Two Generations

The boys with Grandparents. The professional photos are coming in a few weeks.

Light Blue

Carolyn and Sam in similar shades of blue.

Tom Peterson Land Mine Shot

Uncle Tom loved these pictures back before cameras on cell phones. Hard to get 17 people in one shot but this one seems to have worked.

Photo Shoot

An early start after a long night of bowling. 9am photo shoot on lake Minnetonka. The professional photos will be ready in 6 weeks.

Glow Bowling

At Country Club lanes, a 1950's era bowling ally in Tonkin Bay.

Cousins

Aunt Rachel

The first reunion event Friday night. Great to see everyone in one place.

First Night

Visiting Mae at her hostess gig in Wayzata on Thursday night. Good time crank calling the restaurant with reservation requests using fictitious names.

Order of the Jedi

I've neglected this blog for a while now and have probably lost my last couple viewers but I just haven't taken many pictures these days.

It's been fun having the kids home but Sam has already returned to Des Moines for football camp so it feels like summer is fading fast. We will see him in Minnesota next week and then he will be back for four days after that but then it's full time football and school until thanksgiving.

Dylan is still working the kids camps that they were both doing before Sam left and buying vinyl albums with his new found wealth. Nicole and I are just workin away and trying to plan an anniversary getaway in the next few months.

Rachel sent me the picture above and represents either my Jedi indoctrination or Lutheran confirmation and the last time I went to church outside of a wedding or a funeral. Organized Religion never really stuck with me, even after being held back from my confirmation class graduation in the spring and forced to do special summer school make up learning.

They said I wasn't taking all that Jesus seriously. My hair looked good anyway.

The GOP Court

Nicole and Ashley stopped to show their displeasure at the court wing of the Republican Party during a run this week. Fences up to stop the majority of the population from taking the court back from the anti-democratic majority.

Charlottesville Tourney

Dylan joined some of his Mothers buddies in an open rugby tournament in Charlottesville on Saturday. He got to play against his old buddy Micheal from his Fort Hunt Warriors days. It was a great day for rugby.

Frankteenth

Nicole and I met some friends at the Fillmore Silver Spring for a fantastic Frank Turner show. It was nice to get out to concert during this long holiday weekend.

Open Meet

Sam threw at an open track meet hosted by Edison on Saturday. Open track meets have participants from 5 years old to 95 years old and one guy that ran all his events backwards. He didn't throw as far as he wanted but he was looking better with each throw.

Joe Camel

Nicole and Sam visited Lexi at her summer job at the Roer's Zoofari park in Vienna. Just like a little kid, Sam spent some quality time on a camel.

Late Spring Bloom

I believe this Is one of the plants we had added to the yard in October of 2020. We get a lot of different flowers popping up around the post lamp in the spring but these seem newish. Nicole's shoe is pretty too.

Bulldog

Rocky is wearing his Drake Bulldog scarf proudly. Sam gave him this little present last week when we were in Des Moines packing up his room and storing his stuff at Robbie's. It's nice to have a relative so close to Sam while we are so far away. Rocky likes the attention too.

Cake #2

Baby Bundt's tonight.

Birthday Chorus

Celebrating another 29th birthday.

Night Wing

Our flight from Des Moines to Chicago was an hour and twenty minutes late. Our connecting gate was nearly a mile away and we had twenty minutes to get there. Sam made it in 10 minutes, Nicole in about 12 and was there in about 15. I just walked briskly because I knew Sam would tell them I was on the way. Sam really wanted to make that flight to see Lexi. We all wanted to see Dylan as well of course. Chicago to DC was smooth, on time and pretty as you see.

Rocky

Sam was a little tired after finals and moving out of his dorm. Rocky wanted to spend a little time with Sammy before he left Iowa for 7 weeks. Hopefully the little guys paw will be all better so he can shed his cone of shame by then.

Cake #1

Robbie provided Nicole's first cake of the weekend on Thursday night as her birthday week progressed. I ove me some Bundt cake.

Happy Birthday

Nicole's running friend decorated our driveway on Wednesday because we left for Iowa at 4am on Thursday. Always fun to see our driveway transformed over night every year.

Last Fire

May 7th and it's 45 degrees. One more fire in until October. I like the feel.

Moving On

Dylan submitted his last paper and finished his last final today to close out his freshman year at Mary Washington. We moved him out of his dorm earlier in the week and he's ready to celebrate.

Spring Game

Sam walking with his buddy Colton and the rest of the team to the locker room before the spring game last week. Just a couple more weeks until he's home for a bit.

Michigan Sunrise

On Michigan Avenue seeing through a crack in the buildings to the sunrise over Lake Michigan.

Scrimmage

Sam played well today until he tweaked his hip flexor. Not a serious injury but limited him the last 30 minutes or so. Great day for football in Iowa.

Whitehouse Gardens

Nicole and her friend Chris spent the morning touring the Whitehouse Gardens. Not Biden sightings but it looks like they had a great day for a tour.

Drake Diner

Had dinner with Sam and a couple of his freshman football buddies. Nice kids, one from Philly and one from Libertyville, IL who know one of Kevin Constable's kids. Kevin was one of my best friends from high school. Good times.

Intense

Some more rugby action from last weekend.

How it ended

Dylan celebrating another Mothers try against Fairfield.

How it started

Dylan was practicing hard yesterday and cut his lip in a collision. It was the lip, not the teeth, much better.

Getting Ready

That's Sam coming into view from the right with the football on the way. Spring football practice has begun and the boy is getting the ball more these days.

Looks Like a Catch

Spring football practice.

New Old Town Art

A new art installation on the water in Alexandria.

Tidal Basin

This photo would have people crammed together if taken at noon. Things are pretty chill at 5am.

Cherry Blossom Run

Nicole and her running friends did their annual early morning tidal basin run this week. Some nice shots without any other people around.

Another Marathon

Virginia Beach shamrock marathon is in the books. All that work for a beer.

Together Again

Driove down to Fredericksburg last night to watch a little of Dylan's rugby practice and have a family dinner. They had not seen each other since early January and Sam really hadn't seen where Dylan was living. It was fun being together and it think Dylan really liked the visit.

Big Mug

While Sam was downing tropical drinks, Dylan was drinking from a 2019 7's cup at a rugby party. We are all getting together for dinner tomorrow night in Fredericksburg which will be nice.

Spring Sammy

Sam got here for spring break late Saturday and started drinking margaritas like he was on Daytona Beach.

Chillin

Dylan sent this nicely done photo of his new Daft Punk album playing on the turntable in his dorm room. The sidewalks of UMW are deserted tonight.

21st

A few days late but we celebrated our 21st anniversary last Thursday with Dylan joining us at Brabo in Old Town.

Open Side Flanker

Dylan played well at 7 yesterday. Good to see him out there again.

New Kits

The Mothers are sporting new kits for their 2022 campaign and started out with a couple of good wins against CNU and Longwood University. Dylan played #7 in both games and was solid besides looking good.

Orono Super Fans

Thanks to Rachel we had these sweet t-shirts to help us cheer for Mae from our various locations.

5A Champions

Mae's Orono Spartans hockey team won their section last night and are headed to the state tournament. She has been in 3 section final games and finally cleared the hurdle. Hopefully they win the state tournament and she wins a second section and gets back to the state championship in her senior year as well. The pandemic has created many more ways to watch high school sports from home these days and we enjoyed the game from the comfort of our living room last night.

Quick Visit

Sam got to Newark at about 10pm on Friday and left at 10am on Sunday. It was a quick trip to see Lexi but he looks happy he made the trip.

Monmouth

Nicole scooted up to Monmouth University on Saturday morning to see Lexi and visiting Sam. Lexi had a track meet and Sam came in for the weekend for a visit. Dylan and we're home working on some school work and missed all the fun.

College Life

The bulldogs lost but Sam seems to have had fun with the blue overalls.