We Have a New Deck!

We have a new deck and a new concrete pad - finally! These things always take so long but it is very nice. I can now begin to envision all of the meals we will eat out there, the books that we will read out there and the conversations we will have out there. Ahh...it should be a nice place to relax. (Well, okay, we can relax after we go buy some furniture and maybe some planters and repair the grass that was killed during construction.) We all really like it - especially the dog. :-)

Then and Now

Then

Abby, Anna and Rachel - December 2002. They were 2 1/2.

Now
Abby, Anna and Rachel - July 2011. They are 11.

What a difference a few years makes!

Abby, Anna and Rachel loved to play together when they were little. Anna moved away soon after the "Then" picture was taken. We haven't seen them in years. We had a reunion today because Anna was in town for a wedding. We had a great time and hope that it isn't 9 years before we see each other again.

Visit with Mom and Dad

School Supply Shopping

I gathered up the troops (Karl, Mom and Dad - Abby was at basketball camp) and went shopping for the school supplies for my 1st grade crew. This was the fastest I have ever done this job ever! Thanks guys for all of your help!

Abby's Sports Shrine

This is Abby's sports shrine. Her softball coaches had one picture of each girl enlarged and printed on fabric. The smaller picture in the frame on the wall is of her basketball team. Abby is wondering what she is going to do if she gets anymore trophies.

Beautiful Girls

For more photos and a video, check out Abby's blog.

Softball

School is out and the first softball game of the season was today. The coaches made a new shade tent for the girls with all of their names and pictures on it. You can tell which field we are playing on from rather far away. Lots of new rules this year - stealing is allowed, no coach relief pitching and walks are the biggest changes.