beisbol: la próxima vez que use protección contra el sol

I do LOVE the Monday missionary email!!

Here's a short excerpt

from Yonder's letter today:

"We played baseball today with several stakes and I got recruited. They played serious! Hired umps, full-out clothing and kept fields. I got toasted but had a fun time."

I'm pretty sure he's given up on the idea that he'll ever be tan.

He just may be the fairest one of all.

(I love him so!)

the mission blog

I'm a faithful follower of

the Panama Mission blog.

I won't lie--I have been sad not to see much of Yonder on there lately.

Today was a treat!

I just found SIX pictures.

Isn't he the CUTEST thing?!?

*sigh*

12

The number of hours I spent driving from game to activity to game to activity to try-out to activity... you get the picture.

We left at 8:30 am for our first soccer game, and got home at 8:30 at night after a trip to Kimball's.  I'm pretty sure the shape of my behind was very similar to the shape of the driver's seat in the car by the time the day ended.

And THAT's why we ended up at Kimball's.  It was the perfect way to round things off, if you know what I mean.

dinner and some espanol

We had tacos for dinner tonight, so maybe that's why things got a little spicy.
It started with personalizing the tortillas--
Padre tortilla.
Probably in honor of our padre, who wasn't there to partake.
Then there were the dance moves to the tune of sacapuntas, using stools as props; only they looked more like walkers, and the kids like feisty senior citizens.
I pointed this out, and it morphed into the race of the nursing home patients, as they hobbled behind makeshift walkers and completed the circuit.  Sometimes the humor gets irreverent.
I'm not very good at stifling my giggles.
The tune of sacapuntas isn't on the top ten list; it's the kids' favorite word in Spanish, and it's like music to their ears.  It means pencil sharpener.  These guys are not the red hot chili peppers, but their moves and tunes are caliente.

It's OFFICIAL!!!

Let me just be a proud Auntie and Sister and SHOUT it from the rooftops!!!

Becky and Steve had their day in court.

Brady is officially in the family.

HOORAY!!

The church of Lambda Delta Sigma

Sunday we attended church meetings in Amherst.  Many times when we've driven to Enrique's dorm at UMass, we've passed the church building and pointed it out to the kids.  So many times, in fact, that when we turn onto Sunset Drive, they start to mock us:
"Look kids, there's the church building in Amherst!"
Sunday morning as we turned onto Sunset, one of the kids said "Aren't there Greek letters or something like that on the church?"  Then it dawned on us.  The church is set back off the road in a residential area, and when we would drive past the building, this precious, precious child was seeing the house along the street that was visible in the foreground.  EVERY time.

Home again

 After a week in Virginia,

Sweet Mesquite came home.

 Her trip was extended by two days because of flight delays and cancellations.

It was her first experience travelling solo, and she came back a seasoned veteran.

We missed her!

UMass Concert Band Spring Performance

 ENRIQUE!!

He's my FAVORITE trumpet player.

It's always good to see him.

Yesterday we made a trip to Amherst.

He really performed well, and all of the pieces the Concert Band played were top notch.

The concert was FANTASTIC.

 He made principal player (first chair) for the trumpet section, which is notable as a freshman. (He's in the red tie below)

 He had a solo in one of the numbers, and was also recognized for his service to the band.

 After the show, we met him at the band building on campus for some mingling and refreshments.

Also some of what Roonie called "voo doo rituals."

We love Enrique!

find the happy in every day

"Forget not to be happy now."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

and so it begins.

My Spring of sitting in a lawn chair and enjoying more than a few good soccer games.

Number 4 is one of my favorite players.
Go team(s)!

Happy Birthday Fenway!

In honor of Fenway's 100th birthday, the park was open all day yesterday so that the public could wander through and pay tribute to America's most beloved ball park. (right?!?)

Even though the crowds were amazing, we walked right in and wandered around at will for about 90 minutes, and felt like we had the place to ourselves.

Our favorites?  The new seating section on top of the Green Monster, signing the birthday book and living close enough to stop by and pay our birthday respects.

Hooray for Boston and baseball!

work... and embellishment

some of us are very happy to work.

 some of us are very happy picking flowers.

 which works out nicely because a string of flowers perfectly accentuates the tractor.

my new cold frame

 leftover lumber + a co-worker's old windows

+ Dub's skills = my new cold frame

Just in case you are not savvy to what a cold frame is/does:

cold frame

noun.

An unheated outdoor structure consisting of a wooden or concrete frame and a top of glass or clear plastic, used for protecting and acclimatizing seedlings and plants.