State

The State team, flexing some muscle!

All these boys made state by time, place or as alternates.  Sam made state in the 110 hurdles his first race of the season by time.  He made state by time about 3/4 of the way through in the 300 m hurdles and he was an alternate for the 4x400 team.   He was on the team when they made it by time on the second run of the season, but all the relays had to be run again, because one of their runners had been ineligible almost the entire year.  It really messed up the team.  These guys never treated him badly, however, which is a real credit to them.  They were supposed to win state this year, but without him they couldn't re-qualify one relay and then all the things he was supposed to win or get second in they had no one else to replace him with.  It was super sad and frustrating, but these guys kept a positive attitude the whole way!

 Every year the coach get those who qualified for state a gift.  This year it was black bathrobes.  The kids loved them!  Seriously, though, black, terry cloth robes in New Mexico heat?

Notice the difference from the picture above to the picture below?  Sam grew his hair out all year.  It was a huge afro.  Everyone kept trying to get him to cut it, but he wouldn't.  He waited until State.  He said he was going to surprise everyone and run super fast once it was shaved! 

 These boys (the hurdlers) got taken out several times by various coaches for making the State team.

 The Three Amigos and their coach- Best Coach Ever!- "what are you? Some kind of hurdle expert or something?" (quote from a parent of another team)

Sam got 2nd in the 110's- not his fastest time

 And third in his 300 hurdles- definitely his fastest time and a new school record!  Our fastest 300er was disqualified for a stupid reason.  I'm sure he will take the school record next year.  Then Ethan came out of nowhere and took 4th!  So super psyched for him.  He didn't qualify in anything until Districts and it was his last race to run- and then he goes crazy and gets 4th in State!  Sam was only supposed to get 6th from his qualifying race the day before.  So big win and big surprises for our team!

 Last minute, Sam was put in to the finals of the 4x400.  He was a little nervous and super tired from his two big performances already that day.  

 But they pulled it off with a 4th place finish!  They had won or gotten 2nd every race that year, but with injuries and people being ineligible, they had to grab people from everywhere to make all the relay teams!  Three of these guys were completely exhausted already!

 Way to go Samuel- 2nd, 3rd and 4th in State!

 We went from 7th the first day, to 5th the second day and by the end of the day, we had enough amazing surprises like Sam's 3rd and Ethan's 4th that we actually took home 2nd place in State.  Last year we were 1st the first and second day, all the way to the final race, where we lost it by 2 points.  2nd place was super hard last year.  This year there was nothing but smiles!  With everything these boys had to go through to take that 2nd place, they deserved every bit of happiness they got from it!

Seniors! (which by the way had graduated 2 days before!)

Run, throw, jump, hit!

Spring is a pretty awesome season!  This year it was a little bittersweet.  I was freaking out about being down yet another child!  Samuel's time with us was quickly coming to a close.  All our boys are active in the Spring and I love watching them.  I called my mother-in-law one time and said how sorry I was that she had to sit there and watch a baseball game, because everyone knows how horribly boring baseball games are!  And she said, "sorry for you.  You have to sit there and watch a track meet go on for hours!"  Ha ha, I guess I got told!  I love track.  I love watching every race!  I haven't been a regular attendant at the field part, expect high jump until this year.  Personally I just can't think of better entertainment!  And these guys and their parents and our coaches!  Seriously, they are the best!

 

Unless you are talking Tennis and then these guys and these coaches are amazing!  Seriously, I don't care if Joseph never wants to do tennis again, he's doing it, because of the coaches!

 Run

 Jump

 Run

 Jump

 Hit

 (get massaged by the coaches wife who is a physical therapist!)

 Hit

 hit

 hit

 Jump

 Jump

 RUN!

 Throw!

 Throw

 Throw

Max started club track late, but he loved, loved throwing everything!  Next year we will start on time, and next year he has to run something as well!- 'cause mama said so!

Winter Fun

Winter fun?  You mean more sports, right?  So this is the year that the boys actually tried out snowboarding.  Sam took to it quickly, Joseph said he liked it, but not on that mountain and Max said, "no thank you!" after ramming into a post of some sort.  I don't know, because I had to work.  You can tell how broken up about that I am, right?  Cold and I don't get along.

Sam, thankfully, chose not to do wrestling again this year.  He said it was just way too gross in this state.  He battled impetigo and ringworm all last winter and was done with it.  Instead he chose to work on track by doing a track winter season.  There were only a few meets in winter season, because it isn't even a real thing at our school.  Our head coach just told us about meets and we signed up and went as independents.  

 One of the meets we attended was the Chandler Invite.  It was in Chandler Arizona, so we got to stay with Karl and Terrie.  Karl and David came and watched.  The first part was rather boring, but it did have a first cousin once removed running in it.  His Dad- our cousin and our uncle, his Grandpa also came to watch.  Karl stayed until Sam biffed it bad in the 110 hurdles.  Someone threw a hurdle into his lane.  It was very sad.  And then got 5th in the 300's.  Karl came back that night to watch the elite runners.  We only had a couple running with the elites.  They were amazing to watch.  They were jumping 17 feet in pole vault!  Jerry- our coaches son- won the mile and one other race.  Our others didn't advance in their heats.  

It was a long but fun night.  All these kids that went are seriously amazing.  So glad I got to spend time with them and their Mama's and our amazing coaching staff and my brother!

We also went up to the Air Force Academy a couple times.  Sam was hopeful he would be running here for real, soon.

 Maxwell played basketball, again.  He loves basketball.   It was a pretty short team.  Max was one of the tallest.  They put him in the first game to tip the ball.  They never did that again.  Poor Max.  He will learn to jump one day!

Max loved his Macaroni shoes! 

You can't have winter without a useless holiday called Valentine's Day.  We rarely do anything on it.  But this year I was feeling creative and made cinnamon roll hearts from scratch.

As the winter came to a close and spring began we got ready for MORE SPORTS! Graduation, college acceptance, and warmer weather.  Angus even got all spruced up for it.

He looks like an entirely different puppy!

Essentials of Christmas

Essential parts of our Christmas season:

1. Two trees- one with Mom and Dad's wedding ornaments and carefully picked out ornaments that match and another with homemade, silly and fun gifted ornaments.  Can you tell which one this is?

 2.  Celebration of St. Nicholas day.  He comes on the night of the 5th and fills your shoe with wonderful stuff.  

3.  Yummy treats- super essential!

 This one was made by a nurse in my ED.  Super cute and yummy

 This one was made by me!  This was my first year of success with old fashioned fudge.  I got some awesome pointers from our fabulous cook, Carolyn, and it finally worked out.  Who knew the secret was to not stir it?

4.  Cuteness in all it's many forms.  Poor puppy!

5. The reading of and acting out of the First Nativity.  Emma is usually Mary and Joseph is usually Joseph, but it has varied.  Our sheep has run off at this point.

6. Christmas morning round up.  They must all sit on the stairs and look pretty in the morning until I get a picture and start the video camera.  Yes it is always me, so you will never see me in the Christmas morning round up.  Aren't they so cute, even as big as they are?