Sporty Spice!

We've been quite "sporty" around here lately - often having 4-5 soccer games each weekend and catching games on TV in-between!  Lexi & I (Andrea) participated in the school's running club (OK, I passed out water, but still . . .) which led up to the annual Walk-a-Thon. Lexi ran 8.5 laps and Frankie ran 7!

Then, Frank & Lexi ran a really cold 5k!

All three kids played soccer this Fall and are excited for next season!  In the meantime, we'll be watching Sporting KC on TV, cheering on the Chiefs (or Broncos if you're Frankie), and trying to figure out this "football with a bat" (Henry's description of baseball - he can really only keep two sports straight in his mind!).

Pre-K

 This was the last time I'll ever take a first day of school picture at Redeemer Lutheran Preschool.  For six years, I've been dropping off kids to the loving care of Mrs. Killingsworth and her crew of fantastic teachers.  Henry was a bit shy (shocker!) the first day but Mrs. Killingsworth helped bring him out of his shell by setting out his favorite toy during free play.

We're so glad we chose for him to wait one more year before starting Kindergarten.  Here's to Pre-K!

With his favorite toy - the cowboys!

It's finally his turn!

Counting his goals on the sidelines

After watching Lexi for 11 seasons and Frankie for 3, it's FINALLY Henry's turn for "real soccer"!  He had a bit of a panic on Thursday - afraid maybe Dad didn't know he had his first game on Saturday.  Oh Buddy, we ALL knew!

He's almost a head shorter than everyone else on the field but made up for it by scoring all of the team's four goals!  Of course, he shyly ducked his head after each goal when we cheered!

Summer Soccer

 Our good friend, Eric, ran a free summer soccer clinic for 5 & 6 year old boys to help get his son interested in the game.  Both boys loved it, although we did have to temper Frankie's enthusiasm just a bit!  (Boasting your hat trick and taunting a group of barely 5 year olds isn't exactly good sportsmanship!).  Eric did an awesome job with the kids and even sprung for trophies at the end of the 8 weeks!  Henry can't wait to play for Coach Eric in the Fall!

The Lego Rockets!

A day on the farm!

Wednesday we met Shanna in Burlington and headed to Yates Center to visit Shanna's parents' farm.  They had a lot of "firsts" and even Mom learned a few things (one might have been that driving 20 mph on a gravel road is a "city folk" trait!).  Shanna's dad and brother sacrificed an afternoon of work to show us around and welcomed the hundreds of questions we had (Did you know a horse is pregnant for 11 months?).

Lexi got a warm egg fresh from the hen house, we rode in a semi truck, picked corn and soybeans, were weighed on a cattle scale, and met two pregnant horses and more pregnant cattle than we could count.  The #1 thing on their list, though... petting the farm dogs and seeing the dead armadillo in the front yard!

Showing off her egg

The chicken was less than pleased to be caught!

Including "both Henrys"!

Lexi Turns 9!!

Lexi's birthday celebration spanned several days, in true Wonka fashion!

She had a sleepover on her actual birthday, complete with pizza, swimming, and candy sampling!  The girls guessed what each candy was called and got to try some they'd never had before.  Lexi's deemed this an "every birthday tradition"!

Of course, no birthday is complete without Chinese Buffet and Shanna!  Grandma and Grandpa couldn't make it because Grandpa wasn't feeling well, so we stopped by their house on the way home!

Happy 9th birthday!

Ready to "sample"!

Chinese Buffet with Shanna

CO or Bust!

 Here are some highlights from our road trip to CO!

Aquarium with Frank's cousin and her family, three parks with Maddie & Jack, free slurpies on 7/11

After two days in Denver, we drove to the mountains!  Sleeping in a cabin, whitewater rafting, hot springs, s'mores . . . It was amazing!

Now, if you ask the kids what their favorite parts of the trip were:

1. Chalmers, Ace, and Cisco (Bill & Curtis's dogs who came to the cabin)
2. Eating McDonald's for lunch and Burger King for dinner ALL IN ONE DAY!  (The drive home from the cabin was a long one!)

Aquarium Buddies

Post-Aquarium Cousins (Henry's asleep in the van)!

Free Slurpie Day!!

Mountain fort-in-progress

Lexi, Ace, and Cisco

Ready to raft!

Blackjack!

Mastering the diving board

Henry post-aquarium (hence the absence from above
picture!)

Happy Mountaineers!

Happy Birthday, Pop-Tart!

She's grown so much in her short 16 weeks of life!  When we first brought Barley home 8 weeks ago, we couldn't take our eyes off her for a second!  She'd have an accident every 10 minutes and tried to chew on the fireplace!  She'd cry to be lifted onto the sofa because she was so small!  Now, she's a sitting rockstar, well on her way to being a professional at "staying" and "coming", and has finally mastered the art of sleeping in!

Don't get me wrong . . . she still struggles to not jump up on visitors, she'll dart out the front door if you don't stop her, and her habit of sleeping on your neck makes it tricky to watch a movie . . .

But we think she's pretty perfect!  She has more nicknames than I can count (Princess, Sister, Barleytown, and Henry's choice: Pop-Tart) and the kids rush to hug her whenever they enter the room!

Happy 16 week birthday, Barley!

Cousins- Round 1 continued!

Hurry, Mom!  I can't tread water much longer!

 The rain cleared and we were able to swim the last two days of the Cousin Visit.  A Father's Day BBQ with all 9 grandkids Friday night (complete with a fire pit!) was a great finale!

Very interested in the fire-building!

Survivors 6.14.14!

In hindsight, the plan was iffy from the beginning...  

250 wedding guests . . .
Reception on the 8th floor . . .
One small, slow elevator to transport guests, 8 at a time . . .

The owner of the building apparently discovered this was going to cause some problems so he took matters into his own hands.  If 16 people were put on the elevator at once instead of 8, we'd all get upstairs twice as fast!  Brilliant!

Unfortunately, this particular elevator, when past the weight limit, goes into lock-down mode with all 16 people trapped inside.

Thus began Elevator Nightmare 2014!

Here are a few TIPS to surviving your own Elevator Nightmare:

1. MEN: Work together to take off your suit jackets.  Yes, your dress shirt will still be two shades darker in color, wet with sweat, but it'll be significantly cooler!

2. Press your face against the cool (if dirty) wall, it provides a moment of relief from the stifling heat.

3. Give Aldi crackers to the distraught two-year-old at your own risk.  Yes, it will calm her momentarily, but then she'll scream for "More Crackers" long after your purse-supply is exhausted!  It'll be hard to hear the 911 operator while she's screaming.

4. Always turn to face the door immediately upon entering an elevator, otherwise you'll be stuck facing the back wall the entire time (although, this can be of some benefit, see Tip #2!)

5. Try to stand next to your cousin.  If you have your face pressed into someone's chest, better hers than a stranger!

After 35 minutes, the firemen pried the doors open!  Fresh air!  They had us run out, unsure how long the doors would stay open and the elevator would stay stable.

Notice I'm facing backwards
That's Frank behind me, early in the experience
because he's still wearing his suit jacket

Still smiling, toddler not screaming
Henry is at Frank's feet
5 minutes in and still thinking we might be on an
episode of Punk'd!

Sardine cousins!  I couldn't even see them but
they were sweaty little troopers!

Sweaty but out!  Posing in front of one of the three firetrucks
sent to pry us out