Baseball...sunburns....summer is finally here!

Yup I think that summer has finally arrived! YEAH!!

We can finally break out the summer gear and enjoy the sunshine.  Our last few weeks have been full of outdoor fun!  And yes a few sunburned body parts on mom! Never fails-even with sunscreen :o) Unlike my children who seems to tan beautifully even with sunscreen on! So not fair!!!!

We've gotten to enjoy many games of baseball for both Bayleann and Austin during the last few weeks.  For Austin we travel one day a week for a game and he has a home game each week too.  Bayleann gets to play at home all the time.  She's getting to be a pretty good hitter-not having to use the T at all any more.  Austin has had some great hits too lately...a few double's and triple's.  We just love watching them having a blast on and off the field!


The kid's fancy Panther shirts this year :o)



Getting ready.....

First swing...missed......

Connected...little grounder that got her to second!

Got a homer!

Zoey having a snack during Bayleann's game

This last Wednesday was warm and sunny...Austin was watching from the nearby tree

Getting to third!

Just chillin! Can't let go of her snack tho :o)

We got a Zo Zo in the tree!

Ready...Set...Hit!

Got a double against Deer Creek

Warming up against Wadena last Thursday...Another warm sunny day at the ball park!

Another double!

Having fun with her friends at Austin's game.

We got a swing at a sale for Zoey....she absolutely loves it! She would sit in that thing for hours if we'd let her.  She doesn't even mind going higher and higher each time!

Hangin with Dad

75 mph winds + swing set = fallin swing set! 
Was pretty surprised Friday morning when we woke up this mess in our front yard.  That swing set has been standing for almost 10 years and survived much worse winds out on the prairie-but not this time-must have it hit it just right!

Oh no Zoey's swing!!!!!! She's not a happy camper!

The start of summer fun!

The first day of summer vacation the kids were vegetables :o) Slept late and lounged in their jammies all day-it was well deserved.

But that lounging around didn't last for very long.  Monday came and so did a week of extreme running! Summer rec started for Parkers with basketball in the mornings for Austin and while he's doing that Bayleann has softball. Then when those are over we get a 1/2 hour break than baseball started for Austin til noon.  And if that didn't tire them out we also had basketball camp in Wadena 4 days last week from 1-5! It makes me tired again just remembering :o)

There is another blog that we follow and her title is "Enjoy the small things" and you can't even imagine how true that title is....It was during this week that I realized how important it is to slow down and really enjoy those small things-because as we already know these kids are growing up way to darn fast!  Sure I had tons of work to get down but I slowed down and just watched.  I watched as Bayleann hit her first grounder of the season and the look of excitement when she got to first base and she saw my thumbs up.  Austin getting back into the groove of baseball with all his buddies and Zoey enjoying the outdoors just watching all that was happening around her.  She loves to just watch the kids scatter to and from.  And basketball camp-that I'd have to say was the most fun to watch!

First grounder of the season



Of course we had to play indoors this week because of the darn rain!



Austin's team only got one day of practice in before his first game on Thursday due to the darn rain!

We were lucky and found about this camp that was being held in Wadena (about 30 minutes from home) that was put on by the Timberwolves.  The cost wasn't bad and Austin was super pumped! He's been missin' his basketball something fierce.  Than as an added bonus when we got there and signed him in, the coaches asked me if Bayleann was doing it too-I told them I hadn't really thought about it, well if you'd like she can try it and we'll only charge you half price for her-bonus! So in she went...and let me tell you that was awesome for her-she enjoyed herself so much and of course she kept the coaches on their toes :o)  The drills and games that they did there really helped the kids hone in their skills.  These three coaches were AWESOME they kept the flow going all the time but yet kept the kids interest by making it fun and challenging.  They came home each day telling great stories to dad :o)

A nice group shot...all the coaches played college ball.  Jefferson now plays in the overseas league with the hopes to get into the NBA at some point.  Pat is the activites coordinator for the Timberwolves and Nick helps with the camps. Coaches (left to rt) Jefferson, Pat & Nick.

Really impressed by how many baskets that Bayleann actually made.  She may not have the form down pat yet, but she still gets them in!

Austin and his buddy Eric that came to the camp too

They did a series of defensive drills each day that really helped improve some skills.  It was because of these drills that Austin said parts of his legs hurt that he didn't know could hurt! HA

Bayleann always makes friends in new places, her and her new friend Cole played a game of one-on-one...it was so cute!

A game of five-on-five...the guy with the headband loved Austin's mo-hawk so much he told him he was going to get one...the next day-he had one!

Bayleann's game of five-on-five

And Swoosh!

Coach Nick trying to get her to lose her dribble

Bayleann and coach Nick

More defensive drills

The whole camp group...there were 46 kids during the 4 day camp

Bayleann got her coaches to help her dunk!

Of course our bball star had to get up there too...only he did do it himself :o)

Austin had some awesome baskets during this camp....during some of the different shooting drills he was making 95% of his shots and even some impressive 3-pointers!

The last day the coaches handed out awards to their players and coach
Nick gave Bayleann the best shooter award...she was pretty excited!

Austin got the best ball handler from coach Jefferson....That was one thing that Jefferson told us that I was so proud of....he said that it was very hard to figure out which award to give since each day Austin came and showcased a different strength :o)



And they got these cool t-shirts too!

These kids never stop making us very proud parents!