...and then it's Fall!

Well, Summer turns to fall eventually...or in Parker's case it seems like Fall as he has started football season. Yes, football is in full swing. After two weeks of two-hour sessions, 3 days the first week and 4 the next, it seems like the pigskin is going to be a serious endeavor!



Here's a picture in his jersey and pants after a scrimmage on 8/14 at the "big" field--the Simley Spartan's varsity field, where the 3-6 graders shared the field with the "blue/red" varsity scrimmage.



Everybody had a great time! More details can be as the season goes along on the website. Look for the 3rd and 4th grade red Cougars! at http://www.simleyyouthfootball.org/.

Summer Pastime!

Where has the time gone?

It's already August, and Summer's end is near. What's the summer pasttime around here? Baseball, of course. Parker, neighbors James and Ryan, and Steve were able to take in the Twins win against the White Sox on July 31. Exiting game--a comeback 10-6 win after trailing 4-0 most of the evening. Even took a small "riot" on the field to spark the home team along.

Parker's summer has been full of ball games, and it just finished with a two-win double-header a week ago. What's next, besides school? Keep tuning in for a view of Park in is fall "hard hat"!

Stuck in Toronto!

Well, it's been far too long since I've posted on this blog, so today seems as fitting as any to write something.



I find myself stuck in Toronto a bit longer than expected. For the third business trip in a row, my Friday flight home is cancelled. This time, no alternative can be found until Saturday morning.



Couple this with the fact that Joyce has a full weekend of photo shoots, and you begin to understand the meaning of the term stuck!

Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! For Parker this day was a big learning experience. Parker learned about Memorial Day at an all day celebration at his school this past Thursday. He chose to hang Grandpa G's army photo up on the memorial wall in the school as an honor for the time he served our country and the sacrifices he made to do so! He was so proud to bring it to school. He got to tell everyone all about his Grandpa and WWII-

For us this is usually just a day to relax and catch up, but Steve and I had the pleasure of photographing a family last weekend where this day may mean so much more...

As we honor our late/present service men and women today, we won't forget those that give up time with their loved ones and take on double duty here at home to keep their families going. This young mom of three is sending her beloved husband off to Irag for his third tour in 5 years! A dear friend of hers called to see if we could fit her family in before he left in early June, of course we did what we could. Still not being able to make it to the photo session, she is positive her husband will love to have a few pictures to bring with him. For Steve and I, we learned to honor those that are no longer here and those that are working so hard to continue to keep our country safe and all their loved ones at home for giving up their precious time for all of us!

Thank you Barb!

Happy May Day!

May Day! May Day!

Isn't it nice to hear those words in a nice context for a change?

After a long April, May is starting out just as busy, but before bedtime on the 1st, we find ourselves explaining May Day and the theory of the May Day Basket. Later in the evening, we make our way to the bedroom to find a basket full of momentos and other items with a very heart-felt note from Parker about why all of these little trinkets make for special memories of times with Mom and Dad.

Very touching....and take a good look at the bed...this was not made earlier in the evening--quite a good job for an 8-year-old boy! (Hopefully this means he can take the duty over permanently and let Mom & Dad off the hook!)

Passed!

So excited! Parker passed his 18's on timed tests in Math. He struggled for quite a while. We didn't understand why and neither did the teacher. We talked about it and he said it was just too much pressure in 2 minutes. He could finish far more than 25 flash cards in 2 minutes and has been adding/subtracting since he was two. Needless to say, a little pressure from his mean parents and 16s, 17s, 18s...boom done perfect on the first try!

Don't know what made it all of a sudden work (his mean parents or the relaxation technique we practiced), but none-the-less we aren't going to question it. Now he is up to the task of finishing 25 problems in ONE MINUTE!!!!

He thinks he did 5's perfect yesterday :)

Parker's Spring Concert

Today Parker enjoyed singing at his spring concert. The Pine Bend concert was centered around the school service project for the year, H2O for Life. The H2O for Life School to School project was created to provide funds to directly support water projects located at schools in developing countries that lack an adequate and sustainable water source. Our school is sponsoring a school in Mozambique, Africa. We were able to view pictures of the specific school and hear the kids talk about the necessity of water to our lives all around the world.

The concert was wonderful! Each of the classes dressed in their color Pine Bend Shirts (given to them from the PTSA) and it just looked so cool on stage. The awareness for the world that the children are being taught today is just such a refreshing outlook and a great way to "pay forward" the gifts and privileges that they have and sometimes take for granted in their own lives. The schools hope is that they learn at a young age to support and give back to the earth that which the earth has given to them. What a "bright piece of sunshine" in an otherwise rainy, gray day!