A November Week!

No, we haven't had enough gyms, we shall spend some time there on a chilly Sunday afternoon.

Truth be told, I love it.  Love instilling the hometown tradition in my boys

and DH and I spent a lot of time in these gyms so they feel familar.

I remember sitting on those bleachers in 4th grade taking a test about basketball.

James Naismith was the creator of the game.

My brother Scott was a Junior at the time a Loogootee Basketball was doing great.  

I remember thinking that those bleachers were SO Tall, they seemed a little shorter last Sunday.

Still very familiar but as I wondered around picking up some trash from Saturday's games, 

I thought it was not as far to the top as I remembered as a child.

Some of the time I helped run the drills and rebound.

I sent this picture to my Stella and Dot rep, Blake Callahan - she had me on point this day!

And this is something we focus on with the boys.

Tuesday was grandparents day at school and Grandma sent me this selfie.

A favorite all time photo for sure.  I love that these grandparents are there for our boys.

LES has not done Grandparent day for several years, so glad they brought it back again!  

I'm also thankful that they meet the grandkids where they are, a selfie?!? Love it.

Our local DQ has been closed for much needed renovation - it reopened on Tuesday.

DH had taken me to doctor so we picked the boys up from school and surprised them with and afterschool cool treat.

Our Fall Festival fish are still going strong, it was Joe's turn to change the water.

Bubbles and Wubbles do brighten our day.

We do not know them apart.

A Novemeber rainbow on the way to Sam's basketball game Tuesday night,

beautiful (of course it was brighter than the iphone captured)

And while I worked yesterday, DH and Sam hung his new (old) headboard.

Our trusty basketball goal crashed last spring, but we wanted to save the backboard

since DH and the boys has painted it together.  Sam wanted it in his room.

I love it.  Sam's name stayed but his train has been removed (sniff) - he said, mom 

you have pictures....

And I sent this list to my guys because they were doing the holiday Wal-mart run for me

while I worked...

I did get the essential items, but the slight hint for jewerly and/or flowers did not work.

Joe is always inventing something...

his latest launcher. From an old Ipad case and my bobby pin.

And I can't forget this coffee date with this gal! 

She had a great idea and I loved every minute...

Love you sweet Blake - you'll probably be the 1st to read this!

LMS Spell Bowl 2016

Sam wanted to join spell bowl again this year.

He REALLY enjoys it.

We took a different approach this year

and allowed him to work thru his 50 words before each practice on his own.

Last year we quizzed him and we think the negative of "wrong, wrong, wrong" didn't work,

so we let him write the words 3 times each and had him pronounce them out loud to us.  

He was more positive about studying the words, they are tough!

Sam was the 3rd speller for the team and he got 4/7 words right.

His team placed 3rd in their division (size of the middle school).

He was pumped. He knew he had spelled more words correctly this year.

And we celebrated with him!

The sea of spellers

Our guy with his signature "are you watching me" glance!

Sam in the back row middle.

Raised hand indicating he got that word right!

I don't remember all of his words..

he missed scheme.

He spelled it skeme.  I can't say that I blame him!

Great job, team!

And he is also doing Student Council this year.  I stole this picture from the LMS twitter feed.

Great group of kids.

Sam - 5th grade basketball

Monday night, a couple weeks ago marked Sam's first official basketball game

for Loogootee Middle School!

They played away at Cedar Crest and DH was there to watch,

they texted to tell me that Sam has scored a bucket and a free throw

and

I was in attendance the first night possible when they played at good ol' JFK!

We played a Jasper school and played very well.  Sam played a lot

and scored 6 points and have a few free throw attempts.

He made this bucket!

Our first game with cheerleaders, they really do a great job.

Blocking out!

And a few updates from our Varsity Basketball coach's website.

We have a strong basketball feeder program and I love this group of boys,

hope they all continue to play - at least for the next few years!

And during the Varsity's open practice (community comes to eat taco bar and support the team)

with soap and towels and moola of course!

Sam's team sat as a group, some had left at this time.

He and Drew were still soaking it all in.

A Stoll Stew

A Stoll Stew

(funny that we call it that, only a select few carry the last name Stoll - but it is where it all began)

The Stoll family gathered for a fall stew while some family was in from Kansas.

We met at the Odon Park and the boys had fun with their cousins.

Joe, Andre, Tyson, Sam and AJ (AJ twin Grace was in the mix, too) and Shaylee too.

This was a small portion of the Stoll clan, conversation is never hard to come by!

The campfire stew and grilled sausage/hot dogs

Grandma Jean had to sacrifice for a sample!

The photo below is just after Sam decided he might like to know these cousins from Kansas, (Joe had been playing for some time already) we didn't see him the rest of the evening and then they asked when we could go to Kansas to see their house.  Then, the evening didn't seem long enough.

Treasured times when your own kids play with your cousins kids.

I remember the first time I met Dan's cousin Trina (their mama), they are only weeks apart in age.

We felt like instant friends and we were able to meet their sweet Selah this trip, too.

So thankful for this close knit family!

Teaching Gratitude

We collected Operation Christmas Child boxes again this year at church.  

We gathered 260+ boxes, love that this many children will hear the gospel and receive a small package all the way from Cannelburg IN.  The children always carry them up for the church foyer for a prayer over the boxes.  Sam and Joe are on the right side of the picture.  

I adore teaching Sunday School.

I also enjoy Sam's grade.

This age.

This group is fun and interactive and all of them still participate.

I try to keep the lessons (we have material to go from and sometimes I add a twist).

This past Sunday we did an object lesson on gratitude.

It was simple but effective and Sam's balloon is still floating around his room.

I found this table cloth at Michael's and I am SO glad I bought it.

The kids run to the room to color each week until we get started and even my 2 quiet guys were interacting the other day when I arrived!  

Our youth group had a fundraiser with Homemade Apple Pies

and DH bought some extra apples...if we spoiled their lunch this day, it was with apples

not candy!  

This turkey was pretending to be just that!  He is a jokster.

Our lesson was on gratitue and how we have to exercise it just like a muscle,

 the more we fill our day with gratitude, the less time there is for complaints.

We worked in partners each creating our own gratitude balloon.

And we might have had a little balloon war.

Gratitude, apples and coloring on the table.

It was a great Sunday!