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Baseball

Dear Mother...

Have you seen this kid?  He is seriously good!!!  Of course, I'm modest on the baseball field and don't scream too loud (okay, maybe I do sometimes), but my heart could burst watching him!  He is serious about this game.

He loves baseball and his coaches love him.

We are finally done for the season, Saturday was our last game.  Secretly, I was a little excited it was finally over.  We've had  both boys in baseball for the last few months, that's 4 games a week...and now swim team with  practice everyday and 2 swim meets a week too.

Both Julia and I have wanted to run away!!  

My house looks like this...well, usually worse.  Yes, that is a bird cage on the fridge (for a bird/hamster/anything that poops that Gracie is currently praying for) 

Though, really this kitchen doesn't look too bad with flowers on the table (thank you Amy!)

A couple of weeks ago Reuben's coach asked if we were going to have him try out of the All-Star Baseball Team.  His coach would head  that team too.  David and I hesitated, primarily because we weren't sure if this team would play on Sunday and really we are both pretty tired of running around like crazies every evening!  We decided to let him try-out and just this week we learned that he had made the team. 

So, I thought, cried, and thought, "how in the world am I going to keep up this pace??"  It is such a great opportunity for Reub, but I'm NOT doing well!  I listened to this talk over and over again this week...For Peace at Home

After praying about what was best, we decided to scale way back.  Before sending the email to the coach, I finally told Reuben he had made the team.  I explained how difficult things had become in our home with our schedules and how stressed I felt.  I asked him what he thought we should do. Of course, he was elated to find out he had made this team but understood the situation and said he thought he'd like to spend more time as a family too.  What a good boy!!

Needless, to say, his coach had a few words with me at our game this weekend and wanted to know why!  I tried my best to explain without referencing the possible onset of mental illness! He said, (with tears in his eyes), "But your taking away my best pitcher!"  Well, that may be true, but there will always be another year. 

 It will just have to wait.

Columbus Ohio Temple

Family

Sunset Beach

We traveled to Sunset Beach, NC this spring break.  We were all excited to go, after such a long winter here in Ohio!  This is us after 12 hours of driving and stops...just as the sun was setting...perfect! 

The Easter bunny came!  

We all got dressed and went to a lovely little ward about 20 minutes away. 

Our neighbor to the front of us was a sweet old man with no family near, so we invited him to have Easter dinner with us.  I think he stayed 4 hours and told us his life story.  He is a man of great faith and so happy to have some company.  He became our friend for the week. 

The Easter bunny nailed it with the kites!  

This is just about how we all felt every evening   We'd get up early go play at the the condo's indoor pool (no one but our family was there at 9:30am)  then he beach in the afternoon and play the rest of the day. By evening everyone was beat and happy!

How to Relax...

   Last week went to Michigan and stayed in a little cottage off of Lake Huron.  We had the best time!  I came home not feeling like I needed a vacation from my vacation!  
                        It was AWESOME!!!  


  

Here's a few pictures....

Julia

David took lots of pictures (the pictures of the kids on our walls are several years old, so I was hoping we could replace them)  He did a great job! love this picture of Julia! 

The boys loved playing Monopoly

David and Julia on top of huge sand dune

  

Graham

We went to a great little ice cream shop and then a five a dime store...the kids loved it!!!

Boys acting crazy

We ate smores almost every night ! 

We went blueberry picking...made blueberry pancakes,  blueberry  syrup, and  blueberry muffins.

Gracie...I love this one too!

                 

The cottage had kayaks we could use, I loved going out on it.... I was totally free, floating off in the distance ..."See you later kids".... 
David on the other hand, would take the kids with him.  He's a great Dad!

The beach was right out the back door... it was so great to let Julia nap and the rest of us could just play!

The kids loved playing in the water....there was no, "we're bored, Mom"  AWESOME!!!

                 Happy Kids!

         Dave, let's go back every year!

Garden goods

"Mom, take a picture of my rock collection!"

I tried heirloom tomatoes this year... pretty, but not as hardy as the other tomatoes...not sure I'll do it again 

 I love making this pasta salad once I have red tomatoes and basil ready to eat from my garden.  Really good!  

Sweet baby girl...she didn't know her siblings did this to her while I was busy doing something else.

I think about this pizza all year and can't wait till summer for it!!  This is David's (down to a science) pizza.  It takes him 1/2 a day with some precise engineering measuring/weighing of flour and dough ...but REALLY AMAZING!  Thank you David!

Reuben is 10!

 My sweet Reuben, I love you so much!    I am so grateful to be your mother!  I love that you are kind to others that may not have a friend.  I love that you are grateful for what you are given.  I love that you are honest and fair.  I love that you try to do your best each day.  I love that you are a friend to your brother and sister.  I love that you are so helpful to me!  I love that you are ours! Happy Birthday Reub!

Touch the Temple

Our ward hosted a "touch the Temple" day for all families that wanted to go.  Our children had the opportunity to be on Temple grounds while David and I went in.  It was super sweet!  I love to go to the Temple with that cute man!

We brought a picnic lunch and found a water park in Columbus afterward and had some fun!

Gracie with no swimming suit.