Soccer Camp

We signed Ellis up for soccer camp this year. Initially he was a little apprehensive about it, but after talking to him a little more we found out it was because he thought we were shipping him away for a week. His dad is a youth minister after all, when he hears the word camp that is usually what it means!

The camp was held at the Christian High School here. A friend from church told me about the camp because her son is on the H.S. team and they are the mentors for the campers. They spend time playing with peers, practicing skills with their mentors, and even have a devotion time together. Camp ended each day with awards for the kids that showed character throughout camp that day.

When we arrived at camp on Monday morning we found out that Drew, our friend from church, was assigned to be Ellis' mentor! It was such a sweet surprise for him!

Ellis really could not have loved camp more. He has soaked every second of camp up and now he is living and breathing soccer. He asks to play at home in the backyard almost as soon as I pick him up and he wakes up about an hour before normal and appears dressed and ready.

Today was our last day and Alaire and I ended up staying the whole time visiting with a friend and watching the kids practice. Ellis had told us that when the character recognition and prizes were handed out he would hide behind Drew so they wouldn't call his name. He hates attention on him. So much so that he would forfeit the prize to remain anonymous. I saw his hiding in action today even though we told him that kids were picked during camp and not by the coach looking out into the crowd during the last circle up. Hilariously I guess God has allowed his Anonimity to last a little longer because after camp was over they called for Ellis Oakes and his mentor to please see Coach Fugman. Ellis was supposed to receive the last award at circle up but there were two kids with the same name at camp. When one of those children was called right before Ellis the coach had to give the two remaining prizes to the two with the same name because he didn't know which was the actual winner. The coach goes to our church too so he met Ellis at midfield and told him the story and is bringing a prize for him on Sunday. When Ellis and drew explained it to me he said, " it's perfect mom! I got a prize and I didn't have to get up in front of everyone!"

Lots of pictures for the grandparents!

Just a few little updates from me. The blog seems to be dying a very slow death thanks to instagram.

Pic #1. Those two crazies asked to play in the hose. Then they asked to make mud. Then they asked to play in the mud. I'm glad they asked!

Pic #2. Trevor went down to lake Cumberland and one of the students he was with caught two turtles for A. and E. They love them but so does Maddie so they are going to find a new habitat soon!

Pic. #3. My crazy sister talked me into running a mudathlon with her. It was a 5k through tons of mud, a lake, and creeks with 40 obstacles in between. During the race it was so much fun but after the race I drove an hour and a half home. Bad idea! I have never been so sore in my life! She wants to do another one in August!

Pic. #4. Alaire and I had a girls day the other day. She wanted to paint a picture for her room. She painted for an hour straight an talked to me the entire time. Her masterpiece is now hanging above her bed.

Pic. #5. Sometimes her outfit combos just make me happy!

Pic. #6. Sunday afternoon Trevor had no activities going on so we went back to explore more trails. We rode for 4.5 miles. It was so fun! We even found a section of trail with two wall turns one after the other. The kids kept asking can we cut back and do it again.

Pic. #6. The pool is open for business and we have a pass. Wammy and Pappy give awesome b-day presents!

Pic. #7. Ellis and Trevor got to go golfing about a week ago with two of their best buddies, Brennan and his dad Daniel. He carried his clubs through five holes and slept almost the whole ride home!

Mt. Biking

There is a family at our church that we adore named the Graybeals. They are just one of those families that you love to be around. They love each other and it shows. Last summer the Graybeals invited us to lake Cumberland to go out on their boat with them. Their boys are teen-agers and our kids not only LOVED the boat but also loved their time with the Graybeal boys! While we were out on the boat Mom Graybeal gave me some advice that I couldn't forget. (that woman is wise, when she speaks I listen) She said, "Every family needs to find a hobby they enjoy doing together. Ours is boating, but yours could be swimming, or camping, music, or hot air ballooning, just anything you all like doing together."

Trevor and I both love Mt. Biking but because of their age and abilities we haven't ever been at a place where we could take the kids. Ellis got a gear bike earlier this spring so when we finally got the bike carrier installed we told him we would take him. We found out that there is a park very close to our house with beginner trails so we loaded up and went for our first try, not really expecting much. I was planning the paved trails for Alaire and I and Trevor could see how Ellis liked it.

As we rode up to the trailheads I could see through a clearing in the trees one of my favorite parts of Mt. Biking, something like a little rhythm section. I told the kids I wanted tI ride it, just wait there and watch and then I would come back for Alaire. They watched and Alaire was the first one to ride tthrough and meet me! They both LOVED it so we kept riding. They did awesome! If my 4 yr old had not been in front of me riding with all her might I may have been a bit fearful on some portions but she shows no fear!

On our way home Trevor smiled and said, "I think we just found our Graybeal!" Yes, yes we did! We found our Graybeal!

After our initial trip we returned two times in a row for more and I still have no pictures of Ellis riding toward me because he was crazy fast and never wanted to stop.

First Lost Tooth

It feels like it has been FOREVER since Ellis realized his tooth was loose. We had bribed him, threatened him and done everything in between to coax him into pulling it out but he just wouldn't have it. When we were in WV auntie Em did some work wiggling it with him but he still wasn't feeling it. By dinner time he was actually using one hand to hold his tooth in while he took a bite of the hamburger in his other hand! He came into the adult table and whispered into my ear that he wanted me to pull it. I tried having him sit in a chair but he was flailing around so much that I finally laid him on the bed and pinned him down, after a few wrestling matches with his tongue I was able to get it out. It was so loose there was barely any blood. He said it didn't even hurt and he was grinning from ear to ear. We put it in a bag for him to keep and he collected dollar bills from everyone there! I would say loosing your tooth with 3 great grandparents, 2 grandparent and an aunt present is a pretty lucrative gig for a 6 yr. old. Later he asked me he knew the tooth fairy was just me but if he showed me the tooth could he still have a dollar. ;)

Busy weekends!!

We have jammed our last few weekends full of fun for a few weeks now. Oma and Opa came to visit for mother's day an took us to the creation museum in N. KY. It was a really cool place but unfortunately I was so busy reading everything in site that I didn't take any pictures.

Last weekend was the 2nd annual sash Beth Napier love your guts 5K. We all got to make the trip this time so we got up early and left late that day. We were all e hayseed but it was a good fast trip home to see my grandparents.

This weekend our pool opens so I'm sure there will be more pictures to come!

Natural Bridge

Auntie Em came to visit last weekend so we finally got to go to natural Bridge for a hike. We stopped for lunch on the road and then hiked up to the bridge. It was a pretty steep climb but we made it to the top after about an hour. Once we made it up the narrow final steps Emmy and Trevor had to walk the kids around because all I could do was sit and cringe. I have a serious fear off heights and I envision anyone near the edge falling right off. It only took us about 15 minutes to go all the way back down. We made a quick stop to grab a pin for the kids camelbacks and then it was back in the car.

We would like tI go back sometime and try the other trails. We even found a ski lift we want to take Michael and Pappy on!

iPhoto dump

A golf trip for Ellis and Trevor.

A baseball game for Alaire and I.

Alaire made herself some toast and a lot of butter.

Alaire continues to impress us with her clothing choices.

Ellis loved the derby pie Alaire and I made.

Legacy Trail

We finished school work quickly this morning so that we could enjoy the day and go for a bike ride. We went on this trail last fall but this time we parked at a new spot. The horse park has a trail head so we parked there and biked our way back to the spot where there is a tunnel under I-75. Trevor clocked our route with his bike app and we rode a little less than 7 miles. This was Alaire's longest ride yet and she did awesome! It was also Ellis' first long ride with a gear bike. He has started to get the hang of it as long as Trevor and I remind him to pay attention to how fast or how slow his legs are moving.

We are all looking forward to more biking this year as the weather turns nice. Ellis even wants to give Mt. Biking a try!

Birthday at Mammoth Cave

We celebrated my birthday this weekend. Originally, I wanted my family to come down so we could go to Natural Bridge and explore but Friday night when they got here the weather turned very wet and we had to make a back up plan.

This week happens to be free National Park week across the country so we looked into visiting KY's national park, Mammoth Cave. We all piled into mom's van and made the 2.5 hr drive down. The park was really green! I kept thinking about RMNP and how different and beautiful they both are.

We took a 2hr. guided history tour through a portion of the cave. I think we all really enjoyed it. I would love to go back and see some more of the cave and trails above ground. Ellis wants to go on the tour that shows the rivers and lakes in the cave.

After our tour Pappy got the kids a Mammoth cave pin to add to their cammelbacks and then we made our way to Mama Lou's, a restaurant suggested by a park ranger. The food was so good and the banana pudding was delicious!!