Baseball and Softball Season

May is such a crazy month for us.  It seems like it happens every year.  This year both Jack and Bella are playing baseball and  softball respectively and we spend our evenings at games and practices.  Bella played t-ball and coach pitch, but then took a year off, so it's kind of new again for her.  She plays all over in the infield and outfield but hasn't pitched or caught yet-not sure if she wants to.  Her league is really about learning how to play, they usually get in two innings in their allotted time.

                                  Doesn't she have the cutest stance.

Jack has been playing all over this year.  He has been catcher, pitcher, first, third and shortstop.  He is pretty speedy and athletic.  He really grasps the game and the play is pretty fast.  He has a lot of kids his age on his team, so they are a bit older in the 5th 6th grade league and play pretty well together.

                                Sadly this is my least crazy picture of Jack pitching. Need to do better.

The rub in all this is their games are on the same nights at pretty much the same times.  So Nate and I divide and conquer and go to opposite games.  We switch on and off.  I take Tessa with me and he takes Sophie.  What has really been great about this season so far is there have been no rain outs.  Rain outs=makeup games=season seems sooo long. 

On the house front, we are so close.  They were cleaning it today and the front door has been painted.  All they have left is the touch-ups.  We will hopefully be there in just over a week!

Another House Update

The house is looking almost like a house on the outside.  We are getting to the end.  We are scheduled to move in at the end of May. 

This is on April 21st.  They have the stucco on and are ready to paint.

The walls on the inside are ready to be painted. 

They started putting floors in on the 25th.  This is the main floor.

The stone and stucco were all done by the 28th, when this picture was taken.  When I picked out stucco, I chose the grayest of the colors they offered, however it doesn't look terribly gray.  I do like how it turned out though.  It's hard to pick from tiny samples and guess how things will look.  We are pretty happy with how it has turned out so far.

This is the tile in the laundry room.  We kicked out one side of the house five feet and it made the laundry room pretty big, I am excited about this!  Last I saw they had started putting up the baseboards and trim.  Also they were working on the soffits and such.  I am starting to think about packing up again and getting stuff moved.  It should be a pretty busy few months ahead.

Jack is 12!

Jack turned 12 on the 22nd of April.  I can't believe how fast the years go by!  We had Miskin family over on his birthday for cake and ice cream.  We out to eat the day before his birthday.  He opened presents before church.  Sophie got him an Aluma Wallet, which was the funniest gift, she is obsessed by all as seen on TV stuff.

Later in the week his class performed Hamlet and Twelfth Night for parents.  Jack loved it and they all did so good tackling the Shakespeare.  We went out for shakes afterwards-the kids always want to do that.

Twelve great things about Jack:

1. He's a great big brother-his sisters love him and he loves them.

2. He has a great love for athletics.  The kid would play every sport there is if he had the time.

3. He loves playing with good friends.  He has always had some really great friends that we love and he has been missing seeing them as much while we are in transition.

4. He is dependable-as he gets older I put more and more responsibility on him and he handles it so well.

5. He is so smart-he aced all his tests to get into honors stuff in middle school.  I am grateful for google, how else would I help with homework.

6. He is learning to be patient in acquiring new skills-he learned to play the ukelele and crochet this year in sixth grade and has kept practicing throughout the year.
 

7. He loves being with extended family and playing with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

8. He is a budding photographer-he loved having access to the camera on vacation.  I love seeing him focus on creative things!

9. He does hard things.  He is brave and kind.

10. He is always ready for the next thing-he is excited about junior high next year!

11. He is great at setting goals and working toward them.  He is planning on going to the Boy Scout Jamboree next summer and has been saving ever since-usually he has holes in his pockets.  His determination has been impressive.

12.  He is a great kid and I love being around him!  Nate and I feel so lucky to know Jack and love spending time with him!