Memorial Weekend Starts with Impromptu Date Night

It feels like we've been especially busy lately so, heading into the long weekend, we made a decision to try to have some quality family time together. Then Matthew got invited to go spend the weekend at the lakefront cabin of one of his classmates - to which Karri and I agreed (Matthew is very excited and will, no doubt, have a ball). They plan to leave this morning (Saturday), so we had tentatively planned for a family dinner on Friday night... until Victoria, who had spent the afternoon at a friend's house, got invited to stay for a cookout with a few of her other friends' families. Shortly thereafter, Thomas called to see if he could have dinner at a friend's house and hang out with his buddies before his 7:30pm basketball practice. Then Matthew got invited to go to the pool with a few of his classmates... You get the idea.

All this to say that Karri and I ended up having a nice (though brief), impromptu Date Night dinner at home. She had planned a delicious meal for the family of steaks, baked potatoes and salad - good, simple, delicious, and something we don't do very often. I mixed up a couple martinis, we dimmed the lights and lit a few candles... great stuff.

Table for 5... 4... 3... 2!

Of course our solitude didn't last long. Matthew called mid-meal to ask for a ride home. Shortly after I brought him home and we had quickly finished our dinner, Victoria called for a ride. While Karri went to pick her up and I cleaned up the kitchen, Thomas arrived home from practice. Karri stayed to have a glass of wine with our friends and the boys and I were in bed by 10:30. Karri and Victoria were home minutes later.

The modern 'Family Night' I suppose.

We send Matthew off in an hour. Karri and Victoria are making a batch of cookies for them to take. I'm intent on getting some yard work done today before the forecast rains arrive this afternoon. Thomas is playing in a basketball tournament this weekend and has 2 games tonight. No rest for the weary. Regardless, we are looking forward to a fun, long weekend - whether together or not!

Spring Sports Wrapping Up

(Wow, two posts in one night!)

A brief, belated wrap-up from our weekend...

The Spring sports season is coming to a close. We had nice weather and, fortunately, remembered to bring our 'good' camera to the events on Saturday. After all the cellphone photos I've posted of the kids competing, I couldn't resist including a few sharper images from Saturday.

Matthew had his last regular season lacrosse game. There are no playoffs, but the team may play in one or more tournaments in June - so we may not be done yet. Matthew has had a lot of fun playing and would like to play in at least one of the tournaments.

We lost a close one on Saturday (3-2, I think) against a good and very physical team. Things got a little chippy at times on the field and there were some hard hits. Matthew got blindsided by one and quickly found himself on the ground. But he got up quickly and played on. We only had three subs, so Matthew got lots of playing time.

The orange socks make him much easier to pick out on the field!

Defending the goal

Cutting off an attack.

Matthew had a great season and learned a lot. I think he'll be back again next year.

After lacrosse, we headed to the Individual Championship track meet. This is the event where they award individual (and relay team) performances. In 2 weeks they'll have a Team Championship meet where the school with the most points will be crowned the overall winner (just an excuse to have another meet!).

Neither Matthew or Victoria qualified in an individual event, but Victoria's 4x100 relay team barely qualified last weekend. So we had the pleasure of running in the last event of a 5+ hour track meet! Fortunately, we didn't have to stay for the whole thing - although Victoria had to be there to check in at the beginning of the meet.

The girls did great - finishing 5th in a fast field. Victoria ran the 3rd leg.

Outside lane, just after the hand-off, heading into the 3rd turn

Final turn

Happy trackster

Cassady, Victoria, Alena and Emma with 5th place ribbons!

Final meet is in 2 weeks and we will be done!

Budding Photographer

Thomas got word today that he was selected to be a member of the Seattle Prep yearbook staff as a photographer. Quite a few kids applied and he was one of a handful of freshman who were selected.

He had applied for a general 'staff' position, but was selected as a photographer instead. At Karri and my urging, he included some of his photos as part of his application. The yearbook moderator (one of Thomas' teachers) told him that the photos were a big factor in their decision.

He's very excited and we are very proud!

I think his photos are awesome - he's got a great eye. I've included a few of them below. The moderator had asked him for an explanation/description of each, so I've including those too.

"...extended exposure of one of my siblings waving a sparkler at my grandparents' ranch in San Diego on this past Fourth of July."

"...at the Dale Chihuly glass museum downtown with the Space Needle in the background."

"...also at the Chihuly museum. The lighting in the room was perfect. Really makes the colors of the glass stand out."

"...a photo I took for my photo journalism class. This is one of my favorites; I love how its like picture-ception. Taking a picture of taking a picture. I also like the focus in the photo. My friend's hand and his phone are incredibly focused, while the background is blurred, so the clearer view of our feet is through the iPhone."

"... a trip to Mexico; we ate dinner on the beach one night and this swing looked really cool and the sunset in the background created a really cool shadow. I love the contrast between the bright sun and the dark swing; it really makes the sun stand out."

"... also on a trip to Mexico. My grandparents condo has one-way glass windows on one side of it; you are looking at Los Arcos ("the arches") - a popular tourist attraction in Puerto Vallarta. I really love this picture because it's so clear it looks like its really being taken through the window not reflected off of it. The blue sky really stands out too. Plus I just think Los Arcos are really cool!

Congratulations, T!

(Fortunately Thomas doesn't read my blog. I'm sure he'd give me grief for bragging about my kids... no doubt, well-deserved.)

Talent Show!

Matthew and Victoria's school hosts a talent show every year in May. It's always a fun event, with kids showing off talents ranging from silly to serious for the whole school (over 500 kids!). Thomas set a high bar for the Lange family, starting with tapping out a tune on his Fisher-Price xylophone when he was in kindergarten and following that up with a 'break dancing' routine (early signs of taking after his old man, I suppose) in 1st grade. He followed most every year thereafter with some form of musical performance - piano, guitar, a band with a couple buddies, etc. Victoria and Matthew haven't been quite that committed, but each have participated at various times over the years.

Victoria decided she wanted to participate this year, but was struggling to decide what to do. She eventually asked Matthew if he would perform a duet with her and we were pleased that he agreed. They enlisted the help of Victoria's piano teacher and eventually decided on the song 'Secrets' by One Republic, with Victoria on piano and Matthew on electric guitar and both of them singing. They've been practicing diligently for the last 3 or 4 weeks and sound really good!

Fortunately, both Karri and I were able to make it to the big event on Friday afternoon. Thomas was even able to join us.

Sing it!

The kids did a great job. Karri and I were both very proud. Several parents commented how great it was to see brother and sister performing together ("How did you get Matthew to agree to do that??!").

All the performances were great. There were some really talented kids, including several very good solo singing performances. A fun tradition!

Happy Mother's Day!

Nothing says 'Happy Mother's Day' like breakfast in bed! (notice 1 plate - 4 forks!)

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mom's in our lives! We had a great weekend celebrating Karri and all she does for us. Here's a quick run-down.

Saturday was beautiful (sunny and mid-80's) - and as hectic as anticipated. Matthew's lacrosse team took their lumps against a very good (and big!) Bainbridge Island team, 15-5.

Matthew (#12) waiting for the face-off

Victoria passed the time at lacrosse by making mom a crown of wildflowers!

From lacrosse it was straight to the track meet.

Victoria making the final turn in the 400

Happy to be done with that race!

Matthew on his way to 5th place in the 7th grade boys 400

After the meet, we hustled over to Arbor Height Swim & Tennis Club for the (end of the) Opening Day potluck. Matthew and Victoria swam for a bit while Karri and I caught up with some of our many great friends there over a couple of beers. We are excited to have the pool open. The kids love it.

Sunday morning the kids and I served Karri breakfast in bed (have photos - forbidden from posting). Afterward, Karri and I took Jack for a great walk through Lincoln Park.

Happy dog with 'mom' on Mother's Day!

We got home just as the predicted clouds and (light) rain arrived. So Karri decided it would be fun to go see a movie together. She and the kids agreed on '42' - the Jackie Robinson movie. So we hustled downtown for the 1pm show. It's a very good movie. I hear it hasn't gotten great reviews, but we really enjoyed it. An amazing story.

We all went to church together at 5pm, then back home. Karri and the kids went to the courts down the street to play some tennis while I got dinner ready (and called my mom to wish her a Happy Mothers Day). I have to say dinner turned out pretty well - halibut filet, asparagus and a delicious loaf of bread - all prepared on the grill. One of our favorite meals. Then fresh strawberries and angel food cake for dessert... mmm.

After dinner, we watched one of our family movies from 2001 when Thomas was 3, Matthew was 1 (turning 2), and Karri was pregnant with Victoria. We were all laughing hysterically at the antics of Thomas & Matthew and their fascination with superheroes, construction equipment, sports, etc. Good stuff. And a great way to cap off Mothers Day Weekend.

I can't end without recognizing my own mother on Mother's Day!

The whole family (from last summer)! 

Mom with all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren at her 90th birthday last July!

It's amazing to me how Mom kept our house running with 6 kids - all the meals she cooked, lunches she packed, laundry she washed, school & sports events she attended, etc. I'm certain it was exhausting and stressful, but she never let it show (at least not to me). Mom is kind-hearted and selfless. We like to kid her about some of her most endearing qualities... saying "sure - we'll make a salad" when a last-minute dinner guest showed up at the door, staying up half the night waiting for one of the kids to get home, or getting weepy sending each of us off to college (or later to new homes out-of-state).

Thanks for all you did (and do) Mom. I love you very much! Happy Mothers Day!

Welcome Back Victoria; Busy Saturday Ahead

Happy Camper

I picked Victoria up at school around noon yesterday. Was there as the buses pulled up from Camp Seymour. Lots of tired-looking but very happy kids. Sounds like Camp was a huge success. Victoria definitely had fun. Some of the highlights she mentioned included holding a variety of reptiles (a turtle, some sort of lizard, and 3 snakes!) and bonding with her cabin-mates (learning camp songs, putting on a skit, night-time bunk chatter, etc.). Good, clean, 5th-grade fun!

Full day today. I just dropped Thomas and his friend Nicole at West Seattle Bowl. Thomas' AAU basketball team is hosting a bowl-a-thon fundraiser to help pay for their trip to Las Vegas in July for a basketball tournament. I'm sure he'll go 'hang out' with friends after - likely won't see him again until tonight - possibly tomorrow if he angles for a sleepover at one of his buddy's.

Matthew has a lacrosse game today - 2nd-to-last game of the year (I think). We play Bainbridge Island which, apparently, is a very good team.

Then Victoria and Matthew have an afternoon track meet. This is the 'qualifier' meet - you have to compete in this one to qualify for the championship. That means lots of kids competing. And that means a LONG track meet. I'm planning on 4-5 hours. I've volunteered to help with one of the field events, which I've never done before, but it should help pass the time. Fortunately, it looks to be a nice day.

Karri should be coming in the door any moment from her massage - an early Mother's Day surprise from the kids and me!

Cinco de Mayo (belatedly)

3 posts in 24 hours... I think I'm back.

Just a quick note (and a few pictures) about our celebration of Cinco de Mayo on Sunday. Our dear friends, Jana & Roy, who live just up the hill from us, invited us to their house for a small fiesta with a few other friends.

It was a gorgeous Spring day and Jana & Roy have an amazing view of the Puget Sound and the Fauntleroy/Vashon ferry - so I grabbed our camera as we headed out the door. I'm glad I did.

The view from the deck - ferry dock in the foreground, Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Ferry headed from Fauntleroy to Vashon Island

Cheers to my girls!

Love that view

Karri and Jana have known each other since their first mom's group when Thomas and Ellie (Jana & Roy's oldest) were 2 weeks old. The kids are 15 now - and classmates at Seattle Prep. We used to live around the corner from each other (still in West Seattle), but both moved about 13 years ago. Still neighbors... just a little further apart.

Jana and Karri

Roy loves to give Matthew a (good-spirited) hard time

Lifelong friends - Ellie & Thomas

Our friend Jim, whose wife, Amy (who was returning from a girls' weekend)
was also in the Mom's group (with daughter Shea) with Karri and Jana

Our friend Jon (his son Blake is same age as Thomas, Ellie and Shea)

Karri made fresh guacamole and salsa. Roy was pouring margaritas that went down way too easily on sunny, warm (82 degree) day. And Jana cooked up some delicious pork to go with fresh tortillas (you know how I love those!). It was a feast. What a great day!

Off to 5th Grade Camp

Victoria is on her way to Camp Seymour today with her 5th grade class. She's very excited!

Ready to go!

She's going to have a ball. She's assigned to a cabin with several of her best friends. The weather should be great (a rarity - both the boys got soaked at their 5th grade camp). Lot's of fun activities planned.

Going to be different not having her around for the next 3 days.

My Beautiful Bride

I've been a blogging slacker lately. Actually, I've just been super-busy with work, travel, kids' activities... and trying to take advantage of this amazing weather we've been having in Seattle. I've got lots of updates to write about, but I'd be remiss if I didn't first give a heart-felt shout-out to my amazing wife on the occasion of our 19th wedding anniversary!

First (of course), some photos. (Special thanks to Karri's mom, Donna, for sending these!)

Our wedding ceremony was held at the Mission de Alcala in San Diego. I blogged a few weeks ago about our return trip their this past Easter. What a beautiful setting.

Courtyard at the Mission de Alcala in San Diego

Mom & Dad looking good, as always

Beautiful bride and her wonderful, adoring parents

The reception was at Karri's parents' ranch in Jamul, CA. They generously and graciously hosted 200+ people!

Nice effort by the extended Lange family, making the trip to San Diego

Looks like a studio backdrop

The band was great and the dance floor was packed all night. The band tried to play a 'last song' around 11pm (I think), but Karri would have nothing of it. They stayed for another set.

Bill presided over one heck of a great party!

Watch out for Party Girl!

I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate our marriage - surrounded by friends and family, all having a great time in a spectacular setting.

Karri and I were lucky enough to sneak away for a nice, quiet dinner tonight to celebrate. We headed to Phoenecia on Alki Beach, here in West Seattle, for a delicious meal. I know it's cliche, but we talked about how it seemed our wedding day was just yesterday (it does!). Then we reminisced about all the amazing things we've done in the intervening 19 years - not the least of which is starting our own family and raising three great kids. We feel very blessed.

I know I've been blessed.

Happy anniversary, Karri. I love you!