June Happenings

 June has already been flying by pretty quickly. This past week, Emma was at the farm all week. She had driver's ed all week so grandma and grandpa brought her to and from Parker every day. She had class from 8-2 every day. She said it was okay, but kind of boring at times. But overall she enjoyed her week, and she met some friends at the class, so that was good. Elliott was also at the farm most of the week. It was the last week of the Greenhouse being open, so he was out there to help. 

Elliott had a baseball game on Monday night, and he pitched two innings of scoreless baseball. It was really fun (but kinda nerve-wracking) to watch him pitch. He did so well! He also had a couple hits in the game. He is really enjoying baseball. He had to stay home Monday night because he had an Orthodontist appointment on Tuesday morning. Everything is looking good with his teeth!

On Wednesday evening, Elliott had baseball again. They played against a really good team, and won 4-3. It was a really good game. Then, Elliott had to stay home again because on Thursday morning I had the day off and took him to the dentist to get 3 teeth pulled. He got some laughing gas, got numbed up, and then got three teeth pulled. He took it like a champ! After lunch, Katie came by to bring Elliott out to the farm (she was already heading out to the greenhouse). So, that was nice and saved me a trip to the farm. 

This past weekend has been nice, but busy. On Friday, Jim and Barb moved the kids back home. Emma had all kinds of luggage to move back in with. Elliott was also back home for a while. We ate some Indian food for supper, and then we set up a table in the garage and Elliott and I played Pokemon (we battled with decks, Elliott is a good teacher). I ended up losing both rounds, but we had fun. Then, Emma and John joined us and we played some Poker. That was really fun. Emma found a poker set at a garage sale in Parker, and we had fun making bets and playing Poker. We played until almost dark, and then we watched a little Parks and Rec and went to bed. 

Saturday was fun. Elliott had a baseball camp at the Canaries Stadium. It was a free camp, and Elliott had a pretty good time, but most of the kids were pretty young. After the camp, John took Elliott to the Pokemon Trading Convention going on at the Convention Center. Elliott loved it. They spent a few hours there, and Elliott was wheeling and dealing. Meanwhile, I brought Emma, Laura, and Mia to the Renaissance Festival. They got there at around 1:00pm and stayed until it closed at 7:00pm. They had a really good time. They bought things, crafted, saw shows, and traded items with other people. They all had a really good day. It was super hot though, so everyone was pretty tired by the end. 

Today, we went to church, and then got Emma packed up and John took her and Hannah T to Watertown for Panther Camp. Emma was really excited to go to camp again, but we were sad to see her gone for another week. But, she will have a great time. Elliott went back to the Pokemon convention with Carter. Elliott and Carter stayed at the convention center until around 3:00pm. They put in a good 4 hours of Pokemon time. Then they sorted cards and opened booster packs until Carter finally went home. Elliott had the best weekend ever. 

This week is another crazy one. Emma is gone all week. Elliott is staying home until baseball tomorrow night, then he's going back to the farm again because he cant' help himself. So, John and I will have the house to ourselves for most of the week. We might have to squeeze in a date night or a night out with Katie. I have softball tomorrow night, and then we also have some meetings going on this week. It's always something. 

Also, this past week was our first week with Epic at work. It was a crazy, stressful week. But, each day is getting a little bit better with Epic, and I might even start liking the program soon. We had a much-needed happy hour after work on Friday, and we all enjoyed a few drinks together. 

Elliott having the best day ever 

Laughing gas Elliott 

Ready for the Ren Fest

Memorial Day Weekend

 Memorial Day was really early this year. We decided to camp at Oakwood Campground by Brookings, SD. We chose this park for a couple reasons. One, we hadn't been there in 8 years, so it was nice to go back, and we also had some graduation parties to attend in Watertown, so we were halfway there already by being at Oakwood. 

I had to work late on Friday, so John and the kids went up early to set up the camper and get ready. They set up in the rain, but once they were done setting up it stopped raining. I got to the campground around 7:00pm, and it was all set up and ready to go. I'm not going to lie, that was pretty nice. It turned into a nice evening, and we had a fire and relaxed around the fire. Elliott and I also played some catch with a frisbee and John and I even fit in an evening walk. 

On Saturday, we went on a hike in the morning. The kids even enjoyed the hike. We even re-created a family photo that we took in the exact same spot 8 years earlier. That was pretty cute. By late morning, we left for Watertown. We made a Walmart run, and then we went to Katherine's graduation party. She had it at a coffee shop in town. It was nice to visit with everyone and it was a nice party. After that, we headed to Carter's graduation. He had his by the lake at an Airbnb. It was pretty nice. Emma and Hannah T (and Elliott) did some paddle boarding. They also played some yard games, skipped rocks, and just had a really nice time. We didn't get back to Oakwood until later. We had another fire, sat around for a while, and then called it a night. It was a beautiful, perfect day. 

On Sunday. we made a nice breakfast. We all also played some frisbee and volleyball. Then, we biked to the frisbee golf course and played a round of Frisbee golf. It was really fun. We all suck really bad at frisbee golf, but we had a really good time playing it together. And we laughed a lot. The afternoon got a little hot, so we rented a paddle board for the kids. They shared it, and took turns paddling. They also ended up jumping into the lake and swimming some. They really enjoyed their time on the lake. After showers, and supper, and headed to the beach to skip rocks, bike a little more, and just enjoy the evening. We had one final fire with smores and star-gazing. Then, we called it a night. 

Monday was basically a pack up and leave day. Since we had two different vehicles, I took Emma and the bikes, food and dirty clothes and headed home to start laundry and unpack. Elliott and Dad went to the farm to drop off the camper and then Elliott stayed out there to help in the greenhouse again. It was a great Memorial Day weekend, and I finally feel like it's summer time!

Also, the week after Memorial Day, Emma had mini band camp at Jefferson. She was really nervous, but she did great. She started off trying drumline, but that ended up being a little too difficult for someone so new, so now she's on the frontline of percussion. Basically she gets to play a few different instruments and doesn't have to march, so she's super excited. I'm really excited to watch her improve with band, and I really like having a reason to go to football games and competitions. We also had a bowling event to meet other parents and band members. Somehow, we are in full-swing with high school already. It's so exciting. 

Baseball Elliott 

First fire of the season 

Hiking trail 

Paddle board fun 

Bethel friends 

Yard Games 

Full camping mode 

Frisbee Golf 

Emma's Confirmation

Emma was confirmed on May, 17th 2026. It was such a special day and weekend. I always think it's so crazy when the kids experience things that I remember happening to me. My confirmation doesn't feel like so long ago, and we are celebrating Emma's confirmation. 

My mom came for the weekend again to help set-up and celebrate Emma. We had Elliott's last soccer game on Saturday morning. We got a pretty nice day, and Elliott's team got a win, so that was good. After the soccer game, we headed to the gym at Bethel to set up tables, chairs, and decorate for confirmation. We had a lot of help because all 5 families combined to have all the parties in the gym together. So, we joined together for decorations, food, and set up. It was a really good group and it all went well. 

We spent the rest of Saturday just relaxing, sitting outside, and enjoying ourselves. My friend, Samantha and her mom and daughter also made the trip, so they came to our house for supper. Rachel and Elena also showed up, so we had some nice family time and enjoyed some beautiful weather. 

Sunday was a busy, but very nice day. The kids had to sing in church, and then Emma had examination at 9:15 am. All the kids did great with their questions. There was some nervousness, stammering, and a couple funny moments, but overall, they all rocked it. We had cake in between services (and pictures). Also, Julie and Janel made the trip, which was really cool. It was so nice to see them. Ryan and Emily also made the trip, and it was really nice to catch up with them as well. 

During the second service, Emma was confirmed and then had her first communion. She did great. They took the wafers and then had to do common cup, and nobody spilled or dropped anything. It was a success. Then, we had the party after church was complete. We had a nice showing of guests, and Emma did a good job making the rounds and visiting with everyone. She looked beautiful and all grown up in her beautiful dress. Emma didn't want cake, so we did brookies, and they were a hit. We also set up a nice table for her for a guest book, decor, and things that just said "Emma". The food was a taco bar, and the grandmas and some aunts helped run that and kept the food going. Around 3:00pm we were ready to head home. Ryan and Emily came over for a while to visit, and Emma opened her cards and gifts. She was very blessed. 

Eventually, the weather got a little dicey, so Ryan and Emily decided to head for home. We had a quiet rest of the evening, and tried to prepare for another week of work. The kids were done with school and ready to just have some summer vegging time. 

Emma's confirmation verse: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 

Emma being Emma 

The confirmation class and their cakes 

Ready for examination 

Emma answering questions 

  

Being Confirmed 

Emma and her Godparents 

Emma with her great-aunts 

Siblings 

Tone Chimes 

The Confirman 

Elliott's soccer team 

Confirmation class of 2026

May 2026

 May was an absolutely insane month. It started with the usual Stacy week (my birthday, Mother's Day, and Nurses' Week). That week was busy and crazy. And of course we had baseball and soccer thrown in. 

On Mother's Day weekend, my mom came to town to watch Elliott play soccer and to attend the Mother/Daughter Tea at Bethel. Elliott's soccer game was pretty pleasant and they won. Then, on Saturday morning we had the Bethel Tea. The theme was wedding dresses through the decades, which was pretty cool. They had wedding dresses from 1920s through the currents decade and they were only missing a couple decades in there. The grade school and high school girls all modeled the dresses for the tea party. The coolest part was that mom brought her wedding dress, and Emma wore it and it fit her perfectly. That was a pretty cool moment. Then, we enjoyed some tea and food. Mom and I also got to dress up as the dress code was somewhat formal for the tea. It was a fun morning. Emma had a sleepover at Hannah T's house for her birthday and Elliott was at the farm helping in the greenhouse, so we had adult time for the rest of the day. 

In the afternoon we headed to Calico Skies for some wine and pizza. That was a pretty fun outing, and the grounds are very beautiful. The wine was decent and the pizza was really good. We also stopped at a local bar in Canton for a couple drinks, and then we headed home. It was a great weekend and a very nice Mother's Day. 

Emma also had her 8th Grade Graduation on May 14th. I don't know how we are already at 8th Grade Graduation. I feel like she just started kindergarten not so long ago. It's so hard to believe we have been through 9 years of school at Bethel. Time is such a thief! I am so proud of how far she has come and how true to herself she is. She has her own style, her own interests, her own personality, and she doesn't really care what other people have to say about it. 

Emma's 8th Grade Graduation was a very nice evening. The Tomczaks and Reichows decorated the gym and they did a really nice job. We had a church service, Emma got her diploma, and then we watched a really nice powerpoint that made me shed a couple tears. There were kindergarten photos of Emma and Hannah in there, and they were adorable. They were so little, and have come so far. After all that, we had cheesecake and rice crispies, visited, and then called it a night. What a special evening for Emma and Hannah. 

Finally, a nice soccer game 

The Bethel Tea

Napkin Folding 

Wearing Grandma's wedding dress 

Friends at the tea party 

Elliott checking out grandma Patty at the greenhouse 

Calico Skies 

All the girls modeling their dresses 

Bethel Softball Night

Singing on Graduation Night 

John presenting the diplomas 

Congrats Emma!

Happy Graduation 

The proud parents 

And proud grandparents