High Performance Hockey Camp in St. Cloud

Each year, Minnesota Hockey invites the top 100 girls at the 14 and 15 age level to the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud for a week long training camp. Presley was invited to participate after first trying out at her district level and then competing with girls from across the state in a Spring Festival tournament in Duluth. The week includes lots of on- and off-ice training, great coaches, and fun bonding with other great players from around the state. Presley was placed on the Royal team. Her team went 5-0 in the 3-on-3 tourney and then won the end of week final championship in an overtime shoot out. We were most proud of her being honored with the Player's Choice Award - voted on by her peers and her coaches. Super Cool!

Shoemaker's Hall - her home (dorm) for the week...



Herb Brooks National Hockey Center - her training center for the week...



All the players with Hannah Brandt, Olympic Gold Medalist. And Presley gets to hold the Gold Medal!



The "winning" 3-on-3 tourney team...



Her Player's Choice Award...

End of School Year

The end of the school year brings both proud moments as well as a bit of sadness as we realize we are down to about 4 years with these kids. Feels like just yesterday, the kids were getting on to the bus for the very first time. Canyon and Presley both had great school years - both working very hard and both earning great grades.

One of Canyon's end of year assignments included a "TEN" talk. Kind of like a Ted Talk. He and 3 classmates from Honors English gave a great presentation on "Brainwashing".



Presley was honored with the President's Education Award, the highest academic honor, awarded for 2 great years of academic excellence.



We said goodbye to our favorite bus driver, Rick, who has driven both Presley and Canyon over the last 11 years. Rick, gets dressed up for Fancy Fridays, stops to say to Ron whenever he's passing by our house, and waits for our kids as they are racing towards the bus. Great guy who always has a smile on his face!



And the week school ended, we were blessed with a quick visit from Uncle Don who was able to stay with us for a quick but awesome 48 hours.

Memorial Day 2018 - Upper Sioux Agency State Park

Our annual camping tradition with the Holje family (and also now the Hedlunds) this year continues. For year #9, we headed west to stay in tipis. It was a record setting hot weekend with temps between 95 and 101 degrees. Even with the hot temps, we managed to have another amazing trip!

First night bonfire with full engagement from the kids...



Daytime prairie hikes and wooded hikes...



Fishing -- including catching and eating walleye!!!



Campground games - bags, badminton, spikeball



Daytrips to a local lake to cool off and have a pretty awesome pickup game of soccer...



History lessons on the Dakota War of 1862...



Smoke bombs, amazing sunsets, and Eno sleeping



Great families! Great Traditions!

May Visitor Time

The end of May was highlighted with some great visits with family and friends. Trisha's college friend, Elaine, was in town with her daughter for a hockey tournament. While she was in town, we were able to take in an amazing David Byrne concert at the Orpheum Theater.



Ron then traveled to Chicago to attend the Bruks' family annual (and last) Sausage Fest, where extended family gets together to reconnect and make different varieties of sausage. Grandma Harriet brought some of the sausages to MN share with Trisha, Presley, and Canyon. While they were in Chicago, Mom and the kids attended the AdvoKate, a fundraiser for Cancer, honoring Presley's friend Kate who lost her battle to Leukemia last year.




Grandma Harriet came to MN for a week. While she was here, she attended a U of M event with Ron, watched Canyon's baseball games, attended Presley's Spring Choir concert, and enjoyed a downtown day, enjoying Korean BBQ and exploring the Weisman Art Museum that was hosting a temporary Prince Exhibit.

Random May Highlights

Some other highlights from the month of May....

Presley joined Mom for the X-Ambassador concert downtown when Dad was traveling for work. Awesome girls night for a great band...



Mom celebrates the end of a fun tennis season with some of her teammates at the Lifetime annual luncheon...



Mom enjoys a nice Mother's Day celebration at an old school steakhouse. Mancinis, in St. Paul with the family...

Sand Valley Boys Weekend & Kentucky Derby Celebration

The first weekend of May, Ron travelled with his best bud, Steve, to Sand Valley Golf Resort to celebrate their 50th birthdays and their life long friendship. They played 92 holes of golf over 2 days on this brand new championship course on the very first weekend it was open. Great brotherhood for these two great pals.



While Ron was with his buddy, Mom and the kids enjoyed a fun party at our pals, the Holjes, celebrating the Kentucky Derby. The day was filled with Mint Juleps, fun race betting, Croquet, and the infamous Hot Browns. Great time with great friends...

Roxxy Enjoys Springtime

Roxxy is enjoying the springtime weather. She has enjoyed hikes on our neighborhood trail, watching her brother at baseball, and hanging with her neighbor pal Jozy.

So proud of the bird that she caught and tormented on our neighborhood trail...


Watching her brother Canyon at bat for the high school team...


Hanging with pal, Jozy, in the yard (contained by the Invisible Fence)...