Annual Pool Raising

Every summer, around the beginning of June we always put up our above ground pool. At the end of summer last year we threw away our old one because it had a hole in the top ring that we could not find. Every day we had to re-inflate it. So this year I wanted a bigger, deeper pool. We didn't have any at our Costco, but Teresa found one for us at her Costco.

Last Saturday and Sunday we got it set up (what a chore!) and got the water filling. Every year the kids can't wait for it to be filled so they play in it while it's filling. It's a huge slip and slide.
This year it was just Nicole sliding around :-( It wasn't that nice out, but that thick skinned little girl went in anyway.
Marcus is checking it out. It's pretty tall.

Nicole doesn't want to wait for the pool to be full, in she goes anyway.

After splashing around in the pool for a while Nicole hopped into the hot tub to warm up. It wasn't exactly warm enough for playing in the water!

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Our Annual Pool Raising turned out to be a Pool Nightmare. With about 3" of water in the pool I noticed water standing outside the pool on the ground cover. I wiped it up thinking maybe it was from throwing the hose in there. So I dried it up. Came back later, and more water had pooled up. After further inspection I found 3 holes in the bottom of the pool liner. I was so mad!! That meant I had to drain the pool, take the poles down, dry the pool and put everything away. I called Costco and told them the situation and they said to get Teresa's membership number and they could look the sale up that way. Great, no problem. Yeah right. The computers were down on Monday when I went to return it. I had to leave it in the back of my Suburban until Wednesday when the computers finally came back up. Then, I could return it.

So, no big pool this year. Bruno remembered we had this pool in the shed from when the boys were smaller. I thought I'd thrown that away because it had a hole in it. It's pumped up and filling so we'll see if it stays filled with air. Just checked....it's not. I don't think it's our year for a pool. Oh well, I guess we're not supposed to have much of a summer anyway. Shoot!

Last Choir Concert of the year

With the encouragement from his friends Austin and Karl, Marcus decided to join Men's Choir for the 2nd semester this year. He has really enjoyed it, so much that he tried out for Concert Choir and Synergy (jazz) for next year. He made both and will have two classes of choir his Senior year. Tonight was the final concert of the year.

Photo op before the concert.
Austin and Marcus before the concert. That's Karl in the background being sheepish since he didn't have his full uniform on.

I didn't have a very good angle, so not the best picture. The last song of the evening I thought I'd get a great picture of Marcus, until the choir director stood right in my way! This is as good as it gets. But they did a great job, and sounded wonderful. We look forward to more next year. Although we will NOT be bringing Nicole. It was her choice to come tonight and she did pretty good for the first half, then quickly got bored and wiggly for the second half. At over two hours it was just too long for her.

Making the best of a baseball weekend

Alex's baseball team was having a double header on Saturday, May 31st on Orcas Island. With the ferry schedule and the waits, we decided to make the most of it and go over Friday night and stay for two nights. The Sager Family did the same thing and we booked two condos at Smuggler's Villa Resort. The resort itself is great, just across a canal from a small airport and right on the water it was a great place to stay. A nice pool area, a communal fire pit for roasting smores, and condos with their own decks.

We kind of got a late start to dinner so by the time we got back from dinner this was all of the sunset we got Friday night. This is the view from our deck of the condo.

Hanging out on the deck of our condo.

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Saturday, May 31st the team had two games against the Orcas Island team. Even though we won the first game the Orcas team provided lunch for all of the players and their families. Perhaps it was the turkey dogs that slowed our boys down because they got whooped in the second game.
Kevin pitching.
Alex playing 1st base while Kevin pitched.
Alex usually plays 3rd base.

Steve was the unofficial scoreboard keeper.

After spending all day at the baseball field watching Alex play, Nicole was ready for some fun in the pool.

Kevin, Kelsey and Alex played "ball" in the pool, while the parents watched on. The water was too cold for the parents to go in. But the kids had fun.

Having missed the sunset the night before we made it back from dinner in time to sit at the tip of the breakwater and watch the sunset. It was gorgeous.

Nicole and the setting sun.

I took so many sunset pictures, it was just beautiful!!

Alex
Alex waving to a plane coming in for a landing.

Kevin, Alex, Kelsey, Korey and Nicole watching the last of the sun.

After a long day of playing baseball, playing in the pool, and having smores by the fire, the kids weren't done. They decided to sleep outside. Here they are taking all the cushions from the deck chairs and setting up a "bed".
Nicole helped.

Nicole so badly wanted to sleep out there too, she didn't last 10 minutes.

Kelsey and Alex, getting ready to brave the elements and sleep outside. They raided every blanket and comforter in the condos.

Sunday morning------ I can't believe they made it all night, and it didn't rain.
I thought for sure they would eventually come inside, but they didn't. They were a lot hardier than I gave them credit for. The evening cloud cover kept the dew away too.

Our baseball kids

Waiting her turn to bat.
Swing and a miss.......

Nice hit Nicole.

She runs just like Marcus did.
So cute.

Watching a ball go by.
Waiting for a good pitch.
Chatting with his good friend Kevin.

Last band concert of the year

Every year in May the Mount Vernon Schools get together for an all school band concert. Since Alex was in 5th grade playing the trumpet we have been going to these concerts. In the 6th grade he played the trumpet and the saxaphone. In 7th grade it was back to only the trumpet. Then in 8th grade, when the wonderful Mr. Wagner came to the school he shook things up a bit and asked Alex to play the tuba. He played the tuba in concert band, but kept up the trumpet in jazz band. Now what all those band kids strive for has come.....playing in the high school band.

Snappy dresser.

The Mount Vernon High School concert band. It is always fun to hear the 5th graders start, and end with the high school band. It really shows what great progress they all make, and can strive for.

The tuba section. Alex is using the borrowed "piece of crap". They only have two concert tubas, so had to borrow this third one for the concert.
Hey, he's gotten taller! He doesn't have to stretch his neck out to reach the mouth piece anymore.
Our tuba player.

Birthday BBQ at Rick's

Rick's birthday is May 25th, so he had a BBQ at his house for himself and several other people who's birthday was around that time too. The weather was awesome!

Josh, Alex and Jacqui. Alex and Jacqui look like their having such a good time!
"How's that burger, Josh?"
Rick and Barbie cooking the hamburgers.

Me and my brother.
Bruno and Jerry Dronen
Rick
The original gang, all hung out together in high school. Vince Stone, Rick, Jerry Dronen, and Bruno. I met Bruno, almost 24 years ago (in Sept) at Jerry Dronen's house. He was having a house party and I went with Rick. The rest is history.

Alex and Kailah playing Boingo Ball. (or whatever it's called)
Look at that girls form!
Josh, Bruno playing Bocci Ball.
Bruno explains to Nicole how the game works. Josh and Rick concentrate.

Nicole wanted in the yard to play with Jacqui's goats. I thought that was very brave of her, until I realized she just really wanted to play on the toys.
A boar goat and a pygmy goat butt heads. Jacqui has about 40+ goats, with more expected to be born the next month or so. I have to say, they are awfully cute when their little.
The bigger boar goats followed Nicole around.