Loogootee Basketball 🏀

Our boys were honored at the high school game during half time.

So thankful they are part of a program full of tradition and pride.

Thankful for their coaches who have given much time and many words of wisdom

to our boys.

Two things to remember...they chose to wear jeans ON THEIR own with their shooting shirts

AND

would you look at those genuine smiles as George joined them.

Gosh that is the best.

And as a group they hadn't seen the blue chip trophy yet so it was presented here...

they *might* have encouraged Sam to raise it high and he did.

It fired them up and the smiles continued - strong cheers from the crowd.

We had a fun night. And I might have bribed him for this pic - I was likely going to give him concession money anyway but...I got a selfie too!

A photo recreation - I'll find the older one soon - we are SO BLESSED. LOVE.

Love them and their dedcation to basketball.

No complaints ever about practices games or anything related to the game!

Lessons For Mom

Dear Lord,

Remind me he isn't six.

Remind me he is Thirteen.

Remind me he is capable and needs independence.

Remind me that he asked to be dropped off for a morning of golf (alone, eeks)

to refocus from a tough competition.  

Remind me that this is where he finds himself and teaches himself to recover from life's challenges.

Remind me that he has phone for a reason, for heaven sakes.  

Remind me, Lord that ultimately he is your child simply entrusted to me.

There were a million reasons why I felt terrible dropping him off at the golf course alone

on this Monday morning before I headed to work.

But, he asked to go - he got up early on summer break to go.

He has a phone and pops is less than a few miles away at the farm.

But, still, I struggled - he looked 6 to me (I know ridiculous,even so I cry as I type this).

It would be so much easier to bottle him up, 

but oh the victories we would miss from that front row seat of parenthood.  

Lesson from Golf

We've taken some golf lessons.

We've learned a lot about golf from those lessons.

But, then it is on the course that we learn some about golf and more about yourself!

Sam wanted to do a golf tournament this summer.  He helped research it and did his best preparing for it.  It was a summer tour of events, but he chose to play in one to see if he enjoyed it. 

It was at Country Oaks, so close to home but a tough course.

They would play from tees further back then normal, and

he was the youngest in the group of 13-15 year olds.

He was paired with 2 boys heading into their sophomore years, one drove there (ha). 

He started with a great tee shot on a tough hole.  I loved that smile and focus.

But, overall it wasn't his best round of golf.

He gained a lot that day - he had some great shots but realized that he

has some practice to do. 

It a gorgeous course. It was a beautiful summer day with a chill at 8 when we started.

It was his first shot gun start, pretty neat.  And the boys he played with were encouraging.

It's an individual sport.  He likes that aspect, but it also calls for mental toughness!

Front Row Seat

This spring we've enjoyed a front row seat for some times that we will treasure.

Some days raising kids is a challenge.

It's a full time always on duty kind of job, 

but it's also a privilege.

Golf has been so good for Sam's independence. 

While your score counts toward the team, it's a solo sport.

A golfer makes distance decisions, chooses which club to use in every situation, keeps track where the ball went(ever tried that,eeks), keeps your own score and score of an opponent. It has improved

his communication with others and allowed his to exercise honesty on his score. It is also a mentally challenging game and keeping your attitude in check can prove to be a challenge!  We've loved 

watching him play and he asks to go and will play a round alone even after this season has been done.  

He's also doing most of our grilling (except the lighting part).  He enjoys this job

much more than other inside chores, ha!

And then there is this boy.

He's been able to pitch a lot this baseball season.  And now that the regular season is over, it really feels like it just flew right by! Pitching, like golf, is a challenge too, love watching him work thru

the bad pitches and throw one down the middle.  

Then there are these everyday moments. The ones where one boy says they can't wait to get away from the other boy but in the same moment wouldn't be able to live without the other. 

The top one torments while the bottom one whines. Bottom one stops whining long enough to torment and the top one turns it on higher!

Spring brings around the promise of beauty!

And this year some sweet wildlife at our house,

we've never seen chipmunks. This year we have 2.  

We see them daily.  

Work seems to come with some extra hands these days.

That is very welcome for mom and dad!

Sam mows a lot for us and Joe is learning but a bit small for the mower still.  He is very good

at running the weed eater tho!

Learning about the pool pump on opening day.

Visits with this crew.  They are scrumptious and very dear to us.

Ha ha this girl!  She is 16 this week!  WoW!

We were gathered to celebrate Cole graduation from college and I didn't even get a pic of him!

Joe was chosen as a winner for a drug safety essay for school.  He enjoyed the smart choices class 

by local and state officers.

I discovered that one of my drug reps was from the town Dan lived in when we got engaged.

He surprised me with an email of the bed and breakfast that we got engaged at, The Lampost Inn.

It made me smile extra big!

Updated flowers at Mom and Dad's grave. Love bright spring flowers!

He does most of the yard himself now! I'm still very careful about making sure I'm near!