Sam made the 7th grade baseball team!  

He had to tryout and there were cuts, but Sam made the cut!  We will be so excited to cheer on ZWEST baseball and our favorite player, Sam!

 

Go Illii!

It seemed right to go support our Fighting Illini in the March Madness tournament, especially since the entire tournament was held here in Indiana!  

Unfortunately, we only got the chance to see one game, their final for the season!  Oh well, it was a neat experience!

The boys were more excited to be at the game than this picture shows!  We brought along our friend Finn to the game.

 

A visit with my Dad

My dad and I had a relaxing visit together last weekend.  I was able to help out with a few house keeping chores and visit with my sisters, too.  The carpets were cleaned while we hid out in the front room with the dogs.  We also brought some Easter cheer to my mom's grave.

 

Happy 12th Birthday Ben!!

Somehow Ben is 12!  

To celebrate, we had his buddies over for a socially distanced outdoor party.  The boys all brought their Nerf guns.  We gave the kids duct tape, scissors and big boxes.  They had the best time cutting, taping and creating... I'm not sure exactly what!  

But it didn't really matter.  They were all so happy just to be together after a long winter and not many opportunities to goof off in a big group!

Ben has a tight group of friends which I am so thankful for! 

At age 12 Ben has the biggest heart and ponders life well.  He is thoughtful to others and never passes an opportunity to pet a dog or cat when we are out and about.  He adores his big brothers, loves his dog Ruby and gives the best hugs to his mom.  Ben is our favorite Boy Scout, he plays the piano with heart and loves video games and learning odd facts by watching You Tube videos!  He aspires to be an engineer some day.

A look into our late winter doings....

The boys received mini bicycles in their Christmas stockings.  Today we traded them in on these!  They were all long overdue for new bikes that will fit their growing bodies!  

I have a new hobby of bird watching.  These blue jays are fun to spot at our feeder!

Ruby and I out enjoying a walk on the Railtrail, quietly watching a deer watching us.

Mondays are for remote learning.  Ben has adapted quite well with his makeshift desk and blanket.  

Eric, Ruby and I on a hike at Eagle Creek Park.  The temperatures were above freezing after a long spell of freezing temps!

The lake was partly frozen still.  The sound the waves made against the ice made a beautiful sound, like winter wind chimes.  

Eric and Nick built this soccer goal in the fall.  They were replacing the net.

Nick has endless energy and loves the game of soccer!

Sam has a batting tee set up in the garage to practice his swing and build strength for the upcoming spring season!