Senior Picture Proofs

Here are a couple of my favorite shots of her pictures. These are a copy of a copy of a copy. The resolution is poor. We certainly are proud parents!

We are ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!

Evan officially started football practice as a member of the Preston Middle School Pumas!! We are so excited!! This is going to be a fun season.

My little boy is growing up. I picked him up from practice last night and this sweaty young man beside me smelled rank. Note to self... no more than one middle-school boy in the car after practice at one time... and keep the windows down!!
P U !!!

A Recent Facebook Post

"... dear life. please slow down. thanks."
Miss Blake



Amen, I say. Time is flying by. The kids have their schedules for the new school year. School supplies have been purchased and are stored in their lockers at school. First day of Blake's senior year and Evan's seventh grade year is next week. I say "slow down!" too! I'm not ready for my babies to grow up. xo

Progress. . .

This has definitely been a character building project for Evan. I am so proud of him and his efforts. We lost one wheelbarrow and the yard will hopefully recover. The pile is dwindling. Now, Clay, get busy and build me a deck!! xo

Gone too soon.

Once in a great while, you may come across a person who is larger than life ~ the generosity, love, and life just beam from their every being. I came across such a man years ago when I met Clay's Uncle Louis. I have always felt an admiration for this man, his love for his family, his lust for life and his confidence, wit and swagger. He wore the Perry name with pride, respect and grit. Our family aches that he is gone.

Senior Pictures!

Believe it or not, it's Miss Blake's senior year. Yes, I am holding back the tears. I just can not believe it! Tomorrow we are driving to Denver to have her senior pictures taken. She and I have enjoyed putting outfits together and playing dress up. This should be a fun outing. I am excited to get some pics on-line. Warning ... Proud Mama at the computer!

Fillin' up the Trampoline Pit

We had a load of dirt dropped off in the street in front of the house on Monday. The large load took up half of the width of the street and stood over six feet tall. The boys have been pacing themselves with wheelbarrow trips from the front to the back fighting mosquitoes and the heat. Clay conveniently had to fly to Wyoming Tuesday through Wednesday, so Evan and I took over where they left off. Evan has been the true hero here. He wakes up early, does a few trips with the wheelbarrow before the heat hits, goes out mid afternoon for ten more trips, and finishes off his evening with even more trips. He sweeps up the mess, puts the shovels and tools away, and does it with a smile and a sense of pride. Clay, Blake and I are super proud of him! Way to go Evan! S'mores on us when the deck is complete! xo

Visit from the Shakes!

Congratulations to my Dad on his retirement!!! Samantha, Kenny, and boys were to fly out for the big celebration last Saturday, but the bad weather in Milwaukee changed those plans. Fortunately for me, an hour drive to Fort Collins was in the cards for my sister and family. I got a surprise visit and enjoyed every minute of it. I realize the "city livin'" is not for Kenny but he tolerated it and I think ended up having a nice time ~ and Clay and Evan ended up with a few bucks in their pockets after a late night game of poker! ;o) I forgot to get the camera out, but Blake sent me this picture of Conan and Max looking out the back window. Thanks Sam and Ken for making the extra effort to come north! xo

Camp Timberline!

Evan had another great year at Camp Timberline!!!! This is his fourth year at this fantastic Christian-based sports camp. Right at the base of Longs Peak, this camp is truly a slice of heaven. I have a video of his week, but I am struggling to get it on the blog. I will keep trying.
One week away from home, Evan returned with kudos from his counselors honoring his qualities of Flexibility and Willingness to Give. That's my boy! He makes us very proud!

Wings of Freedom Tour

The Wings of Freedom Tour visited Northern Colorado over the weekend. Evan volunteered with his Civil Air Patrol Squadron. He and others were in charge of crowd control. He stood watch from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 90 degree heat and didn't complain once. He is really loving the opportunities he is getting as a participant in this organization.

Blake's Summer Job!

She is officially employed. Yes, she is. I am very proud. Now here comes the iffy part. She is working at Hooters! Not as a hooters girl but as a hostess. We visit once a week and it really isn't as bad as perceived. Even Granddad likes the wings! The schedule is great, she works Friday, Saturday and Sunday so her week is open to enjoy the summer. Again, I am very proud of my girl!

UPDATE: They liked her so much they asked her to be a waitress. After serious contemplation, we agreed to let her do this. She obviously was hired for her sweet and fun personality and not for her HOOT! ;o) She loves it. She makes a ton of money and is having a blast. I am very very proud. xo

University of Oregon?!?

Blake spent this last week in Oregon in a gymnastic and stunting camp. She flew out on her own, well with her friend, Sam, and they made it there and back safely. The University of Oregon has a phenomenal program that is not considered a "cheer" program but stunting and gymnastics, both of which are Blake's strong skills. They treat their athletes with all sorts of perks, like 8 hours a week of free, mandatory tutoring, laundering of athletic gear, free Nike attire, up to 250 calories of free snack a day, access the the athletic department facility, etc. Blake is not quite sure if this is the direction she wants to go, but "show me the money" and we'll go from there. :o)

Mackenzie Perry at OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So pretty!

This year my clematis plants have gone wild! I am so excited. Here's a picture of one in the front of the house and one of the three in the back.

Polo on the Lawn

Blake has been volunteering at an event, Polo on the Lawn, a fundraiser for Hospice, for three years now. She sells candy as raffle tickets for $20 a pop! The thing is, she is pretty cute, and she can sell 10 at a time in a blink of the eye. The event is hosted at a friend's home. The photo is a picture of their home. The estate, Ashlawn, is just as grand.

4 1/2 years younger~4 1/2 inches taller... maybe more.

Civil Air Patrol

Evan has ambitions to get accepted into the Air Force Academy and he is working on qualifications to add to his resume' at 12 years old. He certainly gets his drive from his daddy! He joined the Civil Air Patrol in March and is really enjoying it. Evan is a bit of a rule follower. He loves structure and set expectations, so this is perfect for him. This commitment includes physical fitness qualifications, uniform expectations, lots of bookwork, and the opportunity to learn how to fly airplanes. This is a picture of him on the way home from their meeting. He looks pretty handsome in his uniform, I have to say! ;o)

Golf Camp!!

Evan has been going to Southridge Golf Course for an hour and a half every day this week for golf lessons. This weekend ~ Golf! Let's hope he can teach Mom and Dad a thing or two. xo

Colorado ~ Like no place else!

Clay was asked to come view an upcoming job in Aspen over the weekend so we hopped in the car and took a road trip. Blake had practice, so she stayed home. We left early Saturday morning and drove through Summit County over Vail pass and through Glenwood Canyon. Amazing! Gorgeous! If you haven't traveled that road recently, do it and soak it up. (Clay had driven that road the week before when he went to Grand Junction for the day, and noticed a huge difference in the water level of the river. Too hot in the mountains - too much snow melt for the rivers!)

Once we got to Aspen, Evan and I took the gondola up the mountain, had lunch, and enjoyed the view. We ventured into a couple of shops in town, but quickly exited when we saw the $200 t-shirts for sale.

Clay finished his walk through and we headed over Independence Pass down through Buena Vista and stopped to spend the evening with Samantha and Ken and their family. We enjoyed dinner with Mom and Fred and our quick visit with Jessica.

The next morning included breakfast at Patio Pancake and a three hour drive through beautiful Colorado on our way home to Fort Collins. Gosh, I love Colorado!

Summertime!

Yea for SUMMER!!! It's been a long winter and a cold spring and we are ready for the HEAT!! The kids have several camps over the summer including an overnight CSU football camp for Evan, two weeks of golf instruction for Evan, a week in Oregon for a gymnastics and stunting camp for Blake, and as always, a week away at Camp Timberline for Evan. Blake still has two to three days a week of cheer practice and is still looking for a summer job. We'll see how she can fit all of that in. No worries ~ it's summer! (almost!)