Happy 2016 from the Jerdees and Underwoods!

 

We're a trifle early posting this...but our 5-year-old isn't going to make it to midnight.

It's bedtime for our littlest one!

Adam, Landon, and Kim Jerdee

Amy, Hunter, Blake, and Dave Underwood

And they didn't think it would snow...

The first blanket of snow came a little late this year.

I always say snow never falls before my November 13th birthday.

 This year, it waited a week to show up. It's a beauty to behold, that first five inches of pure whiteness against the black of tree structures left without leafy ornamentation.

Pure as the driven snow, nature's blanket covers the sleeping earth until spring.
From Florida, where we are missing the snow, I'm sending Landon some
reindeer food to sprinkle on the "lawn."

 

Photograph: Amy Underwood

 

Well, it'll be grey and unsightly by spring...

We're enjoying its purity for now!

 

Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Landon"s Halloween Party

 

I spotted these photos on Facebook...how I stay up to date on doings in Des Moines. This summer we heard Landon's parents say that Landon was pushing for a Halloween Party of his own. His parents complied and cousins and close friends arrived in costume for eating brains, worms, and other

awe-ful things!

 

Dad (Adam) made a spider piñata...

,,,and Reece beat the heck out of it!

Brains for lunch! (Lime jello and cherry licorice)

Wormy treats...who wouldn't be squealing?!?!?

Party portrait with cousins, a few princesses, and Landon down in front without a mask.

Adam carved pumpkin lanterns for night-glow.

 

Hangin' with the Vikings' Cheerleaders

Blake scored big when his friend, Cael, and his parents invited him to get in the car and drive to Mpls. for the Vikings game today (they had plenty of tickets). Turns out, they were staying in the same hotel where Vikings were hanging out. They chatted up with Ed Marino and Chuck Forman and collected five autographs from other players.



Check it out! Blake and Cael with cute cheerleaders.

These are their seats! Section 139, Row 11.

Go Vikings!

Underwood Birthday Par-Tee!

We gathered at the 19th hole to kick off the one-party-fits-all-underwood-birthdays celebration last night. The heat and rain of Iowa weather drove us indoors to set up our golf-themed buffet on a grass-printed picnic cloth.  

Arnold Palmer showed up to hydrate the happy celebrants.
 He likes it half tea and half lemonade.

 

Landon came in his Minions golf shirt.

 

 

After checking in for the door prize (guess how many tees in the vase),

the line-up began with wedges and slices.

 

 

Club sandwiches and chip shots (not shown) and meat balls.

 

 

For sweet additions, fresh berry par-faits, sand trap donut holes, and peanut-putter pretzels.

Then the games began...
Grandpa Al's trivia games,
 Blake's putting tournament on a roll of artificial turf,
 and Landon's scavenger hunt out in the backyard.

Then it was cake,

the happy-birthday song,

and presents.

Four hours of great family fun so active that I forgot my camera!

As we bid each other goodnight in the driveway,
 lightning flashed in the dark blue sky.

 

 

Have a great Labor Day.

We're headed to the clubhouse pool party and hoping for a break in the rain!

Postgame Portrait

Blake and Dave traveled to Minnesota last night.

This morning, they and the rest of the West Des Moines, Iowa Valley Tigers showed up at the National Sports Center in Blaine. It was the Minnesota Showdown where the Tigers faced the Westside Boosters of Minnesota.

left to right: Dave, Shana, Blake, Ron...photo: Linda

Shana, Linda and Ron turned up at the field to cheer for Blake's team.

 Ron was snapped up to "run the sticks" with Dave for the game, leaving Shana and Linda in the bleachers to text us photos and updates on scores.

 

The Tigers won: 24 to 0. They will play another game at 3 p.m.

Stay tuned!

UPDATE: The Valley Tigers went home to Iowa with the championship trophy.
Congrats, guys!!!

Fishing at Racoon River

Hunter found himself with an unscheduled day and convinced Grandpa Al to take him fishing.

 

They fished from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. without a bite.
Lots of fresh air, though, and a nice time for bonding. 

Movin' On

The Lynx didn't win the World Series trophy.

Yesterday was their last game.

It was a fun series of Midwestern state teams that met

in various baseball parks around Des Moines.

Tomorrow it's on to the 9th grade football practice at school.

 

Last look at an Underwood baseball shirt for the season.
 

 

 

State of Iowa 2015 14U Baseball Champions

Hunter, bottom row, far left

Hunter is fourth from the right end.

Hunter topped off the last game with a home run.

Now the team heads to the World Series where they will play top teams from the region.
I think that means Kansas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nebraska (please correct if I am wrong).

Glow Golf with Blake

Glow Golf is our speed.

When we asked Blake what he'd like to do with us one day,

 his text response came quickly: "Glow Golf!"

 

 

Miniature golf in the dark.

 

Blake taught us the ropes and we found it doable for our old bones.

He said this place is super-popular on a rainy day :) 

 

Thanks, Blake!

We'll be back to use our free passes won at the last challenge.

Wedding Guest

Landon is a wedding guest today, invited to

 Geneva-on-the-Lake for the occasion.

Lake Erie, that is.

 

 

I couldn't help thinking that, in this serious pose

 to show me how he looked in the shirts I bought him,

 he resembles some aspects of second cousin Anja.

Surfer Dude is Back

 

 

 

Blake's hair is growing far below the edge of his baseball cap.

He wants it that way.

 

I wonder when he'll break down and submit to a haircut.

Here, he's warming up his pitches.

 

We spent the morning at Pickard Park while the Mustangs

worked at winning a couple games.

Spring Training

Al and Hunter had good seats in the sun at the Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota yesterday. The stadium is the spring-training home of the Baltimore Orioles and this was their afternoon to host the Minnesota Twins.

 

The Twins won.

Could it be that the new coach, Paul Molitor had anything to do with it?

Hunter, in line for ball signing, snagged a signature from Paul.

It's Pi Day!

Mathlete Hunter is in Florida for spring break.
Hangin' with his elders and doing what they do
at Venice Beach: Hunt for fossilized sharks' teeth.
It's also 3.14.15, pi day.
 

A wiry shovel sifts through the sands of the Shark's Tooth Capital of the World and black teeth emerge.

 

We're celebrating the day at Sharky's with slices of key lime pi.

They Did It Again!

Note from Amy: "Thanks to Hunter Underwood's flawless free-throw shooting throughout the final minutes, Team Venom closed out the season by winning the Grinnell Jam Tournament."

Hunter, top left.

Blake Qualifies!

Good news! Blake just qualified for State in Wrestling!

Happy 2015!

 

From the Jerdees and Underwoods!