Conference Cross Country Meet

It was the conference cross country meet for Mari and Elliot this afternoon, their last meet of the season. They both had good seasons and I already can’t wait for next year.

Elliot, near the finish.
Mari, near the start.

Knoxville Cross Country Meet

This afternoon we went to Knoxville for a Cross Country meet for Mari and Elliot. It was finally nice, cool weather and running around the golf course in Knoxville was beautiful, but I hear it was hilly.

Mari at the start
Elliot chasing the gator, which is a good place to be.
The girls JV team, or at least some of it.
The boys JV team

Homecoming Dance

This Saturday was Valley’s Homecoming Dance. Mari and Elliot were in the parade on Thursday with the cross country crew and tonight was the dance.

Mari went with friends: Caroline, Nissa, Loran, Lila, and Mari.
Elliot went with a cross country group: Greta, Elliot, Callie, Aiden, CoCo, Will, Autumn, and Jack

Homecoming parade

This afternoon we went to Valley’s Homecoming parade. We almost went to the completely wrong place because we had the wrong parade route, but we realized it just in time and made it to the parade in time.

Lila and Mari in the boys truck
Elliot wearing a grass skirt.

Rainy Saturday

Rose’s first soccer game of the year. It was 60 degrees and raining. We were saved by one lightning at halftime – the only lightning of the day.
Staying dry after the game.
Mari had two games today, both of which were cold and rainy.
In other news, Lucia is going to start playing the cello this fall. She will take lessons at school.

Late Summer Happenings

Lucia’s first time going off the diving board.
Susan and Shelly in Shelly’s classic car.
We went to a Des Moines Menace playoff game. They lost on PKs.
We went to a car show.
We decorated the sidewalk.
We went for a walk along the Des Moines river while Mari was at soccer tryouts.
Making bracelets was a popular activity this summer.
I was a referee at Keeper Wars, a goalie competition.
The kids made our foam float into a slide for the pool.
The girls played in the creek on a walk with Susan.
We got a cool volleyball net for the pool.
We went for a hike at Greenwood Park.
Rose, Lucia, and I went to the state fair.
Andrew and Susan went to Eatery A for a final meal. College departure is close.
Boy Cousins. They had a final weekend together, spending the night and doing some fun activities.
Mari’s soccer season started, with a new club. She is in the white.
We got a new couch.
8/16 – We had the Liesses and Reagens over for one last dinner before Andrew and Ian head off to college.

Birthday Weekend

This weekend we celebrated Mari’s 17th birthday and my 41st birthday. The Reagens and Mimi and Papa came over a couple of times for cake and ice cream.

Mari likes to go to PF Chang’s for her birthday dinner. This is probably the most popular sit-down restaurant for our family.
Cousin Swimming
Rob and Mari
On Saturday night Susan, Rose, Lucia and I went to see an outdoor performance of Into the Woods.
Swimming on my birthday.

Gossamer

This evening Mari had her second showing of Gossamer. It is a one-act play that she is participating in as part of the Iowa High School Speech Association’s annual competition. Districts were a couple of weeks ago in Oceola and her group qualified for State, which was hosted today at Valley. They will find out on Monday if they make it through to the All-State competition. There are no photos during the show, so we must settle for before and after.

The stage
Mari with her eye make-up.

PS – Mari’s show was on Friday night and most of the acts and shows were on Saturday. We spent most of the day there enjoying the various acts: short plays, improv, radio production, tv production, musicals, readers theater, choral reading.