Nick's big win

I've posted so much about Jay and XC lately but I can't forget about Nick.  His football team hasn't done so great this season until yesterday.  The boys & Hannah (the only girl on their team and she rocks!) won their game 14-0 and guess who scored the first touchdown?  NICK!!!  My mom, Mike and I got such a kick out of watching him.  Nick has a bit of a cockiness factor that got amped up just a wee bit yesterday.  He had a little extra pep in his step.  The boy loves football!  Boy have things turned around for Nick this year.  The last 18 months have been such a testament to trusting the Lord.  The waters have calmed for Nick this year and I'm so thankful.  The waters have been pretty choppy for him and it's made me realize I'm not in control.  I'm relishing every funny thing Nick says, every hug he gives me and all his little quirks - Nick and his Nickness....ya gotta love him.   

XC Sectionals

The cross country team just got new uniforms and Jay is sporting his.  Aren't they nice?  They are a HUGE improvement from what we use to have.  Many of our uniforms didn't match and like my friend Laura said, when we went to meets our Oly kids looked like the Bad News Bears!  Anyway, Jay is headed to sectionals today to cheer his team on.  He is not running.  He's going as a 3rd alternate which means 3 other kids would have to be sick or injured which is highly unlikely.  He woke up this morning and I asked him if it felt good to just be going to cheer and not run and he said Yes!  I believe this meet will wrap things up for Jay.  He'll have a "down" week and then he'll try out for basketball - Yes, try out.  I'm trying not to be nervous because I have absolutely not control over it but what can I say I'm still a nervous momma. 

XC Cook Out

I have not blogged as often as I would like lately because we're barely home.  On Saturday Nick had an out of town football game, they lost, bo hoo.  Jay ran out of town on Saturday morning.  Mike and I tagged teamed each other and we all met at home late in the afternoon on Saturday night and went to a cook out for XC.  It was a lot of fun and good way to wrap up the season.  If you look closely at the picture, Jay is fourth kid up on the left - kind of hidden (big surprise).  His coach is about 3 people up on the left then slightly right.  She has a crazy hat on.  This week Jay is headed to sectionals as an alternate.  He's a wee bit frustrated because an alternate is just that, an alternate.  He is there in case another sectional runner gets sick or injured.  But as I told him, he's ran with this group of kids since Aug. 9, it is good to go and cheer them on! 

Pressure

Jay has been in Cross Country since August.  This is his second year and I'm proud of him.  Middle school children make running two miles look easy but it's not.  I am not a runner but I am a walker and I know enough to know that running is hard work and you either love or hate it.  I hate it!  I also think it's fair to say Jay is not in love with long distance running but he's almost completed his season with good times, a good attitude and I'm hoping that in the long run (no pun intended, ha) that he's gained something from his experience.  Recently Jay told me he was feeling so much pressure from people; his coach, his teammates and yep, his parents.  I unintentionally placed pressure on Jay without fully grasping the effect it would have on him.  I thought I was being encouraging, instead I was pressuring him.  I "dangled "prizes" in front of Jay, telling him if he beat his personal record there would be rewards.  Jay had a conversation with Mike that he wanted to do his best and Mike asked him if he wanted to set goals/rewards for himself and Jay said Yes, hence the rewards we set in place for Jay.  I think as the season went on, Jay realized it was too much pressure.  I apologized to Jay for ever putting pressure on him.  He juggles a lot these days; school, friends, sports and balances them all very well.  He is exactly who God made him to be and I'm enjoying seeing him morph into that individual.  Once I became aware of how Jay was feeling I started to think about the pressure kids are under these days.  Social media is everywhere.  School requirements are tougher.  The competitive edge with sports in my opinion has gotten a little ridiculous.  My 12 year old summed it up perfectly the other day when he said, "I just want to run to have fun.  I don't want to feel like I have to beat my personal record each and every time I run."  Last night I attended one of Jay's meets.  I was more aware of this "pressure" and as I walked through the course cheering for Jay I heard such comments as "Catch up to that kid, don't let him beat you," "Push yourself, keep going, you can do it."  These comments came from well meaning parents and coaches and were meant to be encouraging, I'm sure, but how are kids really internalizing these comments?  The first cross country meet I went to last year it was crazy hot and I heard a father scream at his daughter, "Hurry up, I can walk faster than that."  I was appalled!  I don't think anyone could argue that comment was not encouraging.  It's funny sometimes how kids can open your eyes to things and make you see things just a little differently.  Thank you, Jay for reminding me to not sweat the small stuff and see things through your eyes!  Love you. 

Air Soft

 Jay loves getting a group together to play air soft (hence all the air soft guns behind them).  Nick joined them so they had a nice even group of 6!  The weather was beautiful and fun was had by all!  I didn't even have any fighting between Jay and Nick. I think Jay was glad they had an even group and Nick was glad to be playing with the big boys.

Our week

 This week was busy, as usual.  The weather cooperated and one day after school I took Nick and a friend to a pumpkin farm.  The two of them had a ball.  We were there for two hours and we could have easily stayed three.  The boys loved it!

A lounge chair at a pumpkin farm, who would have thunk it?

                                          
 Doesn't this picture say it all?  Can't you tell exactly what Jay and Van are thinking?  Jay and Van have been friends since their early days at Kelson Kids; when Jay was 3 and Van was 2.  Van is in 6th grade and running XC this year.  I have truly loved every second I've spent with her this season.  Laura and I take turns picking Jay and Van up from XC and I just love her.  One day after I dropped Van off I told Jay that Van has the kind of character he needs to look for in a wife.  Jay's eyes got big and he said, "You want me to marry Savanah!"  As much as I would love that I doubt that will happen.  My point was Van's content of character is stellar!  A true mark of a Christian girl who loves Jesus and loves others.

 Two of my favorite boys!  My sister braved the heat (seriously it was hot for the end of September) and came to Jay's meet today.  Luke played football with Nick.  Pretty soon we'll be going to Luke's football games. 

Hugs from cousin Luke.  As I blog it's about 3:30 on Saturday afternoon and I'm spent.  My lips are chapped, my face is burnt and I smell.  I was at school at 7:30 this morning and just got home.  These are the days of my life and I wouldn't trade them. 

Life it's what's for dinner

My blog title might be a bit corny but I was trying to be creative.  So I may have failed miserably.  Mike and I are sure living life these days.  I like to think that our life isn't all that different from most families.  Don't get me wrong, I'm extraordinary blessed.  I have a loving husband, a good job and two healthy kids.  Life in general has a way of making things real for you - just in case you thought things were going "just right" in your life.  For example, our roof is leaking (still), our yard is filled with unopened but torn mulch bags (since May), our dishwasher burned out last night, we have a middle schooler who is going through puberty (more on that later) and a 3rd grader who has another bout of poison ivy.  We also have two dogs who not always but sometimes get up in the middle of the night and puke up grass all over the carpet (COLE!!!).  I try to keep all of this in perspective.  These issues may be annoying but this is real life.  I know a woman in our community whose husband is 32 years old and he's literally in a fight for his life.  I thought of her last night as I stood over my burned out (and smelly) dishwasher.  Mike was laughing about it (good for him) but I was mad that we had to yet throw more money into an appliance.  It is another inconvenience for us and then it hit me and I asked myself, "Is this something she would get upset about?"  I knew the answer in an instant, NO!  I'm sure this woman doesn't sweat the small stuff and a burned out dishwasher is just that, the small stuff, after all, it's life!