Life is a Pitch: 2008

12/31/08

New Years Dance

I took some pictures of William before he left for the dance...and in looking at them on my camera I accidentally deleted the ONE and only one he said that he "approved" of for use on my blog. (It really was an accident). So here are the 3 that didn't get deleted. The close up one is a good smile, but the whiskers are VERY frightening! (I told him to shave at least a MILLION times today, but he wont because he thinks he needs the beard on Saturday for the 1st basketball game of the season.) Earlier today he came running out of the bathroom and said, "You know how I am not very good at smiling???? Well, I have a new smile that I am going to use tonight for the pictures." (They take pictures at the dance.) But I think he practiced it in the mirror a few times today. lol. and I think that is IT in the close up and the long skinny picture!

Cameron

I guess Scott wants to show the guys at work what Cameron looks like.....so here he is. Pretty cute, huh?

For those of you who don't know who Cameron is....you'll have to ask Melanee.....he is one of her friends....the one she talks to all the time!!!

He texted me a couple of times, like twice, and from that, and from what Melanee says about him, I think he is a good guy. What I like best about him is that he is 3,000 miles away and is about to leave on a mission. Melanee says he is REALLLLY smart. She says that he is REALLLLLY popular and EVERYONE likes him. She says that SHE likes him, that's important. I asked the boys coach that went with the girls to Nationals about Cameron, and he had GOOD stuff to say about him. I asked Cisco and Candace about Cameron, and they didn't say anything bad about him. Scott doesn't like the late night phone calls, but what can happen over a phone...REALLY!?! And when she goes back, he will be an hour away! And if he is preparing to serve a mission, he must have good standards. So, I think he is about the best "boyfriend" material. (He'll probably dump her before he leaves, anyway).

So what do you think????

2008

I was thinking of writing a post about my 2008, but I am getting old, my memory is not so good, so I'm afraid I will leave some out...

I will always remember 2008 as a year of soccer. Melanee's high school team went to some very memorable tournaments in the early spring. She played great, the team was fun, and there were lots of fun times at the tournaments, like meeting KEVIN MARTIN, the zoo, laughing at me, changing rooms, St. Marys is always memorable, and seeing my aunt and uncle was fun, too. The 2008 PV soccer season was the best ever. Melanee's team won the league championship! Melanee was the team MVP and made All League. Then during the off season she played a lot of indoor soccer and that is fun for me to watch. She also trained for the SVU season. Then at SVU she was the leading goal scorer, and led a few other categories, too, she was athlete of the week at her school twice and player of the week for the USCAA once, she was also named an All American. I got to listen to a few games online, and that was a thrill, but the most exciting thing was that SVU made it to Nationals and I got to go watch them play. I loved EVERY minute of my time in Vermont, but after I was already home it was SO exciting to get Melanee's phone call that her team won and they were NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. She also was happy to tell me that she made the All Tournament team and was the tournament MVP.

Not everything exciting in our family had to do with soccer this year. Bradley got his braces off. He may have to get them again when he is a teenager, but his tooth is pulled all the way down where it needs to be for now.

William is happy, smart, and popular. He is really good at making me laugh.

Andrew is in 1st grade now and I can't believe he is so old and big. He's my baby!

I went through getting laid off and rehired this year and that was NOT fun.

I can't believe it was a year ago that Melanee was taking the SAT and trying to figure out where to apply for college. There is a huge difference between a high school senior and a college freshman.

Last year we were at Stacy Black's house on New Year's Eve while Melanee and William were at a Youth Dance. This year William will be going to a youth dance, Melanee is in LA and might go to a YOUNG ADULT dance. Bradley is going to Kolby's house and Isaiah is here with Andrew. Scott is chaperoning the dance, so I guess I don't really have to stay up to welcome in the new year.....unless Andrew and Isaiah want to.....

Short recap, I know, I should get out my journal and check what went on this year, oh, yeah, I didn't keep a journal.

Happy New Year!!!!

2009, it's going to be a great year!

12/30/08

oklahoma state vs. oregon state

When we were at the zoo we saw the Oklahoma State football team there sightseeing. They were all wearing Beat Oregon pins. William tried to convince Andrew to go up to one of them and ask for a pin. Andrew was too shy, but Kiersten did it, and the guy she asked had one in his pocket, he gave it to her. Then Andrew got brave and asked the next player he saw for one, but he told Andrew that he was saving his for his mom. We had all the kids asking for the pins whenever we saw players walking around. By the end of the day, each of my kids had a pin. William wore his everywhere, even to church the next day. There were also a few Oregon Ducks players at the zoo, not as many, but the kids asked them if they had any pins, and they didn't....so tonight we are rooting for Oklahoma.

12/29/08

A dolphin

I know that you are all going to say that if Scott wants me to put a picture on the Blog, he should just get his own...but he REALLLLLLY wants me to show you a cool dolphin he saw near the boat when they were fishing last Saturday. So here it is ---(like anyone can really tell that that is a dolphin!!!!!)

Fish- sculpin

the "Life is a Pitch" shirt

this shirt is the inspirtation for my blog title (lol, notice the shirt acually says "Life's a Pitch", not "Life IS a Pitch" like I wrote for the title....oops!)

back to the beach

The kids loved the beach so much on Christmas that we went back Saturday afternoon after they got back from fishing. The sun was going down, but it wasn't quite as cold as the time before. This time the kids planned on going swimming so they wore shorts and ran straight into the waves. Melanee and William went for a jog down the beach barefooted and they both ended up with sore feet. I really like the lighting on the one of William texting.

Uncle Mark

For all of you who wonder who "Uncle Mark" is---here's a picture....looks like a younger version of Scott, nah!!!!

But here's something REALLY funny that happened while there= When baby Carter was born a few weeks ago, Scott's parents came to stay with Mark and his family to help out. Noah, who is 2, called Scott "grandpa" while we were there (he thought Scott was GRANDPA....lol.....Scott does look like his dad, but not THAT OLD, yet!)

p.s. I really need to get some side by side pictures of the two!!!

the little kids had FUN playing the Wii

Mark's family had a Wii. After Rock Band got banned, the Wii came on and it was "G" rated for the whole family to play....(no swear words).

A view from the front door

Bradley wanted me to take a picture of the beautiful scenery Mark and Paige get to see out their front and side windows.

Ocean Fishing

Scott and Bradley planned to go out deep sea fishing while we were at the zoo, but the boat didn't go out because there was too much wind, so the trip was delayed until Saturday. Bradley missed out on the zoo, but Melanee, William, and Mark (Scott's brother) got to go fishing on Saturday. They caught (all together) 13 little fish---enough for 1 meal. I think they had fun, though. No one got sea sick. William did get "stung" by a fish. He called it a poisonous fish, so during dinner the little kids kept asking, "Is this a poisionous fish?" We kept telling them, "Eat it, you will be fine, it is not poisonous!" Bradley caught a little fish. The line goes 200 feet down in the ocean, so while he was reeling it in a bigger fish tried to eat the little fish, the little fish stuck out it's "poisionous" things on it's "neck" and got stuck in the big fish's mouth, so Bradley caught 2 fish on one cast.

a few more zoo pictures

There are more, but I think this is enough for now!!! If Melanee ever sends me the ones on her camera I'll show you my favorite animal at the San Diego Zoo- the flamingo. She also has a great one of William with players from the Oklahoma State football team.

more zoo pictures

Melanee and her cousin Kiersten.

Melanee taking care on the kids.

Talking on the phone (again!) (or was it the same conversation??)

Melanee carried Andrew on her back a lot after he got tired of all the uphill (and downhill) walking. She said it was a good workout.

William pushing the stroller was hilarious! He ran into people and really scared the girls (look at Sheridan's face).

William thought he deleted all the pictures of his pants hanging so low! But I still have evidence to prove HOW BAD IT REALLY LOOKS!

the zoo (cont.)

If you look at most of the pictures from this vacation with Melanee in them, you will notice something in her hand......she spent what seemed like A LOT of time texting or talking to CAMERON! I finally asked her if he has Verizon, when she said "No" I started to wonder if we will go over on our minutes this month!!!!!!!!!

The San Diego Zoo

If you like zoos, you should definitely visit the San Diego Zoo. It is BEAUTIFUL. Here are a few pictures. We watched a sea lion show, sat in the very first row (the "splash zone"). A bird flew really close to William's head. And this big white wolf stopped and looked directly at the kids.

Melanee and William were reallllllllllllllly scared of the snakes.

They were freaking out!

And this last picture is a picture we took of the sign in the parking lot, so that we could remember where we parked.

The kids christmas gift

The kids got "Rock Band" to play on the Playstation. They fight over who gets to play the drums the most. (I haven't got to play yet!) William is planning a "Rock Band" party for tomorrow, I better start cleaning if guests are coming over.

the ocean/beach

We went to the beach on Christmas Day. It was dark, cold, and WINDY!

We didn't go to the beach to go swimming, but a big wave GOT Bradley. One got Andrew, too. So they decided to just play in the waves FULLY DRESSED.

Family photo. (Who needs the "Picture People"!)

I love this one. William was NOT supposed to be in it!

Don't ask! I don't know what she was doing...maybe enjoying the wind on her skin???

But it's a cool picture.

Our Christmas Vacation

I think I will have to make MANY posts about our vacation trip to San Diego because I have hundreds of pictures (we brought 3 cameras). I wont be able to share them all right now, because about 50 of the good pictures are on Melanee's camera (and she NEVER sends me any pictures).

I don't like the aspect of the blogger program that always puts the most recent post on top, so I'm sure my memories and pictures will be in RANDOM order.

Enjoy!