by Nicole Davis

WELCOME to INDIANBROOK Harris and Hepworth Families!

Please welcome the Harris Family to Tonkawa Trail in Indianbrook! Chase, Mara and beautiful 15-month-old Georgia knew Shawnee was the place for them because it is family oriented and in the perfect location. Chase and Mara even celebrated their seven-year wedding anniversary while moving into their new home. Mara is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician and works in the In-Patient Rehab at Mercy St. Rita’s. Chase works for Winegarnder Roofing and helps families purchase the perfect roof for their home. Georgia is excited to be close to her grandparents, loves her dog Margo and swimming. Together the Harris’ enjoy going on walks and spending time as a family. Welcome to Indianbrook Hepworth Family! Jimmy, Lindsay, Phineas, and Rowan moved from Utah to purchase their first home on Kiowa Trail. Their new home was the right fit and has an amazing backyard! Jimmy works in human resources for P&G at the Lima Plant. Lindsay enjoys baking and is a stayat-home mom with their two children Phineas, 5, and Rowan, 3 ½ months. Phineas is a puzzle master, likes Spiderman and dinosaurs, and will start kindergarten in the fall at Elmwood. Little Rowan is very smiley and enjoys being around people. The Hepworths have already enjoyed several walks and bike rides around Indianbrook and look forward to adding a new pet to the family in the future.

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