Fun at the Lake

Happy Memorial Day!  We received a fantastic invitation to spend Memorial Day celebrating with friends on the lake.  We had planned to spend the day cleaning the basement/garage, but a day on the water was MUCH more appealing to all four of us.  What better way to celebrate our freedoms and the men & women who earned it for us than a day with friends?

Owen and Allie sunning on the tube

Jared and Austin loved the floating trampoline

Owen and Allie fishing...with Twizzlers

Welcome, summer!

Boy and Water

The blonde one loves playing outside - dirt, puddles, gutters, sports, trees...all fair game.  I have to constantly warn him to stay out of this puddle of water at the bus stop in the mornings...or he'll go to school very soggy!

Spring Sports

We're again playing both soccer and baseball this spring...but one for each kid this time!  It's a crazy schedule of practices and games M-Th every week, but we've worked out a carpool to ease some of the soccer driving!

Jared is playing his last few weeks of U11 Rush soccer.  He's had a blast playing with Coach Tino and his friends from school.  As much as he's learned this year, I think that this will be our last season of soccer.  It's been increasingly difficult to get him excited for practices and games.

He's played in two tournaments this spring - Hamburg Friendlies and the Jaguar Invitational.  Both meant long weekends with multiple games, but both were local (score!).  The weekend of the Jaguar tourney was overcast and damp...I can't decide if that's better or worse than the scorchers we've had more recently!

Warming up at the Jaguar Invitational

Keeping cool under Marla's awesome umbrella!

Owen is playing his second year of baseball this year.  The big change for the 8 year old "Wildcat" age group is that the boys pitch the first three innings of each game!  The boys are learning that it's much more difficult to hit the ball when thrown by a player rather than the machine from last year, but they're all growing so much in their hitting abilities.

Owen got his chance to pitch last week and did pretty well - he struck out two batters!  Though, he did hit two players with pitches...and he felt awful about that.

His team, the Orioles, is a great group of kids learning under two amazing coaches.  He's having a great year and can't wait to find out if we can play fall ball!

Opening Day

Poised to run for 2nd

As much as I love watching my boys enjoy their respective sports...I'm looking forward to the end of June when we get a break...until football.

Young Artists

Jared brought home an invitation to an opening of the student art show at the library last week.  Unfortunately, the opening reception conflicted with soccer, but the art show ran through this week.

We headed up there after dinner the other night to see which piece his art teacher had entered in the show.  It's awesome - one of my favorites from this year!!!

As we wandered around, looking at the other artists' work, we saw several familiar names.  But imagine our surprise when we found a piece by our own little Owen!

They're both doing so great in school and sports...add in the fact that they're both budding little artists!

Jared had his music evaluation last night...where 5th graders get to meet with the music company and try out instruments for 6th grade.  After much deliberation...he chose the trombone!!!  He'll bring it home the last week of school and have ALL SUMMER to practice!

Fifth Grade Camp

Didn't we go to fifth grade camp, like, last month?!  It seems like it.  We went in the winter with our friends from Cass A.C.A.T. - and Mr. C taught us to build an igloo (but he called it something else that no one seems to remember!).

Jared left for fifth grade camp yesterday...we miss our little man!  He's growing up so fast - even packed his own bag!  Well, he laid everything out and I got it all stuffed into the duffle bag.  By the time we got rain boots, extra shoes, sleeping bag, pillow, and his clothes in there, it was almost too heavy for him to lift!

I hope that he's having as much fun as I remember it being!

CINNAMON ROLLS!

Jared enjoys a giant cinnamon roll from our favorite Gaylord, MI, diner - Diana's Delights.

Wax Museum - John Glenn

The second grade wax museum was last Friday, and Owen did a smashing representation of John Glenn.  His fact-filled speech included the interesting notes that John Glenn was born in Ohio (we don't hold that against him) and served as an astronaut and senator...even ran for president.  He enjoyed civics and science classes and building model airplanes.

Owen had a great time with the presentation - I'm kicking myself that I didn't get a decent video of his performance.

And how appropriate that, on the day of the wax museum, President Obama announced that he will be awarding John Glenn and 12 others the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.

But more importantly...doesn't he look cute in his shirt and tie?!