First Weekend of Christmas

Busy December day: kids' craft morning at Home Depot, followed by the Christmas parade.

Family Photos

Haven't updated our all-family photo in a couple of years!  These were taken in early October.

Happy Birthday Abbey!

12 years old for this girl!  Her brothers and sisters wrapped and decorated all her presents.

Abbey's Baptism

I was honored to baptize my oldest daughter this morning!

 

She requested "I Am Resolved" because that was sung when both her grandmother and her dad were baptized. And then we finished out with "Days of Elijah" which doesn't have much to do with baptism but is a fun (and interactive!) song to sing.

Soccer from Sept 21

I spent most of Saturday watching Luke and Naomi's game, so all the pictures are from their game this week.

Soccer pictures for the year

Last year I forgot and didn't get pictures until the very last game, when the kids were wearing coats and mittens!

 

And one last bonus, from the first week when everyone's game was rained out, so we invited all the church kids in the league to meet at the park that afternoon.

Today's soccer highlights!

Ethan (red socks) took a turn in goal; his team said he was their best goalie!
Both Abbey (blue socks) and Ethan go after the ball aggressively.
Isaac (black socks and black shorts) got his first goal ever today!
And his second (with an assist from the other team)

Soccer Show!

Highlight reels from yesterday's games! Naomi and Luke in pink shirts (Naomi: pink socks, Luke: lime green socks). Abbey and Ethan in light blue shirts with blue socks and red socks.


 

Baseball tournament #3

Ethan's team resumed their rain-interrupted game and kept the pressure up.  With that win, they moved on to the championship game!  To be champion, they had to win twice against their undefeated opponents.  They played well but lost 12-5.

That was enough for 2nd place, though!

Baseball Tournament #2

Ethan's team lost last Friday, but it is double-elimination so they have to lose twice for their season to be over.  Last night they played in the semi-final: if they win they go to the championship game (but have to win twice there).  The game was rained out in the bottom of the 4th, when Ethan & Co. were up 11-6.  The game restarts tonight, followed immediately by the championship game(s).

Baseball tournament #1

Finally able to get some video of Ethan's game last night.  Second game of the post-season tournament: #1 Red vs. #4 Black (Ethan's team), and Black won, 18-10!  Tense game: they trailed most of the game, although they stayed within 3 or 4 runs.  I think it was in the 4th (of 6) that they went ahead: Ethan batted in the tying run and was himself the go-ahead.

Baseball in America

This has been about the wettest and coldest spring in a long time.  Not exactly baseball weather, but Ethan's been having fun.

What I do when I'm home alone

A while back Debbie and the kids were in Michigan visiting her parents, while I had to work.  I spent my suddenly-free time building a grist windmill.

First baseball game of 2019

Ethan is playing in the city leagues this spring and summer, and had his first game today.  He got on base twice, and once got all the way around to home!

Lucky break at first

Moving to second

And all the way home!