Lincoln - spring baseball 2017.

Lincoln is on the coveted "home" team this spring, the Diamondbacks. He's playing AAA this year (ages 10-11). The season is off to a pretty good start. Linc has continued playing catcher. When he's not at catcher, you can usually find him at shortstop, second base, or centerfield (put me in, Coach...)

Linc at bat.

At catcher.

After flipping his mask off

Catcher.

Baseball ready.

Post-game chat.
Linc is #10.

Matt got to rake the field! I love the grounds crew!

Harlem Globetrotters.

We got tickets for Christmas to see the Harlem Globetrotters here in Phoenix. Mom & Dad were supposed to be here visiting so they could go with us, but dad had to go and get a stent in his heart. Sigh. Wish you were here, Yia & Pops. You would've enjoyed the show. Glad you are doing better and are relaxing at home in Michigan. See you soon! xo

Because we had two extra tickets. Lincoln took his best bud, Drew, and Drew's very tall sister (she plays hoops).
The kids had a great time at the show.

Linc and Cass outside of the Talking Stick Resort Arena, home of the Phoenix Suns.

 

The kids courtside before the show started.

 

Globie, the Globetrotters mascot.

Game time. 

more softball. spring 2017.

Like most parents, I get a great deal of enjoyment watching my kids play sports, and I try to take pictures so that I can remember each season. Here are a few more from Cassidy's spring softball team.

Matt helped warm the girls up before a recent game.
Here, you can see Cassidy taking a whack at the ball.

Ready to hit wiffle balls for more warm up.

Playing first base.

On first base.

Lincoln walking Dunkin around a bit during Cassie's game.

On third base.

Cass: #11.

Ready for action.

Girl Scouts Spring Encampment - Willow Springs

We attended our second Girl Scout encampment this spring at Camp Willow Springs in Prescott, AZ. We arrived Friday night and there was snow on the ground and it was about 35 degrees! Snow in the upper elevations of Arizona is not uncommon. In fact, we've heard there is great skiing in Flagstaff. This was, however, our first time seeing snow in AZ. Very exciting!

Troop 2091 in front of our cabin (6 girls and 3 moms) in front of our cabin.

Cassidy in our cabin.
Each cabin sleeps 10 so our entire troop was able to share one cabin on this trip.

Saturday morning.
This is the view from our front porch. Snow, pines, temps in the 30s. Temps rose to near 60 during the day.

Cassidy, Kathryn, Violet, and Valerie on a hike.

Violet, Kathryn, Cassidy, and Kathryn
(our Brownies)

The whole troop on the bridge that took forever for us to find! 

Craft time!
The girls made woodsy-animal headbands

Cassidy and Violet with their raccoon ears.

Isabel, Jillian,
Kathryn, Cassidy, Violet, Kathryn

The girls on a rescue hike.
They were following clues to find different stuffed animals that were placed along one of the trails.

Found one of the stuffed animals!

Cassidy and I (and Cassidy's walking stick...a must when you're in the woods, according to Cass!)

Flag ceremony.

The entire Ocotillo Encampment group.
There were about 100 girls from our geographic area of Arizona on the trip.

Girl Scouts - from Troop to Troop

Cassidy's Girl Scout troop participated in the Cookies for the Community project as part of their cookie sales this year. They chose to use donated money/cookie packages toward a group of Army Rangers. Below, you can see them putting together a package to send to the Rangers. Boxes have been sent domestically and to deployed troops. We are proud of our girls for sharing cookies and supplies with the Army Rangers, hoping that the Rangers feel a sense of "home" when they eat their Girl Scout cookies!

Prepping the packages to be sent.

ostrich festival.

After 3 years of living in Chandler, AZ, we finally made it to the Ostrich Festival. The festival celebrates Chander's early history of ostrich ranching. There are rides, carnival games, food, bands (this year's lineup included Eddie Money, the Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms, and Los Lobos), and, of course, ostrich races! I forgot my camera so I have no pics of the ostrich races, but they were hilarious. We also saw zebra races and camel races as well as a dog frisbee show and a cool high-dive show.  

The only pic we got is of the kids and I pretending to be ostriches.

red wings in the desert.

For Christmas, Lincoln got tickets to a Red Wings vs. Coyotes game here in Phoenix. Matt and Lincoln said the game was great. The Wings won - in a shootout! Nice.