Spring Concerts

This was Dyllan's Spring Choir Concert.  The fourth grade always learns the recorder for choir and in fifth grade they learn to play the hand bells.  Something to look forward to.  We will be attending Wesley's strings concert tomorrow (he plays the violin) and we already attended Wesley's choir concert when Dyllan was at Camp Crosley.  I'm sure they'll be several activities over the next two weeks and enjoy them all.  What will we find to do with ourselves this summer?  There's always the pool.  I'll try to update this a little more often instead of catching everyone up on five months activity in one day.  Hope you enjoyed!

The Perfect Mother's Day - She's Having A Baby!

No, I'm not having a baby, my friend Jenni Barrett is having a baby.  On the day before Mother's Day I went down to Indy with some friend's for Jenni's shower.  I told Neil this was my mother's day.  I went to a garage sale that morning (always fun and kind of exciting to see what you might find, even though I found nothing), went to the shower with my friends and then came home to go on a date with my husband - and my mom even kept the kids overnight.  I couldn't have asked for a better day - unless I could have somehow thrown scrapbooking into the mix.  It was great fun to go to the shower and see our friend who was a freshman at Ball State and involved in our church when Neil and I were first married.  We have a long history with her and her husband Marc and are very excited about their upcoming parenthood.  Congrats!

He's Growing Up!

It finally came- Dyllan's class trip to Camp Crosley at Lake Tippecanoe in Northern Indiana.  When we first heard about the upcoming trip at the beginning of the school year, we wondered how in the world will this all work out.  Can Dyllan be trusted for such a long time away from his parents' supervision?  Well, I guess they rose to the challenge.  He was there for 4 days and 3 nights and to our knowledge not a lot of drama - at least not reported to the parents.  It was an outdoor education camp where they fished, did a ropes course, rock wall climbing, outdoor games, nature hikes, etc.  He survived and we did too.  We missed him and yet as you cam imagine it didn't change things too much as far as the noise and activity levels when there were still 4 healthy, rambunctious children at home.  We're glad he's back safe and sound.

Baseball - It's our life! ! !

Well, it's only just begun I believe.  All the kids are playing baseball/softball this summer and I am coaching Wesley's team.  Before you all think I steamrolled Neil into this let me tell you that it was his idea.  Of course, that was during the dreary, boring, uneventful month of February when you send in your sign up info.  I predicted that we would never again have all of our children participating in a sport at the same time.  Well, that may come true.  We had practice 6 nights a week when we started out and some nights more than one.  In some ways it has calmed down now that the games have begun.  I feel like I'm in my element (although I must confess that it is a little overwhelming to have dinner ready at 4:30) and I think Neil feels like he's sort of in hell.  He has had fun working with the kids on their skills and going to the games and all but I think it's that multiplication factor. I'm waiting for the day that we get to go to the ball diamond and the thermometer reads above 50 degrees.

Aunt Donna's 60th Birthday

Well, the kids discovered a new trick on our camera just before we headed to Brownsburg (Neil's brothers house) for Aunt Donna's 60th birthday celebration.  You can change the color of certain images in the picture while leaving the rest of the photo black and white.  Well, this entertained them most of the way there and during the day - until the battery ran out.  I do tend to be the more permissive of us as parents but someone has to be, right?!  Anyway, I still don't even know how to use this feature but it came in handy for entertainment value on this day.  I hope you enjoy Dyllan's drama.  He had to perform something that would go along with the color scheme of the photo.  I'm sure he got his acting talent from his father.

Second Spring Break

Second Spring Break!  What in the world is that?!  Some beautiful thing Burris made up.  Ha! Ha!  Well, we had an extra long weekend in April (the friday and monday off) so we just had to do something, right?!  Well, we called up Grandma B and asked if we could go to the Indy zoo.  Of course it was perfect timing for the butterfly gardens too which I had never seen.  I think the kids had a good time.  Maybe Taylor will get into Burris next year and we can all enjoy it together.

Party Time

One of our good friends and co-laborers here at Ball State decided she wanted a dance party for her birthday.  So, we all obliged.  We got all dressed up, got a babysitter (thanks grandma- my kids great grandma) and cut some rug.  It was a good time of fun, fellowship, dessert and brushing up on some of our ball room dancing skills.  It's been a long time since we got married and took our first class. I don't think we've added much to our knowledge since them.

Midwest Fo Life

Well, it may be true.  Neil's good friend who now lives and ministers in LA sent him this shirt.  I'm not sure if we should be excited or what.  But maybe it's true . . .

Speaking with Conviction

An awesome poem that just about everyone has on their blog, featuring Taylor Mali: