big week with California Grandparents in town

We've been enjoying having terri's mom and dad in town for the week. Highlight was Ben's confirmation at the Cathedral on Thursday night. A wonderful event with a couple hundred kids from area parishes, numerous priests in ceremonial red robes, and a pastor who insisted that the confirmands say their vows "with vigor and enthusiasm." Ben was confirmed by the archbishop--his confirmation name was "Thomas" and Terri's dad served as his sponsor. It was a big day for ben as he also had his solo clarinet performance earlier in the day, and then got some very nice gifts after the ceremony in the evening including a bible handbook from nana and papa, and a acoustic guitar from the family. 

spring sports also now in full swing: 2 baseball games, one softball game and a hockey game in the last five days alone. On the bball front, ben's team was 1-1, where ben went 2 for 3 in the two games including a sacrifice fly, a double to the wall, and a couple of great plays in the field in the victory. emma's softball team won their first game with 5 runs in the bottom of the 6th for an astounding come-from-behind victory. emma had a ringing hit up the middle in her first at-bat and a well-earned walk in the second. and then last night: emma's hockey girls beat up on the boys in a 8-2 victory.

annual mmsa silent auction tonite--should be quite an experience for the grandparents--and then an 8:00 hockey game tomorrow morning before church.

the good, the busy, and the ugly

We got back from Cape last monday night after a great, if jam packed, weekend with the Hartmann clan in Missouri for Easter. (For pics, see Denise's Team Karl blog: http://teamkarlconway.blogspot.com)  

We had a busy week that included school, Ben's first baseball game of the season, his confirmation interview, lots of softball practice for Emma, and some house-cleaning to prepare for the arrival of Grandpa and Grandma Swartz on Saturday. (They should be here shortly, in fact: Terri just left for the airport to pick them up.) The weather has also been great--shorts weather, as Dad used to say. Last night, then, was the department's annual recognition and awards dinner which Terri chaired. It went very well--until we got home from the event. While we were gone, it turns out, someone had broken into our house through our side window by the downstairs bathroom.

It could've been worse. They took some things--our Wii, GameCube and a few games, Ben's busted up electric guitar, Emma's drum case, and Terri's laptop--but no damage was done, and lots of otherwise obvious stuff like the laptop this is being written on was left untouched. (Terri's computer by far the biggest concern, as she had a lot of work on it including her book manuscript and student grades.)  Still, very unsettling and even though the police came quickly and all, probably not a lot else that can be done.