July - September 2015

Between July and September, we kept busy as usual.  Jack started July with Cub Scout Adventure Camp, which included a few days and nights of fun and activities.  All of us drove out to visit Great-grandparents Bill and Sally, then we kept driving out to see Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower and the Black Hills.  On the way back, we stopped with Dad in Oshkosh at the EAA AirVenture.  About a month later, we traveled east to visit Kevin and Ruth and their family in Vermont.  We all did some camping during that trip.  At the end of September, all of us traveled up to Chicago to participate in the 5K on the runway at O'Hare airport; we got to run on the brand new runway (10R/28L)  before it opened for airplanes!

Jack and pack-mates at Adventure Camp

BB action range

At Falls Park in Sioux Falls, SD

near the east entrance to Badlands National Park

sunflower in Badlands

Kate on the jackalope at Wall Drug

getting a good look at Mt. Rushmore on our approach drive

aping the Presidents on Mt. Rushmore

first sight of Devil's Tower

on the trail

windy at the Minuteman missile site

with a P-38 at Oshkosh

not all astronauts are happy

is this what you call "glamping"?

activity appropriate public art for the girls in Saratoga Springs, NY

Kate with Ruth near the Vermont Marble Museum

next to the nose of the United Airlines 737-900 at ORD

before the 5K on the runway at O'Hare

Jack's finish

Anna's finish

Kate and Mom finish the 5K

April - June 2015

April brought the return of Spring outdoor soccer and a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt.  Anna, Kate and Dad went to Spring Fest, while Jack was at a soccer game this year.  Kate and Anna both performed in this Spring's ballet recital. We found out in May that Jack had placed second in the state and 17th in the nation in his grade for the Math Kangaroo event, so we went to Indy for a small awards ceremony.  At the end of May, Jack, Anna and Dad ran in the Scout About 5K (Jack and Anna) and 10K (Dad).  It poured rain most of the race.  We all had a good run. Anna was the second woman finisher in the 5K, and she won a gift certificate at our local running store.  In June, it finally started getting warm. At the end of the month, all of us participated in the Blast 4 mile race.

Throw-in at Spring soccer game

The neighborhood Easter Egg hunt

Anna with face-painted block P next to the statue block P

Kate milking a cow at Spring Fest

The sisters after the Spring ballet recital

The twins

Jack with his Math Kangaroo awards

Kate and Mom

With one of the summer public art bears

The runners from the Scout About race

Can we have a pool Mom?  (this seemed like a reasonable compromise)

Three of the runner after finishing the Blast

Kate and Mom finishing the Blast

At the Museum Center / Union Terminal

January - March 2015

A relatively short post for this quarter because we just didn't take that many good pictures.  Anna had two roles in the Nutcracker.  This year she was one of the "artillery soliders" in Act One when the mice battle the toy soldiers.  During Act Two, she was a "little tea" dancer during the "tea" dance.   Kate held her sixth birthday party at a pottery crafts store where you glaze a piece, and the store fires it for you.  In March, Jack entered in the Cub Scout Pack Pinewood Derby; the car was good, just not as fast as last year's car, so he didn't get to move to district level this year.  Later in March, the twins turned 10, but we didn't take any pictures!

Anna in Little Tea costume

Kate and friends at her 6th birthday party

Creations at Lego Club

The 2015 Pinewood Derby car

October - December 2014

Jack's Fall season soccer team won their U10 league. Kate and Anna continued in ballet class, and Anna auditioned for the Lafayette Ballet production of the Nutcracker, receiving two roles this year. The Nutcracker performance will be in January. Jack and Anna got a chance to meet Charlie Walker, a retired NASA Astronaut.  In November, we visited Granny and Grandpa for Thanksgiving, and they visited us in December for an early Christmas. Anna and Jack performed in two piano recitals, and Jack started with indoor soccer. Just after Christmas, we all flew to visit Oma and Grandpa Be-bap in Tucson.

Throw-in

Soccer Trophy

2014 Boo at the Zoo

With Astronaut Charlie Walker

Sneering pumpkin, sneering Kate

Anna's Halloween pumpkin

end results of Halloween carving

indoor soccer action

big kick coming

inside Cincinnati Museum Center

part of the 2014 Holiday Train display

receiving Achievement in Music awards after the piano recital

Christmas gift

Christmas morning

getting a ride in Tucson

Reid Park Zoo peacock (keeping the streak alive)

testing out the marimba

kids in a log

photo from the "bone yard" tour