Meet the Team

Let the craziness begin!  The girls are both participating in high school volleyball this year.  Practices started the end of July and will continue keeping us hopping through mid-October.  It is fun knowing they are practicing together and experiencing life together.  Not all siblings get that chance.  This is just a few pictures from Meet the Team this year.

*On an unrelated note, school starts in two days from when I am posting this.  That changes the rhythm of life here – and I could hardly keep up with it during the summer!  I am going to try to build it in so it doesn’t get overwhelming, but just know we are just living life even if I haven’t posted!

Bake Sale

It has been a tradition almost every year since we moved here (2011) that the girls have had a bake sale with Ellie and Annabelle (the neighbors).  For a couple years they collected money for the humane society in a paper cup.  Last year, they donated half of their profits to Jeremy’s VelaSano ride (cancer research).  They decided to continue that tradition this year.  Jeremy even got a steal of a deal on t-shirts for them to wear!

Ellie baked about 2 weeks ahead of time with my mom to make 72 cinnamon rolls. 

Then, the rest of them put in a lot of time baking on Wednesday – chocolate chip cookies, raspberry cream cheese cookies, brownies, funfetti cupcakes, double chocolate muffins, gluten free cinnamon muffins, gluten free brownies, double chocolate chip cookies and sno cones (not baked, but part of the sale).  It was a spread!  Then, Jeremy’s aunt, Marianne, contributed granola bars, more muffins, and a puff pastry treat, since David, Jeremy’s uncle will also be riding with him. 

We found that day 1 (Thursday) of the Buy-Way sales is the best day.  The tent and the signs went up on Wednesday night.  The girls set up shop on Thursday morning.  I had to go to my first day as a teacher, so I missed this year’s sale.  We had no idea if they would manage to sell it all.  But the flow was steady despite the clouds.

They raised over $400 for Jeremy and they each made some spending cash as well.  It is so fun to see how they continue to do this and take on more responsibilities every year for it to happen.  So proud of this team!

Special things

Madison, Ellie, and I all had specific things that were exciting and specifically pertained to us.  (Jeremy’s is coming up.) 

Ellie was invited for Bailey’s birthday to go to an Otter experience along with their friend, Maylynn.  They were in a room where Asian otters would climb around on them and they could pet them.  It looked like the girls really enjoyed this unique experience!

              

Madison wanted to get her second piercing on her ear.  We paid for the first hole for both girls, but said the rest was on them.  She used some money she earned from dog/house sitting this summer to get her second hole.  They look nice and I am sure she will enjoy changing them out when she can. (I know, not a very exciting picture.  Her studs are small, cubic zirconia set in gold.)

I made arrangements to go to visit my college roommate, Rachel, in Goshen.  It had been a long time (over 6 years because that is when they moved and I hadn’t see there new house!) since I had been to her place.  She and her family were just getting back from a 15-day trek out West, but she made time to get away/take a break to hang out with me.  I stopped to see Molly, one of my housemates after college, in her new place in Bluffton.  It was nice to stop and catch up with her for about 2 hours.  I got in around 5:30 to enjoy fish tacos with Rach and her husband; her boys were off doing sporty things with friends.  Then, we stayed at her friend’s mom’s getaway house just down the street.  It gave Rach a chance to leave behind responsibilities and also her family to not tiptoe around us as we sat and talked. 

    

We toured around Goshen on Wednesday and enjoyed live music during dinner and then grabbed ice cream at The Chief afterwards.  I left around 9am on Thursday morning.  We pledged to see each other more often, but we both know how that goes.  It was so good.

Musical Fun

We had two different musical experiences this summer.  The first was the Alive music festival.  The girls went with Jeremy last year and loved the day there.  This year, one of their favorite artists, Josiah Queen, was the headliner on Friday night.  So, we bought tickets, took off immediately after volleyball practice and made it in time to see Strings and Heart first.  We looked at merch and colleges set up under the tent.  We stood in line for an incredibly long time for some food at a food truck. 

Then, we settled in for the night. 

Ellie, Madison and Jeremy wandered down front to see if they could get closer. 

The girls stayed there for the rest of the night after finding some friends from Dalton, Riley and Gloria. 

I enjoyed my view from the back – and the sound level.  We didn’t get home til almost 1am. 

The second musical experience was a surprise.  We told the girls there was a special event on the calendar, but we didn’t say what it was.  We gave them some direction on how to dress, but that is all they knew until we parked the car and they started seeing all the indicators

    

that we were going to see The Lion King musical at Playhouse Square. 

    

We had great seats on the lower level so we could see when the actors came down the aisles as all the animals in a couple different scenes.  To be honest, I had heard really good things about it, but had low expectations.  I couldn’t imagine if I would like people dressed as animals.  But I will admit, it was pretty incredible what they did on stage! 

We had a great night together.

SYF serve at Leedy’s

The youth group had a chance to serve and earn money at the Leedy’s, a couple in our church.  They invited us to come to their cabin rural Ohio pretty much in the middle of nowhere to help with some tasks, eat, and have fun.  We had a small, but perfectly sized group for the tasks.  Some of us mulched.

Some of us tore off and reroofed a small lean-to.

Then, we ate pulled pork and mac and cheese.  Finally, we all played on big toys!  It was a blast!  Everyone was riding with each other on the different vehicles.  Ellie’s favorite (and most daring) partner was Landen!

              

Our Crew…

4H

This year for 4-H, the girls participated in judging at two different times.  Ellie took her project, Assistance Animals in Action, to early judging.  Her friend, Avery, was there for judging as well and stayed to see how Ellie did.

    

It went well.  She received all 100 points and good affirmation from the judge about her poster and project.  We found out two weeks later that her project was selected to go to state fair.  The state fair judging date was at the end of July and she was given permission to miss volleyball practice to go.  So, we headed down to Columbus.  We were able to get immediately in to her judge.  She did a great job at judging as well here, receiving high marks.  Her fun fact was that her judge was the one who wrote the book for the project! 

    

We also had a little fun exploring while we were there!  Ellie and I took the sky ride while Jeremy walked a long way below us!

         

Madison, unfortunately, couldn’t come along because she still needed to be at practice.  So, we included her in a picture!

Funny story of the day… Ellie saw this OH O letters and said, “They are missing the I.” 

We had to explain that it was so she/people could be the “I” in Ohio. 

Madison took her project, Shopping Savvy, to late judging in early August.  She had to wear the outfit she had shopped for during her project.  She answered questions well and had a great poster that the judge said contained the information she would have asked questions about.  Madison received all 100 points on her project as well.

         

We are proud of the time and energy the girls put into their projects.  It has been great experience to learn to be interviewed by an adult and answer questions.  Great year, you two!