jason's birthday week

Jason was off on Monday since we were supposed to be in Maine so we took the kids to the driving range and to play putt putt.

We went out for ice cream on Tuesday night after VBS to celebrate the summer solstice (the longest day/night of the year), my favorite! 

Jason was off again on Wednesday for his birthday!

Jason has learned that birthdays are a big deal to me so he takes off on his birthday so we can celebrate.  And celebrate we did because 40 is a BIG deal!

We had fun decorating around the theme. 

I thought this card was a fun idea. 

We started the day going out to breakfast with Jason's parents and my mom.  Jason got a new gun for his birthday, so he went and shot it some.  Next up was bowling and Jason got a turkey!  

  

After bowling we went home and made peach ice cream in the soft serve machine and had cake with MeMa and PaPa.  Luckily, we finished before the storm knocked out the power.  

Our friends Angela and Ayla stopped by with a special delivery to wish Jason a HAP-pi birthday!

Since we had VBS all week, I made reservations on Saturday night for us to go axe throwing with Jason' best childhood friend. 

It's actually a little harder than it looks!  My only goal for the evening was to make the axe actually stick in the wood, ha!

We threw axes, throwing stars, batarangs and spears.  

Mike and Allison gave Jason all the essentials for turning 40.

We wrapped up the birthday celebrations with family today.

My mom gave Jason a tissue box of 40 dollar bills.  

The girls from church went out tonight to celebrate Angela's birthday at a fun spot in Richmond.  

What a fun week of celebrations it was!

school is out for summer

Bryce and his friend Charlie didn't have to go to school on Monday, so I took them to play putt-putt and then when Emmy got out of school we went to the pool.  

Bryce didn't have to go to school on Tuesday either, so he hung out with Chase and Taylor at MeMa and PaPa's house while Emmy was at school. 

Bryce had to go to school on Wednesday morning to take his only exam.  I picked him up afterward and he was done for the year!  Emmy was already scheduled to get out of school early but I got her out even earlier so she could get her piano lesson done early and then we met the Caddells at Kings Dominion.

Emmy finally had her last day on Thursday!

Emmy has been friends with this group of girls since kindergarten.  They have been in the same class every year except second grade.  I love this comparison from the first and last day of school.

We celebrated the end of school with ice cream!

We were scheduled to fly to Maine on Thursday night to meet Jason (he'd been there for work) for vacation.  Our flight was delayed multiple times before it was canceled.  We weren't able to reschedule the flight, so we had to cancel it all together.  The kids took the news pretty well.

Jason couldn't get a return flight before his scheduled flight home on Monday, so he ended up driving home on Friday.  So instead of whale watching on Friday, we went to the pool.  Just as scenic, right?!

Nine states, almost 800 miles and 14 hours later, Jason made it home.  

We were supposed to be hiking in Acadia on Saturday, so we enjoyed a hike at home.  

Today was Father's Day.  We should have been on a lobster boat, but instead Bryce played baseball.  Luckily his team lost both of their games so there was no championship for us.  That gave us plenty of time to celebrate Jason and PaPa. 

We love our Mountain Dew loving daddy! 

school is almost out

It's hard to believe it's been six years since we lost Pap.  I know he would be so proud of these kiddos.  I'm so sad that we all missed out on more time together.

Pap made the BEST ribs.  While there are none that will top his, we like to go out each year to honor him and have ribs in his memory!

As Emmy progresses levels in gymnastics, the skills get harder and, in my mind, more dangerous!  She was doing a new skill the other night and had a little too much power and shot off the bar and landed on her back and got the wind knocked out of her.  I was a bit shaken when the gym called to let me know that happened.  They suggested she take the rest of that night off so we picked her up and went out for ice cream because that makes everything better, right!

We were invited to attend an awards assembly at Bryce's school this week.  The first in person assembly since he's been in middle school.

Bryce received the Foundation Award.  This award recognizes students who demonstrate the characteristics of perseverance, honesty, kindness, patience, responsibility, respect and generosity.  We see these traits in Bryce, but it was nice to hear it from his teachers.  

Bryce also received the Principal's List Award for earning straight A's all school year.  

We're so proud of him and the example he sets for others.  We know these traits will define him beyond the baseball field and the classroom!

We took the kids out of school early on Friday and headed to the beach.  

Doing what she does best!

Some of the boys from Bryce's baseball team put together a sand soccer team for a tournament this weekend.  Getting in a little practice (with a volleyball, I know).

We were anticipating rain and wind on Saturday but were pleasantly surprised with blue skies all day.

I always feel like we look like a motley crew at the beach.

Only a couple of the boys have any soccer experience, but they had a great time doing something different than baseball.

Jason's cousin calls Bryce "B Rickles".  We've never called him that, but he wanted it on his jersey. 

I have to think watching soccer on the beach is way better than on a regular field!

Some of the boys had fun with their jersey names.  We don't even have last names on our baseball jerseys so this was fun.

The boys won their first game and tied their second game on Saturday.  Today they lost against a tough team.  They still had fun and it gave us time to hit the pool before the storms rolled in and then we got an early start home!

Emmy has built friendships with the baseball sisters so it makes trips like this more fun for her!

This morning we had breakfast at my favorite little hole in the wall.  We've got four more half days of school before we kick off our actual summer break and hit the trail on a few more fun trips!