More Soccer Pictures

Here are some more pictures of Caden from today's soccer game.

~jen

1st Soccer Game

Caden had his first soccer game this afternoon. He had a great time. It was a lot of fun to watch! It basically resembled "controlled" chaos! :)

~jen

Iced Coffee! Yummy!

This morning on my way home from the gym, I decided to stop by McDonalds and try one of their new Iced Coffee drinks. I got the Vanilla Iced Coffee and it was yummy! So much that I thought it was "blog-worthy"! :)

Just FYI... I was curious to know how many calories were in this new found favorite of mine, so I went to McDonalds and you can find the calorie and fat content for everything they serve! Good information to know!

~jen

Another Win!

Cody's team won against their #1 rival, Bonham, 21-0. Cody played well, no touchdowns this game. He had a few good blocks. After the game he said he just didn't feel well... lots of cramping and a headache. After getting some dinner in him, he said he felt better. He seems a little worn out these days. Hopefully he will rest well tonight. Here are a couple of pictures from today's game.

~jen

1st KU Field Trip

I accompanied Caden and his class to the fair today on their first field trip. It was a great time. Ms. Keri and Ms. Teresa have a wonderful class. (You both work extremely hard! God bless you both!) It was a pleasure to go along with them today. Here are a few pictures of Caden from the day.

~jen

*Our class wore the yellow bandannas. It was a great way to keep track of our kiddos at any time.

*Ah... the petting zoo... again!

*Caden watching ever so closely to the milking demonstration! See the cow below!

*How many more pictures are you going to take, mom?

*We probably shouldn't have been sitting on this... but it made for a great photo-op!

*Yummy cotton candy!

Yeah! It's the end of the field trip! For the kids and the adults! Whew! What a day!

Weight Loss Update and A Day at the Fair

Weight Loss Update:
I decided to go ahead and weigh-in today (a day early) while at the gym and I have lost another 3 lbs! Yahoo! I can't believe it. It really feels good. Thanks to you all for your support.


A Day at the Fair:

After a workout at the gym with Renay and Keri, we all went to the Tri-State Fair. We met Melissa, a friend of Keri's, there. I am sure we were quite a sight with a group of 4 adults and 7 kids! Wow! I have never been to the fair. It was quite a lot to take in. I figured out that as far as food goes it has to be one of two things to be considered "Fair" food.... it has to be fried or it has to be on a stick! I saw signs for fried pickles, fried ice cream, and fried s'mores!

Now since I have been so good lately with my diet and work-out regimen, I decided that it was ok to treat myself (which is why I weighed in today and not tomorrow!). So I had a corn dog (regular sized, not the foot-long ones!), we all shared some Texas Tators, and then Caden and I shared a funnel cake. I have to say the corn dog was really good and I should have stopped there. After the funnel cake, I could literally feel my arteries clogging and my stomach didn't feel so well either!

After lunch we walked over to the textiles exhibit and took in all the hand-made goods. We saw some really good-looking pies and baked goods. We also saw some beautiful photography. I think next year I may enter in some things. I think I could enter in a few baked goods and maybe even a photograph or two! :)

Afterwards we were going to watch a gentleman whittle some wood... with a chainsaw... but the winds were so strong today and the exhaust from his chainsaw was a little too much. Caden was also distracted by a mechanical bull behind us, so we soon found ourselves watching Caden ride a bucking bull! Yee-haw, cowboy!

We made our to the petting zoo exhibit and most of the kids really had a good time petting all the animals.

It was really a great day spent with great friends!

Here are some pictures of the afternoon.

~jen

*Caden was so serious at first while on the bull, he kept a close eye on the gentleman working the controls of the bull... but then he finally lightened up. I tried to get a picture of him with one arm up in the air, but whenever I asked him to hold up his hand... he would only do it for literally 2 seconds and then he had it securely fastened to the rope!

*Yuck! Believe me, if I could have covered Caden and I from head to toe with alcohol gel after petting the animals... I would have! We did get our hands cleaned and then went straight home and had a bath!

Everyone Loves a Parade!

Today Caden and I joined a good friend of mine and her 2 kiddos and we all went to the Tri-State Fair Parade. I have never been to watch the parade, so I was really excited to go. Cody was invited by a friend to participate in the parade. Caden and I had a great time. Here are some pictures of the morning.
~jen

*Cade's trying to pop the bubbles that were coming off of a float. (That's a sucker in his mouth.)

*This was one of Caden's favorite cars in the parade. He thought this car was too cool!

*Here's Cody passing out candy to all the kids!

*Apparently Cody's friend's group was supporting 'Frank for Sheriff'. Not sure who Frank is... but Cody had a lot of fun taking part in the parade!

Another Great Work-Out

Ok... I'm not going to blog about every workout. But, today was a great time spent with two good friends... Renay and Keri. It was really a lot of fun. It was such an encouragement to have these 2 right beside me.
Keri, you are a great motivator and I enjoyed visiting with you about Caden and KU (Keri is Cade's teacher at KU.). Every few minutes Keri would say... ok... get to 170 cal burned, or get to 3/4 mile mark. Thanks for pushing us along and for the encouragement!
Renay, I enjoyed spending the time with you. By the way... love the new hairstyle! (Renay and I have this awesome friendship... talk basically every day... but only see each other once every few months!)
We have to do it again soon, girls! It was really a fun time!

~jen

Newspaper Link

Here's a link to Cody's team's highlights from Tuesday.

The touchdown pass that Cody received was 45 yards! Way to go Cody! :)

http://www.amarillo.com/stories/091207/mor_8457835.shtml

~jen

Way to go RENAY!!

My friend Renay calls me last night at 8:45... and says... so, you want to go to the gym tonight?

What??? Are you kidding me? I've just worked a 12 hour shift, walked up and down my assigned hallway 100+ times (which was on the Cardiology floor- it was my time to be "pulled"), tired as can be.... no way do I want to go to the gym! :)

However, I have to say that I am really proud of Renay. I am sure she was up at the crack of dawn yesterday getting her older kids ready for school and then took care of her 1 year old twin girls, helped with homework, cooked supper, helped get the kids ready for bed, AND then drove the 20 mins or so that it probably takes to get to the gym. So, WAY TO GO RENAY! I love your commitment and your enthusiasm! Hope you had a great work-out.

Love you,
~jen

First Football Game Pics

Cody had his first game today. His team played one of their biggest competitors and Crockett WON! The final score was 14-6. Cody had an amazing touchdown on a pass play! It was awesome... and luckily I had moved toward the end zone a few plays earlier so I was right there cheering him on! It was so exciting! Here are some pictures of the game. Thanks to Marcia, Rebecca, Aaron, and Sadie for joining us. I appreciate you coming and supporting Cody!

~jen


*I snapped this pic right before Cody caught the touchdown pass!

Weight Loss Update

Drum roll......

3 lbs lost! I know it is a small amount... but it is a start. Only 27 lbs more to meet goal #1.

I just got back from the gym. It is such a great feeling... it's so energizing. Believe me it was hard to get there. I almost had myself talked out of it. There's housework, cleaning, laundry and dishes to be done.... but it can wait. Working out was more important... so I didn't let my temptation get the best of me and I went to the gym! Yeah!

Now it's time to start on the house! :)

~jen

Fall is in the air....

If you live in Amarillo, open the windows and enjoy the free air conditioning! Our first "cold front" is blowing in right now. It is very cloudy here, and there is a cool breeze in the air. It is wonderful! I saw the temperature was a cool 60 degrees now and falling. By morning we could be down into the 40's-50's. I know I sound like a meteorologist... but I am just so excited for fall to get here! It is one of my favorite times of the year! I spent the day Saturday setting out all of my fall things. I went to Hobby Lobby today and picked up some flowers to make a fall wreath for my front door. I think it turned out really pretty! :)

Hope all is well with each of you. We are doing great. Cody called earlier today to let me know that he will be starting on offense (wide receiver), and he will be on the kick-off and return team for tomorrow's game. Return team doesn't sound right. Is that the right name for it? He will be on the special team that receives a kick-off. Make sense? :)

Cade's doing well. He found his long-lost Cars XBox game (it was under the couch) this weekend, so he is so excited to play it again. He is excited for tomorrow to get here... it's KU day (preschool)! He has really enjoyed school so far! His first soccer games are this weekend. I am excited to watch him play. It should be fun.

Mike and I are doing fine. Nothing really new to report with either of us. NFL football has officially started this past weekend. Say a prayer for me. It's going to be a long season! :)

Hope all is well with each of you!

~jen

Happy Grandparent's Day!

Happy Grandparent's Day!


I have always thought I had the most wonderful sets of grandparents. That hasn't changed. I know that I am blessed to have my Papa, Granny, Grandma, and Pa still living and an active part of my life.

Some of my most favorite memories are these:
-All the trips to Lake Diversion with Grandma and Pa
-The summers I spent on the road with Granny and Papa in a non-air conditioned Studebaker traveling to a Studebaker Convention
-My Grandma's chocolate chip cookies
-Watching my Granny work in her beauty shop
-Pa teaching me how to drive the Suburban
-Papa picking me up in Electra to ride the train
-Riding on the Joy Bus after church
-My Granny's Christmas Day meal

There are so many more that I could list. I will truly cherish each memory. What gives me even more pleasure is knowing that my kids will each have memories of not only their grandparents but their great-grandparents as well!

We are truly blessed.

Grandparent's Poem
~Author Unknown~
There is a special kind of love that grandchildren have for their grandparents.
It's filled with respect for their wisdom and accomplishments
with gratitude for the values they've given us
with delight in the stories of our family that they remember and share.
It's a special kind of love that's built on a lifetime of caring and giving.
It's the kind of love that's felt for you,

Granny and Papa, Grandma and Pa.... today and always.

With much love to Granny, Papa, Grandma, and Pa...
Happy Grandparent's Day!

Love,
~Jennifer

PS... A special thank you to Mom, Dad, Donnie and Marcia for being such great grandparents to Cody and Caden. Mike and I appreciate all that you do for the boys!

Bike Helmet

Here's another Caden story for you all!

Earlier today I drove Cody out to the golf course. Caden knew we were getting ready to leave, so he ran outside ahead of us to get in a quick bicycle ride. He had his helmet on and as we were getting loaded up I asked Caden to take off his helmet while we were in the car. To be quite honest he looked a little silly sitting in his car seat with his bicycle helmet on and I was a little embarrassed.

Well, he said no way, he wanted to wear it. I'm learning to let go of the small stuff and only fight the big battles, so I just said ok.

We had to stop by Mike's office to pick up Cody's golf clubs, and as we were waiting, Mike came out to the car to say hello. Of course Mike's grinning from ear to ear once he sees Caden sitting in the back seat with his bicycle helmet securely fastened to his head. He asks Caden why he has on his bike helmet. Caden replies... just in case mommy crashes... she's a crazy driver.

Thanks, Caden.

~jen

Gold Team

Cody made the Gold team in football! First game is next Tuesday at Mann Middle School at 4:00. You are all welcome to join us!

~jen

Big Boy Bike

Caden decided to spend the last of his birthday money today while we were at Wal-Mart. He found a bike that he liked. Here are a few pictures!

We Both Survived Our 1st Day of Pre-K!

Caden made it through his first day of Pre-K! His Mommy did too!

Caden's first words when I picked him up: "I didn't get in time-out today!". Yeah! I was glad to hear that! :) Then he said he had the nicest teacher and he really likes Ms. Keri. She sat by him at lunch and they talked about soccer. Overall, I think he had a great first day. He really thinks he is such a big boy now and can't wait for Thursday to get here!

As for me.... I did pretty well. I stayed very busy all day. After dropping him off, I came home for a little while then decided to go get a manicure and pedicure. Confession: I have never had a pedicure. I have always wanted one, but never had enough courage. (Somewhere in the back of my mind is the scene from Steel Magnolias when Annelle has to give Ouiser a pedicure.) But I decided to give it a try. The massage chair was probably my favorite part. I didn't really enjoy the pedicure experience. The water was way too hot, the lady nicked one of my cuticles (then the nurse in me thought... wonder what kind of staph infection I could get from that!), I hated when she used the pumice stone on the bottom of my feet...but the best part is that my toenails look so pretty. I chose a pretty shade of pink and she painted some flowers on my big toenails! Too cute! We decided that I didn't really need a full manicure, so she just cleaned up my fingernails and put a clear coat on them.

Over the past few days I have been thinking a lot about a number of things... from Caden starting preschool to Cody being in high school next year... and one of the bigger ones is my weight. I decided over the weekend that it was time to make some changes. So after my spa experience I joined Weight Watchers. It was very depressing to see my weight right there on paper... in black and white. There was no denying it. Time to face reality. Time to make some serious changes. Time to commit. Time to get healthy. Time to lose the weight and keep it off.

My short term goal is at least 30 pounds lost by Christmas. So there it is...I've made it public... it holds me more accountable if everyone knows. I'll post on Tuesdays about the progress I am making.... which will be more for me personally. I can look back and see how I've done and hopefully I will stay on track to make my goal.

~jen

1st Day of Pre-K!!

Today was Caden's first day of Pre-K. I think he was up about 5 times throughout the night...just so excited for it be morning. He and I went and had breakfast at McDonald's (aka Mr. Donald's per Caden). We had a nice time. Of course, the whole time I am fighting back the tears knowing what's ahead.

Once at school, Caden seemed a little shy, but not scared. He gave each of his teachers a bag of goodies, found his spot to hang his back-pack, and then sat in his seat to begin playing with play-dough (one of his favorite activities!). He gave me a great big good-bye hug and kiss and asked what time I would pick him up. That was it. No big deal.

I did well until it was time to leave. I didn't dare let him see the tears even through our good-bye hug. But as I was hugging Keri, one of his teachers, on my way out... they came. So I quickly left. Made it to my car and then sobbed. This is so hard. Caden is my baby. I know he isn't a baby anymore. But starting school is a new chapter for him... and for me. It's the beginning of the last of the "firsts". He is the youngest, so every "first" he has is the last for us to experience.

I know he is going to have a great day. Knowing Keri is there, makes it so much more easier. I know he is going to be safe, loved, nurtured and he is getting a great start to his education.

Hopefully I can make until 2:30. I am so excited to hear all about his day.

Here are some pictures of the morning:

*1st Day of Pre-K picture

*Close up of Caden's new smile

*Sitting in his seat in his classroom

~jen

End of Garage Sale Day #1

I am so tired! There is nothing worse than a garage sale. You spend countless hours getting ready for the sale.... set up tables... put everything out... and then sit for 8 hours trying to sell all of your junk. Don't even get me started on the "customers". I think I was asked 5 times today if a cordless phone I was selling worked. I honestly wanted to say... "no, it doesn't work... I'm just trying to sell it for $5 to see if someone will actually buy it!". And don't even get me started on the people who gather up a good $20 worth of clothes... enough clothes to last a week.... and then ask if you will sell all 40 pieces for $2! I know that I spent well over $200 on those clothes that were worn for 1 season and now I am selling them for 90% off what I paid for them! Give me a break people! I got to the point that whenever someone asked me to go lower, I just said "no". I think I even made one lady mad, but after being haggled all day.... enough is enough!

But it's only half-over... I still have tomorrow to get through!

~jen

Meet-n-Greet and Just my luck!

Meet-n-Greet...
Tonight was Caden's "meet-n-greet" at his new preschool. He was so excited to attend. I was lucky enough to get to leave work early this evening so I could attend with Mike and Caden. We were able to meet Cade's teachers, Ms. Keri and Ms. Teresa. We also got to see Caden's wonderful classroom. Caden will have 13 other classmates. He met a couple of other little boys in his class and hopefully they will be on their way to forming friendships! I am so excited for him (and a little nervous, anxious, worried....what else.... ) but I know he will be fine. :)

Just my luck...
For the past couple of weeks I have been getting ready for a much needed garage sale planned for this weekend. My kitchen is completely full of garage sale goodies, along with a packed garage. So, I am really anxious to get all of this JUNK out of my home! I decided this evening to go ahead and hang my Garage Sale posters around our neighborhood. Before I left I took one last check of the weather radar, just to make sure there weren't any storms rolling our way. (All evening it has looked like it could rain at any point.) Well the radar was clear, so I thought "go ahead, it won't rain". Wouldn't you know it, right after I hung up the last of my 8 signs, it began pouring rain! I can't wait to see what shape these signs are in the morning! Hopefully the sale will be a success.... without any further rain showers!

~jen

Where's the Tooth Fairy?

This will go down in history as one of those tooth fairy bloopers!

Last night Caden lost tooth # 2! He has had a loose tooth for a few weeks, but has been wiggling it with great determination to get it out! Well, last night it was time to pull it. I had the honors of doing it. I guess I did such a great job with the first one, that Caden had complete confidence that I could get the job done! Mike seemed a little disappointed that he did not get to pull it. But when ever he tells horror stories of pliers and strings attached to doorknobs to pull teeth, Caden doesn't want him to come anywhere near his loose tooth! :)

After a couple of tries, the baby tooth popped right out! It was so funny to watch Cade's expression go from "ouch, that hurt" to laughter the very next second! He immediately ran to the bathroom to take a look at his new smile!

He ran into the kitchen, grabbed a baggie, placed his tooth in it, and ran to put it under his pillow.

I worked yesterday, so I decided to go to bed a little early last night, so I reminded Mike to be sure and take care of the tooth fairy duty before he went to bed.

Mistake #1. Mike was watching the golf channel when I told him to take care of the tooth.... I should have repeated myself about 5 times, instead of assuming that he was paying attention to what I had just said.

All was well this morning (at least I assumed) until a little boy made his way into the living room, bottom lip trembling, carrying the baggie with the TOOTH STILL IN IT, and trying to explain to me that the tooth fairy didn't come, all-the-while trying his 5 year old best not to cry.

My heart was broken for this child of mine! I quickly made up (aka LIED) a story that the tooth fairy must have been so busy last night that she (Caden interrupted and said "not she, but "HE", the tooth fairy is a boy") couldn't come by, but he will definitely stop by tonight....maybe even during nap-time today! He said a quiet "ok" and let me rock him for a few minutes. I felt so horrible for him. What a disappointment!

I put on some cartoons, made sure Caden was ok, and quickly made my way to our bedroom where I not-so-nicely woke Mike up to ask him what he FORGOT to do last night! His response... "oh, yeah.... I was supposed to do that.... hum.... sorry".

MEN!

So, I will make sure our "boy" tooth fairy will deliver some extra money during nap-time for this injustice that has occurred!
:)

~jen

1st Day of 8th Grade!!

Well I just got home from taking Cody to school! I cannot believe he is in 8th grade! We are now 1 year away from high school!

He actually woke up on his own this morning....before me! I was quite proud (and happy to avoid the whole wake-up Cody routine!)!

I tried to do my best "mom" speech this morning. I tried to remind him to stay organized, keep on top of his homework, be respectful, be nice to the 6th graders even though he is a "big boy" on campus this year, do his best in each class and athletics, and to have fun. Do you know what Cody's response was.... he mooned me! Not a "full" moon, but a half-moon (all I saw was underwear!). What respect this child of mine has for his mom! :)

I had to threaten him to get this picture. I told him that if he didn't do it, that I would make sure he arrived to school late! It is a tradition... I get a picture on the first day of each school year... it doesn't matter what grade he is in, I'll do this all the way through high school! This one is a great "I can't believe you are making me do this, mom" picture.

I pray that he will always be safe and well-cared for while he is in school. I don't care how old he is, I want him to be in an environment that he feels safe in. I pray that he does well this year in both academics and athletics. I hope he has a ton of fun. I hope he cherishes every moment!

Have a great day everyone!

~jen

Cadenisms

Here are my latest Caden stories and phrases from the past week or so!

- "Mom, how 'bout you call me Cody and call Cody Caden?"

-On our way to soccer practice... "I am going to dominate!"

-"Hey Baby, Baby" and then he does this thing with his eye brows after he says it!

-"I'm ready for Cody to go to school, Mom." (Me, too Caden!)

-"I don't need to drink milk any more, Mom. Milk is for babies."

-"Where do green beans come from? Chicken?" (I have NO idea the rationale behind this one! We definitely need to go to Mamaw's garden and have a little lesson!)

-Before I left for the store the other day Caden says to me all matter-of-fact like... "Mom, I am just going to stay at home by myself while you're at the store. I'll be fine." (Yeah, right! I don't think so! So a very unhappy little boy accompanied me to the store. We had a great time!)

:)

~jen

Latest news....

So sorry it has been so long since my last post. Things have been a little crazy around here lately! Here are a few blurbs from the past week or so!

-Cody is officially registered and ready for school. He has a great schedule, with some of the same teachers that he had last year. He went up to the school early this morning to check out his football gear! Now the excitement has really begun! I just hope I can deal with him complaining next week about all the running that I know he will be doing! Practices are after school this year... it's still pretty hot these days, so I hope he survives!

-Cody and a friend of his had their cell phones broken by a high school kid last weekend while at the town club. The police were called and the boys (and us) filed a police report. We've been told that the chances of anything happening to the boy who broke the phones were slim. He basically had to confess. There was a witness to the high school boy rummaging through Cody and his friend's things, but not to actually breaking the phones. It was really hard to tell Cody that the high school boy may never be punished for his action. It is such a violating feeling. I am proud of Cody for standing up for himself and doing the right thing, though. Hopefully nothing further will happen between him and the high school boy (and/or the high school boy's friends!). Cody received a new cell phone in the mail today, so he is excited to be "whole" again. What in the world did we do before cell phones!

-Caden is also registered for school. We have decided to wait another year before starting Caden in Kindergarten. He will still attend our local elementary school for speech therapy each week. He will have a new speech teacher this year and we are excited to meet her. He will also begin a "pre-school" this fall at Central Church of Christ's Kid University. He will attend "school" 2 days a week on Tuesday and Thursdays. My good friend Renay's sister, Keri, is a teacher there and Caden will be in her class. I am so excited for Caden. I know Keri is going to be a great teacher and it will be very comforting knowing that she will be taking care of him. It really helps to ease my mind some! Maybe I won't worry.... as much! I know this will be a great opportunity for him and will prepare him for Kindergarten next year.

-Caden has started soccer. He has caught on quickly and he tells me all the time that the # 1 rule in soccer is NO HANDS! His coach did a great job getting that rule across to the kids. I was a little nervous about his coach because he is one of the head soccer coaches at a local high school and also coaches an Amarillo soccer team. But, he has been great! We are excited to watch Caden play this fall. I am sure it will be fun to watch!

Hope all is well with each of you.

~jen

Long Lost Friends

In high school I had a large group of friends from church. We did everything together. Over the years, we slowly lost touch with one another. Most of them have moved away, and I am sure have started families of their own. I've often wondered about each of them... what are they doing, are they married, how many kids, where are they working, how their parents are... the list of questions goes on and on.

Well, thanks to my friend Renay, I have gotten in touch with my close friend from high school, Mary Beth. We've emailed each other and are on our way to trying to catch up from the last 15 years! It has given me a new determination to try and contact as many people from my past! Even though it seems like high school was just yesterday...it's hard to realize that 15-16 years have passed. That's a really long time!

So, thanks Renay for getting Mary Beth and I in contact with each other! :)
~jen

We're back.

We made it home Sunday afternoon after a long weekend at my grandparent's house. My parents were there also. We had a nice time. Didn't really do much. The kids, my mom, and I went to the mall in Denton to get the kids some shoes. Thanks, Mom for the shoes. The kids have really loved them. Especially Caden. He knows that they make him jump higher and run faster than ever! :)
Now we are trying to get the house clean, get ready for a much needed garage sale, and get the kids ready for school. The countdown has begun... only 13 more days until school starts for Cody. (Caden will start the day after Labor day.)
I guess this is all for now. There isn't much going on. Just enjoying each day and trying to find a way to stay cool. Boy, has it been hot lately! I am ready for fall to get here!
Take care everyone,
~jen

The Wonder of Space

I have to tell you that I get goosebumps every time I see a space shuttle lift off into space. What a wonder it is. What an extraordinary event to witness. I can only imagine what it would be like to see in person.

What makes today's launch so much more meaningful is that I remember sitting in my 6th grade class room with all of my classmates watching the Challenger launch. It was so exciting because a teacher was going up in space for the first time. We had been studying space in science class. We were all so excited to witness this piece of history. Of course, minutes into the launch, we all witnessed the explosion before our very eyes and another piece of history was made instead. What a tragedy it was. I remember my teacher just broke down and cried. It was such a sad day.

But today was a celebration for all those who have lost their lives attempting to reach a dream.

Caden watched in full amazement as the shuttle Endeavour climbed higher and higher into the vast blue sky. He turned to me in awe and said, "I want to do that when I grow up, Mommy!".
I just thought... dream big, little one... and it can be yours.

~jen

Season's Over

Well, I am sitting at my computer with a smile on my face because this year's golf tournament season is
O-V-E-R! Yeah! Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to watch Cody play. I get just as excited as he does when he hits the ball well or makes an awesome putt. I love to watch him compete and have a wonderful time with all of his new and old golfing buddies. This group of boys will be competing against each other for the next 4-5 years, but hopefully they will all remain such great supportive friends to each other.

Cody lost today's round and was eliminated from the tournament. It was a disappointment to him, but he understands that he was playing against some boys who were physically stronger and more mature than him. I only wish he could have played in his own age bracket. Even though he lost this tournament, he played very close to the level that the boys who were 3-5 years older than him played. He gave them a run over these past 2 days and I am so proud of him for the way he played!

Cody has come a long way this tournament season when compared to last year's. Last year in Cody's age bracket, he tied for 82nd place (out of 105 players). This year, Cody placed 12th (out of 99 players). These players are from the West Texas Region and play/live anywhere from Dalhart, to Amarillo, to Lubbock, and all the way down to Midland and Odessa. I can't tell you how proud Mike and I are of Cody and all that he has accomplished this year. He has improved so much and we have so much to look forward to next year!

Now that golf is over.... get ready for some football! Only 3 more weeks and the football season officially begins! Also, for you soccer fans.... Caden starts soccer in a couple of weeks! So get ready for some great highlights from Caden, too!

The boys and I are leaving tomorrow for a weekend trip to my grandparents. My mom and dad will also be there. We are looking forward to spending some much needed family time with them.

Take care everyone.

~jen

Whew...what a day!

We have been going non-stop since about 8:30 this morning (that doesn't include that fact that I woke up for some unknown reason at 5:30 this morning). Cody had the first part of his last (at least I hope his last) tournament today. Cody is having to play with the 16-18 age group boys during this tournament because Mike and I have a major communication problem! Mike thought that I had signed Cody up for this tournament weeks ago, and I thought he had signed him up (because Mike was the one that even brought up the idea of Cody playing in the tournament!). Well of course on Friday evening we all realized that no one had signed Cody up. And boy, was Cody ever upset. I am sure that if there was a "Worst Mother of the Year" award I would have been nominated! Why the brunt of the disappointment was directed towards me and not equally towards Mike and I, I don't know; but, boy was he upset with me! (Oh the joys of parenting!) Anyway, we got Cody signed up, but the only available slot was in the 16-18 age group.

I am really proud of Cody, though. He played very well today considering he was playing against boys 3-5 years older, stronger, and more mature in the game of golf than him. I got tickled at him because he came up to me and said, "Do you realize that I playing against boys that can drive cars! They drove themselves to this tournament, mom.". I think he thought he was pretty cool playing with the big boys! And I am sure he was a little embarrassed having his mom there!

After a tough day, he lost today's round. But since it is a double elimination, he plays again tomorrow morning. If he wins, then he will play in the finals on Thursday; if he loses, then he is done.

Caden made it through about half of the tournament so he and I decided to take a break. Our dog has been limping for the past couple of days and since it seemed to be getting worse, he and I took our dog to our vet. Caden loves the vet's office. Boomer, on the other hand took a long time to warm up to the place. I had to literally drag him into the office! After an examination and x-ray, it was decided that Boomer has a soft tissue injury to his front paw. No broken bones, thank goodness! He got an injection of a NSAID and some pain pills to take over the next few days. Hopefully he will be back to his playful self again. Even though he has not whimpered once, it is so hard to see him limping!

Of course after that I had to drive back to the golf course and pick up Cody. Then onto home to drop off the kids, and then to what else... the grocery store! I have worked the past 2 days, so the grocery supply at our house was limited! I think after all the trips today, I put close to 75 miles on my car!

Again... Whew, what a day!

As much as I would like to say that I could rest tomorrow... oh, no, we have Day #2 of the tournament to go to!

When does school start? Because I need a break! :)

Hope everyone is well. Love to you all.
~jen

Cade's Newest Phrase

As many of you know, Caden is always coming up with a new phrase!

We've gone through quite a few:
-You are a meat-head (this is still a favorite).
-You old lady (he has not used this one on me...yet).
-Meanie (another favorite)
-Holy cow
-I'm not your friend anymore.

His latest phrase... Aye, Aye Captain!

As in...
Me: Caden, it's time to pick up your toys.
Caden: Aye, Aye Captain!

Me: Caden, go tell Cody supper's ready.
Caden: Aye, Aye Captain!

Me: It's bedtime, Caden.
Caden: Aye, Aye Captain!

I'm not too sure how I feel about being called "Captain". I much as I try to run a "tight ship" around here... it's not happening! I am as far away from the "Captain" status as it gets! Oh well... at least it brings a smile to my face whenever I hear Caden say "Aye, Aye Captain!". :)

~jen

Cell phone(s) found!

Well, a kind person at the golf course returned my lost cell phone Wednesday evening. Mike brought it home that night along with Cody's phone! It seems that not only was Cody's cell phone not working.... it too was lost (a small detail that Cody did not share with us!). Cody's phone is once again working thanks to Mike's discovery that Cody had the phone's SIM card in backwards!
So, now all that remains missing are my car keys! Hopefully they too will turn up... soon!
~jen


PS... Cade is feeling much better these days. His eyes have cleared up. All that remains is a small cough every once in a while.

What else? Part 2

Well, I asked the question "what else?", so let's add pink eye into the list of things going on right now! Caden woke up this morning with the cruddy, red, itchy eyes! This poor little boy! When he gets sick, he gets SICK! Hopefully he will get everything out of his system and be well soon!

Take care,
~jen