Back to School - 2nd & 4th Grades

Until I can get a few posts added to highlight the last year of the kids' lives, I wanted to at least jump to present-day.  Melanie started fourth grade (her LAST year at Union!!), and has Mrs. Weutrich; Joey is in 2nd grade with Miss Milby this year.  They both got placed with several friends, and the year is off to a great start!

Melanie matching her teacher on back-to-school night

Ready for the earlier start time; this year we go 8am-2:30pm, allowing me to get them on the bus each morning!

2nd grade boys of Stone Creek Drive

Bus stop!

2017 State Fair

We love our annual tradition of visiting the state fair the day before Zionsville schools start.  Most of Indianapolis is already back at school, so it's not as crowded. We  do the unlimited rides, get nice and tired, head to back-to-school night, and then sleep well for the first day of school!  This year the kids enjoyed finding the multiple Renewal by Andersen booths around the fairgrounds.

2017 Indiana State Fair

Added bonus - Joey ran into his BFF at the fair!  We ended up leaving him with Ryan's family and heading home!

Stevie Grant Baumann

We were thrilled to welcome our new baby cousin Stevie on July 23, 2017!  We were among the first to meet her, and she could not be more perfect!

Niagara Falls

We traveled to Niagara Falls in June 2017; it was a great trip, and we had perfect weather.  We stayed the night on the way up in Windsor, Canada, and then we spent 3 nights at Niagara, at the Hilton, where our hotel room had a perfect view of the falls and the fireworks!  We did the Hornblower cruise, Behind the Falls, and a couple of other excursions.  The kids were thrilled to have passports, and we only quickly thought we'd get a kid taken away, when Joey answered the wrong age when we passed back into the US.  Melanie and I also walked across the Rainbow Bridge and met up with Suzi, Wyatt & Ernie and did one of the NY excursions with them!

Young Authors Night 2017

 Joey amazed me when he read his detailed account of our dolphin cruise we went on over spring break in FL.  He - and all of his classmates - did a great job with this project!

Ready to read "When I Went on a Dolphin Cruise"

Mel's and Joe's books side-by-side

Easter 2017

Melanie's annual Easter dress picture with Grandma

Very Eastery

Happy 7th Birthday, Joey!

For Joey's birthday, we had planned to ride around Purdue's campus in the Boilermaker Special, which Laura Mullen had arranged a gift card for his end-of-treatment celebration.  Unfortunately, the weekend turned out to be stormy, and we had to take a literal rain check.  At the last minute, we pulled together a party at Pinheads bowling center, and it turned out great - they gave us a private room, and the kids had fun bowling on a rainy afternoon.  Happy 7th birthday, Joseph Pierce!

Birthday lunch at school

The two friends - Ryan and Evan

Molly

Charlie

Olivia & Mitchel Koenig

Grandma & Papa