Artistic Fall

One of my favorite parts of going to parent-teacher conferences is getting to see the artwork the kids have been making. I thought Amber captured the Fall season perfectly in this piece.

In the Bag

Spare me your safety stories this picture might trigger. It's no different than putting a plastic mask over your face on Halloween. Except, this made me laugh. I bring home gifts from our trip and this is what entertains her.

Beginning of Basketball

Amber had a basketball clinic tonight. This is her third year in the program and she gets better every year. I like this gymnasium. It's older and has a little character to it. This place gets LOUD on game days!

Team Pictures

Holiday Weekend

Spent some time outside enjoying the 2nd day of a 3-day weekend.

Bible Sunday

Today is the day! It's the day she's been wanting to arrive for a LONG time. Today is the day she gets an honest to goodness real Bible at church. She was so excited that she was ready to go before the rest of us. She got up on her own and got herself ready. The hard part was having to wait for us to catch up to her. The girl was pumped up! It was a big day for her, and as a dad, I'm glad she was excited about it. Now, if we can get a repeat of this morning's performance on school days. Crossing my fingers.

Trucker Pull

After all of the adventure we experienced in Colorado, sometimes being at home can be a dull shock to the system. So, my daughter and I went on a bike ride in search of enough adventure for a little girl. We both rode up the hill to a nearby overpass and waited for the semi-trucks to roll beneath us on the interstate. I know Amber enjoyed herself, but I have full confidence in knowing that the truckers enjoyed blowing their horns to make my daughter's night. Some of them probably have sons and/or daughters at home, and maybe, fulfilling the request of a little girl pumping her arm up and down on the overpass made them feel a bit closer to their own kids back home.

Softball Bleachers

Amber had her last softball game of the season tonight. She played a great defensive game making good throws and tagging runners out. She also hit a home run and a double! What an athlete! They won in a nail-biter 7-6.

Sweet Corn

Today is the first day that the delicious sweet corn on the cob goes on sale around town. Gaeddert Farms gazebos are the best part about summer. Actually, eating the corn we buy from those gazebos is the best part, but when you see those little green and yellow buildings, you know summer goodness isn't too far away.

Aqua Slam

Baseball Park Dinner

And for dessert, Amber treated us to her very first home run! It was very sweet!

Silent Running, Pt. 2

I think the picture tells the story here. Even Amber got into the act, helping the tow truck driver haul off her dad's car. It's a pretty good gig when the guy pays you in lollipops. Maybe it was his subtle way of letting me know I was a sucker for driving this car. The tow truck diver, Marc, was the nicest guy and very helpful. AAA to the rescue!

Molly Frankenstein

I dropped Amber off at camp this morning and she made a point to introduce me to the friend they created, Molly Frankenstein. Consisting of bread bags, newspaper bags, grocery sacks, rubber gloves and newspapers, she a was pretty friendly creature, even though she was short on good looks.

Firetruck Friends

The crew from Truck 32, just up the road a piece and around the corner near Wild West World, made an appearance at the park tonight to "just be neighborly". I was busy with supervising the baseball fields so Sara and Amber stopped by to visit on their walk home. So, is this where the fascination with women and firemen begins? Hmmm...

Tie Dye Tee

Sara finished up Amber's art project from school. I think the design turned out well. Groovy.

Going for the Record

Amber has this toy that hooks around the ankle of one leg and she swings it around and jumps over it with the other leg. It has a counter on it so she told me she's going to break the world record. I think she got pretty close, until "Andrew got in her way!" Brothers can be "so mean".

Swimsational

Amber was modeling her new swimsuit for me tonight. Here's an extreme close-up of it. This perspective gives it that "Diver Down" feel. Perfect for a swimsuit, right?

Wooly Buggers

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. We're heading over to spend time with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who are the ultimate outdoors type people. When it comes to hunting, fishing, camping, or making a 5 course gourmet meal in the middle of the wilderness, they're the ones you want to talk to. So, we have plans to do some fishing at the pond near their house and we're taking stock of what we have in fishing gear and getting it in working order. Amber's favorite is the Wooly Bugger that Uncle Kurt made for her.

Walkin' Shoes

Amber has been suggesting we take a walk every night after dinner. Thank goodness she's there to push us because this guy needs the exercise. She's a good motivator, even though I hate every step of those two miles. It'll get easier, but not before it gets cooler. It's already pretty warm in the evenings...at least to me. It's gonna be a long summer. I need to check my calendar to find out when fall begins.

Key Moment

While I took a break from working out the notes to Billy Joel's "Angry Young Man", the kids sat down just to play around on the keyboard for a bit before bed time rolled around.