HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLSON!

We celebrated big this weekend for Colson's 7th birthday. I said SEVEN and that makes him sound really old. He's got to stop growing! Colson is my very charming, sweet, loving, snuggle maniac child. Within a split second though he turns into this monstorous boy. Destructive, uninhibited, crazy and ALL BOY. He'll tell you he loves to sweat and he loves to get dirty. He is scared of things he shouldn't be (the dark, that he'll get left, sharks) and doesn't even bat an eye at things he should be scared of (riding his 4 wheeler at what seems like 80 miles an hour, jumping off things). He whispers out several times a day "I love you mommy" as he grabs my hand. He's pretty darn funny and sometimes you can't stop laughing at things you shouldn't be laughing at. You know those moments when as a parent you should be reprimanding your child for whatever behavior was inappropriate but in the back of your mind you're thinking 'that was hysterical" and so your scolding comes across with intermitant giggles and smiles? That's me.

Earlier this week he told me that he "didn't have to wish for anything when he blew out the candles on his birthday cake because he had everything he needed in this car...you." It was just me and him in the car. He had a similar conversation with his Grandma when she asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He replied with "Grandma, I don't need anything. I've got my family and that's all I need."

We celebrated in style on Friday night. We decided to have a Flick & Float. I hired a kid to come show a movie pool side. I didn't realize his "package" also came with some really cool extras that probably were more fun than the movie itself. He played some music for about an hour while the kids swam and we waited for the sun to go down. There was dancing and singing in between cannon balls and push ins.

Then at dusk, he turned his lights on and we had our own little under 10 night club. It was pretty cool. Of course none of those pictures turned out good. We were going to watch Shrek 2 but for some reason it wouldn't play. Luckily he had some movies (kid appropriate) to choose from. Colson picked G Force and they all gathered around on their floats and enjoyed the movie. Some would break off and swim for a little while and then come back to the movie.

It was a great party and Colson rolled into another year in style. I should also note that my husband has REALLY poor timing. I've mentioned before that we are building a barn type building behind the house. Well of course things really kick up this week and when do they decide to pour the slab? Friday. And along with the slab came two walkways....one leading up to the pool.

Our party started at 7:30 pm and the hired help left about  7. I didn't take a picture of Wes' solution to not walking on it but it was a taped off crime scene. Oh well, what was I to do? There was no use in getting upset so we just dealt with it.

Happy Birthday Colson! You are loved!

MY CAMP FAVORITES

I'm taking over the journalist spot for my mom today to tell you about my week at Pine Cove last week. I've decided to break it down in favorites so here we go...

MY FAVORITE ACTIVITY

Most of my day was spent doing fun activities. We didn't do every activity every day. My favorite activity was the Bimbimbii, also known as the lake. On the Bimbimbii we did the iceberg which was a blow up iceberg that you climbed up one side and slid down the other side into the lake. There was also the blob. The blob looked like a huge blow up pillow. One person sat at the end and the other person jumped down from a platform onto the blob and catapulted the person sitting into the lake. Also in the lake was the orbitor. This was a blow up trampoline. You couldn't jump into the lake so we just jumped on it. I also really liked the horses, which I got to do every day, and canoeing.

This was another activity we had that I had a picture of. I made it to the top of the rock climbing mountain. It was hard. After I did it, I had to cheer on Carson so she could make it to the top. I don't think she really wanted to keep going but I told her she could do it.

MY FAVORITE CAMPER

There were 8 girls in my cabin plus my counselor. Olivia was my new friend and from San Antonio (I think). She was really funny because she pretended she was Hannah Montana with Slim Fasts' wig on and dancing around. She had glasses and mommy thinks she was really cute. She hung out with me and Carson alot. Everyone in our cabin got along except for two friends that got in a fight one time and that was it.

MY FAVORITE THEME NIGHT

Each night we had a theme that we had to dress up or play along with. My favorite theme night was Operation Infiltration (OI). We dressed up in our camo gear and were prepared for our mission. Somebody came and tried to take over our camp and turn it into a taco shop. He hipnotized some of the counselors who then hunted on his side. We had to sneak around and if the hypnotized counselors caught us, who weren't very smart, then we would have to act like something to try and trick them. Our cabin acted like lions every time. Our goal was to try and get to the light without one of them catching us and getting our microchip (a cheerio). Once you got to the light you got a point (froot loop). One time we hid behind a tree all in a line. One of the counselors came by with a funny mask on and would make funny gestures to try and make us laugh. Of course we all laughed but he kept going. Our cabin got 6 points, the most of any other cabin.

MY FAVORITE COUNSELOR

My favorite counselor was my very own cabin counselor. Her name was Slim Fast because she went to Asia last year and got a worm in her stomach and had to go to the hospital and she lost 30 pounds in a month. On Wednesday her stomach started acting up and so she had to go to the nurses office for a couple of days. She came back Friday morning and we were glad to see her back. Anyway she is the best counselor in the world. She's really funny and she likes to laugh. She danced with us and she taught us a bunch in our Bible lessons.

When Slim got sick, we had Merry Gold come stay with us and hang out with us. She was super nice too. We were sad that Slim wasn't with us but glad that Merry Gold was just as nice and fun.

MY FAVORITE THING I LEARNED

I learned a bunch of stuff, let me get my notes. One night we talked about how we are such sinners that God can't even look into our eyes because He's so pure. I also learned about Noah's ark. It was 45 feet tall and 1.5 football fields long. Noah  was 600 years old when he built the ark. Also, God promises to be with you in all situations but not to save you in all of them. Our theme for the week was how to stand up for Jesus in a sit down world. In our cabin Bible Study we talked about Daniel in the Lions den. I knew the story but I learned that God is always with me no matter what. We memorized verses too. We didn't have to but if everyone in the cabin memorized their verses by the end of the week we got to dress up Slim. We all did it...YEA! So here's what she looked like.

MY FAVORITE FOOD

On mexican theme night we had burritos. They were delicious. I had never had burritos before. Their oatmeal was really, really, really good. I didn't like their water. It tasted kinda funny. By the end of the week I guess I was used to it because it didn't taste so bad. The rule was we had to drink one cup of water for us to get one cup of juice. They did this so we wouldn't get dehydrated.

I had an awesome time at camp. I'm going to go back next year.

Slim Fast awarded all of her girls with a character trait. Here is what Calli's certificate said:
Calli possesses a joyful attitude that encourages others. She is eager to learn and serve those around her. Calli is uplifting.

WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

Oh wait we did! A few weeks ago we decided to do a mini get together with Stephanie, Robyn, Shellie and all our kids. We really just wanted to see John so swimming at my house was a good excuse to see this cute little thang...who LOVED watermelon. Just like my Hudson does.

Anyways, I was worried that the kids might not click and that while us adults were gabbing it up having a grand time, we would be frequently interrupted by those sweet little angels we call our children with a look of 'I'm really ready to leave'. But with as sweet of kids as this bunch was, I don't know why I worried. Calli was the only girl and even she enjoyed herself. We even played Rock Band through a few thunder storms that passed through. Of course once those passed everyone was back in the pool. Baseball in the pool was the big hit. Notice the IPhone addict in the background.

We liked it so much (and the sun didn't cooperate) on the first go around so we decided to do it the next week. We were minus a couple of kids but the fun wasn't missing. And now Colson thinks the Hood boys hung the moon because they love baseball as much as he does.

And of course he always loves hanging with the Pio boys.

BASEBALL FEVER

As if picking up Calli from camp this weekend wasn't enough excitement, we also kicked off our All Star season with our first tournament. I'm going to have Calli be a guest blogger later this week and let her share her favorites about camp (isn't that a great idea?). But know that we left Pine Cove camp in Columbus and spent 2 and a half hours in the car in a rush to get to Colson's game in time and I heard non stop stories. She had fun...just a little (wink, wink).

But back to the topic that gave me several near heart attacks this weekend....baseball! As I posted on Facebook, I have become THAT mom. Although I should say that I'm not ugly. I would never yell at the umpires or other coaches but I do jump and scream and act like a first class maniac. People have asked if I'm like that in cheer and I'm really not...promise! As I thought about it I concluded that Calli's cheer routines are MAYBE 4 minutes in length and it's the same thing every time. I MAY hold my breath when a stunt goes up or get excited when they flip all together but I know what's coming. With baseball, it's so unpredictable and it's dependant on an umpire at that moment to make a call...and you never know what he saw. The point is...I get into it!

This was during the 5 minute singing of the National Anthem. If you ever need a long version for stalling purposes, Leann Rimes has a great one.

So Friday night we kicked off a double elimination tournament playing what we were told was a semi select team, EMC, in that they have been playing for 2 years together (not really sure if that rumor is true). But I do know that they were 2nd in State last year and they were slated to win the whole tournament. And the tournament was on their home field with their home umpires and their home scorekeepers...how convenient. After our scrimmages last week which were TERRIBLE, I had a feeling we were going to get slaughtered and get so down and be out after 2 games. But to my surprise, our boys came out and played real baseball! The game was great! The boys played great! Colson did great! The only thing that wasn't great was the score at the end....18 to 16, we lost. It was ok though because we realized we had a good team. The other team coaches admitted they were nervous after the 2nd inning when we shut them out...it was 3 up, 3 down...just like you want it.

Here's Colson up to bat. We played in a different League than our regular season which means we had a whole new set of rules to follow. One was we now had to hit off the tee, that was bearable. The other that really was hard to adjust to was that we played with a safety ball which was like a rubber ball. It bounced EVERYWHERE. During one of our games, the catcher would bounce the ball between hitters like it was a tennis ball. It made it hard to anticipate when it was hit on the ground. And it killed us when balls were overthrown.

So, we lost. It was ok. The boys were super excited they played so good and we had another shot on Saturday. We  won our first game and advanced to a second game that day and won it. So we made our way through the losers bracket and the EMC team made their way through the winners bracket and we met again yesterday. And if Friday's game was close...todays game was heart breaking close. After a few bad calls, a few errors, a few good plays, a few really good hits and a few LOT of pacing on my part, the final score was 28 to 29.  We lost.

This was during warm up

Again we played our hearts out. The coaches were proud, the parents were proud and you better believe the kids were proud. And can I tell you how cool they looked in their Willis uniforms? Sharp looking uniforms with matching All Star bat bags and matching helmets all with their name and number on them. I joked on Thursday after our horrible scrimmage that we may get dubbed the "special" team from Willis with our skills but we'll sure look like real baseball players.

So not only did we kick off our All Star season but we ended it all within 3 days. We had to get first in this tournament to advance to the tournament in July. But let's just say Colson is obsessed with baseball. After every game, Colson would immediately grab his glove and another player and play catch. And today we walked in the front door and he walked out the back door with his glove and ball to play catch.

Cole Cantrell (Shortstop), Karson Trotter (Left Center Field) & Colson (Left Field)

He's got the baseball fever...I think we all do!

HELLO MOTHER, HELLO FATHER

If you aren't singing the old Downy commercial now then you should start.

One of my favorite things to do every day is get the mail...I know kinda strange. But today I got an unexpected letter from CALLI!!!!!  I was so excited to hear from her. Here is what she said:

Dear Mommy, Daddy and Colson,
I love (heart) you soo much! I don't miss y'all as much as I thought I would! It is Monday and we get to do the blob tomorrow. I met alot of new friends. Alexa, GG, Emily, Me, Olivia, Emmie, Erin, Carson. They rock. So does my camp counselor Slim Fast. She is the perfect counselor! Grammie sent me and Carson goodies. She sent Reeses pieces, skittles, warm vanilla sugar hand gel, sugar cookie lotion, and she found Wilber and sent him. I love (heart) this camp soo much! Today we did the zipline, pool, horses (I was a pro at that. I got a horse named Titan), cheer and dance, tumbling and more. I think I want to come back next year! We are also learning about standing in a world that chooses to sit and we are never alone. I love you soo much! I still miss you medium rank!
I Love You,
Calli Grace

Oooohhh that did my heart good! We pick her up tomorrow and I can't wait to hear in person about all the fun they had! And Colson has his first tournament this weekend so we play our first game in a couple of hours. Not sure how they'll do but be sure you'll hear about it.

WHAT WILL THIS WEEK BRING?

It's been 3.5 hours since I left Calli at Pine Cove camp in Columbus and I am already filled with anticipation to hear what they are doing. I am so excited that she has this opportunity to go (and take along her friend Carson). I didn't know what the whole drop off thing would be like but it was short and sweet. The allowed drop off time must have been short and I think was ending shortly after we arrived....I guess I didn't read that part. It was good though. We didn't have time for Jennifer (Carson's mom) to really let it sit in that she was leaving her daughter for a week to have the most fun of her life! Tears did appear in her eyes though but they quickly vanished when Russell, Wes and I gave her "the look" as the girls were changing in the bathroom. Because our time was so short, I only got to snap one picture. We were headed out to the pool for the girls to do their swim test when we were met by her counselor and some of the other girls. Her counselor, slim fast (the only name the campers will know her by), said that they were about to have their cabin meeting and they could to their swim test in the morning. So we said our goodbyes and off they went into Slim Fasts' care.

This camp looks like so much fun! And it's a Christian camp so they will be fed with the Word of God all week. We received a really cool CD as parents to listen to on the way home. It had different people talking on the CD telling about what to expect this week. They didn't focus on the fun.....which is sooooo obvious as you interact with the staff and walk through the camp.....they focused on the spiritual aspect. There is no way that Calli will leave this camp without the Holy Spirit working in her life. The CD was cabin specific so there was one track where her counselor, slim fast, talked to us. She said she thought of her name from her experience last summer in Southeast Asia where she got really sick and lost 30 pounds in about a month and a half. She also said that she went to Southern Nazarene in Oklahoma. We thought this was really cool because this is where Wes and most of his family went to school. 

And Colson was just tired of driving in the car!
I can't wait to pick her up Saturday but in the interim I'll just pray for her and Carson to have a great time and be safe! Pray for them when you think of them this week.

WHERE AM I?

I wish I could tell you that I photoshopped the trees out of the above picture to get this

But I'm not that talented. This is my new back yard. Kind of stale and Arizona like huh? I call it my Arizona paradise. Someday, hopefully soon we'll have a "barn type" building back there to serve as a pool house and a garage for Wes' boat and toys.

It can't come soon enough!

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER

I've had that hard rock song stuck in my head since Friday and it's quite annoying. Made famous by Alice Cooper and then The Chipmunks and now made famous by yours truly. We are all officially out for summer. Well Wes and I aren't, wow I miss those days, but the kids are in full swing. We've already had sleepovers and long days of baseball and swimming.

Last week we wrapped up 4th grade with awards and then an end of the year picnic that ended up being held in the classroom with the nice hard floor as the grass since it rained. The plan was to wrap up with one big kickball game and eat lunch on the grass but early Thursday morning her teachers had to go to plan B. Teachers sure are resourceful. They have to be.

We had a great 4th great year and I think I would describe both of her teachers as fun! They laughed a lot, they joked with them, they let them have a good time and they just treated them like their own kids. Mrs. Gray did have her own kid. Calli's friend Kenzi (funny, funny kid) belongs to Mrs. Gray. Calli finished with A honor roll among some other awards including Survival of the 4th grade. She also found out she made Turner Tunes, the school choir group. It's only for 5th graders though.

Here were the letters to Calli's teachers that she wrote to them.

Mrs. Gray,

Thank you soooo much for teaching me this year! I really enjoyed it! I loved learning vocabulary words! I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing summer. LOVE, Calli Schubert

Mrs. Novack,

Thank you soooo much for teaching me this year! I enjoyed it so much! Math was great but Science....BINGO! I hope the Lord blesses you! Do not retire until my brother comes because you and Mrs. Gray will whip him into shape. LOVE, Calli S

Let the sleeping in mornings begin!

GOOD THING I LIKE BASEBALL

When Colson wrapped up his Kindergarten stint a couple of weeks ago, he also wrapped up his Spring 2010 baseball season with the Yankees. That night, after a long swim day from his school party, he played for his shot at the finals and lost. Just when Colson was getting his stride, the 6 week season was over. I was considering letting him continue playing but to my knowledge my only option was for him to play select ball and it would probably be in the Woodlands. I wasn’t quite sure that I was ready for select at age 6….I knew I wasn’t ready. Select ball is hard core! And lo and behold, Colson made the All Stars team. I should tell you that I found out he made the team after I had resided myself with the fact that he wouldn’t play this summer and was totally cool with that. I had mentally prepared myself for a whole lot of relaxed fun. When the All Star news came, I considered opting out. How silly am I? I wanted a place for him to play, the Lord provides a place and I almost pass it up. It was kind of honoring because his coach didn’t even nominate him, other coaches were asking about him and that’s how he was nominated and voted on. And let me say these kids are GOOD!!! He’s NOT the strongest player by a long shot but he’s so eager to learn and he’s got some skill, he just needs to be coached. And his coach is amazing!! He’s actually teaching them skills and form and even the situational aspects of baseball.

So, we now add 4 baseball practices a week to our summer routine. And Colson is obsessed! He wants to play baseball every free minute he gets. We’ll play for 30 minutes in the yard and come inside to get a break from the heat and within 5 minutes he’s asking to go back out and play.

I did want to share a little tidbit with you though. Some of you may not know this and some of you may have baseball players and not know this. Colson says to me on the way home from practice one day “Mom, if I ever get hurt on the baseball field, DON’T come running out there. My coach will be able to take care of me.”

So one season ended…thank goodness for the trophy and the all star season had already begun