The Grand Finale

Ella was pretty excited to be the catcher today!

A swing and a miss!  Good thing you always get a chance to hit from the tee in ragball. 

 

So first Ella was catcher, and then she got to be the pitcher's helper.

 

Ella with her "Itty Bitty Ragball" certificate.

Ella loved her coach, Matt Meisner.  She would run up to the batting cages for each game and say, "Hi, Coach!"  He usually wasn't listening since 15 other kids were scrambling around, but I always thought it was cute!

Hot! Hot! Hot! = Sprinkler Time!

It has been so hot this week, and we haven't had any rain.  Brent has been using the sprinkler a lot, so the girls took advantage of it today.  I loved the sprinkler when I was a kid, so it's cute to see Gracie and Ella prance through it now.

I kept saying, "Smile!" but their eyes were always closed.  Finally they informed me that it was too bright to open their eyes.

Slip 'n Slide Fun

This was the first time we have used the slip 'n slide this summer.  It's always a blast!

Now that's an action shot!

We may have another poser on our hands!

Now where would Ella have learned to pose???

Ty and Lexi are our next door neighbors.  They love to play with our girls and love our slip 'n slide also!

Ella's New Clubs

Brent made Ella cover her eyes so he could give her a special surprise he picked up last weekend in St. Louis on his "guy's weekend."

She looks pretty excited, right?!

The clubs Gracie handed down to her were left-handed clubs.  Ella isn't a lefty, so she was struggling to use them.  Brent got a steal on these clubs at his aunt's Play It Again Sports store.  Ella will have to grow into them a little, but it won't take long.

Little brown Ella!

Wacky Hair Day

Today was Wacky Hair Day in kid's church.  Gracie and Ella were pretty excited to have crazy hair.  They had curlers in the top, and braids and ponytails in the back.

Our children's minister knows how to have fun!

 I loved Madison's braids!

Art On the Block

After ragball we went to Moberly to attend Moberly Area Community College's Art On the Block.  The whole front lawn was full of arts and crafts that you could do with your kids.  Most of it was free, so our girls had a blast.  Gracie was splatter painting a tile in this picture.  It turned out really good!

She also decorated a square of the block with sidewalk chalk.  It was a contest, and there were drawings all up and down the sidewalks around the college. 

Ella played a bingo-style game where you ended up stenciling in whatever square you landed on.  It was called "Live Art" because it was all done that day, and it changed constantly.

Spray painting the cars was probably Ella's favorite part!

No one would ever suspect they were there!

Grandpa was with us, so Gracie spray painted "Silly Ron" on one of the cars.  Tee hee!

Game Two

Ella was pumped for her second game.  Brent was out of town, so she just had to rely on me to help her today.  Poor girl!

Nana got to come and watch Ella play today.

This wasn't our best day at bat.  Ella hit from the tee both times, but that's okay with me.  She did a great job!

That helmet doesn't work for Ella.  It fell off in between every base she ran to.  Our team needed some chin straps!

Playing the outfield

Ella still likes giving high-fives at the end of each game!