Zoe Ann (佐伊安)...a journey home from China!: Where did the summer go! School is almost here!

Gosh.. where did the summer go. We took our annual trip down to Branson, Missouri so that we can visit Silver Dollar City, shop at the area retailers during Missouri's tax free days, and to watch Nathaniel's baseball games at the week long baseball camp he attends each year. As you can see from the pictures below...Zoe is a ham and loves to get her picture taken. He brother on the other hand would be well OK if we just took pictures of her. Unfortunately, I was able to coax him into a few photo's with Zoe. I did not have to bribe him...but would have if need be. Last year, Zoe was quite timid and was reluctant to ride some of the rides where as this year she was much more adventuresome. She rode the Merry-Go-Round, the Tea Cups, Kids Roller Coaster, the flying bugs, the Bouncing Frogs and the All American Plunge. She is becoming like her brother and a real dare-devil. The only issue during the week in Branson was the 7 days of continuous 100 plus degree weather...oh it was hot and muggy. Sonja ran into Carla Pinneo, one of her highschool best buddies at Silver Dollar City. Sonja and Zoe about wore me out...how much shopping can upi do...really! One day..I decided to take a nap while they went out to shop for clothes...Zoe hauled in...I guess it is never too early to leve shoes as I think Sonja bough her at least 5 pairs of shoes...That's three more than I have today!!!

At about the same time we are getting ready to send Zoe off to Kindergarten. She has had so much change for a 5 year old. She will be leaving preschool and is now going to the "Big School". To get her ready Sonja had to get her caught up on all her required shots. She had 4 of them. She told me "Dad, I was a big girl...I got four shots and I did not cry." She is a brave little girl. So, she is all but ready to go to her new school. We are excited for her, as we are hoping she will start meeting and making loads of school friends.

Nathaniel has had a busy summer. He made the JV Legion baseball team and they had games at minimum 4 days each week. Nathaniel did very well. He ended with the highest number of innings pitched, believe he pitched 59.1 innings. Over 10 innings more than any other pitcher and posted the second lowest era at 3.34. During the district tournament they asked him to pitch against one of the largest schools in Omaha where he threw 102 pitches and shut the team out until the ninth inning. He had 13 innings of shutout baseball before a run was eventual scored. He also finished the season with the fourth highest on base average and fifth highest batting average so he held his own. While at the baseball camp for 15-18 years old in Branson, Nathaniel batted .750 (he was 6 for 8 with two walks) and finished with a .800 on-base percentage. He did well but learned a lot as well. This year he reecived a written report from college coaches on what he needs to work on... they provided alot of suggestions...After the camp..he met up with a friend in Branson who was also vacationing on the lake and they went cliff junping, jet skiing and later going to the park to ride the roller coasters. Now its on to football, where this week he has started to-a-days JV football practices and also participating in his school's summer band camp. So, like last year, he is going to be busy.

Really, nothing else new and exciting...just wanted to catch-up...