Preston's turn

Preston's team has had a hard time getting to play ball this summer.  They finally got in a couple games last night.  Preston is playing on a team over at Carbondale this summer.  There are quite a few boys on the team, but Preston really wanted to play with his friends and have a fun summer of ball.  All their games are double headers.  They won the first game and lost the second one last night.  Preston said he did have fun!  He played a little at shortstop, and 3rd base.  He had some great plays!  I enjoyed watching them.  I always enjoy when the kids get to this level.  It makes all the summers that you sat around watching them build their skills worth it!  

We did have a little drama before the game, Preston was working at the Judd Ranch.  He came in 10 minutes before we needed to leave and took a very fast shower (he was covered in cow poo).  He was showered, dressed, had his dinner in hand and we walked out the door on time.  Then realized he had no idea where he put the key to the van.  That key is gone.  We cannot find it anywhere.  Luckily, after 15 minutes of looking, and still needing to drop off Saige with Jim for her game, before we could go, Mallory let us borrow her car.  Preston will be searching the house for the key after he gets home from summer weights and basketball today!  I do not know where he put it, but he wins at hiding!

There is a new berry patch south of town.  I had been meaning to take the kids out to pick strawberries, but with Preston needing to use the van, we have been limited on time.  Yesterday, I realized the owner was sitting in town selling already picked berries.  I bought 5 pounds.  They are the best berries I have had in years.  My intent was making jam.  Then I brought them home.  The kids were in absolute heaven.  Never having been one to stop a kid from eating a fresh piece of fruit, these were wiped out in a very short amount of time.  All 5 pounds gone!  I guess if I want jam, I will still have to pick some!  Strawberries always remind me of my grandma.  She had a huge patch, and used to recruit us to help her pick.  We always ate as many as we picked!  She made jam, ice cream topping, froze berries for winter treats, and  made pies.  Thinking back, it was probably really work, but it sure felt like fun when you were doing it with grandma!  I miss her every day!

some Saige photos

It has been an interesting week.  We came a little too close to a tornado.    We watched as friends, neighbors, acquaintances and co-workers have struggled after losing their homes, barns, animals, and other property to weather.  We have felt blessed beyond reason that our family was all safe.  The tornado passed about a mile south of my parents, and about a mile north of my brother.  Then it headed to Lawrence where Colin is currently living, as well as Jim's family.  Then it headed into Kansas City where again we have family.  We are beyond grateful that our family was safe.  As much as I love living here, I am no fan of the weather sometimes.  It was close enough that I made the kids go to the basement.  That is a rarity for me.  Sometimes in the Midwest, we get complacent about safety in the storms.  This was a reminder of the damage, and destruction for sure.

Not that is even the same caliber of devastation, but ball season has been an interesting one as we have had games rained out, tornado-ed out, mudded out and rescheduled all over the place.  Last night, I was happy because Saige and Harper both had games scheduled in the same city.  That would have been awesome except the field Saige was supposed to play on was under water.  Her game was cancelled.  She asked me if she could go along and take pictures of Harper.  I used to ask my mom to take pictures too, but was often told no because - well film.  I feel like digital photography allows me to say yes, so I turned her loose with my phone.  She took a lot of pictures.  A whole lot.  The ones below are my favorites.  She took a few of Evie before we left as well.    

I don't think that Saige will win any awards for amazing sports photography, but I like these!

Harper is on a team with some kids who have not played before.  They are improving with every game.  Harper pitched 2 innings and had a few strike outs.  She also hit a home run.  Her team did not win, but it was a nice evening, and the snacks were good!  

Side note - Madison made hot beef sandwiches for dinner.  Saige does not like this dinner at all.  She did indeed take photos, but she also talked me into buying her concession stand pretzels and then made the comment that pretzel and cheese is a much better dinner than the one Madison fixed!  I think she may be a con artist?

We came home over the dam at Pomona Lake.  My kids love to go over there to swim and play at the beach in the summer.  They were very sad to see the swim beach, the camp grounds, playgrounds and all the of the bathrooms underwater.  Since they are not releasing water currently from any of the lakes around here, it is not looking too promising for days at the beach anytime soon.  Harper got a little teary eyed over it.  So I spent some time explaining to them how they are upset about losing a day at the beach, but they need to pray for the people whose livelihood is dependent on the weather.  I also added in that they need to pray that the state's dams hold up because a breach would be catastrophic and they are holding back much more water than normal.  Monitoring at my work is at an all time high, and we do not hold back nearly as much water behind any of our dams as the Corps of Engineer lakes do.  Watershed/dam people are all holding our breath currently.

These trees usually provide some shade at the swimming beach!

Since the sun was setting, it is sort of hard to tell, but the yellow arrow is pointing to the top of the bath house at the swim beach at Pomona Lake.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a much needed relaxing weekend.  Madison and Andrew went out for a date night.  Madison asked me to take their photo.  That just did not set well with Saige.  She loves her Andrew and had to get a picture too.  Luckily, Andrew is mellow and understanding.  :)   I think they had fun going out, and we definitely had fun playing with Evie while they were gone!  She is growing into such a fun baby.  She is happy, and loves to be talked to.  

We had some time to take care of things at home that have needed attention for a while.  For example, the hedgie got a bath.  I am not exactly sure if she liked the bath or not, because any time we go near her she makes these rattling, grouchy noises.  I have never spent any time with hedge hogs, so I don't know if they are just noisy animals, or if Quilling is just a grouchy one.  Quincy thinks it is endearing and cute.  Her face is cute, but I cannot figure this critter out.  Grumpy little thing.  I leave all her care to Quincy, Harper and Andrew.  They think she is amazing.  We also did some goat pen repairs, grazing pen building, rock moving, stick picking up, mowing, cleaning, and laundry.  It was nice to be home!

Of course, we couldn't stay home the ENTIRE weekend.  We had to go looking at some flood water.  The lakes are all at insane levels.  They are not letting water out due to not wanting to flood the downstream areas, which has backed the rivers and creeks up and they are also at insane levels.  I didn't take pictures, because when I asked if the kids wanted to "go" the dog jumped into the car.  Blitz loves to go.  I can't deny her when we were just putzing around, but then I had to stay in the car so she didn't get out and get lost.  The kids enjoyed driving around looking.

The amazingness of time at home abruptly ended this morning.  Our schedule from now until July is packed.  Preston is falling headlong into summer weights, summer basketball, football camps, and I don't even know what else.  Quincy is doing a bunch of the same stuff at the jr. high level.  We have ball games every evening, and Preston is working too.  We had no choice but to let him start driving himself.  It is legal, but it is always hard to watch them start driving themselves.  A mother's prayer list is always long I guess.  

Double header

The rain has already messed up ball season and it is only week 1.  I hate to complain about the weather, but could we please bottle up some of this rain and hold it for later in the summer?  

Harper had a double header last night to make up for some rain rescheduled games.  It was an excessively long evening at the ball park for her team.  They did a pretty good job of working hard though.  They even came back in the second game to beat Burlingame.  I was proud of them.

Harper did get a little pitching time in the second game.  Harper has a little anxiety, and is fairly shy, so being in the circle is a challenge for her in that way.  She has practiced a lot at home with Quincy, and she does a great job.  I am very proud of her.  (photo credits go to Quincy)

We are all pretty excited about the holiday weekend.  We have some projects planned, and a little down time.  It will be the last couple of days we have off from the ball park for at least the next 6 weeks, so I am going to enjoy that!  

Just the beginning

After a couple of cancelled nights, Harper and Saige had their first season games last night.  There were some pretty good plays made.  Harper even took a video of Saige's double 2 RBI hit.  :)  

I guess it is officially summer!  

I got all the games for the 4 teams on the calendar.  We have Sunday nights off from the ball park.  Thinking I need to drag out the bleacher cushions that Grace made!

Evie got to come to watch her first softball games.  She was not impressed, and ended up talking her parents into taking her home to go to bed!  :)  

First weekend of summer break

We had a fun weekend.  We had nothing going on Friday evening, so we enjoyed an evening at home.  Andrew and Madison cooked up a hotdog and s'more dinner (which the kids loved) and they all played a little wiffle ball in the yard.  It always makes me happy to see my kids play together.  

Quincy keeps telling me that the grumpy cactus is getting friendlier, but I just don't see it.  Considering she handles it with gloves, I am totally not convinced!

Saturday, my friend Dusty and I had planned to go to an auction in Yates Center.  I told Jim that I was only going to get some new guinea fowl, as ours were killed over the winter.  We thought we would have to be back early, as the kids all had scrimmage games in the afternoon and evening.  Landrie, Harper and Quincy rode along with us.  We are training them up to love an auction as much as their mommas do!  I failed to get any guineas, but I did not come home empty handed.  Quincy told me I should bid on some pot bellied pigs.  I threw my hand up as sort of a joke figuring I would quickly get outbid.  Except nobody else bid...so I got 3 potbelly pigs for $2 each.  OOOPS!  Quincy and Harper were overjoyed.  I figured if Jim was not happy, we could pretty easily get our $2 back.  I also found out what kind of a friend Dusty is, as she had driven us down there.  I figure a friend who will let you load 3 pigs into their car is a pretty good friend!  Not that I had any doubts! (I did have a tarp!).  

My Jim probably deserves an award.  He does not love pigs.  He did jump in and help us build them a little pen though.  I told him I am going to feed them out and put them in the freezer.  He does like a good pork chop!  The girls are pretty attached, so I am not exactly how my plan will work!

The scrimmage games that we thought we had to hurry back for were rained out.  Harper and Saige both ended up  playing on Sunday.  Harper had to move up a level this year, and is trying her hand at pitching for the first time.  She did a great job and even struck out a couple of batters!  We were really proud of her!  She also played a little at catcher and 3rd base.  

I went with Mallory to look at a house, and so we missed some of Saige's game.  She played 3rd base and I heard she had a nice hit with an RBI.  

After all the games, we even managed to get our groceries bought and had a little time to rest before starting another week!  I am happy that I got to come to work so I could rest a little bit!