Boundary Waters 2014

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Around Here

Alexis

• Swimming is starting up again for the Spring/Summer season. We've missed it but have enjoyed our 6 week break. Alexis is most passionate about her swimming. She is confident in all of the strokes but her favorite is the freestyle. She went to state again this year for her 50 free and swam her personal best! She would prefer never to do the fly but looks awesome when she swims it. I am so proud! Again this summer she will attend a swim camp at the University of Iowa. She is anxious to room with Emma her friend she met there last year from China.
• Track overlaps with swimming. Alexis loves to do hurdles! She has her mind set to breaking the Walcott Junior High hurdle record. At meets she does a hurdle relay and individual hurdles. She also runs the 800 and performs the long jump.
• I must say again. My children are adopted. They do not get this inherent love for athletics from us! I never dreamed of parenting an athlete or athletes!
• Academics are just as important as athletics and Alexis is doing very well!
• Alexis has discovered boys. There have been several this school year. She recently went on her first parent accompanied movie "date" with Nick Hayes. They saw Is Heaven for Real. It was not about the movie as much as the timing of the movie. She could not leave until after Good Friday service at church and needed to be home by 11.
• Alexis will be a Freshman next year. WOW! We talked a lot about West and Central high schools. She really wanted to attend West where all of her friends will attend. One day in the middle of school she text me and said "I think I want to go to Central" and the rest is history. CHS here we come.

Charley

• Charley is coming into his own with his swimming. He has been trying is to catch up and surpass his sister. Not quite. Although I think he may have finally realized (too late) that he must push through the tough stuff in practice rather than have an excuse to stop and rest. Charley likes to do the fly and also looks awesome (and strong) doing it. He will attend a swim camp at the University of Iowa this summer too and room with Andrew Ottavianelli from Metro.
• Charley is doing track (peer pressure I think). Running is not his thing but he is a willing participant. He's been known to say "I didn't think I was going to make it!"
• Charley is the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader in his boy scout troop. It's an opportunity for leadership. He's learning a lot about how to herd cats (young scouts)! Its not so easy. Charley and Steve will be going on a Boundary Waters trip with a few other scouts and their Dads this summer and will spend a week at Loud Thunder with his troop.
• Charley knows he wants to go to Central. He is attracted to marching band and show choir. Lets hope academically he can keep up to do these and some swimming too. He is working toward those goals and will be doing a show choir tryout soon. Meanwhile we finally managed to get a 504 plan in place for some support for his learning disability. Mom's been working on this since second grade!! Central also has planned support times daily for struggling students. I am praying now this all works out and he can gain success and accomplishment along with some very special opportunities.

Xavier

• Lets just say he is a challenge. ADHD is a challenge and we are challenged daily by his impulsivity and his lack of attention to details.
• Xavier recently attended a weekend of language immersion at Concordia in Northern Minnesota. On the trip there they slept under the shark aquarium at Mall of America. A big hit with all the kids. On return home we noticed the experience had him dropping some Spanish at the dinner table like agua (water) and arrozz (rice) along with the usual typical commands.
• Xavier is in track too only at Rivermont. At the last meet he did the 50 meter and the 200 meter. He enjoys it. Perhaps he will add track to his list of likes along with basketball.
• Academically Xavier is struggling especially in math. Interestingly Alexis and Charley are doing similar math at intervals. That says a lot.
• Xavier has crossed over to Boy Scouts. He is intimidated by all the older boys and a bit tentative but will come around I am sure.

Joe

• Joe was so excited to start swimming again! He was sad to not have Coach Bob but open to new ideas with a new Metro Coach joining the team.
• Joe loves school and works hard at it. He is smart and comes up with some really neat things to say out of the blue about past presidents and science related findings. He is truly soaking it all up. Joe is taking French.
• Joe will be making his First Communion May 5th.

Cariyana

• Cariyana continues to be the kids biggest fan. Whether it is a band or chorus concert or a swim or track meet. She is there. No complaints.
• She is always happy. Always.
• She loves school and is very proud of what color she gets on at school each day (its a behavior scale--Purple is the best!) She has made purple all days of the week a few times.
• She loves to cook and is my shadow in the kitchen. If I say I am going to make something and don't remember to do it, she is quick to say..."aren't we going to make..."
• She too will make her First Communion May 5th. Nothing but anticipation from this girl. New shoes, new dress, a gorgeous veil. Its a girl thing!

Karen

• Busy, what can I say. I thought I was busy a few years back. Even busier. Often I am a single parent chauffeuring children here and there. Steve has been working 12 hour night shifts (leaving me at 6:15 at night). Its not a schedule we relish but works best for the family overall since he does have a choice in the matter with his seniority.
• I have to plan me time. Otherwise it does not happen. Its the same for me and Steve and its difficult to find. We need to work harder at it of course. 
• Currently I am doing a lot of summer planning attempting to find that balance between summer relaxation, camps, travel, etc. Life is changing as we end the junior high era and enter the high school years and all that that brings. One must have an up-to-date calendar! 
• I am anxious to get my fingers in the dirt and plant the garden. Soon, very soon. I have it all planned once the ground is warm enough.
• Steve and I discovered Downton Abbey. Let's just say we are hooked! I only wish there were more episodes in a year!
• The college is very busy and I have had increased responsibility this academic year. I am managing but feel about at my limit. Next year I will have 20 additional students in my already large class. More responsibility. I will need to capitalize on delegation! 
• Lastly, for Christmas my parents gave us a subscription for the Our Iowa magazine. In it are not only quaint little stories about persons and places in Iowa but "simple" contests. This years big contest in the magazine is one for a $20,000 Kitchen Makeover. Just find the "key" hidden in the magazine and register for your chance at winning. Guess what? My name was drawn out of over 5,000 names in January's entries. There will be 6 finalists representing each of this years issues of the magazine. At the end of the year I will be invited to a central Iowa location to choose a real key out of a kitchen bowl to try in a kitchen door. If my key turns the lock I win! To tide us over while the rest of the contestants are chosen we won a $300 gift card for Schwanns! As a family we decided to spend our gift card on ice cream! So until the $300 runs out....meanwhile the wheels are turning for a kitchen makeover! Most would say my kitchen is just fine! I think it needs a bit of tweaking! And at least a new counter-top to make it brand new!
• The North Scott Press recently did a story on us after receiving a press release saying I'd won the contest. In this day and age of google, the reporter learned we were an interesting family. We were featured in this month's edition of the Country Connection. If you read it you'll learn of our humble makings of a family.

Steve

• Work, work, work. That is what he does. There is time for little else. The weekends are for a wee bit of relaxation and a few honey-do chores and church.
• For months Steve has been looking forward to April. It has now arrived. An 18 week planned layoff for re-installation of millions of dollars of equipment in his location at John Deere. Yes, with seniority he could have transferred out for full-time work. Instead, he will be home with us all summer. Mixed blessings. 
• What will Steve do with all his time off? That remains to be seen but he has a gigantic list of things planned. Lots of vehicle maintenance and vehicle follow up tops the list, mulching, landscaping, organizing that new garage space, estate planning, etc.
• Steve continues to take an interest in Troop 26 and went on a recent cabin campout with the troop at Loud Thunder and did some training titled Scoutmaster Specifics. He learned and experienced all the beginnings of scouting like foil dinners, fire building, knot tying, and first aid. He figures he has about 10 more years of scouting left to get Joe through the ranks.

Cummins Christmas Update 2013

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Each year the months go by quicker and quicker. Life is so busy here with a houseful of children and two working parents. Here is what is new--

Our first born Nick and wife Angie graduated from Augustana College in May! After enjoying a graduation rafting trip down the Yukon River with Angie's parents, they moved to Tucson, AZ. Angie is attending grad school at Arizona University for Speech Pathology. She has established a nice group of friends and future colleagues. Nick has secured his first career related job with Ventana Medical Systems who specializes in histology and pathology. He has been recognized twice since starting in October by the company. Mom can rest a little easier now knowing both are happy and secure 1500 miles from home.

"Never underestimate the joy you bring a parent with a visit home" is what I told my students just before Thanksgiving.  We sure miss them and loved seeing them for Thanksgiving. We will see them again this Christmas!

Our emerging athlete, Alexis is an eighth  grader at Walcott Junior High. I can't believe I will have 2 Freshman in high school next year! Alexis enjoys running, biking, and swimming which makes her well suited for triathlons. She did 6 of them this year including one on the way home from vacation in PA. All with top 5 or better finishes!! She qualified for Nationals and we travelled to Des Moines for her to Swim, Bike, and Run with the best from across the nation. She finished better than she did in 2012. What an accomplishment! Alexis also juggles swim team, robotics, band (flute), orchestra (violin) and some seasonal sports (track and cross country).

Charley is in hot pursuit of Alexis. She talks him into everything. He has been on the swim team a year now and has really shown improvement in his stroke development. His times are about to be faster than Alexis'. He also participated in most of the triathlons.  Charley's strength is his music. Charley shines in show choir and shows off his skill and comfort level with solos. He has also started leading the Responsorial Psalm and Alleluia at church one Sunday a month. He also enjoys his saxaphones and cello. Charley is a budding leader at Boy Scouts helping to teach young scouts their formative skills.

Xavier will be 11 next month and is a 5th grader at Rivermont. Xavier participated for the first time this year on a Robotics Team. His team performed really well last weekend at the Putnam among 26 other teams and earned a First Place trophy for their project. Currently he is playing basketball which really seems to be his thing. Finally! Games and practice schedules keep us hopping along with scouting for him.

Joe is 8 and thriving his first year at Rivermont as a 2nd grader. Joe is an avid athlete who is very competitive and wants to win. Joe participated in triathlons this year too and even eeked out qualifying for nationals with one top 10 finish. He was thrilled. Joe joined the Metro swim team this year and is very upset if he does not get to practice each day! How different each of these children are!

Cariyana will be 9 soon and is enjoying 2nd grade at Buffalo Elementary. She loves school and will tell you her favorite is art. You won't find Cariyana playing with toys. You will find her creating something at the kitchen table with crayons, markers, and paper! And if not there she is close by helping mom cook something in the kitchen with her apron on. She loves to cook. The highlight for Cariyana this year was not watching her siblings participate in triathlons! For her it was performing in the Wizard of Oz as a munchkin. She really loved all the attention to details like make-up, a neon outfit, and of course flowers from her adoring fans!

Mom and  Dad have become quite skilled at maneuvering the mini vans on the roads driving these very busy children to and fro. It's really cut into the workout time we had last year. How to plan for that to be back in the schedule is a goal for 2014.

As you can see 2013 was a very busy year. We also enjoyed a fabulous vacation planned by Steve our resident concierge. Highlights of the trip included a visit to Cummins Falls in Cookeville, Tennessee. It is a quite spectacular 75 foot water fall complete with a swimming hole at its base. The words magical and breathtaking come to mind. The land was in the Cummins Family for 180 years. We are sure we are related somehow since there are some family origins close by.

Our trip also included a stop to see friend Tiffany Wagstaff and her darling boy Gabe in Tennessee,  a stop to see the Resin Family in North Carolina and an overnight on Virginia Beach for our stowaway's (cousin Karly Roberts) first glimpse of the ocean. From there we headed across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and boarded van and all for a ferry ride nearing our destination--the Jersey Shore. We spent a week with my sister and her family just 2 blocks off the beach.  Very relaxing sun, fun, and sand.

We took a day trip to Philadelphia with the excuse of visiting a national monument (the Liberty Bell) to meet a scouting requirement for Charley. While there we visited the Philadelphia Mint and Constitution Hall and then met up with 4 of the Hewletts for lunch to sample the local fare--Philly cheesesteaks! Our tour guide Mark Hewlett recommended a trip to Reading Terminal-- a true "experience" similar to a farmers market with a definite extraordinary feel -- produce, fresh meats including whole fish, baked goods, seafood, flowers, and ethnic foods. You must see it to appreciate the diversity and feel the hustle and bustle. We also got a glimpse of Chinatown.

We are counting our blessings as we recall the reason for the season.  Wishing you a Merry Christmas-- The Cummins Family—Steve, Karen, Alexis, Charley, Xavier, Joe, and Cariyana

Alexis and Charley: Junior High at Walcott

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2012 The Year in Review

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Perfection

Today was the perfect June day in more than one way. I am so blessed to have the job that I do to be off of work for the summer to be at home. Nothing makes me happier than to be at home in my castle. Days like these are very renewing. Today consisted of ordinary things. Nothing special. Swim practice in the morning followed by a quick trip to the grocery store for fruit, milk, and some special snacks for today's play date. Xavier and Joe enjoyed the company of Harris and Asher Ciaccio for the afternoon playing basketball, tag, and of course gaming. They had a ball. Nothing better than to hear the giggles and boy conversation from nearby.

Alexis and Charley were away at Hawkeye Swim Camp. This meant the boys could have their play date without big kid interference or the influence of jealousy. I feel guilty sometimes not being able to reciprocate more often on play dates with other families. It becomes stressful to add children to the house. There is the whole sibling jealousy thing. There is also a difference in who you invite. Some kids are just plain less maintenance. Less maintenance is good for me. If kids are too needy or too rambunctious it adds to my stress level. I know my limits. And my kids are too much on some days!! One soon learns whose kids you can have over and whose you should not.

It also meant Cariyana and I would have our time. She and I worked in the kitchen on lunch and dinner. Another really great way to have a perfect day. To me, a good day includes "being a good cooker", as Cariyana would say. She loves to help and enjoyed making Nick a salad of lettuce and radishes from our garden with leftover rib-eye steak from last nights supper. And I know Steve is brought pleasure by having a thoughtful dinner at home. Thoughtful meaning planned not extravagant or special. Tonight was tostadas. All it takes is a little planning. Planning is one of my strengths.

The kids were willing and able to play outside since it was a perfect June day. The weather was awesome. 79 degrees with 45% humidity. I sat outside and watched them while Cariyana played on the swing set. And I worked in the garden a bit. The garden is flourishing and this is the perfect growing weather for newly established plants. My soak-er hoses are now perfectly placed.

To make my days extra special my number one son has been around a lot. We are paying him to do some work around the house to add to his wallet until the days pass when he will move to Tucson. The move is looming. These days of being "home" with us are bittersweet. This time will never pass again. Life is ever changing. We will miss him deeply. Until then, he flutters about in a Nick sort of way from one chore to another. Some days accomplishing lots and others not so much. Its all good. Today was one of the latter although he did finish cleaning the gutters, repaired my flat tire, and aired up the kids bike tires. Our first triathlon is coming this weekend.

I feel very blessed. God provided me with the perfect June day. I feel very privileged to have enjoyed it.

"Follow the Pace Car"

Alexis loves to swim. "It's something I'm really good at!" We love she has found her passion. Swimming has changed our lives in just 9 months! All of the kids have been taking swimming lessons at the Bettendorf YMCA for almost 2 years. Private lessons every Saturday morning, most Saturdays. Its a hassle to get up early the one morning a week when we might sleep in and be lazy for a few hours. On the other hand it gets us up and moving and Mom and Dad get a workout in while the kids have their lessons.

After teaching Alexis, our swim teacher said "Alexis is a natural, you should put her on a swim team!" We let her swim for Walcott Junior High for the first time in Feb/March 2012. Charley swam too. Its a short swim season with just one swim meet for 6th graders. After that she was hooked. We signed her up on Davenport Metro's swim team the following April. She has been swimming ever since. We have been going to swim meets ever since! Life has changed.

After watching her friend and our neighbor, Allison, swim the mile at a swim meet, Alexis set a goal to swim the mile in January 2013 at a long distance swim meet. She did great for her first time. It's very nerve wracking for parents to watch! This is our first athlete. Never as a parent have I felt the JOY and PRIDE for a child(ren) as this sport has brought to our family.

In December Alexis swam a 1000 freestyle in preparation for the mile in 16 minutes. In January Alexis swam the mile for the first time in 27 minutes. 66 laps! She did great!

2/1/2013 Alexis swam the mile again. This time Steve told Alexis "Follow the pace car, Ms. Allison Fellner!" Allison swam in lane 3. Alexis in lane 2. The whole family cheered them both on. Hailey Dreyer counted for Alexis. Peggy Dreyer cheered too.

Maggie Eure and Charley timed the mile swim.

Guess who lost her goggles (about 5 minutes in) and cap (she shook it off after the loss of the goggles) during her 66 laps but kept on swimming. During one flip turn early on, Alexis kicked the wall real hard. It looked painful. She just kept on swimming.

Alexis was so happy when that swim was over even with red eyes! AND she dropped time in her mile swim!  25:52.13 was her official time at the 2013 East Moline Winter Swim Meet. We are soooo proud of our girl!

A celebration was in order...A Brownie Under at Whitey's for a job well done!

Peggy Dreyer claims Alexis is the "Spirit of Metro". On Facebook she wrote:  "She was amazing! I love that girl...She is a true example of Metro Spirit with every smile, every bounce in her step, and every word of encouragement out of her mouth! Love, Love, Love!!!!"

 Last weekend you qualified for STATE with your 50 freestyle. This weekend, another first for you, 3 relays and a 50 free at state! What an honor.

That's our girl. We love you! You make us very proud!