Woodbury "Shock" Soccer!

Libby is in competitive soccer as a starter for the Woodbury "Shock" team. Coach Mark has pushed the girls to be super-competitive, and they are really showing their stuff now, about 3/4 of the way into the season. They have a good record, even against some of the teams in the next higher league. One of the tournament games included an overtime, and then a "shootout," where the teams each had 6 penalty kicks - they won that one, including a goal by Libby. The season winds down in a couple of weeks... what will she do with all that time off??

Canine on the St. Croix

It is hard to believe that we live in a major metropolitan area, and are this close to such a beautiful spot... this is the St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park, just a few minutes from the house!

Airborne!

Today we decided to leave the boat in the garage and go above the lake, rather than on it... Part of "Manitou Days" at the City of White Bear Lake included a mini-air show and display at Benson's Airport, a tiny grass strip next to the lake. There was hardly anyone there, and the pilots were offering free rides to kids in the old Pipers and Cessnas!

The 20-minute flights were awesome! Jack got to sit up front and get some stick time in his airplane. Libby's pilot made sure they saw some deer from the air. And Luke wasn't sure he wanted to go at first, but got up the courage, and ended up having a great time! Dad, meanwhile, couldn't find anyone to give him a helicopter ride...

Here is an aerial view of White Bear Lake. Not a bad free activity for a Saturday morning! They each received a "Young Eagles Certificate" from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and their names have been permanently entered in the "World's Largest Logbook" at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh Wisconsin. Click HERE to learn about the museum.

Afternoon on the Lake...

We spent a glorious summer afternoon on White Bear Lake this week, together with the bald eagles and loons! One loon was Libby, getting up on skis again this year. She got up the first time, and never fell!

Luke and Libby toured the lake on the tube as well, cracking the whip and screaming like Dad was going fast or something...

The water level is really low this year, which makes for some cautious driving close to shore... but it also means a great, expansive beach at "the point" - perfect for throwing the football in the shallows!

Terror on the High Seas...!

If you are headed out to Lake Calhoun in downtown Minneapolis this summer... beware! There are 8-year old pirates afloat, terrorizing the high seas... Luke and his good friend Jose are learning to sail on the "Optimist" class of sailboats - known as the "Opti" - just 8 feet long. These are "sprit-rigged" vessels with a flat prow - very forgiving for this age of pirate.

The last day of camp is this week, and it is Pirate Day... rumor has it that a hostile band of pirate (otherwise known as the sailing camp's counselors) are plotting the good pirates' demise. That doesn't sit well with Pirate Captain Luke, who is already working on his pirate costume and maritime grenades to ward them off. As I said... avoid Lake Calhoun this summer... we have around 9,999 more lakes around here that you could visit instead! Learn more about the OPTI class of sailboat, HERE.

Summer Must Be Here!

Summer took a long time coming this year (...this year?), but it must have finally arrived, because the boat has been out, and the kids are heavy into their sports.

There is now a ceremony for everything - including, apparently, a graduation from junior high school (who knew?). Jack put a tie on and made us proud, including making the Presidential Honor's list. He received a certificate from President Obama.

Luke is hitting home runs on the baseball fields (inspired by the promise of a Dairy Queen trip), with his good neighborhood friends Jose and Grayden.

Libby is impressing us on the soccer field, in competitive girls soccer. There is a tournament every other weekend or so, and they always seem to come in 2nd place - not bad, though, among so many good teams out there!