A crazy summer

The simple quick answer to where we have been is BASEBALL! Three boys playing ball on a total of five teams starting in February and ending in July and one Daddy as an assistant coach for one of the teams.  Good thing I love baseball, before you know it we will have five boys playing and who knows how many teams.

Tristan playing 3rd base for his Coyotes Team (regular season)

Tristan catching for his skills team. 

Liam pitching. He played all over the field during the season. 

Colin pitching for the Gamecocks during the regular season. 

Colin ready at first base for his All Stars team. 

Grayson and Declan were always near by showing their support for their brothers. They may have been watching the game but for the most part they were jumping off the bleachers, playing in the dirt, eating a snack or playing with other players siblings. 

Declan jumping off the bleachers. 

Grayson climbing the fence.

The longer version school ended, we took a quick trip to the farm, celebrated Memorial Day with Grandpa Schulz, Aunt Lindsey came to town, Colin had a birthday he is now 11, I had surgery and Liam had a birthday he is now 7!

Grandpa Schulz was honored for fifty years of service in the American Legion on Memorial Day.  We went up Sunday evening to play at the farm a bit and spend time with family. Monday started with a breakfast in the park in Battle Creek to honor all the veterans then there was a presentation at the high school honoring all the veterans and then a special honor for Grandpa. He was beyond excited and proud to be honored. He also loved the fact that so many family members where there to celebrate his honor.

Colin, Liam and Grandpa Schulz watching the presentation in the park.

Grayson, Tristan, Colin, Liam and Declan loving being spun around at the park. 

After the presentation we headed out to the farm to enjoy lunch and give Grandpa a chance to hang out at home for a bit. Which he just loved. He is doing well at the retirement center even if he is always saying he will be going "home" soon. He is very active in the daily events they have going on at the center. Quite the card shark. The boys as always loved spending time at the farm and visiting Grandpa Schulz. It is great that we can still visit the farm but since Grandma Schulz passed it has not been the same and I am sure it never will. It is a new normal.

We were home by dinner on Memorial Day Uncle Brendan, Papa and Aunt Lindsey (Gramma was in China) came over for a little dinner. The boys were all beyond excited when Aunt Lindsey showed up. She amazingly came to town to help with my up coming surgery. That pretty much wraps up May to mid June. 

Happy Birthday Colin

Colin's Birthday!!

Colin my sweet, funny, silly, super smart, creative, Lego building, minecraft playing, baseball loving boy is now eleven years old.

His birthday was a little crazy with his mommy having surgery. Lucky for him he has an amazing Aunt Lindsey who made his birthday special.  They spent the day going to Durham Museum and experimenting with their new exhibit, they also went to Colin's favorite parts of the zoo. They stopped up to see me and open his gifts at the hospital then headed home to enjoy his favorite ice cream cake. It may have been a slightly weird day but Colin had a great day!
Happy Birthday Colin we love you and cannot wait to see what is in store for you this year!

We are so proud of the amazing baseball player you have worked so hard this year to become. Your pitching skills have developed so much this year. Keep up the good work!

The end...

Friday was the last day of the 2013/2014 school year. It marked the end of sixth, fifth and first grade for these three awesome boys. Look at how much they have changed in nine short months. I love how Liam was full of smiles on the first day of school and tries to be macho guy looking so grown up in the last day picture. 

The last week of school is filled with many fun activities. There are two talent shows, sixth grade graduation and honors ceremonies. (Tristan, Colin and Liam did their own little skit for the talent show however, for some reason I cannot find those pictures. I will add them once I find them.)

Colin singing with his class at the 3-6 grade talent show. 

Liam getting ready to dance with his class. 

Tristan shaking the hands of all his 6th grade teachers during graduation. 

Mr. A and Tristan (his main teacher)

Liam had such a great time in first grade he was not totally excited for the last day of school. I love that he loves school so much. By the end of the day he was ready to end first grade and head off to a wonderful summer before being a second grader. 

On to middle school for this guy! Oh my!

Grayson, Liam, Declan, Colin and Tristan nicely posed for one last group photo at their amazing elementary school. 

Liam

Liam is so excited this year to have moved up to the next level of baseball. He is now in farmers league. It is more like playing a real game rather than t-ball where everyone is on the field at once and it's a free for all. This year each child has a designated position every time they take the field. They do not play any specific spot rather they are given the chance to try them all. They also switch each inning between coach pitch and kid pitch. They get three strikes and they are out however, there are no balls or walks yet. His team is the UNO Mavericks. (all the teams are named after college teams in the league we play) So far Liam has pretty much played all over the field.

He has been a second baseman

A catcher (just like his big brother Tristan)

He has great form when he is at bat. 

Has been hitting the ball and running fast. 

Getting set up to lead off. 

And he pitched his first game this past week. 

Seven years of going to games is paying off. Liam is focused and determined to be an amazing player. He tries so hard every time. We are so proud of him and cannot wait to see how he develops this year. 

Easter

Egg Dyeing

The Friday before Easter we spent the evening dyeing eggs. I hard boiled seven dozen eggs by baking them this year. A little tip I saw on Alton Brown and it worked amazing. Only one egg had a little hole but no others were cracked pre-Declan. Seven dozen seems a bit crazy but with five boys, a Mama, and a Gramma they go really fast but it is so much fun. 

Tristan, Declan, Gramma, Colin and Liam 

Declan amazed by the process. It took him a little while to understand we were not using paint brushes and painting the eggs. Once he got the hang of it he had blast.

Grayson dyeing his first egg. He did not want to leave it in very long. 

Easter Sunday

We went to Gramma and Papa's church with them for a very nice service. Then headed over to their house where Great Grandpa Schulz, Aunt Connie, Uncle Jim, and Aunt Joni came down to celebrate. 

Liam (with his new stuffed panda) and Grandpa Schulz

Grayson exploring his basket with Uncle Jim.

Liam waiting to hunt for eggs. 

Waiting for everyone before hunting for eggs. 

Tristan found an egg missing its top. 

A baby bunny enjoying the days festivities. 

Declan and his eggs. 

Grayson running off with an egg that was hidden between Grandpa Schulz's feet. 

Grayson finding an egg that was laying in the open grass. 

Colin on the hunt.

Ever since Tristan and Colin were little they would spend forever hunting eggs as Papa would walk around behind them and grab an egg or two at a time and re-hide them. They have now become the re-hiders and have so much fun hunting and hiding still. I am not sure if other families have such long egg hunts but ours can go on over an hour and everyone has a blast. 

After the egg hunt the big boys, Uncle Brendan and Grandpa Schulz spent a couple hours playing cards. Grandpa had a great afternoon. As did we all.