Weekend Update...

How about some pictures to start us out?

We had a Saturday/Sunday tournament, and McKenna and Sydney and I went up all day long on Saturday to watch. Softball from 10 am to almost midnight!! Whew!

I usually LOVE it, but this weekend was not as much fun because we played really bad against the best competition we've seen all season. We need to play our very best and we didn't....BUT, despite the losses (we went 1-3), there were some definite highlights!

First off, Delaney had an AWESOME defensive weekend. She made some great plays and she's always ready for action (love that face!)...



McKenna ALWAYS has a book with her and she was excited to get The Old Man and the Sea read during the day (it's on her summer reading list for herHonors English class this coming Fall). It was so funny, though, because she was reading and listening to Delaney's IPOD at the same time. Once when I heard it blaring through I asked her, "Can you really pay attention to Hemingway and Gwen Stefani at the same time?" LOL She assured me that she could!!

And then, just LOOK at these two girls having a good time!You can't really see it, but Sydney and her friend Anna are abolutely DISGUSTINGLY dirty right here.There must have been three layers of dirt on her legs and three layers of sweat in her hair! But...they had so much fun playing together ALL day and that's what really matters!


Gary and Delaney went back on Sunday to play in the elimination round (the rest of us stayed home for church and some rest),but they were back by mid-afternoon after getting beat. They did say that the highlight of the day was playing for an hour in this water area at one of the ballparks! Even tough athletes forget losing when they get to get soaking wet...

And,okay...I couldn't let the day go by without showing off my Flip Flops by Dawn!!! She made them "to order"for me--purple and gold with little softballs on them!! Everyone just loved them,Dawn, so THANKS again!!! (I really doubt that you all want to see my feet, which I can see now were a bit dirty like Sydney's!! lol Just try and ignore the dirt! But, my legs are shaved....lol)


We have two more big softball events coming up and then we'll get some rest. Next weekend is a state tournament and then the week after is our World Series at Panama City Beach, Florida. I am SO ready for the beach, so that should be a really fun time! Can't wait!!

There wasn't much more left of the weekend after the busyness of softball,but...we did have a good day at church yesterday (a good Sunday School lesson and then a good Bible study last night) and I got a ton of clothes washed (which is ALWAYS a big deal to me!).

Last night, Delaney went to Sunday night youth for the first time (she will be in middle school and just moved into the youth department). McKenna, of course, is already up there in the hig school group. I was so proud of Delaney for going, but when I picked them up last night she had big tears in her eyes and as soon as we got out of the parking lot they started flowing! I asked her what was wrong, if anyone had been mean to her and she just shook her head. She said she just felt uncomfortable; it was just HARD to do it! And I knew exactly what she meant.

Having to grow up, fitting into new groups, adjusting to change...that is never easy (even for us adults) and it is especially hard for Delaney. She is most emotional child and she feels things so DEEPLY. I hugged her and just told her that it would get easier as she gets used to it (she, after all, has older girls who know her well because of McKenna; and only one other young girl was there last night with her, so it will be better when there are more of them there), but it was still hard to see herfeel that way.

But I was SO proud of McKenna. Before they left, I told her to be aware that Delaney is young and doesn't know all about the youth yet and to include her and any of the younger kids in the group. McKenna, of course, wanted to hang out with her friends instead. But, she sat with Delaney and the other younger girl the whole evening and then, when we got home, she went out of her way to do "sister"things with Delaney (they had a "slumber party" in her room and watched movies together). For sisters who can sometimes be rough on each other, it's nice to see them come together when it counts! It meant SO much to me!

I know it will be fine for Delaney--she is, after all, a very friendly and social child!! But it's hard when you have 15 and 16-year-olds around you too, in your own social setting! Change is hard! ( I certainly remember how I felt when I was 11 and 12; not the easiest time in your life, that's for sure!)

Anyway... sorry, that sort of rambled out there...

For this week, I've got--
*A few softball practices for Delaney
* McKenna has a few color guard practices
* I think we will take a trip to the Art museum later in the week!
* I will be teaching my Scraplifts and Sketches class again at Scrapbook Mania on Thursday (let me know if you want to come!)
* (hopefully), a night out with some girlfriends!!

I hope that all of you had an EXCELLENT weekend. I'm off to read some of your blogs!!