Perfect Attendance Awards...

With Wildcat Baseball a lot of our summer was spent at the ball park. For 8 weeks we were at the ball park 3 days a week for games and practices... The end of the season usually includes a fun field day and awards ceremony, but with the rain that rolled in, the Wildcatters and their parents huddled under the picnic shelter as the coaches announced the awards for the season... Among them, Zeke and JJ's perfect attendence awards!

Half way to a 10K

6 months ago, a very wise man (ok... It was Chad) told me that running is a good way to lose weight... So I started running and at first, I didn't think I was going to make it. I could barely run 1 mile. Today, I ran 3 miles in 36:15 (not terribly fast, but I ran it all) and weigh 20 pounds less than I did in February! It is a good feeling!

We are planning on running a 10K in October!

The Annual Zoo-Loo-au

Each summer the zoo holds a zoo-loo-au in honor of the zoo members. With our zoo membership running out, we decided to partake in this fun day of zoo fun... Our friends the Krebbs' enjoyed the day with us...

We enjoyed the usual zoo activities of the animals and that splash pools...

And some fun extras like petting a snake...

And bouncing in bounce houses...

Mr. Mac Day

49 years ago Mr. Dale McMillen started the Wildcat Baseball League in Fort Wayne. In his will he set up a fund that would keep the Wildcate basebeall league going as long as there were kids who wanted to play. The league consists of 15 sites around Ft. Wayne with 4 age groups of kids (Kitten, Kitty, Kat, and Tiger). Each year the league holds a Mr. Mac Day in memory of this man with a great vision.

Mr. Mac Day includes a variety of contests...

There is base running

Throwing...And Hitting... (See the two boys with their arms around each other waiting in line... I just love it when I catch moments like these)

After all the activities there was a picnic lunch (the extra child in this picture is Verontey... another player on Zeke and JJ's team)Then the awards ceremony.

Wildcat Baseball has a great tradition of being a non-competitive, teaching league with the motto of "Everyone makes the team". For the cost of a hat and a shirt kids get 8 weeks of baseball with great coaching and lots of learning!

This family is so thankful for Mr. McMillen, his vision and his generosity in keeping that vision going!

Sandbox fun...

When we lived in Hawaii we had access to some of the greatest sandboxes in the world. When we moved to Indiana we decided to put a big sandbox in the backyard... Obviously it can't compare to the beaches of Hawaii, but the boys are constantly digging, burying and, in all other ways, playing in the sandbox. During our summer months they head out to the sandbox several times a day! This was definately one project that was well worth the investment!

4th of July Celebrations...

We started our 4th of July celebrations this year on the 3rd. Thanks to some friends we found a neat little lake park right here in town (I can't believe we have lived in Ft. Wayne for 3 years and not been to this one yet).

Fox Island has a swimming area, hiking trails and all the things that little boys love.

Later that evening we went to our friends' house for a cookout and some fireworks... In addition to a few of our own, the neighbors put on a pretty good show too!

Then on the 4th of July we went to the Seminary for a picnic and over to a different friends house to watch their neighborhood fireworks. There were so many the kids didn't know which way to look!

Thanks to our friends who helped us to celebrate our countries freedoms!

JJ's missing teeth...

JJ lost his first front tooth a couple of weeks ago. Today he woke up from his nap and smiled at me... I looked twice and found his other front tooth missing... Now, all he wants for Christams is his two front teeth.