baseball

With spring fading into summer, baseball comes to an end. 

I love baseball...

 I'm so thankful that we have some baseball players in our family.

  Ethan played on a AAA team this year.

(I'm thinking this is his face of concentration)

He did great! His batting has really improved this year and his knowledge of the game at ten is amazing!

 (there's that face again!!)

It's obvious this boy loves playing this game and he's hoping to continue as an all-star!

 And he should have a good shot! He's a really good catcher!

 As a freshman this was Seth's first year on Varsity. We love watching him play!

 He batted .395!

 And he scored 15 runs!

 He was the team's utility player and played in any of 6 positions! His favorite though? Still first base where he should be the starter next year. 

Both boys had a lot of fun playing this year and both did great. I'm glad they both share a love for this sport. Determination and hard work are important traits to develop in young men. I guess it doesn't really matter to me what they play or work hard to do, I will always applaud their efforts. Because the one thing I want them to always remember is that I was their biggest fan!

brothers

This past week was filled with small and big celebrations. The small was Zane turning 5 months.

 And who could possibly resist that giant, toothless grin?

 He's all about grabbing his feet these days. Don't you love that? I think it's just the cutest!

 We are trying to decide what his hair color is going to be. Blonde, strawberry-blonde, turn dark later? Not sure, but those eyes are definitely blue and look to be staying that way! Yay!

 He weighs a healthy 17 lb 11 oz now. Not our biggest or our smallest, but perfectly sized to snuggle, that's for sure! 

 We love this happy, easy-going boy!

And just for fun, here's how most of the photo shoots end! "Take my picture too!!" Haha!

Our bigger celebrations this week were for two birthdays.

 Josiah turned 4! He loves all things Batman and has an amazing imagination. He loves wrestling with his brothers and playing with his sisters (except when Anna doesn't cooperate. Did I mention she's independent and spunky?). He's a cutie, and will talk anybody's ear off!

 The day after Josiah's birthday was Seth's 15th birthday. I can't believe how grown up Seth has become. He is hard-working, strong and reliable with a quick wit and an easy-going temperament. He plays multiple sports and loves animals and his siblings. He's a great guy and we love him so.

I am thanking God this week for the privilege of mothering these three boys as we celebrate them. All three at different stages of life, but tied together forever as brothers. 

This Week

This week brought an end to soccer season. I'm sad to see it go. Seth's team only lost one game this year. He's such a hard and determined worker, it's a delight to watch his athleticism on the field. We were truly blessed by wonderful weather to watch every game, but the very next day after soccer was done?

 The rain came to water our thirsty yard. We are happy that our volunteer pumpkin plant produced so many pumpkins! Almost one for every kid, although some will have to be happy with green ones. 

This week also brought orthodontic appointments (Seth got top braces and Abby got her arch wire adjusted), drama practices (Megan was cast as Meg in Little Women), AWANA, and a birthday party for Sarah to attend.

Do we sound busy? 

Yes, and totally blessed.

First Day Of School

Today is Sarah's first day of school. Ever! Her home schooling days are at an end as she starts the 6th grade. I'm so excited (and nervous) for her! I'm hoping she finds some sweet girls to be friends with. *sniff*

 Thankfully, though, she's not heading off to school alone.

 And who wouldn't want to hang with this group?

Silly kids!

I love them...

 So with Megan behind the wheel of the car she bought this summer, they headed off! I hope and pray that they have a great year!

Road Trip

Early Wednesday morning we took off on our road trip.

Our first stop was Safeco Field, where we could watch our beloved Yankees play.

 We showed up extra early to try to get some autographs.

No luck there, but we had amazing seats over the Yankees dugout. This was Megan and Seth's first major league game ever!

And the Yankees didn't disappoint! Jeter's first at bat resulted in a home run! They won 5-2 in a very exciting game.

After the game, we decided to try the Crab Pot for dinner,

where they suit you for your meal.

They brought us two steaming bowls of seafood, sausage, potatoes and corn that they dumped on our table.

Then you dig right in! heh heh....

It was a super fun trip for the 5 of us!

 

Fair Results

Last Friday started off bright and early with poultry showmanship.

 Sarah proudly (and nervously) showed her poultry skills and knowledge to the judge. She did great!

 And happily walked away with Champion of first year Juniors.

 Next it was Megan and Seth's turns to compete.

 They had to do things like show how to properly place and remove a chicken from a cage, and answer some very difficult questions.

 Seth won Reserve Champion for the Intermediates,

and Meg won Champion for the Seniors.

 After that, Meg won Grand Champion Showman for all Poultry!

 Then it was time for Rabbit Showmanship. Seth got Sweetpea out and placed her on the table.

 And despite some fierce competition and a tough judge, he won Reserve Champion at the Intermediate level.

There were other fun events at the fair too:

 Hershey was transformed into a cowgirl for the Poultry Costume Contest.

 And Megan won $20 by marketing her chicken in a mock sale.

The kids also won a bunch of other blue ribbons for their animals, Megan won a bunch of awards for her writing and also Reserve Champion for the eggs she entered. Overall, the fair was a wonderful experience. There were rides, fair food, hanging out with friends, sharing their animals, and rewards for their hard work. Who could ask for more?

Off To Fair

Last night we packed up the animals and headed off to the County Fair.

 Megan got her ducks, Dolly, Spryte, and Hershey, all settled in a large cage on the floor. 

 Megan will also be showing her chicken, a Blue Orpington.

 Sarah helped get the chickens put in their cage.

 Seth got his bunny's cage all set-up.

 It was pretty hot last night, but she settled right in.

 Miss Blue even brought her babies! 

The kids will be doing most of their competitive showing on Friday. I can't wait to see how well they do!