The Littlest Baseball Boy

Oh Coop...the one who was practically born with a bat in his hands.

 








It has been pure JOY to watch Coop do what he loves to do.  All that practice in the living room is really paying off on the field - ha!  He loves being on a real baseball team...with a real uniform and everything.  All that t-ball stuff wasn't his cup of tea, apparently.  He loves that his Daddy is his coach, he loves catching, he loves hitting and playing 1st base.  Although I heard him tell Hunter the other day, "I'm a pretty good 2nd baser." 

He is getting better at staying in his position and letting other kids get the ball.  And he is getting quite a few hits off the pitching machine (those balls come pretty fast)!  He knows Mondays and Wednesdays are his game days and he is happy and excited on those days, and asks all day,"When is Daddy gonna be home so we can't be late to my game?"  

My littlest baseball boy...oh how I love you! 



Easter Sunday

What an amazing day.  One of the best I've had in a LONG time.  Such joy filled my heart from the very first sound of Hunter running down the hall to the living room to see what the Easter Bunny had brought to the very last sound of Dave saying, "What a great day...", right before I fell asleep. 

I made a big breakfast for us while Dave worked out before church.  Hunter got the 'Dennis the Menace' DVD in his basket, so we watched it and laughed while we were getting ready.  I have not heard Dave that loud and that much in a long time.  Hunter said right before we left for church, "Did you hear Dad howling and cackling?"  Ha!

Church was WONDERFUL!  Such great songs, a great message, such loving and special people...Dave & I left feeling overjoyed and refreshed.  Coop said on the way home, "I feel good when I'm at church."  That made me smile.  :)

The food at Mom & Dad's was SO good!  I ate way too much, but I couldn't help myself!  The sugar cookies we helped Nana make on Saturday were especially delicious.  Why are those things so dang irresistable? 

Finally, we ended the day spending some time with Dave's family.  His mom and stepdad just bought a new house and it is big and roomy and has lots of space to spread out and have fun.  The boys had fun dying eggs with Grandma and their cousin Rykker. 

I just can't say enough about Easter 2011...it means so much to know I am saved by the blood of Jesus.  I hope the joy spreads out into this very busy week and I can keep my eyes fixed upon what's really important. 

Hey, two blogs in one week!  I need a prize for this!

Wow...

Well, for starters, I just have to say that I have seriously thought about deleting my blog.  Not that I don't love doing it (when I actually do it), but I have been absolutely terrible at taking pictures!  I have just a handful since Christmas.  And you'd think I'd have a ton, since the boys have been so busy with spring sports.  But no...no I don't.  And the ones I do have were taken by other people - ha! 

So here we go:  I'll do a run-down of what we've been up to.  Hunter started playing AAU basketball this winter.  He is a 3rd grader playing on a 4th grade team, and none of the players have played before so it's been a real learning experience for everyone.  They finished the winter season with a record of 2 wins and 8 losses, but they won their first game of spring session just last Saturday and we are seeing tons of improvement!  Coop also practices on a basketball team of little guys.  Their plan is to practice, practice, practice and then enter the fall AAU session.  Coop does a great job at basketball practice.  The hoop is still a bit high, but every once in awhile he makes a basket and he is so proud of himself! 

Baseball has now started for both the boys.  They play in the Grandview Cal Ripken league.  Dave helps coach Coop's 'Rookies' team and Hunter plays on the 'Minors' team.  Hunter had his first game this past Tuesday, and was the starting pitcher.  He was nervous, but did a great job.  It is quite a difference from hitting off a pitching machine, like they did last year.  We are anxious for Hunter's team to learn lots more of the fundamentals and start winning some games. 

I have not been able to be at any of Coop's baseball practices because I take Hunter to soccer and basketball practices on those days.  But from what Dave tells me, Coop is quite the player...but then I already knew that.  He spends all day in the living room swinging small wooden bats, catching pop flies he throws to himself, and doing a play-by-play announcement using various MLB players' names.  At this very moment he is pretending to bat like Kevin Youkilis and he just said, "Home run!  Out of here!"  Now he is humming the song they play at Safeco Field when something good happens and everyone stands up and claps.  Hahaha! 


First soccer game of the season is tomorrow, along with the 2nd basketball game of the season.  Dave is playing softball so the boys and I will be on our own, then we'll go up and watch Daddy play.  I have been tempted to complain a few times during the past few weeks...we have practices or games on EVERY day of the week.  But then I remember...this is what I always dreamed I'd be doing.  Now I'm living it and there's no way I'd trade it for anything in the world.  As long as the boys are okay with it, then I'm okay with it. 

Toby Mac!

A wonderful weekend was capped off on Sunday with an early birthday lunch for Hunter at Red Robin and the Brandon Heath / TobyMac concert.  After church we went to Sports Authority where Hunter picked out the most awesome new baseball glove!  He seemed a little confused as to why we were telling him that this was his birthday present...I think he was a little bit sad, thinking maybe he wouldn't get any presents on his birthday, but there is a possibility that he will.  :)

Then to Red Robin, where Aunt Kris, Uncle Kev, Nana and Papa all met us.  Hunter said he just wanted the birthday sundae, not the singing...but that doesn't fly in this family.  Ha!  So we had the singing and the balloon and the sundae and all of that.  He tried really hard not to smile.  That must be a 9 year old boy thing? 

It was chilly standing in line waiting for the doors to open for the concert, but we kept busy by laughing at what people were wearing...I know, I know...making fun of people at a Christian concert sounds funny to me too, but seriously!  It's like you just want to say, "Excuse me, but did you put that on on purpose?" 

We found some good seats, then Coop noticed that a little boy in front of us had a new pair of TobyMac drumsticks.  He proceeded to whine about how we "needed" to take him to buy a souvenir.  I'm positive he feels like he is entitled to a souvenir everywhere we go because my dad actually does buy him something wherever we go!  I gave him a piece of candy instead.  LOL!  Meanwhile, Hunter started to act a little weird.  He put his hood on and jammed his hands in his pockets like he was bored. 

House of Heroes was the little opener band...they were good.  Brandon Heath followed, and he was awesome!  He has a really great voice, and it was fun to see the looks on the boys' faces when they realized they knew most of the songs.  Coop proclaimed, "Hey mom!  They play these songs on K-LOVE!"  Next came intermission, or "halftime" as Coop called it.  At this point, Hunter actually perked up, but only because Dave told him he'd buy him some popcorn. 

Then the lights went off and the countdown began.  2:00 flashed on the big screens in neon green lights...and counted all the way down to zero.  We were all on our feet screaming and going nuts!  Well, everyone in the arena except for...you guessed it...Hunter.  I tried to get some good pictures, but I have a really bad camera.  So I just decided to take it all in and try to remember it.  It was so fun watching Coop dance and clap and wave his hands in the air.  He grabbed my cell phone and started waving that too.  He was all-smiles the whole time.  Hunter waved Dave's phone around for about 2 seconds.  The ONLY point that I saw him actually smile was when he looked across the aisle and some old ladies were dancing around and waving their hands in the air and shouting.  Hunter poked me and pointed them out and we both laughed really hard.  :) 

There is just something about that music that gets me excited about Jesus.  I mean, TobyMac is a self-proclaimed 'Jesus Freak', so why can't I be one too?  I have a feeling it's not the last time we see him in concert...let's hope next time ALL of my family will enjoy it!  Ha!