Heading South

Our summer vacation has begun and we have started our voyage south.  Our first stop was at Aunt Janna's house.  After a trying drive down, we finally made it in late Friday night. 

On Saturday we got to spend the day with all of the cousins.  In order to beat the 100 degree plus temps we cooled off in the pool.  The kids had a great time.

Cassidy also had asked if we could take her to Uncle Robert's grave site.

Goggles

Apparently goggles are the key to becoming a successful swimmer for the Shelton kids:)
Last summer, Cassidy made huge strides in the area of swimming.  All because she wore goggles that belonged to our dear friends Alex and Amanda!

 

Carter has recently started wearing his goggles, too.  Yesterday at the pool, he showed me how he can do a backward roll under water!  This can't be the same child who a couple weeks ago flipped out because his face got wet during a bath!!
Who knew?

End of an era

After 11 years and more hours than I care to admit, it was finally time to say goodbye to the big screen TV I won from the NCAA tournament pool in 2001.  It is hard to believe that I had that TV before even meeting Jenny and starting our life together.  After some repairs a few years ago it finally was time to say our fairwell. 

Cass did not want to say goodbye to it... must mean she watches a little too much TV.

Let them eat cake

9 years ago today she said "I Do" and I am as glad now as I was then.  Here is to many more years of eating cake together...

Perch and Peeps

 While I only got to spend the weekend at Lake Erie while the rest of the family got to stay for another 4 days, I did get to enjoy Father's Day with my favorite peeps and a great perch sandwich.  We had a great time seeing the Marblehead Lighthouse...before the thunder started.  My little peeps are growing up fast...maybe it is all that good Lakeside ice cream!

Lakeside...Part1

The children's choir from our church was asked to provide music for a worship service at the West Ohio Annual Conference.  Annual Conference is held at Lakeside.  So Cassidy, Carter and I boarded a charter bus this past Tuesday and traveled north.  It was not possible to find accommodations for 40 kids and almost as many chaperons at Lakeside so we stayed at Kalahari, a water park in Sandusky.  We arrived at our hotel, checked in and explored a little before having dinner.  Then we headed to Lakeside for rehearsal.  Hoover Auditorium holds 2,600 people...a little different than performing at church!  The kids did a great job considering rehearsal lasted about 2 hours.  Fortunately, ice cream followed:)


Wednesday morning we woke up early, ate breakfast on the bus and arrived at Lakeside around 7:30.  The worship service began at 8:30.  It was an amazing service.  The choir was awesome and well received by the conference.  We even had the Bishop dancing with us by the end. What an incredible experience for everyone involved!


Following the worship service, we headed to Kalahari for an afternoon of fun in the water!  I've decided that water parks must be attended by two parents.  Trying to balance one brave with one not-so-brave was a little tricky!  We still had fun though as no one wanted to leave when it was time to board the bus once again:) A whirlwind trip but one that will not soon be forgotten!

Big Steps...or pedals

While camping this weekend both kids took big steps...sort of.  They both learned to ride their bikes without training wheels.  Saturday morning, Carter asked me to take his off and after only a couple of minutes of running behind him, he was off for good.  Not to be outdone by her little brother, Cassidy asked to have hers taken off too.  Though a little more cautious, she too seems to have mastered the art of riding on two wheels instead of 4.  

Beautiful Bunhead

Just as Cass recently graduated from Kindergarten, she also completed another full year of ballet and moves up to the next level next fall.  She will also have to move locations as the location she went to this past year (pictured) is closing.  She may end up going to BalletMet's main location downtown...where the professionals practice.

While not a professional yet, she has really taken to ballet over the past two years and looks forward to going each week.  

After a whole year, our little bunhead gets the summer off from her pirouettes and plies.

Cass with her teacher, Miss Julia

Moving on up

Today was the last day of school for Carter and Cassidy.  Cassidy graduated from Kindergarten and Carter finished Pre-school (or pretty school as he called it for so long).  While Carter's last day did not include the pomp and circumstance that Cassidy's graduation did, it was still an emotional one.  

Cass' class filed into the room where the parents took pictures and videos.  They performed 2 songs and a poem (video below) before receiving their diplomas.  This was followed by more pictures and then pizza and cookies!  Jenny and I were so glad we could be a part of this special celebration.  

Cass and Carter are now moving on up to 1st grade and Kindergarten!

Our proud graduate with her teachers, Robin and Sarah

   

Carter waving his "I Love You" for the last time out of his
Pre-School room window after I dropped him off this morning