Boy howdie was it a busy weekend! To make it short - between Ezra and Judah they swam 12 events and I don't even think I can calculate the number of laps. Ez got first place in 5 events and second place in 2 events. Judah got second in two events and, well, he didn't do too well in the 50 breaststroke, but hey, after not swimming at all since March, I'd say going to state in two events is pretty great. The weather was hot, the pool was cold and it was a long but fun weekend. Thank God for cold fruit smoothies!
I don't know about you, and even though I love to swim, I could never do what these guys do everyday. I still say it is the hardest sport on the planet. I mean, have you ever tried doing the butterfly stroke? Seriously. I wonder if the arms and legs were actually meant to move that way? Who invented that stroke anyway? Did you ever think about that? "MMM - let's see. Freestyle and backstroke, too easy. How can I make it as difficult to move through the water as I can? Arms circling around to the side, legs together flipping like a dolphin, and oh, yeah, you have to breathe in there somewhere . . . That's it! And I'll call it the Butterfly!! Come on! Everybody try it now! It's fun! It's exciting! Great for the whole family!" No -more like - it's impossible. I like the new slogan for our team: Swimming is a mental sport . . . and we are all insane! Amen to that.
Yesterday Judah played in a golf tournament and the wind was blowing at least 30 mph. It was a long course with lots of water and, well, let's just say he didn't play his best. But then, neither did anyone else, so he ended up getting first place. Good thing they don't etch the scores onto the trophies! Golf, what a fluky, frustrating game.
Last full week of practice for both swimming and golf. So, these two little boys are gearing up to get ready and consequently eating us out of house and home. And not to be left out, Noah and India have to join them. You, know, for moral support. So the food bill goes up exponentially. It's worse than my excuse when I was pregnant and insisting that eating 3 bean burritos, a side of Mexican potatoes, and the entire quart of Bryer's ice cream was absolutely necessary because, well, I was eating for 2, you know. No, more like I was eating for 6. But, that didn't stop me, and it's certainly not stopping these children. Good thing they are working it all off, or we'd be in even bigger trouble.
Well, have a great week everyone and let me know how that butterfly stroke is working out for you . . .
Shalom,
jill and all
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Whew . . .
That's about all I can say about this past weekend! Three days of swimming, 2 hail storms, 1 golf game, 1 soccer game, 100 degree heat, and lots of driving. Ez started the meet with a bang, shattering his time in the 200 IM and making state. The rest of the weekend, well, not so good. He shaved some times, but didn't quite make the qualifying times. But, he does have another shot at it, so there's still hope.
The tornado sirens went off right after the soccer game, so we sat and watched the black cloud hover over the city from the hotel room. It had hailed for 10 minutes in Aberdeen with quarter size hail and the system was moving our way. Then the clouds seemed to settle for a while with no activity, so they stopped the warning, and people began milling about. That was our opportunity to run to Qdoba. I had an inkling the storm was not yet done and told the boys to take the food to go. We no sooner parked the car at the hotel, and sure enough, the hail began to pellet down upon us. Using our taco packaging for shields, we ran for shelter, and just in time! And the food was none the worse for the wear! Thank God for plastic containers! We get to our room, and the rain came down so hard, not only could you not see one single thing out the window, but it rained through the window and the air conditioner! I kid you not! There were pools of standing water on the carpet, running all over the room! I go to the front desk to get some towels to mop it up, and there was a long list of other rooms with the same problem. I just hope they didn't run out of towels. :o
As for the golf game, well, it wasn't great. Judah did not play his best, but he did manage to get 7th place. And I spose, 7th place in state isn't anything to sneeze at, but, you'd really like to play well too. So, he's got some work to do before the city tourney in a couple weeks. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the heat - who knows.
And speaking of the heat!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS was it hot. Like 95 but with 110% humidity. Okay, not exactly, but it was beastly. So, that may have had an impact on both guys and their events. That heat can just zap the energy right out of you. It took it out of me and all I did was sit on the sidelines and by the pool and yell. Which, when you think about it, is probably the silliest thing a person can do. The swimmers can't hear a thing while they're swimming, and they can not see the crazies waving their hands on deck either. I mean, they are swimming, so far away, and under water! But you still have the nut jobs that holler and whistle and scream at the top of their lungs, as if that's going to make the kid go faster. Good grief. We look like a bunch of ninnies. But, it makes us feel good, and that's why we do it, so there. :) And yes, I can control myself, cause on the golf course you have to. You can't whisper, you can't move, you can't even breathe, it seems like. So, my new goal is to remain as quiet as I can at the swim meets, and just let him do his thing. Hey, come on. I'm really going to try. But, I have to tell you, not shouting encouragement (that's what I call it) - it's kind of like trying to hold in a sneeze during prayer or something. (Say, can one really die from doing that??!)
Meanwhile, Noah and India cleaned the house, studied, (that's what they told me) and watched way too many movies I'm sure. Now if only they would have mowed the lawn, cleaned the garage, fixed my stove, and painted my bedroom walls, that would have been a nice bonus. But hey, you can't get everything, right?
And so, another week of normal, whatever that is.
Thought for the day:
The Lord is with you while your are with Him, and if you seek Him, He will be found of you . . .
Be strong and don't let your hands be weak, and your work shall be rewarded. (so much for being lazy. Rats)
I read this in 2 Chron. 15:2 and 7 - if you can believe that. Chronicles is usually thought of as a very dreary book, with nothing but names and numbers in it. But, there's amazing stuff in there - and well - in every book therein. We just have to find it.
Have a great week!
jill and all
The tornado sirens went off right after the soccer game, so we sat and watched the black cloud hover over the city from the hotel room. It had hailed for 10 minutes in Aberdeen with quarter size hail and the system was moving our way. Then the clouds seemed to settle for a while with no activity, so they stopped the warning, and people began milling about. That was our opportunity to run to Qdoba. I had an inkling the storm was not yet done and told the boys to take the food to go. We no sooner parked the car at the hotel, and sure enough, the hail began to pellet down upon us. Using our taco packaging for shields, we ran for shelter, and just in time! And the food was none the worse for the wear! Thank God for plastic containers! We get to our room, and the rain came down so hard, not only could you not see one single thing out the window, but it rained through the window and the air conditioner! I kid you not! There were pools of standing water on the carpet, running all over the room! I go to the front desk to get some towels to mop it up, and there was a long list of other rooms with the same problem. I just hope they didn't run out of towels. :o
As for the golf game, well, it wasn't great. Judah did not play his best, but he did manage to get 7th place. And I spose, 7th place in state isn't anything to sneeze at, but, you'd really like to play well too. So, he's got some work to do before the city tourney in a couple weeks. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the heat - who knows.
And speaking of the heat!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS was it hot. Like 95 but with 110% humidity. Okay, not exactly, but it was beastly. So, that may have had an impact on both guys and their events. That heat can just zap the energy right out of you. It took it out of me and all I did was sit on the sidelines and by the pool and yell. Which, when you think about it, is probably the silliest thing a person can do. The swimmers can't hear a thing while they're swimming, and they can not see the crazies waving their hands on deck either. I mean, they are swimming, so far away, and under water! But you still have the nut jobs that holler and whistle and scream at the top of their lungs, as if that's going to make the kid go faster. Good grief. We look like a bunch of ninnies. But, it makes us feel good, and that's why we do it, so there. :) And yes, I can control myself, cause on the golf course you have to. You can't whisper, you can't move, you can't even breathe, it seems like. So, my new goal is to remain as quiet as I can at the swim meets, and just let him do his thing. Hey, come on. I'm really going to try. But, I have to tell you, not shouting encouragement (that's what I call it) - it's kind of like trying to hold in a sneeze during prayer or something. (Say, can one really die from doing that??!)
Meanwhile, Noah and India cleaned the house, studied, (that's what they told me) and watched way too many movies I'm sure. Now if only they would have mowed the lawn, cleaned the garage, fixed my stove, and painted my bedroom walls, that would have been a nice bonus. But hey, you can't get everything, right?
And so, another week of normal, whatever that is.
Thought for the day:
The Lord is with you while your are with Him, and if you seek Him, He will be found of you . . .
Be strong and don't let your hands be weak, and your work shall be rewarded. (so much for being lazy. Rats)
I read this in 2 Chron. 15:2 and 7 - if you can believe that. Chronicles is usually thought of as a very dreary book, with nothing but names and numbers in it. But, there's amazing stuff in there - and well - in every book therein. We just have to find it.
Have a great week!
jill and all
Friday, July 16, 2010
Aah, the relaxing weekend is here . . .
This week was not nearly as busy as I thought. And that was nice. It went by so fast though, I can't believe it's Friday. Oh, well. The weekend is here! Hallelujah!
Last Monday we drove Judah to his last regular tournament on the Jr. Tour. He really did well. Shot a 45, and that's after tanking on number one with a 9! Ouch. He placed second by one stroke. Not bad. He's really excited for the state meet coming up on Monday. Should be interesting. Hope he smokes up that course as well.
It's finally dry enough now that the central grassy area inside our circular drive does not have standing water. Can you believe that? We are thrilled!!! So, Ezra takes the mower and inches along, literally and whacks away at the waist high grass. It took him forever. But, he had a plan. Just what do two young boys do with all those grass clippings? Of course - make a huge pile and dive in it, slide in it, jump out of the tree into it and ride their bikes into the middle of it. They then proceed to come barreling into the house covered in grass clippings to explain their exploits, all of which I have observed through the picture window. But they fail to notice that they have dragged in half the pile of grass with them and now my entire house is beginning to resemble their green mountain of fun! AAhhh! Boys . . . :)
We now have another batch of critters to call our own. A couple of swallows have made a nest right above the porch. And they are none too excited about all the felines running around, I can tell you. It's is downright comical to watch the poor unsuspecting cats walk across the lawn, minding their own business and suddenly a winged creature, which should be their lunch, dive-bombs down onto them, nearly pecking their heads. The cats cower and slink through the grass to safety under the porch. Cowards. Talk about your David and Goliath story. Maybe the cats should invest in a sling shot.
Smoothie anyone? You've come to the right place! See, we have a standing order for a case of organic banana every week. During the winter, we will go through more than a case a week sometimes, so it's not a big deal. But during the summer, when there's cherries from Washington, grapes from California, and we're just getting a better selection of fruit from the US, the banana consumption goes way down. So, we have taken to freeze the excess, cause, really, how much banana bread can one make, and now we have a freezer full of, well, frozen bananas. And we have at least a half of a case of bananas really ready to be frozen, and another case of bananas is arriving today!!!! Okay, yeah, we kind of let it get out of hand a bit, and should have canceled the order two weeks ago, but, hey, that was before Gary decided to go on a watermelon binge/fast kind of thing, and he's the one who usually eats like a dozen bananas everyday. So, needless to say, we're up to our eyeballs in potassium. But I'm telling you, there's nothing like a good cold banana, cherry, blueberry, strawberry, peanut butter, rice milk smoothie when it's 90 degrees! MMM.
Well, better run. Gotta pack for yet another fun-filled couple of days watching Ez race through the water. He's hoping to make state in at least three more events. I sure hope he does really well. And I hope it's sunny so we can work on our tans. I do not really want to spend three days under an umbrella. Again.
Have a great weekend all!
jill and all
Last Monday we drove Judah to his last regular tournament on the Jr. Tour. He really did well. Shot a 45, and that's after tanking on number one with a 9! Ouch. He placed second by one stroke. Not bad. He's really excited for the state meet coming up on Monday. Should be interesting. Hope he smokes up that course as well.
It's finally dry enough now that the central grassy area inside our circular drive does not have standing water. Can you believe that? We are thrilled!!! So, Ezra takes the mower and inches along, literally and whacks away at the waist high grass. It took him forever. But, he had a plan. Just what do two young boys do with all those grass clippings? Of course - make a huge pile and dive in it, slide in it, jump out of the tree into it and ride their bikes into the middle of it. They then proceed to come barreling into the house covered in grass clippings to explain their exploits, all of which I have observed through the picture window. But they fail to notice that they have dragged in half the pile of grass with them and now my entire house is beginning to resemble their green mountain of fun! AAhhh! Boys . . . :)
We now have another batch of critters to call our own. A couple of swallows have made a nest right above the porch. And they are none too excited about all the felines running around, I can tell you. It's is downright comical to watch the poor unsuspecting cats walk across the lawn, minding their own business and suddenly a winged creature, which should be their lunch, dive-bombs down onto them, nearly pecking their heads. The cats cower and slink through the grass to safety under the porch. Cowards. Talk about your David and Goliath story. Maybe the cats should invest in a sling shot.
Smoothie anyone? You've come to the right place! See, we have a standing order for a case of organic banana every week. During the winter, we will go through more than a case a week sometimes, so it's not a big deal. But during the summer, when there's cherries from Washington, grapes from California, and we're just getting a better selection of fruit from the US, the banana consumption goes way down. So, we have taken to freeze the excess, cause, really, how much banana bread can one make, and now we have a freezer full of, well, frozen bananas. And we have at least a half of a case of bananas really ready to be frozen, and another case of bananas is arriving today!!!! Okay, yeah, we kind of let it get out of hand a bit, and should have canceled the order two weeks ago, but, hey, that was before Gary decided to go on a watermelon binge/fast kind of thing, and he's the one who usually eats like a dozen bananas everyday. So, needless to say, we're up to our eyeballs in potassium. But I'm telling you, there's nothing like a good cold banana, cherry, blueberry, strawberry, peanut butter, rice milk smoothie when it's 90 degrees! MMM.
Well, better run. Gotta pack for yet another fun-filled couple of days watching Ez race through the water. He's hoping to make state in at least three more events. I sure hope he does really well. And I hope it's sunny so we can work on our tans. I do not really want to spend three days under an umbrella. Again.
Have a great weekend all!
jill and all
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Raccoons and more . . .
So we look out onto our porch, and there sits a large mother raccoon with her four (4) little, (okay, not so little) babies eating the cat food. We sit and stare at them, and they glance up, twitch their little noses and go back to their feast. They are quite comical, picking up the morsels with their 'hands'. It's almost human-like. The cats mull around, concerned and curious, but without attack. Good choice. The problem is, we'll go broke feeding the natives like this. We already have 9 (gulp) felines of our own and can not take any more borders at present! Besides, they don't pay the rent. Noah decided to stop this thievery and put the dishes under a large, orange crate with a brick on top. The next morning, the brick was on the porch, the 'secured' lid was off and the food was gone. Bandits! How did they do that? I think they are hard up for food due to all the flooding in the area and for that reason I do feel a bit sorry for them. But, I understand they are mainly nocturnal, and our viewing episode of them was in the middle of the day, so I hope they don't have rabies and are just out and about at that time because they are desperate for food. We step out the door and they flee, so that is a good sign they are not rabid. At any rate, we do enjoy watching them from inside the house. But something must be done - and soon!
So, Ezra gets this origami book from the library and proceeds to construct all sorts of creatures out of squares of colored paper that, well, move and do things. Frogs that hop, birds that open and close their beaks, and a wild star formation that turns into an octagon. And he has just completed an entire chess set, with all the pieces done in origami. Super cool. I can not for the life of me figure out how he does it. Fold here and then take this flap and fold it over this way and tuck it in here. . . Good grief. It's more complicated than listening to India and Gary talk Calculus. Well, maybe not.
So, every day Gary straps his ankles to this - um - contraption - and flips himself over so he is completely upside down. It's called an inversion table and is really meant to help relieve the pressure on the back. He is still having some back problems and this stretches his spine out. So don't be alarmed if you are ever talking to us, and you ask what Gary is up to and we say, "Oh, he's hanging himself." Doesn't sound real good, does it? Oh, well, at least now you'll know what we mean. Anyway, the jury is still out as to the long term benefits of this, but it's better than surgery.
Yesterday we had a swim meet and Ezra did well. He improved everyone of his times, except the 100 freestyle where his goggles came off and hung around his neck for the entire race. Not fun. But, stuff like that happens. Once, his racing jammers slipped down when he dove in because he neglected to tie them! It can really discombobulate a person when that happens! But he recovered well, and finished the race, and thankfully wasn't disqualified for indecent exposure! (Okay, they didn't fall down THAT far!)
Judah, Gary and Noah went and played a quick round of golf while Ezra warmed up in the pool and Judah shot a 45. Not too bad. The course was a par 34, which they are normally 36, but still, quite impressive. He's ready for the last regular season tourney tomorrow. Let's hope he tears up the course!
India has her last week of dance camp starting tomorrow. She has been informed she will be teaching approximately 8 dances this year and she has been named the Assistant Costume Director. She is thrilled. So she is knee deep in picking out songs, tapping out steps on her bedroom floor and talking choreography. The season of 'Miss India' has begun in earnest.
Well, better run. We are going west today to visit my dear Aunt Betty and Uncle Bill. My Aunt Troona (don't you just love that name?!) is here from Oregon so it will be really wonderful to see them all.
I just hope we don't come home and find the raccoon family on our couch watching television and eating chips and salsa. Oh, that's just silly - right? I mean, they couldn't possibly put their little paws on the latch and open the front door now, could they? . . .
Have a great week everyone!
jill and all
So, Ezra gets this origami book from the library and proceeds to construct all sorts of creatures out of squares of colored paper that, well, move and do things. Frogs that hop, birds that open and close their beaks, and a wild star formation that turns into an octagon. And he has just completed an entire chess set, with all the pieces done in origami. Super cool. I can not for the life of me figure out how he does it. Fold here and then take this flap and fold it over this way and tuck it in here. . . Good grief. It's more complicated than listening to India and Gary talk Calculus. Well, maybe not.
So, every day Gary straps his ankles to this - um - contraption - and flips himself over so he is completely upside down. It's called an inversion table and is really meant to help relieve the pressure on the back. He is still having some back problems and this stretches his spine out. So don't be alarmed if you are ever talking to us, and you ask what Gary is up to and we say, "Oh, he's hanging himself." Doesn't sound real good, does it? Oh, well, at least now you'll know what we mean. Anyway, the jury is still out as to the long term benefits of this, but it's better than surgery.
Yesterday we had a swim meet and Ezra did well. He improved everyone of his times, except the 100 freestyle where his goggles came off and hung around his neck for the entire race. Not fun. But, stuff like that happens. Once, his racing jammers slipped down when he dove in because he neglected to tie them! It can really discombobulate a person when that happens! But he recovered well, and finished the race, and thankfully wasn't disqualified for indecent exposure! (Okay, they didn't fall down THAT far!)
Judah, Gary and Noah went and played a quick round of golf while Ezra warmed up in the pool and Judah shot a 45. Not too bad. The course was a par 34, which they are normally 36, but still, quite impressive. He's ready for the last regular season tourney tomorrow. Let's hope he tears up the course!
India has her last week of dance camp starting tomorrow. She has been informed she will be teaching approximately 8 dances this year and she has been named the Assistant Costume Director. She is thrilled. So she is knee deep in picking out songs, tapping out steps on her bedroom floor and talking choreography. The season of 'Miss India' has begun in earnest.
Well, better run. We are going west today to visit my dear Aunt Betty and Uncle Bill. My Aunt Troona (don't you just love that name?!) is here from Oregon so it will be really wonderful to see them all.
I just hope we don't come home and find the raccoon family on our couch watching television and eating chips and salsa. Oh, that's just silly - right? I mean, they couldn't possibly put their little paws on the latch and open the front door now, could they? . . .
Have a great week everyone!
jill and all
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Too much fun . . .
Okay - how convicted can one be? India and I just got back from Sioux City, IA where a group of her college friends were getting together. It's crazy, really - teens (and a few a bit older) came from as far away as Texas, Tennessee, and Boston! They had a wild couple days playing games, building human pyramids, posing for pictures and pretty much regressing to their childhood. I'm still trying to figure out the meaning of Kumcha. (And what is that wacky Tiki-Tiki thing anyway?) The family that was hosting the event has nine children, 7 which are adopted, and 6 of the adopted are from Russia. What an amazing picture of a wonderful family. Polite, kind, helpful, respectful. I could learn a few things - and did! It was a nice couple days. We also watched a couple videos of Louie Giglio - ever heard of him? You HAVE to check him out.
Un-be-lie-vable.
We got home last night just before the monsoon. I know I keep saying that, but that's because the rains just keep coming! Rita, one of my grade school friends from Wisconsin came to town and we went out to lunch and her husband Dave said, "Remember when the fourth of July hit, and all the grass around was brown and the ground was hard and it was dusty and hot and you were completely done mowing for summer cause nothing was growing anymore, and you were afraid to set off a bottle rocket cause you thought if you did it could set the whole entire county on fire?" Yeah, we remember. Ah, the good old days . . .
While we were gone, the boys mowed most of the lawn and it looked so nice driving up to the house. The roads were finally dry, the standing water was receding, and we thought, YES - the hot dry weather IS coming! Sorry. Step out of that bubble and back away from that fantasy. Our yard is now a reservoir once again. Yipee. Good grief already. I mean, can you just see the real estate listing? 3 bedroom home. Nice, beautiful, quiet setting. Beach front! Lake view! Your own family of ducks, raccoons, frogs, and other waterfowl. See it to believe it! Call 1-800-IT-IS-WET.
Today is the 4th, and as tradition goes, we will be eating Chili 'Cheese' 'Hot dogs'. Yeah, the dogs are soy, the cheese is soy and the chili is vegetarian, but hey, slap some condiments on and it actually tastes like the real thing. Really. No, I'm totally serious. Quit laughing.
Well, this is the beginning of our busy month. No, last month was just a teaser. This month I can't even find white space on the days of the week on my calendar. So even though track and field is done, and the First Tee golf program is winding down, soon, (it is soon, isn't it?) we are still swamped. Every weekend we are traveling someplace across the state for a swim meet, which I actually love, love, love to watch. (Go Ez!) We have one more Jr. Golf tourney and then we go all the way to Yankton for State. (Go Judah!) India still has dance camp and SPURS and Ezra and Judah have a Science Fun Day somewhere in the middle there. And of course, Noah is lifeguarding amongst all of that
Four more weeks. Can we do this? Yes we can! I think. :)
Well, I better turn on the TV and watch Nadal win Wimbledon. Maybe it will inspire me to grab my racquet and see if I can beat Noah. mmm I better watch VERY CLOSELY . . .
Have a super great 4th of July everyone! And be safe!
jill and all
Un-be-lie-vable.
We got home last night just before the monsoon. I know I keep saying that, but that's because the rains just keep coming! Rita, one of my grade school friends from Wisconsin came to town and we went out to lunch and her husband Dave said, "Remember when the fourth of July hit, and all the grass around was brown and the ground was hard and it was dusty and hot and you were completely done mowing for summer cause nothing was growing anymore, and you were afraid to set off a bottle rocket cause you thought if you did it could set the whole entire county on fire?" Yeah, we remember. Ah, the good old days . . .
While we were gone, the boys mowed most of the lawn and it looked so nice driving up to the house. The roads were finally dry, the standing water was receding, and we thought, YES - the hot dry weather IS coming! Sorry. Step out of that bubble and back away from that fantasy. Our yard is now a reservoir once again. Yipee. Good grief already. I mean, can you just see the real estate listing? 3 bedroom home. Nice, beautiful, quiet setting. Beach front! Lake view! Your own family of ducks, raccoons, frogs, and other waterfowl. See it to believe it! Call 1-800-IT-IS-WET.
Today is the 4th, and as tradition goes, we will be eating Chili 'Cheese' 'Hot dogs'. Yeah, the dogs are soy, the cheese is soy and the chili is vegetarian, but hey, slap some condiments on and it actually tastes like the real thing. Really. No, I'm totally serious. Quit laughing.
Well, this is the beginning of our busy month. No, last month was just a teaser. This month I can't even find white space on the days of the week on my calendar. So even though track and field is done, and the First Tee golf program is winding down, soon, (it is soon, isn't it?) we are still swamped. Every weekend we are traveling someplace across the state for a swim meet, which I actually love, love, love to watch. (Go Ez!) We have one more Jr. Golf tourney and then we go all the way to Yankton for State. (Go Judah!) India still has dance camp and SPURS and Ezra and Judah have a Science Fun Day somewhere in the middle there. And of course, Noah is lifeguarding amongst all of that
Four more weeks. Can we do this? Yes we can! I think. :)
Well, I better turn on the TV and watch Nadal win Wimbledon. Maybe it will inspire me to grab my racquet and see if I can beat Noah. mmm I better watch VERY CLOSELY . . .
Have a super great 4th of July everyone! And be safe!
jill and all
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