Junior Prom

Its Junior prom night!!  Friday!!  So pumped to have the kiddos over for some photos.  Our tree is killing it right now for a back drop. 

How adorable are these 2?  What a beautiful dress!  love the color.

They lucked out with such a perfect evening.

Let me just let you enjoy the photos.

Frankie dressed up for the evening too

My favorite is still the candids.

Love thinking of these 2 ordering their boutineer and corsage

Nick put out photos at Highland lake boat launch since their prom is being held in Winsted.  Loved getting quite the crew out there.  So fun to see these boys all grown up and cleaned up.

Impressed they got Tyler to attend - even with a date!

Had to get one more with our boy!

Next up, the Adults will party too.  Great to catch up with the Briggs after a busy season.  Great cool Winsted bar.

When we got home, look who we ran into coming back to change for the post prom hang out.  Sounded like the dance was a success!

Gotta love prom season.  so happy for them.

 

The next Lake cabin project

Another project - turning the attic into the orphanage.  Paneling on the ceiling and carpet on the floor. 

Really appreciate our contractor.  He drives a Honda fit and from Portland Oregon.  Creative contractor I will call him.  This is how he put the paneling up in the attic.  He is dating one of Mary's friends and was a contractor and wasn't sure if he was going to start up his business again now that he is in CT.  So technically we are his first customers.  I am impressed what he manages to haul in his non truck vehicle.

Will show you the finished product on the Memorial day weekend post when I was knee deep in assembling beds - meanwhile this is the next and final project (for now) addressing the screened in porch.

Ballers

'Tis the Baseball season.  Shane is on JV for the High school.  Mr Ravita is his coach this year.  A really nice guys that is willing to help out, but doesn't have tons of baseball background.  It was a bit of a tough season with almost 20 kids on the team.  Such a challenge to rotate them all.  Having no cuts is a blessing and a curse. Shane was often their closing pitcher.  Love getting some shots from Mr. Senecal.

Drew got to spend more more year in the Majors - Being young for his grades, the sports age cut off are different allowing him to play here.  We have declared - THIS is where the baseball is fun.  You really never know what is going to happen.  Drew loves playing pitcher, catcher, center and 3rd.  Where ever they need him.  Thank you to Kari Mullins for capturing these gems. 

Brace - 2024 

Lets add another schedule to the mix and have Shane umpiring!!  Here he is suiting up for his first behind the plate game.  Love that he umpires as its forcing him to be a bit more assertive. 

Looking professional

Love how John catpured this with the flag in the background.  Shane also enjoyed the life in the center field.  While we give him a hard time for his wandering mind, he is dialed in with the plays.

Kills it in his tenacious

 base running too

Here is my snack shack volunteer shift.  I was blessed with some pretty fab helpers!

Watching a majors game a look who shows up!  Sweet Ashley girl.  Crazy that she is out about considering the seniors are knee deep in a water wars competition.  Rather amusing end of the year shenanigans.  This year it resulted in a few fender benders but some good fun.  Guess she was safe because she had her weapon on her.

Seriously - these two (heart emoji)

Back and still on break

First order of business upon return from spring break - Prom Posal - While I often say that I have a super power for creating bubble letters, Nick wanted this to be from him.  He did a great job!

Next up a chore morning of leaf clearing at the lake - fueled by cinnamon toast crunch.  Kids rocked the leaves while Mary helped to purge the attic and everything else.  AMAZING.  Loved Charlies declaration that even chares at the lake is fun.

I took our fisherman to Dicks for a new rod and we found out they stocked Stratton brook.  The perfect spot to take him while Chris and I went running.

For some reason this photo just makes me giggle a bit.

Almost as much a this one.  She just love to be where her people are, no matter the size of the bed.

Friday night party at Precision tree service office.  Jeff sure does have some pretty great toys - love how the minds in this shop work.  They created their own axe throwing.  Jeff, even with a glass eye, rocked a bullseye on the second shot (and was frustrated it wasn't on the FIRST shot!.  The party was to celebrate Colby turning 21 and graduating from UCONN.  

 

Next up - The Iowa Hawkeyes!

Final stop on the tour is the IOWA Hawkeyes and for the 2024 - home of Caitlyn Clark - The 2-time runner up national championship women's basketball leader.  Love the spirit I would imagine she brought to the school.

The Drive from Maidson to Iowa city was FULL of farms and rolling hills.  Rather beautiful and relaxing (and STRAIGHT) When you turn towards the university it becomes apparent in the relatively small surrounding town.  I love seeing the flags and the spirit around a school

Love the grand feeling behind the football stadium too

The Hawkeye symbol everywhere

This time our hotel was WALKING distance to the campus.  What a bonus!!  (and tribute to the small town) we walked through campus as the sun was setting.  We found out the following day this is the Pentacrest - it sits on top of the crest of the hill.  Was previously the capital building and now remains on the campus.  It has 4 main classroom buildings surrounding it.  This is the 'quad' area of the campus.

Love this photo of these handsome men

What is cool, there were students sitting on the steps of the old capital building watching the sunset.  They are part of the school's sunset club.  They watch each sunset, photograph it and rate it.  

It sets right there = making this a perfect viewing spot.  Love the simplicity of the club.  There really is something for everyone on these campuses.  You could see kids playing in the field below - as they should!

More of my favorite things on a campus

Very stately Chemistry building.

This is dinner tonight - I called ahead in case they were packed.  We were one of 2 tables.  Our server was a student that even the boys enjoyed talking to.  (He looked like the son of Tom Petty) and they were playing Tom petty music.  I almost asked!!  He differed a year before coming to college.  He was a camp counselor and really just needed that extra time.  Now he is living and loving his time at Iowa.  

The restaurant choice from was historically significant. 

The diner, opened in 1935, has played host to the “Coffee Bean Caucus” and is well-known for its visits from past presidents and future White House hopefuls. Politicians from both parties regularly visited the diner ahead of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, including Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama.

WE are sitting at the table Ronald Regan once sat at.

Simple sandhichey type dinner followed by a famous pie shake that we all shared.

images from the walk home that I loved

Imagine in the morning before Nick and I headed out to college tour.

Our initial meeting was in the old capital building on the top of the Pentacrest.  Not as many folks on the Tuesday tour so a more of a intimate feel.  

Photo of a typical dorm room.  All the wood pieces are 'included' Fun to see the set up.  Our tour guide was a senior with a dance major and self-proclaimed shopper, she said there was plenty of space.  Agreed!  As long as clothes all over the floor count for this crew.

Such a unique mix of new and old buildings.

Highlighing the quite impressive gym here.  Love that the tour guide gave a shout out to Body pump being her favorite fitness class!! Amen sista!

She is a senior and has always said she wanted to climb the 52' wall and hasn't yet.  This made me realize these kids need a list of things to do before they graduate!!  There is just so much and if you don't prioritize it just doesn't happen.  Something as simple as this!

Love the student watching in-between classes.  Direction one -

Direction two

Where do you think we find our crew?  On the green.  What to go Chris!  What is drew doing?

The final photo - its time to head home.

What a trip.  I loved every second.

Even the rain in wriggly stadium. the 23,000 daily steps, the time at meals without our phones, the hotel pool, the hotel gym, the comedian on the cold wet boat, the college student tour guides, the marvel in Nick's eyes, the couples at the Wisconsin dinner (that I want to be like!)  Eating at J's breakfast club, having beers by ourselves at a Iowa bar and drew clogging the toilet (he is my child).  Sharing hotel rooms, swapping chargers, watching games. dreaming about college life what was and what will be.