Too Busy to Blog

I was hoping when I went to my blog today that a little blog fairy had posted all the fun stuff we've been doing the last few weekends, along with photos, but it looks like that didn't happen, so it's up to me to get caught up!  This will be a marathon post because we've been really busy for the last 10 days, with lots of work, school, sports, family time and the lake (whew!).


First, I wanted to post a picture from a golf outing with some of my coworkers a few weeks ago.  My team gets together a few times a year to go over goals and brainstorm, and we usually end our meeting with something fun.  Golf is not my idea of fun, but since my boss wanted to golf, you guessed it, we golfed.  I am terrible at golf...I have tried so hard over the years to develop even a sliver of competence at the game, but it's impossible.  Luckily, the weather was beautiful and we had a fun afternoon.  

Love these guys - they are so fun to work with!

Last weekend we went to the state fair.  We always go to the fair, but I didn't think it was going to happen this year, because our weeknights are filled with sports practices, our Saturdays with football games, and our Sundays with church and baseball (I know, there needs to be some sort of Sabbeth day in there, and I'm working on that).  Anyway, the only time we could fit the fair in was on the last Friday night, which wouldn't be my first choice due to the crowds.  Sarah bowed out for the first time ever (the chance to hang out with friends at the varsity football game trumped a night at the fair with her family - yes, times they are achanging).  I love the fair.  I have such fun memories of going with my friend Mary Oliver when we were in middle school (our parents used to drop us off there for the day, which seems unbelievable now).  One time we lost all our money on the very first ride we went on (those crooked carnies!), and we spent the rest of the day pillaging for free stuff in the east wing. Anyway, Lawrence loves the fair too, and we've gone with the kids every year since they were babies.  We walked through all the booths and got our annual batch of fudge, looked through all the crafts (the cakes and scrapbooking entries are my favorites), had our traditional dinner at the Kentucky pork producers tent, which I know sounds gross but is so good, and then ended the night on the midway.  John spent the entire night determined to win one of the REALLY big prizes...he finally conceded that he doesn't think anyone ever wins those.  At sunset we went home with no big prize, but satisfied with another fun memory of the fair.

Checking out the cake decorating

Dinner! 

Fried Kool-Aide - disgusting and insane!

Trying really hard to win the elusive jumbo prize!

The next morning we had our first home football game, which Lawrence was super excited about because he gets to announce the games (just like the swim meets, he is happiest with that microphone in his hand).

I bet he can't wait for his shot to call the varsity games one day...

The game was great because we had our second win, this time against Fern Creek.  

Our #89 gets the sack!

On Wednesday, John's class led chapel at school.  He was so excited because he got to do the closing prayer.  He has lamented for years that every time his class leads chapel he never gets his name drawn for one of the "special" jobs, like the pledge, or opening or closing prayer.  Well, good things come to those who wait, because he finally had his moment.  

Entertained by that day's speaker

Giving the closing prayer

The rest of the week was soooo hot (so hot that Sarah's field hockey game was cancelled), and on Friday the long weekend finally was here.  We headed to the lake for the first and only time this summer.  The Weis family came too, and we had so much fun hanging out.  The lake is fun no matter what the weather...it was hot one day, cloudy one day and rainy one day, and every day was a good one.  We tubed, ate, swam, fished, saw tons of friends on the water, had a great dinner with the Higgins and Bush clans, hooked up with the Wilmsmeyers and loved being off the grid with little to no cell service for three days.  The highlight of the weekend was jumping off the "cliffs" in Piney Cove.  The Weis boys had done it before, but Sarah and John hadn't.  On Saturday afternoon we stopped at Red Rock and the kids climbed up to jump, but Sarah decided you couldn't pay her enough and scooted her hiney back down to the water.  On Sunday we went to the "cliffs" and she was adamant that she wasn't jumping.  Owen showed the ropes to John, and while he was completely stressed out climbing up to the jump off point, he persevered and took the plunge.  Later in the afternoon, Sarah's friend Kasey joined us, and the girls couldn't stand being left out of the fun, so they finally went up to the top, where they proceeded to stay for about an hour trying to get up the courage to make the 35 foot jump.  Keep in mind there are tons of boats in the water in the cove, with about a hundred people yelling "Jump, Jump, Jump!" (someone even started blaring the Van Halen song "Jump", which was actually pretty funny).  Even Lawrence went up to give them a pep talk (and jumped himself!)  Soon it started to rain and they had no choice but to get down.  Sarah went first, and then Kasey, and while Sarah says she's glad she did it, she says she's never doing it again!  We had tons of fun times this weekend, oh, and it's my birthday today so I got a birthday present too (a new scrapbook, or course!).  LOTS of photos from the weekend.

Tubing fun

Owen kicks back in the canoe

Hanging out in the water 

More tubing

Sunset boat ride over to the Higgins' place 

All the kiddos having dinner at the Higgins

Owen jumps first from the cliffs while John gets up his courage 

John goes for it! 

Harris climbs a "stick up"

Sarah and Kasey wait with the other jumpers

Lawrence goes up to offer some encouragement

Lawrence - perfect pencil form!

Here comes Sarah!

And Kasey's next!

They look happier now on the jet ski

Happy birthday to me! 

Work morning - time to cut some wood

The boys found a cool turtle

Lawrence and Owen stoke the morning fire

This was a great way to end the summer, and I'm now officially ready for fall.  Good bye 100 degree heat index - bring on the football, chili, boots and pumpkins!  

A Week of Firsts

This was a fun week of firsts!  John's football team won his FIRST game against PRP - who hoo!  This was soooo exciting.  I just wrote last week about how I couldn't wait to seem them score their first touchdown, and they scored right out of the gate at last Saturday's game.  They then went on to score two more (or was it three?), which was mucho fun.

Going for the sack!

Then on Tuesday Sarah had her FIRST field hockey game, and they tied Collegiate 1-1.  This may not seem so great, but after a hard season last year, it was exciting that we scored!  Not to mention, we scored first, so technically we were ahead for a good part of the game (can we count that as sort of a win? I think we will.).  Really happy for her and her friends...I get the feeling it's going to be a good season.

Close to the goal!

Dribble!

Next up was Tanner's FIRST freshman football game at Eastern (as starting quarterback!!!!), and he played so awesome!  He threw for like a bazillion yards, and while we were there they scored three touchdowns (and went for two on two of them - and made it!).  I'm not sure what the final score was, but I know they won, and I'm super happy for him.  

Perfect handoff

Proud of our QB1!

And a shout out to our sweet niece Sydney, who made the Mafia Fast Pitch softball team out of Indianapolis!  She is such a fabulous player, and I know she is going to do great things traveling around the region next summer!

Go Syd-Star!

I also think it was our niece Claire's FIRST field hockey game, but we weren't there, so I don't have any pictures.  I promise we'll be at one soon Claire!

Lady A!

Last night we had a fun night out to see Lady Antebellum at the Kentucky State Fair.  If Lawrence and I could only pick one thing to do for entertainment for the rest of our lives it would probably be going to country concerts.  We have been to what seems like a million, and we never get tired of them.  We went with the Yates and started off the night with dinner at the Garage Bar (very cool new place downtown).  We had some delicious southern inspired food (country ham appetizer plate with Blue Dog bakery bread and whipped red-eye gravy, pimento cheese sandwiches and sweet corn and basil pizza - yum!), some delicious artisian beers, and topped it off with chocolate custard and marshmallow cream. 

Enjoying dinner at the Garage Bar

After dinner we headed out to Freedom Hall for the concert, which was fabulous.  We love Lady A, and they are crazy musically talented.  That's what I love about seeing artists in concert...on the radio you hear the polished, studio made version of their music, but in person you get to experience how many different instruments they can play, and I often think that the recordings they make for the public are just what they do to keep the lights on.  When you see them play so many different instruments, you see the passion in their faces as they perform, and you know that despite their pop culture popularity, they are true musicians.  Very fun night!

Lady A!

Are You Ready for Some Football???

This morning was John's first official game, and although they lost to Spencer County 6-0, it was an awesome morning to watch some football.  Our team is making such progress...the boys are learning more and more with every practice, and play after play you see the lightbulbs coming on.  Most of all, they are a great group of boys who seem to be a real encouragement to one another.  It's cool to think that most of them will be playing together for the next 8 to 9 years.  Football is such a funny thing...Lawrence and I were talking about it on the way home today, how I don't understand why it is sooooo important to men.  I said I couldn't wait to see the celebration when they score their first touchdown (they were SO close today!), and what a sense of accomplishment they'll feel.  That sort of put it in perspective for me, that maybe men like it so much because it is such a battle to score.  It's really, really hard, even though sometimes it looks easy.  It's been a battle just to teach these little guys how to put their equipment on the right way, much less move the ball up the field, down after down, without penalties and jumping off sides, holding and various other missteps.  What a feeling it will be to finally score!  I guess it really is the thrill of the "hunt", and how victorious you must feel when it finally comes together.  


So  I guess today I sort of got it, even though I still sometimes think it's a big macho, testosterone filled slug fest that everyone takes way too seriously.  But I guess with a son the size of John, I better get used to it.

With the other captains for the coin toss

Yes, we will receive!

Go #89!

Getting the plays from Coach

Tackle!

Finishing the job

Watch out PRP! The Centurions are coming ready to score next week!

Back to School Day

It's a new school year!  Praying for lots of learning, good friends, new experiences, and everything in between.

The Bug, Back to School and a Little Football

How about that for a blog title with no flow?  It's been a nice slow week as we prepare to head back to school.  One fun thing was Lawrence got his beloved Bug back from the shop (I guess I should say his family's beloved Bug, because I think they all drove it throughout the years).  This was the car Lawrence was driving when we went on our first date.  So charming!

The Bug!

Lawrence loves to tell the story of pulling over on the road and asking to give me a kiss, and I declined, saying not on the first date.  The kids blame the car (it's not in quite as good of shape now as it was 18 years ago)!  On Wednesday night we loaded up and drove it over to school to pick Sarah up from field hockey practice.  We drove through historic Middletown and past Eastern High School so Lawrence could really get a nostalgic feel (although technically he didn't drive it until college).

Home of the Eagles

We went for ice cream afterward, and folks were checking out the car in the parking lot.  The other funny thing was seeing John's principal drive by in her yellow VW bug.  I guess all bug people have a little connection, and she waved, and was then surprised to see it was us.  When I saw her the next day she said the car caught her eye because she used to drive one just like it.

Future bug drivers

On Friday, the kids had their "Back to School" day, which is sort of like orientation.  In elementary school, they take all their supplies and meet their teacher, see who is in their class, etc.  John has prayed for several years that a certain little girl would be in his class (Lydia Holland).  He has always had a thing for Lydia (he likes how she wears her hair different every day), but they've never been in the same class.  His prayer got answered in a big way this year when he walked in on Friday and not only was she in his class, but her assigned seat was right next to his!

A happy boy

Afterward we went to Plehn's Bakery for lunch and then headed to English Station for Sarah's session.  Lots to look forward to in the 8th grade, especially the trip to Washington DC in the spring!

Lunch at Plehn's!

On Saturday it was time for football.  League weigh ins and scrimmages were this weekend, and our boys got to take the field against Spencer County.  The scrimmage went great (even though we lost 6-0), and it was good for the boys to get a feel for what a real game will be like.  John's number this year is 89, and he loved every minute of the scrimmage.

Going for the sack!

Blowing up the line

The fans!

Playing middle linebacker

School starts tomorrow, so we are soaking up this last day of summer.  Lots of laundry today, a stop by the uniform store, hopefully the pool...good bye summer, it's been a great one!

City Meet!

This past weekend marked the end of our Hurstbourne swim season.  It's been a different season this year...not as many kids swimming, and Sarah was only in town to swim in two of the meets.  The meets we did make it to were long and hot, and as much I complain about them, I know one day I will miss them. 


The City Meet is always a marathon weekend.  Since Sarah and John swim in two different age divisions, we ended up being at Audubon all day on Saturday for the prelims, and by the end of the day you don't even know if you want your kids to qualify, because it means you have to come back on Sunday!  Of course we were happy they both qualified for the finals and the consolation heats of several events, and on Sunday we met everyone up at the club to decorate our cars and caravan to Audubon.  Our team theme this year was "pirates" and we brought all kinds of fun stuff for the little ones to dress up in.

Sarah helps little Claire Maser with a pirate tattoo

Lawrence helps Brenden Corley get his doo-rag just right

This is the best part of the season...no more practice, you've made it to the finals, and now it's time to just have fun with your team.  

Having fun decorating

My pirate family!

The Hurricanes are ready to rumble!

Best swim team parents ever!

Soon it was time to caravan to the meet, and we cranked the music and headed into Audubon.

The coaches lead the way - Beware of Pirates!

Sarah loves all the little girls on the team, and one of her favorite events is the "all age relay".  It's the first event on finals day, and she loves psyching up the little ones.  It seems like it was just last year that SHE was a little one!

Girl power!

The tent is the place to be between races.  The kids keep themselves busy with anything and everything. John especially liked hanging out and "beading" this year (thank the Lord for whoever brought the crafts!).

Chillin' with the team

Soon it was time to swim, and Sarah came in third in the 14U 100 individual medley.  John came in 10th in the 10U freestyle, and they both swam in three relays throughout the afternoon.

Relays!

Last night was the team banquet, and Sarah and John were both sad because they had to miss it for field hockey and football practice.  They did make it in time to enjoy the post banquet pool party, and they were able to play a few of the games and swim with their friends (and get their bling!).

Toilet paper relay!

Sarah plays with little Addison Wilcox

Bling!  Lots to be proud of!

Swim team is a pain.  The kids complain about practice, I complain about practice, and we sweat to death at the chaotic meets, at the end of which we all want to kill each other.  But there is something about it we love, something about it that is part of our family, and something I don't think we'll ever give up.  We hate it and we love it all at the same time.  But like I said, I know one summer Sunday about fifteen years from now, Lawrence and I will go to the club for Sunday brunch, and we'll look out in the parking lot and see a group of families decorating their cars and heading to the finals of the City Meet.  And we'll probably both look at each other and start crying, and then we might just join the caravan.