June Update

Here are the top stories of the month since my last update:

Levi and Jemmie’s sports teams are in full swing now.  They’ve both played several games and are doing well.  Levi’s baseball coach (Mark Holcomb from our church) told me he can count on him to get on base just about every time.  Both of their soccer teams are doing well.  Jemmie surprises me by how aggressive she is on the field, not in a bad way, but she’s so quiet normally but goes after the ball like a crazy woman.  She likes playing defense, thwarting the other team’s scoring opportunities.

 

Jemmie (#13) playing soccer

Levi (#15, behind #4) playing soccer

On May 18, I remembered that it had been three years since Mom was born into heaven.  Probably others of you remembered that too.  I know Ken did because he texted me about it.

Also that day, Krista and Ella returned from their Minnesota trip, and there was much rejoicing at our house and Ella’s house.  We all went to the airport to greet them.  No one else got as big a crowd, but that’s true just about whenever my family is involved in something.

Cai has finished his 2nd year at MCC, and I think he’s decided he is going to attend Cairn University (formerly Philadelphia Biblical University) in the fall.  The good part is he’ll be close to Carissa and Caitlin in Philly so he can sponge off them if needed.  I’m sure they’ll love being sisterly to him.

Cai’s had an exciting month.  He went with a team from our church to the Arabic conference in Pennsylvania over the Memorial Day weekend.  Our church has been providing a team to run a VBS for the Arabic Christians’ children there for over 25 years.  He team taught the older kids with another man from our church (Dave Miller, for those who know him).  Then he went to Awana Commander college over the 6/6-8 weekend to learn more about running Awana clubs, since his desire is to become an Awana missionary.  Now he’s off to the Seattle area working in a youth ministry there for a couple of months.  Hopefully, those of you in that area got a letter from him about that and know he’s there.  I don’t know what free time he will have to see relatives and friends there.

Zach and I marched with the Civil Air Patrol in Batavia’s Memorial Day parade again this year.  Then we spent the rest of the day celebrating with our small family (four kids), and Ella and Cody.

This summer, Zach and I will be attending the New York Wing Civil Air Patrol Encampment in Scotia, NY, at Stratton Air National Guard Base.  I will be serving as a Character Development Instructor there (which is what I also do at our local squadron in Batavia), and Zach will be an “in-flight” cadet.  Since I will be on senior member staff, I have to attend two training sessions, and the first of those was on 5/31.  It was fun to meet the other staff (cadet and senior) and learn a bit more about what I will be doing.  I drove out Friday night after work and spent the night in an unheated cabin with one other senior member and a bunch of cadets.  I thought I would be warm enough with the sleeping bag, winter pajamas, a fleece blanket, and my Seahawks hoodie, but no.  Scotia is in the hills near the Adirondack Mountains, and I wished I’d had one more thicker blanket.  I have another training session at the end of this month, and, although it should be warmer, I’m going to hopefully be better prepared.

We remembered Hannah’s birthday on June 6, even though she’s in Texas now, so it was another long distance celebration.

So, I guess that’s about it since the last update.

Just kidding!  Our biggest event of the last month was the wedding of our daughter, Kortney, to Mat Rhode.  Krista, Amelia, Zach, Jemmie, Levi, and I drove to Woodbury, Minnesota (near St. Paul), on Sunday, June 8.  It took us 18 hours from start to finish, but we were happy to see The Bride (as she called herself all week) when we arrived.  We spent the first couple of nights in The Bride’s apartment, then Krista, Zach, Levi, and I moved to a local hotel when more of our daughters started arriving.  Eventually, all of our children and sons-in-law were there, along with Carissa’s boyfriend, Matt, Krista’s sister Jolita and her family, her sister Conny and Conny’s husband Brian, and her brother Terrelle and his wife Lori.  It was a great family reunion too!

We did a little sightseeing early in the week, visiting Laura Ingalls Wilder’s museum and home in Pepin, Wisconsin, the Mall of America, the James J. Hill House, and the cathedral in St. Paul.  Our hotel had a nice big pool that the kids especially loved.

 

At Mall of America with The Bride

At James J. Hill House

At the cathedral

The latter part of the week was mostly spent in wedding preparation along with just enjoying each other’s company.  The wedding itself was Friday night, and it was gorgeous.  The weird thing for me was when I got choked up.  Not when giving away my beautiful daughter, but when I saw all my girls up front, before the ceremony, getting their pictures taken together.  I realized how very blessed I am, and it got to me.

 

The Bride dancing at her reception

The Bride and Groom

We drove home this past Sunday (yep, another 18 hour trek).  Now it’s back to normal life and work.

Until July!