Welcome Em and The Young Eagles

This week was full of major events, first off on Tuesday we welcomed Emily, Tala and the boys (plus Rick and Jillian and Jillian's two kids, but that is a story for a different day) as the newest residents of West Linn.  They left AZ last Sunday and after two and a half days of driving with very little sleep, they pulled in to their driveway late Tuesday.  We had about 30 people from the West Linn and Trillium wards show up to help them and they unloaded the huge Uhaul in record time in the rain, a true Oregon welcome.  We are really happy to have them join us.  My whole family is now present and accounted for.  Now we just need to work on Jeremy's side.

The other major events of the week took place over Friday and Saturday.  Merrick took part in a program called the Young Eagles.  The adventure started on Friday when he and Jeremy, along with Ben, Quincy, Colvin, Kalani, and Kai headed out to Estacada and spent the night camping with some other kids from the ward.  They spent night in the backyard of a family that used to live in our ward.  What boy doesn't love camping with his cousins?  So, that in and of itself was an adventure.  But, the fun was just getting started.  On Saturday morning Emily drove Maude and Jillian's kids out and they all met out at the Estacada airport to FLY PLANES!  Each of the kids were taken up in a two seater plane with a pilot.  Once in the air the got a chance to take the controls and fly by themselves.  I think Merrick was nervous at first, but had a great time.  He loved that his plane had sea turtles painted on it and that he got to fly close enough that he could see West Linn.  I don't know if he will get to do this again or if it was a once in a lifetime thing, but it was definitely a memory that he will hang on to for a long time.

While the boys were gone, the girls and I hung out with the remaining Browns.  We played at their house, went to dinner, and to a park with a splash pad. I don't think Carrigan feels like she missed out on anything.

The only sour note of the whole ordeal was that Jeremy hit a big stick on his way home and ripped a hole in his back tire.  Just to make life even more fun, apparently nobody carries his size of tire so we had to order one and are now waiting for it to come in while he drives around with a doughnut.

All American 4th of July

This week we celebrated the 4th of July and we did it in just about as American of a way as possible.  We started the 4th at the park with some baseball practice.  We then went home and went for a swim.  We have done a lot of swimming this summer but Jeremy hasn't been around to come very often so it was good to have him there to join us

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After swimming, we got cleaned up for a BBQ and fireworks at the Brown's/Robbin's compound.  They haven't had their 4th BBQ for several years so it was a fun return to tradition.  It was also good to spend some time with our friends, the Wilsons, before they move to Utah in a few weeks (insert crying face here).  I took this picture of Carrigan and Ruby at the BBQ.  I think these girls will really miss each other.  I didn't get any pictures of the firework because I ended up taking Elsie home for bed.  To say that she wasn't a fan of the fireworks is an understatement.

The rest of this 4th of July weekend was all about baseball.  You don't get more American than that.  This was our last tournament of the summer and we played two games on Friday and two on Saturday.  It has been a rough summer and while all the boys have learned and grown so much they have been in tournaments where they are significantly out matched, sometimes playing kids a year or two older than them.  Going into this weekend we had yet to win a game.  Friday was more of the same, but Saturday we knew we had a shot and we came to play.  We had some amazing plays and led at times in both games.  In the end we lost the first game and tied in the second, but I could not be more proud of how the boys fought.  Merrick ended up getting MVP in the first game for his work at first base.  Nothing got by him and everyone started calling him stretch.  He had some vintage Mark Grace, 3/4 splits, catches for outs.  I have to say that, while baseball has been a lot this summer, I am sorry to see it go.  I think the smile on Merrick's face in the photo of him with his big first baseman's glove (which was generously gifted to him by coach Caleb) says it all.

Summer Shenanigans

Oh, summer! I sure do love you.  Weeks like this remind me just how much I love living in the PNW.  The majority of the week was sunny and in the 70's so the name of the game was spending as much time outside as possible.  We did park after park, swam, went on walks, and played out front of our house.  We spent the week sweaty, dirty, and covered in sidewalk chalk.

We did have a storm roll through on Wednesday night and Thursday so our outside party was forced indoors.  We made the most of it and on Thursday we went to the gym at our church building for some basketball, baseball, scootering, and a general good time.  I couldn't resist taking this picture of Elsie walking down the hall with her (my) piggy backpack on.

This week it's nothing but blue skies ahead with a holiday and a long weekend.  I can't wait!

Baseball 24/7

Ok so summer is in full swing now and I already feel it slipping through my fingers.  I think that is largely due to the fact that we are eating, sleeping, and breathing baseball right now and so time kind of blurs together.  I am really not joking about how encompassing it is either.  Take this week for example.  Merrick had practice Mon, Tues, Wed, and Thurs for two hours (with the exception of Tuesday's practice which was a little shorter because it was at the batting cages).  When we weren't at practice those days we were planning our activities and meals around it so everyone gets fed and where they need to be when they need to be there.  We, thankfully, had Friday off .  Then, between yesterday and today, we played five games this weekend.  When you factor in that each game is about two hours and you have to be at the game an hour early and the game is an hour away, there is your whole weekend right there.  See.  Not joking. Baseball 24/7.

All of that sounded really negative, but I will say for the most part we are having a total blast.  Merrick is pitching a ton and really coming into his own.  This weekend he pitched in 3 of the 5 games.  He had one inning where all three outs were his strikeouts and his last inning he pitched 58% stikes.  Not bad at all.  The girls have also been super troopers, especially Elsie who is braving it with little to no naps.  I wonder if I could go back in time if I would be onboard for summer ball.  The answer is probably yes.  All in all the good has outweighed the bad and if nothing else we have had tons of family bonding time.

One other thing, since it really is all about Merrick these days, Merrick got his pallet expander this week.  That thing is a nightmare.  We have to turn (expand) it twice a day for two weeks and then he has to keep it in for three months.  It's going to be a long three months.

Summer

We made it!  It is finally summer!  This week Carrigan had her kindergarten graduation party and they had a blast playing games, eating popsicles and making origami animals.  Carrigan was apparently really into making origami foxes and made about 20.  I am not sure why nobody cut her off.

I took pictures of the kids on the last day.  It is amazing to look back and see how much they changed over the course of the year.  When you see them everyday it is hard to notice the small changes, but when you look at the first day to the last, the difference is remarkable.  Both Merrick and Carrigan have grown so much this year, and not just physically.  I am so proud of their academic growth and emotional growth this year.

I guess I now have a 1st and a 4th grader but I am just excited to get to have the summer to spend with them.

One other big piece of news this week, Merrick got braces!  He is still getting used to them but I don't think they are sore anymore at this point (until Tuesday when he gets his pallet separator and top wire on).  I think he actually looks really cute with them.

Oh! And today is Father's Day so I have to wish a happy Father's Day to my main squeeze.  We are so lucky to have him!  Those of you who know Jeremy well will know that he professes to be allergic to and not like chocolate.  Those of you who know him well also know that he loves Butterfingers.  So today I decided to celebrate him with Butterfinger pie.  Yum!

Wrapping Up

As the countdown to summer continues, the wrap ups have begun.  This week was high school graduation and it was a special one for our family as Lauren was graduating.  It is hard to believe that I am old enough to have a niece graduate from high school but somehow that is the case.  It was extra special because Emily came to town to celebrate.  We are all so proud of Lauren and all her hard work.  We were even proud enough to brave 2 plus hours of traffic to make it to graduation in North Portland.

Also this week Carrigan wrapped up her softball season.  Her last game wasn't her best of the season, but at her second to last game she got two hits off of coach pitch.  She has really improved this season and we are so proud of her.

Summer's Coming

The end of year countdown is on!  I have just three days of preschool left and the kids have five days.  It's getting so close I can hardly believe it.  In the meantime we are getting into the summer spirit a bit early.

Monday was Memorial Day.  Since Jeremy was home we decided to go see the new Aladdin movie.  It was our first time trying to take Elsie with us to the movies since she was tiny and it didn't go well.  She and I spent much of the movie in the stairwell.  The rest of the family really enjoyed the movie, although I think Carrigan watched part of it through her fingers.

The other thing that makes it feel like summer is that our pool opened this week.  With the exception of yesterday, which was spent almost entirely at the ballpark, we have already been swimming everyday.  So far Elsie is not loving the pool, but we will keep working on it.  The other two might actually turn into fish before the summer is over.

Now we just have to make it the next week and a half and it won't have to be pretend summer anymore.