Colorado Springs, Colorado

From Uruguay to Colorado Springs, Colorado!  Don attended some of the U19 practices at the Olympic Training Center before they took off for the Czech Republic.  The real reason we stopped off in CO was because Don is attending the USOC (United States Olympic Committee) national convention and we are to attend the Friday night banquet as Don is a finalist for USOC Volunteer Coach of the Year.

We managed to get in a day of sight-seeing at the Garden of the Gods complete with a picnic lunch.  It is so beautiful!

The Kissing Camels

Picnic lunch 

Pike's Peak

Balance Rock

Steamboat Rock

2012 USOC Volunteer Coach of the Year!  Wow.  The announcement and presentation of his trophy was at the USOC banquet Friday night.

Uruguay - USA U16 TEAM

Read all about our adventure with the USA U16 team competing in FIBA Americas Tournament in Uruguay.  They won the GOLD.


www.usabasketballu16.blogspot.com

2 Boy Birthday Bash in Indy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CADE, 5 AND KASEN, 3


The first weekend in June has become the annual 2 Boy Birthday Bash in Indy to  celebrate Cade and Kasen's birthdays.  With both sides of the families converging in Indy it is always a FUN filled weekend.  Wow - 5 and 3 years old already!  Our precious grandsons are growing up.
I made the trip with the Kahlers (daughter Melissa and family) as Don is at the Olympic Training Center selecting and training the new U16 USA National Team that will depart to compete in Uruguay in another week.  School is still in session for Scott and Landon so this would be a quick weekend.  We started out Friday at 5:30 and arrived at midnight in Indy.

Saturday morning started with lots of hugs all around for everyone.  The cousins Landon, 7 and Owen, 4 were excited to see Cade and Kasen and the weekend of PLAY started.
The morning plans were foiled a bit due to the weather but the big boys, daddies and grandpa Dave did get in golfing later in the afternoon.  It was the first time out for Cade and Landon, each with their own new golf clubs.  Daddies did not take photos so none to post.

After a morning of playing we enjoyed a delicious lunch complete with the birthday cake!  And then presents to be opened.  Such fun.  

The Kahlers dressed for the traditional photo booth.

My BOYS!

Fun inside.....

and outside.

Lunch time

The huge pickles were a hit with all the boys.

Jack, Caroline and Brooke joined us for lunch.
Such dear friends of the Indy Showalters.

New Nike shoes.  Thanks, Papa

Kasen is a construction and vehicle guy
so another one to add to his collection!

Kasen in his new costume from his cousins!
He loved Owen's so now he has his own.

And for Cade - a Captain America costume

The new remote robot was a big hit with all the kids!

Won't this be fun outside in a big pile of pea gravel!

Almost time for cake!

Bigs (Cade and Landon) practicing with their new golf clubs.
The got to go to a real 3 par golf course later to golf with their daddies.

Always time for read-alouds.  Landon with Melissa and Harry Potter.

Evening preparations for more food.
April, Melissa and April's mom, Robin
LOVE seeing April's parents every year at this birthday bash!

Kasen assembling his fruit kabob

Owen eating his.

Cade

The birthday evening ended with s-mores in the backyard.
Brent with Cade and Landon

YUM!

10 weeks to go and we will have another grandson!

Yummy but very sticky!

Matching pj's for Cade and Landon.
Time for the sleep-over with Landon and Owen
sleeping in Cade's bedroom.

Sunday morning brunch.
Robin, April, Dave and Brent

My favorite little boys in the whole world!

Off to the park to play and to use up some energy before the
trip back to Iowa.
Kasen (3), Landon (7), Cade (5), Owen (4)

Owen slipped and bumped his chin so off to the
urgent care!

We continued to play at the park while Owen was
getting stitched up.  

Back at home waiting for Owen, Scott and Melissa
Cade is pretending to fix Landon's chin in his new medical outfit.

2 stitches later Owen returns!

What a fun filled weekend.  Owen on the ride home to Iowa.

WHAT A FABULOUS WEEKEND!
Thanks to Brent and April for hosting this annual 2 boy birthday bash!  We had such a FUN time and will have precious memories.

Coronado, CA in the Spring

Don flew from Houston (USA basketball weekend business) and I flew from Iowa to meet in San Diego Sunday night.  With a rented car we drove across the bridge to Coronado, California.  We checked into the only timeshare hotel on the island - the Coronado Beach Resort.  It is right across the street from the famous Hotel del Coronado dating 1888.

Monday Don had a lunch meeting with sports people and I headed out to the 3rd floor roof top area.  Ahhhh...the sun felt so good.  Don joined me later and we lounged the time away.  We enjoyed our evening dinner at The Beach House in the marina area.  The shrimp, steak & lobster along with salads were superb.  A martini and a mojito capped it off.

We moved rooms when we returned from dinner - the air conditioner wasn't working in our studio room.  They upgraded us to a lovely one bedroom suite on the third floor!  Our precious room temperature was up to 84.

Tuesday morning we took a historical walking tour of Coronado. It was informative and fun.  We found out that The Beach House where we had supper last night was put up as workers were trained to work on Hotel del Coronado.  Hotel del Coronado was the focus in starting Coronado as a place for the rich and famous to vacation.

Celebrating Birthdays in Indy

The first weekend in May is our traditional time to head to Indianapolis to celebrate Cade and Brent's birthdays.  Ahhhh.....retirement allowed us to leave on a Wednesday to be there for Cade's birthday on Thursday, May 2.  Cade is FIVE!  Five years ago we eagerly waited each day at school to get the call that Brent and April's first child had arrived.  We didn't know if the baby was a girl or boy.  Don got the call at school and called me to say "It's a BOY!"  We quickly planned a weekend trip to Indy to see our new grandson and congratulate the parents.

We arrived Wednesday in time for Don and Brent to go to the Pacers NBA play-off game.  Thursday was CADE's day and it started with papa and Cade going to Dunkin Donuts to get donuts to start the special birthday day.  Brent headed off to work and the rest of us to the zoo.  We pulled in to find the parking lot with 25-30 buses!  We started at the butterfly house and loved watching the many kinds of butterflies fly around us.  Cade got to observe a beautiful one up close on his finger.  The zoo was crowded with school groups and Cade was happy to do some of the "special" things instead of seeing the animals.  We took the zoo train and the papa & Cade rode the roller coaster.  We said good-bye to April and Kasen (Kasen wasn't very happy about that) so that we could treat Cade to a special lunch out downtown with his daddy.  We met Brent at Weber Grill and thoroughly enjoyed our lunch time together.

Happy birthday, Cade!

Off to the zoo!  

Cade in the butterfly house at the zoo.

Kasen and April in the butterfly house.

Papa and the boys waiting for the zoo train.

All aboard!

Cade and Papa riding the roller coaster!

Downtown for lunch

Lunch downtown with birthday boys Brent and Cade.

Cade with his new Nike golf clubs.

Some practice swings in the backyard.

Birthday supper with his favorite foods!

A basketball birthday cake, of course!

5 years old!

We had another fun day on Friday.  Off to preschool for both of the boys and papa and I went along.
After preschool and lunch we enjoyed lots of outside time shooting hoops and biking.

April reading Cade's birthday book during preschool.
5 Years of Basketball

Out side time!

Cade, Brent and Papa took off Saturday morning to go golfing.  Cade was anxious to try out his new clubs!  Who knew that the golf club had a rule that golfers must be 8 or older.  So the boys got a couple buckets of balls and hit them on the driving range.  They were home in time to go the Children's Museum with us.

Kasen creating at the Children's Museum

Papa helping Cade at the Museum getting ready to
explore for underwater treasures.

More backyard practice with the new clubs.

Rocks and dump trucks!  

Steaks on Brent's new grill!
Happy Birthday, Brent.

Sunday morning we skipped church so we would have a little more time together before we headed back to Iowa.  So we have breakfast at LaPeep, one of our favorite breakfast places.