Go Rockies (Little League Rockies, that is)!

Spring baseball has come to a close here in Chandler. Linc had a super fun season and played with a great group of boys. The Rockies ended their season with more losses than wins but they had a great run in the playoffs and most of all, they had fun. 

Some fun pics of Linc this season...

Loved watching him play catcher.

At bat.

High five from coach after making a run in.

...and he's safe!
(as he walks away looking like Pigpen)

Lip injury for the catcher. Ouch!

Love the excitement in the boys faces after a win.

Go Rockies!

Linc in back celebrating with his arms in the air.

End of school year celebrations.

The kids last day of school is tomorrow, May 24th.  Looking back, the school year has gone quickly and the kids have accomplished so much. To celebrate at school, they hold a "Celebration of Learning" to award students for their achievements.

The first graders put on a Reader's Theater, with each student reading a part in a short play. This allowed them to show off their reading skills!

Cassidy was the Narrator (the one with a star on her head) as she read from "The Three Little Elephants".

Cassidy (right) and her BFF, Alyssa.

Can you believe it? Cass had perfect attendance for the second half of the school year!

And she earned an award for her achievements in Reading throughout the school year.

The fourth graders put on a musical performance of songs they learned on the recorder this year. Check out one selection here: 

Lincoln earned three awards:
Principal's Award for maintaining all A's for the second half of the school year
Music achievement award
Perfect attendance for the entire school year

Linc celebrating with his buddies!

Girl Scout Daisy fun.

Cassidy recently completed her year as a Girl Scout Daisy. At one of the troop's year-end events, we went to As You Wish to paint pottery. Cassidy painted the adorable Daisy box that you can see below. At the end-of-year pool party, she painted the daisy picture frame. She's thrilled to have a couple of special items to remind her of her year as a Daisy.

Lincoln joined the troop as we painted pottery. Instead of doing a Daisy box, he found a cool football box to paint. Of course, he painted it in Lions colors. 

Cassidy at the last Daisy meeting of the year.

Cassidy receiving her membership star and final daisy patches!

Cassidy receiving her cookie rewards.
She earned a patch for her vest, a bandana, a pencil box, a journal (which she promptly started writing in), and the coveted stuffed cow (which she aptly named "Daisy").

Our final closing circle for the year.

Cassidy posing with her vest and cookie rewards.

Next year: on to Brownies! 

Happy Mother's Day 2016!

Granny was here visiting for Mother's Day this year. She had the pleasure of tagging along to lots of kids activities - baseball, dance, birthday book club, etc.  We did get out for a lovely brunch at San Tan Brewery in downtown Chandler. Thanks to Matt for taking us out for this nice meal on Mother's Day!

Matt, Barb (Granny), Linc, and Cass

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Lincoln, Julie, Cassidy, Barb (Granny)

worker bees.

We had 5 tons of rock delivered to the house last weekend to cover a large area of dirt in our backyard. Fun to transport from the street to the backyard? No. Not at all. But we did recruit some helpers as we try to instill some sort of work ethic into these kids. They stepped up to the plate and were great helpers!

Lincoln wheeled the wagon full of heavy rocks.

Dad used the wheelbarrow (Mom used it the day before, but she's not quite as strong as dad so she was happy to pass the baton to get the work finished on Sunday)

And Cassidy used the kid wheelbarrow! 

a brotherly visit.

We were beyond thrilled to host the most recent guests in the Gough house: my brother Jeff, his wife Suzy, and their 13-year-old twin girls, Allison and Nicole. This was the first time for most of them to visit Arizona and they came at a great time of year, escaping April snow in Michigan and enjoying sun, blue skies, and temps that got into the 90s here in Arizona.

While they were visiting, they drove up to the Grand Canyon and back down through Sedona for a couple of days, both incredible places to visit. We also showed them around the Chandler area, went on a boat cruise on a nearby lake, and enjoyed family time together in the backyard. The kids even got in the pool, which was showing temps around 68 degrees...brrrr...

Selfie of the five of us on a boat cruise on Saguaro Lake.

Cassidy, Alli, Nicole, Jeff, and Lincoln standing on the top step of the pool. 

Of course, Dunkin got in on the pool action and took several dips.
When he got out of the pool, he always ran over to Suzy on the lounge chair to help cool her off!

Cassidy thinking about getting in the water.

Jeff dipping his feet in and catching some rays.

Nicole and Dunkin.

Water fight!!

Jeff got the girls pretty good!

We climbed "A" mountain in Tempe while Matt was working and Linc & Cass were at school.

Julie, Alli, Nicole, Suzy, Jeff

Nicole

Allison

Suzy...not wild about heights!

Alli

Nicole

Twins making the walkway into a balance beam and driving their mom crazy! 

Jeff, the camera man, coming down the mountain.

Nicole and Alli posing with a prickly pear cactus. Look...it's in bloom!

Suzy and Jeffy with the cactus.

Awww...hand-in-hand.
Alli, Suzy, Jeff, Nicole

Alli, Nicole, Suzy, Jeff on the ASU campus.

 

Jeff and Suzy enjoying the sunshine on their last afternoon here.