And here is how we celebrated the end of the season for the Tigers. Chad had mixed feelings about playing junior league baseball. At Eastdale, most of the kids quit little league after Majors to play club ball. So, there aren't as many juniors teams, they have to interleague, it tends to be more laid back with less practices, there aren't any play-off games and Eastdale didn't even have enough kids to form an all-star team. If you know Chad, you know that is just not him. Sports are only fun if they are competitive. Where did he get that from? Anyway, we struggled with the decision of whether to put him in club ball all year. He wants to do it desparately, but the problem is that all the games are on Sunday. It has caused Chad and me no end of angst this year. Who knew when the kids were little that the Sunday thing would ever cause me such grief? Ugh! Any advice? Anyway, that being said, this season was still a lot of fun. Luckily, Chad's coach for his two years of majors was kind enough to manage a team even though he also managed his daughter's minor team and helped coach his son's club ball team. You rock Reno! The boys did great and they really seemed to enjoy playing baseball together and just hanging out. Several times during the season, we went to Chilli's after our game and we all loved it. As a matter of fact, after one game where we lost to a really nasty Alameda team that we'd beat twice before, we were all in a bad mood and decided we'd better go to Chilli's to cheer ourselves up. Later, after we got home, everything looked better and Chad even said "Mom, that was the funnest game we ever lost." Ha! So, after our last game we were thinking of just meeting at Dion's Pizza as a way to wrap things up. I told Chad and he was horrified. "Mom, we are not a Dion's team. We are a Chilli's team." So, here we are at Chilli's this week. I even got Justin and Chad to smile for me unlike here so they must have been having fun.

Last night was the championship game for the major league (ages 11 & 12) division at Eastdale Little League. Chad was in the championship game last year, and Aaron was in the minor league championship the year before. Both times they lost and had to content themselves with second place. Boo Hoo! (Actually they got over the disappointment pretty quickly once the postgame waterballoon fights started, but moving on...)

"They're right here under my butt!" - Amber, when Sam asked her where her underwear was after using the potty.

Here is the birthday girl with the puppy cake that she insisted I make. Amber's favorites include Elmo, Wonder Pets, Grandma, getting hugs before anyone leaves the house, reading on the potty, snuggling with her brothers and sisters, spilling board game contents all over the play room, getting in the car, going swimming and eating "condy". Amber is a little spunk and we do not know what we would do without her. Who else would tell me, "Mommy, would you please leave my nursery?" at church on Sunday or strip naked at a pool party and yell, "I need to go poopy!" Don't forget to check out Amber's slideshow to the left.

Here we are at our twenty year high school reunion. Can you believe it has been more years since we graduated than we had been alive at graduation? Yikes! It was a great weekend and it was fun seeing everyone. This is us with Robbins, Troy and Troy's wife.

Sam and I went to Kansas City this weekend to attend his sister Betsy's surprise 40th birthday party. (She's the one in the middle with the pink shirt. She doesn't look a day past 25, does she?) We had a great time. The weather was perfect, Missouri was beautiful and we got to see a lot of our awesome family. Here is a picture of Sam and some of his siblings at the Far West monument yesterday. Thanks for all your hard work, Dennis and Sarah. We'll see you next month - this time with the the whole gang.

Aaron has officially graduated from elementary school. I can't believe another of my babies is off to the big world of middle school. I wept at his Promotion Ceremony. What a sap I am. I'm not sure what it is about middle school that scares me. Kindergarten doesn't worry me. High school doesn't give me nightmares. I guess I just figure if a child is going to make really bad choices, it is all going to start sometime between 6th and 8th grade. It's such a hard age. Aaron is a great kid though so hopefully it will all go great. He is of course thrilled to be reunited with his soulmate Jeremy this fall after two years of horrible separation. Wish Aaron and me both luck!

"Why do I have to be judged? I don't hurt people...that much." - Miranda during a Family Home Evening about the resurrection and judgement.