Waiting for the Troops

Victor Hubbard, 15, of Traverse City, on right, and Chelsea Gunter, 15, hold flags for the vans carrying 125th Infintry National Guardsmen home Friday at Ferris State University. (Press Photo/Emily Zoladz)

Keeping Dry

Mindy Walker of Grand Rapids keeps dry under the shelter of an umbrella while heading to her car after an appointment downtown on Monday. "I love the fall," Walker said, who doesn't much mind the rain.

Cowboy Kiss

Kathy Fiorletta of Comstock Park gives a kiss to her ten-month-old son, Giovanni, while her husband Allen looks on Friday afternoon while waiting for the funeral procession for fallen Grand Rapids Police Officer Robert Kozminski outside Holy Cross Cemetery.

Fire and Sunshine

Grand Rapids firefighter Lt. Lee Finlayson puts on his gear before heading into a smoking building Friday afternoon on South Division.

Festival of the Arts

Left: Allie Tober, 6, of Grand Rapids gets her hair wrapped in the "Art on the Spot," corner of Festival of the Arts on Monroe Center Friday afternoon. Allie was at festival with her mom, Christine Tober and little sister. "She's come (to festival) ever since she was a baby," Tober said.

Below: From left, Lindsay Murphy, 9, and Riley DeWitt, 9, both of Caledonia, wait anxiously in a back-stage tent to perform with their class from Caledonia Dance Company on Calder Stage Saturday afternoon at Festival of the Arts.

Window Seat

Seven-year-old Abby Gronsman is learning to live without her father, Chris Gronsman, who passed away last June with cancer. Abby will be cheering for her mom, Ana, when she races the 25 K in the Fifth Third River Bank Run this weekend in memory of her dad.

Coral

Connie Lettinga of Byron Center swings her daughter Coral, 8, in their living room, playing on a Friday night. Coral has autism and the Lettingas are heading up a campaign to raise money for a new Hope Network facility in Grand Rapids. The institution will be for Neurological Behavioral Differences in Grand Rapids.

The New Graduate

Grand Valley State University graduate Kortney Williams, 25, of Grand Rapids hugs Kay Pittman of Muskegon after GVSU's 10:00 a.m. commencement ceremony at Van Andel Arena Saturday. "It's a major accomplishment," said Williams, "I got my degree and made my parents happy." Williams majored in social work.

Jerica's Heart

Jerica Hernandez, 1, of Belding has under-gone three open heart surgeries at DeVos Children's hospital due to heart conditions at birth . Jerica, pictured with her mother, Janie Hernandez, will most likely have another open-heart operation before she is four years old.

A Grunt, and a Swing

I found this boy swinging in Garfield Park, one of the city's larger spans of green, with his siblings last week when the weather was still warm. The effort to swing higher was written all over his face.

A child runs in a beam of light with her balloon at a daddy-daughter dance in Forest Hills Central high school's gym.

Freestyle

High school swim meet. I enjoy the colors in this photo.

Sad Flag

Azeneth Rangel, 2, rests in her aunt Maria Rangel's arms during the rally for immigration rights at Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids. Azeneth's family moved to the United States 18 years ago from Guanajuato, Mexico.

Figures in the Sky

A silhouette is always nice. This never ran in the paper so I decided to post in on my blog.

The Test of Time

Joanna Gunn, 95, and Carl Gunn, 91 have been married for 69 years.