Highs and Lows

Yesterday started out pretty rough. We got a letter in the mail, telling us that David didn't get the job we were really hoping for. He had passed three rounds of interviews and been invited to the university. He really felt good about the job and we were hopeful. We fasted and prayed, and so did our kids. I was really disappointed that the university didn't even give David the courtesy of a phone call, but instead sent him a generic letter in the mail. Pretty classless in my opinion.

Later that day, there was a knock at the door and I intuitively knew it would be my sweet friend Cami Ruppe because she's just that kind of a friend. She and her kids showed up with lemon merengue pie, lemonade, lemon Oreos and lemondrops. (When life hands you lemons...) She is truly one of the most thoughtful people I have ever known and our family really needed her little pick me up.

Fortunately, we had a fun evening planned, which ended up being really good for all of us. The kids had met reading goals at school and had earned tickets to see the local Single A professional baseball team - the Fireflies. The Fireflies are part of the New York Mets minor league system.

Not only did they earn free tickets, but they also earned hot dogs, chips and a drink. Yay!

Spirit Communications Park is a great place to watch a game. It's a fantastic venue with a really intimate feel. The team was great and tossed balls up to kids after fly balls and in between innings.

I wish I had taken a picture of Jalen on the big screen showing off his dance moves. He really went for it and they got him on camera three different times. They also caught me and David on the kiss cam. I am not a fan of PDA, but David was waving them down and was excited about it. I'm pretty sure I grimaced.

Mason the Firefly.

Running the bases (the only action shot I took).

I absolutely love baseball. I used to take stats in high school when my dad was the coach and I loved sitting in the dugout and following the games so closely. David and I used to go see the Astros when we were in Houston. It was great to go to a game again. Every seat in this park is a great seat.

Baylie's putting on her game face.

We stayed to the very end! (I am my father's daughter.)

One more reason to love the Fireflies is that they are definitely a classy organization and very fan focused. At last night's game, David caught a t-shirt that was shot out of a little canon thing. Out of nowhere, a big kid came and tried to grab it out of his hand and got pretty physical about it. David ended up with the shirt, but then realized the kid was autistic so he went and found the kid and gave him the shirt. It was the right thing to do, but our kids were disappointed. They didn't complain though and I was very proud of them. Several innings later, the Fireflies came to our seats and presented David with bags, shirts and balls for both of our kids. It was such a nice gesture.

After such a rough beginning, it was great to end our day having so much fun as a family. We plan to catch more games in the future. This is an organization we'd like to support.

(P.S. To the drunk guy who spent more time in our section letting us know he had tickets behind home plate than he did actually sitting in those awesome seats, shut up and sit down. Thank you.)

Iron Men

These are my brothers. They are giants among men. I'm not just saying that because we're related or because they are tall. They are handsome, righteous, faithful, funny and fun to be around. They are great husbands, amazing fathers and the best brothers a girls could ask for. Don't get me wrong, they are not perfect. They didn't always lift up the seat and they definitely didn't respect my authority as their big sister, but they have always offered me unconditional love and support. I know that I could call any one of them for anything and they would move heaven and earth to be there for me. I am their big sister, but they have been such amazing examples to me.

This weekend, the three of them competed in the St. George half iron man. They don't usually compete in the same races. My parents, siblings and nieces and nephews were all there. I was incredibly homesick all the way across the country.

Erik coming out of the water.

Scott coming out of the water.

Clark on the bike.

Erik in transition.

Scotty getting on the bike (Rudy helmet).

The weather was brutal. St. George in May is usually pretty mild, but it was freezing for this race. Clark is the most experienced of the three and is the one that got the other two started, but he really struggled on the run. He wrapped up in an emergency blanket and even had to walk part of the way - something he never does. His legs cramped up so badly, he thought he was going to tip over.

Clark is a man that faces adversity head on. When we were little, he was like Captain America before the experiment - skinny and weak. In high school, he started lifting weights. He started bench pressing just the bar and by the time he played football at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho), he could bench press more than his body weight. He was the only player in the 1,000 lb. Club that weighed less than 200 pounds. He has faced crushing trials, but he has come out ahead and has never lost his faith. We are only 16 months apart. He was my first best friend.

Clark on the run.

Erik is the middle one. Like many middle children, he can get overlooked. He always does what is expected, he doesn't rock the boat and he's always happy - definitely not a squeaky wheel. Erik and I hit head on a lot when we were younger, but now that we're older, I think I relate more to him than the others. He has a rock-solid testimony and spends a lot of time serving others. He reminds me of my dad in the way he coaches boys not just to win, but to become good men. Erik is and always has been the master of the huge hug.

Erik on the run.

Erik's hands were so cold, he couldn't open his snacks or get his water bottle. He also struggled with cramps on the run. He and Clark ended up helping each other finish. I love the idea of them facing this trial together.

Clark and Erik.

Scotty crushed the course. Maybe it's his youth, or maybe the beard kept him warm, but whatever it was, he cruised.

Scotty is the "baby" of our family. I think sometimes it's hard for the rest of us to let him grow up. I wrote a poem about him for his wedding that talked about him as a paradox. He's kind of rough around the edges and yet he loves Shakespeare and is a neat freak. I think he is the most like me of all my siblings - he's bull headed and strong willed, but if he's your friend, he will be your faithful friend for life. He has always been there for me. When we moved from Houston, he came all the way down there to help us. When we went to court to adopt our kids, he and his wife were there. These are things I don't forget.

Scotty on the run.

My brothers are very different from one another, but if there is one thing they have in common, it is their total devotion to the women they married. They each married the perfect woman for them. I'm so glad my brothers married women I like. It takes a special woman to get up in the freezing cold at the crack of dawn to watch a crazy man push his body beyond physical endurance. And then to hug his gross, sweaty body when he's done!

Clark and Di.

Erik and Shanelle.

Scott, Beth & kids.

I love my family so much. I love how we like to cheer for one another - in sports and in life. When we were younger, we all played sports and it was important for us to support each other. There were few things I enjoyed as much as watching my siblings compete. 

Scott with my sister's kids.

Clark's Family.

Erik's Family (his youngest cracks me up in this picture).

Family members make the best fans.

My parents were there too, but I didn't get any pictures of them.

We were cheering them on from South Carolina. I was glued to my phone most of the day waiting for updates on where they were and how they were doing. I hated being so far away.

I am so grateful that God lets us come to Earth in families. My greatest joys are found in my family. 

Fútbol

This spring we went back to playing soccer. It was a fun season with good weather and great coaches. I think soccer is a great sport because so many kids can play and it is constant exercise. My kids do not think soccer is great. This will probably be our last season. 

They were on two different teams, but both teams wore orange. It was a great color as it stood out and was easy to find. It was not a great color for those that love the Gamecocks and hate Clemson. Baylie was on the Bengals and Jalen was on the Toros.

  Our little all stars. By pure coincidence, they were both #10.

Baylie mostly played defense. By the end of the season, she was pushing back and not so timid. She even practiced having me throw the ball at her so she could let it hit her body without ducking out of the way.

I was glad that she was able to play on Jody's team. Jody was also her basketball coach. Jody's daughter, Charlie, is Baylie's best friend so they had fun being together. They are moving in a couple of weeks and we are really going to miss them.

Jalen is really fast, but he doesn't like running during soccer. Mostly he doesn't like being told what to do (his words).

He also struggles staying focused. For example, while playing goalie, he pretended like he was delivering pizzas.

During one of Baylie's games, we heard him yelling, "Daddy! Daddy!" He had caught his cleats in the goal and couldn't get out. I'm pretty sure MLS is not in our future.

Jalen's coach, Jarom, is also a friend of ours. In fact, he's Jody's little brother. It was great having the kids play for people we know and trust. Both coaches were really positive and did a good job teaching skills and knowledge of the game.

Both teams had good seasons. The Bengals went 7-2-1.

The Toros were undefeated 10-0.

We are reevaluating our kids' participation in organized sports. It seems to cause more stress than fun and we worry about over scheduling. Baylie is going to start tennis again. She's good at it and it's free. In the fall, she really wants to do tumbling. She has Activity Days now, so I'm not sure what we'll do since I don't want her booked every night and she also wants to do piano. Jalen really wants to play football. We might try flag football in the fall.

I feel overbooked with just two kids. How do people with lots of kids do it?!