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.