A Perfect Day with 2 of My Favorite Kiddos!

Last Friday the boys had their first day off from school since the beginning of the school year! It was an absolutely gorgeous day...so we made the most of it! We started off our day with a heated Wii game, then to the library, McDonald's and finally off to the miniature golf course!! It left me waiting for the next day off......boy, I sure do miss them when they are gone all day! I am so thankful the teachers need staff development days....it makes for fantastic days with my fantastic boys!

More Sports!!!

So are you starting to get the picture....this is ALL we do! We are settling into the swing of sports every waking moment....4 practices a week....2 games on Saturday--usually in two different towns, and always at the same time! We have not said this enough, but we are truly thankful for the Family that has came to our rescue when it has come to juggling the events!

So, Gabe and the Orioles were in Andover this weekend!! They had a great game ending in another win.....20-6! Gabe was in on Kick-Off and Offense, playing wide receiver. He didn't handle the ball, but was in on several blocks helping the backs get through with the ball! We are seeing so much improvement from week to week.....this football thing has been a real commitment for all of us, but he is taking from this perseverance....sticking with it, even when times get tough! We are so proud of Gabe and his team for their dedication!

Grady had a game in Augusta also ending in a win...4-0! He played Goal Keeper in the last quarter....with one save! He said it was a sneaky roller that he was able to stop! Grady is also improving every week.....in fact, last night he said he needed to practice some kicking techniques before his next practice...how cute is that?!

Looking forward to another week of Oriole and Go Mart action.......GO TEAM!

Spirit Family Day!

I know you have been losing sleep at night waiting for this picture......so now you can rest easy....enjoy!

So obviously some of us, when given the chance, will stick our head out of an airplane.....and others won't! The boys declared this was just one more way I was different!

FURIOUS, IRRITATED, EMBARRASSED, THANKFUL, ASHAMED

Yep, I was able to feel all of these emotions in a matter of seconds! So, today I was out mowing....this is not an unusual happening, it has happened at least once a week for the last 10 weeks....so why should today be blog worthy??!! Well, it is not every week that I manage to get the mower stuck. YES, STUCK! I had been warned this could and would at some point happen, but really...it has not rained a significant amount in forever....so how in the world was I stuck? Who knows, all I know is that with all the will in the world I was not getting that monster unstuck all by myself! So, I pulled, pushed, and ranted....finally, put my tail between my legs and headed to the neighbors! So, it is obvious why I was furious, irritated, embarrassed...but why thankful and ashamed? Well, thankful because at the very moment I needed a neighbor to be home......she turned down her driveway because she had forgotten her work clothes...also thankful because she is a young, youthful teenager who ate her Wheaties this morning! She was also more than willing to help out the idiot next door who managed to get her mower stuck, and not so much even a smirk crossed her face! Now, ashamed....well, we have been bad, bad neighbors.....we have lived here for 10 weeks and managed to meet only 3 neighbors. Granted they are not the right next door neighbors you have in town, but I am ashamed to say I do not know all of my neighbors. Yes, we are busy...we are only home 1 night of the week and we relish that evening by usually not leaving the house...but good grief... bake some cookies and get out and meet the neighbors! So, while I would much rather meet my neighbors in another fashion.....God put me in that ditch, stuck with my mower...so I would get out and meet the neighbors!

Okay, so obviously this is not me.....but this is the best I could do....I had to give you a mental picture! And no, my ditch is not that bad and I do not wear a trash bag while mowing....even when it is raining!!!

Spirit Days!

Sunday, our family had the rare opportunity to tour Spirit Aerosystems!! It is always exciting to go to a place outsiders are not usually invited....but, this was Grady's first time, so that made it a little more exciting! Shawn took the boys by his desk, we met his boss, and had our picture taken inside the cab of an unfinished airplane.....we haven't gotten that picture back yet...but I'm sure it will be great! Of course, you are not allowed to take any pictures inside the plant for security reasons, but I did get a couple outside of the plant! We had a great time......Thanks for the tour Mr. Fox!

Augusta VS. Haysville

Saturday was another game day for Gabe! Grady's games were postponed last week due to a funeral, so he will be back in the action this week! Gabe saw quite a bit of play time this week. He was on kick-off, safety on defense and wide receiver for offense. In the 4th quarter, Gabe made a tackle and got his name announced on the loud speaker!!! That was very exciting...for all of us! The Orioles came out on top with a win over the Colts of 32-0. So far the Orioles are undefeated.....let's see if we can keep it that way! GO ORIOLES!

Kick-off.....Gabe is #27, he is the 3rd one in from the right!

Gabe is the one on the right side of the picture...surrounded by a herd of Colts! He was doing his best to block for the running back!

Field Trip!!

Last Thursday Grady's class had their first field trip! We headed over to the Augusta Animal Clinic for a tour! We walked the block and a half to the clinic....I never thought it could take 10 minutes to walk a block and a half, but when you have 18 Kindergartners that have to inspect every crack in the sidewalk, flower on the bush and bug in the grass....it is bound to take a while! I'm not sure how much the kids took away from the tour, but everyone is now aware who has a dog and who has a cat in class....I however, learned a lot! I am so thankful I have the opportunity to be at home, so when the Mrs. Nusz runs out at 3:15 on Wednesday wondering if there is anyway I could be there the next day at 9:30 to help her walk the class to the clinic....I have nothing to say except, "Well, of course!"

Mrs. Nusz trying to give the last minute instructions.....for the 4th time!

One of the Veterinarians---who totally looked like Shawn's cousin Rebecca!--telling the kiddos how to do a check up on a dog!

A Sports-erific Weekend!

Let the craziness begin.....this weekend we found out what it was like to have two kids in two sports at the same time!! This was one of Shawn's weekends to work, but thankfully Grandma Judy and Aunt Greta came to the rescue!

This was Grady's second game....they won 1-0! Again, they were pretty evenly matched, so it didn't make for a boring game! Grady played forward most of the game, getting to kick the ball a few times! Grady is becoming much more aggressive....he has 2 little fellas on his team that are pretty good, so usually when they have the ball, the rest of the kids stand back! I have seen a lot of improvement for this year to last.....he is still young, but he is really taking this year a lot more seriously than last!

Saturday was Gabe's first football game! The Orioles won 31-24!!! Gabe got in on a few kick-offs, and several plays on defense and offense! He was in on a "flock of Orioles" tackle as well as a few blocks on offense! By Saturday afternoon, he was pretty sore....and this morning was even worse! He is definitely figuring out why players don't usually last too long in the NFL!

Gabe is #27 and is playing safety here!

WAY TO GO GABE AND GRADY!!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!! KEEP UP THE HARD WORK!!

CRANK UP YOUR SPEAKERS!!!

So, on my way home today from the farm....I was listening to a country music station. This is not typically my first choice in music, but when you are driving along HWY 400...in the middle of nowhere, by yourself....you take what you can get! I can pretty much jam to anything....even if I don't know the words...I know it's a gift, but then a song came on that had me blubbering like a fool! It's this song....Brad Paisley's "Anything Like Me".....it's a goodie! It is definitely a song for Dads with sons....but I'm a Mom and it hit the spot with me as well! The last part...where he is singing about his son leaving and how the son can't wait to get away....and then how the son is crying all the way down the drive after telling his parents good bye....oh shoot, I just about had to pull over....and this is why I don't listen to country music....it causes me to be a driving hazard! Anyway, it obviously reminded me of our little fellas...who by the way are becoming less and less little everyday! Gabe is only about a head away from being taller than me...I know this is not a huge accomplishment, but you think they may outgrow you in high school, not elementary...and Grady is reading...his second week of Kindergarten and he is reading a book....where did our little babies go....there are times when I watch them sleeping that I can almost see those precious little baby boys I brought home, but then they wake up and they are off and running! I know that is what Shawn and I are supposed to be doing...getting them ready for the world, so that one day they will be living on their own, raising their own families.....and it's songs like this that remind me those times are coming way to fast!! Anywho, enough of my blubbering ....I hope you enjoy the tunes.....

Because I LOVE Baking Up Something YUMMY!

I love trying new recipes....just ask my poor family who are the official band of tastetesters....but this time, noone was complaining too much!

They are actually baked donuts...not fried...so in some sort of logic...these could almost be considered healthy??!! I am not going into the donut making business...as my pan only allows you to bake 6 at a time...but they are a fantastic little treat to wow you with!

Labor Day Weekend!!

We had a pretty fantastic labor day weekend!! For once, we didn't have anywhere we HAD to be or anything we HAD to do....with two kids in sports and school, Shawn working and my running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to keep everything running smooth...a weekend off is always welcome! Friday night we went to Augusta High's first football game....Gabe ran around with some friends, only finding us when he needed money for snacks and Grady had a great time on the "hill" with Gid and Mia! Saturday we woke up and started attacking the trees and weeds in our ditch.....what a can of worms we opened there! Now that it is completely finished it does look fantastic...and I am vowing to never, ever let it look like that ever again! I don't think the ditch had been completely cleaned out in a very loooonnnngggg time! We spent Saturday afternoon and evening at my Grandma's pond, fishing and relaxing! Sunday, Shawn and Gabe woke up to a beautiful sunrise!!! Grady and I appreciate our sleep and are thankful they snapped a few pics for us to enjoy around 7:30! Sunday afternoon we headed down to the Fox Farm to do some more wood mizering....it takes a lot to set it up, but I'm sure with practice the routine will begin to go smoother! Yesterday we continued on the yard project....we still have 2 more areas to tackle....but, everything is really looking nice....it's a lot of hard work, but you should see the muscles I am building...HA! So, today, I am playing catch up....unfortunately the laundry fairy skipped over our house this weekend...after a weekend of play there are piles of laundry everywhere!! I had better get going.....it's not going to do itself!