Where Did This Year Go?

It is just too hard for me to believe that Christmas is next week. But, believe it or not I am almost ready for it. Just a few more gifts to buy and I will be ready to invite my husband to the wrapping party we will be having. I sure hope he wants to attend.

Nathan's class is having a party today since it is their last day before the Christmas break. Later today I will be taking in Cokes and Cheetos, and gifts for Nathan's wonderful teacher, Mrs. Flagg.

It seems every year I get a new revelation about the Christmas story. This year I have been pondering Mary's feelings after she gave birth to Jesus. I know how overwhelming my feelings were when I first held my newborn son. I waited thirty six years for him. I remember one time while we were still in the hospital, Nathan was having a squalling fit. My mother handed him to me and as I layed him on my chest under my chin, he snuggled his little head into my neck and settled right down making little cooing noises....kind of like when a cat is content and purrs. I'm sure Jesus did that to Mary. Can you imagine the face of God snuggling into your neck. WOW! It was the one time that humanity actually "held" God. It makes me wonder. Does He still feel like he can snuggle up to us and let us hold Him? Does He find contentment by being with us? I think when our attitudes, mind frames and intentions are pure, He does.

Straight A's!

From the looks of the above picture, I think 8:15 is way too early to have an awards ceremony. They had to have it early because the third grade was leaving at 9 to go on a field trip. Even though it was early, it was well worth attending.

Of all the third grade classes, only 10 students made straight A's. Nathan was one of those ten. He is so glad that he is finally getting real letter grades. Since kindergarten, he has received S's for "satisfactory" and E's for "excellent."

All the students were very attentive and they were very quite. The principal did a great job complimenting them on such good behavior.

Nathan was also a super pilot and received a window decal. This award is given for good behavior and good citizenship.

Mrs. Flagg is Nathan's teacher. The first day of school he got off the bus, walked over to the van and the first words out of his mouth were, "Mom, I love my teacher." She is wonderful and Todd and I love her, too. She is a great teacher and we are so thankful for the investment she is making in Nathan's life and education.

A Little Bit Of This And A Little Bit Of That.

That's exactly what we've been doing lately. We went over to April and John's for Halloween. Nathan didn't want to dress up but he sure wanted to go trick or treating. Which we did. Cruz was a little horse. The hoodie on his costume was the horse's mane. And, of course it was just too cute. The food was good and so was the candy! And...it still is.

Nathan has been the best boy ever. He is making straight A's and working really hard in school. He even got chosen to be on Student Council. He continues to get better in baseball and is just an all a round good boy. This morning he was watching TV in his room and I went in to get his dirty clothes. I picked up a big pile and on my way out he said, "Thanks, Mom."

I said, "For what, baby?"

He said, "For washing my dirty clothes."

And, he did that all on his own. Not after a big fat lecture from me or his dad. So, now he can do anything he wants to. Just kidding or not.

The Pitching Continues...On and Off the Field!

Nathan continues to improve with his pitching skills...on the field that is. He has started the last two games and pitched two innings. In the first two innings of each game, he struck two batters out.

Off the field, he needs to improve in his decision making skills. Twice now he has managed to make decisions that were less than wise. While his Daddy was away on a trip, he and I were outside by the barn. He decided to start throwing the keys to the barn in the air. I was busy trying to water some potted trees. The throwing got higher and higher until the keys landed on the roof of the barn. That's where they stayed until his Daddy got home and retrieved them.

Then, the other night we were at a church social after the evening service. None of his friends were there so he went into the youth hall and started entertaining himself by throwing his Croc shoe into the air. Harmless, right? It was, until the Croc landed between a built out wall and the wall of the metal building. Thankfully his Daddy and the pastor were able to locate a ladder, a flashlight, a piece of rope and a homemade hook. In a matter of minutes his daddy had fished it out saving us $30 on another pair of Crocs.
There is about a 6 inch space between the black metal wall and the blue sheet rock wall. Todd said the Croc was all the way on the floor between the two walls. Only my son!

Whooo Hooo! We finally won a game!

Yeah! It finally happened. We won our first game. Nathan started the game pitching. He made two of the 3 outs in the first inning. One was a strike out and the second one, was a fielded ball. He even bobbled it, but he stayed with it and threw it to first base just in time to get the runner out. He was behind the plate the rest of the game. Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling up to speed. He is fighting a head cold. So, he was a little sluggish. His hitting wasn't on tonight either. He struck out the first time up to bat and walked the second time. All in all, the team banded together and won 11-10. Way to go Pinecrest!

Pitching Debut!

Nathan had his pitching debut last night. The picture isn't good because all I had to take the picture with was my cell phone. I didn't think they would put him in to pitch because they really like him to catch, which he does really well. And, in my opinion he pitched as good as the other pitchers do. And that was after having caught a lot of wild pitches from our other pitchers for two innings. He only got to pitch for one inning, but hopefully he will become a regular.

I May Not Have To Cook Breakfast Anymore!

On Wednesday nights, Nathan attends Royal Rangers at our church. It is a boys program sort of like Boy's Scouts. They are trained in various aspects of safety and survival outdoors and they earn badges to advance in the program. Last Wednesday night, they were working on their cooking badge and learned to cook eggs. I am loving this badge! The next day he came home from school and wanted to cook some eggs. So, I let him, and he did a great job! I told him that I no longer have to cook his breakfast. He now can get up and cook his own. He really didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
He started by putting a little butter in the hot pan.
Then, he cracked the egg. He said this was his favorite part.
He used the spatula to bust the yolk.

While his egg cooked, he put a slice of cheese on his bread. Then he flipped the egg in the pan.

It wasn't quite done because I wouldn't let him turn the heat up real high.

I then had a brainstorm. I showed him how to cook bacon, so he could have bacon on his sandwich, of course. Okay, really so he could cook us all a full breakfast. And, no surprise here he did a great job!

He cooked it nice and slow and flipped it often.

I even got him to look at the camera while frying his bacon.

He drained the grease off on a paper towel.

Then put it on his sandwich.

And, the final product..."just bend it over like a taco, Mom."

Fall Ball Begins...Finally!

I am so thrilled Fall Ball has started. There are few things I like doing more than watching my boy play ball. Nathan has been moved up to Minor A, which is a whole different ball game, than machine pitch. No pun intended. I never expected them to consider him as a pitcher but, I think I might like it. He will probably play catcher some, which is pretty exciting, too. Our first game is Monday night. They have only had two practices together. If I were Coach, I would have called an extra practice. I'm just sayin'.

First Day...of Third Grade.

Today, was Nathan's first day of third grade. It is so hard to believe for me. He really is growing up so fast. Before I know it he will be getting his driver's license and driving himself to school.

But, today he rode the bus. As a matter of fact, he insisted on riding the bus. I wanted to take him so I could get some pictures and Todd could get some video. He suggested that I just follow the bus to school and meet him there. What a grand idea. Seems like I've done that before. I did that in kindergarten, when I really didn't want him to ride the bus.

Jacob and Nathan on their way to breakfast. Jacob is in fifth grade and is a bus patrol this year.

The school advertises healthy breakfasts and lunches. They had pizza for breakfast. Am I missing something?

He knew exactly where to go. His classroom is located in the new wing of the newly remodeled school.

Until, he got here. Then it was, "Which room is it Mom?" He almost passed it, but we got him back on track.

He only has seventeen students in his class. I was very happy about that. No overcrowding there.

He didn't cry when we left. Matter of fact, he hardly even told us goodbye. Once he found his desk, he settled in, started unpacking his supplies and was ready for Showtime.

Third Grade...Here He Comes.

It's hard to believe that just yesterday, he was a baby in my arms. Today, he is a very healthy eight year old going into the third grade. When I say healthy, I mean it in a good way, but he really needs to start fall ball and drop some of those pizza flavored Pringles. We have tried to stay busy this summer but he has spent a lot of time in the house watching TV and playing Wii and the new DSi he got for his birthday.

Thursday night we went to orientation and met his new teacher. I was very pleased with her and the fact that he only has 17 students in his class. That is very unusual these days. Seems the school board is always talking about the overcrowding in the classrooms. Stay tuned. I will try to remember to take pictures on the first day of school.

Summer...comes to an end.

I got a wonderful piece of mail today. It was from Nathan's school. It gave me lots of information. The best piece of information is that school starts soon. I've got one more week to entertain my son and then it's his teacher's turn. We have had a great summer. But, I must admit I am weary. I'm ready for school to start.

We have had a full summer. We started out camping in North Carolina. We celebrated Nathan's birthday by going to Busch Gardens and most recently we went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando.

Heather, Jacob and Nathan

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Look at us! This was our engagement picture. Boy, were we both skinny. We can really say that our wedding day was the most fun ever. We had a blast because our wonderful friends and family took care of everything. It went off without a hitch. Well, except for my poor brother. He was sick as a dog and had no less than a dozen songs to sing. But, he was a trooper and suffered through.

Today, the center of my world, turned eight!

He went from this:

And this:

To this:

Happy Birthday, sweet boy of mine. I love you, so much.

Mom

Vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Part 1.

We love the Smoky Mountains. My grandfather owned a cabin in Franklin, North Carolina. I have many fond memories of staying with him and all the places he took me. Todd's family vacationed there too, when he was a child. When he and I got married, we went their on our honeymoon. We go as often as we can.
My brother owns a cabin in Blairsville, Georgia. Blairsville is a gorgeous little town and we love being there, too.
Nathan loves going to Meeks Park to swim. It is also a great place to exercise as the park has a wonderful trail that follows along a creek.
Uncle Howie loves to take us to all the sightseeing places. One day we went hiking up to Duke's Creek falls.
Once we got to the top, Nathan was disappointed. I realized that he thought we would be climbing the waterfalls as he did at Dunn's River Falls when we lived in Jamaica. Oops!

Nathan and Uncle Howie posing in front of the waterfall.

Uncle Howie, Nathan and Todd.

He found a walking stick on the way up. He borrowed his dad's knife to whittle.

On the way back down, we had to test our balancing skills. There was a fallen tree across a small ditch.

He did it. But, only after mom showed him how. I can't figure out why no one took a picture of me.

Even though he was disappointed that he couldn't climb the waterfall, he had a good time building a dam with another little boy.

We stayed in Blairsville for a week. We enjoyed lots of great restaurants, golfing and going to the movies. Our second week was spent camping on the banks of Deep Creek. Part 2 coming soon.

On Vacation...literally!

We are on vacation for two weeks in the Smokey Mountains and loving every minute of it. Internet connections are few and far between. So, update posts will be made as I can.

All Stars!

Look what I bought at the All Star tournament!

Top left: Perfect catching form
Top right: Throwing someone out at second
Bottom left: Catching a ball thrown home
Bottom right: Intense look running to first

All Stars, Here We Come!

The long awaited All Star Tournament starts tonight. We are scheduled to play at 6 PM. My son will be the starting catcher and I can hardly wait. I told him the other night that when I was tucking him in for bed that watching him play baseball was my favorite thing to do. He just looked up at me and grinned. We play again in the morning at 11:30. Then the third game is tomorrow afternoon and if we win we keep playing and if we lose we go home.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

But just when we have ball practice and ball games. We have been in a drought and really need the rain. I just wish it would rain while the kids are in school and not when we are trying to practice for All Stars. We only have a few days before the tournament and these boys haven't played together much.

Tonight the rain stayed until after practice.

And, we were all very happy.

All Stars!

I got my computer back from the shop with it's new hardrive and with the same problems I put it in the shop for. The new hardrive didn't fix the problems. I think I see a new computer in my future. (Smile)

Anyway, we officially finished Nathan's first ever baseball season last night. They had their last game Thursday and beat the Ray's. They finished 10-6. Not bad in my opinion. Our league has three minor B teams and each coach was able to pick 4 players to take to an All Star tournament. My son was one of the players chosen as an All Star from our team. I am as proud as I can be and he is as excited as he can be. Monday begins practice and he will be trying for the catching position. Last night we had a pizza party for the team and handed out individual trophies. Nathan is pictured above with Coach Steve presenting him with his trophy.

Todd was assistant coach of the team and had a great time and learned a lot of patience. Before the night was over one of the parents, who took pictures of every game presented Todd with a framed 8x10 of him and Nathan.

He was instantly moved to tears. In the picture, Todd is coaching third base and Nathan is running home. It is a memento he will forever treasure.

We are looking forward to the All Star tournament that will be held the first weekend in June and possibly to fall and winter ball.

Back Soon!

My computer is in the shop getting a new hardrive....therefore, I will return when it gets out.

Sandhill Cranes

In the past couple of years I have developed a fascination for these big birds. They can be seen all over. I don't claim to be an expert on them, but, the thing I like about them is that they are always found in pairs. My brother told me that they mate for life and when the young are born, both mom and dad take care of them. We have a lot of pasture land and they frequently fly over squawking. They have a very distinctive call. But, mostly they are graceful.

The other morning I was driving to work and needed to get on the interstate. As I was getting on the on ramp I spotted a pair with two fuzzy twins. I took a chance, pulled over, and snapped this picture. The very next week, they were in the same place. As I go to work in the morning, I will be looking for them.

Chassahowitzka.

That is where we went for Spring Break. My cousin Brenda and her family, from Georgia, came down and met us there. Brenda's mom and dad went with us, too. Hailey and Layna were in Tallahassee for the first part of the week but their Nana and Grandaddy brought them down on Wednesday, the day we got there.

Reese, Mason, Hailey, Denise and Nathan.

We went fishing, crabbing and the kids went swimming. The river is spring fed and most of the time is crystal clear. There are a lot of underwater caves for the brave of heart to swim through. To fish, we go out into the gulf and trout fish. To crab, we stay up in the river. Blue crabs are fairly abundant and we like to go crabbing at night when the big ones come out.

We have a 16 foot Jon boat. We have been there many times before, but this is the first time Nathan was big enough to grasp what all goes on. His daddy taught him how to drive the boat.
He already knew how to cast a rod and reel but this time he took over my rod and my spot at the front of the boat. And...
caught a fish. Unfortunately, it was a catfish which we don't bother with, but the point was that he caught a fish and I didn't. He also enjoyed catching pin fish with shrimp. His daddy taught him how to cut his bait and put it on the hook. One less thing Todd had to worry with.

For years I have read the "no wake" signs. This area is home to a lot of manatees but, I have never seen a manatee. This trip however, we saw a manatee feeding up in the spring. It was so slow moving and seemed like it would be very gentle. If you look closely you can see the marks of a boat propeller.
It was Nathan's first time seeing a manatee. He thought it was awesome, except for the "scratches" on its back. He thought they were kind of sad.

We love camping at the river and we call it Chaz for short.