Baseball Season!

Well this year Baseball was different than in years past.  For starters Hans is now in the “player pitch” league.  With Track and Field season underway in May, we opted NOT to sign him up for the “traveling” league.  Unfortunately, this was the team that practiced all the time and really improved their skills.  Hans was on a Sterling Rec league that included many of the traveling team members and he did AWESOME…however, he knows he could have done better if he got as much practice and playing time as the “traveling” team kids.   Our sanity was thankful that we did not…the traveling team kids played Tues-Thurs and Saturday tournaments….we just played 2 games a week.  HOWEVER, Alan was in the pitching machine league, so he also had 1-2 games a week.  Sometimes we had to go separate directions which I did not like!  I hated missing one of my young ones play…  Other nights we had 2 games in the same place at the same time and we watched back and forth and basically did not get to focus on either game.    CRAZY! 
Hans’s coach, after the first few practices had him come to a pitcher’s practice and actually started him at the first game. However, Hans just was not ready and this was the only inning he pitched.   Just wait until next year,  ya’ll!
Alan’s team was another story.  I got the skinny from the Rec league guy toward the end of the season.  See, coaches get to pick or draft their kids.  They divide up “evenly” the 3rd, 2nd and 1st graders, but many of the other coaches have been doing this for the 4+ years we’ve been in it.  Alan’s head coach was a grandmother in her first year in since her boys played….  Only 2 of the kids had EVER played before…  Alan and another player.  It was a character building year, they were win-less.  BUT those coaches NEVER gave up.  They practiced 1-2 times a week ALL season and we went from being beat 20-7 throughout the season to only losing 10-5 the last game.  They never lost their heart even though, I confess, I was MAD!!!  How those other coaches could take advantage like that just made me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   These things happen and life goes on!  Kudos's to the Royer women for their integrity!
  

Hans team only lost 2x and they came in first in the league I believe.  Many of the 4-5th graders had trouble figuring out how to hit when player’s pitch, but I was proud of Hans’ determination.  He hated having to be walked, but learned it was better than striking out! 

Been gone...

Well, with the dawn of facebook, I've neglected blogging all together!  For the most part that suits me because more family and friends see our stories on facebook rather than here!  However, for story telling, blogging is better and if I ever get a blog book put together and printed like I said I would....
Regardless,  I hope to catch up with some summer posts and vacation stories shortly.  It might be short sighted...as if August will be any less hectic than July and June!  This is the longest summer vacation on record!  School let out May 18th and does not resume until August 31st, Lord willing! 

The children have been busy with baseball, football & volleyball & gymnastics practices and the pool.  Chris, as always is busy with farming.  This year has had it's challenges and he is enjoying that less and less.  I did not really plant a vegetable garden this year and the flowers I planted are struggling with the cold spring and hot summer!  Sounds like complaining.... well let's just say I enjoy fall and winter better than summer! 

I'll be back to share some of the wonderful blessings the Lord has bestowed on us shortly...that is, if anyone even looks here anymore!!!  I don't!

7-8th Grade Choir concert

I have posted this for several reasons.  One I love how “into the song” the students got and two, I love watching Mr. Comley direct.  The second has a lot to do with the first.  I do not remember music being this fun in JRH!!!  God Bless our talented teachers!

Goat drama

In the same week that the orphaned kittens were found, Erin’s goat “Dolly” got pneumonia and coccidia.  She was take off her mother and given to us and had a little cold.  Well the stress was too much for her and she wound up in the vet clinic overnight on IV’s.  Cheryl, the woman who sold her to us, was amazingly helpful and let us have the mamma goat until Dolly got back on her feet.  So for a few weeks our backyard looked like this:

All the goats needed to be treated for Coccidea so right off the bat we got experience in givng shots and medicine to the animals.

Not new for Chris who has helped with sheep for years, but new for Erin and I.  Emily did not like taking her medicine and is  hiding!

All is well now and Dolly is re-weaned from her mamma.  She did cry like crazy all over again!

Another downward turn…

In the days immediately following Cutter’s death, the mother’s of the students in Alan’s class gathered food and things to take to the family.  I went with Kim to deliver the items and had a chance to speak to the family and offer sympathies.  Upon returning home to quick pick up the children and head to the church for family pictures, the kids showed me an injured kitten in the yard that the dogs found.  Our hymalean cat, White Paw,  had kittens so we found her and left her in the shed with the kitten and rushed to the church. 

When we returned home the children found White Paw dead in the front yard and her injured kitten by her still alive.  Ugh!  The dogs must have intercepted her trying to return the kitten to the nest.  More tears and sadness and wonder…where are the rest of the kittens?

White Paw’s last photos, she was hugely pregnant and trying to scratch her ear!  Five kittens in there!  I love how her legs won’t even lay on the deck!

Two days later, after the balloon launch, I heard mewing in the front yard.  Abby was under the tree in the side yard and had not moved for hours.  We discovered why…4 kittens in the “v” of a tree.  We gave them some goat’s milk and put them in a box overnight.  The kids promised to help feed and care for the kittens because I was very willing to let Chris “take care” of them.  However, they looked pretty strong, so we decided to give it a try.

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At the moment the kittens are still growing and experimenting with solid food!

Where to start???

I do  not know where to start!  Do I really try to recap May?  I was a flurry of activity and a roller coaster of emotions!  Where to start?  At the beginning I guess.  I love spring, the weather had been warming up in April, so I was kind of excited for May.   We were also finally making progress on some projects: like Erin’s plan for goats!  Back in the winter she said she wanted to raise some milk goats and started saving her money.  Over spring break they cleaned out the barn up at the farm and researched some different breeds.

We stalled in March as we had trouble finding goats.  We had not looked local.  Once we got hooked up with Cheryl Carey the wheels turned quickly.  First weekend of May saw us the owners of 4 nubian goats.  Meet Dolly, 3 months old; Darla 5 months old and Emily 1 year.

 

Sadly soon after enjoying our first walk together we learned that a first grader in Alan’s class was killed in an ATV accident.  We were friendly, although not close, with the family.  Alan however, was friends with the little guy and it really rocked his world.  What a tragedy!   The whole community really gathered around this family and the evening of the funeral we launched balloons in memory of Cutter.

So Exciting!

This is even more exciting than watching your children sit up or roll over for the first time!  As I look over the April posts I am just thrilled at watching our children do new things and activities!  How blessed we are!!!!  The boys nailing their piano pieces,  Collin, Hans and Alan all running track (and doing well!) to Erin and the concert last night....I'm so humbled and thankful for healthy, talented, motivated children!  This is so fun :o)

Flute Trio.wmv

Erin, Hannah and Holly play a Courtly Dance flute trio at the 5-6th Grade Fine Arts concert Thursday night!

How Deep.wmv

How deep the Father's love for us/ How vast beyond all measure/ That He should give His only Son/ To make a wretch His treasure/ How great the pain of searing loss /The Father turns His face away/ As wounds which mar the Chosen One /Bring many sons to glory /Behold the man upon a cross /My sin upon His shoulders/ Ashamed I hear my mocking voice /Call out among the scoffers /It was my sin that held Him there /Until it was accomplished /His dying breath has brought me life /I know that it is finished /I will nost boast in anything/No gifts, no power, no wisdom/But I will boast in Jesus ChristHis death and resurrection/Why should I gain from His reward/ I cannot give an answer/But this I know with all my heart /His wounds have paid my ransom.

Collin’s Track season so far…

This is Collin’s first year running track.  He has discovered that he likes the longer of the races: the mile and the 800 m.  It has been fun watching him improve and work hard.  Before the first meet he was super excited because he can run longer and faster than his peers.  At the first meet he learned that, “Holy Cow” the other runners run even harder and faster (and had been practicing longer from the look of things).  Rather than get discouraged, he has been working hard and improving each race.   
He ran at 5K to benefit the SC missions trip to China and he ran up front with the college guys (and head football coach Andy Lambert)!   He told me he was not going to race or run hard and in the first 5 seconds he was gone!  I came in way behind him!
So here are some photos:
  This is from the most recent meet.  Collin was in 3 back to back events!  The mile and then 2 relays.  During the 800m he had to quit because he had what looked like a mini asthma attack.  Later that night we learned he had strep.  That on top of 4 races within an hour were too much!  I was encouraged at how protective of him his teammates were.  When I went down to take him water they were gathered around telling me he’d run 4 races and it was just too much!!!  Sweet. This is Collin running the mile at his second meet.  A team mate who is also a Cross Country runner is the best at being in the middle of the track cheering team mates on.  Here she is pushing Colling to not get to far behind! Here collin decided this runner is not going to beat him.  They were down to the last 100 m and he takes him! This is the first race which was a learning day.  There was a runner doing a 5 minute mile.   We aren’t there yet! Plus his teammates were sick so Collin was running alone in the longer races.

He still has 2 more meets to go so I’ll keep ya posted!

Go Fly a Kite!

One of Hans’ friends gave him a kite for his Birthday, it was the perfect kite flying day in KS.  Often it is too windy or completely still.  Today = perfect!

                              Our foster daughter Chelsy came over for a visit and got to enjoy some kite flying and silliness!

Of course no kite flying is complete without sniper fire…right?    

This would have  been a perfect evening if Lacey had not found a skunk in this field and pestered it the remainder of the evening… Still and A+ day in my opinion.

Birthday Boys

We have 2 April Birthday boys…Alan on the 8th and Hans on the 20th.  So we had a variety of festivities and truth be told..I think we still have 1 more get together for Hans (the family one).  However here are 2 of our treasures: 1 year older!

  

As you can see my Saturdays in April were busy!  Fun, but busy!