Softball

This year we simplified things by having Analee play up on Rebekah's fast pitch team so we'd only have two teams (the fast pitch team and Miriam's pitching machine team) to worry about. Rebekah and Analee chose "Order of the Phoenix" for a team name, and Miriam chose "Bouncing Ferrets." (An obscure Harry Potter reference, to be sure. Remember that time when Mad-Eye Moody transfigured Draco into a ferret and bounced him around?) Grandpa Scott was my co-coach for both teams, and Rebekah and Analee base coached the younger girls' team.

Miriam's team had a lot of younger players, so we tried to cover a lot of basic skills in our practices. The girls all improved throughout the season, and despite us only playing two games in the tournament, we were happy with their progress. Miriam learned that she loves playing first base and shortstop. (Seth had to take the pictures since I was coaching.)

 Miriam fielding a grounder.

 Throwing from the outfield.

 Batting.

Running to first with the encouragement of Rebekah and me (background).

Rebekah pitched a whole lot more this season (it helps that she didn't break a finger during the first game this year) and continued to enjoy playing catcher and shortstop as well. She caught several pop flies, including a few at catcher that were pretty darn impressive. Analee learned that she enjoys second and third base. She has got quite the arm on her; she made a throw from 2nd to 3rd that had her coaches smiling.

Our team lost all our games during the first part of the season, but we won one right before the tournament started (which helped us have a higher seeding), and we won our first game in the tournament and ended up taking fourth in our division. The girls were ecstatic.

 Rebekah pitching. 

 Rebekah batting.

 Andrea (first base coach) and Rebekah (on first).

 Rebekah at shortstop and Analee at 2nd.

Cute Analee in center field. 

Analee batting. 

Analee running from 2nd.

Fourth of July

Our Independence Day started with a ward breakfast, then we dashed to the parade route so we could do some of this:

 Oakley, Miriam and Winnie waiting in line for free popcorn.

Waiting for the parade to start. Grandma Scott, Aunt McKall, Uncle T, Seth, Andrea, Aunt Jessica, Bennet, Miriam, Winnie. 

 Laughing at some hilarious comment of mine, I'm sure.

Waving (spinning?) flags.

And so we could see some of this:

Analee's friend Jocelyn and Analee walking with the other 2018 DARE graduates in the parade.

Rebekah playing the valve trombone amid a sea of Bonneville marching band kids.

Her yellow glasses helped me pick her out from the crowd. They were playing "You Give Love a Bad Name" when they passed us.

Then we went to Grandma and Grandpa Scott's house for a barbecue before loading up the van and heading to Menan for their fireworks. We got there early so we could scope out the place (we've never gone to Menan for the Fourth before), eat a picnic dinner and play games together while waiting for it to get dark.

Analee during a game of Apples to Apples. 

Rebekah laughing at something hilarious, I'm sure. 

Miriam drinking her snow cone. Since there were lots of food booths, we let the girls each pick a dessert. Miri and Seth chose snow cones. Ana and Winnie chose cotton candy. Rebekah had ice cream, and Andrea had mini donuts. 

Seth during our game. 

Winnie was on my team. She can read the cards herself, but she prefers to sit on my lap and choose my cards to play.

The fireworks did not disappoint (Winnie was oohing and aahing before the real show even started), and we got home sufficiently late.

Easton's blessing

Almost all of the Scott clan was in town June 30 for this little guy's blessing,

Winnie holding her baby cousin Easton, Uncle T and Aunt McKall's son.

so we had a little family reunion of sorts. Grandma Scott and I shared some family history and pictures with the kids,  

Grandma showing the girls the porcelain dogs her grandmother brought from Germany.

we ate good food and played softball together (no pictures of softball because we were all busy playing),

Girl cousins lined up eating ice cream. Ellie, Miriam, Libby, Winnie and Oakley. 

View from another table. Rebekah, Analee, Shelby, Andrea. 

and the next day (July 1) we attended church in McKall's parents' ward where Easton was blessed by his dad.

Sibling picture after sacrament meeting. Ethan, Tyson, Jessica, Andrea, Jonathan. 

Immediate family picture. Ethan, Tyson, Jessica, Annette, Neal, Andrea, Jonathan. 

Extended family picture. We were missing Teressa, Spencer, Samuel and Seth. Teressa took the boys home to Washington before the rest of the family because Sam got sick, and Seth had missed several weeks of bishopric meeting and felt like he needed to be there for that.

Rebekah is 13

We are now officially the parents of a teenager. But she's a pretty great one.

On her actual birthday (Thursday, June 14), we drove to Rexburg to visit Grandma Hendricks, and then I dropped the girls off at Aunt Anne's house while I went to the temple. Rebekah and Analee had loaded their bikes in the truck, so while I was gone, they went to the nature park with Mack and Tav.

That evening, we had softball practice, so Rebekah shared treats with her teammates.

Her family birthday dinner was combined with Hudson's on June 15 (since we were having the dinner on his ACTUAL birthday). We had assumed we could hold it in our yard, but we've had several crazy weird thunderstorms lately, and we were threatened with one on that day. So we moved our festivities to the church.

 Aunt Rachel supplied a pinata. The children relished its smashing. 

A birthday mask Miriam made and gifted to Rebekah. 

 The banana Grandpa Dennis gave her. There was cash hidden inside.

 Rebekah opening her gift from us: a case to hold her four trombone mouthpieces. She found it online; all I had to do was click on "place order."

Children surrounding the birthday present opening. Rebekah received the mouthpiece case and a set of earrings made out of old records (something she had previously picked out at the Fairview craft fair) from us; masks from Miriam and Winnie; a bracelet and headband from Aunt Rachel; cash in a banana from Grandpa Dennis; a Perler bead "R" from Analee; a replica of Voldemort's want and a knot-tying game from Mack and Tav; a Barnes and Noble gift card from Aunt McKall; and part of a trombone from Grandma and Grandpa Scott. (Grandpa found it at the D.I. in Provo and called to ask if Rebekah was interested in it. Seth and I have told her that we will pay for half of the instruments she wants to purchase. Grandma and Grandpa paid for part of it too for her birthday.)

Seth lighting candles on two pieces of angel food cake for Rebekah and Hudson to blow out. The actual cake was a strawberry cheesecake trifle. 

Rebekah is very responsible and very musical. She houses three instruments in her room (a baritone we're renting from a local company, a valve trombone we're renting from the high school and the trombone she got from D.I.) and likes to spend time on a music composing program on the computer.

Seth is 36

One of the perks of Seth's new job is that he gets every other Friday off. We took advantage of his day off on his birthday (June 8), and the family went to Harriman State Park.

Miriam, Analee, Seth, Rebekah and Winnie by Golden Lake. We borrowed Uncle T's Weehoo for Winnie, and we biked around the trails. 

 Rebekah outside the yurt where we ate our picnic lunch.

The birthday boy. 

 Analee eating Twizzlers.

 Miriam at lunch.

 Winnie at lunch.

Poor Miriam crashed her bike on the only section of "moderate" trail we went on. She ended up with a slightly bloody lip and nose, but the real damage was done to her hip area. She must have hit the handlebars on her way down, because she ended up with these lovely bruises just a couple days later.

 These were on her thigh.

This was on her hip.

But the rest of the bike ride was lovely.

Seth and the girls (and their bikes) by Silver Lake. 

Seth napping at Grandma Hendricks' cabin following the bike ride.

That evening, we ate cake in his honor and retired for the night. The next day, we drove into Yellowstone and spent the day there. We drove to the Old Faithful area and pulled out the bikes so we could ride them to Morning Glory Pool while stopping along the way to see the sights.

 Miriam sitting on the boardwalk waiting for Castle Geyser to erupt.

Seth relishing the geyser shower from Castle Geyser. 

Rebekah, Analee, Miriam, Andrea and Winnie at Morning Glory Pool. 

 Seth and Andrea at Morning Glory Pool.

Then we drove from Old Faithful to West Thumb, Fishing Bridge, Canyon Village and back to Madison Junction, stopping at a few of our favorite places along the way.

Skipping rocks at Lake Yellowstone. 

Analee walking around the Mud Volcano area. 

Winnie expressing her dislike of the smell. 

Analee, Rebekah, Winnie, Miriam and Seth checking out Dragon's Mouth. 

Seth keeping tabs on Winnie at Dragon's Mouth. 

Rebekah at the upper falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. 

 Miriam, Winnie, Analee and Rebekah on the rocks by the upper falls viewpoint.

Climbing the stairs from the falls viewpoint back up to the truck.

The next day, Seth left the cabin early to drive to Rexburg and attend church with his grandma while the girls and I put the cabin back in order and came home in time to shower, do hair and get ready for our church.