Love it!

We are in full swing all stars. Unfortanently Sam was not able to get on the team, but we are all SUPER proud of her for even getting nominated in her first year of playing. We know she will do great next season and we all CAN'T wait!!! Josh's tournament started on Monday in Alvarado, they lost the first game, and came back last night and won, they all really did great. Caleb's first game was last night, they got beat , but did surprisingly well against these kids. They both play again tonight...looks like we will have baseball every night for the next month or so. The boys are really enjoying though.

Everything else is normal. Job is good, home life is good....couldn't get any better I don't think. We are truly blessed!

All Stars and Stuff!

Look at me, posting twice in ONE month....actually I am going to TRY to do better at this.


Our regular baseball/softball seasons have ended, and none of the kids were ready. They still want to play, I guess they didn't get there fix.
Lets see, Sam, Caleb and Josh were all nominated to represent there team with 2 other team mates in the all star draft. Sam's team finished 2nd they were 10-2 all season...these girls were fantastic. Anyway, due to some political B.S. and adult drama, our coach had to take a team "B" in order for our girls to get to play all stars. In my world a second place team DESERVES a place on the "A" team... And he could only take 3 girls, his daughter, and two others....I think all the other coaches don't want to be shown how to play REAL ball by our girls...It's sad that GROWN men are denying these girls (10 & 11 year olds) to play softball....that's all these girls want to do, and they don't really care what team they play on....anyways....can you sense the frustration? So as of right now, Sam isn't playing - she still has a chance if someone backs out. I am however COMPLETELY proud of her. This is her first season to play and has come so far. Being nominated is a great achievement!

Josh and Caleb tried out last Friday, and we won't know if they made it until after the coach's meeting on Saturday. Lets hope that baseball is being handled different from softball....and they draft based on skills....not politics!

Anyway, off of that subject! It's gets me all fired up! I went and meet baby Hayden yesterday (Becky's new little baby) he had his jaw surgery on Friday and he looks awesome....it turns my stomach to think about that this little boy has been through in his short two weeks of life (two weeks ago today he was born). Just know that I fell in love with him instantly yesterday and I haven't even gotten to hold him or touch him. Becky and I have been friends since 2nd grade and she has amazed me with how well she has handled all these obstacles Hayden has gone through. Hopefully he will get the respirator and stuff out the begining of next week, and he can work towards getting to go home with his mommy and daddy! Here are some pics of Hayden and his momma!








School will be out next week - The kids are ready! I am just not sure if I am!!!

Yes I know - it's been FOREVER.

I am not so good at keeping up with this. Seems like we are always on the go go go! oh and my work computer crashed with ALL my pics on it, so there will not be many pics on this post either - sorry!

We are wrapping up the end of the baseball season, and wow - it has been a long one. So far Josh & Caleb were picked for All Stars, but Tori didn't want Josh to play, so he isn't - but I think it would be a good experience for Caleb, he would probably learn a whole lot! I just have to talk his daddy into it. Sam is doing amazing in Softball, this is her first year and I had to BEG her to play (I knew that she had talent). At first her confidence level was low, but she has slowly built it up, and she catching the two fastest pitchers....and doing great. Josh plays catcher, Sam plays catcher and now Caleb is really showing interest in catching.....so looks like I will have 3 catchers...that's ok though...I am just glad that they are into sports!! I found some pictures on a CD....





Josh



Christian



Caleb




Sam


Ok lets see, what else! My best friend Becky had her sweet little boy on May 14th, he is the cutest thing, and I haven't been able to meet him yet. He has been at Cook's undergoing some tests, and I can't wait until I can meet the little guy.....



Keep him in your prayers while Becky, Joe and Hayden overcome this obstacle. He truly is a fighter :)


Just a couple more weeks of school, and I am not sure if I am ready for the summer....I am ready for the no homework, and stuff - just the extra cost to my pocket book isn't fun! I would much rather find other stuff to spend that money on
:)

This post has been long enough....I am going to leave with a picture of my brother Kyle's sweet kids....they are so cute!



Gavin, Channing and Jackson Low!

Softball Player!

Sam is in her first season of fast pitch softball, and she is doing great for her first year. I am so glad that she has found a sport that she really likes. I came across this poem and thought it was great. Just wanted to share!




The Typical Girl Fastpitch Softball Player

At one time, she looked cute as a button, dressed in pink with ponytails with visions of Alice in Wonderland. She played with dolls, helped mom bake cookies, and has probably earned a few bucks baby-sitting. She has been, and always will be daddy's little girl.

She still has all those little girl attributes. The only difference is now she looks cute dressed in sliders and shorts. If she is wearing ribbons in her hair, they are team colors. She still bakes cookies ... team bake sale. And she has probably earned a few bucks ... at the team car wash. Now she is, and always will be daddy's little player.

She takes pride in how much dirt she can collect every weekend. Go to dinner on a night that she is not playing and it takes an hour of primping to get ready, and she still feels self-conscious. Go after a game and she'll walk right into a restaurant with a streak of dirt across her forehead, ratted hair, stained shirt and brownish/white socks. Or brown toes with sandals! Let's EAT!

She is ready and willing to play at the drop of a hat! If she can get away with it, she will play on two teams. (In the same day no less) She has a huge wardrobe: plenty of tournament shirts and shorts from all the teams she has
played on. Her parents do her school shopping every weekend at the tournament T-shirt booth. When you say, "wear something nice", she thinks it means a tournament shirt without dirt stains.

She needs to get an athletic scholarship. Her parents have spent $100,000 on camps, private instruction, batting cages, gloves, bats, equipment, uniforms, player fees, concession stands, travel and lodging. THEY'RE BROKE!!!

She is a fierce competitor, willing to stand in against a fast pitcher at close distance that even pro baseball players would have trouble hitting! And she might be 4'2" and 55 lbs. soaking wet. She might play first or third base at 20 feet from home plate, saying I dare you to bunt ... drive one down my throat!!!

She has more spirit than maybe any other team sport. At least it sounds that way. Softball is the only sport where a girls ability to cheer sometimes effects roster decisions. She is playing the game for all the right reasons! SHE LOVES IT! She could hang out at the mall, stay home and watch TV, or spend her summers at the pool. Instead she has a tight schedule with limited free time, hangs out on the practice field with a coach in her face, and spends her summers getting baked on a 95 degree field with no shade. Maybe we should get some of our kids checked for IQ? :)
She has her priorities in order: Tournaments, League Games, Team Practices, schoolwork, individual practice and batting cage, family, private softball instruction, church, conditioning, softball camps, boys. (Maybe church comes before the batting cage.) At least on Sundays.

She is diligent and hardworking. She knows you get out of something, what you put into it. She is not the type of kid to take the easy way out! She is competitive, not willing to give up. But first and foremost, the Typical Girls Fast Pitch Softball Player is somebody's little girl!

Yes it has been awhile......

Where to start? We have been super busy with baseball & softball - and just spending time as a family. I took off on Spring Break because I wanted to do something fun, and ended up getting REALLy sick. I finally went to the doctor on Thursday so I started feeling much better by the weekend. We went to Dinosaur World and Dinosaur Valley....The Dinosaur World is where you walk around and see a lot of life size fake dinosaurs....we spend $75 to get in and we were through it in 30 mins....such a waste of money! Dinosaur Valley however was a blast. We spent $10 to get in and the kids had a blast....we hiked up and down the river....we are going to go back and try to go camping sometime.

Other than the usual, not a whole lot to report....just living & loving life. I will leave you with some pics.

Hate Taxes!

Anyone else hate that at the end of the year when they have worked their ass off all year long, and then you get the word that you OWE more money to the IRS?

A little late Christmas post.....

I know it's a little late....sorry -

Christmas was wonderful, the kids got way to much stuff. From Santa, Sam got a big stereo and the boys got a XBOX 360, Madden the best of 20 years, NFL tour and some more games....This is the first Christmas since I have left home that we didn't spend Christmas eve night at my moms house (she went and spent it with my brother and his family in Houston) we got to spend it at our house, and although we missed nana, we enjoyed being home. The kids also got Guitar Hero World Tour from their papa - and between the 5 Christmas's they had - they made out like bandits! In the past years we have gone way overboard with Christmas, but this year we limited ourselves for the kids - we are trying to teach them the TRUE meaning of Christmas. We agreed as a family to write Santa a letter and tell him we wanted him to give more to the needy kids then to us. Christmas day we hung out, and then went and ate some AWESOME catfish down at Jana's....love spending time with them! It was a great holiday....with great memories. I am sad that it is over!