It was a fun fall T-ball season playing with the Twins. This was the first time to play in the KYA league, and Tate had a great time. I still want him to be a kid and try different things, but my early guess is that baseball may be his sport of choice in the years to come.
It was fun having friends from his school on the team and on the other teams they played as well. And seriously, little Kindergarten boys in baseball pants are adorable. Tate most enjoyed when he got to play catcher or pitcher (which in T-ball means you stand on the pitcher's mound and field most of the balls hit off the tee) and of course the snacks at the end of the game. :)
It was a fun season where Tate seemed to really learn how the game worked (and always, always kept track of the score). We appreciate the hard work of Coach Wes. Way to go, Twins!
It was a big birthday for my Dad this past November. The Big 6-0! It is weird to think my Dad is 60, but if you're around him much, you know he doesn't seem like a 60-year-old at all.
We kept asking him what kind of party or big shindig we could plan. He said he just wanted his family all together. So we decided that when Shannon & her family came in town we would get a sitter and enjoy an adults-only dinner. Love the kiddos, but it's rare to have a dinner with our entire family and finish an entire adult conversation. :)
We had a great time over dinner laughing and sharing "Dad stories" at one of his favorite places in Arlington, Piccolo Mondo. He is like Norm in Cheers and has been going there for years. Over dinner we presented him with his annual birthday present of Wolferman's English Muffins (see #39 on list) and a list of "60 Things We Love About Dad/Rick/Grandpa." This was a compilation from the grandkids, sons-in-law, and me and Shannon.
He is a Watch Dog.
He says Go Bears.
He is my Grandpa.
He is a good skier.
He takes me to games.
He lets me go outside.
He swims fast.
He lets me ....(I have no idea?)
He plays football.
He loves me.
He taught us how to figure the unit price.
Every 4th of July growing up, we heard Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen...loudly.
He grills great steaks.
Brad likes his Speedos.
He taught us that Dads can cook.
He taught us that Dads can do the grocery shopping.
He doesn't let me win when we play tennis.
He held me to our schedule when we trained for a 1/2 marathon together.
He loves our dog like his own.
He taught the grandkids to body surf/boogie board.
He is the Dog Whisperer.
Wade likes his car.
He takes us swimming.
He plays with me.
We go to the park.
The grandkids like going to his house.
Brad says he makes a fine daughter.
He has a big TV.
He is an overlaugher.
His surround sound is mind boggling.
He's not scared of babies or changing diapers.
He is disciplined in all he does.
He set a swimming world record.
Every trip with Dad turns into a trip down memory lane.
Rock & Roll = Dad.
He will probably own the last Beta tape on Earth.
He is a total creature of habit.
He made us prepare presentations/spreadsheets for any major decisions or purchases growing up.
He has had the same exact breakfast for 20+ years.
He is a gas snob.
He followed through with his retirement "moment of clarity."
He is CAL's #2 fan (following his Dad as the #1 fan).
He has a good sense of direction.
He has a great memory.
He taught us to appreciate good music.
Corona with lime = Dad.
He is a dedicated and loyal son.
He is still a true Californian.
He can sport the cool '70s moustache.
He plays a good air guitar and dashboard keyboard.
He turns Christmas morning presents into an all-day process.
When you've been married 13+ years, you go through lots of highs and lows. And then there are the in-betweens. Those days when things are just busy and you don't take the time to communicate like you should. It's goes with marriage. And we've been in that season with a lot of busy, stressful situations going on.
So it was horrible/perfect timing that Wade & I got to leave town for two days in early November. His belated birthday present was tickets to see the Counting Crows in concert in Houston. They came to Austin as well, but I decided we were too old for the standing-room-only venue. :)
So in the midst of stress & busyness, we dropped off the boys at the grandparents and got in the kid-free car for a 4 1/2 hour drive. Amazing that just that in itself can provide the right amount of undistracted communication to help you feel more connected almost immediately.
So many things about this very quick getaway made it great. The concert itself did not disappoint. Funny part is that in my mind it's young, hip people that go to concerts. I wondered if we would stick out as the token old people. Guess our musical tastes are a bit on the older side because we were by far 10 years below the average age there. It seriously cracked me up and made for some pretty great people watching.
We both LOVE the Counting Crows and had a great time. I think we counted (even kept a set list...nerds!) 21 songs. Small venue, good seats, and great music. Fun!
And one of my favorite parts of the trip was staying with our wonderful friends, Matt & Tina. They moved to Houston a few years ago, and I miss them so much. We loved getting to catch up and even enjoying a dinner out together. Thank you for being such great hosts to us! :)
And an early-morning breakfast for Wade (I enjoyed sleeping late) with a dear friend proved to be one of those sovereign, just-what-we-needed moments. Thank you, Dave, for your friendship and always wise (and hilarious) words.
It had been close to 20 years (gulp) since I've been back to Houston, where I lived during junior high. So it was quite surreal going back. It was shocking to see how much the trees have grown and the area has been built up after not having seen it for years. We went by my old house in Sugarland, and I walked around the front sidewalk several times hoping someone that lived there would come out and let me take a peek inside. Wade sunk down in the car hiding from the crazy woman pacing the sidewalk.
I didn't get to see inside the old house, but I did further embarrass my husband by posing in front of my junior high's sign...while school was in session. :) Go Bobcats!
It was amazing how so many memories came flooding back. Since it was from junior high, most of the memories were the horribly embarrassing ones that scar you for life. But at the same time, I had moments of being thankful for that chapter in my life.
The trip went so fast, and we were back in the throws of our normal life before we knew it. But we came back renewed, refreshed, connected, and always thankful for this crazy journey and partnership we are in together.
I don't know what it is about the month of October, but once it starts I feel like I can't catch my breath until January. I really am not one of those that thrives on being busy. It stresses me out if I don't have downtime mixed in the craziness (truly an introvert at heart). That has not happened near as much as I prefer. But n the midst of the crazy October, we had some fun times.
Grandpa was a Watch Dog at Tate's school. This is such a great program (their website) that encourages male involvement in the school. Dads, grandfathers, uncles, etc. So finally my Dad's retirement dream of volunteering up at an elementary school has come true. :) The end-of-day report was pretty hilarious. And Tate loved having him there all day. Guess it was a good day because he signed up to do it again. Thankful for a loving and involved Grandpa!
In October, my Grandma Nat had a birthday. I wish we could've been there to celebrate in person. But my parents were there and sent this great video. I have seriously watched it at least 50 times and laugh/cry just about every time. Love you, Grandma Nat! :)
Tate decided on her birthday card to draw a picture of him skiing on Mt. Bachelor (first place he ever skied). :)
Will's future BFF & ACU roomie, Spencer, got to come over to play one afternoon. Sure they don't really talk to each other much yet, but they do have fun together. And share a love for Thomas. Cute boys.
In the Kindergarten classes at Tate's school, they have a King or Queen of the Week each week. Tate was excited when it was his turn. So far he hasn't realized that his mom is not the craftiest of Pinterest-guru moms, but our poster seemed to suffice. :) My favorite part of the week is that each of the kids in the class draw a picture and share why they like their classmate. Yes it was sweet to read what they wrote about Tate, but I also like the chance it gives him to encourage a friend all the other weeks.
It has been confirmed that these are possibly the tastiest fast, easy breakfast items ever.
Tate's first school picture came home. Be still my heart. And stop getting so big, please.
I will miss when the the days of phonetic spelling are over. Translation=Luke Skywalker.
When he's not gouging her eyes or crying when she licks him, Will sure does love Macy. :)
Beware of the Spiderman-Light Sabre-Sailor and his trusty sidekick.
One of the most special moments in October was one I experienced only through pictures, but it was still a dream come true kind of moment.
The first time I went to Haiti in 2011, I met a boy named Fransos. I met a ton of kids that week, but he was one of the ones that permanently resides in my memory. I can talk about Fransos forever but here is the original post about this sweet boy.
We still pray for him by name and have pictures of him all over our house. So when my friend Emily was going to Haiti and would be at the same orphanage, I sent a letter from me to Fransos along with pictures from when I was there all for her to deliver to him. I was trying to manage my expectations. Who knew if he would still be at the orphanage? Or if it would be OK to give him the pictures and letter?
And then the week Emily was there and I turned into a compulsive Facebook stalker looking at all of her Haiti pictures, this beauty appeared...
Just knowing he received the letter was enough and a dream come true. And then seeing a picture was even better. But a beautiful picture like this. No need to guess what kind of crazy, happy, ugly cry was going on when I saw it.
I must have looked at this picture over 100 times. I'm positive my heart swelled. But not in a swelling of pride. But a swelling of knowing that in that moment, this sweet boy felt loved. He felt valued. He felt remembered. Every child deserves that. And to see on his face this expression. Hard to even put into words.
She said he walked around with it in his little hands all day long asking for the interpretor to re-read the letter. This is the letter that took me maybe 10-15 minutes to write. The pictures that cost me less than $5 to print. All of those together connected an American suburban stay-at-home mom and a 15-year old boy living in an orphanage in Haiti providing a memorable moment for us both.
Oh how I wish the situation would be different, so that I knew I could have ongoing dialogue and communication with him. I hope and pray for more of these moments of connection with him. In person hopefully in the future and with others who will allow me to Facebook stalk them when they travel to Haiti. :)
Until then, I am thankful for the video Emily took, so I can see and hear his voice whenever I want. And I'm thankful for the gift Fransos gave to me. When Emily was back in town, she gave me the letter he wrote. I have it folded and in my wallet to see every single day. :)
I can't thank Emily enough for this treasure. And I continue to be so grateful for how this boy and this country have changed me. I'm thankful that I will never be the same.
Back in October both of my boys channeled their inner Texan westerness.
Will's preschool does the cutest Western Day every year complete with pony rides and a great petting zoo, and I always look forward to it. Only this year, Will has been my wildcard. I never know how things will go. So since it was going to be a different kind of day at school, I reluctantly opted not to go see him at Western Day. I knew he might have a hard time with all of the activity, and If I was there, things would probably be worse.
I was so surprised and so happy that one of his sweet Chapel teachers took some pictures of him and sent them to me. Thank you Ms. Jennifer! Verdict was that he wanted nothing to do with getting on the horse but loved watching the chickens. :)
Love my cute little Sheriff!
And to keep with the western theme, Tate was in his first Keller High School Homecoming parade. We've watched the parade for years, but this year he got to walk with his elementary school float (and winners of the float contest...woo-hoo!). Their school mascot is the cowboy, so we got one more use of his costume from a few years ago.
It was a little nuts but a fun memory. And it was made even more fun to experience the nuttiness with my sweet friend, Alyssa, and her three girls. I love that we are sharing the school experience with a family we love so much. She & I just laughed throughout the parade...and the loooooong waiting beforehand. While also making sure kids were not run over by floats. :)
I forgot to get a picture with me in it. A funny part of the night was that I had to borrow a cowboy hat to wear. Even after 36+ years in Texas, I still have no appropriate head attire.
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