Happy New Year! 1/1/11

Inspired by Staci’s blog book, I decided to try harder to blog a little something almost every day.  After all, as far behind as I am in my scrapbooks, this may be an imperative way to record the memories I can scrapbook later…and if I choose to make a book instead…well that is OK too!

I am one of those people that love natural beginnings.  I like to change things up every now and again, so things like New Year’s resolutions do not quite have the sore taste in my mouth that other’s hold.  I see it as exciting to start something new or do something different starting…NOW!    Sometimes it works out, sometimes not, but that does not necessarily mean failure it just means re-evaluation. 

Speaking of new things, this New year’s Eve was quite different in that Erin and Collin were not with us.  They are now involved in Youth Group with our church and they had their own gathering last night that lasted until 1 a.m. and Dwayne Wilson brought them home afterwards.  We had our own little gathering here at the house with the Rich’s, the Whites and Cristi Gale.  It was fun to spend the time with friends and although today I am sleepy, it was fun to hear Collin and Erin’s stories of hide and seek in the church and the “unspeakable” game, that they cannot tell me about even though Collin really wants too! 

It actually snowed the day before, so Alan was obliging as to go out and get snow flakes for me!

 

He evidently needed a bit of a nap before the party!

We have a Wii that “Santa” brought us, so the boys enjoyed a little bowling close to 11:30 p.m.  After that we watched the “ball” drop on TV “live” from Time Square in NY.  Cristi hung out with us until 1 a.m.  She is a night owl!

The way it is

Something strange has been going on since spring 2010 and I’m not sure what to make of it.  See the summer was….long!  See, school got out early due to  budget cuts and started late because we were building a new school and it took until the last minute to get it done.  Five minutes have been added to the school day to make up for it.  Yet, I was grossly unprepared for summer.  I had the usual things in mind; the pool pass purchased ahead of time for the better deal, plans for zoos, outings, baseball etc.  I will have to sit for a licensing exam this spring so i intended to study for that.  What happened instead: discontentment.  Pre-teen girls do not mix with home body boys intent on shooting everything up.   Oh yeah, and junior high students don’t go to the pool…unless they are absolutely certain their friends are there.  So poor Alan was stuck at the pool with mom.  Even Hans quit going because either his friends weren’t there or he was afraid Erin and Collin were having too much fun at home alone!  Gasp.  So much for studying while they were all at the pool having fun.  There goes fun activity number 1.  It was a mess, the summer drug on and on.  No one wanted zoos or parks or trips to town and the highlight of the summer (baseball)  became a disaster for Alan as his team got pounded every single game.

Perhaps it became poor parenting on my part, but I have not been this out of control of a time period in a long time.  Why am I going on and on about this now???  I’m exhausted!  I started back to work with meetings and trainings in early August even though the kids did not go back until August 31st.  School started at the college the week before, the same week as 2 a days for volleyball and football which were not at the same time!  We have not stopped running since.  Monday: home at 6 after practice; Tuesday: piano and gymnastics after vb and fb; Wednesday: AWANA after VB and FB; Thursday: game day for both VB and FB; Friday collapse or go to the HS FB game. 

Last night Erin got to go with the B team for a tournament.  She is C team, so to go with B team was a good things we/she thought.  She collapsed in tears last night.  Not only did the team lose all 3 games (badly), she did not play.  She was put in for maybe 3-5 minutes at a time.  Long enough to have balls slammed at her that she did not always get because she had barely gotten her feet on the court.    She collapsed in tears when she got home begrudging her only home night of the week and feeling like the whole night was a waste.  Collin was down this weekend because he has yet to have a ball thrown to him as 3rd string receiver even though the first 2 drop balls all the time, are not as fast as me, or as strong… 

Sigh, the late night feedings, diapers and crying may be exhausting in infancy, but this stage of parenting… has it’s own perils..

Help me Father God and thank YOU for getting me through each day!

Week 1

It has begun: a new sports season.  Sydney talked Erin into trying Volleyball this fall (something mother could not do)!  Between Collin’s football and Erin’s volleyball it’s a busy time!  I am excited to see them busy and learning new things.

The first week was against Lyons.  JrH play their games on Thursdays at the same venue (nice!).  The volleyball started at 4;30 pm with the “B” game.  At first, ok throughout the afternoon, I was surprised that Erin did not even warm up.  I was assured that she would play in the “C” game. (you know right when Collin’s game was!)  Fortunately I got to see the first half of Collin’s game before I scooted to see the “C” game.

The 8th graders take turns with the captains at the coin toss and Collin got to be there the first night.  He had some good tackles but was always on the other side of the field.  Should I go over there for good photos?

I took this photo to show how much Collin (#11) has grown,  if you look at last years photos Coach Comley has to bend down to talk to him (Collin plays option and takes the plays in).   See here 

Then at half time it was back to the High School for Erin’s game.  She did well for her first volleyball game…EVER!   I was so proud of her I could burst.  Early in the summer she was convinced she could/ would not do this and here she is warming up!  I was still adjusting camera settings when I took this one.  It’s blurry, but kind of cool!

Ready!    

This baby went over!!!  She does not have her serve down very well, but we are working at it.  Swatting mosquitoes in the yard Saturday she stayed out there until she finished with some good serves!

You go girl!

She did it

Erin is officially taller than me… here’s the proof!

What’s a mom to do?

Are you ready for some football?

We are!  Volleyball too.  Both Erin and Collin are doing fall sports this year, so we are gearing up for some major “cheering” on Thursday afternoons!  Whooo hooo.

I spared my daughter taking photos at preview (again, the shame!).  My friend Linda took some, maybe she’ll share one of these days!  Here are a few from football preview.  They were easier and less conspicuous to take!

Collin caught an interception and off he goes!

A New School Year

Well, the summer is officially done and school is back in session.  Can you believe this camera crazy  mom did NOT take her camera to the grade school…the new $12 million grade school and take pictures at the open house??????  I’m so ashamed!

I do have a few tear down photos of the school worth sharing and saving in blog history.  It was kind of sad for the kids and even me to see the thing come down.  I have memories of seeing kids flood the hallways, searching for my own  kids and seeing them across the way.  Strange the things that grab your heart.    I’ll rectify the new school photos soon enough!

Surprises

Our neighbor was having trouble with pigeons and barn wallows messing up his horse hay, so he asked the boys to shoot the pigeons that were in his barn AND HE PAID THEM!   So here go 2 very happy country boys off to hunt birds with their BB guns.  Inside Collin has some fun making card forts and then of course shooting them!

 

Random dog photo???????

Guard goats

So  Erin and I were teasing Pop pop that the goats were tap dancing on his pick up while it was parked at our place.  To our surprise, they were out when we got home from feeding the harvest crew and the goats were out and waiting on the porch for us, right next to Lacey, the guard dog!

Harvest

We had a very big rain (8 inches) the weekend before we expected harvest to begin.  Still they managed to get started Wednesday evening.  They always catch me off guard!  Alan always has to get right on the combine with dad. 

Rural traffic jam  

Chris was interviewed by a reporter from the Sterling Bulletin.  They feature a farmer each year.  It was kind of fun and broke up the monotony of an average harvest day.    It was funny that she was dumbfounded that I took food to them 2x a day….

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!