Flag Football

If I haven't mentioned it before, we are huge football fans around here.  Flag football is in full swing.  We spend our Saturdays mornings watching our sons play flag football and our afternoons and evenings watching the college boys play football.  Sophie Kate must think that's all we ever do these days, although we do throw in a soccer game with G-man every now and then just to keep things interesting. 

Jacob playing for the Chiefs (he's #2)...

Cooper playing for the Eagles...

Pulling flags...

Jacob won't be able to finish out his flag football season due to his upcoming ear surgery.  He will be having surgery #3 on the bionic ear on Oct. 20.  Please remember him in your prayers, it will be quite painful for him.  I am glad that he doesn't remember how bad he hurt after the first one, unfortunately I do and it kills me that he is faced with that again.

His attitude right now is so good and so positive and if you know Jacob you know that it won't change, not one bit. Him and his sister have an unbelievably high pain tolerance and are the best patients I could ever hope to have.  He's being very strong and brave as we are now less than a month away from surgery.

For now we are enjoying our Saturdays to the fullest, thanks for checking in on us.  

Happy Birthday Cooper

My oldest son turns 11 today and I became a mother 11 years ago today.  Once again we have managed to get multiple celebrations out of one birthday.  We celebrated with presents and a cookie cake at my parent's house over Labor Day weekend...

and then we celebrated again with presents and cookie cake with his friends...

oh and some target shooting with airsoft guns too...

It seemed to me this weekend as if these boys were standing on the brink of something, somewhere in between that transition from toys to just hanging out. They're not quite ready to leave the little boy behind but not fully prepared for the older/teenagery stuff either.

Chad took them all out to the woods where they hunted with their airsoft guns for targets he had set up.  Then they competed against each other in some sharp shooter contests.  They were gone for 3 hours out in those woods with just their guns and some BBs...it must be a boy thing 'cause SK and I don't get it and we stayed home.

Guess who didn't stay home...

I wonder how many more birthdays I have with him where he actually wants me there, where it's still cool to have a "party."  I know things will continue to change and transition from year to year it started the day we brought him home from the hospital.  Time sped up and refuses to slow down. 

 

I pray God's protection over his heart and mind as he navigates his way in this world.  I pray he will consider others before himself and that he will be a young man of passion and compassion.  I pray he will be devoted to Christ above all else and that His truth will be his guiding light.  And lastly I pray that if he ever considers movin' away from his mama that he will be eatin' alive with guilt over the pain that he will be causing me...oh goodness did I say that out loud 'cause I would never really pray something like that...out loud anyway, ha ha!!

Happy Birthday son, you make me want to be a better mama.

Huskies

We took everyone to the High School football game this past Friday night.  It's not an easy task with one in a wheelchair, but I am so glad that friends insisted we come and wouldn't take "no" for an answer.  Sophie Kate and the boys had the best time.  There was plenty of room for SK's wheelchair in front of the bleachers.

Her shirt says "Peace, Love and Huskies."

The boys didn't hang with us for very long, they would kinda come and go throughout the game.  You know, they would go off with their friends and then come back to us for money for the concession stand, that's pretty much how it went.  It was the perfect night for SK (I mean football)...the weather was great and she had a front row seat to all the action as well as the band at halftime.  She was in her element.  She loves being outside and being around people, she smiled almost constantly the whole night...

 except when I took her picture, ha ha

Grey pretty much goes to the games for the food,  the chips and cheese dip is his favorite although there isn't much junk food that he'll turn down. 

Small town football on a Friday night, it doesn't get much better than that, except when it's the SEC on Saturday.


Thanks for checking in on us.

It's His Turn Now

For five years my youngest son has sat on the sidelines, watched through the fence and/or ran around like a wild man at the many fields and courts we have been at over the years watching his brothers play sports.  Well, it's Grey's turn now...he played baseball in the spring and he is playing soccer this fall.

 Grey and pony, before their first soccer practice.

Warming up before the first game.

Yes, he wears his soccer "armor" (as he calls it) on the outside of his socks by choice and I have decided that it isn't worth fighting over.

Water break...

There was a younger sibling of one of the other players at the game and I couldn't help but notice how badly he wanted to be out on the field.  I overheard his mother tell him he could be the team mascot and I instantly thought of our little Grey.  He has been told that so many times, "It will be your turn one day Grey, how about you go and sit on the bench with the other players."

It's your turn now son and we are having a ball watching you play.

At the end of the game the parent's form a tunnel for all the players to run through.  You think Grey was a little excited, cause I wasn't sure.  

We're back to toting Sophie Kate back and forth from practice to practice, field to field and game to game.  She loves being outside and loves being around people.  I'm thankful for Saturday mornings and a community of friends to spend it with.

One last thing about Grey before I go, I shared this on Facebook last week but it bears repeating here as well. One morning before school Grey notices something in the corner of our family room..."Ewww, there's a spider web over there, is there a spider over there too?" he says.  "No Grey that's a cobweb (just keepin' it real) not a spider web" I say. Then with a wrinkled up nose and a questioning look he says and I literally quote, "Is there a cob over there?!?"

I can't make stuff like that up.  Thanks for checking in on us.

Joy and Pain

We spent Labor Day Weekend at my parent's house and I haven't had a chance to share photos from our long weekend.  

All the girl cousins

We always get a picture of these girls each time we take a trip to the great state of Mississippi.  In looking over our pictures from the weekend, I was struck by this one.  It always brings about mixed emotions for me when I see them all together.  It's the world I live in...a hurt place that holds wishes and wants and then the sweetness and the smile that these girls bring to our life.

It is no secret to my sister and my cousin that it is painful at times for me to be around all these girls, they get that even though they may not understand it, but I am grateful that they allow me that.  Would it be ok if I described it as a sweet sadness?  That's all I can come up with right now. The thing is, it's just me.  Look at Sophie Kate's face in the above picture, she adores them and that's where the sweet outweighs the sad.

Baby Olivia wanted nothing more than to touch SK

     

Ahhh success...finally the laying on of hands.

Once more, the sweet outweighs the sad.  I know you can't see SK's face in this one, but it is still so precious to me. It's just pure joy and love, she doesn't care what her cousin can or can't do.  Sweet baby, she grows and changes so much in between the times I get to see her.  I pray that some healing may be able to come in watching her grow up.  

Continuing to pray for less of me and more of Christ, thanks for checking in on us.

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago today I was the mother to one 11 month old son.  We were watching Sesame Street the morning of September 11, 2001.  Chad called me from work and said to turn the news on that a plane had hit a building in New York.  I watched in disbelief as a second plane hit the second tower.  I watched through tears as reports came in of another plane hitting the Pentagon and yet another plane that went down in Shanksville, PA. 


Our God reigns.


Ten years later, I am the mother of four and I now find myself talking about 9/11 with my two older boys.  The news stations are replaying events from that day ten years ago and they see tears coming from my eyes.  As far as I know they have never seen footage from 9/11, but today we watched it together.  They asked questions and I did my best to answer them. 


Our God is sovereign.


Ten years later I spend 9/11/2011 with my family remembering the lives that were lost and the sacrifices that were made.  My heart aches for the children who have been without their parent(s) for 10 years now, for the parents who lost their children, for the fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and friends who lost their lives on this day 10 years ago.  My prayers are for those left to carry on, left to live each day without their loved one.  


Our God hurts when we hurt.


It has been 10 years, it is difficult (I have discovered) when you find that time has moved on and that people have gone on with their lives.  The seasons still change and people around you seem to go back to their lives while yours is left shattered to pieces...this part of indescribable hurt and terrible pain I know.


Our God is mighty to save.  He can move mountains when they seem insurmountable to us.  He brings light to our darkness, healing to our hurt and hope to the hopeless...this I know too.


2 Corinthians 12:9 "...My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness..."

Feeling at Home

We went to my parent's house over Labor Day weekend. Would I say that I went home?  Maybe.  I would consider Memphis, TN my hometown.  Certainly home is wherever my husband and 4 children are and that happens to be Alabama.  I also considered Mississippi State University home for 4 solid years and have been a fan for even way longer than that.  


I have stated before that in going to my parent's house, I am not going back to the home I grew up in, just back to the folks I grew up with.  They live in North Mississippi now and I am reminded each time I visit during football season what I am really missing.  You see living in Alabama they are not real tolerant of other fan bases. There is Alabama and Auburn and little else, UAB fans only get mentioned as a side note at best.  At least living in Memphis you can find shirts, hats, team jerseys and hoodies for a variety of teams.  That is not the case in Birmingham, you choose sides and you choose sides early as it should be I might add.


So what is one to do when moving into hostile territory from a neighboring SEC fan base?  Well, first my advice would be to stay strong and stay loyal to your school by buying various and sundry car flags, shirts, ball caps, tailgating chairs, etc proudly displaying  your school spirit. Believe me, being a Mississippi State fan living in Alabama takes it toll on a person.  I have been jabbed at by many an Auburn and Alabama fan over the years, but it makes the victories even sweeter when I get to hang my huge maroon and white flag from the front porch every now and then.  


It's definitely a challenge raising children in such an environment as well.  I remember our friends giving us "Roll Tide" bibs and "War Eagle" hats at baby showers years ago and they have been trying to corrupt our children and bring them over to the dark side ever since, ha ha!  It is going to be quite an accomplishment if we actually succeed at keeping them Bulldog fans and Volunteer fans when they grow up.


Anyway back to our weekend, let me just tell you how at home I felt where each store contains maroon and white instead of crimson and white or from the store windows I could see Tennessee orange instead of Auburn orange (and oh yes there is a HUGE difference).  The Auburn/Alabama rivalry that I am surrounded by at home was replaced by the State/Ole Miss rivalry that I have grown up with my whole life.


There is nothing like SEC football and there are a lot of schools represented between our families...Mississippi State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn...yes, it's a lot of fun during football season!  Please don't get me wrong, lots of things were put into perspective when our little Sassy was born, college football being one of them. However, I am glad it's fall cause this is one super fun distraction!!!   

     Go State!!

Change of Scenery

Sweet cousin love...

We're enjoying our time out of school, out of town and cheering on our favorite teams.  A change of scenery was in order after a rough couple of weeks at home.  Ready to tackle another week and praying for everyone to stay healthy for a while.


Thanks for checking in on us.

Mostly Grey

This week was character dress up day for Grey's school.  I knew there would be lots of Harry Potters but how many Ron Weasleys do you think there were?

I think just one...

He had to bring a book that went along with his character. He took Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, I told him he should tell his class that he read it that morning before school, ha ha!

Grey is also learning how to ride a bike.  There is so much new stuff that goes along with starting Kindergarten.  It's like they grow up over night.

He'll be just like them before long...

Grey told me there was a boy in his class crying because he missed his mama.  That broke my heart, I hate to think of any of those Kindergarten babies crying for their mamas at school.  Grey said he went and held his hand as they walked back to their classroom.  He has the sweetest heart.


I don't want to go into to much detail because I may jinx the whole situation, but so far this week I haven't had to spend 12 hours in the ER with anybody and our girl has been like this all week...

New shoes always make a girl happy, right?

We are looking forward to a three day weekend and the start of college football.  Cooler temps, football and fall, it really is the most wonderful time of the year!!


Thanks for checking in on us.