Happy 5th Birthday, Jo-Mauer!

 

Happy Birthday to a very sweet 5 year old boy.  His name is Johan, but his obsession with wanting to be a catcher has helped us to create his nickname of Jo-Mauer (Yo-Mauer would probably be the better way to spell it, I suppose).  For his birthday, he received the full set of catcher's gear and he LOVES it!  He told his Gramma that he never really believed he would get the set.  You can see him in action in the photos below.  We are so thankful for this little guy who is growing up so quickly.  It is hard to believe he is already 5!

P.S.  The set is for ages 8-14, so it should last him a little while.

Coming Soon! Yellow House for Sale!

Next Monday, we are putting our house on the market.  Yikes!  We have loved our house so much these last 9 years!  It is a great house and we have so many wonderful memories here, but as many of you know, it has just 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom.  And, although the kids love sharing a bedroom now, there may come a time where they want a bit more space.  There have also been a few times where an extra toilet would have come in handy!  It is a bit of a leap of faith because we don't have a new house picked out yet.  Will we find a different house that we love as much?  We really hope so!  By the way, if you know anyone who wants a great house in the Bancroft neighborhood of Minneapolis, send them our way!

A great last day

Today was the last day of summer break and we had a great day.  After breakfast, Kip and I played one last game of summertime cards at the table.  Then, we all headed out for a hike at Minnehaha Park.  We hiked to the Mississippi, stopping first to wade in the creek for a bit.  We hung out at home during the afternoon and got some work done on the house while the kids built a house for their stuffed animals out of wood.  To end the day, Kip and Johan headed downtown for the Twins game.  Gus, Anja, and I went out for a long bike ride.  We made it to the Ramgren house, but they were at Lars' t-ball game.  On the way home, we stopped for ice cream at the Grand Old Creamery.  Gus did great on the bike and Anja tolerated the Burley for the most part.  It was a great day to end a fabulous summer.  Tomorrow, it is back to work!

 

T.C. Bear plays T-ball

Gus and Johan had a great season of t-ball and 4-pitch this summer.  The second to the last week of games, Longfellow park held its annual corn feed during the games.  There was a lot of action at the park, including T.C. Bear!  T.C. came around and played with the kids.  He gave Johan some special attention.  T.C. was fielding when Johan hit the ball off of the tee straight into T.C.'s mouth (pictured above).  Later, when Johan made it around the bases, T.C. tried to tag Johan out at home.  Johan told me several times that night that his was "SAFE" at home despite T.C.'s efforts!  :)  T.C. came back later during Gus's game and he pitched to Gus who got a hit off of his pitch.  The whole night was great fun and the kids loved it!

Moving Day for the Tripp Family

Today was moving day for the Tripp family.  As some of you know, Tami Tripp has been my neighbor and friend for the past 6 years.  Shortly after Gus was born, I would drive by the corner house on 12th Avenue and think that I was living a parallel life as the woman in the house.  I would see cloth diapers on the line and a stroller in the backyard.  My mom actually met Tami first when she was on a walk in the neighborhood.  Not long after that time, I met Tami.  She had just one little guy at the time, Charlie, who was probably about 1 year old at the time.  We started having playdates and over time, our friendship grew.  Then it was time for us to both be pregnant and both have little boys named Johan and Sam (2006).  A few years later, our paths diverged a bit when I had a baby girl, Anja, and she has a boy, Ben (2008).  

Over the years, we have spent much time hanging out in our homes, chatting, and letting the kids play.  I can't count the cups of flour, minutes of last second babysitting, the phone calls to check in, or the impromptu playdates that have been so frequent these last years.  Tami is the type of friend that I can always count on.  She is loyal and caring and thoughtful.  I have been so blessed to have her in my life.  We are going to totally MISS having them live so close, but we know we will still see them often!  Today, I feel sad that they'll be a bit farther away, but mostly I feel grateful that it was this neighborhood that brought us together.


Congratulations to the Tripp family on their new home!  We love you all!