Sports Camp

Our soccer coach recommended a British Soccer Camp that is put on every summer.  We registered for it and I’m glad we did.  The boys had a great time!

One of their teammates, James, was in their class, too.  Their coach’s name was Coach Phil and he (obviously) spoke with a British accent.  We loved listening to him talk

He told us they come over and stay for 10 months out of the year running soccer camps all over the states.

This week we are doing our Max Out Sports week, again.  It focuses on a different sport each day.  The boys did this last summer and loved it!  I found one was going on in our town, so I jumped on the chance to sign them up.  Mason was feeling under the weather today, so he missed it… but hopefully he will get better fast and be able to attend the rest of the week.  Here they are on the first day.

Kentwood meet Farmhouse

We loved the loft beds, but we needed a change and I found the ‘perfect’ beds.  I used Ana White’s website again (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her website!!!) and found two beds I liked.  I liked the headboard of one (Kentwood) and the storage drawers of the other one (Farmhouse).  So we combined them.

One minor problem… the storage drawer bed plans came from a queen… no one thought much of it, the building took off. 

Aren’t they beeee—YOU-ti-ful!!!!

As they were finishing, the question of the length was brought up.  Reality check: A queen bed is LONGER than a twin bed.  OPPS!  So, the boys were also upgraded to NEW X-Long mattresses (and sheets).

We repainted one wall and got some fun stripes to add interest.

One great thing we did this time around was hire a professional to do the bed painting… SO glad we did.  Because of this step, the beds look professionally MADE.  I can’t believe how great they look. 

TIP: When you take the drawers out to be painted and then to put the hardware on ---- mark the drawers, so you know which slot each one goes in!

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it would be perfect for our sports theme room.

Here they are working on the Johnson Field Scoreboard!

Always a helper!  Love him!

Let’s hang this thing!!

Done!  Check, check!!!

Love, love, love!! Jeremy told me he is hanging up his tool belt!  No more beds!  Well, it’s good he stopped with a bang.  I could not be happier with how it all turned out

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July… our church home groups combined and we had a fun celebration very close to where the fire works were shooting off.  It also happened to be across the street from the local fire station.  Yep, the boys were MORE entertained by the fire station than the action in the sky.

Here is the nice police officer entertaining the boys before the fireworks started.  (See the fire station in the background?)

And for the record… I got the chairs out, handed each one to the boys and when I turned back around with my chair – they were gone…

They went around our entire group and plopped down right in front – so close to the street that someone sweetly had them move back a little!  Thanks, Rebecca or I’m sure they would have sat in the street!!!

During the show, the fire station got a call and two trucks left with their lights and sirens on… it was the ultimate highlight of the boys’ night!  What fireworks??  Did you see the fire trucks, Momma??

Sweet officer, he comes to our church most Sundays to watch over our children’s area.  When I came up to take the picture he was telling them why we celebrate the 4th of July. 

Mason took my phone for a minute and these are two of several pictures he took.  So typical – one of the fire works and one of the fire station… that about wraps up our night.

San Francisco

We planned a last minute trip to San Francisco and invited our good friends, Lisa and Chris.  We were super excited to get away.

Lisa and Chris had a stomach bug going around their house that just so happened to wrap up at the beginning of our trip (not a fun plane ride, huh, Chris?).  Not great for them, but while they got caught up on some needed rest – we had a date night our first night in San Francisco.  We picked this tiny Italian place in North Beach.  LOVED it!  I think we could have stayed there all night.  The atmosphere was amazing and the food was just as great.  It was such a quaint little place, I felt super cheesy asking the waiter to take our picture, so I took this picture (without the flash ).

The next morning, with Chris and Lisa feeling great, we headed to our first tourist-driven place: Alcatraz.  Jeremy was super excited to go … I recommend going and doing the audio tour is a must!

We started our tour with Angel Island.  I read a historical fiction book about two women from Shanghai that were imprisoned on Angel Island in the 1930s.  It was neat reading that book and then taking this tour.

Here we are on Angel Island – the views were beautiful!  Golden Gate Bridge

Views of San Francisco

Lisa and I on the trolley tour.

After the tour of Angel Island, we went to Alcatraz.

It looks huge, but the actual prison part was smaller than it looked.

I loved this sign to greet us at the beginning of the tour.

We are now in prison, Lisa!

Don’t worry, Jeremy will come visit!  (I’m sure Chris will, too.)  This is the actual prison visiting room.

They also will read the rules for visiting!

Glad I was able to escape

The warden had a great view!

The prisoners, not so much!

Solitary Confinement

On the audio tape, an actual former prisoner of Alcatraz said the most torture was knowing they were only a mile and a half from San Francisco.  He said they could sometimes hear people talking and laughing – especially on New Year’s eve.  It might have been torture, but what amazing views.  I still can’t believe ‘they’ looked at this island and decided, ummm, great views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc., let’s build a prison here!

Golden Gate Bridge from the boat.

Good-bye Alcatraz……. (we got back to the hotel for a nap before dinner and The Rock was on TV, both Jeremy and Chris wanted to finish the movie before dinner!)

Welcome to Chinatown.

Not really impressed… but still neat to look at all the signs in Chinese and the street performers.

The Painted Ladies

And last: Lombard Street!  So crazy to see!!!  We saw all 8 hair-pin turns.

The foliage was beautiful!!  Of course, I think out of all the touristy places, this was hands down the craziest place I saw with tourists… I would NOT want to live on this block!  And… they are multi-million dollar houses on this street!  Crazy!!!