Rain, Rain, Rain

Well, this week has been unusually quiet because it has been raining for a week and there is still more to come.  Hayden's first tournament last weekend was cancelled and all practices since then have been as well.  She is so excited about her new team and has only got to practice twice.  Gracie's riding lessons were still on even in the rain.  They have an arena and she was able to practice in there.  Mark actually got to pick her up this week and said she was riding all by herself and doing a fabulous job.  He tried to video it for me but messed it up.  That's ok though, I get to see lots of firsts and he usually only gets to watch a few.  Gracie was also excited that he got to be apart of it. 

Hayden is supposed to have another tournament this weekend on Saturday, but I am thinking that it is going to get rained out as well.  There is talk of a tournament on Sunday but I am certain that it will get rained out as well.

Hayden is off to a great start in 4th grade.  She has to really work for some of her grades as now it is much harder to receive good grades.  She does have a lot of homework and some nights it is frustrating but we make it through it.  Thank goodness she is not as hard to deal with as some kids.  She loves Science, it is by far her favorite.  She also loves her writing class.  She has a talent with words.  All three of her teachers love her and tell me so anytime they get a chance.  She recently had a spend the night field trip at the Zoo.  She loved it but realized that she doesn't like being away from Mommy and Daddy at night like that.  She made it with no tears and was so very tired the next day when I picked her up.  I am so proud of the hard working little girl she is. 

This is the first year that Gracie has real grades and she is doing so well.  She has all A's and gets so excited about them.  She works hard for her Math grade...She stays after with Mrs. Morris on Mondays for extra practice and boy does it seem to be paying off.  I am so thankful for wonderful teachers.  Her average in Math right now is a 95!!!!  She is really having a great year.  Mrs. Morris assures me that Gracie is going to be a different child by the end of the year as far her shyness goes. 

Colton is doing so well in school.  The computer teacher said that he is the best one in his class.  He is doing well writing his name and learning his phone number.  He really likes it when he has homework, but I know that will all to soon change. 

Today is my Daddy's birthday.  He would have been 58 years old.  I was due on his birthday but I was three days late.  He always joked that he knew I was going to be hard headed from the beginning.  Even after several years I still want to pick up the phone and wish him a happy birthday. I miss him so much and wish that he could see all of his grandkids.  I know he would be so proud.  I know that he would be more proud of the person that I have become though.  I didn't grow up with a wonderful childhood but I always knew he loved me no matter what.   I always promised him that I would make something out of my life and that is exactly what I am doing.  Happy Birthday Daddy!  I love you!

Travel Ball

Well, Gracie had a wonderful riding lesson last Tuesday.  She got to ride outside instead of the arena area.  She was so excited because she also got to ride all by herself.  Elizabeth said that she is really getting in sync with the horses and is doing a wonderful job.  She wanted to know if anyone in our family rode or rides and had any experience.  I told her that her Daddy did and she said she must take after him.  She is really enjoying dressing like a cowgirl and riding. 

Hayden has officially gone travel ball.  She made the Vortex. She is so excited to have her old coach back.  She did a great job at both of the practices this weekend.  I am so excited to see what this has in store for her and us.  Ready to watch these girls have fun at the tournaments.  We have a good bunch of girls. 

Colton just goes with the flow right now but he is excited about starting baseball in the spring.  He says he wants a water bottle with his name on it like Hayden's. 

We stay so very busy but I am loving every minute of it.  This week we have Softball games Monday and Tuesday at 6.  Riding Lessons tomorrow at 3.  Softball Lessons Wednesday at 3. Thursday Hayden has a field trip to the zoo, which she will be spending the night at.  Friday we have Vortex practice.  Saturday we have a softball tournament all day in Covington.  Sunday not sure yet.  It is truly like this every week. 

Gracie's Birthday Party

 

This year we celebrated Gracie's birthday with a big pool party at the Monroe Country Club.  She invited all the girls in the 1st grade and some of the boys.  It was a fun party.  This was her first big party.  She had all of her friends there.  There was lots of swimming and jumping off the diving board.  There were also lifeguards, which made it more enjoyable for the parents too.  We had pizza and cake.  She had so much fun but was very shy while opening her presents.  She got so many nice things for her birthday.  We still have some things we haven't even opened. 

Gracie really enjoyed her 7th birthday party.  The fun didn't stop with just Friday birthday party though,  because Saturday we went to the Rodeo.  She got to wear her new cowgirl hat from Mimi and Pop and her new cowgirl belt and boots from Aunt Kim and Uncle Artie.  I must say she is the prettiest cowgirl I have ever seen.  She got to see lots of horses.  We were hoping to see the barrel racing but the place was packed and we left right before they started.  Figures, that is the way it always happens.  If we had of stayed it would have been one of the last things they did.  They weren't disappointed that we left early because more fun was on the way.  Hayden and Gracie got to spend the night with Kim.  They were so excited for their girls night.  Colton wasn't as happy about it but he was a big boy and took it well.  The girls had so much fun with Kim.  They really look up to her and want to be just like her.  More fun still on the way....Hayden had Softball tryouts Sunday but Colton and Gracie stayed with Kim and Mimi and Pop.  We still had to celebrate Gracie's party with just family.  Grandmama and Linda came also...we had her favorite fried shrimp! She ate more than her share of it too.  She also got a few more presents.  I would say that we really went all out to make this wonderful little girls birthday very special this year.  She kind of gets left out sometimes but she was the star for the whole weekend, well all week actually.  Happy Birthday to my angel!  Can't believe that she is 7! 

Gracie is doing so well with her riding lessons that this week she gets to ride all by herself.  She is so excited.  She keeps asking when is it going to be Tuesday.  I love that she loves it so much.  She is my cowgirl.  Her trainer says that she has wonderful control of the horses and is doing so well considering she has only had 5 or 6 lessons.  Go Gracie Leigh....we can't wait to watch you show off all of your skills. 

 

 

 

Gracie is 7!

Today is such a wonderful day....My smiling, happy angel is 7 years old today!  I say it every year so I have to say it again.  Gracie Leigh came into the world smiling and still continues to keep that beautiful smile on her face every day.  She has an amazing smile.  She can light up my heart and a room with just one smile.   She is also my silly girl.  This is very surprising for most people but Gracie is a goof ball at home.  Recently Aunt Kim and Uncle Artie got to witness some of this.  She is a mess in her comfort zone.  This little girl of mine loves riding horses, playing piano and playing school.   She is loving the first grade.  She is making great grades and so proud of herself for it.  She was disappointed last week that she made a 90 on her reading test instead of a 100.  I told her an A is an A no matter what, but I was glad that she cares. 


Gracie is really growing up on me.  She has always been my baby girl; the one that loves to sit in my lap and snuggle.  She now wants to do her own hair, which is hard with all the curls....so we have to compromise on that one.  She gets up to an alarm clock and fixes her own breakfast.  She loves to play in her room and make big messes but she really, really, really dislikes cleaning up her mess.  This is the only thing she gets in trouble for! 

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl.  Daddy and I love you to the moon and back and infinity.  You are a beautiful, sweet, caring, sometimes assertive, strong minded, happy, and silly girl. You bring so much joy to our lives and we are so excited for all your accomplishments this year at school and riding lessons.  You keep reaching high and aim for the stars baby!  We love you!

We are having a big pool party this year with all of the first graders. I have lots of RSVPs already.  This is her first big party with school friends and I just know she is going to love it.

Shaking the Nerves

Last night Hayden had to play against the team that she really wanted to be on.  Most of the girls on the other team were the ones she went to the World Series with.  It was hard for her...she didn't want to strike them out or play against them.  I had to explain to her that they would all still be her friend after the game even if she did strike them out or hit them.  Hayden always steps up to the plate though.  She was all nerves at first.  I could see it on her face.  She was taking deep breaths and I am pretty sure her heart was beating extra fast.  I know mine was. She started pitching and unfortunately the first one to bat was her best friend from school and she ended up hitting her with the ball in the side.  I thought to myself, oh no this is it...now she is really going to have a hard time....however, as always she made it through it and she threw several strikes.  She finally calmed down by the 2nd inning and looked relaxed and more confident and comfortable.  I am so proud of her and all of her hard work with pitching.  She has to really practice and focus on her release point and then she is going to be unstoppable.  I love hearing other people say WOW when she throws the first pitch.  She throws so much harder than any of the other girls her age.  In fact, I can't even practice with her because she throws so hard and fast.  I didn't play ball and I just don't have the ability to do it.  She hit me in the knee the other night and then told me I should have used my glove.  That is so easy for her to say because Softball is easy to her and really difficult for me.  Mark does practice pitching with her and she even catches him off guard and he was the catcher. 

She only got to hit once last night, which really disappoints her.  She hit a pop up all the way to the outfield.  When she came up to bat you could hear all the coaches on the other team telling the outfielders to get way back this girl can hit!  I love it!  We lost 5-3 but they played a great defensive game against supposedly the best team in 9/10 league. 

Riding and Cross Fit

Yesterday Gracie had another riding lesson....and she still loves it.  She got to ride Fergie yesterday.   She is really starting to improve.  I didn't watch the whole time yesterday because I find that sometimes kids do better and focus more when parents are correcting and helping them the whole time too. She looked so cute in her cowgirl outfit.  She really just needs a cowgirl hat to match her trainer Elizabeth.  She even got to take the saddle off this time and brush Fergie again before we left.  It is a lot of work but she loves every minute of it. 

Hayden and Gracie both wanted to do Cross fit with Uncle Artie yesterday.  We met him there at 5 for the kids class.  Hayden absolutely loves and can't wait to do it again, however she has to work around her softball schedule.  Gracie liked it until the dodge ball game at the end.  Those kids were chunking the ball at each other.  Hayden was throwing harder than any of them, she nailed about 10 people.  Gracie ended up crying and scared, so Uncle Artie told her she didn't have to play.  Gracie decided that Cross fit is not her thing, but she was glad she got to try it.  Hayden is all about it now, she came home and did lounges all the way to the house and then did bear crawls all around the house.  She is such an athlete.  Thanks Uncle Artie for letting them go and try it.  They were so excited to do it with you!

Parties and More Parties

Colton got invited to his first birthday party.  Of course, it was also on the same day that Hayden had her Allstar Team Party....so Mimi took Colton to his...thank goodness.  It was a great birthday party, I am a little sad that I missed it.  They had a petting zoo and a train! Yep, you read that right!  I can't even imagine how much all this costs.  There were donkey, baby kangaroo, camel and other things that I am sure Colton forgot to mention.  The train was like one of those they can ride in the mall.  Mimi said that Colton rode the train 5 or more times.  The party favors had the little girls name on them and it was cotton candy, sidewalk chalk, candy, and bubbles.  He had a great time and I am so glad that Mimi was able to help us out.  He is going to be making some great friends this year. 

Hayden had her Allstar Party and I had to get all the stuff for it and help set up.  I am one of the only signers on the team account.  It was a lot of work but it turned out great and all the girls were surprised when they received rings instead of trophies this time.  We had hamburgers and hotdogs.  Oh and cupcakes!  There was a pool so they all had a blast.  Of course they also played wiffle ball....always thinking about Softball.  They all got their rings and put them on proudly, and I took pictures. They also did the whip and nae nae one more time for their coaches.  This team really went far and made memories they will cherish forever.  I am so proud of all of them, but I am especially proud of my baby.  Go Walton....Go Hayden....#1 has my heart!!!!

Gracie did not have a party to go to but she is waiting patiently on her own birthday party on Sept 4th.  She had lots of fun at Hayden's team party.   She has made friends with all of these girls and their siblings too.  We are kind of like a family!  She is going to have so much fun at her party.  I hope everyone she invited makes it!