Life lately

This spring has been filled with an expected busy season of sports and academic endeavors for Amelia and John. First up, a fun last season for John playing flag football. John had enjoyed being part of the Cantrell Armstrong Elementary team for the past three years. 

The photo below is over-exposed, but you can see John running in the purple shorts in the background, carrying the football in his right hand.

And below, trying to intercept a pass thrown by the other team's quarterback.

Next up, baseball! We were lucky to get John included on a chamber ball team with teammates from John's elementary school, kind-of at the last minute. While John has had a lot of exposure with baseball over the years, he has decided that baseball is more of a secondary sport rather than his first choice (which is basketball). So having the chance to play on a competitive team with friends from school, without the commitment and high cost of a club baseball team, has been really fun for John and our family this season.John at bat below...

And pitching! John has enjoyed trying his hand pitching (first time!) with this team. 

And basketball! Always basketball. John loves this sport amongst all others, and he has enjoyed playing with the Hurricanes this spring on the tournament teams (4th and 5th grade tournament teams).

And now news regarding Amelia. This past spring Amelia took part in the Duke Talent Identification Program (a.k.a., Duke TIP), which is a nationwide talent search for kids that are interested in pursuing academics at an accelerated rate. Amelia took the ACT exam in February, and based on her score she qualified for enrollment in the Duke TIP programs. This past weekend Amelia participated in the medal ceremony, which was held at the University of North Texas nearby in Denton, Texas (a suburb of Dallas). Amelia can be seen walking across the stage below in the bright pink top.

At home afterwards, with her medal of recognition. Amelia is excited about spending three weeks in July attending one of the Duke TIP summer programs for middle school students, where she will study "Speculative Fiction: Reading and Writing about Alternative Worlds" at Trinity University in San Antonio.

Three weeks of school left! The end of the school year will be here before we know it. Lots of good times ahead, including John's "graduation" from elementary school.