July - September 2021

Anna and Kate continued their stays at Lac du Bois and Waldsee for the first half of July, and they made the most of their camp stay.  When Mom and Dad picked them up, most of the two-day drive back home was filled with stories from camp and comparing their experiences.  At the very end of July and into the first of August, we made a trip to Chatauqua Lake to meet our friends Lisa and Ruth; we got to do some outdoor things--including stand-up paddle boards on the lake.  Kate started studying astronomy when the school year started up again, so she, Anna and Dad stayed at Shades State Park so we could all attend the late-night "star party" to view stars with 100s of others at the place in Indiana that is supposedly most free from light pollution.  Jack stayed active with the scout troop.  After much work on our back yard, Dad finally got a small fire pit for us to enjoy.

Anna at a group sing

Kate with her group at Waldsee

Anna gets the Super Français badge

Kate wearing the Super Sprachmeister CD badge

Anna having fun at Lac du Bois

Heavenly Creamery, an ice cream store in a repurposed church!

stand-up paddle boards and kayaks at Chatauqua Lake

Dad and Jack at Bemis Point

the Crossley family on the ferry with Lisa and Ruth

Dad, Kate and Anna selfie at Shades

at Deer's Mill covered bridge

Kate and Anna tending the campfire

Jack helps lead the outdoor court of honor for the troop

Anna examining contents from owl pellets for environmental science class

first fire in the fire pit

April - June 2021

Our spring started off with staying at home.  We had one more late snow in April.  Jack started spring soccer, which played outdoors so masks weren't required while playing.  In May, Jack's troop awarded him with the inaugural Matt Klenosky service award for his efforts in helping run the virtual troop meetings during the pandemic. Anna and Kate started looking forward to Concordia Language Villages immersion camps--French for Anna at Lac du Bois and German for Kate at Waldsee.  Jack was looking forward to summer camp at Gerber Scout Reservation.  We were able to get vaccinated before the camps, and Concordia took extra care to be sure everyone was clear before loosening restrictions. Jack enjoyed camp; he and some of his troop members spent much of their time on the climbing wall. Dad was able to join Jack for part of the week at Gerber.

more snow in late April

Jack at Spring soccer

Jack takes a throw-in

Jack with the Matt Klenosky service award

Kate checks in at Waldsee as Katjana

Anna checking in at Lac du Bois as Anissa

early days at Lac du Bois with everyone wearing masks

Kate at a Waldsee activity

Eurovision-inspired dance act at Lac du Bois

Kate wearing the Sprach Meister tag indicating her command of Deutsch

Anna and fellow campers at Lac du Bois

Jack (in blue) on the climbing wall at Gerber

Jack and Dad at Gerber before the closing "fire bowl"

January - March 2021

We started January with some cold, and we finally had snow later in the month. Anna showed off some sewing skills by modifying a jacket she purchased at Goodwill and replaced the sports team logo with a design of her own.  Because of the pandemic, there was no Nutcracker this year, but Anna and Kate continued remote ballet lessons.  Jack's scout troop continued to meet remotely, and Jack helped lead the online effort for the troop.  Kate's 12th birthday was this year, and we celebrated with just the five of us at home.  We stayed mostly at home, given the circumstances.  We had more snow in February followed by an ice storm in March.  Anna and Jack celebrated their 16th birthday in March.

Anna with her re-made jacket

Kate's birthday

snow day

more snow in February

ice storm in March

twins' birthday

October - December 2020

As fall moved into winter, we kept maintaining social distance and limiting interactions with others unless we could meet up outside.  One of the outside activities was a visit to our local corn maze with some friends.  Kate and Anna learned there would be no Nutcracker in January 2021 to be sure everyone stayed safe from the coronavirus.  Jack was able to complete his Eagle Scout project--building a trail at a nature preserve--while the weather was still good.  We had Thanksgiving and Christmas with the five of us; unfortunate not to visit family, but cozy and nice.

Jack shoots the corn cannon (you can see the corn flying past the parked grey trailer)

Anna (right) with her friend on the bridge in the middle of the corn maze

Jack with his friends on the bridge later that day

Kate (right) and her friend after completing the corn maze

Jack sitting on the bench he made for his Eagle project. This is on the trail he and his troop-mates built.

Officially, it is not considered Thanksgiving unless Kate makes crescent rolls

A family Thanksgiving selfie

The Christmas lights are up

Opening gifts on Christmas morning

July - September 2020

Mid and late summer was largely similar to spring and early summer.  We spent quite a bit of time around the house; Anna even mowed the lawn once!  Jack started planning his Eagle Scout project by working with a local land trust charity.  A good family friend got married outdoors in Vermont in August.  We spent two weeks at home to quarantine and then drove to the wedding.  Nearly everything was outside, and we were happy to have a trip and be safe doing it.  Ballet had a few indoor sessions in the large ballroom wearing masks, but that moved back to virtual at the start of the fall semester.  

In front of the big oak tree at Moyer Gould Woods

Anna on the mower

waiting for the outdoor wedding ceremony in Vermont

A family photo at the wedding location

Anna with Dad's scrap-built ballet barre for virtual classes

April - June 2020

Most of our activities moved to virtual or got cancelled.  No soccer.  Ballet via Zoom meeting.  Jack helped his troop move to virtual meetings using a discord server, but no BSA summer camp.  Mom and Dad did not take too many photos either. Kate helped Dad record a video message for his job and used her videographer and photo setup skills.

 

Plum tree blooms in early Spring

Kate on the patio

WLFI story about Troop 335 discord meetings