One Shining Moment x 2

Back in my young married days, I used to watch a lot more March Madness than I do now.  A lot more as in I actually watched it, as opposed to not really even knowing the games are on!  (Sidenote- I was often known to root for the "Cinderella" team.)  Despite the fact I never watch anymore, I have always enjoyed and still do enjoy the segment after the final game called "One Shining Moment".  It has been known to bring me to tears!  :)

Well, the past few months, I have watched several 7/8 grade boys, and Freshman girls Basketball games.  And, March Madness aside, I had a couple of shining moments that made my heart swell for days after.

The first one happened at one of Kristin's games.  Her teammate, Ashley B, hurt her leg when she was fouled, and couldn't shoot the foul shots.  Her coach called another Ashley from the bench and told her to go shoot the free throws.  Here's the thing about Ashley #2.  She hasn't played much basketball, and when she walks out on the court, you can immediately tell she is not confident being there.  Nevertheless, she stepped up to the free-throw line, and wouldn't you know it, she made the first shot!!  The bench erupted, the student body erupted, the parents erupted!!  Ashley #2 was grinning from ear to ear!  It was a moment to warm even the hardest heart!!  I really don't think it matters to anyone that she didn't make the second shot because SHE MADE THE FIRST ONE!!!  My friend, Roberta, and I couldn't quit talking to each other about how great it was!!  We both rode that happiness wave for days.

Shining Moment #2 came the next week!  I was at Trev's game.  On the opposing team's bench was a boy who was clearly disabled.  His name was Jake.  He sat on the bench most of the game.  His coach seemed more interested in winning than making sure everyone had equal playing time, but that is another post for another day.  Anyway, Jake seemed content to sit and joke around with the other players not in the game.  Towards the end of the 2nd Quarter, he was subbed in and not long after that, he set up for a 3 point shot and made it!!  He was thrilled, the student body was thrilled, the parents were thrilled, Trev's team was thrilled!  He pointed at the coach like "you're the man", he pointed at his teammates, he raised his hands in the air in victory!!  He smiled the rest of the quarter, tried another 3 pointer and almost made it!  Half time came and he was still smiling.  His teammates made sure he knew how happy they were for him, and made sure everyone knew about the great shot!  That was a little shining moment in itself.  I witnessed true friendship from several boys who could easily have thought themselves too cool for a friend like Jake.  He sat the majority of the 2nd half, and was still smiling!  It was another heart-warming moment, not soon to be forgotten and although Roberta wasn't there to share it with me, we again rode the happiness wave for days. (I, of course, had to tell her about it later, but she was still just as thrilled as if she had been there.  That's just the kind of friend she is.)

So, those shining moments were better than any March Madness ones I have ever seen!  They will long be remembered by me and by my heart!

The Sewing Room Mascot

This is my thread cabinet.  Just one of the many things I love about my laundry/sewing room. John made it for me from a pattern I found and ordered.  I really love this cabinet! See the yardstick around the cabinet door?  I found those yardsticks on ebay and they are original, from West Virginia and old (circa 1950).  You can see the old fashioned phone number listed - RE 4-5511. Believe it or not, by the time I was born, they were using the present-day seven digit phone number, but I always found the letter/number combo a bit intriguing.  See the tin on the top?  That is a relic from my childhood and is quite bizarre, but I like it, always have, always will.  The mini oval-shaped box?  That really means nothing, other than I am drawn to toile patterns, and it has that toile look. The photo in the middle is one Alli took in her LHS photography class.  It is Trevor's hand catching drops of water from the spigot.  Clever and artistic.  The ribbon hanging on the side is close to impossible to make out, but that is an "Award of Merit" for a quilt I entered in the fair a few years ago - Square Deal, a wall hanging.  I remember how nervous I was when I saw the judges begin their judging process, then how happy I was to see them pull out their camera to snap a picture of it!  They really loved it!  I took it as a great compliment.  The assortment of threads are a little less than exciting, but hope to remedy soon by adding some bright spools to give a little "pop" to the cabinet.  Not really part of the thread cabinet, but another top favorite of the room is the beautiful orange walls! They are a Christmas gift from Dallin and Chelsie.  I love, love, love them!!!

Looking a little closer, you can see one of the quotes I have stuck in the corner.  Amber used that for one of her YCL favors at camp 2 years ago.  It  is a great quote, and I loved it before she used it, so I was happy she had a leftover I could have.  The other quote is about the pleasure of a bike ride by JFK.  Not such a pretty presentation, but a quote about a great subject.

But did you notice this guy tucked in the corner of the yellow thread section?   He started life as two balls of sticky tack, one yellow lump, and one obviously white.  One day, I realized he had been created!  Soooo cute!  I'm not sure which of my kids made him.  I have a guess who, but I kind of like not being sure!  I smile when I see him, and like to think he is keeping an eye on the room, just in case the scissors decide to rebel or the pins rise up in revolt.  He'll keep things in check!  Haven't thought much about a name, I'm not sure what fits him.  I will have to think about that!  I think he's pretty cute and looking at him, brings me happiness, but more than that, knowing one of the kids took time to make him for me makes me feel special!   That probably wasn't the intent of the sculptor, I have a feeling creativity just took over, but I love it when my kids do little, unexpected things for me!  The word special is often overused, which is too bad, because there is really not another word I could use to describe how I feel - special! 

Its NOT the same

Another one for "not the same the older your kids get" -  Halloween

Trev is the ripe ole age of 12 which means no more trick or treating.  This made for a different Halloween for our family.  Of course, I know I brought it on myself by not allowing T or T after 12, but I am very opposed to older kids participating.  Its not for them!!!

We did the traditional pumpkin carving, using pumpkins from Trevor's pumpkin patch, and even giving a few away people who are not interested in carving their own, but happy to take one if it is delivered to their doorstep, or even better their "stoop" as Kristin referred to it. :) That brought a smile to this mama's face.

Here is a sample of our work.  I wanted you to see the quality products we were working with, hence the regular picture with no ambience.

That was a great part of Halloween!

And, even though he didn't get to collect candy and all that, Trev did get into the spirit of things and we borrowed this very clever costume and he wore it for part of the night.  Although, it must not have been very comfortable, because he came back to the car about 20 mins later and left without the costume.

Did I mention that he and I were the only ones to go to the Trunk or Treat?  No one else was interested!!

Not our like our past Halloweens, but probably a pretty accurate picture of the future ones.  Sigh!!!

Trevor did help brighten my evening by offering to play ping pong with me.  We have been having some great matches lately, and yesterday although he soundly whipped me the first game, the next two were much more competitive and I came very close to winning.  Maybe if I'd been a little more sad about Halloween, he'd have thrown the game and let me win!  :)  

In other, happier news, Amber is now "legally" an adult, and is looking forward to her first election!!!
She even has a new "grown up" look but hasn't been home long enough for me to get a picture!  Maybe this weekend!

At the Corn Maze

Chelsie came to visit for the weekend, and on a deceptively warm afternoon, we took a little trip to the Corn Maze just south of town.  It is a project by the University of Idaho, hence the potato, Idaho Vandal and the "Cowboy".

We were pretty confident throughout most of the maze.  We had a map just in case, but didn't feel the need of it for the most part.  We were more interested in the photo ops.

 We took advantage of a large open space to do a few handstands and cartwheels.  Notice the striking form of the gymnast in the brown shirt!  Impressive, no?  

After about an hour of winding our way through, getting some bad advice from a young fellow maze mate, (we are pretty sure he misled us about a dead end, but we aren't holding it against him, we should have followed through), and finding ourselves on the cheater's path, (you had to break the rules and walk through the stalks to get to it), we decided to ask where we were exactly, so we could find the exit.  (We were not impressed with our map when we finally pulled it out.  There were no markers on it to help us.  So much for the free download.  Those markers cost a person a dollar, but who knew that when we printed the map off?)  Anyway, we were close, and after walking through the path shaped like a bicycle (I was glad we got to go through that), we found ourselves outside of the maze and ready for a picture with all 5 of us in it.  Thanks to the nice mom who took this for us, letting us return the favor.  

We also witnessed a pumpkin launch, which was put on by the Engineering Students at the U of I.  Sadly they missed the mark, but it was fun to see anyway.  

It was a great afternoon!!!

What Trev has been up to

Friday was the Lewiston Invitational Cross Country Meet.  24 teams from Idaho and Washington met at Hell's Gate State Park to compete.  Trev had a great race coming in 15th out of 95 7th and 8th Graders.  He ran a little over 1.5 miles and clocked in at 9:56:94.  The guy in the picture came in just before him at 9:56:59.  I'll do the math for you - a mere .35 second!  Trev really poured it on but couldn't quite get past him.  It was very exciting to watch.  

As you can see, he removed his uniform and running shoes in exchange for jeans and work gloves.  He harvested his pumpkins this weekend, and is open for business.  With a little email help from mom, he hopes to sell, sell, sell.  That seems like a good plan now that he potentially has one less year to earn money for his mission!  (That announcement still has Amber shaking her head!  Of course, she is thinking of all her friends that it could change things for.)  Anyway...

Fall is here, and we've got the pumpkins to prove it!  

It has not been a quiet week in our little town!
Homecoming week is to put it mildly, busy!  Amber has been spending hours of time on it this week - decorating the hall, planning the dance, planning and helping decorate the float!  Then to top it off, she was nominated and selected as one of the Sr. Homecoming Princesses!  Very exciting.  Normally, the girls are escorted by their dads, but John happens to be out of town, so Trev stepped in for him.  He didn't want to, but really bucked up and did a great job!  My mama heart was bursting!! (My pictures are not very good, hoping for one of the other moms to have some better ones, but these will have to suffice for now!)

Trevor received Student of the Month for 7th Grade today!  I got the letter a few days ago letting me know he was a nominee!  He is starting strong!

Kristin  came home and said she felt like a loser!  :)  Not to worry for she scored two goals in her soccer game this week!

Sign me - a mama who is grateful for kids who make her feel like a winner!

Soccer - a brief family history

All of our kids have given soccer a try.  I very close at almost recognizing offsides, I've watched so many games through the years!

Ashley's was definitely the shortest time with it!  The contact with other people (mostly boys I think) and the fact that her bow got caught in the net at least once, turned her off.  (Now her contact sport is getting tackled by T1 and T2!  :)  She also played softball from T-ball through 8th Grade. But she found volleyball to be more her style and played every season of her Jr. high years and through her Jr. year in high school.

So far, Chelsie holds the record for the longest soccer relationship.  From kindergarten to her Sr. year, I don't believe she missed a season.  Well, there may have been one that I forgot to sign her up for with the Boys and Girls Club.  There were a few flings with softball, and a little flirt with basketball,  but soccer held her heart!  She still enjoys playing.

Alli started in Kindergarten and played until about 5th grade when we decided for her that it wasn't her sport!  She wasn't agressive on the field, and didn't really like to run very much.  I'm pretty sure she's never going to let us live it down that we made her switch to a different sport!  That sport was volleyball and she played all through Jr. high and her Sophomore year as well.  She played softball like the older girls and a season of basketball, but she branched out to a totally unexpected sport.   She went out for tennis her freshman year because her friend Cindy talked her into it.  That sport won her heart and she enjoyed playing all 4 years of high school.

Amber played soccer from K-garten until she lost her passion for it around 8th Grade.  She played softball and a little basketball, but like Alli, her favorite ball to play around with is small and bright yellow.  She is looking forward to her season this year, even though it will be the last one.  :(  She is working hard to get her shoulder shaped up so she can play pain free.

Trevor has also played from the first season he could, and has loved it.  He also likes to play basketball, has played a little baseball and flag football, likes taking tennis lessons and now is running, and running and running!  He is giving Cross Country a try.  (A post on this soon.  I'm waiting to get a good picture)  He hasn't stopped playing soccer, just taking a break.  We'll stay tuned!!

This brings us to Kristin.  Soccer season is here, and this is her first year to play as a Bengal!  She is on the JV team, and loving it.  She was nursing a strained quad in these pictures from her first game.  She did score 2 goals this game, and the first picture is the end result of a great play by her.  Of course, the details have left me.  You'll have to ask her about those.

The girls have been having a fairly good season.  They have won a few, lost a few and tied a few.  Kristin is learning all about playing with girls she hasn't played with before and loves that she gets out of school for out of town trips!  :)  

Kristin also plays basketball, and tennis, and has played softball in the past.  But for now, its all soccer, all season! 

 As the mom, I've enjoyed being able to hang out at Walker Field again.  Its been a few years!  

Still lots of smoke in the valley.  This was the sun at about 7 am today!  I am still mourning all the trees that are burning!  

On a clear day...

you can't see forever (from our deck) but you can usually see wheat fields, mountains and blue sky.  Clearly, (no pun intended) it is not a clear day.  There are fires in areas all directions from Lewiston and since we are in a valley, the smoke comes, settles in a stays.  This is at least the 2nd time this last month that we have been socked in like this, although this time is definitely worse.  Any view of the Lewiston Hill was completely covered by smoke, and you can kind of tell from the pictures that even the trees in our yard are blurred by a smoky haze!  It is eerie and a little bit otherworldly!!!

The worst part is all the acres of land that is burning!  I heard about 3 fires, one north, one west and one south of us, but central Washington is also on fire and who knows where else in the region!!  

Maybe some cooler weather is on its way...We can only hope!

Trying to get back in the saddle

My word, it has been a long time, and I have been a slacker.  At this point it seems like its easier to let the whole blog thing go, but there is still a part of me that wants to keep things going, and maybe even step it up a notch.

Fall is falling and the weather is delightfully cooler than the end of August.  The mornings are brisk.  This is a familiar refrain "Can we close up the house?"  I am loving the cross breeze through the living room/kitchen, even if it means putting on a jacket.  Too soon we'll be keeping the doors and windows closed for good.  I say we go with the breeze for as long as we can.

School has started.  I documented the first day of school this year.  Not a usual thing I do, mostly because I don't think about it until its too late!  I did have to get a pix of Amber's outfit since she is so full of school spirit, and I made her shorts for her under a bit of a time crunch due to circumstances beyond my control! GO BENGALS!!! 

Amber, dressed as a Sr. Leader is ready to orient the lowly Sophomores 

Kristin was already bored with 9th Grade before it even started, but Trev was ready to take 7th Grade by storm.  

With the start of school also comes the start of Fall Sports, Homecoming Hall plans, football games and so much more, but let's take a little walk down memory lane, and recall a bit of summer.

Camping in the backyard

The boys came to town to hang out with us while mom and dad went on a fantastic European vacation.    We probably had more fun than they did!  (At least a different kind of fun.)

One night, Trev, T1 and Kristin broke in the new tent by having a backyard camp out.  T1 had a great time so they did it a second night, but didn't have as much fun until Aunt Amber came to sleep with them.  (The shadowy branches were just a little too scary!!)  Here's a funny thing.  The morning after the first camp out, Ash and Brandon called to skype with the boys early in the morning.  The house was really quiet, I hadn't heard a sound, so I assumed they were all still sound asleep in the tent.  We skyped for a bit, but they had to go do something fun like hike up a mountain in Switzerland, or eat gelato in Italy, so we signed off.  Unbeknownst to me, the campers were all downstairs watching a movie because the sun woke them up at 5 am!!!  They slept in a little later the second time, but not much! 

At any rate, T1 loved it, and we know Brandon is glad that we introduced him to camping out.  What a great family activity!  :)

Team Tinsel vs. Team Frosty

Well, Christmas has come and gone, and now we are back to our regular lives. Our little gingerbread couple welcome you to our remembrance of Christmas 2011!
Meet the Gingerbread House Decorating Teams.

Team Tinsel
Team Frosty
Gingerbread house decorating became more like Gingerbread house landscaping. Yes, the houses did get a little candy and frosting, but check out the yards of these little cottages.
Team Tinsel's yard contained the requisite pink flamingo in the yard. Also a bench to rest your weary self on, and a lovely swing.

Team Frosty's yard ended up with a mini swimming pool with a floating chair, and a log pile ready to be worked by a hefty lumberjack. The axe is sharp and ready to make the chips fly! You may also notice the wood pile is in front of an outdoor fireplace. Charming!



Chelsie and Kristin were in charge of the Christmas Eve Cinnamon rolls. Delish!

Here is the group all dressed in their new jammies/yoga pants/shorts/thermal underwear for the annual Christmas Eve slumber party.

The marshmallow guns came out of the gun safe for a little friendly competition. Eye protection was a must and luckily there was furniture to use as a shield when necessary. I'm still finding hard marshmallows upstairs!


Chelsie and Dallin are standing in the freshly painted laundry room. A Christmas present to me from them! I love it!

And finally, because there is already plenty going on, Amber's Chemistry project was due right before Christmas break. With a lot of help from Dad, she crafted a very nice model of a Carbon atom.