Not alot this week

With trying to keep a weekly update I have found that this week has been relatively uneventful, so this shouldn't be to long. The only thing I can think of today was the fact we had my sons t-ball game on Tuesday, no before I start let me explain that I understand that they are still little kids and getting them to "play" is going to be difficult, but I also believe that the coaches should be in control of their team and this was not the case on Tuesday. We got there a few minutes late and so the team was out in the field which was fine the other team hit through their line-up and our team went to hit, well this is the first problem, each boy is a different height and should have the tee adjusted for such the coaches don't do that so the boys are swinging either high or low depending on how tall they are, I haven't understood why they aren't adjusting the height, I don't say anything because I already have to restrain myself from saying something due to my competitative behavior, which if you really know me isn't that much. Right. :) So I try and stay on the side lines and let the "coaches" do their job. the second thing that got me a little ruffled is during play the catcher was distracted my mom who came around the back stop and kept telling her to look her way so she could get a picture, the first time I shrugged it off as a parent not realizing the ball was in play. Well mom decides the picture must not be good enough so she does it a second time, I know the coaches see her but don't say anything. I know they see her cause the first baseman throws the ball to home plate and comes within 6 inches of hitting the camera from her hand, which would have been justice by itself and would have been awfully funny. Then I am watching the other team(s) and find that they know which base is what and when the coach says run to this base they know where to go, my sons team they wait until someone points to the base. It is these little things that have caused me to be upset and consider to pull my son from the team for this year and get him on a team with a coach I know. I understand alot of this is going to be me teaching him, which I do we play catch and even have a little system to help him practice throwing which I have brought up to several college level and higher baseball players and they think it is good. And for those of you who say if you don't like it then why don't you coach and all I can say is I can't I would be to hard on the kids and more than likely by the end of the season they wouldn't be having fun and I do realize that is more important than anything else.

There goes my short blog for the week, but I do feel better about things.

Proud daddy

Well today was Maddy and Nicki's third softball game they also had pictures. Yes I got them ready but no I didn't have to curl any hair or put make up thank goodness. But we show up and they are running around not really paying attention to much of anything including there coaches I was thinking oh man I just wasted another $100 bucks to put them into something they enjoyed for all of a week maybe two. So I sit in my chair as they head out on to the field to warm up, well as much as you can warm up a 7 and 8 year old. Well Maddy who I haven't seen hit gets up to bat in the first inning, thinking this was a fluke I tell her good job and sit back down. well that inning ends and they take the field nothing really gets hit towards either one of the girls but both girls were in the ready position for most of the inning hands on knees bent over waiting for the ball to be hit. well second inning comes around and Nik gets to the batters box and is waiting well the little girl in front strikes out. So they take the field again, this time both girls have an opportunity to get some action but weren't able to handle the play or it was just out of reach. any how inning ends and Nik is the first up to bat and she strikes out but instead of being upset about it she comes to the dugout which I am sitting right behind and wants her traditional high five I give it to her and tell her she did good, I also told her I could tell she wasn't watching the ball and that she can hit if she hits. That inning ended and well the next inning the girls both played a ball sorta Nik deflected an infield ball to second base and Maddy slowed a ball in the outfield. They did good. The next at bat the regular picture showed up he coaches multiple teams and had to go coach his sons game, he shows up at the beginning of the inning and what an inning that was. Both girls got base hits and were driven home. I think the team could have scored many more runs but they have a 5 run per inning rule and so when the girls hit 5 runs they just send everyone around the bases. Just watching them they seem to really have taken a liken to softball. I am not sure where it comes from but they seem to love it so much they have talked about quiting dance which surprises the heck out of me. But a decision I will leave up to them. Just seeing there faces when they hit the ball or catch a ball says it all to me and makes it worth it, I just hope they continue to enjoy playing. They made there daddy proud.

Holy Crap!!!

Where in the world does my oldest daughter get the idea that she can run away just because mom isn't letting her do what she wanted. Today Maddy had a softball game she has started to love playing it. Well because the weather was a little chilly Paula wanted the girls to wear long sleeve shirts and to have something under thier shorts so they don't get cold and so if they slide they don't get road rash. Maddy decided she didn't want to do that and wasn't going to wear the extra clothing and continued to argue with Paula about it, Paula finally got fed up with the fighting and told her she wasn't going to go to the game, Maddy then stated I am going to the game one way or the other, and she with her little brother helping her decide it would be a good idea to open the window and climb out and head to the game. I will give her some credit she got to the front of the house and turned around and climbed back in, this is when Paula caught her. How does an eight year old girl make these decisions and where does she get the ideas. Once I found out about it, I told Paula to bring her to the jail where I could talk with her. I showed her the jail a little bit and told her a small room we have with no desk, toilet, stool, nothing but a hole in the ground was where little kids went when they runaway. I then made her go to my office and write sentences for about an hour. I hope she realized that this behavior was bad and that it scares her parents. She seemed seems pretty scared after going through the jail. Any ideas for an actual punishment I could use them.

Mom's

Well I was sitting there today contemplating about my mom, my wife, and other mothers and all the awesome stuff they do, I thought mom's rock.

I first thought about how I grew up and the wonderful and great things my taught me as I got older. I remember growing up and thinking why are you making me do this or that I don't do that that is mom chores or I won;t need to do that till later. Boy how our mothers were so knowledgeable and knew exactly what we needed to be successful in life. I also had time to reflect on the fact that I have been very lucky to have my mom, and have had her for so many years. With the issues we have had over the past year and have seen to many mom's in bad shape. I can't imagine what life would be or how it would be not to have my mom. My mom is the foundation of my family she was always there taking care of all the small stupid stuff of life that no one wants to deal with, she did them. I never really remember her complaining about much of anything the only thing I really remember her complaining about is when we as kids wouldn't listen and do our chores. My mom rocks and hope she realizes how much she rocks.

Now my wife, as you all know now my wife was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer June 19,2008. we have been dealing with treatments and other fun medical crap. But yesterday we had a great experience in walking in the Race for the Cure. We also learned we have a lot of awesome friends and family who have supported us. But while there I was able to all those women in pink shirts, the sanctioned ones, all those survivors and think you know breast cancer research and treatment has gone along way in the past few years. I saw these women with short or bald hair and those women are so strong. Then I see the women who are standing with the signs and under the signs and see many women who have survived for upwards of 15+ years and I think wow if they can do that without the little bit of knowledge they had then and what they have now then we can do it. I was able to realize that my wife's doctor is right we are going to have her for a very long time, yes we will always have to worry about this awful disease, but with all these wonderful events and research they will find a cure, or at least be able to treat it so it isn't as bad. I am grateful for my wife and all the crap she puts up, basically me, I love her to death and love the way she handles the kids, I have stayed home many days just me and the kids and really don't understand how she keeps her sanity cause usually by the time she is home I am ready to run away and hide, she does this day in and day out. She is an awesome mom and want to understand how awesome she is. She is our families glue, she keeps everything so that sticks together.

Mom's whether they are my mom, or my wife, or your mom they are the hero's behind life and without them things would surely fall apart.

Thank you MOMS you all rock.

Race for the Cure

Before last year I believed major fund raisers like this and other dieseses and illness were all good and had great intentions. I would donate to freinds because I did and do want something to be discovered it just had never hit home until this last year. It has been amazing to me the support we recieved this year and the many people who wish to support but haven't been able.

I have found myself getting excited to get this going and have found myself going a little more aggresive than I have in past things. breast cancer has become a passion for me, I have relized and seen the hurt, happiness, unity, and other emotions that it brings to families. This is not just in our lives in fact I think I have learned more from oither people watching them how the deal with things and how they get through their trials then are own. I have also realized that there are hundreds of people who have worse situtations than what I can imagine to be in my life. We have gone into Huntsman and we see famalies that are having to bring the kids and babies in because they don;t have the support base of family and freinds who are there and willing to help. I used to beleive that everyone had someone they could rely on but I have seen dozens of people who have to get treatments and are doing it by themselfs. It has amazed me over the last few months of freinds and family I haven't seen or heard from for years that have seemed more than willing to drop everything and come and help if we needed. when people say health issues bring families and freinds out it is true.

The basis of this post is just to say THANK YOU to everyone for the support and love they have shown no matter how big or small it may be it is still needed.

THANK YOU.

Awesome story

I was reading through email's my father in law sent. He usually sends humous off the wall jokes so when I got this intitled little boy sings to sister I thought this is probably pretty good cause I can see my Little man sing to his sisters but I am not sure what he would sing since he is in the stage of life that anythign to do with pooh is funny. So i read the story and well here is a copy of it. grab a tissue and enjoy.

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling.

They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's tummy.

He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown , Tennessee


In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor.

Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition.

With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.

Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying.

Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not.

If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket.


The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed...' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. 'He is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated.

Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside.
He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.
After a moment, he began to sing.
In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
you make me happy when skies are gray.'
Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond.
The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.

'Keep on singing, Michael,' encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes.

'You never know, dear, how much I love you,
please don't take my sunshine away.'
As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged,

strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr
'Keep on singing, sweetheart.'


'The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms' Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.

'Keep on singing, Michael.'
Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse.
Karen glowed.

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away.'

The next day...the very next day. the little girl was well enough to go home

Woman's Day Magazine called it The Miracle of a Brother's Song. The medical staff just called it a miracle.
Karen called it a miracle of God's love.

I thought this was such an awesome story I wanted to share it with everone. Any Parent who has been faced with their little tiny baby on the verge of death understands the fear and emptiness. The fact other little ones may never see or get to know the new baby is such a reality you just don't know what to do. This story brings back those scary memories and feeling and then I remember seeing faces of my other children when they got to see Callie. I guess all I can say is this story is AWESOME.