Back On Line

We are at the halfway point of a very busy summer.  The goal is to get back to regular posting once we finish up with the summer.  Since we last reported in, camp season has come and gone and swim season has wrapped up.  We had great visits with family and spent a lot of time at our neighborhood pool meeting new people and making great friends.

Both Lily and Jack have been at three different camps and have had a great time at all three.  They have had play dates with new and old friends and have had a great summer.  Let's review the pics and video...


Enjoying crabs - and picking them all by herself - on father's day.


Lily's duet with her piano teacher.  She did a great job learning her material.


Surfin' Safari - the final product.


Showing off her certificate of achievement from her piano recital.


Post performance flowers.


Ready for camp with neighbor friend Noah on crazy hair day.


Jack and his friends ready to swim.


Jack and his friend Charlie enjoying some breakfast at another Saturday morning swim meet.  Jack was a trouper all summer long.

Every year we spend the 4th of July week at the lake with Marcy's side of the family.  This year was great as we got to spend time with Grandma Gail,  Grandpa Tom, Aunt Tracy, Uncle Stan, Cousins Garrett and Case, Aunt Kelly and Cousins Alli and Davis and dogs Rimsky and Bodie.  It was a very nice week (despite the first real rain we ever have had there) and the days just flew by.


Making smores with Casey.


Playing with sparklers.


Passing some rainy day time with Davis.


All flag coordinated for the 4th.


Everyone ... Jack is trying to sneak in some lippy.


Jack looks really big in this picture.


Lily really got her waterskiing skills down this year.  She did great.


Jack got in on the act this year as well.


Towards the end of the summer, Jack swam in his first swim meet.  Just before the meet started, Jack was sitting on the pool deck looking very pensive.


Ready for action.


His swim - he did great and he had a really fun time.  He will be ready for next summer!


Lily swimming at the same meet.  She has improved by leaps and bounds this summer.


The swim season closes out with a shaving cream battle.  Here is Jack all covered.


And Lily.


Synchronized diving.


Or not.


Jack officially graduating from the little kid swim team.


...


Jack and Charlie.


Breathing ...


Lily did the same kids triathlon this year as she did last year.  She had a great time - here she is leaving the pool and headed to her bike.


On her bike.


Finishing the bike.


Completing the run.


Lily finished out the season swimming freestyle in all star relays.  She swam the fourth leg here - her team came in fourth.


The relay team.


Jack spent a week at baseball camp and some Nationals' players came to visit.  Taylor Jordan signed Jack's arm.


At the Nat's game with William Howard Taft.


Oh ... have to include the foul ball I caught for posterity sake!


After the game, the kids got to run the bases ... here they are aftewards.


Lily and her pal Maddie from our old neighborhood. have been in camp together the past two weeks.

Summer is not over yet so we will have more postings to come.  School is but four weeks away ... and Lily will officially be unable to get away from her brother as they will finally be in the same school!

In closing, special birthday wishes this week go out to Cousin Emilie and Grandma Phyllis.

That Summer

We have a lot to catch up on since our last posting ...

Jack has graduated from pre-school.  He is taking his passage in stride and does not seem to miss going to school every day.  He has moved onto summer camp and his having a great time every day.  Needless to say, he is sleeping well at night.

On the Sunday after school ended, Jack, Grandpa Maurice and I went to see the Nationals' game.  Despite it being an later start (with a little bit of rain), we all had a great time.  The Nats won and due to our fantastic seats, Jack even scored a ball from the ball boy!

Lily finished up school with an art show that was a smashing success.  Pictures of her clay flowers are below.  She had a great year in school and was a fantastic student!

Summer swim season has started off with a bang.  Lily competed in her first B meet of the season last Wednesday and walked away with her first placing ribbons (finishes that resulted in ribbons other than participatory ones).  She came in second in breast stroke and freestyle and fourth in backstroke.  Her swimming was fast enough to qualify for the A meet - her first ever.  The A meets are much more serious - points are awarded and the pools really compete against one another.  Unfortunately, our pool lost its first meet in 2 years but it was close and against a very good pool.  Lily swam great.  She finished seventh of eleven in freestyle and improved her time by .76 seconds.  In breast stroke, she placed fourth, earning points for her team and improving her best time by 2.14 seconds.  It has been a great start to the season!

Jack is swimming with the Little Devils and we hope that he will be ready for a meet by the end of the season.

That is all for now.  Here are the pictures and the video.

P.S. - Congrats to Aunt Kelly and Bodie who just bought a new house to move into!


Last day of Brownies.


The graduate.


Diploma time!


After graduation.


...


Art show.


Before the Nats' game.


With George Washington.


And Abraham Lincoln.


Ready to swim.


Cheering with the team during the break at the meet.


Jack and his friend Charlie.


Breast stroke.


Jack and his obligatory swim meet donut.


After the swim meet, Lily's friend Georgia slept over.  The next morning they put on a puppet show.

Surfin' Safari

Let's catch up on the last two weeks since our last post.

We had a nice Memorial Day weekend down at the lake with Grandma Gail, Grandpa Tom and Aunt Kelly.  Rimsky and Bodie the dogs were along as well.  The water was chilly but that did not keep Lily and Jack from jumping in and wanting to ride all of the various floats.  Jack was busy catching fish and Lily had a nice time reading on the dock.  It was a very relaxing weekend.

We have been spending a lot of time at the pool already this season and have had a nice time with old friends and making new ones.  Lily and Jack both know a bunch of kids and are both on the various swim teams (Jack is swimming with the Little Devils).

T-ball and lacrosse have wrapped up in the past few weeks.  Soccer is coming to a close in the next few days and piano is headed towards a recital at the latter part of June.  Jack's pre-school comes to an end this week and Lily finishes up next week.  Then it is head first into a summer of camps and travel.  Things are always busy here!

Happy Birthday wishes this week to Aunt Kelly whose birthday is this Wednesday!

Here are the pics from the past two weeks.  If you want to see more of Jack's concert from two weeks ago, the videos are here, here and here.



Ready to go down the slide.


All dressed up for a Sea Doo ride.


Paddle boating with Grandma Gail.


Ready to go.


A hot dog ride with sweatshirts on.


Jack was very busy catching fish with a net.


Stand up paddle boarding with Aunt Kelly.


Jack is in the water and I am wearing a fleece.


Fishing off the pontoon.


For a school project, Lily had to dress up as Rosa Parks.


Practicing piano.  Can you name that tune?


Jack and friends at his last day of soccer.