Window View

Enjoying the quiet, airy view from our top floor.  Nice to be looking at the window, seeing water.  It sure has changed over the years, and this year all of the condos / apartments on the other side are now done, so our view is no more.  Sigh.  Thankfully, it has been a lot quieter than we feared.  Still a lot of empty places on the other side of the lake. 

Supreme Court Visit (Boys)

The Boys (Eli and Reeve) went downtown to meet some friends at the Supreme Court.  Going solo on the red line and exploring downtown DC made for quite a fun day out.  A nice reunion with LOTS of boys!

Great Lakes Museum

With our membership set to expire a the beginning of July, we made another trip to the Great Lakes Museum.  A delightful museum, though the real benefit is going on the James M Schoonmaker Museum Ship.  We found part of an engine room which we hadn't been in before.  The girls had a great time playing some ship stories, re-enacting Titanic, and enjoying a day out. 

Sunset

Indeed, such beautiful sunsets.  What amazing colors.

Quockert Cookout

We had a nice evening meal and cookout at the Quockerts.  Again, the delightful weather and good times, great food and some nice outdoor experiences.  We spent some time planning out the 2017 Mountain West trip and figuring out some logistics and possibilities. 

Interesting the difference in "smiles" as girls get older. (Also, more difficult as my camera autofocus appears to not be working for my 18 - 55 mm lens.)

Oak Openings

We took a delightful, sunny afternoon and went to Oak Openings.  It was the sand dune trail, and Rania and Laura had a race through the sand.  Nice to be outdoors and having a short, little hike.

Movie Day: Finding Dory

With some slightly reduced tickets on Tuesdays, that is the day to visit the local cinema, so we took the cousins to go see Finding Dory. Fun to watch the Finding Nemo sequel with the required refill popcorn and lots of previews (unlike the commercials in Malaysia).

Sunsets

One of the great things is the long, sustained sunsets from Northwest Ohio.  So enjoyable to get some bike riding in, dinner and then lots of time before dark.  Beautiful colors in the sky!

Cavs Win; Golden State Loses

Disappointing (for me) to be in Ohio and so sad that my birthplace (Bay Area) lost in Game 7 in a game where they definitely should have won.  Cleveland gets a title; not so happy for me - or Golden State.

Father's Day

Is there a better meal than Sam's Diner after church on Father's Day.  Thanks to Barrie's connections, we had reservations.  We knew we'd have some good food; we also knew it would be some gifts, some laughter and some good times with family.

A Birthday Festival

Celebrating a birthday.  Indeed, in the Quinn/ Rhodes/ Quockert/ Woodward/ Gorsuch clan, this is the season of birthdays.  This time, it is grandma's birthday; fun to celebrate together.

Cedar Point

With summer plans, a trip to Oregon, some great weather making for the perfect combination:  a trip to Cedar Point.  Another highlight for the kids, especially as they are able to handle themselves.  No more strollers; no more backpack watching (and Tracy can stay home).  A long, fun, busy day full of rides and lots of roller coasters. Yes, the new ride, Valravn, was quite smooth and fun, though a ridiculously long wait that was far from efficient with lots of empty seats and no one helping organize the riders.

Oak Openings Photo Shoot

At this age, it is getting increasingly difficult to get any decent photos of our kids.  Sometimes the photographer is greeted with a polite dismissal; sometimes the denial is quite a bit more forceful.  So when Laura suggested a photo shoot, with her practicing her photography skills with her new camera, it was a "definite yes" to make that happen.

What fun to get some fun shots, even if I wish I knew what I was doing with settings.

A Birthday Dinner

To celebrate a birthday, we had the opportunity to enjoy the waterfront and get some delicious seafood, complete with compliments of a birthday bonus.  It was a bit too windy for eating outside, but we sure enjoyed some delicious food on a bright and windy evening.

A Familiar Pond View

Enjoying delicious meals while coming off of jetlag and having a great time getting to spend time with family - all with the beautiful blue Ohio skies in early June.  Sounds pretty delightful.  Indeed, a view we know well from our summer experiences.

Baseball Smiles

Back in Ohio, enjoying the cool weather, watching Jacob play baseball and good fun for the girls.  How nice to enjoy laying the grass and relaxing and watching some baseball. 

Toddlerography & Supermen (End of Year Video)

It was, as always, a fun way to end the year. 

Here is the epic Karen Palko video to wrap-up the school year.  (Yes, that's me learning ballet from a toddler. . . ) Nothing quite like the Middle School. 

Moving On

What!  Our oldest is leaving middle school and moving on to high school?  How can this be.  It was a delightful ceremony with some fun opportunities to listen to Mr. Callan's speech as well as hear everyone's name being called.  High school, here we come.

End of Trimester Choir Performance

Gabi performed with the Grade 6 Choir as part of the end of trimester assembly. A great showcase of so much learning.