June 2025

Happy Birthday Rose! (10)
Lucia’s dance intensive
Lucia and GG go to Riverside Bible Camp
Lucia’s cabin group
Lucia loves carpet ball.
Now Rose goes to camp!
Rose’s cabin group
The boys and I went to SJU for Elliot’s summer orientation
Whether they like it or not, the boys can’t help but laugh at each other.
Happy Birthday, Mari! (20)
Rose at camp.
. . . and we’re at the lake.
spikeball
pad life
Gary and Kathie
Me and Susan
Liess Clan
Family Pic
Susan went to her college reunion.
I took the girls camping in Decorah
Ruben came, too.

Girls on the run

Rose did Girls on the Run this fall and loved it. Today was their 5k. She ran with Elliot as her running buddy and they did a great job. Rose was really sad when it was over.

Rose and Friends
Rose and Friends and Coaches
Most of the Crossroads group
Rose and Elliot near the finish. They are well ahead of the pack.
Elliot and Rose at the finish.
Post-race açai.

Birthday Week

This past week Mari and I celebrated our birthdays, with small parties on our birthdays and a bigger family party on the weekend.

Mari’s birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse.
Who is inside and who is outside?
My birthday, hanging out around the firepit.
Pool volleyball at the larger family party.

We’re Famous – Clive Living Magazine

A few weeks ago Elliot and I were interviewed for an article in Clive Living magazine. I thought we were going to be part of a larger article, but when Susan pulled the magazine out of the mailbox Susan said, “Rob, have you seen this?”

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.

Ski Trip with Andrew

This past weekend Andrew and I went to visit Regis University in Denver and then went skiing at Keystone. Andrew did a wonderful job snowboarding. I managed to make it down the hill a few times on my skis.

Lunch Parking Lot
Tunnel in the training zone. This was Andrew’s first time officially snowboarding and my first time on skis since college.
Ready to get started.

August 2021

  • Working on the deck railing
  • Bike ride for Rob’s birthday
  • Patio planning
  • Andrew Senior Pictures
  • Andrew Senior Pictures
  • Senior Picture Moms
  • Ian and Andrew
  • Night Swimming
  • Coloring at Elsie’s
  • Mari and Hope
  • Ice Cream
  • Crushed rock for the patio
  • Mini Golf
  • Triathlon
  • Susan and Rob in the pool
  • State Fair
  • Working on the patio
  • Lemonade Stand
  • XC Campout
  • XC Camput
  • Elliot first day of school (9)
  • Mari first day of school (10)
  • Andrew first day of school (12)
  • Lucia and Rose first day of school (3,1)
  • At the bus stop
  • They got on the wrong bus the first day of school, and went to the wrong school
  • Andrew at first XC meet
  • Elliot at first XC meet

Minneapolis Soccer Tournament

This weekend we headed to Minneapolis for a soccer tournament for Mari’s team. We watched a lot of soccer and spent a lot of time hanging out with friends.

Mari must be out there somewhere.
Susan, Lucia, and Rose took a morning off to visit friends: Hope, Sarah, Susan, and Jen.
Saturday was my 40th birthday, so we had a little party in our hotel room.