High Five for Friday (6.21.24)

 

One

My boys made it home safely after their cross-country trek from Texas to Tennessee, Tennessee to Michigan (with a stop in Cincinnati), and finally, Michigan back to Texas. Upon returning, they had the sweetest of reunions with our kitty babies, who we miss tremendously and who we know miss us too. Today Hallie and I start our journey home as well, which means that tomorrow evening we'll all be under the same roof once again!

Plié has known how to open drawers for a while, but in recent
weeks she's also learned how to open cabinets. So now she likes to
leave a few open every day, just to let us know she's been there.

So happy to see her boys!

Tom needed a good cleaning when he returned.

Two

Speaking of Michigan, Will loved - and both he and Tom were impressed by - their tour of the University of Michigan. He's felt really good about all three campuses he's visited so far, which is great in that he can see himself fitting in at each university but is less great in that he isn't narrowing down the list of schools to which he plans to apply. (These are the only two pics - of Will with the cube - Tom took on campus.)

Three

People ask Will all the time whether or not he wants to play soccer in college, and his answer is almost always "I don't know." It's not that he doesn't know if he likes soccer enough to keep playing - he absolutely DOES like soccer enough to keep playing. It's that there are so many other factors involved (related to soccer, but also related to academics, money, etc.), and he just doesn't feel equipped to make a decision yet. The high five here is that recently becoming a part of Cavalry's UPSL team is helping him get a feel for yet another league, level and style of play, and coaching style, which is always a good thing in competitive athletics. If only I hadn't missed the last two games... (But a double high five to Tom, who always keeps me in the loop with his patented "Dadcast.")

Four

Last week, friends of ours from College Station - who we've known for years through Cavalry and Lads soccer - traveled to Madison to visit the University of Wisconsin. My dad, who loves hosting guests to Madison and the UW, offered to pick them up from the airport and deliver them to their hotel downtown...and then before I/they knew it, an airport pick up turned into hanging out at my parents' house. It's bizarre but really fun when completely different parts of your life collide like this!

While we're on my dad... A few months ago he got ordained on the internet and last weekend he performed the (his first) wedding of his best friend's son. I wasn't in attendance, but I heard he did a great job, and he looked pretty spiffy too!

 

Five

In keeping with the dad theme... Happy belated Father's Day to my kids' dad, my dad, my FIL, BILs, and all the other awesome dads out there. We love you!

The Mad Scientist

Grand-PAUL + his four grandkids

My FIL + my SIL and me, on one of the more epic and most
memorable nights of my life - we're forever united by this
Hunger Games-esque experience! (A story for another post...)

My BIL (who is 6' 3") + Will in a tiny train tent -
definitely one of my favorite pictures of the two of them.

My BIL + his fam in their award-winning
(Simpsons, of course) Halloween costumes.

Happy weekend, friends!