June... is done.
June is kind of a blur, but different from the past several years. There have been no softball games to attend, and also no wrestling competitions. It has been a month of working hard and discipline, going through the daily grind. Gracie started workouts at Mizzou the first week of June, which was a week prior to her summer class beginning. She's been giving lessons, catching bullpens, and helping with a softball team. Owen also started the summer weights/workouts for SBC and working out 3x/week at Hearnes for RTC. He did one SBC wrestling scramble, but the rest of them in June were canceled. He's been doing a lot of moving and hanging out with his Bentlage buddies He's also tried golfing a few times.
I'll start with Gracie...
Halfway through summer; her workouts have been Monday through Thursday 9:00am - 10:00 or 10:30. Then she and some of her teammates usually go to the field to hit and do fielding drills. Sometimes in the evenings she'll go back to Columbia to catch bullpens for the pitchers who are in town this summer. In between, she teaches lessons and helps with a 10u team consisting of some girls from Ashland. She was able to help coach one of their tournaments in Columbia. For school, Grace has assignments due for school every week and I think her first midterm went well last week. More recently, she has babysat at the neighbors, and also done some dog/housesitting for Talleys. She is staying busy.
Gracie with a couple of girls she gives lessons to.
This was a tournament at Antimi, which is where she played when she was 10/12u.
She said it was very nostalgic. She played in a light blue/navy uniform, though, and usually won against those red teams.
Gracie with the team she has helped out with
Nova turned 18!
She and Gracie spent some time at the lake, and then also celebrated back at home
Happy Birthday Nova!
They made a cake...it was almost a disaster, as they almost forgot to add the water.
Interesting face mask
I'm sure it's great for your skin.
Kind of reminds me of a scary horror movie
Lake time!
On the boat
More lake pics
Glad they have found time to have fun this summer.
Bored on the weekend - trying to get some bunnies - unsuccessful
Nick to his shot
After morning workouts and wrestling for 2 hours
At Marshall for the "Scramble" with SBC wrestling
Mizzou Team Camp
Last summer SBC wrestling went to Nebraska, and the year before, I think Owen was in Iowa competing at 14u nationals. I was glad they stayed close for their team camp this year! Their coach streamed matches, as well, so we could watch. They checked in at noon on 6/21 and stayed until afternoon on 6/24. Two sessions on the first and last days, three sessions on days two and three. In addition to the 3 sessions the campers had each day, Owen wrestled with the Mizzou guys during his "lunch break."
RTC at lunch. Max worked out with Owen this day...looks like they're doing buddy drags.
One of Owen's matches during a dual. I just took a screen shot.
Owen winning.
I love that Owen gets to learn from some of the kids I know through my job. All of the Mizzou wrestlers help with this camp. It's pretty much all hands on deck for a camp with so many kids attending.
They are such great kids!
Last day...best kids wrestling each other.
Some good matches.
After camp was done, there was one more RTC practice before we left for our vacation in Florida. Then the next week, right back at it.
We got a date night earlier in June when both kids had plans with their friends
We went out to eat at a different restaurant in Jeff City, then walked down by the river.
I thought about making another trip up to Iowa to watch River play baseball again. But he ended up being sick for about a week and a half, so I sent him a new weighted cow to keep him company.
He got his cow right after Kaia got her pink dinosaur for her 9th birthday!
River was sick the whole time my parents were visiting Iowa.
Other random happenings...
Andersyn and Brookie had their grad parties together.
This was the last of our Class of 2026 invitations.
Gracie and Andersyn
Andersyn, Gracie and Brook
Brook and Gracie
When I looked at Brook's photo board, there were so many softball pics with her and Gracie.
We found some time to do some maintenance outside.
Looks much better with mulch and a border. We finished right before another torrential rain.
Nick took Sonita out for a ride a couple weeks ago before it became an inferno for about a week and a half.
We used our tabletop smokeless fire stove.
We may have built the fire a bit too big.
Visiting Dad on father's day, but I got a picture with mom.
Other things that we have been doing, but do not have photographic documentation for...
It has surprised me that Owen has taken on a new hobby; golf. He went golfing for the first time with Peter early in June. Apparently he asked Peter if he had to wear a shirt and he did indeed, go in flip flops. I'm sure people were wondering what the heck was going on. Owen did wear a collared shirt, but came home with black feet because the flip flops weren't working too well, and barefoot seemed like the next best alternative. He also took his dad's left-handed clubs and ultimately figured out that he is a right-handed golfer. Go figure. I never would have guessed, since he always hit left-handed in baseball. Since that first time golfing with Peter, he has been back several times, wears shoes now, and has bought a couple golf clubs of his own. I have yet to see him actually golf, but he seems to have fun.
Gracie is more tan than I have ever seen her during the summer. She spends time at the pool when she is not working out, babysitting or givig lessons. She has not worn pants once since the end of softball season. During her typical summers, she has spent most of her days outside, but in softball pants and a jersey, limiting the sun exposure to her face and forearms. This year has been so different! She is working pretty hard, but not competing. So strange, but I'm not complaining. Just filling the time with other worthwhile activities.
Nick's main project is still getting the north endzone of the football stadium done by the first football game. There is a countdown, but I can't remember the number of days that are left. He has also been named interim assistant director for campus construction. Not sure how long that will last, but he is doing that and finishing his project right now. Very busy, but we are getting ready to spend some time in North Dakota, as well. :)
I am doing the usual summer things for my job. Hiring a lot of new tutors, finalizing fall schedules for sports, and getting Owen to practices when Gracie is busy, which is more than I anticipated. With the reduction of travel and evening competitions for kids, I will say that there are only a few times in the past month or so that I have gotten up at 5am to run before work. It has been so nice having freedom in the afternoons and evenings to get workouts in. I know this will not continue in August, but I am enjoying it for now. Running in the dark at 5:00 am becomes less appealing, the older I get. I think I've mentioned it before, but I feel like I am so much easier on myself than I used to be. Not less disciplined, but more accepting of meeting myself where I am at, usually one day at a time. If I can talk myself into just walking a couple miles, it will usually turn into 4 or 5; running by the end, even if it is not as fast as I used to be. Just keep moving forward. :)
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