Kelsie Starts a Blog

Kelsie would like me to promote her new blog -- she would like some readers/comments, so check it out!

http://wildvolybalchick.blogspot.com/

Can You Ever Really Get Enough Baseball?

I know, I already posted some baseball pix of Cam, but these are new shots taken by one of the other parents. Cam playing 2nd base and at the plate. I especially like the 3rd picture where he was backing up 1st base -- he is very good at being where he should be.

Catching Up

Cam's spring baseball season is over -- he had a great team, wonderful coaches, I hated to see it end. Cameron made some real progress with his hitting and fielding this season.
Here is the result of the great dress debate. Kelsie wore the purple dress with a sweater. I took tickets that night and she was by far covered up more than a lot of girls. The black dress was still my favorite.


I finished working my 15th year in AWANA. We had a lively group of 3rd graders and it was a great year. God certainly blessed me with my co-worker -- I think I said in the beginning of the year that she is a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing at one of the high schools -- How cool of God to hook me up with someone who I can sign with?! And what a wonderful person she is.


Cameron received his award for finishing a book earlier in the AWANA year -- he received his award from the Pastor of 1st Redeemer.

On to the last week of school -- the 5th graders had a picnic after school on Monday --


This was last Friday, graduation day....

The recessional...

Celebrations started....

Cameron with his friend Hunter...if I could bottle up all of the energy here...WOW -- I wouldn't have to sleep for a year!

We decorated the 5th grade hall with photos of the graduates...

The weather was not that great, but the kids still got together at one of the neighborhood pools for a cookout after school. Thanks Norval, we had a great time and the food was delish!

No Longer

No longer a 5th grader; No longer an 8th grader. Today was the last day of school -- I will try and get pix up this weekend. We are traveling to Nashville tomorrow morning to meet some friends from STL - we are looking forward to that too.

Another Idol Season Ends Tonight

People! Tonight is it and the voters of this blog have overwhelmingly said that Kris is going to win. We shall see! Personally, I thought those songs that Simon the creator of the show picked for them to sing were HORRIBLE. Terrible. There was no excuse for that. If Kris loses, I blame it on the total and complete boring song that dude picked for him to sing. The creeper's song was bad too, but Kris' was worse. Also, why in the world did kris not bring the key down a notch on that final song? Strange decision. Happy final Idol night.

Jewel the Cat Totally Freaks Out!

My mom will not believe this, but crazy enough, it's true. Jewel's neighborhood nemesis who roams free hasn't visited for about a week, that we know of (last visit caused quite a stir in the middle of the night -- both of them squalling like babies). Anyway, last night Kelsie was babysitting a friend's 2nd grade daughter at our house. Kelsie and Martha walked to the park up the street and they ran across the nemesis cat on their walk. Stopped to pet it. Went to the park and then came home. Upon their arrival back at home, Kelsie and Martha were sitting on the couch when Jewel started sniffing Martha. Then IT happened: Jewel totally FREAKED OUT! She went berserk! Kelsie and Kenny sprang into action, protecting Martha, basically scooping Jewel off of her. But, Jewel came back, hissing at Kelsie too! Then got her off of the couch again, Kelsie took Martha upstairs and Kenny put Jewel downstairs.

I told the story to my animal-expert friend at Bible Study today and she said that the nemesis cat might have sprayed around our house and Jewel has smelled it and then smelled that smell on the girls. I don't know, but I think the nemesis cat needs to find another hangout!

The Final Newsletter?

Is it possible that a whole school year has almost passed? I just read the last newsletter of the year from Mashburn Elementary. It's just so hard to believe. As I think back over the past school year, there have definitely been some challenges. And as I think back, there have been so many blessings and successes. Even things that I thought at the time were going to be difficult, while at times they were, they resulted in big blessings. The way the Lord has worked so many things out over the past 11 months, it's just amazing.

An Idol Disappointment

Gokey's gone people. Don't vote for him in the poll at the right. I'm disappointed. Now what we have are 2 diametrically opposite singers competing for the prize. One is a performer, like in the Rocky Horror Picture Show and the other, a more normal type. I know who I will be voting for.

Here's........Fifi!

Cameron's friend Hunter had to go out of town this week and the boys cooked up a plan for us to ferret-sit! I'm not going to lie to you, I thought ferrets were basically big rats so I was not thrilled at the idea. However, after Hunter's mom insisted they are more like cats, well, they needed help, so here's Fifi. Now, I won't go so far as to say she is like a cat, but she's not a rat either. Cam has been really responsible taking care of her. She is interesting to watch too.

Happy Birthday Vicky!

I hope you have a great day tomorrow!!! Ok, so yes I'm late with your card as usual. Hopefully no one steals that $100 out of it again this year!

Last Weekend

Ruth and Heather came for a visit. Kelsie wanted to show them "her barn" and "her horse".

This horse below cracked me up -- he was in his stall and was so nosy -- he didn't want to miss anything that was going on.


On Monday, Ruth, Heather, Kelsie and I went down to the Buckhead area of Atlanta. We went to the Lennox Square Mall first, but the girls had already spent their money earlier in the weekend, so I think they actually got a little bored. Ruth and I managed to keep busy in Macy's -- however when we asked a saleslady where their "normal" brand was, she told us that they don't sell that brand in THAT Macy's store. So, when you look at the picture of the mansion above, you'll know what kind of Macy's store we were in -- the high end kind. Anyway, we just took off driving through Buckhead and both Ruth and Heather said the highlight of the trip was this drive we took. I wish I had more pictures. We saw the Governor's Mansion and just beautiful other mansions throughout -- like you were driving through a huge park they dropped in the middle of a city. Very beautiful. I have more exploring I want to do down there.

The Bullpen

The Cardinals came to town so .... I bought a family 4 pack which included tickets above the Cardinals' bullpen, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas and parking...all for a mere $397.76! Just kidding, we were in ATL not at the new Yankee Stadium. Anyway, thought it would be fun sitting by the Cardinals' bullpen since one of the relievers, Kyle McClellan, went to Russell Elementary in Hazelwood (where kelsie and cameron went) and his dad owns the Fieldhouse where the kids took ball lessons. So...my family thought I did spend some serious $$ when we took the ELEVATOR (with an elevator operator) to the Clubhouse level. Personally I thought we were in the wrong place, but we weren't. So we did have a nice area to go to the restroom and our seats were pretty good -- right above the bullpen, as planned. Before the game, we saw Yadi warming Lohse up and then the game began. As you can see by the pics, we came prepared with some signs. Around the 5th inning or so, McClellan started stirring; we yelled down to him, he read the signs and gave a good wave. Then later, he entered the game. And we all went home. Well, ok, he lost the game, but at least we won 2 out of 3.

Happy Mother's Day

I didn't write it, but I like it! To my mom and my mother in law, have a great day!

On Mother's Day I have written a poem for you. In the interest of poetic economy and truth, I have succeeded in concentrating my deepest feelings and beliefs into two perfectly crafted lines: You're my mother, I would have no other! ~Forest Houtenschil

Piano Recital

This Friday is Cameron's 2nd piano recital. Kenny recorded part of his practicing tonight and I think he's sounding great. Click here to go straight to the music!

http://www.kenhand.blogspot.com/