Happy 15th birthday to our youngest! Can you believe it? Paige got to begin her awesome birthday by marching with the high school band in our Village Memorial Day parade. Thank goodness it was much cooler weather this morning! Our family met afterwards to share birthday cake - which this year was custard at Kraverz - with Paige. After blogging, I will begin to prepare Paige's birthday dinner request: spaghetti and meatballs!



Since we've been so busy putting in extra hours at work, attending school year-end events, and with softball and track seasons ending, we decided to stay home this Memorial Day weekend. Jeff ordered 10 yards of mulch for us and we put our team to work! We got about half the yard done so we're happy. But Jeff heard his knee "pop" Saturday and has been limping ever since. That hasn't kept him from the yardwork, but us girls are trying to keep him away from it. While watering some of the flowers, Paige discovered a bird's nest in one of our hanging plants on the front porch.


So Paige's freshman softball team is the unofficial conference champ (not recognized at the freshman level) with their win over Brookfield East last Thursday! Paige was bummed that game as she was saved to pitch that final game, but the coaches determined that her batting average was better at games where she wasn't pitching, so they didn't have her pitch. The coaches kept yelling at her to "smile" when she was in the outfield. Since school ball is over, her Little League season can begin!

And Bryn wasn't able to participate as much as she had hoped with the track team. She's planning to head out to La Crosse for the Track State and watch some of her teammates compete this coming weekend. Bryn still attended every practice and meet, fully supporting her team. We visited the foot doctor this past Friday as Bryn is still experiencing some pain and swelling. The doctor prescribed some insoles and anti-flammatory cream and we'll see him back in a month or so.

Bryn had a big day May 22nd. She signed up Abby and herself to ride in the Bike A Thon, a fundraiser for her summer mission trip. It was a beautiful day. I was able to help out again with designing the t-shirts. Aren't they cool? I suggested the red color this year for community visibility. And I stuck around to take some pictures, help with registration and serving lunch at the park, where the halfway point is. Next year I swear I'm going to ride it!

In the evening, Grandma Karen and Grandpa Clark came into town and we all went to see Bryn and Paige perform at the high school for Jazz N Java. Such a nice event. The audience is seated at round tables and is able to purchase drinks and bakery while you listen to samplings from all the area schools' jazz bands.

May 14th I drove out to La Crosse with Abby's boyfriend, Mark, and packed Abby up from the dorms to move back home for the summer. Thank goodness Mark was available and willing. We ran up and down from her dorm room to the van, while Abby kept filling boxes and duffle bags! Then we treated Mark to Buzzard Billy's for lunch and then headed across the street for ice cream. Not looking forward to moving the big stuff into a house for her next year!

The biggest news in my life is that one of my 3 co-workers quit 2 weeks ago. When there's only 4 of you at work, 1 missing makes a huge difference. And that difference directly impacts me. So I'm a 9 to 5 gal now. Temporarily. And it's 7:30 to 3:30. Hopefully my boss will begin interviewing replacements soon. My remaining co-worker, Mike, and I are cranking so hard at work. We barely talk.

This is the group Bryn went to Senior Holiday with last Friday night. We hosted the picture party. They had a lot of fun, except that Bryn had a track meet in the nasty, cold rain the next morning. The track coaches have finally put Bryn in a few meets, but Bryn's been disappointed with her performance. I think she just needs more time. She's very hard on herself. Bryn is filling out all her forms to officially attend Carroll next fall. She picked her grad party to be July 10th, so she could make it to all her other friends' parties already scheduled. I've been helping Bryn resize digital pictures of all her Art projects throughout her Senior Portfolio class - very impressive!

Paige was checked over by her regular doctor today and he gave her the green light to start back in to softball after her shoulder sprain a week ago Friday. Paige really gave her all she got that night with a big lead off first base, only to have to do a crazy head-first slide back when they tried to throw her out. She ended up landing on her outstretched shoulder and it was very painful to move. The urgent care gave her a sling to wear for week. Which Paige literally wore for one week. Paige also saw the trainer today who had her do some great stretches to ease her shoulder back into shape. Paige officially umped her first Little League game last weekend - check's in the mail! I think she liked it.

I had a great Mother's Day! Jeff and the kids took me to see Avatar at the IMAX! It was very cool. A little too much fighting, but the scenery was beautiful. I was also presented with new, very needed, fully assembled laundry-sorting bins.

Our stove is slowly dying. We never know which burner will decide to work or for how long.

Abby has finals this week and her boyfriend and I will be going to La Crosse to move her back home on Friday. Jeff's boss conveniently signed him up to attend a conference that day.