Monday, July 30, 2018

Safety First

I let JR drive the 5ish miles from the "town" of Trinity out to camp for his first time driving with me in the car.



Kyle has a few trust issues with JR, and took matters in to his own hands. 

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Camp!

Jason and I had to divide and conquer today to get everybody to camp.

I headed up to East Texas with Kyle and JR for Camp Olympia.

This is JR's last year as a camper, so he is in the nicest cabin and even let me take his picture since this his is it for him. 



Kyle is in the same cluster of cabins he was in last year, but in the oldest group.  He was happy to be there. 


Jason headed over to New Braunfels to drop Reed off for camp at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. 

Jason said he was excited and happy to be there too.


Most importantly all 3 kids got bottom bunks which always seems to be the highest priority! 


Friday, July 27, 2018

El Jefe

El Jefe is back from church camp.


 He got in about midnight last night and he leaves for Camp Olympia on Sunday.  
2 days at home.  Just long enough to unpack and repack.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Maw-Maw Stuff

Reed finally came home from having fun with Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw.  


When Reed was on the way up to see them I asked him what he was looking forward to doing and he said, "Oh, you know, Maw-Maw stuff"


Well, "Maw-Maw stuff" must include going to 4 movies, eating what you want, and fishing.




He also played his recorder at the nursing home, and was the "special music" at Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw's church playing both Amazing Grace and When the Saints Go Marching In

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Nationals!

We had a big weekend at AAU Diving Nationals this weekend.  There were kids there from all over the country, and we definitely learned a lot!  



Kyle and I went up on Friday morning and he warmed up on 1-meter early afternoon and 3-meter late afternoon.  I told him it was important to rest Friday evening and he had no problem in that department. 


Granny Sherry and Jason joined us Friday night and we started bright and early on Saturday morning.  Here's how diving opening ceremonies/National Anthem looks. 



Kyle dove 1-meter on Saturday.  Prelims (5 dives) started at 8:30.  Here he is right after diving in his first Nationals.

Finals were later that day, and he did his hardest 2 dives (1 1/2 and a reverse dive) which is then added to his first 3 dives score from prelims. 

Here are the dives he did.  This is from warm-ups because I am too nervous to video during competition.




AAU boys 10 year old silver medalist! 



The sunglasses were part of his winnings


 He wanted to go to the River Walk to celebrate, but it was so crowded we couldn't even find a parking spot.  He settled for Joe's Crab Shack instead...the menu was perfect for a diving champion.


Jason and Little Jason.


We had big hopes for 3-meter since Kyle has won at his last 3 meets.

After the first dive he was in 1st place, but then it was downhill from there.  He didn't dive the way he wanted to in prelims, but Kyle was able to regroup before the finals.  We reevaluated what his goals would be and decided that he should try to score at least a 20 on both his final dives.  He scored at 21.5 and a 22, and was all smiles.  



Here he is doing his reverse dive during finals.  (Another mom videoed and sent it to me.)  Not the best one he's ever done, but still good .
 


It was an amazing learning experience, and we couldn't be more proud of our little diver performing so well at the National Championships in only his 6th meet ever!

Friday, July 20, 2018

I Had to Cry to Get it

JR got his learner's permit yesterday.

I have been ridden with anxiety over this for a month.  Not because he'll be able to drive a car, but the actual going to the DPS office to get the permit.


I'm not sure if I ever blogged about it, but it took me 3 trips to the DPS to change my Texas drivers license back from a Colorado one.  On trip 2 I almost got arrested.  Granny Sherry was there, it was a total scene.


I made Jason check over the 9 pieces (yes, 9) of documentation I had to see if he could poke holes in anything I had.  The only thing I was worried about was that our 2 proofs of residency had his name on them and not mine.


I made the appointment online and we headed out.  (I was trying to do lots of self talk about how it was going to be okay when they told me something wasn't right, and we had all day to get this done.)


We arrived and this is the line to get IN the DPS.  You aren't checked in at this point, you are just waiting to go inside and check in to wait. 


Since I had made an appointment, we only had to wait in the "appointment line" to go inside.

I made friends with the blonde lady in front of me who was there for her 2nd try to get her 15 year old son his permit.  It didn't help my nerves that she was on her 2nd try.


We waited outside about 10 minutes and then we got to go inside and check in so we could wait to be called.  This is one section of the waiting room, there's another section behind that wall, plus people in rows behind me.

While we were waiting they came over the loudspeaker and said to stop coming up and asking when you would be called  because the wait was 3 hours for people without an appointment. 

They called our number after about 20 minutes, and I was in total panic mode.  Sure enough, they wouldn't except our proof of residency because it had Jason's name on it and not mine.  


 At this point I'd like to stop my story to interject how stupid it is that my own driver's license is not a proof of residency being that I'm standing in an office that gives out driver's licenses!


I started to tear up and get emotional which I guess is how to play the system because she told me to run out to my car and get my car insurance (it would have my name and address on it) and she would look up my voters registration for me...which also goes to show that these people have all the power in the world.  She could have sent me away...which is what I fully expected her to do.


I blessed her many times and Praise Jesus, JR walked out with this permit!

And FYI, my nerves still haven't fully recovered. 

Thursday, July 19, 2018

More Vacationing

If going on a hunting trip wasn't exciting enough, well then, we know Schlitterbahn certainly is.

We did our annual trip with Cassidy and her family which made it all the more fun for everyone involved.   

As it always is, when you're having too much fun you forget to take pictures, so I have very little to show for our trip.


Cassidy and me at Gruene Hall the night before Schlitterbahning reved up.


JR's got about 2 more inches to go until he's as tall as Mr. Brad


That's me on The Falls


It doesn't take much to make the kids go to bed after a day in the park. 


The little guys busing it over to the "original" park.



And we took a picture of them all lined up by age because Reed said we had taken one a few years ago in Huntsville at the snow cone stand.  (5 years between pictures)



Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Reed Highlights

Reed wasn't ready to come home, and said the only thing he missed about home was Chloe.  

Reed was also a big fan of the dogs.


And supposedly his new favorite food is salami sandwiches.  I'm a terrible mother because I've never made him one, and they are "the most delicious things in the world".



Reed definitely enjoyed having his picture made with the animals.



And I think he was most excited about his ostrich.


 Though I would think giraffe kisses would be a total highlight!


Monday, July 16, 2018

Kyle Highlights

Both the boys had a great time on their trip.  Kyle told me he was ready to come home (but I think that was only so he could go to diving practice).  Reed told me he wanted to stay longer.

Here are Kyle's highlights:


 There was a trampoline, so flips could continually be practiced. 


Aunt Traci was there. 


There were lots of dogs to play with.


And he remembered to bring his glasses so he could actually see the animals.
 (Do you see the elephant behind them?)





And feeding giraffes was pretty cool too.


Saturday, July 14, 2018

All at 10

I have been terrible with blogging this month.  All the boys were gone, so there really wasn't much to say.  Then everyone came home, and I made a quick trip up to Colorado.  So now maybe I can get back to my normal blogging routine.


So the Namibian hunt was a success.  And even better, all the Ingersolls that live in the same house as me have killed an impala in Namibia when they were 10.  (I guess that's a big deal or something.) 


Jason

JR


 Kyle

Reed