Sunday, June 28, 2009

All Good Things...

After both boys played today, baseball season is officially over for our family. And what an exciting season it was! Sam finally had his All-Star game~



These pictures are really washed out - it was very sunny today! But this one is so sweet of the boys during the Star Spangled Banner~
Mary in the bleachers...
Scott caught this of Charlie coaching third while Sam was on base~
After Sam's game, we ran home to eat, before heading back for the first game in Charlie's playoffs. Cheering section~
Although Mary is getting a little restless~
And Maddi was happy to spot her on the 'beam' ~
Mary is almost 2, and it's showing. She doesn't want any help, with anything~
Charlie's game was very close. They started off strong, but came into the last inning down a couple of runs. The Mets were starting to rally, but by the time Charlie was at bat, they had two outs. He popped up the ball, which was caught, bringing a disappointing end to the season. Honestly though, both boys had an amazing season - we saw a lot of improvement in each of them. We're still debating on whether or not to play fall ball...
Mary, though, is ready to say "so long" to the game~

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Blue Lake

We returned home tonight from our trip to Blue Lake. Blue Lake is a fine arts camp in western Michigan which offers a Suzuki family camp. This was a fun opportunity for Sam to work on his cello while the rest of us enjoyed swimming, biking, and crafts :)

Six thirty am on Sunday morning~
We realized as we were leaving that the last time we woke Mary this early was the day of her surgery. She is still all smiles~
Daddy, our fearless chauffeur~
Four hours later, we made it! Sam found a little friend right away~
There are several rustic building where sessions are held. It's really beautiful to walk through the woods and hear all the music~
Mary checking out the pool~
The boys - always playing some sport involving a ball~
The camp is located right on the shore of Little Blue Lake~




Our main mode of transportation were our bikes (and occasionally our feet). But Mary loves riding~
Of course, what would a trip anywhere be without ice cream?
Mary gets a bedtime story with John, while the big kids played capture the flag near our cabin~
On the second night, Sam was chosen from over 200 students, to be one of only sixteen to perform in the honor recital~
I don't think I say it enough, but we are so proud of him. I can't imagine getting up in front of a huge crowd and playing an instrument~

Sam's teacher from home, Mrs. Ourada, along with a favorite from blue Lake, Paul~

Another great teacher, Andrea~
The last afternoon, there is a performance with the entire camp. It's kind of like being at Ravinia, with the huge bandshell~


Although, the food left something to be desired, and the sleeping accommodations were not entirely suitable for our family (only twin beds - not much room for Mary and I to co-sleep), we all had a great time! I think as Mary gets older, it will only get easier and more enjoyable. We'll probably try to go again next summer :)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

I know you will be and I hope you are an excellent man, and I will love you absolutely if you are not.

The title is from "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson. I gave that book to my dad several months ago, because it really spoke to me, and I knew he would like it, too. We both loved the book! I can totally picture Scott or my dad saying that line. It's beautifully written. Another exceptionally wonderful book I recently read, and shared with my dad is "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger. I can't say enough good things about this book. I think "Peace" just may be the best book I've ever read. But I highly recommend both books. Either would make very meaningful gifts for one's dad.

Tonight we had our annual fish fry to celebrate Father's Day. Mary started off with a butter appetizer, mmmmm~
Here's Sam eating the bass he caught in Arkansas~
After dinner, the boys enjoyed a game of bags~

Mary giving Grandpa some of the clover she picked on her walk with Pam~
And a kiss~
Mary loves her daddy~
And her grandpa~
We had strawberry shortcake with homemade buttermilk biscuits. The boys saw these candles yesterday and wanted to get them for Scott~
What a great dad~

Friday, June 19, 2009

I have set my rainbow in the clouds...

We had quite a storm tonight. It was fun to watch, until Daddy convinced us to step away from the window. We saw this tree branch came down right across our front steps~
Once the storm passed, we headed outside to assess the damage. Mary with our neighbor, going to fetch some more umbrellas~
All the guys hacking away at another large tree that was blocking someones driveway. The tree belongs to the same people who suffered really terrible damage during last year's storm~
Mary loved the rain~
After everything settled down, I ran to the library to grab a couple of books for our upcoming trip to Blue Lake. As I turned onto Main Street, I was blown away by a beautiful rainbow. I called Scott and he tried to grab a shot of it. It wasn't as bright from our house, but you can see a bit of it here~
It really was breathtaking when I saw it - people were commenting about it in the library.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Mixed Media

Sammy won a contest at the library! They chose several entries of original drawings and turned them into mouse pads for the computer stations~

Monday, June 15, 2009

Batter Up

Sam with a nice hit today - I found out afterward that he was running funny because he had his cup in his underwear, rather than the special shorts...



And here's Mary, coloring with the other team sisters~

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Fresh Paint

Sam's All-Star game was rained out today, so in a fit of rainy day doldrums, we decided to make over the boys' room. Right before Sam was born (6+ years ago!) we painted the room with a blue sky and grass~
Tonight, after picking paint (and determining we have hardwood (hurray!!!) under the carpet), we got started. This is real life, though, not Trading Spaces, so I probably won't have any 'after' pics for at least another week. We're also planning to build a loft bed...