E & R (J & C too!)

Jedi Knight

An empty wrapping paper tube was colored into a light saber a couple weeks ago, with washable markers. So the marker was coming off onto sweaty hands, then leaving a trail all over the house...we had a problem to solve, so we decided to cover it with blue Saran Wrap. PERFECT! It even looks shiny. After the photos, we added silver duct tape to the handle area. Ryan (the Jedi Knight) fights many epic battles around here and keeps us all safe. Safe from the Storm Troopers that is, we are all prone to the occasional unexpected whack as we get too close to the battle, or as he is chasing down his enemy and runs into us.

Protecting Dad and Emma from the forces of evil.

Who needs a Nintendo DS when you have a home made light saber?

Snowball Snow - FINALLY

The first good snowball sticky snow - finally in late February. (And some of the first pictures taken this year - sorry for the delay in posting). We all played/shoveled for about 2 hours tonight. It was perfect sticky snow and right at about 30 degrees, so with the right gear no one was even a tad bit cold. Only the lure of hot chocolate, (and that we looked like we had been swimming in our winter gear, which was making it a bit heavy) could get us to go inside.

Eventually the kids and I got around to making a snowman. Here are the bottom (Emma's) and middle (Ryan's) parts of the snowman.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Ryan is 8!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Dear Ryan,
Happy Birthday to YOU!

 

Making his wish...

Take 2...

 

 

Annual Holiday Letter - 2011

 

Happy Holidays from our family to yours.

May 2012 find you Blessed.

Below is our annual letter, by clicking on the link, a window will open in which you can read the letter.

Download Holiday Letter 2011

 

Also feel free to browse back through the blog posts to see more pictures and read more stories and events from the past year, or two. We try to update at least once a month so feel free stop back throughout the year.

 

 

5th Grade Band "Informance"

Emma began playing french horn 2 months ago and they recently had their first band "informance"; an opportunity to introduce the different instruments and what they are all learning, and the few songs they are working on as a band - it was so fun to watch all these kids play in the band! Emma loves the french horn! She looks so grown up playing it, sometimes when she practices I see a little 2 year holding this huge horn, making music; and other times there is this young lady in my house practicing away - crazy stuff!

 

 

 

 

GREAT JOB EMMA!
When the concert was over Emma volunteered to stay and help carry music stands down to the band room and put up the chairs, she is really growing into a great young lady!
We love you and are so proud of you Emma Marie!

Happy PreHistoric Halloween

This year there was unintentional prehistoric theme around here for Halloween. Emma was an Egyptian Princess & Ryan was a Human Fossil, (aka skeleton). Grandma Carol was here to hand out candy as a witch too!
A great time was had by all!

Baseball is Never Over...

 I came outside one evening to find Ryan playing some baseball by himself (you can see the tee and the 5 gallon bucket in the yard). Then it changed into this crazy pitch behind yourself and see if you can hit it game, so I had to video tape him. This type of thing is normal at our house. Thankfully they are all wiffle balls...so far no broken glass or seriously injured people, let's hope it stays that way for along time.

You can almost always hear a ball being hit by a bat, a soccer ball pounding into the side of the garage wall, a tennis ball taking a beating, or a kickball being kicked over the house. He sure has a lot of energy and a creative mind - he keeps himself pretty well entertained and busy. 

   

 

 

Fall Soccer 2011 - Ryan

 
Assult U8 Boys Recreational Soccer

Ryan in general loves sports and all competition, his current true love is baseball, and he will tell me that he "plays spring and fall soccer to keep doing something while baseball is not having a season". He has turned into a strong soccer player as well. It is fun to see this group of boys begin to learn to pass the ball, and play as a team. Ryan loves practices and games. He enjoys running around, learning strategies, and scoring goals. They are still on the smaller fields with no goalies, but next fall they move up to the bigger fields and add goalies, which will be fun to watch this group of boys transition into.

Watching your kids have fun is so much fun.
Watching them have some success is fun too!

 

"Good Game, Good Game, Good Game" then a bee line to the after game snacks.

 

Fall Soccer 2011 - Emma

 
Intrepid U12 Girls Rec Soccer
Emma is really enjoying soccer this fall. She has never really wanted to go to practices, but has enjoyed the games well enough to keep playing each season. This year she loves the practices and the team she is on. She is gaining all sorts of confidence and enjoys the games a bunch. She has developed a strong preference for defense, she has "a protect the net" instinct that never quits. She might be smaller than most girls on most of the teams, but she is persistent and knows how to get in their way, and drive them to the outside, so they can not score. Bummer for Emma that the season is ending in a couple weeks.

Here she is in action...Emma is on the right, (long blondeish ponytail).

 

 

 

 

 

First Day of School* (read updated note below)

EMMA - 5th grade
 

RYAN - 2nd Grade
 

Their last year together in the same school until Emma is a Senior and Ryan is a Freshmen.
*(This past week we decided to transfer Ryan to the Challenge Center here in Sioux Falls, so Emma and Ryan are no longer in the same school and will not be again until senior and freshmen year. So far the change has gone smoothly and Ryan loves his new school! I think it has been hard on Emma cause she misses seeing him at school and hardest on me becuase I really like the kids' school and and having them in the same place. Next year Emma will go to junior high so the change was coming anyway. I guess this was just practice for 2 kids in 2 schools.)