Daniel
One of Karshner Elementary’s traditions is the annual “Staff vs. 6th Grader” kickball game. The whole school gathers to watch the action while the two teams battle it out for bragging rights. This year, the kids took the crown. The staff figures that 2014 is their year since there will be no Averill boys playing against them, but I think they’re pretty much conceding 2015.
Click the picture to see more of the action!
The boys both ran in the Sound to Narrows 5K Teen Challenge again this year. For those not from the area, this is a huge annual event in Tacoma, with the main attraction being a 12K run. We don’t think either of the boys is ready for that type of race yet. The 5K course is very tough because it starts out downhill, but the last mile (plus a bit more) is uphill, with quite a bit of elevation change involved.
Daniel finished 6th overall with a time of 19:15; David finished 14th overall (12th among boys) with a time of 21:03. We are so proud of them.
You can watch the video below. Click on the picture to see more.
Daniel was in the elementary school band this year, which consists of students from multiple schools. The band is directed by the junior high school director (pictured with Daniel) and classes are early in the morning two days per week. We are so proud of his progress as a musician and performer. His skills as a drummer make us think of Janel often.
Click the picture to see more. Watch the video.
This is the first year that David, as a 4th grader, could participate in the district-wide elementary school track meet. It was Daniel’s third (and final) such meet. The meet is structured such that 6th graders compete against only 6th graders, while 4th and 5th graders compete against each other. This allowed Daniel and David to compete in the same events and not compete against each other. They both ran the 4×100 relay; David ran the first leg in his race while Daniel anchored his.
They each ran the 800 meter (two laps around the track). Since distance running comes so naturally to them, they were the big attraction at the end of the meet. Even the superintendent remarked to Daniel that he was late for a meeting, but wouldn’t leave until he saw Daniel run. Neither of the boys disappointed – Daniel took first in his race with a time of 2:26 and David was only 8 seconds slower as he took first in the 4th and 5th grade race. The younger kids, as you might expect, have a great variation between the fastest and the slower runners. When David finishes, there are kids stretched all the way around the track.
My (Randy’s) favorite aspect of the track meet is watching the kids have fun and supporting each other. For each of the four 800 meter races (two for boys and two for girls), for instance, the crowd cheered mightily until the last student crossed the finish line.
Click the picture above to see more. Enjoy the video.
Pat Averill
Randy’s mother recently turned 80. Consistent with her low-key ways, she wanted a small gathering to celebrate. Mike and Mary hosted a fantastic dinner at their home in Gig Harbor. All four kids and spouses were there, as well as the closest of friends. It was so nice to actually have some time to talk and connect. The weather was perfect so we started the evening on the back deck. We took some good pictures (and got a bit goofy in some of them). Click the picture shown to see the others.
Our boys show talent in so many areas, including school and multiple sports. In addition to that, Daniel has been very impressive in his musicianship. He has been playing drums for nearly two years now and his skill and rhythm is excellent (prompting memories of another drummer in the family – Janel). He was selected for the Elementary Honor Band, which is made up of select musicians throughout the school district (9th largest in the state). One of the directors, Robin Blumenthal, was one of Janel’s percussion teachers.
The concert was outstanding! It included the Honor Chorus and Honor Orchestra. Grammy and Grandpa were there, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable event.
Click the photo above to see more pictures. Watch the video – they sounded great!
David, Sary-Jo, Daniel (yes, David is taller than his older brother)
Our traditional picture spot, the Van Lierop bulb farm, is now just a memory, so our Mother’s Day pictures had to be taken in our back yard. Fortunately, the yard looked pretty good. So did Sary-Jo and the boys.
Although we don’t have direct contact with Daniel & David’s older sister (1/2 sister technically) in Ethiopia, we are blessed with occasional updates about her – sometimes with pictures. Last year, for instance, we learned that she is in good health and is now married. This year, we learned that she has a baby boy. And we did, indeed, get pictures. We are comforted by knowledge that she is doing well, and truly thrilled to receive these updates. Since the boys were older when we adopted them, they have clear memories of life in Ethiopia and, specifically, time spent with their sister. In the picture shown here, she is looking at pictures of the boys that we were able to send to her.
As an added bonus, if we ever need a baby picture of Daniel, his nephew’s pictures could be used and nobody would be able to tell that it’s not him!
Relaxing
We had an awesome Spring Break! We drove to Mike and Sandi’s home in Nampa, Idaho. Their home is fantastic and sits on quite a bit of land. In addition, they have animals & toys and they share. They were incredible hosts and we had an absolute blast. The boys learned to ride dirt bikes and ATV’s; they brought in eggs from the chickens; they kicked a soccer ball (you didn’t think they could last five days without that, did you?). We went on a hike and we spent an entire day riding on the trails in the mountains. On top of that, we got a decent amount of visiting time in with Mike, Sandi, and some of the grand-kids (plus Kyle and Amy).
We only had one minor motorcycle mishap – David crashed. It was just a good bruise and a little blood – no broken bones (so Mike didn’t have to go to work). David was back riding the next day.
On the drive out, we took the scenic route through the Columbia River Basin. Last year, Daniel had done a report on the Basin, so he paid attention during the drive.
Photos albums below are:
What a glorious day we had for Easter, which is truly fitting the celebration that Easter is. Our Lord is risen and He deserves all glory! We started the day with the boys opening their baskets and searching for eggs. We left a bunch of video in here because the boys were just being themselves. We had fun with them. After church, we went to Julie’s house and there was a fairly major party happening. The kids kicked a soccer ball around (I know – this is a shock to all), and we generally just enjoyed the perfect weather and great company.
