Magic Moments

 Sage had a guitar recital today with most of the other kids from his studio. It was so sweet to hear the beginners all the way to the advanced. The recital included some special guests like dueling banjoes, guitar and flute duos, and a fiddle and guitar duo. They were phenomenal. We love our studio and Sage's teacher so much. Sage has gained so much confidence these past weeks as he's had opportunities to play in the community. Today Sage started playing his recital song and stopped after one line, told the audience he needed a minute to tune his guitar, and then started again. It was the sweetest. We're so proud of him.  Sage and his patriotic ensemble played at Munsinger Gardens last weekend and it was lovely. Sage played melody for a couple songs and also held down guitar three.  https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/7VxHaHWwQUCgg9s4_oAHOQ.WbUBmYiWbjOgWDk9_6W4l5

This weekend was packed with fun. Raspberry picking was one of the many highlights. 

 You could say that Sage played his first gig today. The owner of Arts in Motion called Sage's guitar teacher and asked him to play this morning at their venue. Arts in Motion is the best little place I never knew existed. It's along the Lake Wobegon bike trail and it's just beautiful. They offer art classes and an art gallery, they have delicious food made  in house, and a gorgeous building. Sage's teacher asked Sage to join with 3 other students to play a patriotic set list and of course we were so excited. Sage held down guitar three and played melody for a couple tunes. He was the youngest in the group by far, but he did awesome. His gift is his guitar and I tell Sage all the time God gave us gifts and talents to bless others. Hearing Sage play almost brings me to tears. I love seeing the boys develop their talents. I just couldn't be prouder. 

 Cade is my child with a quick wit. We laugh frequently at his well timed and well-worded jokes. We laugh at his perspective on life as well. I was reading Little House on the Prairie to the boys this week and in the story Pa was discussing building a stockade with the neighbors incase they needed protection. The conversation went like this: Cade:What's a stockade? Aiden: It's like a fort built for safety where you can store weapons, guns, and ammo.  Cade: So, it's basically Scheels. Bahahahah! Yes, in case you are wondering Cade has spent quite a bit of time at Scheels with Tom. In fact, we've all spent quite a bit of time at Scheels looking and buying all sorts of things. Of course the boys always look at the guns, weapons, and ammo to make sure they are well supplied at home. 

 When we came back from West Virginia I wasn't sure which soccer club to choose for Aiden. We didn't know much about any of them and I ended up choosing one based on location and I had met the coach who talked a good game. This season will go down as one where Aiden improved his skills and learned perseverance. Aiden has always played on a winning team, but this year was a year of humility and one where Aiden learned to be a leader. Practices continue through July, but the game schedule is almost finished. Aiden will be playing with a different later this year. For the short fall season Aiden will probably still be playing here but that's undecided. Aiden's ball control and foot work is outstanding. His passing is accurate and we're proud of his attitude. It's so hard to walk on a team when you don't know anyone, but Aiden has hung in there and proved his worth. We're really proud of him. We love to watch him do what he loves, and we can't wait to se...

 In case you're wondering, we still spend a lot of time sitting on the sidelines cheering on Aiden. It's been overall a rough season for the team Aiden plays with. But, we're really proud of how Aiden plays. Tonight a man from the other team came and complimented Aiden. He said, "I've played soccer as a professional and you are a really good player with amazing ball control." That certainly made Aiden feel good. He's worked SO HARD and been SO DILIGENT on developing ball control and footwork. And it certainly shows. 

 Cade has been working on kayaking by himself for awhile. Today he finally took his maiden voyage over the the Northern Hole with just Sage. I waited on the dock. He paddled over and back again all by himself. I'm so proud of him.