June 2017

The day before Jim and I left for our cruise, I participated on a 6-person relay team in an 82-mile race on the Katy Trail.  We started in St. Louis county and finished in Hermann, MO. The KT82 was a long race and was a ton of fun with these ladies!  Our start time was 5:15 a.m., so we had to get up super early for a long day of running.  Here we are in one of our sets of matching tops at the start:

One of my teammates made the shirts.

Jim and the kids came out and rode alongside me during one of my three legs. 

It was so good to see them!

Here I am starting my final leg, which was also the last of our team's 18 legs. 

The finish line photo:

A lot of ball was played in June.  Charlie was on a tee ball team.

Patrick played baseball.

Jack also played baseball.

In the summer, the kids frequently eat ice cream cones in the backyard after dinner.

It's not uncommon for them to swing as they eat their ice cream.

Summer nights in the backyard are fun!

We had our parents over to celebrate Father's Day.  Jim and his dad:

Me with my dad (and the blog's #1 follower):

This girl looked cute in another Nana-made dress.

We had plenty of raspberries at the beginning of the summer (before something attacked the plant).

Jack and Patrick both competed on the swim team this summer.

Patrick got a sweet hug from his youngest fan as he waited for his next event.

Patrick starting his backstroke race:

Jack getting ready for his backstroke race:

Jack diving off the blocks:

Nana loves to come to swim meets!

Aunt Sue stopped by one day with ice cream sandwiches to celebrate Rachel's birthday.  Rachel was traveling somewhere in Europe (I think) at the time.  We took this picture to send to her.

My college roommate Amy came in town for a concert with friends.  The next day she came by to visit with me before her husband and kids came to pick her up to take her to Kansas City for the weekend.  It was a brief, but good, visit!

I took the kids up to Champaign for a brief visit with friends.  Jim was working and couldn't join us.

Fun was had by all!

The kids were so tired from playing that they had no trouble falling asleep.

We went to church the next morning and then had to drive home for Jack's baseball game.

Maggie was honored to be asked to be a flower girl in a wedding.  In June, we tried on the dress she was going to wear (before Nana adjusted it).  She loved wearing the dress!

Jim set the tent up in the backyard one night and Jim and the older boys slept out there. Fun times!