2014 Continued...

It was a crazy summer since Joel started his new job in Iowa and the boys and I stayed behind for summer camp and to sell the houses.  My photo taking became very little since I was a lone ranger but I most importantly we all survived it.  And it was FINALLY time for Charlie to play t-ball.  He was soo excited and LOVED every minute of it!  He liked playing catcher most of all as it kept him the busiest.  His coaches were awesome with him and let him be catcher as much as they could.  It was really fun watching him!

First Practice

 

And Finally Game Time!

 

I'm not sure there is anything cuter than little boys in baseball uniforms.

 

 

 

Tyson played baseball this year too.  He even hit the ball a few times.  He swings at the first three pitches no matter what, so if the pitcher threw a strike one of those three pitches he was able to hit it.  He was also beyond excited to play and loved every minute of it. 

 

This was the night before his first game.

 

 

 

Tyson also got to go to Father/Son basketball camps at both Iowa State and Kansas State.  He, of course, thought it was the greatest thing ever!

 

 

 

 

Summer Fun!

 

Memorial Day Parade in Carroll

Charlie hard at work while the movers were packing up all our stuff.

"What is this thing Mom?"

 



First day of Flint Hills Summer Magic Camp!

 

 

 

Introducing Baby Sean Richard Murphy

We managed to get a few boat days in while Joel was home on the weekends.

Races in Boone, Iowa

Camp is hard work!

Bella made it to Manhattan for one last visit.

 

 

We closed on our last house in Manhattan on August 1st, and after 14 years in Kansas we were official Iowans again.  The boys handled everything better than we could have ever asked them to.  It was really hard to leave such a great place with such great people, but moving back to Iowa was something we always thought we would do.  Having our family so close is priceless and the boys LOVE having their cousins around. 

 

 

Good-bye 8620 Eagles Landing Drive! :(

 

More to come...





So It's Almost Been a Year

And what a year it has been!  It's impossible to go back to everything that happened in one year, but I am going to share a few fun photos of the year and start fresh.  The year was filled with change!  As most of you know Joel accepted a position as Provost at DMACC in Carroll, Iowa.  We had talked about moving back to Iowa really since we left, but part of me thought it might not ever really happen.  But it did!  I was filled with all kinds of emotions as the day approached.  We had two rental properties and our house to sell so I stayed behind with the boys until the end of the summer.  When we closed on all three houses by August 1st, all for sale by owner, I knew it was meant to be.  It was REALLY hard leaving Manhattan (we were there 14 years), but it was REALLY exciting to be back in Iowa with family.  Moving the boys was a hard decision, but for the most part it has been great for them.  Tyson has immediately become an Iowa State Cyclone (I swear Lundstrom's I only had a small part in that!), is loving Adams Elementary, and cheers as loud for the Carroll Tigers as he did for the Wildcats!  Charlie has had a little harder time adjusting to the new school, but overall is doing awesome!  Kids are so resilient!  We are finally getting settled and I actually have some time to blog.  We miss Manhattan a lot, but Carroll is a great small town with everything we need.  And getting to spend so much time with family has been amazing and the boys love every minute of it.  They ask everyday, "which cousins are coming over today?"   

Tyson was Fan of the Game in January.  Looking back at this, the timing of it was awesome.  Little did we know that last season would be our last year as season ticket holders.

 

 

 

Enjoying a snow day in Manhattan.  I have been trying to explain to Tyson that in Iowa when it snows it doesn't melt right away like in Kansas.

 

 

Charlie decided for his birthday he wanted to invite his teachers and para, so it was an all adult party with Charlie as the center of attention.  Tyson decided to get the flu and throw up in the truck on the way to the bowling alley.

I accidentally cut off the coaches heads but this is one of my favorite team pictures ever.  He had a great season last year.  They figured out to have him stand under the basket and pass it to him. He made it almost every time!

 

And here is where the obsession with the bucket of water dumping on his head began. 

April 2014

Flying the awesome minion kite from Aunt Jenn and Uncle Andy!

My handsome dude at his music concert!

This kindergarten program is serious stuff.

Spring Game 2014

Why not?

 

OK, that gets me about half way through the year.  The Packers are playing Monday Night Football now so I will have to finish tomorrow.  Hope you enjoyed a very quick preview of 2014.