Jeff's Last Pinewood Derby

January 10, 2014

So this year we made our fastest car yet and we still got beat! Jeff made all of the design decisions and he did a fantastic job. In his 4 heats, he got first place 3 times and second place once. Yet he still came in fourth for his den! He was only 4 tenths of a second off third place and a trophy! He had a great attitude though and thoroughly enjoyed the morning and his really fast car. He did receive the award for most expensive car...we had to add weight when we got their and 2 Euro coins weigh the most for their size. So there were eight euros (a little over $9) glued to the bottom!

Happy New Year and a Lost Tooth

January 1, 2015

Happy New Year! Kelsey kicked things off this year by losing her first tooth! She was so excited and brave! She came to me and said it was getting pretty loose. I told her to give it a twist and see what happens. She did it all on her own!! She is growing up!

Christmas Day 2014

Jeff's Christmas Play: Dear Santa

December 16, 2014

The 4th and 5th graders presented this years' Christmas program at the Elementary school together this year. Usually it is just the fourth graders, but they included the fifth grade classes as well this year. They presented the play "Dear Santa". It shares the stories of several people and their letters to Santa. One letter tells Santa "I need some wheels". There is a super cute song that goes with the letter. Jeff didn't tell me beforehand that he would be riding a bike across the stage during the song and I missed getting a photo of him doing it! It was pretty funny! (The boy wanted a car!)

Henry's First Band Concert

December 6, 2014

Henry has been learning how to play the saxophone this year in beginning band. This is his first experience with an instrument. I have been so impressed with his progress. I cannot read music or play any instruments despite trying to learn even as an adult. He is doing so well. At Christmastime the school hosted a concert with a local music academy (Italian schools do not offer music in the upper grades) to host a concert for a local home for children in foster care. Henry's beginning band played three songs. We then heard from the intermediate and advanced bands as well as the numbers performed by the Italian academy students, and a combined finale by the advanced band and the Italian band.

Christmas Photos by Jodi

A Visit from the Woolstons

November 28, 2014

Our friends from Okinawa came to see us over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We hadn't seen them in 14 years!! We enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving and then spent Friday in Venice. We saw all the major sites and enjoyed a vaparetto ride down the Grand Canal. Venice is a lovely city!

Jenna's Thanksgiving Program

November 26, 2014

The second grade classes presented their Thanksgiving Program and hosted a yummy dessert feast right after. Jenna's class sang the cutest songs and pie is always a good idea!

Rocket Day!

November 22, 2014

While this wasn't our first time shooting off rockets, this was our first Cub Scout Rocket Day. Dad and Jeff built the rocket from the Scout kit and the Pack supplied three different "engines", each one going higher than the last. It was such a cool activity.