May 2021 recap

Things are starting to feel a little more normal, despite the pandemic and the ongoing difficulties it has created. The kids are getting back into their activities and spent the spring in-person classes, all of which has been incredible for them! 

Lincoln was so excited in 2020 to sign up for Flag Football. Unfortunately it was cancelled along with many other activities. Of course he was so eager to sign up again this year and thrilled when we learned they would be holding the season! 

He's played his heart out, learning to throw passes and make running plays. He has a lot to learn, and he's not the most aggressive at ripping off those flags. But he loves to play and is having a great time. 

We headed down to Quad City for another tournament with Sidney's team. Unfortunately for us, day 1 of the tournament was completely rained out so the tournament turned into round-robin games. We salvaged the weekend with a lot of team bonding and some extra indoor practices. Gotta love Mother Nature! 

Lincoln also signed up to play for baseball this summer; he always told us there was absolutely no way he wanted to play baseball. And suddenly this spring, he changed his mind and insisted he wanted to play. 

He admits that he loves hockey better, but he's learning about baseball and giving it a try. And he was sooooo very excited to play catcher like his big sister! 

Our neighbors headed out of town one weekend and asked us to keep Quinn. She is a sweetheart and such a well behaved one-year old 'puppy'. I loved watching her just hope and beg that Lincoln would share his snack. ha! 

Unfortunately, Regan broke her hand this spring, landing in an unfortunate manner while doing some conditioning drills. Although she and her coach heard the crack, we weren't convinced it was broken. And she insisted that she would catch the next day's game and only then, would we head to the doctor. 

See?, she was smiling the night of the fall. 

 

Well, she didn't make it to the next night's game. I brought her in around noon the next day because the swelling and bruising was getting pretty intense. 

And darn it, that middle bone, in the middle of her hand, had a displaced spiral fracture. 

Although the urgent care doc painted a grim picture, he sent us to an amazing specialist immediately the next day. She listened carefully to Regan's goal (get back on the field as quickly as possible) and we're on our way to achieving her goal. 

Unfortunately, she missed the rest of her high school season as a result. 

To help lift her spirits, my dear friend and UMD softball alum, invited us to attend alumni weekend. We got to hang out and have dinner with the current UMD coach and then take in some games. Regan was more than delighted that she got to also hang with her own coach (also UMD alum).  

Lincoln has spent nearly every waking moment cruising around on his electric bike. Grandma Jan gifted this to him for Christmas and he has been so in love with it ever since. We bring it along to all of the softball fields (even Quad City!) and he darts in/out of people and all over the complexes. 

It's hilarious to hear everyone comment about how cool he is on his bike; and grown men saying they wish they could take a spin! 

Sideline conversations with a 16U coach during one of Sidney's many games this spring. Regan loves learning from these experts, and I love that she is mature enough to hold conversations with them. 

With vaccines on board and sufficient PPE, I've been heading back into the hospital to work. And I'm lucky enough to get to see my BFF's service dog when I'm there. Sometimes I even get to dog-sit :) Pepper has a thing for giving me unprompted hugs, and will jump up on my lap and place her paws on my shoulder. She's even done this in the middle of a meeting!

Seeing her may be the best part about being back on campus.....

When I went to Lincoln's first game this spring, I noticed he was given #4. 

Which is ironic because Sidney is #5

And Regan is #6

It's been a very busy May, and likely a glimpse of what our upcoming summer is going to look like! We are so excited to have a busy calendar again :)  

 

Another track season

When Regan was in middle school, she had athletic opportunities like track and cross country. The school board had sent a message last spring that among other items, middle school sports were being eliminated. 

You can imagine our surprise, when we received registration information for middle school sports this spring. And Sidney jumped on the opportunity to hang with some friends and try track and field. 

Sadly the weather hasn't cooperated too much, but yesterday they were able to hold their first "meet". 

Sidney did discus, 4x4 relay, 100m and hurdles. 

It was so fun to watch her! 

Here she is (Lane 4) doing the 4x4. 
While it looks like her team isn't doing well, they actually placed high considering both blue teams were disqualified for passing the baton in the wrong part of the track. 

She had been terrified to try hurdles because if anyone remembers, Regan bit the dust big time trying hurdles (though she was speedy on them). Sidney came home from practice last week after trying them for the first time and was flying high. She claimed the coaches were impressed by her form. 

And by golly, she was right! 
Look at that form. 

And she is speedy quick leaping over those things. 
Most kids just jump over them, but she's doing it correctly!

Super proud of this one here :)  

Nice job kiddo! 

 

Go Jags!

Regan's high school softball team started their season this month and it's been so great to see these girls back together again. 

They haven't played on the same team in 2 years, as they are all on separate club teams. So when they all made the JV team this season, it felt like we won our own lottery!
And to make it better, their parents are pretty fun too :) 

I had to purchase their "Covid mask" team picture from the professional photographer. It certainly is a memory. 

Regan has been catching Maria since 10U and she absolutely loves to catch her now just as much as she did then! She's consistent and hits her spots; and it was so fun to see this duo back out there together again. 

She's having a good season, working hard behind the plate and getting some great hits at bat. High school ball isn't nearly as competitive as club. Her coaches move around the girls to various positions, she even played outfield last weekend. A place she hasn't played in years! She was a little relieved not to get any balls hit to her :) 

No matter where she's at, we sure love to watch her play!

 

Tournament season

With high school season started, most of the older girls' club teams are on "pause". However, Sidney's age group is in full-force and has started their tournament season. 

They've been practicing hard, even though it has mostly been all indoors thanks to Mother Nature. 

With just a few outdoor practices under their belts, we packed up and headed south to Des Moines for the first tournament of the season. And Sidney's first ever out of state tournament.

Sidney had a great weekend, playing all 6 games in their entirety, never sitting a single inning. I love watching her do her thing on that dirt. She is an incredibly aggressive baserunner, sneaky and loves to delay steal (shhh, don't tell the opposing team her secrets!).

They didn't come out as the top winner, but they played their hearts out, learned a lot and made so many memories. 

Third base is by far her most favorite position. Since giving up pitching last summer, she loves playing the corners with third being on top of it all. She enjoys being in on the action. 

These girls are a great team, and their parents are pretty fun too! 

Looking forward to the next month and two more tournaments before things get real crazy this summer! 

 

Easter 2021

Our Easter was not as traditional as most years, but we had a surprise up our sleeves that may turn into a new tradition. 

Lincoln woke up early for an egg hunt and to see what the Easter bunny had left him. Since he's super loud, it didn't take long before Sidney was awake and joined him. Eventually we dragged Regan out of her bed, to let her know we were headed to....

THE LLAMA FARM!!

All three of the kiddos had been begging us for months to take a trip to the llama farm. Apparently it's been a big hit since the pandemic (great for social distancing!). I had tried getting a reservation in the fall before the snow but struck out. 

And then I tried again about a month ago, only to find out they were booked out 4 weeks. At that point, the girls' softball schedule was unknown and it seemed impossible to schedule something without risking overlapping with a practice. 

So when the farm offered an Easter appointment, we knew it was perfect timing! There was no way anyone would have softball, and at the time, we had  no plans for Easter anyway (thanks to Covid). 

Everyone was screaming with excitement as we got dressed and headed to the farm. It was a beautifully gorgeous sunny day to pet, walk, feed and brush the llamas. 

And we had nearly the entire farm to ourselves :) 

Perhaps the best part of it all, was meeting baby llamas! 

They had 2 new llamas, this little guy only 2 weeks old! Regan was nearly crying as she held him, she was so happy. And boy are baby llamas soft. We had to go back before leaving to give them one more squeeze. 

Who needs a dog?, we'll just walk llamas. 

We headed back home to meet up with the grandparents in the backyard in the most safe manner we could: no food, stay outside and keep your distance from one another. 

My mom has been begging to recreate this photo for a couple of years; and unfortunately we haven't been able to get close enough to one another for even a few seconds to snap a photo. 

Until now, since Grandma Jan is fully vaccinated. We made this a quick photo and then everyone quickly scattered again. 

But sadly the girls aren't in the right order so we'll need a retake! 

Easter looked a little different, but it was 100% better over the last year. And I think it's safe to say, the llamas made everything better. 

 

February wrap up and into March

I'm a little behind, trying to catch up on February (just before March ends). 

A bunch of random updates coming up:

We spent the month cautiously starting to venture out more, while still keeping our distance and staying safe. As we nearly approached the year mark of the pandemic, the girls were still in distance learning, but thankfully enjoying their softball winter training. Ryan and I were still working from home and Lincoln had thankfully gone back to school full-time. 

Ben and Jon sent us this hilarious mask. We all took turns with it and the laughter was contagious! We needed this laugh! 

Regan, Lincoln and I went tubing at Buck Hill. Regan laid in this position and said "if you close your eyes and let the sun hit your face, it almost feels like you're in Hawaii". 

Almost kiddo. 
Almost. 

We busted out the Just Dance on the Wii and did some family dance offs. Regan is usually our winner but Lincoln and I are never far behind!  

Regan hit her first, and second home runs during dome ball. Fans weren't allowed at the fist game but I was lucky enough to be there to see the second one :) 
So excited for the summer! 
Photobomb courtesy of her BFF-Syd. 

We got to spend some extra time with our favorite 4 legged friend, Pepper while helping get her to a couple vet appointments. 
These kids adore Angie's dog(s) and we love our sleepovers and playdates. 

Thanks to vaccinations, Grandma Jan made a trek to visit one spring-like day. And lucky for us, she brought with her Regan's favorite: sauerkraut balls and ALL of our favorites: Happy Joe's taco pizza! YUM! 

Thanks mom :) 

We continued on with some house projects; this one a little more disruptive than we had planned. What started out as adding a couple of lights and changing out a light fixture turned into an all-day ordeal and a giant mess. 

Needless to say, I had to move my home "office" for the day as the mess developed. They did a great job and we are so happy to have it done. 

Sidney spends FAR too much time on screens, particularly Netflix. She's gotten into a show that is on regular TV and simply could not understand the single episode a week programming. She's so used to binge watching that it didn't make sense to wait 7 days between episodes!
But now, to watch her anticipation each week, it's so great to see her get excited for something!  

We purchased all new furniture back in November, and still anxiously awaiting it's arrival. 

However, we opted out of a new dining room table until Lincoln is a little older. Sadly, our chairs needed a facelift so I pulled up good old Pinterest and I got to work. 

Happy to say they look great! 

This girl wants a dog so so bad. She loves having a 4 legged friend to snuggle up with and keep her company. 

That's a wrap as we end winter 20-21. Ready for spring! 

 

Drivers

It's been under 6 weeks since Regan passed her permit test and started driving. In those short weeks, she has completed nearly half of the required driving hours she needs before she turns 16. 

That's 25 hours of daylight and nearly 9 hours of nighttime driving she has already clocked. (Thank you to Vortex for daily practices to allow for 45 minutes of drive time!). 

She's getting better, but has a lot of work to do :) 
Sidney and I are usually buckled in tight, terrified for our lives, trying not to get sick from her constant speed changes.

 (love you Regan!). 

Meanwhile, these two are loving the nicer weather and are out doing some driving of their own. Lincoln loves his dirt bike and he/Ryan have a great time tearing around the neighborhood streets! 

 

A long winter

 This COVID winter has been a long one. We're packing in some fun, but the days get long sometimes. Trying not to feel like ground hog's day. Or spend hours on end on screens. True confession: we spend way too much time on screens right now. So when Angie asked me to urgently pick up Pepper and take her to the Emergency vet, I had PLENTY of helpers! 

And not to worry, Pepper was completely fine. I think she just wanted to hang out with Auntie Liz for a few hours :) 

Thankfully there is softball, hockey and more softball to help break up the days. 

Lincoln's hockey season is at the point where he has been playing regular scrimmages and learning so much about the game. This week we gathered with 2 other teams and did a super fun adult vs kiddo game. Lincoln went to bed that night and said it was his most favorite night of hockey EVER! 

While Sidney is only able to practice right now (her dome season was cancelled due to Covid), Regan is having a blast hitting homers during her dome games! We're so proud of her hard work. 

Regan took to the slopes last weekend one evening. It's been tough to get out skiing this year, between softball and having to fight to get a lift ticket/rentals. Seems like everyone has the same idea. 

The warmer weather is making us all very excited for what lies ahead. We are dreaming of long summer days, filled with warm sunshine and lots of screen-free fun. 

Happy Golden Regan!

Fifteen years ago, on a bitterly cold morning (much like today!), I went into labor with our firstborn. She surprised us, ready to come nearly 4 weeks ahead of schedule. But she was ready to greet the world and we are so proud to be her parents! 

She's grown into such a beautiful teenager and it is so fun to watch her find her place in this world. As much as she tells me she's no longer in love with going to dance classes every week, she sure shines on stage and loves being in that spotlight. 

I love looking back at where she came from.
Up on stage, begging for a Hippopotamus for Christmas in a pink and black dress! 

And seeing her debut as catcher, just cracks me up! Sitting in the dirt. Not a care in the world as to how she is actually supposed to squat. 
My guess is she was actually playing in the dirt, and probably dodged every ball that came her way :) 

She's come a long way, playing this game she loves so much. In fact, when the pandemic shut down her club for a few months, we installed a heater in the garage so she (both girls actually) could continue working on their game. She holds a record for most recorded swings in the whole organization (they use some pretty awesome bat technology to track swings and provide feedback)! And all that practicing paid off when she hit her first dinger this winter! 

We scored a pretty awesome impromptu photo shoot recently. She was doing her thing, having a catching lesson with her club. Nearby a professional photographer was finishing up taking headshots for the website. He told her to remove her covid facemask for a quick picture, and then later sent her this image. 

I love it! 

Her golden birthday is not exactly how she planned it would be, pandemic and all. Little did she know, her best high school buds had a surprise up their sleeves. And with a little mom-coordinating of schedules, I managed to convince her to run outside in the -10F weather to grab the mail (for the record, it’s Presidents’ Day, there was no mail)! And out from no where jumped her two besties with silly string and gold balloons, hats and presents! She’s picked some pretty amazing friends (bonus: they have amazing parents too!)! 

So alas, her pandemic Golden wasn’t completely a bust. And her bright personality shines on, just like in this photo below. 

We love watching her grow up. She's loud and outgoing, friendly and an extrovert. 

Happy 15th Regan! 

15 things I love about her: 

-she makes friends wherever she goes

-she is dedicated and driven

-she does her homework, without reminders 

-...and her grades show it! 

-she can easily talk with adults 

-we jam out to music on our daily drives to softball 

-she willingly tries new activities 

-she knows what she likes, ...and what she doesn’t 

-she works hard 

-she has a passion for animals, even tho we don’t have one

-she has a giant heart 

-she loves a MN summer 

-she’s a great traveler! 

-she loves to explore whatever I come up with when we travel 

-she has a beautiful smile! 

Love you sweet girl!