Team Basketball Photos

5th grade

2nd grade

7th grade

3rd grade

8th grade 

 Sorry I didn't put them in order but at least I have the years. Blogger just put them in whatever order they uploaded them.

Hug Time

A friend recently shared this blog post 4 Hilarious Strategies to Coerce a Teen Son's Hug and it is really pretty funny. Granted, mine is a tween and I will occasionally have him approach me for a legit hug (so far) and I am thankful for that. But I thought I would add my own funny strategy --


I have figured out one sure way to get a hug out of this boy of mine and it involves me eating his favorite snack after I sent him to bed -- popcorn. That microwave popcorn smells wafts upstairs and finds it's way under his door pulling at him to come downstairs to retrieve some for his belly. It's mine, all mine, so he knows he has to be crafty. I see him come down and says he wants to give me a good night hug. I know better. He wants to abscond with a handful of my popcorn. So, when he leans in to give me a one arm hug, with one hand in the popcorn bowl. I let it happen and pull him in closer to hug him and give him a kiss on his forehead. He won't wipe it away though, because I know as soon as we release the other hand is plunging in to the popcorn bowl to "sneak" a second handful. But I just got a hug from my son and gave him a forehead kiss, so I call it a win for the price of 2 handfuls of popcorn.

Summer Fun

Halfway through summer.....here are some photos.

Last soccer game of the season. They did better this year than last year. It is nice to see the boys improving. The next couple pictures are Henry with his coach. He asked that I take these pictures of him with the coach. The coach is actually one of the other players dad's but he has a lot of soccer experience and coaches Junior High.

Henry had his friend Tony over for a sleepover. I guess they are creating their own version of a beer bong but with cream soda. Lol! They were supposed to sleep in the tent but his friend was scared after 15 minutes out there. But they played in it most of the afternoon and then I took them to the water park that evening, which the next picture is of Henry there.

a picture of Henry at the Saints game. The Saints won 12 to 1. I guess we went the same week last year too.

 Couple pictures from early June when Henry belt tested and got his red stripe.

 a picture at the Medford pool with his friend Madden.

 We kicked off the first weekend of Summer at home and had a campfire with s'mores. We have a pretty busy summer but do you have some time at home.

 this is one of the times Henry went to the driving range up at the cabin. when we went there in June and in July he had the opportunity to go to the driving range to practice his swing.

 Each kid gets to pick an adventure with Mom, or two if we can get them both in. This is Henry's first adventure was doing the zipline in Brainerd. Then we went fishing had a couple different spots while Isabelle was at scrubs camp at Central lakes college.

 Doing some swimming at Lone Lake by our cabin they have a decent Beach there and it is a good swimming Lake.

 Enjoying some time at the cabin at one of the hammocks and shooting their BB guns and Dad's airsoft gun.

 one of his favorite things to do at the cabin is to go to the pump track and then to a local establishment for pinball, popcorn and pops and pizza.

 He's been a lot more interested in fishing this year.

 His first time at an overnight camp. This was 4H camp. he doesn't have any more overnight camps this year but next year he is hoping to go to at least two.

 Changing his newest stripe in taekwondo.

 Fishing at the straight River.

 She completed a kids triathlon this year.

 Here he is working on a circuitry project for the fair.

 a different time at the waterpark and enjoying a freezie.

 Carrie he is working on one of his robot projects for the fair. He has two robots he is entering..

 Some more fishing.....

 we always have to find at least one day that we can go to the Crosby memorial Park which is where this sculpture is at.

 We went to the arboretum in Brainerd so the kids can learn about a couple of trees to do for fair projects.

 Summer isn't complete without a water balloon fight.

 We went to the seaquest aquarium.

 Baseball is still going on but they're about halfway through right now

And the final picture below is of