Spring Break 2009
We really enjoyed ourselves on the west side this spring break. First, we visited the boys friends in Redmond. Garr rode off to the pond with a group of his friends, and I took Carver and Annabelle to Perrigo park where we met Paulina and my friend Cindy. We walked down a trail and watched the kids explore the area and even create a flower shrine by a tree. The next day we stayed with Grandma Donna. We had lots of shopping to do, and the boys hated every second. Luckily, we found the perfect suit for graduation and after trying on a foot high stack of jeans, we found two that Garr liked. One of our favorite parts of our vacation with Grammy Donna was the delicious meals. She took us out to some very special places to eat, one being the Rainforest Cafe where Carver ordered a brownie "Volcano." Soon we were off to Oak Harbor to visit Grandma and Grandpa Lenz.
Talent Show & Awards Ceremony
Garreck and his friends rehearsed for weeks and learned how to perform the Thriller dance for CK's talent show. They were great-- really fun to watch! Carver wrote and recited jokes to a very receptive audience. He was truly funny. I think he may be a natural comedian. Haydn stood on stage with his class sporting his "Yes we can" t-shirt. He wrote a list of his accomplishments on his t-shirt as well.
Both Garreck & Haydn received certificates for achieving Honor Roll at CK. Garreck also received a special certificate for winning the Geography Bee.
Garreck's 14th Birthday Party
Once again, Garreck celebrated his birthday with his friends from Redmond. He was so excited for them to come over and spend a three day weekend sleepover. They played football, ate pizza and watched "Arachnophobia" the first day. The second day they played football and video games in the morning. In the afternoon, they went bowling with some of Garr's local friends. The two groups didn't mix very well, but Garr enjoyed having both of them around. After bowling, the boys experienced "Fiesta Foods," an authentic Mexican market. Then they experienced Brett's homemade enchiladas, along with cake and ice cream for dessert. I'm so thankful that Garr was able to celebrate his special day with his special friends.
The Geography Bee
This year's geography bee was a blast! Mrs. Y challenged the students with stimulating geography questions, and many students confidently gave correct answers verbally and on paper. All of the students made it past the first round, but struggled with the subsequent rounds and dropped out from the competition fairly rapidly. Pierce Fleming placed third when he answered "Texas" in response to a question regarding hurricane Ike. Then Shaylee Kieffer & Garreck Lenz duked it out for twelve more rounds. Over and over again Shaylee and Garreck answered correctly and incorrectly together. Finally, the winning question: "the Savannah River borders two states, one of the states is Georgia, name the other state" was answered correctly by Garreck who responded with "South Carolina."
Garreck was so happy after placing third last year, he had hoped to do better, and he did! Garreck has now earned himself a chance to compete at the state level in Olympia pending on how well he does on a written test.
Snow, Snow, & More Snow
It has been snowing like crazy, making it impossible for us to get around. First, we live on a hill. Secondly, I'm terrified of driving on snow and ice. So, we've been staying indoors snuggling and watching old mini series from the seventies.
Fall in Full Swing
The leaves have turned, soccer practice ends earlier in the evening, and my life revolves around school activities-- sounds like a typical fall. Except this year, the boys are growing up at an alarming rate, and I'm afraid, even with me at home, Garreck and Haydn's childhood is near an end. I guess as Ben's childhood begins, another Lenz boys ends. Garr is more interested in texting his girlfriend after school, than hanging out with boring, old mom. Which is normal, but it still hurts to know that I am no longer the most important girl in his life.
This was our first Halloween at home in three years-- last year we were in Vail, Colorado, and the year before in Ellensburg, and the year before that, we were in Germany. So being at home for Halloween was a treat within itself. Carver had wanted to be Spongebob for years-- I often let him know how much he looked and acted like Spongebob. I knew someday his teeth would grow together, and detract from the whole Spongebob look, so time was ticking. This year, we perfected the "Spongebob" costume. And much to our delight, Carver looked perfectly spongy on Halloween.
Garreck wanted to be the Joker-- he liked the purple suit and all. He looked dapper. Haydn, had a soccer ball mask, but decided last minute that it smelled too rubbery and just went as a Brazilian soccer player.
First, we went our friend's house and dressed up. Then we all went to Trunk or Treat together. After that, we went home and met up with our neighborhood friends to trick or treat in our neighborhood. Then each boy had a friend spend the night. They were all so tired that they passed out before midnight.
I organized the Trunk or Treat activities at school (http://christthekingphotos.shutterfly.com) and we decorated our truck with an undersea theme, to coordinate with Carver's costume.
This fall I am especially thankful for my boys, auntie and Ben, and my wonderful friends Shannon and Ann.
New Photo Journal site for Christ the King School
Okay, I was going to post all of the Chicken Dance, Sausage Fest, and Blessing of the Animals photos on this site, but decided to just make a separate site for the boy's school. This will come in handy since Shannon, Dani Smart and I are producing the yearbook this year. Here is the link:http://christthekingphotos.shutterfly.com/
Be sure to check out the sports tab-- Haydn is in most of the soccer photos, and I didn't even take the pictures, I swear.
Sausage Festivities
Our summer has officially come to an end. No more pool parties, water parks, Haydn camp, soccer tournaments, and concerts at the Gorge. School has been in session for a month, the fall soccer season has begun, and we even had a rainy day. I miss sleeping in already.
Last weekend, we all celebrated Sausage Fest. As ill-conceived as the name sounds, this fund raising event for the school is bigger, and better than I ever expected. I should have known, people have talked about it all year and somehow, a mini Bavarian Village is constructed on the school campus. The planning begins even before the event is over. Seriously, I already know what I'm going to do next year. It's all volunteer work, and it's all fun.
Anyway, it is kicked off by an official "Chicken Dance" competition. Haydn was chosen to represent his class, and dressed as a mime chicken with his friend Michael. They did make it into the finals, but didn't place. Some of the dancing and costumes were so elaborate. My favorites were the glam chicks with who swapped cell phones while dancing.
After the chicken dance, a giant tent is raised. Under the tent are a sea of chairs, tables, and a stage for various groups who come from all over the state to perform for Sauagefesters. On the perimeter of the tent, there are four restaurants; one that serves variations of sausage of course, a Mexican place, a burger joint, and a BBQ place with some of the sweetest, hand-picked corn. In fact, the kids shuck the corn in a contest during school hours. There is also an espresso stand, a juice stand, and a homemade sweets shop (cookies, pies, ice cream, etc.). Inside the school, there is a craft corner, movie room, thrift store, and child care. I'm probably forgetting something else too.
Okay, if you didn't come to Sausage Fest to eat and shop, there is always Bingo---except in the evening hours, when the cafeteria turns into a club-like atmosphere with really loud, booming music and teenagers dancing with their friends. If you are not a teenager, you can always enjoy one of the two beer gardens. I personally like the outdoor one, because there is a second stage for bands and belly dancers.
Most children come to Sausage Fest for the games. There are so many carnival games for all ages, and unlike our local fair, they are very affordable. The boys helped run the golf, soccer, and beanbag booths. Haydn also helped his friends out in the Juice stand. As much as I would love to tell you that they really enjoyed volunteering, the truth is they really enjoyed hanging out with their friends more than anything.......... and I loved being with my friends too.