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My sons are Thomas (T.J.) and Benjamin (Ben). They are as different as night and day in some ways but each like things that I like and that has led to many great memories. We have hiked Isle Royale, run road races, raced mountain bikes, fly fished, skied downhill, skied nordic, camped, hunted, toured on road bikes, played soccer, played basketball, run rivers and lakes in a canoe; you name it, we've probably tried it...
Here are some pictures: :
T.J. is twenty seven now and will graduate from Northern Michigan University in December. He has been working in the Colorado ski industry off-and-on ever since graduating from Big Rapids High School. He also taught skiing at Mt. Marquette while at Northern. As an artist he has gained some fame by producing ski videos which are mostly of his brother and their friends who compete in "Slope Style" acrobatic skiing. He lives in Negaunee, my hometown where he is surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins and his Grandmother Anderson (my Mom)!
Ben is twenty five. He joined T.J. in Colorado for the 1999 ski season and then went back on his own for two years as a Professional Ski Patroller (at Winter Park Resort). The first year of college course work was taken at Ferris State University. Like his brother, Ben worked at FSU's copy center on campus and at the Recreational Center, supervising the climbing wall. He transferred to NMU and lived with his brother in Negaunee. He graduated in December of 2004 with the Bachelor of Science degree in Education. He's back in Colorado where he is again working at Winter Park Resort. This season he will compete as a member of the resort's slope style team and he is the coach of the junior team. Ben also plans to teach as a regular substitute in the area's public schools.