Family Road Trip 2014 Day 5

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Jason

Today we visited Miller Park in Milwaukee. What an awesome venue!

For starters, the building is just massive. On the approach, you can see the stadium from about a mile or two off I-94 and it looks amazing. The retractable roof gives the stadium a unique look that’s really cool. Tonight’s forecast called for a chance of rain, so they closed the roof about a half hour before game time.

There’s a ton of parking around the stadium, providing a tailgating atmosphere that you don’t find at a lot of MLB games. We walked up the smell of meat on the grill and the sounds of kids throwing ball in the parking lot. It was also Little League night at the park, so we saw a lot of little MLB hopefuls in their jerseys tonight.

I’ve never seen a stadium that catered more to the kid experience. In addition to the action on the field, the concourse was full of play areas for the kids. Up on our level, there was a full-on playground like you see at fast food restaurants with lots of little tykes running and climbing while their parents watched the game on the monitors. On the lower concourse, we came up on a host of free activities that kept us enrapt right up till game time: a baserunning drill that times the kids from home to first; a batting cage; a slide; and a pitching radar gun activity. Best of all…they were all FREE. Definitely a great way to enjoy the time before the first pitch.

As for the food, the hot dogs were amazing, maybe the best one I’ve had on our tour. To top it off, we got a free Coke with our parking pass. Pretty cool!

With tonight’s visit, I’m up to 21 current stadiums visited. When we first got married, Sunny and I decided that we wanted to try and visit all 30 major league parks. We hit it hard for the first 5 years or so, but having kids slowed us down considerably. But I’m glad we’re back in the saddle and this vacation has been such fun as we’ve shared this journey now with our children.

Closing the roof at Miller Park in Milwaukee

Closing the roof at Miller Park in Milwaukee

Posted in Baseball, Blessings, Family, Kids, Sports | 1 Comment

Family Road Trip 2014 Day 4

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Jason

Today has been another full day. We enjoyed some family worship / devotional time together to begin our day. I love hearing my kids articulate their faith at such a young age. Today as we were talking, it became evident to me that all three of them have been uniquely fashioned with perspective and thoughts and hearts that are so different and yet so complimentary. Sometimes you get the sense that some parents are merely tolerating their kids. I’m glad that I’m able to enjoy the relationships I have with ours. They’re some of my favorite people in the world and this vacation has been such a blast so far.

20140622-223505-81305061One of the things we wanted to do here in Minneapolis was visit Minnehaha Falls, a 53 foot waterfall located in Minnehaha Park in the city limits. The falls were pretty impressive; apparently the recent rain / flooding put the water at peak level. In fact, we heard that just a couple of days ago, some guy kayaked over the falls!

After spending a little time at the park, we headed downtown to another park, Target Field. It’ll take me a few days to properly process the day, but Target Field gets major thumbs up from me. Parking was a cinch with a garage located directly across the stadium and easy access from both ground level and skywalk. (In addition, major points for building a parking garage that exits directly onto the Interstate. Somebody engineered that puppy the right way.) The exterior to the stadium is neat and clean with a sleek modern look. As we were walking up, I noticed the banners of some all-time Twins greats. Inside, the concourses were immaculate, a lot like Disney in the sense that every 15-20 foot you’d find a person with a broom and a handled-dustpan sweeping up any trash. The field itself was pretty impressive, too, with some great nostalgic touches meshed with a state-of-the-art scoreboard / jumbotron. We sat in the nosebleeds, but we still had an awesome skyline view of downtown. And the covered canopy for the upper deck has to be the largest one in the majors. I also really loved the OF seating; very creative. All in all, this might be one of my favorite stadiums I’ve visited. Definitely in the top 5.

10454304_10202939185855250_3009494265239229327_nToday’s promotion was a free kids jersey to the first 5,000 fans age 14 and younger. Our kids were pretty excited to get some free Twins gear. After watching the home team take it on the chin in our previous stops, it was nice to witness a Twins victory today. Afterward, we were able to get down on the field and the kids had the chance to run the bases. It was definitely a cool experience for them. And speaking of cool, today’s temperature was actually a little on the chilly side! I’m loving the weather here!

We finished the day off by stopping again at the Mall of America to look around and ride some rides. Here’s a shot of the guys riding the log ride.

Back in my day, we called it the Flume Zoom

Back in my day, we called it the Flume Zoom

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 3

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Jason

Today was driving day.

After spending the last two days in Missouri, today we loaded up the Family Truckster and made our way north. We decided to sleep in a bit after two late nights at the ball park. With a long drive ahead of us, we resorted to all kinds of games to keep ourselves entertained. We’ve been playing a yearlong game of “License Plate” – starting on Jan. 1, we’ve been looking for all 50 state license plates. So far, we’ve found 47 of the 50 states! (There was WAY to much excitement in our car the other day when we finally found Nebraska and Montana!) We also played a game we call “Concentration” (although Sunny insists it’s called “Categories”). We basically pick a category, like “Disney characters” or “restaurants”, and take turns saying things that fit the category. If you repeat someone else’s guess or if you get stumped, you’re out. Today’s “Concentration” highlight: with the category “Body Parts”, Joshua, without a moment’s hesitation, guessed “carscophagus.” We gave him credit for cracking us up.

We drove north across the entire state of Iowa today and we were just blown away. Under a clear blue sky, we took in mile after mile of corn fields and farmland. Driving across the state gives you a deeper appreciation for our farmers here in the heartland. Several times Sunny and I turned to one another and said, “Can you imagine living here? It’s so beautiful.”

The beautiful heartland of Iowa

The beautiful heartland of Iowa

After arriving in Minneapolis a little after 6PM, we decided to head over to the Mall of America. I’m not much for shopping malls, but this place was awesome. This atrium was pretty impressive!

IMG_0898

Tomorrow we’ll work in some sightseeing along with a trip to Target Field to see the Twins and White Sox. More pics to come!

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 2

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Jason

Today we made the drive from St. Louis to Kansas City to make our first visit to Kauffman Stadium. One member of our family was fighting an upset stomach this morning, so we got a later jump than we hoped. As a result, we made it to town around mid-afternoon and headed to the Crown Center, a downtown retail complex. Sunny wanted to check out the Hallmark Center and we took in a few of the local downtown sights before heading to the game.

IMG_0856Prior to today, the only time I’d been to Kansas City was in the dead of winter about 15 years ago. We were traveling with some friends and I got to see Kauffman out the window as we drove past on I-70. There are some things I loved about “the K” (the water features in the OF being at the top of the list) and some things I wasn’t too fond of (the parking situation; the 60s era concrete aesthetics) but overall we had a great night at the park. This is a shot Sunny took down near the field prior to the ball game. Thanks to Little League, Joshua and I already had some Royals gear for the game. Don’t worry Cardinal Nation; I still pledge allegiance to the bird on the bat.

Last night in St. Louis, Phillie rookie David Buchannan delivered what might be the pitching performance of the Bybee road trip, stymieing the Cards for 7+ innings. Tonight, we might’ve witnessed the best offensive performance we’ll see on the trip from Seattle 2B Robinson Cano. Greeted by a chorus of boos every time he stepped to the plate (it seems Royals fans still haven’t gotten over Billy Butler’s HR Derby snub a few years back), Cano simply raked tonight: an RBI single to put the M’s up 1-0 in the top of the first; a walk in the third; a run-scoring double in the fifth, part of a three-run inning; another walk in the seventh. The guy is just smooth. I know his power has been off this spring, but he does everything so well. It was a treat to see him play tonight. Too bad the Royals couldn’t pull off a come-from-behind victory.

One of the best things about tonight’s game was the promotion: $1 hot dogs, peanuts, and cokes. When you’re feeding a small army family of five like we are, every little bit helps.

20140620-233048-84648080After the game, the Royals put on a fireworks display. If you’ve ever been to Disney, you’ve been ruined when it comes to fireworks. NOBODY does fireworks like Mickey. That being said, the post-game fireworks was probably the best non-Disney fireworks show I’ve ever seen. A great end to a great day.

Posted in Baseball, Blessings, Family, Kids, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Family Road Trip 2014 Day 1

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Jason

Well, today marked Day 1 of our summer Road Trip. I’ve always wanted to go on a “baseball trip” with the family and this year, we decided to make it happen. We started this morning in Alabama and drove through Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois before making it to St. Louis. The kids were great on the ride up, even though we hit a few pockets of construction traffic. Even our old van held up pretty well, all things considered. (We’re considering this her “swan song” given that she’s at about 204,000 miles and counting. But that’ll have to wait for another post.)

The Bybee Family Road Trip is underway!

The Bybee Family Road Trip is underway!

Over the years, I’ve probably been to over 50 Cardinal games here in St. Louis. It’s really one of my favorite places to visit and I love sharing this with Sunny and the kids. I’m really fortunate to have a wife who loves baseball nearly as much as I do! Back in our Lipscomb days, it was so much fun to introduce Sunny to Cardinal baseball during the McGwire era. Although she grew up a Braves fan, she quickly converted once we got serious and she’s never looked back. The only thing cooler is getting to share this experience with the kids now.

Phillies vs. Cards - 6/19/14

Phillies vs. Cards – 6/19/14

Here are a few of my random memories and reflections that I want to remember about Day 1:

  • DSCN5322On the ride, we had the chance to educate the kids a bit about the Beatles. Sunny explained to Jackson why a few of their songs are so meaningful to us. One of the little discussed joys of parenting is sharing music and memories with your kids. Such fun.
  • Speaking of music, my kids love Aloe Blacc’s “The Man.” The boys go around singing, “I’m the man, I’m the man, I’m the man…” which is pretty hilarious!
  • The Cardinals’ new Ballpark Village outside Busch Stadium is really incredible. This is the first time we’ve been here since it opened this spring. Really nice.
  • Post-game public displays of drunkenness can lead to the most interesting theological conversations. Even with 7 year olds.
  • Today my kids — particularly Jackson — mentioned Sunny’s Dad several times. Coming up on the one-year anniversary of his passing, I think it’s really cool that they still speak of him and think of him. He was and is very much a part of their lives, gone but never forgotten.

More to come tomorrow!

Posted in Baseball, Blessings, Family, Kids, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals, Sunny | 2 Comments

Turning Seven

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Jason

Seven years ago, a rambunctious little boy came into our lives. We named him Jackson, which means “God has been gracious.” We certainly felt God’s unmerited favor resting upon us as we welcomed his arrival. The months leading up to his birth were marked by one scare after another, prompting us to seek God’s grace in so many ways. But those days of trial also gave rise to Jackson’s middle name: Cash. In some cultures, the term is synonymous with peace. Of course, there was the added bonus of homage to my favorite artist of all time, Johnny Cash. But in the end, our prayer was simple: may the days of this child’s life be more peaceful than his days in the womb.

In many respects, Jackson has brought a sense of completeness to our family. As the youngest of three, Jackson was already positioned to grow up in the wake of an older brother and an older sister. But in addition, Jackson has the added challenge of growing up as the younger sibling to a pair of twins. Multiples have a special bond, as you would expect to find with two people whose shared history goes all the way back to conception. But I’ve seen it with my own eyes: it takes a special person – a very self-differentiated individual – to carve out his own identity, distinct from the “twinning” tendencies of his siblings. Trust me, Jackson is just such an individual.

Bybee_family_pictures-175Jackson, you are strong and full of vitality. Your mind is a gift, second only to your industriousness. I love your fire and determination – even in moments when those same gifts create challenges as your mother and I try to parent you! But they are uniquely yours, branded onto your soul by your Creator from your earliest days. God has uniquely fashioned you, son, for His glorious purposes. Today we give thanks for the expression of grace that your life is to us. He didn’t owe us anything, yet He chose in His wisdom and goodness to bestow your life to us. Inasmuch as you are ours to watch over, we turn you back over to your God, the One to whom you truly belong. May your life be anointed with His presence. May you continue to grow in the ways that bring glory and honor to His name. And may the world know peace by the span of your life as the borders of the Kingdom of Shalom are expanded in you and through you.

You are my son, God’s grace and peace in my heart.

Love always,

Dad

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Father’s Day Wisdom

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Jason

As I prepare for my Father’s Day sermon this Sunday, I’ve been asking for wisdom from some of the Dads I respect the most. I asked a couple of questions: What message do you think Dads need to hear today? What would you identify as the key ingredient for raising children? I want to share their responses here in a series of posts over the next few days.

From a lifelong youth minister who has raised a family of Christ followers:

What message do you think Dads need to hear today?

  • Be intentional about being a good Dad. Do it on purpose. Good fathering doesn’t just happen because you’re a good guy.
  • Establish your own list of family values. Collaborate with your family on what they think the list should be. Post your list on your refrigerator door. I did this and I am really glad that I did. It worked well. Note: This is an extension of the first point about intentionality. Compiling such a list is an intentional collaboration that invites participation from all family members. Posting it in a high-visibility area creates a platform for the family values to be routinely reinforced.
  • Create and foster a healthy pace to your family life. Don’t allow the culture to dictate how fast and frenetic your kids’ lives are. Sports, arts, academics and a ton of activities will cry out for your time and attention and will end up dictating your life’s pace and priorities. Too many of us allow this and are too distracted and too busy!
  • Anger is a choice. Note: Again, this is an extension of intentionality. Intentionally choose the better way. We tend to think of anger as a reaction. But anger is always a choice.
  • Be fully present and engaged. Figure out a way to be present when you’re absent and to not be absent when you’re present. Note: Put the phone down and talk to your kids. Be intentional about maximizing the very limited window of time we have while our children are young and formative.

What would you identify as the key ingredient for raising children?

  • To be a good leader, you have to be a good follower. To be the kind of Dad your kids deserve, you need to be a humble, obedient follower of Jesus. Note: Stu Weber, in his book “The Four Pillars of a Man’s Heart”, argues that true masculinity is only actuated through the lordship of Jesus, the Ultimate Man.
  • Show respect, admiration, and love to their mother. Note: Modeling a loving husband-wife relationship is perhaps the greatest gift we can give our children. In our culture, children are inappropriately elevated to a place of status that was previously reserved only for marriage. I hear it all the time: “My kids are my life. I’d do anything for my kids.” Look, I have kids, too, so I get it. But what message are we sending our children if this is all they ever hear? What about, “My wife is my life. I’d do anything for her.” Have you ever said that? Or even better, “Jesus is my life. I’d do anything for him.” Outside of your relationship with Christ, the only other relationship that is described in covenantal language in the Bible is the marriage relationship of husband and wife. The human parent-child relationship, as important as it is, is never spoken of as a “covenant” relationship. Your relationship with your wife is more important. Model that for your kids.
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MLB Musings: June 2014

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jason

In the busyness of this spring, I wasn’t able to make my typical MLB predictions posts. Probably a good thing, because I doubt I would’ve fared too well thus far. Toronto and Milwaukee in first place? The Marlins a half-game back? Tampa Bay with the worst record in the majors? Who saw any of that coming?

Now that nearly a third of the season is in the books, we have a fairly clear idea on most every team. In addition, there have been several players to assert themselves as bona fide stars in the early going. Here are a few of my musings re: the baseball I’ve seen so far:

  • Mike Morse & Pablo Sandoval; all hugs and handshakes in San Fran

    Mike Morse & Pablo Sandoval; all hugs and handshakes in San Francisco these days

    The Giants look like the real deal in the National League. For the past few seasons, San Francisco’s success has been due in large part to a stellar rotation. And the recipe still works; the Giants are currently 3rd in the majors in team ERA. But this season, the Giants are also flexing their muscles at the plate, currently ranking 3rd in the NL in runs scored. Angel Pagan has been a catalyst from the leadoff spot and the run producers — primarily Mike Morse, Hunter Pence and, most recently, Pablo Sandoval — have kept the line moving. It’s remarkable that the offense has been in such a groove, given the pedestrian production of former MVP Buster Posey. If he heats up, the Giants might wrap this division up by the break.

  • The new Bash Brothers: Cespedes, Donaldson, and Moss

    The new Bash Brothers: Cespedes, Donaldson, and Moss

    Not to be outdone, the other Bay area team has also looked pretty solid so far. The A’s are led by a trio of sluggers: Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes; 1B / OF Brandon Moss; and 3B Josh Donaldson, the clear choice for AL MVP at this point in the season. Each of these three carries a slugging percentage higher than .500; the Rockies are the only other team in baseball that can make such a claim. Much like the Giants, the A’s have a cadre of power arms that stymie opposing hitters. Scott Kazmir, resurrected off the scrap heap last year in Cleveland, looks like the ace of his earlier years. Sonny Gray continues to live up to the hype that pre-dated his arrival in Oakland last summer. And Jesse Chavez, a converted reliever, has already provided the A’s over 70 innings of 3.00 ERA ball. Now that Sean Doolittle has solidified the end of the bullpen (with vintage Eckersley numbers, by the way), the A’s are looking like a force to be reckoned with in the American League.

  • Oscar Tavares: Welcome to the new age....

    Oscar Tavares: Welcome to the new age….

    As for my Cardinals, I’d be hard pressed to consider the first third of the season as anything other than a disappointment. Granted, they’re not off to a disastrous start. But as of this writing, they’re 31-31, an even .500 with 100 games left to play. With their stable of live young arms the envy of GMs throughout the game, everyone expected the Cards to cruise to another division title. But you can’t mail it in (I’m looking at you Trevor Rosenthal), especially in our division. Thankfully the Pirates and Reds have looked pretty ordinary as well. I’m hoping Milwaukee is the only legit contender in this division. But it’s going to take more of a spark to get the job done. Maybe Oscar Tavares can breathe a little bit of offensive vitality back into this squad.

  • Yasiel Puig = swag

    Yasiel Puig = swag

    I have to admit: I was wrong about Yasiel Puig. Last year, when media types were bemoaning his All Star selection snub, I said he was a flash in the pan. Another couple of times through the league, I thought, and pitchers will figure him out. He’ll die on a steady diet of breaking balls out of the zone. And I was right. But I didn’t consider that Puig would make adjustments, too. After struggling mightily at the start of the second half, Puig began laying off the hard stuff away. When pitchers would come back in, he’d make them pay. And he’s done nothing but rake his way through the first two months of this season. Color me convinced. I still hate the bat flip. I still hate the hot-dogging and the off-field antics. But I’ve come to respect the supreme talent. And I even voted for him to start this year’s Mid-Summer Classic. He’s absolutely deserving.

Speaking of the All Star Game, I’ll return in a few weeks to help you with your ballot. But let’s just say that if anyone other than Troy Tulowitzki is on your ballot for the NL at SS, you need to give it up. Seriously. The guy’s simply on fire.

Next month, I’ll also have a recap of the biggest baseball trip we’ve ever been on as a family. More to come in a few weeks!

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Team Sports and Character Formation

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Jason

Team sports is great for character formation. I’ve seen it with my own eyes this weekend.

I’ve coached my son’s baseball teams since he was 3 years old. It’s one of the most rewarding and life-giving things that I’m involved in and I wouldn’t give anything for the time Joshua and I have been able to share on the diamond over the years. I plan on coaching him as long as I can.

10285538_10202786948969423_6417956865925958581_oSaturday, our little team faced off against the Cardinals, one of the better teams in our league. In addition to being well coached, the Cardinals have probably the best all around player in our league, a tall boy who literally stands head and shoulders above some of his teammates. This kid is a great hitter and one of the hardest throwing pitchers we’ve faced this year. Understandably, some of our guys were pretty intimidated at the prospect of digging in at the batter’s box to face him.

All year long, I’ve preached the importance of standing your ground at the plate: It’s your plate, don’t back down. No fear. That kind of thing. But against the Cardinals ace, I could tell my pep talk wasn’t holding water. Heading into the field in the 2nd inning, I heard Joshua trying to fire up his teammates to make a defensive stand after the Cards ace struck out the side. “Come on, guys! We can beat these guys! Be strong and courageous and never afraid! Let’s go!” Even though we never mounted much of a comeback — the Cardinals won 10-2 — I was especially struck by the learning opportunity that was presented to our boys through game adversity. And you’d better believe I noticed Joshua’s innate method for dealing with such challenges: relying upon God and His promises.

Prior to the births of each of our children, Sunny and I chose a passage of Scripture to be “their” verse; it was a verse that represented all of our hopes and prayers and dreams for that child. As it would happen, the verse we chose for Joshua comes from the book of Bible that bears his name, Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Our condensed version of this passage (“Be strong and courageous and never afraid,”) has become as much a part of our family prayer language as “in Jesus name, Amen.” We pray it — and more specifically, Joshua prays it — all the time. And team sports has proven to be the perfect crucible for the application of such a prayer.

Joshua and Jason Bybee, the 2014 9U Royals

Joshua and Jason Bybee, the 2014 9U Royals

Today, we played another game, this time against the Reds. Joshua is our primary firstbaseman and he generally catches everything thrown his way. At one point in the game, the Reds were up and we were looking a little flat. This is tournament action and we’ve already lost one game, so our next loss will bring our season to a conclusion. On a close play, a Reds batter barely beat out an infield single with Joshua catching the throw at first just a split second after the runner’s foot hit the bag. The umpire made the right call; the kid was safe. But after safely reaching first, the same baserunner instinctively made a turn toward second base, at which point Joshua seemingly applied the tag: a heads up play that would’ve ended the inning and the Reds rally. But the Reds runner, realizing his error in judgment, leaped back to the bag at the same time as Joshua’s attempted tag, forcing the umpires to make a judgment call. Is the runner safe? Or is did the Royals 1B make the tag?

I left the dugout and made my way toward home plate, fully prepared to pick the umpire’s brain: Did you get a good look? From my view, it looked like 1B made the tag. If that’s the call, that’s the end of the inning. We really needed a break; a couple more runs and the Reds could really pull away. I made it to home plate ready to make my case and about that time, Joshua runs halfway down the baseline and announces for all to hear, “The runner is safe at first. I didn’t tag him.” The ump looked at me; I simply stood there speechless. For good measure, Joshua reiterated (in an even louder voice), “I didn’t tag him.” The ump said, “Well, I guess that settles it,” and I had to walk back to the dugout while the inning continued.

Thankfully, we got out of the inning unscathed (the Reds didn’t score) and we ended up winning the game. I know the glow of this victory will soon fade, replaced by another game and another series of events and our baseball season will become one more memory in Joshua’s childhood bank. For the record, Joshua had a career-best day at the plate: 4 for 4 with 4 doubles, 3 runs, and 4 RBI. I’m proud of that, as any father would be.

But even after the stats lose their meaning, I’ll remember today as a career-best day for an entirely different reason. Today we learned about integrity.

That’s my boy.

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Top Five: May 2014

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Jason

Time for my monthly rundown of what I’m lovin’ these days:

  1. 9780752897882The Twelve by Justin Cronin. One of the benefits of being finished with school is the freedom to read whatever I want! Last month, I decided to re-read one of my favorite books of the past five years, Justin Cronin’s post-apocalyptic The Passage. About a year or so ago, I came across this on my way out to Abilene for a week long class. It was so gripping that I read the entire 700+ pages that week! The re-read was an even richer experience, so I decided to go ahead and plow through The Twelve, the second volume in Cronin’s trilogy. With the final installment (City of Mirrors) due out in October, this should serve as a great primer to what I hope will be a fantastic conclusion to this series.
  2. redletters logo onlyPreaching through the Sermon on the Mount. This year at Mayfair, we are studying the life and ministry of Jesus. For the months of January – May, we took a look at the many titles attributed to Jesus in Scripture: Lord, Messiah, Teacher, Son of God, etc. Now that the summer is here, we’re shifting our focus to the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. Our title for this theme is Red Letters: On the Mountain with Jesus; I’m really excited about what God will do through this study. If you’re in the area, we’d love for you to come and be a part!
  3. Cherry Dr. Pepper. I don’t know how this drink existed without me knowing about it. On a whim, I picked up one a few weeks ago; now, I’m hooked. I’m telling you, this drink is amazing. My new favorite summer time beverage. (Don’t worry Arnold Palmer. I still have a soft spot for you as well.)
  4. MLB_14_The_Show_Cover_ArtMLB 2014: The Show. This. Game. Is. Awesome. Joshua and I decided to split the cost of a new video game; and of course, this would be a baseball game. It’s been several years since I bought a new video game, but this one is fantastic. And it’s been great to play with the kids. If nothing else, Home Run Derby has proved to be a fun bonding experience for the whole family!
  5. The pool. Another benefit of having finished school: trips to the pool! I think I’ve already been to the pool more often this spring than all of last year. Even when we went last summer, I usually had my nose buried in a book. But it’s nice to be able to soak up some sun or toss the football around without any other time obligations!
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