Timmmmbbberrrr

When I looked out my back window this morning, I saw this....

And this.....

So I went back to bed.  

New Wheels....

Carter turns 15 next week!  And starts driving school!  And gets his driving permit!  We're currently car shopping....his suggestions are Range Rover, Jeep Wrangler (4 door), or Uncle Mike's Porsche.  So, we got him a Cadillac!

This is a great example of why I'm worried about Carter starting to drive..he's always goofing around!

Oh wait, the Escalade is Cate's new ride ;) Go figure, shopping for Carter and Cate gets the goods!

The museum is the perfect place for her to run wild...plenty of room to cruise!

I can't believe Carter is going to be driving in a few short weeks.  Stay off the sidewalks people!!!! 

Swim Party (2 of 3)

Tonight we celebrated Bennett's friend Kaden's 10th birthday at the Woodriver Aquatic Center.  This is the second time we've partied there this summer, and will do it all again for Keaton's birthday Sunday night!  The kids love the high dive and waterslides and it's a nice change from our everyday Paddlers :)


Keaton and Bennett...goofy as ever! 10 year olds are such dorks

Tyler (Hollywood) and Brady

Bennett off the high dive.  Weird that it was so much higher when I was younger :)

Cate and her bff Katherine. 



Cate and Kerrigan.  Only way we could get Cate out of the water was to lure her with cake!

Brady



Katherine, Lauren, Cate, and Kerrigan

Grizzlies Game

The Grizzlies (semi-pro baseball team) coach used to coach Brady's baseball coach in college (Scott too!) and our team was invited to hang out on the field before a game, meet the players, and tour the clubhouse.  It was a VERY warm evening, but the boys had a great time hanging out together and the playground provided hours of entertainment for Cate and the rest of the team siblings.   Grammy, Fran, Mike, and Bau Bau joined us...we all try and go to at least one Grizzlies game each year.  I love the laid back atmosphere and lack of crowds!

8u Team Illini

Does he have to purposely photo bomb every picture??!  Poor Brady is so patient with his dad :)

Heading to the locker room for a tour

Inflatables make me want to barf.  Look how clean this one is...not!!

I see London, I see France.....

Aunt Frannie and Catie Bug

The very best of friends!

Braden, Brady, and Gannon

Another fun night at GCS Stadium!

World Series and a Celebration!

Bennett and the 10U Team Illini played in the World Series baseball tournament in Chesterfield this week.  It runs Sunday-Friday and most of the games are played earlier in the day so the teams that travel here from around the country can enjoy all of the fun things the Lou has to offer(Cardinals game, City Museum, Zoo, etc).  Ben played six games this week and today's was the only one I attended.  Cate and I stayed back each day and took Carter and Brady to swim, soccer, and whatever activity they had planned, so Scott went with Ben.  This is a really cool tournament because so many teams are from out of state and it's fun for the boys to get to play new competition rather than the same old teams they usually face in our local games.  Another fun bonus is that some pro baseball players kids play and because this tournament falls during the All-Star break, the "big guys" are often in attendance at these games...such as, Albe.rt Pu.jols (his son plays), Ryan Ho.ward (his nephew plays) and the Cards coach Mike Math.eny (son plays).  It's not everyday, that you play against a team that has Al.bert Pu.jols sitting in their dugout!!!  Ben's team was very successful this week and won their Championship Game!  Yaaahhoooooo!  Ben played awesome and hit two doubles to the fence while I was in the stands (Coincidence? I think not!)

I planned to take a lot of action shots, but after this first try, I put my camera away.  Doesn't get much better than capturing the ball just off the bat heading towards the fence! Money shot!! 

Raise it high 23!

I love that in a completely packed room of ball players, Cate and Kerrigan broke it down on their "dance floor"!!!!!



Yeah Baby...We're #1

Does this group of misfits look like the Bad News Bears or what?!

Keaton, Bennett, Nic, & Connor

After the tournament, Connor and his family invited everyone back to their house for a bbq and pool party.  Good times were had by all!!!

They played pool basketball for 3.5 hours.  Ben looked like a raisin when he got out!

Yes that is Brady flying through the air...Cameron tossed him around like a rag doll!

Cate taking a break to eat her favorite thing in the whole world....KETCHUP BREAD.  Ewwwwwww!

Ahhhh, this is the life!

She preferred the hot tub though :)

Just a few more tournaments before baseball season is over and we move on to soccer!!! 

3v3 Action Shots

Last weekend Brady played in a 3v3 soccer tournament in St Louis and it was H-O-T.  In fact, it was supposed to be Saturday and Sunday but with temperatures reaching 110* on Saturday, they moved all games to Sunday...when it was only 106*.  Lucky us. Brady's team, Green Machine, did awesome as usual :) and Brady scored 8 goals in 6 games.  He's Beast!


It's easy to take action pictures of Brady...he NEVER stands still.  Ever. 

Brady juked this kid so hard that when he cut the ball to the opposite direction the other player couldn't stop and fell flat on his face. Carter called it a 'Textbook Juke' (whatever that means)

Boys are so lucky.  'Hot? I'll just rip my shirt off"

Luke, Braden, Nathan, Brady, Tyler, and Coach Mike.