I have promised Jolle a nice portrait before she returns to Belgium. This evening, we did a practice session and played around with some different lighting. This was my favorite.

It took almost an hour to get this extreme close-up up but I am glad I put the time in. Doing so made me appreciate the beauty of this flower even more. I do not often speak of God, but admiring the wonders of nature is where I see mine.

A closer view proves even more amazing. If time permits, I may try and get an even closer view of the stamen tips.

Today, I could not help but admire this beautiful flower from Jeanine’s garden. I will ask her what kind it is when I get a chance.

The Revs won 3-1 with all three goals coming from Dube. It was a very exciting game and a late evening breeze made conditions perfect for spectating. Maya who earned all four tickets in exchange for cat sitting was not able to join us because she is still suffering from flu symptoms.

 
Today was all about soccer. At 8AM the boys and Jolle joined me for a scrimmage with my over 50s team. All three kids held their own with the adults while I played rather pathetically despite finding the net four times. I spent the bulk of the afternoon recovering from the mornings game before taking Jolle, Nico and his friend Haley to a Revolution soccer game at Gillette Stadium. Jeanine prepared a nice tailgate cooler before we left and we enjoyed sushi, chicken drummies, chips and salsa and chocolate pudding before taking our seats.

Kyle’s friend Hannah joins us for dinner this evening along with Nico’s friends Greg and Kevin. Earlier in the day, Jolle and I went kayaking on the Sudbury River. Even though she had little experience, she paddled like a pro. Maya is not feeling well, and I spent the bulk of the day hanging out with her.

I was in the mood for a burrito today and took a short stroll at lunchtime to obtain the object of my desire. Along the way, I saw this interesting juxtaposition of nature and urban infrastructure and thought it would make a nice photo.

Nicolai rests on the couch while rubbing Nala’s belly. This week has seen temperatures well into the nineties, which has made soccer camp quite exhausting for the girls and left everyone ready to relax at the end of the day.

The new gardens have been a source of delight and nutrition for the entire summer. Now it is also the source of something of a mystery. There are two football sized gourd like objects which are growing adjacent to the raised beds. Jeanine has theorized that they have come from seeds in the compost. We will no doubt discover what they are when Jeanine cooks them into something or other.

Yesterday I received several 30″ x 20″ posters of photos I took on our southwestern RV adventure. The dining area of our kitchen features one wall which features a magnetic wall (steel embedded in the paint under the wall paper). This morning I mounted the various prints with magnets and enjoyed the reaction of the kids as they came down stairs for breakfast.

We can now choose the most fuel-efficient car for the trip at hand and Kyle can add an hour to his day by not having to ride the bus two ways. With Nico attending the same high school, it is a double bonus.

Meet 15 year old Jolle from Belgium. She will be spending the next three weeks with our family. She is the daughter of Jeanine’s Youth for Understanding (YFU) exchange sister, Frances who came from Belgium in 1980 to live with Jeanine’s family in Lebanon, Indiana. When Jeanine was twenty she stayed with Frances and her parents in Belgium. In no small part due to Jeanine’s father, Larry, the families remained connected over the last 30 years and we are delighted to host Jolle. This week she is attending a soccer training camp.

Today I participated in a charity soccer tournament in Ipswich with my former Concord United Over 40 teammates. The temperature was well above 90 and we played a total of four 35 minute games. The first three were back to back and we only had one sub. We tied the first game 1-1 and won the second 1-0. During the third game we were losing 2-0 with 15 minutes left to play. I spent most of the day as a defensive midfielder but at this point moved to the front line where I scored a very pretty diving header within a few minutes. The team rallied around this goal and we scored another two in quick succession to win the game and advance to the semi-finals. By the time we played our final match we were all exhausted and in my case sporting a pretty nasty blister. We did our best but were defeated by a younger and more skilled team. Proceeds of the tournament went to a college fund for the daughter of an Ipswich soccer player who died.