Fall ball, 2010



South Sound Broncos, 10U 1st PLACE CHAMPS!
Back row: Mike, Riley, Cody, Wes, Kyle, Shae, Jesse
Front Row: Jack, Thomas, Cade, Kye, Devon, Justin (Dillon missing)

    
We have been eating, living and breathing baseball for what seems like forever in this house! In the spring it was South Sound Spring Baseball. Summer included 7 weeks of summer league and a 4 week skills camp. This fall, we made it through 2 months of fall ball... whew! It's been fantastic to see Thomas's skills improve so much since the spring, but we are ALL really ready for a break from strikes, runs, hits, cold bleacher seats and bad ballpark coffee.

Sunflower seeds in the dugout are mandatory




A parent's view

 



Justin, Kyle and Thomas

 

Thomas just coming off home plate for a much needed tournament-play RUN!



coach Jesse and boys between innings



Thomas receiving his medal from coaches Jesse and Mike









Boys will be boys

    

Thanks Coaches Mike and Jesse. You are the type men we want our boys modeling after.  







10-10-10





Tomorrow is a great day! It's Emily's birthday and she's turning 14. She is excited that this is her "golden" birthday with the date being 10-10-10. If only she was turning 10 on this day it would be even more perfect... according to her. Me- I'm glad she's turning 14. I loved her at 10, but I love her even more now at the crazy age of 14. She is goofy and spunky and full of energetic life! Her friends adore her and she adores them right back. She's smart and funny and is always on the hunt for fun!

Happy Birthday Em, Dad and I (and probably Amanda and Thomas) love you tons and tons.

Her party was last night. A few pics below...



cupcakes made by Emily





Emily, that present is a blanket, not a wig. You have plenty of time for blue hair later.





Shirts: BEFORE

 



Shirts: DURING

 



Shirts: after... they have yet to come out of the wash, but I'm sure they are beautiful

  After a movie, pizza, chips, pop, tie dye, and opening presents, I asked if the girls would like to hit the neighborhood for a quick round of "Bigger or Better". This game is great for a group of kids who are up for innocent fun involving confronting others with a strange request. Can you see why it's perfect for a group of 14 year old girls? The rules are simple: start out with something simple. Like a balloon.




the starter balloon



You then go to a neighbor and ask if they have anything bigger or better than the balloon. Trade up for bigger or better at each house you go to. The last time Emily played this was about a year ago when the kids left with a pen and came back with a child's bike. You never know what you'll have in the end!

About the time I had asked them to be home, I heard a dull rolling type of sound coming down the street and LOTS of giggles. I couldn't imagine what they had obtained in the last hour. When I opened the front door I was met with this sight:

They had actually landed an office chair AND a bundt pan! How do you leave with one thing and come back with two... I'm not too sure. But to come home with a functional piece of furniture was really funny! The kicker is that we NEED an office chair! This one wasn't too bad either; a little worn on the arms, but nothing a little duct tape won't take care of if the thin spots become actual holes. Nice work girls. Keep it up and when you're 16 maybe you can "bigger or better" yourselves a car!

Thanks Jena, Brenna, Audrey, Abby, Cleo and Megan for making the night a fun one for Emily! You are all great kids!

It's not just about breakfast

Tonight I watched The Breakfast Club on netflix. Do you use the "instant play" feature on netflix? If not, you should. It is probably the best use for an internet connection that I have found! Click. Watch. Love it!

I couldn't believe that the last time I saw this film was probably when it came out in 1985! Wow. I have to admit though that the only scene I vividly remembered was the Ally Sheedy character making "snow" on the winter scene drawing with her dandruff. So gross.

In one synopsis I was looking at tonight, it summed up The Breakfast Club this way: Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.

Watching this film quickly took me back in time to my own teen years. Remember the teenager feelings of trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be? And what's crazy is that now I look at my own kids who are in that crazy time of life called adolescence! I can tell you that it's a lot easier watching the teen than it was for me being the teen. Maybe that's just me, but I prefer adulthood!

In some ways, a lot has changed in the world since 1985. In other ways, nothing has changed. People are still people and growing up is still growing up. And spending time together always helps people get along.

PS:  OK girls, weren't we all just a little jealous of Molly when she got to plant one on Judd Nelson at the end of a hard day in detention?

A-choo

I think I may blog again. Soon. If for no other reason than to tell you that Leanne was the winner of the BBQ book contest! Yea Leanne! Oh, but wait... now I've already told you. I'll have to blog about something else. There are plenty of good stories to tell!

So, yup, I think the blog writing is coming back. The feeling is like a sneeze that's coming, but isn't quite there yet. Stay tuned, and please pass the tissues.

A kindler, gentler blog contest

UPDATE: I've re-done the contest to make it lots easier on you! Sorry if you had something for the old version all ready to go, but I think you'll like this better! If you had a good recipe for me, you can still send it to me!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Blog contest... here we go! This one is REALLY easy. I promise. (Scouts' honor)

Complete the following:

"Summer always makes me think of __________________." 
You can fill in the blank with a single word or an entire essay, it's up to you! It can be funny, heartfelt, or whatever comes to mind for you. This one won't take much brain effort or time... both are at a premium for me these days so maybe you are feeling the same.

Let me get you started: Summer always makes me think of camping with my family when I was a kid. If you have more than one answer, you're in luck because you can enter as many times as you like!

Winner will receive this really nice, high end, guaranteed-to-make-you-think-about-summer book:

Raichlen has written several of these BBQ recipe books and they are fantastic! This one is jam packed with recipes like pizza, side dishes, roasted veggies... it goes on and on for 774 pages! Of course it also has basics like chicken, burgers and the like.

I wish I could tell you the author signed it, but he didn't. Maybe I'll sign it instead?

You must live within the continental US to win, only because this book is too heavy to ship to anywhere outside those borders. (You can enter if you live outside the continental us, you just won't win the book.)

Deadline is Tuesday, June 15 at straight-up noon.

GOOD LUCK!

Oh wow!

I can feel a blog contest coming on!

Can you feel it too?

Maybe YOU will be the winner!

Derek and Nicole were winners this year. You can be one too! Stay tuned for details...

Thank you for serving...

This comes a day late, but shouldn't we be giving honor to our fallen all days of the year? This Military Tribute rocks! God bless the USA!