Citizenship Award

Our Quinner is following in his sister's footsteps in school. He makes us so proud with his grades and leadership skills. He received many awards at his 3rd grade awards assembly... the life skill of friendship award, runner-up for a reading award, runner-up for an economics award, the all A's & B's award and the most special award was the Citizenship Award. That is awarded to only 2 students per class. Quinn and his buddy Tyler from our church won the awards this year (top left picture). Madison won that award last year. God has really blessed us with children who enjoy striving for their personal bests. That's all we've asked from them as parents... to do their personal best in everything they do. Pointing out their positives to them, instead of their short-comings (which they definitely have as well), has produced only more positives. It just so happens that some awards have followed for them. Quinn's teacher, Mrs Heyse, is retiring after this school year. She looped with this class so this was her 2nd year with them. She considers them all "my kids...because that's really how I think of them." She got choked up while telling us all that this was her easiest class she has ever had in all her years of teaching. She said that she enjoyed this class so much that at times she felt like she shouldn't even get a paycheck because they were so much fun! Isn't that so nice?? She promised to keep in touch with them and gave them all her cell phone number and her new address in North Carolina. Every single one of our kid's teachers in this public school system have been wonderful Christian examples for them. We feel super blessed for that as well.

Well, I'm trying to stay up to watch the Cubs vs Dodgers game tonight. The Cubs just tied it up. I'm afraid if they go into extra innings that I'll have to read about it in the morning.

Only 2~1/2 days left of school. The kids are counting down until their summer starts!

Love, Leah

Memorial Day at the Cubs vs Dodger's game

Cubs win! 3-2

The 6 of us drove to Chicago together in Mom and Dad's car. We went to the Cubs vs Dodger's game. Happy for 4 of us the Cubs won. Tony & Madison are Dodger's fans. Why? I still don't know why Tony likes the Dodgers... and Madison... she just likes them because her daddy does. The weather was nice, almost a little too muggy but we had a nice breeze off the lake. They had a bald eagle fly across the field at the start of the game and landed on the handler's arm, who was standing on the mound. It was really neat and a nice tribute for Memorial Day. After the game, Mom and Dad finished the drive home to Iowa and our family took the South Shore back to South Bend where we picked up the van and arrived home around 10:15. It was a great and fun day to top off a fun weekend. Thanks mom and dad for coming out! I'm sure you had some recuperating to do once you got home.

U10 Jr. Irish Invitational Tournament

The U10 boys played in the Jr. Irish Invitational this weekend at Newton Park in Lakeville, IN which is about 30 miles South of home. There were 202 teams on the whole tournament. That is huge! The boys played 4 games and lost 2 yesterday and won 2 today. Today we left home at 6:20am for a 7:30am game. Quinn and I are morning people... but that felt ridiculous. Even though it meant 4 round trips, (and an emergency trip thrown in to see a patient in the hospital) it was a beautiful weekend to be outside!

Webkinz... Wheel of Wow!

This afternoon we got home at 3pm and Quinn's party started at 4pm. We went putt-putt golfing at Flagstix. I made his cake in several different stages as I had time... starting on Friday morning. I know I'll need to explain. : ) He told me he wanted the "Wheel of Wow" from Webkinz. Apparently at the Webkinz web site you can spin the Wheel of Wow once a day and you get the "prize" that it lands on. This could be Webkinz money, a refrigerator or furntiture for their Webkinz rooms etc... I couldn't manage to get a refrigerator on the cake but I did get candy and some chocolate coins for the money. It was windy at the golfing place so we didn't even try to put the candles on and light them. We just had him blow out pretend ones. He is growing up! It didn't even bother him. Yipee!

Putt-Putt Golfing

Nine boys celebrating Quinn turning 9!

Too many presents

Good Friends

Grandparents

It was a treat to have all 4 grandparents here for Quinn's 9th birthday celebration. Grandma & Grandpa came on Friday night and were "here" for the weekend. I say "here" in quotations because we really haven't been at home... basically just to sleep. It's been fun to be together. My mom and dad bought our pizza tonight while out to eat for our "hospitality"... HA! We've been home for ONE meal this whole weekend... one breakfast. Hardly any hospitality! We love to have you here!

Bonfire

Tonight we had a bonfire at B&P's house, down by the river. Terry, Karla, Katie and Nathan came over to join us. It was just a bit chilly but the fire felt good. Cocoa was too brave by the river and actually fell in twice... well, now we know she can dog paddle. Ha! If you are wondering about Nathan's face, he had it painted at Kurious Kids on his field trip today. He has vowed not to wash it off. Good luck on that Nathan.

The Count Down

This is a big day in our household! Today is Tony and Quinn's birthdays. Tony turned over the odometer with the big 4-0 today. "One step closer to death" is his thought on the subject. They picked cheesy scrambled eggs for their breakfasts. Quinn turned 9 at exactly 8:17am. He stared at the clock until the exact minute and then danced around the kitchen in celebration. Don't you wish we got that excited over our own birthdays?

School Birthday and Good Deeds Beads

"This was the best school birthday EVER!!" It just happened that the 3rd grade won the Good Deeds contest so they were awarded a pizza party in the library at lunch. I went and hand lunch with Quinn. I brought in cupcakes and as you can see they are in the shape of an alligator. He thought that was awesome too.

A Birthday Win

Quinn was the winning pitcher tonight in a close game, winning 3-2. It was way too close for us. Beppe even said she had butterflies in her stomach. Ha! Beppe and Pakka had these neat airplane cookies made up at the bakery and brought them for Quinn to pass out to his team, along with mini cans of pop. All the boys sang happy birthday to Quinn and to Tony in the dug-out. It was a little chilly but otherwise a beautiful sunny day.

Celebrating after the game

After the big game we went to Beef O Brady's for supper. We needed something failry quick because it was going to get late. Tony sarcastically laughed at his "40" card that the kids and I (and Nate) signed for him. : ) We bought a TV for our bedroom so that was Tony's present. Not too much of a surprise... but he's not much into surprises. He did NOT want a birthday party...even if he is a big 4-0 now!!! Quinn got an airplane bank for his collection, a gift card to Best Buy (like father, like son) and we gave him a Nintendo DS for which he was wild about. Check out the WILD eyes he has going on in these pictures. "This was the best birthday EVER!!"

Birthday Boys

Don't I have some handsome men in my life???

Our 9 year old!

Softball 7-22... OUCH

We were on the losing side tonight... it was like the Bad News Bears out there. We played one of the other Concord teams. We played them once before and lost 3-4...just barely. We've lost to the same team twice now; our only losses. I liked these pictures from after the game tonight. Madison and Tony sat down in the backyard and just talked about the game while they threw the ball to Cocoa. Madison tried racing her a few times (and always lost). Finally they got the hose out and laughed as Cocoa tried her best to bite the water.

We Haz Jazz...5th grade musical

Tonight was Madison's musical at school. They've been working very hard on this during music class at school. They all did a very good job. Madison was a hobo and was supposed to wear old, torn, clothing, and look kind of dirty. I told her before we left that I was having a little bit of a hard time with this look! She literally went outside and found some dirt to smear on her clothes and face. Nasty! We went out for icecream afterwards. It was a nice evening.

Quinn's Quips

Dear God,
Thank you so much for my brilliant family. If I wasn't born into this family...well... I would have been born into a different family.... and wished that I was born into this one.
Amen

Scores

Too tired to write much.

Quinn's baseball team won: 10-0
Quinn's soccer team lost: 2-3
Madison's soccer team won: 3-0
Madison's softball team won: 12-2