Austin's Drama

Tonight was the PVPenHigh Drama Family Picnic. Austin and McKenzie (who starred together in Anything Goes) got to perform a dialogue which was very funny. Others performed monologues (...is from the Greek word for "mono" which means by oneself - we explained to Garrett and Blake)and solos. There is a lot of talent at this high school!

Next step: paint!

Blake was very proud of the assistance he offered Mike in painting a coat of primer in the new upstairs bathroom. He says it is the first time he has used a roller to paint. Ah, just wait...

Blues Bros Soccer

The Blues Brothers got trounced this Saturday with a final score of 5-1. The happiest moment for Garrett and Blake was the end when they got these great cookies! The Thomas brothers put forth great efforts, but it does take more than just one or two players to win a game. Oh well, there is always next week!

Messy week

This week we experienced the messiest part of our remodel. They put in drywall inside and put stucco on the outside, both VERY MESSY!!! I'm officially ready for this to be over! Now we are starting to add the "pretty" things - tile, paint, stone, etc.

Soccer Fever

We're having a great time watch Alex & Katy play soccer. Here's Alex's team--the Hurricanes!

Update from Soccer Central

Jenna's soccer team, the Greased Lightening, had a great game on Saturday, winning 3-1. Jenna scored her team's first goal, a great shot to the high back corner of the net -- her goal got the game started off on a great foot (her team scored twice during the first quarter).

It was fun to have G & G Wall there to enjoy the game with us and to enjoy dinner afterward!

Ebony's Pics

Ebony in her cage

Ebony finally had her first photoshoot! The hamster, as you can see, is a natural. Enjoy the pics!

Our baby is only 4 months old

Bye for now!

Ebony the Hamster

We got a hamster named Ebony Joy Wall. She's a blackbear hamster, just like Blackberry. I have no pictures currently available of her, but she's awfully cute! Only 4 months old, in fact. We love her! The mischievous girl already made her first escape. Don't worry, we found her and put her back. I have a feeling she'll be a handful!

Student Council Rep

Michaela recently tried out and won a seat as a student council representative for her fourth grade class. In her "try-out" speech, she utilized two famous optical illusions to illustrate that "different can be good" and that she can work with people who see things differently to create a better school experience for everyone. We're proud of Michaela and the hard work she put into her speech and for her being selected to represent her class!

Cross Country at Pepperdine

Austin competed as a HS Frosh in a XCo meet at Pepperdine on Saturday. Since it had rained all night just before the meet, the Alumni park became "mud" park in spots. Most teams were hampered by the mud, and some runners lost shoes in a particularly muddy curve. Grandma and Grandpa were on hand to witness the efforts put forth by these students. It really was a beautiful day in Malibu!

Austin is 15!

Where is the little boy I carried? When did he grow to be so tall? Wasn't it yesterday when he was small? Sunrise, sunset...
Austin wanted a chocolate chipless pizzoukie instead of a cake for his b-day dinner. It was yummy (with a little chocolate drizzled on top : )

Garrett is 12!

Garrett celebrated his 12th b-day with a group of his friends, Macaroni Grill dinner, Mary's chocolate cake w/ ice cream, and a night of video games and sleepover. Drywalling of the new room just happened THAT day! The Guitar Hero video game was such a hit that Garrett used his gift cards to buy his own game!

A Stellar Effort

I'm sorry that I don't have any pictures to show you, but I have to report on Jenna's most recent soccer game. Her team, Greased Lightening, went down 0-1 during the first quarter, on a goal that was more fluke than skill. It took the wind out of the team's sails. Jenna was playing forward that quarter, and before the quarter had ended, she received a pass from her teammate and scored her first goal of the season, tying the score 1-1.

Well into the 4th quarter, after a hard fought and evenly matched battle, our opponent scored on a breakaway to take the lead again, 2-1. You could feel the deflation in our team, having played well for most of our 70 minute game, only to lose in the final minutes. Jenna was playing the midfielder position, which means she has to hustle and play both offense and defense. With under six minutes to play, and feeling a sense of urgency, Jenna took the ball on the right side of the field, dribbled past defenders, and made a great shot that the goalie could barely reach but couldn't control, tying the score 2-2.

We ended up tying the game, with Jenna scoring the only goals for our team, and with both scores coming on the heels of discouragement. We are very proud of Jenna's soulful effort, refusing to be daunted, and taking control of the game when the chips were down and time was running out. Though we ended the game in a tie, you would have been very proud of the way Jenna handled herself in a pressure situation.

P.S. I also enjoyed watching both the Gators and the Trojans cruise to victory.

Mini-cruise

Mike and I took our first-ever cruise on Carnival's Paradise this past weekend. A fellow Pepperdine Heidelberger organized this as a Heidelberg reunion. The Katches and others were part of it, but overall, it was a small group. We had a wonderful time, even though it's a "party ship". Good friends and great husband equals wonderful time!!!

Cowboy Church

Each fall, the Conejo Church of Christ launches its fall programs with a worship service and potluck at the Old Western Town movie set at the Paramount Ranch in Old Agoura. On Sunday, September 9 we held what we've come to affectionately call "Cowboy Church," complete with horse rides and country music following the worship time. Michaela enjoyed riding Daiquiri!

Garrett's birth into Christ

Sept. 2 is Garrett's b-day into Christ. Family and friends surrounded him with love and support as he took his confession of faith. Andy baptized him in their pool and then all the kids jumped in (since it was 100++ degrees.

Watch Out J. K. Rowling!

Our Jessica recently won a local writing contest for kids 18 and under, the object of which was to write a fictional story in 100 words or less. We're very proud of her! Below is a copy of the story as well as the interview posted in the Acorn (our local weekly). Jessica won $50 for her trouble. Not bad for 30 minutes work!

A Comet in the Night

I moved swiftly through the forest, midnight approaching. I was following smooth indentations in the moist ground. They were unmistakable: unicorn tracks. My mother's grave illness could only be cured by the hair of a unicorn. The task was impossible, but unavoidable. I came to a clearing in the forest. She was there. The magnificent creature was lying under a willow. I darted forward toward her tail. She shot off like a comet. No! A tear trickled down my cheek. I opened my fist, to reveal a single strand of glistening hair. "Thank you. . ." I whispered into the black night.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Wall wants to be a writer of fiction when she grows up, and the Oak Park 11 year old already is on her way. Jessica's entry tied for first place in The Acorn's "Fiction in a Nutshell" under18 category.

Jessica said she was surprised to win. The Medea Creek Middle School sixth-grader wrote her story in 30 minutes the night before the deadline.

"I didn't think I stood a chance," she said.

Jessica credits her second and fourth grade teachers at Brookside Elementary School with encouraging and helping her develop her writing skills.

"Mrs. Keane inspired me to write and Mrs. Stromquist made me a good writer, teaching me how to write descriptively," Jessica said.

Jessica is an avid reader who loves adventure, mystery and fantasy books. Her favorite book is "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

"When I read it makes me feel like I'm in a different world. I can be flying on a magic carpet or battling a ferocious monster," she said.

Birthday girls

A few weeks ago my two daughters celebrated their birthdays. Trisha made amazing cakes and we couldn't resist inviting family & friends to the pool at our church building.

Katy's party was a mermaid princess with a castle "bunk" cake.



We played several pool games and even had a treasure hunt.









A few days later we celebrated Trisha's birthday at Outback and split a "Chocolate Thunder Down Under" (sorry I'm not nearly as good at baking as she is!).

A few weeks later, Olivia celebrated her 1st Birthday. It looked like she was going to love her cake but then she got a little sad (I still think she's adorable!). A few minutes later she was happy again! I love the look of Olivia & Trisha looking at each other.

I sure love my "girls"!!!

Legoland & Sea World

On the last day of our Summer break, Garrett, Blake and I went to Legoland and Sea World. We did the boys' favorite things at Legoland, Build and Test, and the Comedy Show. Blake enjoyed wearing his bathing suit and getting completely wet in Pirate's Cove. In the late afternoon we went to Sea World to catch some night time shows we had not seen before. We also got closer to a polar bear than we have ever been before! Since Blake LOVES polar bears, this was quite a thrill! We aren't ready for school to start just yet...