Capturing the Kerrys: June 2014

The kids highlights are below...there have been many over the past two months of fun! They're getting ready for a new summer schedule that involves some sort of combo of Milestones, me and our dear Abby... (See paragraph below on why it's in flux).

Max is ramping down for the school year and ramping up for football. Camps are ahead, scouts are visiting the building, equipment is being ordered and fundraisers are in full swing. The last few weeks, we (meaning the kids and I) have been able to spend time with many of the players during various service projects that help them earn money toward camp. It is so amazing to be around these boys. I'm grateful that our family "looks like this" and our kids get to learn from these high school students, and vice versa. The way these boys interact with Elise and Ryan...it's heart-warming. Max is excited for this summer!

As for me...Just when I start to ease into this stay-at-home / work balance thing, something always serves to set me back a few steps. It's been a very long year of building for the teams I lead since our account was growing. I had been looking forward to a summer that was well planned professionally speaking, but as of this week a lot is changing in order to serve the needs of our client and I am temporarily "super glue" to make things stay together until the right people can be fill the gaps. I hadn't realized why I've felt so burned out lately until I just did my billing for the month: 109.5 hours of overtime will do that to you I suppose. I'm learning to let go of how I thought things were going to and accept an uncertain (temporary I hope) future until everything resolves. I just wish this season would have hit during the polar vortex when I didn't have plans to go to the zoo with my kiddos! I've been blessed with a flex schedule for 5 years, and though Max has suggested it would be personally less stressful to just be full time, I have taken comfort in the fact that my kids are in my care more often than others. To me, that's what motherhood ideally looks like.

So we're looking ahead to lazy days in the blow up pool and our annual trip to Ithaca at the end of the month. Lots of excitement ahead (and below). Enjoy the snaps.

Love, Court, Max, Ryan + Elise

Proof of curly hair on the horizon as she feeds herself some yogurt.

Ryan with his new pet caterpillar, who mysteriously likes to sleep all day. A month later and he's still sleeping. Imagine that!

He's looking more like a full on boy...(mark on his nose is from a face-plant at school resulting in rug-burn.)

Ready for a school day right before walking out the door.

We are making new gardens at the back of our property and the day prior to this photo, we had the players over to help build the garden walls. There wasn't much 5 year old work. That night before going to bed, Ryan was really sad. When Max asked why he said, "I'm afraid I wasn't much help to you today daddy." The next day, Max and Ryan found lots of 5 year old work!

Ryan's first day of T-ball practice.

Showing off their mother's day gifts.

We had an awesome Mother's Day feast at my sister's house!

Elise has been wearing an Iron Man face mask as a helmet lately. She loves hats.

Here she's half Spider-man (check out her hand). I suppose this is what being a little sister to a superhero obsessed brother looks like.

Just doing some shopping.

Ryan's T-ball team is the "Little Sack Fighting Leprechauns." He got this jersey and said, "I'm pretty sure the gave me #1 since I'm the best player." Or it could be that he has field advantage since he's two heads taller than the average player. We've yet to be asked for his birth certificate, but the time is coming. He wears a size 7 and the league is for 4 & 5 yr olds.

My parents sold their home of 20 years, so here's Elise at our last family dinner in the old house.

Max and I were married in the backyard and had our photo taken in the same spot 11 years ago. A lot has changed...

Elise checking out the koi pond while packing up the moving truck.

The BMW made it to Nami + Papa's new house. Here Ryan shows her how it's done!

Daddy's little girl. Their bond i strengthening, especially since I am trying to had her off more often as we are in the final stages of weening.

Ryan and his crew watching Bob the Builder. His critter entourage, mainly comprised of polar bears in an extended family tree, follows him everywhere.

Ryan had his kindergarten assessment. What a great experience. The principle even ran out to give him a hug at the end, since Ryan had colored him a very elaborate narrative about their upcoming time together. Mr. Siegle said it's the first time in 26 years a kid brought art for him to assessment. (PS. He'll be standard, 5 days a week, all day kindergarten.)

Elise is starting to string together sentences: "All done"; "I love (and sometimes "you")"; "I don't know"; and "Go lay down " (directed at Cali) are her most common. Just yesterday when I sneezed, she surprised me with "Bless you!"

For my birthday, I received (from my parents) an old school Fisher-Price set just like the one I grew up with. I love having it for the kids and they're having a great time with it.

A few of the players and Max building my birthday garden! Who knew it would be such work or teenage boys could eat so much, but it looks great!

Little miss in her favorite skirt and hat (yes she's started picking out her own clothes).

She's also discovered sunglasses. Not sure if she looks more like Bono or Elton John.

Besides being huge and sweet. what impressed me the most is that he wrote I Love you...upside down.

Dressing herself. She loves backwards baseball caps.

Ryan and I did ddm's "Bowling for Babies," benefiting the March of Dimes. Ryan beat our entire lane which was comprised of kids and adults. Must have been his lucky bowling shoes and bag from Grandpa!

Ryan and his best-y, Ms. Ella during lunch at Bagger Daves.

Ryan up on his condo with Elise looking on.

Max whisked me away to a bed and breakfast in Grand Haven (on Lake Michigan) to celebrate Mother's Day, kid free :) It was ironically the site of the first "family" vacation we'd ever taken with Ryan.

I took on a project to re-do the playroom for the kids. Turned out better than I had hoped! (This is just a small part, but it showcases Ryan's Lego and then has a place for kids to draw with dry erase markers in those giant frames).

Pizza Party at Henry Danger's house.

Ryan, Henry and Caden hanging out.

Ryan and the Entourage.

Elise and her developing Entourage. Generally her thing is puppies.

Ryan at his first t-ball practice looking like Uncle Billy (who played minor league catcher)...

And now looking like Daddy (who played college baseball).

Ryan and the neighborhood girls laughing over Richard Scary's silly illustrations. I wish you could have heard the giggling!

During bedtime, I happened upon this sweetness.

Memorial Day is always spent at the Damuth's (Rob was one of my best friends from high school). Here Ryan and Julien stopped to pose during a major water fight.