Mother's Day

Mother's Day had a rough beginning because we had just heard the day before about Grandma Lucas and so we needed just to find a way to be active and together.  Fortunately, Callie had just had a fun birthday party at a local crafting store, and we knew we wanted some new wall decor for the girls to go with their new beds.  Off we went to make magic happen!

This process was a little interesting to manage since both John and Sarah have some control issues.  Sarah wants to have complete and total creative control while John doesn't want anything to get messy or go against the rules.  This makes things a bit difficult for the creative spirit.  And of course, this combination can be really difficult for the two little girls who just want to have fun with paint and stencils.

Under the circumstances and the control issues, it therefore made sense to pair John with Callie, who was less likely to dump paint all over.  The artistic pieces that we selected were the first letters of the girls' names and we chose colors to match those on their new bed spreads.  Callie was pretty excited to get a C and chose a variety of flower and butterfly stencils.  She wanted the teal background, which was perfect for the overall scheme and approved by the creative director.

Meanwhile, the creative director worked with Reese, which meant she would probably have more hands-on opportunities to manipulate the final product.  Reese is always excited to see the letter R and this was no exception.  She did a great job painting and working carefully with the stencils.  Her pink background worked well for the colors and Sarah got to put some of her own touches in their as well.

Everyone was pretty happy with the final product.  And while we would have liked to have a more formal pose for the grand finale, I guess we can't control everything and our girls' goofy side comes out more often than not. Of course, they are our children, and so that is to be expected.

Soccer

Spring 2016 marked the 4th and final season for the Sharks in the U8 league for LYSA.  For the very first time we had every player return from the previous season so we were looking forward to building on our previous successes.  And we were not disappointed.  This group of girls certainly showcased their skill development and ongoing great attitudes.  We feel lucky to have had such a wonderful group of girls, and perhaps even more important we just had a wonderful group of families.  Callie continued to play well and never wanted to come out of the games.  There are few things more enjoyable than coaching your own child, and John loved the experience.  Indeed, he enjoyed it so much he may likely coach Reese when she moves up to U8.

Speaking of Reese and coaching your own child, Sarah got the opportunity to be an assistant coach for Reese's U5 team, the Rapids.  This was the second season for the Rapids and having six boys and two girls made it an experience that was eye-opening for Sarah and Reese.  The boys brought whole new conversations and noises into play along with a ton of energy.

Reese's last game had a special treat because one of the dynamos on the Gunners was her close friend Mary.  They were so excited to see each other but didn't let that interfere with their competitive spirits on the field.  Mary certainly was a striker and Reese protected her goal like nobody's business. Hopefully this won't be the only time that these girls are on the same field together.

Reese had a great season and loved playing.  She may have even loved playing as much as she loved the medal she got at the end of the season.  Because of new rules and regulations regarding age groups she is going to jump from U5 to U8 for the fall season, but her timing is good because U8 is changing as well, which means it will look a lot like her U5 games did.  The fall will be fun to watch both the girls continue their soccer development.

More Things We Love About Lexington

In the years we have lived in Lexington, one of cool things that we have seen is the increased activity related to public art throughout the city.  One of the powerful art installations that was only up for a little while invited citizens to stop and take a picture so that you would be framed by the message.  John was able to get Callie and Reese to pose with him while the piece was still on the exterior wall of the Lyric Theater.  The message is clear, mighty, and certainly relevant in today's society.

On a lighter note, we were sent a Flat Stanley from Kate Perrone in Manhattan Beach, California, which meant we had to show him all the highlights of our fine city.  We hit all the usual spots, but made a point of showing him our favorite fountain which is located in Triangle Park.  It was a long weekend, but Stanley traveled well and didn't complain about any of the stops.  And because of it we actually got the girls interested in a variety of places, including Mary Todd Lincoln's house and Henry Clay's house, both of which we hope to tour in the near future.

The second weekend of every May is also the time for Mayfest in Gratz Park.  This has become a must-do weekend activity because it includes pony rides, arts and crafts booths, fair food, and good music.  This time around it also included face painting and hanging out with the Johnsons.  Of course it would have been good if we had remembered that Callie had pictures for her soccer team right after this.  John insisted that we purchase the normal photo package and now we are the proud owners of a magnet, team photo, and numerous wallet size pictures of our soccer-playing butterfly.  As you can only imagine, Callie was in seventh heaven and Sarah wanted nothing to do with it.

We like nothing more than doing our civic duty in the Bowes household, and we made sure to vote in the special primary elections held in Lexington in early May. This photo was taken to prove to our friend Seth that both of us had voted on that day. The sad truth is that there was a debacle at our precinct in the previous election when Sarah went to vote, so this time around she had to make sure her voice was heard.

Saying Goodbye to Grandma Lucas

In April, Great Grandma Lucas celebrated her 94th birthday. She celebrated in style, surrounded by her loving sons and daughter-in-law. We also got the honor to Skype with her on her birthday and let her know how much we love her. Weeks later we received word that she had stopped eating and her health was declining quickly. These were difficult weeks, especially with the distance between us, but Sarah got the opportunity to have several conversations to make sure that her grandmother knew what a special place she held in Sarah's heart. On May 7, we learned that Grandma Lucas had passed away.  We quickly made plans to fly out for the funeral.

Some of Sarah's greatest memories with her grandmother are from hanging out together in Monterey, so it was only fitting that we spent some time there. We were able to visit Cannery Row, a place that looks much different than it did during the years when Grandma Lucas worked in one of the canneries. We even drove to a spot along the coast that Sarah and Grandma Lucas used to sit and watch the ocean. It was so important to all of us not only to be with family but also to relive the memories that came flooding back every time we thought about her. It is an understatement to say she lived a full life!

The funeral brought family together from all over. In fact, there were well over 150 people who gathered to share their love and appreciation for a woman who brought so much joy to others. A special treat was that John's parents flew out because they wanted to be a part of the celebration of Grandma Lucas's life and to support Sarah. As it happens this also became the first time Callie and Reese had all four of their grandparents together. It was the ultimate photo opportunity.

Sarah wanted to make sure she took the time to express how much her relationship with Grandma Lucas shaped her life.  Following are the words she shared with all of those gathered to honor her grandmother.  If you didn't have the good fortune of knowing her, these words will help you understand what a wonderful woman she was:

"I think everyone in this room would agree with me that my grandma cherished family. She always seemed to be visiting someone, sending someone a card, or talking on the phone to catch up with a family member. To me she was the source of all information. I can remember calling her and having her give me an update on who was doing what. I loved feeling so connected to everyone. I guess in a way she was my “facebook” before “facebook” was a thing.

When I was in elementary school, I remember going with my grandma on her visits. We jumped into her big beige and brown car. I think it was an Impala, but I am not sure. I just knew it was ugly! It had big bench seat. I popped in the passenger side. My grandma would always want me to sit in the middle so that I could be really close to her. We would hit Salinas and visit various people like Millie Rose and Helen Caughta (?). I am not totally sure I was related to all of these people, but regardless, they were family. To my grandma no one was a stranger, just someone she hadn’t met yet. And during the visiting tours we saw a lot of family and met lots of strangers.   

My Grandma simply had a lot of love to share...Every greeting and goodbye involved a hug. And I am not talking about a small, courteous hug; I am talking about a big, nuzzle-in Portuguese hug. When I was in college my gymnastics team had a meet in the Bay Area and my Grandma and Grandpa offered to have all 15 of us over for pizza as we travelled north. And when we all got there, she had her arms opened wide to welcome each one of us with a big hug. For some of my teammates this was their first Grandma Lucas experience and they weren’t sure what to think, but by the time we left they all got in line to give her a big hug because they wanted a part of the love she shared so easily. 

After I married my husband John, I would call to say hi and give her an update on what we were up to in Kentucky. She would always end our calls by saying, “give John and the girls a big hug.” Then she would say, “make sure you squeeze them hard, well not too hard.” But that was my Grandma and I will definitely miss her hugs!

Perhaps even more than her hugs I will miss her sense of adventure and her pursuit of a good time.  It didn’t matter what the adventure was, she was more than ready to take part!  As long as I can remember my family has had sizeable family reunions. These reunions are filled with laughter and back in the day my grandma led the fun with her sisters, sisters-in-law, and brothers-in-law. One year when I was in high school, I arrived at the reunion to find my grandma with a large rug burn on her forehead. When I inquired, what happened, she simply said, “I had too many Fuzzy Navels and fell down in the Winnebago.”  

And it wasn’t just back in the day.  For her 80^th birthday, Ronnie and Teri coordinated a weekend gateway to Las Vegas. This was perfect since my grandma loved gambling and having a good time. We had a great time! In fact, Haley and I couldn’t get my grandma off the dance floor. And if memory serves me right, we had to tell her that the club was closing just so that we all could go to bed.  Her zest for a good time never stopped. This past Thanksgiving when we pulled out the game Pie Face, grandma was more than willing to take a turn. So for folks that aren’t familiar with Pie Face this is a game that is like playing Russian roulette with whip cream. This is a game that some of her great grandchildren were quick to pass on. But not grandma - she was all in. And we have pictures to prove it!

The visits, the hugs, the fun – all of it revolved around the simple fact that she loved people! She loved being with you. It didn’t matter if it was an intimate setting or a large scale social gathering. Whenever you were with her she was fully present. She loved human connection. And what would exhaust most people energized her.  She had an amazing ability to make you feel good about yourself! It was like she was your personal cheerleader. When I competed in gymnastics, no matter what happened she didn’t understand why I didn’t get a 10. Although her assessment was far from the truth, it was awesome to have someone unconditionally on your side.  Knowing how much she especially loved the people in this room, I am going to be bold and ask you all a question. Raise your hand if my grandma told you or you “just knew” that YOU were her favorite. (pause) Looks about right. We all gave her such a hard time about this, but I truly think we all were her favorites.

I    In closing, I want to leave you with the fact that my grandma loved the ocean. She appreciated and admired the power contained within. I remember countless trips to the beach where we would just sit and watch the waves roll in. So the next time you have the opportunity to see the ocean, take a minute to cherish your family, share your love, and live in the moment. And know that you are her favorite!"

The one bright light with any time you say goodbye to a loved one is the sight of young children and the hope and joy for the future their energy brings.  In this instance it was the sight of all the great grandchildren - Callie, Reese, Skyler, Harper, Brady, Chase, and Sadie playing in the waves and gathering seaweed. Their giggles and smiles were exactly what our souls needed.

Since all of the immediate family stayed in the Monterey area we were able to spend a lot of time together and cherished family, which is just how Grandma Lucas would have like it.  Although it was a difficult couple of days, it was wonderful to be with family and know that Grandma Lucas is finally reunited with her true love Joe after all these years.  And in the end, it was truly a celebration of a full life that was lived well and full of joy.  Few people could have packed more hugs and love into 94 years.

Keeneland and the Derby

There are few better places to be in the spring than at Keeneland on a sunny day. Our friends the Prestons held down a great spot on the fence right near the finish line. The girls enjoyed getting a close up view of the horses, and some of the employees brought the guide horses right by for a quick nuzzle. They also had little hard candies the girls could feed to the horse.  So cool.

Not only the horses got treats, of course. Sarah, Patty, and Laurie all took in a frozen mint julep that was perfect on a hot and sunny day. Unfortunately, a sad truth is that this is the first mint julep that Sarah has been able to truly enjoy during her time in Kentucky. It's amazing what a little ice can do.

Our seats at the finish line meant we also had the perfect view for every race. The girls loved seeing the horses barrel down the homestretch and fly by as they completed the race. They were definitely into the competitive spirit and were quick to make requests for bets.

And for the very last race of the day each of the five girls had the same horse in mind. So John went to the window and made a $1 bet to show for each one of them. Captain Caution strikes again, because if he had followed their orders and bet the horse to win they would have won a bit more. But hey, they still walked away with $2 each and what they don't know won't hurt them.

In the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby we received word that Grandma Lucas was not doing very well. We made an extra effort to put on our Derby hats and send a special picture her way so that she knew she was in our thoughts. Unfortunately she passed away that afternoon, but we do know she saw the picture we sent.

Easter

This year Nana Banana and Sport visited us again around Callie's spring break and Easter.  It also just happened that the first weekend they were in town Rupp Arena was hosting the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds of the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament.  So we got tickets and all of us watched some great games.  Unfortunately, the UK women lost to Washington, but much to the visiting UConn fans delight, Notre Dame fell to Stanford in the nightcap.

While John helped facilitate the National History Day competition at EKU the next day, Sarah took the rest of the crew down the road to Shaker Village in Harrodsburg. They had an Easter egg hunt, which was organized by age and really just a race to see how many eggs you could put in your basket over a one-hundred-yard course. You can see the girls quite well, and the great thing was you exchanged the eggs for candy treats, which made everyone happy.

After the egg hunt was done we headed right over to the farm where we saw pigs, chickens, goats, and cows.  We hoped to see them shear the sheep, but by the time we got to that station all the sheep had been sheared for the day, so they had to tell us there was nothing left to see.  That's life on a farm.

It is safe to say the girls, Nana Banana, and Sport had fun exploring Shaker Village. And they also were able to learn more about the history of that particular site and the Shaker community that once made it their home. Shaker Village is one more cool thing about the Bluegrass that folks don't often know about.

On Easter morning the girls woke up to swimming pool themed baskets. They were filled with swimsuits, coverups, sunscreen, and everything they will need to show off their swimming skills at the pool this summer. The Easter bunny always seems to encourage the right activities. We were pleased.

Later that morning we were able to pull it all together in a timely fashion to make it to church on time. Since we were unable to have our traditional church egg hunt the girls got the opportunity to make the twelve eggs of Lent which told the full story of Easter, and not just the bunny version. We were also able to get a great picture of the girls with their grandparents outside on what was a beautiful day.

We were also able to snap a great family pic, and although John and Sarah look cool, calm, and collected, this year they were going to have to contribute more to the Easter brunch than ever before since Sharon and Chris had just returned from an extended stay in Sanibel Island, Florida. It was a new responsibility, but we felt we could meet the high standards set by the Chrismans.

The meal received great reviews.  Everyone enjoyed the salmon and the grilled asparagus.  But an even bigger hit was the dessert, which was berries and whipped cream over angel food cake.  And we have spent enough Easters with Chris and Sharon to know that if we want to hit a home run we have to ensure that Chris gets his annual peep intake.

Although Sport had to leave that Tuesday to get back for some work related events, Nana Banana spent the rest of the week taking care of both Callie and Reese since it was Callie's spring break. They had a great time and so did we.

A Big Bloomin' Spring

Reese decided to ride a bike and then did it.  It sounds like it should be more complicated than that, but it wasn't.  One day she asked John to take the training wheels off of her bike because she wanted to ride it for real.  And so he did, and then she did.  We started off in the driveway but quickly took the show to the track at Cassidy.

Reese was very proud of herself, and she had every right to be proud. When she makes up her mind to do something she tends to do it. Now her parents need to get bikes so that we can finally go for some family bike rides, especially since Lexington has started to build more bike paths all around the city.

This spring Callie was involved in something called Academic Challenge with her school once a week.  For the most part these knowledge competitions were just among the kids in her school.  But toward the end of the school year there is a district-wide competition.  So here is Callie with her team getting ready for the questioning to begin.  It was to fun to watch them think through and agree on the answers to questions that they were not confident in.  Hopefully she will want to do it again next year.

On a more social note, Callie decided for the second year in a row to try out with Kennedy and Harper for Cassidy's talent show. Another girl named Holland joined the group and with that the Cassidy Cuties were formed. They lip-synched to a number of pop hits while dressed as babies. It may be difficult to see here, but they were standing behind a black curtain and their head and arms were in front. The legs moved only by fishing lines attached to their arms.

The Cassidy Cuties were a big hit to say the least. Thanks go to Miss Laurie who found the inspiration for the routine and put together all the props.  Callie certainly enjoyed herself and we got quite a big giggle out of the performance.  Who knows what they will come up with next year.

But perhaps the biggest event of the spring came when we finally purchased individual beds for Callie and Reese. Callie had been looking forward to this day for a very long time - indeed she had been putting on a full court press for a while, including writing about her need for sleep in a number of essays written at school. Yet Callie was not the only one who was excited for the new bed, as you can see here. And for the most part, the two of them have actually stayed in their own space.