Roundball Fever

If you have read my blog at all, you are aware that we have become a basketball family. Ryan is playing a summer league/camp which is organized by PAL (police activities league). His heart and intensity coupled with his great ball-handling, make him a tough opponent. I am training members of the High School team so he is also gaining a great deal of confidence from their interest in him (he and Will are cute, funny, can play ball, and talk hoops with all of the players and coaches). This has become a terrific summer activity.

(no-look pass)

Crouch-ing on the 4th

We have just returned from what has become a family tradition.

We were in Crouch, ID camping for the Fourth of July weekend.

Crouch has recently become a popular destination for the Fouth weekend and has become increasingly full of people.

Rick and Robbyn took the kids Tuesday in order to secure a river front site.

As you can see, the kids took full advantage of our proximity to the water.

They fished and played in the water for hours. (Ry has graduated to a big-boy reel and caught a lot of fish--hopefully he will be baiting his own hook, soon.) This year seemed to be a bit tougher on the adults, than years past. We had fun, despite rain showers, 4am thunder storms which sounded like WWIII, and a late night show-down between Rick and a skunk--I suppose all trips yield great memories; some vacations are just more restful than others. So long as there is sun, good fishing, and family in town,

one thing is certain, the kids will be applying a great deal of pressure to maintain the tradition. Translation: we'll be back next year.

Flyin' High

These pics may be tough to decipher (because they were taken with my phone), but you are looking at Abby's gymnastics exploits. She excels at the beam, the bar, and jumping. The boys, especially Ryan, watched and were amazed today by their little sister's ability.

Then we got to eat shaved ice... yummmmm!

Big Water

The annual Kinnaman trip to Clarkston has come and gone.
It is always great to see so much family, all in one place. The greatest disappointment is coming home after only one long weekend and leaving everyone there to enjoy the great atmosphere.

The weather was poopy all day Sunday, but that did not dampen the spirits of anyone there.

We played games, took long naps, and caught up with old friends and loving family members.
"Big Water" has become a very special institution and a rich family tradition that my kids look forward to each year. Idealy, we would stay longer and have Kevin and Holly along for all of the good times. Soon the world will be perfect and we will enjoy those things along with everything else that is great about spending days at Cheif Timothy...our home away from home.

A-shopping we will go...

One of the perks of being a teacher, is the flexibility that summertime provides. The kids go to a magnet school that has a funky almost-year-round schedule (they only take July off), which means the boys don't get out until June 26. Will's Kindergarten class took a fieldtrip to the local Albertson's grociery store and I got to tag along as he loaded up on produce, learned about the bakery,

touched a lobster

and check himself out at the cash register.

It was actually quite a cool trip--seeing how the grociery store works rather than just rushing through, trying to hustle to the next errand. It was really fun to just spend a little time making Will feel important.

Catch n release

I don't fish. I am fish repelant. When I was a kid, our time on the water was spent on skis; no patience for watching a bobber. Had I caught anything other than twigs, I would not have known what to do with it. However, my kids dig fishing and they are all three quite prolific fishermen. They like fishing with their mom and E-pa. The other day they hit the pond and landed (and threw back) a ton of fishes, with Abby pulling in the most.

Square-foot Gardening

Lisa is now an official gardener. Her good friend Amy has been planning to gift her a garden for her graduation, signifying that she now actually has time to manage and grow a garden. She arrived Wednesday afternoon with her "pre-fab" garden boxes (built from her recycled deck) and her pickup bed filled with a plethora of soils in order to mix the special recipe called for in the Square-foot Gardening book.

She presented Lisa with tools, a bucket, the book, and gloves. Et viola, Dr. Lisa's garden gift is planted.

Happy Birthday to Will

What a comfort to know that there is one birthday (beside my own) that I will never forget. Will was the best belated birthday gift I could ever have asked for, with his landing just 6 days after mine. We had brainstormed all kinds of ideas for him about ways we could celebrate. When presented with our genius, he said that he just wanted his cousin, Dylan to come over, to have McDonald's for dinner, and to have the entire evening to play the playstation with Dylan--without their mothers telling them to turn off the games. "Done." Everybody wins with a plan like that. He loved his gifts. With two recent birthday celebrations marked off of the calendar, summer has officially begun... too bad it has been raining since school ended.

Happy Birthday to me...

Lisa suprised me with a birthday excursion to Lincoln City.

We spent Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday over Memorial Day just hangin out on the beach (as you can see.)

Back in Boise May 30th, we had a pool-party with Dickies BBQ and she took me to a fondu restaurant in Nampa called, "Mona Lisa" for dinner. I felt special for an entire week. Boy, did I feel loved.

YES!

We have finally done it... NO MORE SCHOOL! Lisa graduated today, with her Doctoral Degree, from Boise State University. I finished my certification for school administration. I am so happy. (And now, Grandma, I will have more time to keep up on my blog)