1 month

Ella turned one month old yesterday (February 22)!

The first two photos are her 4 week old pictures.

Queen of our Krewe

Her name, Ella, is actually derived from Eleanor, which comes from Helena, who was the Queen mother of the Emperor Constantine.  So much for her being a princess.  I have been supplanted!  But anyway, 

Happy Mardi Gras Y'all

Mister, I'm gonna scream till you throw me somethin!!

Valentiny

Ella had some cute outfits to take Valentine photos.  However, I haven't been able to capture her at her most cooperative! 

Still and all, the Schuelkes are sending you a little love from all of us and our 

"Valen-tiny"

Love. . . .Love is Strange!

Like a good big brother, Xavier shows Ella how it's done.

Ella arrives

Here are some more pictures of Ella.  I think the first two show the look that is most "her".

En Garde!

 

 Since Cole and Evan are no longer training 9 hours a week at gymnastics, Evan has had time to take fencing lessons at Texas State. He has been wanting to do this for quite a while and we've tried to get into the summer fencing camp, but it hasn't worked out the last two years despite our best efforts.  He started lessons the last week of October.  Overall, he has had about 7 or 8 hours of instruction.  His coach seems pleased with his progress and invited him to participate in a meet this weekend.



Ready! Fence! from C Schuelke on Vimeo.

This is the second part of his first elimination bout, which he won.  There were 11 competitors in his 10&under mixed (boys and girls) group.  He did 5 prelimary bouts (3 minutes or 5 points) in order to determine the seeding for the single elimination bouts (to 10 points in 2 three-minute periods).  He won his first bout (above), but lost his second.  The judge is standing just outside the frame, though he is visible from time to time in the video.  The scoring table shows the score (Evan's on the left).  Next time, we'll have to be sure to get footage of the judge as their movements are quite a performance in and of themselves.  Ultimately, Evan placed 8th out of the 11.   I think Evan enjoyed it and learned a lot, including that this may be the hottest and sweatiest of all the sports he has played!

Evan receives some advice from his coach

Evan (on the right) in a preliminary bout.

Halloween in the Hundred Acre Wood

There was a request for a Winnie the Pooh theme this year for Halloween.  I'm always up for a good theme.

Eyeore, Pooh's Honey, and Pooh

Kaden, aka Eeyore

Tigger Treat!

Christopher Robin

 

 

 

Owl

 

 

The whole gang with Kanga and Roo included

There were also visitors to the Hundred Acre Wood this Halloween night- an Alaska State Trooper, Mr. Potato Head, and a surprisingly tall infant.

Trooper Schuelke was a true public servant and instrumental in keeping Tigger safe.

All Saints!

For All Saints Day, Evan represented St. John Bosco, the patron saint of young people, schoolchildren and magicians.  Don Bosco lived in Turin, Italy, in the mid 1800's.  A poor boy himself, he was able to enter seminary, become a priest, and then he spent the rest of his life ministering to poor boys and orphans.  He started many schools to train them in marketable skills and used humor and magic tricks to gain their attention before teaching them. He founded the Salesian order, named after St. Francis de Sales.  During our trip to London, a Salesian missionary was giving the homily at Mass and called Evan up to help him illustrate a point, so I guess it is fitting that Evan was inspired to represent Don Bosco this year.

St. John Bosco