My Little Baseball Boy

Jaron has been obsessed with balls and sports since he was tiny.  We have a video of him watching a basketball game when he was 18 months old.  Last summer he played baseball on the community center league.  It was easy going and fun for him to start at that level.  This spring Pete decided to have him play little league baseball.  Little league is much more intense and time consuming.  There are two games and a practice every week.  The games last about two hours and the practice is an hour and a half.  Since Pete was coaching, little league took up a lot of our time this Spring.  Jaron's last game of the season was on June 11th.  He had a great time playing and really enjoyed having so many friends on his team.  He improved quite a bit during the season and was able to get at least one hit a game by the end.  He also was able to field the ball quite well and made quite a few stops with his fielding.  He is tiny and so he is not the best player, but he tries hard and does pretty well for how little he is.  And I must say he is seriously the cutest little baseball player!

In perfect catcher position

What a cute catcher

In fielding position

#7 at bat

With two of his little friends

Last Band Concert

On May 9th, Brandon and Kenyon had their last band concert of the year.  It was a great concert.  They had the Marching band, 8th grade band, 7th grade band, and 6th grade band all play.  It is amazing how much better the bands get as the kids get older.  Both boys played amazingly well.  They are both really enjoying band.  Brandon plays the clarinet in the marching band and 7th grade band.  He also plays the saxophone in the Jazz band.  Kenyon plays the clarinet in the 6th grade band and at this concert he was able to play the Timpani drums.  He has been wanting to do percussion all year and was so happy when his teachers recognized his hard work and let him choose which percussion instrument he wanted to play.  He did an awesome job.  He is now stuck on playing the drums in the band.  So, we need to figure out what to do about getting drums for him and drums lessons as well.  Both boys also play the piano.  They have a lot more musical talent than I do, that's for sure!

First Grade Fun!

The morning of May 9th Jaron had all kinds of fun end of the year activities for the first grade.  He started his day out with annual first grade Hot air balloon launch.  Every year the first grade classes each make a hot air balloon and to end their study of air and gases they set them off over the play ground.  The whole school comes and watches.  It's a lot of fun for them.

Waiting for the Hot air balloon launch

Mr. Schiewe's class's balloon

Watching it come down.

After the Hot air balloon launch he had field day.  I stayed and helped for this activity.  I ran the hula hoop contest.  Jaron had a great time participating in all of the different events.  His favorite was the tug of war and the obstacle course.

What a cute boy!  I love that face!

Rowan, Aiden and Jaron

Later that afternoon he participated in the Fun Run which raises money for the school.  I helped with the fun run, but not while Shaylee and Jaron's grades were doing it.  So, I don't have any pics of them running.

Hike up Hamilton Mountain

On Friday, June 6th, I decided to go hiking with two of my friends up Hamilton Mountain.  This was an intermediate hike.  It wasn't super easy, but it wasn't horrible either.  I had so much fun seeing the gorgeous views of the northwest and enjoying good company.  It really was so good to get out and just have me time where I didn't have to worry about little ones falling behind.  It also made me realize that I really enjoy hiking.  I have always loved to walk and hiking is just taking walking to the next level.  I am hoping to go on a few more hikes in the fall when the kids are back in school.  I just have to find someone to watch Maycee for me.

Gorgeous view!

Lindsi, me and Julie  -Hike Selfie

Julie

ME

Lindsi

I was really nervous sitting on this ledge!

Selfie!  Beautiful gorge behind me

This pic is of the Columbia river gorge and you can see the Bonneville dam

Grandpa and Grandma came to visit!

Mom and Dad came for a short visit at the end of May and beginning of June.  They were able to be here for some of our year end school events.  They got to see Kenyon give his speech on clean water in Haiti in his advanced Humanities class on Thursday.  They were here for Brandon and Shaylee marching in the culture parade on Friday.  Also on Friday we were able to meet up with Gina and Kirk and go to the Portland Temple and then eat at a yummy Chinese restaurant in downtown Portland.  Then on Saturday we went for a hike around Round Lake and then we were able to watch Jaron's baseball game.  That night we went out to eat at a Mediterranean restaurant for mom and dads anniversary.  On Sunday we went to church and had a BBQ in our backyard.  Then mom and dad headed home on Monday morning.  We had a wonderful time with them as we always do and we thought it was great that they could join in on some of our end of the school year activities.

Kenyon giving his speech

On our hike

At the Petra House for mom and dad's anniversary

Marching To The Beat of Your Own Drummer!

Or to the beat of your own Clarinetter as the case may be!  Brandon got to play the clarinet in the Marching Band this year.  He did a great job at the two parades he marched in.  He got to march at the culture parade, which Shaylee also marched in and the Jr. Rose Parade in Portland.  I was able to chaperone the Jr. Rose Parade.  It was a big parade and we were band number 38 out of 40 something, so there was a lot of waiting and a lot of standing around, but it was really fun to be there with Brandon.

At the Culture parade Shaylee marched with her third grade class.  She has been studying Denmark as her country this year and she did such a great job at researching and learning all about the Danish culture.

Waiting for the parade to start

Here they are!

Our little Danish Girl!

Playing the clarinet in his first parade

The Jr. Rose Parade.

Iain, Ethan, Brandon and Elias  

Ethan and Brandon have beenn friends since they were 3