5th Grade Camp

 Camp is SO much work.  And I don't even do most of it--one of the other teachers handles the YMCA communication and the chaperone stuff this year.  We mostly had parents...but one parent dropped out at the last minute this year, so Sarah got to come again!  She did a great job.  She forgot to bring meds, and ended up puking for the last morning.  But other than that--she really enjoyed it.

She got to do the zipline this year (our YMCA staff was much more efficient) and we had smaller learning groups. 

The only really major problem we had was the fact that the YMCA sent us with lunch for 40 instead of for 130.  Yikes.  So we had to buy out the ferry snack bar on the way home.  It was crazy.  

Sarah--with her orange group

Their skit.  I can't remember what it was about exactly...

Happy Easter!

 When I bought Libby's spring break ticket, I didn't even realize it included Easter.  But I was so glad she was here for Easter & conference!  It was fun to have her here with us. It was also, unfortunately 5th grade camp, so Sarah and I were gone for 3 days of her trip.  But she had fun with friends on those days.  

The family member Libby missed most! 

Easter Legos

Opening her basket 

Notice the matchy jammies!  They had these cute ones at Costco.  Grammy always does Christmas pjs, so maybe I'm starting an Easter tradition?  One problem was that the night before Easter I forgot.  So they put them on the morning of.  

We also did Easter family pictures at UW.  

Maren's egg hunt on Saturday was awesome! And her bunny suit was epic! 

When I got up on Friday morning (the day Libby flew here) her flight was delayed, so they offered free rebooking.  She was able to got on a flight several hours early, so we got to spend time together Friday night! 

Hosting the Sumners

We had a fun time hosting the Sumners for one night of their Spring Break trip to the PNW.  We ate together and played a couple of games.  The photo is evidence of the Party Animal older generation!  (We were playing Blank Slate.). Super fun! 

Trey served his mission in the Seattle Mission, so they came up to see people and the areas he served in.  I'm so glad they had time for us! 

 

High School Nationals--Shorewood @ Virginia Beach

 It's been many years since Derek took athletes back to High School Nationals.  Since Ben was a toddler.  This year Lukas, who placed 2nd at State wanted to go.  So, Derek decided to take Ben too--and then Max also decided to join them.  It's such a long flight that in order to get there, they had to leave on Wednesday for the Thursday afternoon weigh-ins.  Then it's a 3 day tournament.  They run 79 mats, I think Derek said.  It was huge!  And Derek was gone for 5 days of the middle school season.  Let me just say that while I was excited for them to go, wearing the head coach hat was not my favorite!  Thankfully Hunter was there to help run practices.  

Ben won his first match with an awesome pin, then lost his next two to kids who were state placers AND had cut down from 113 (since there was a 4 pound weight allowance.).  Max lost one, won one, then lost again. 

Derek was super proud of him. Lukas made it to the blood rounds, losing a really close match (10-9) to enter the consolation bracket, then getting teched by the kid who eventually took 3rd.  

They had a good time.  They wrestled on the beach to make sure they were on weight. After weigh-ins, Ben ate SO much frozen yogurt during the week they were there.  They got to see Jamestown (I wish I could have taken my 5th graders there)!  They want to go back next year.  Haha.  We'll see.  We'll need to decide sooner, that will make the flights cheaper.  Also they could probably fly home Sunday night to make hotel and car cheaper.  

I'm glad they went for it! 

Views from their hotel suite (it was pretty sketchy I guess, but it had two bedrooms). 

Ben got a couple singlets :) 

If you've seen the documentary Takedowns and Falls you'll understand why they were super excited by this van.  (Also one of their club coaches is from this school--the documentary was the year before he was in high school--but he's in some pictures.) 

They also toured a military boat of some kind.  

Derek had to shave his beard for gas mask training.  He looks so different! 

Beach wrestling! 

Einstein's Epic Season

After the high school season, Einstein seems like such a short and sweet season.  But it is actually more taxing on me in many ways because I miss more school due to matches being right after school (for them, which means leaving early for me.) 

And, this year we went to Junior College Nationals, AND Ben and Derek took 5 days to go to High School Nationals--during the Einstein season.  So while it seems like with the less intense Einstein season, I'll get caught up, I just fell more behind.  But this year--it was worth it!  

We didn't have one of our own kids on the Einstein team this year, but it was a fun season because we killed it!  

We went undefeated in our dual meets (scoring an average of 73) with our opponents scoring an average of 34.  

Then we also won the district tournament. 

We've got some talented athletes rolling up into the Shorewood team.  It's going to be fun next year. 

Here are the Shoreline Area News articles with all the goods. https://www.shorelineareanews.com/2026/03/einstein-wrestling-goes-undefeated-in.html

(Derek wrote this one as I was out of time getting ready for 5th grade camp. He did a great job!) https://www.shorelineareanews.com/2026/04/wrestling-einstein-grapplers-battle-for.html

And now finally a little reprieve from wrestling?  Sort of.  Yesterday was a fundraising work party.  And we're always thinking about next year.  Ben may go to Freestyle state.  We've still got uniforms to put away at both schools.  But yes, this week I get to stay and school and do my normal planning every day--so I can get caught up before spring break.  Hopefully :) 

Sarah did a great job helping out with the Einstein team. 

And so did Ben

Ben with his buddy Oliver :). We had 3 church members on the Einstein team this year (all from the other ward.) 

Celebrating Brad & Amanda

 I was so thankful to be a part of Brad and Amanda's wedding.  It was a really fun event that had lots of their personality shining through.  The science center was an awesome venue! 

I didn't take a ton of pictures, but I'm so happy that Devin and Davy have sweet Amanda in their lives. 

It was also so fun to spend time with my parents.  My favorite moment was when we were stuck in traffic and my dad was ranting that google hadn't given the best route.  The phone (as if on cue) said, "you are in a 5 minute slowdown, you are still on the fastest route." 

I have the best family. 

Ben in the hurricane booth. 

Boys in character for their role in the wedding (Devin ring bearer & Davey--flower boy)

We were reminded why Ben still needs to sit in the middle. 

Lego time! 

Then Monday morning we hopped a plane back to Seattle. Whew.  What a weekend! 

Junior College Nationals 2026

 I'm putting a date on this post because we want to go back for sure!  Junior College Nationals was so fun.  (Okay, also stressful), but really really awesome.  

We bought our plane tickets before we knew if Libby would get to compete.  She's on the team that was the returning National Champs, and she wasn't varsity for the season.  But her coach got to take 15 girls for the 10 weight classes.  After taking 3rd at her District tournament, she qualified!  So we were so excited to get to watch Hunter, Izzy and Libby compete.  (Mak just missed qualifying!)

In search up info on the tournament, I found the media pass application.  I figured, why not!  So I sent it to the Shoreline Area News editor and she applied for me to get a pass.  They denied at first, but I looked at what she sent them, and she didn't say which schools I would be there to cover.  So I replied to the email about how Shoreline had 3 athletes competing, so I'd be there for 2 Big Bend athletes and 1 Indian Hills athlete.  They APPROVED!  So I got to be on the floor with my camera.  I'm not an amazing photographer, but I did get some good shots and got to be mat side with my favorite wrestlers. 

I already wrote about this in the article, and on FB, but Libby won her first match.  She unfortunately injured her shoulder in the process.  That made the rest of the tournament tough.  She was winning her 2nd match, but it got away from her.  That girl ended up taking 6th.  So if Libby had stayed healthy, she would have made the podium for sure.  Next year. 

Izzy won 2 matches, getting as far as Libby in the tournament (since Libby had a first round bye).  

And Hunter placed 8th, Shoreline's first All American (that we know of) in wrestling.

So proud!

It was also just SO FUN to have all my kids together.  

It was SO FUN to stay with my cousin Stephanie and her family.  Part of the reason we were so tired after the weekend was staying up late hanging out with them.  But we had to!  They are awesome.

Libby is excited to get back to Nationals next year.  On the podium for sure.

Ben is also feeling more interested in wrestling in college. That was an unexpected outcome of the weekend.  We'll see where life takes him.  

My cousin's husband is a doctor, so we asked about the quickest ER.  Got in so fast for a quick check on her shoulder.  Partially separated AC joint. So she should be back in action pretty quickly.  They do have off season practices.  

Then, Derek and Sarah flew home and Ben and I flew to Orlando for Brad and Amanda's wedding.  Let me tell you, a 5 am flight (central time) on daylight savings morning...not my best move.  But we made it for the wedding no problem.