Ball, Ball, and more Ball

Wow, it's sooo easy to get behind and feel overwhelmed ;( Lately we are busy playing....you guessed it BALL, LOL. Everyday we are a ball field somewhere. Between league, select, and fall ball practices we are getting ball park tans and hating concession stand foods, LOL. Don't take me wrong I'm not complaining, the kids totally love it, it just gets tiring running from practice to practice and game to game with a few tournaments mixed in there too.

Meg is currently playing with TX Full Count...she has recently told us she isn't haven't as much fun anymore (heartbreaking, I KNOW). I honestly think it's because of some of the personalities on the team, because she doesn't want to quit she just wants on a different team without this one girl. Ron and I are currently praying and waiting for God's guidance in handling this situation. Finally it seems like this little team we started 3 years ago (AKA Ball Hawgz) is getting a break. We are winning some tournaments, playing good, and now Meg isn't happy, it's hard to explain to her that there will always be difficult personalities and you just have to deal with them. The easy solutions would be to just throw them off the team, but it just isn't that easy. I know there is a plan and somehow this will work out. In the meantime, we will continue playing and praying.

Tracer is playing now too. He is currently playing League at TCBA on the Pinto Orioles and practicing with team Impact, a select 9U team. He LOVES team Impact, but considering he is only 7 it might not be the best option for him. He does excel on the League team and will more than likely make the All Star team. He just really likes playing with the older boys and being challenged. He is very excited that there will soon be a 7U Impact team which he will get to try out for and hopefully play with in the Fall. He is soo excited not to just have a "short" baseball season and that he will get to play more tournaments like Meg does.

I just pray that both kids are learning lots of life lessons. Meg has always had trouble with the difficult personalities she faces in class and at school. As her mother it isn't easy!! I find myself really wanting to line these little girls out, but I can't. I know I have to let her handle it, she will grow with this, and hopefully learn a lesson (or that's what I tell myself anyway). Hopefully, Trace will learn that you have to work for things and have patience they will happen. Everything has came sooo easy for him, he tries for something and pretty well succeeds. I don't want him to grow up thinking that life is soo easy. Anyway, these are just a few of the lessons I hope they learn today. I'm sure next week, practice, game, etc... there will be another lessons they will get to learn.

Wow Where I have been....

Geez...I didn't realize I have been gone this long ;(...Actually LaJeania pointed it out a few scrapnights ago lol. Well instead of rehashing the last 7 months...lets just say my days have been full!! Baseball, Softball, volleyball, basketball, School, teaching my 3's class, church, holidays, and the list goes on and on and on.... Let's just say I have been blissfully busy and loving it. I really hope one day I don't look back and regret all that we are doing, but I know the kids will never say they weren't important and that they were "Bored" (or they better not anyway, LOL). Let's just look at Feb..Meg's Xcel volleyball team is in full swing. This weekend will be here 2nd tournament. Trace's basketball is 1/2 way over, he will play his 5th game this weekend, with only 1 more regular game and then his tournament will start after that. Meg is also still playing softball, they practice every Sunday, with her taking private pitching lessons on Monday and Wednesdays. Trace is also practicing with a hit team, he loves it!! but this is just if we have time to squeeze in those practices between everything else. Ronald has changed his classes at church, he now teaches the Jr High class, it's kind of a "Pre-Youth" class, and every week we get to hear how excited he is to watch the kids grow with their love of the Lord. Me, I'm just busy being everyone's glue, with a little crafting/scrapbooking in between. I know that probably sounds weird, but I'm enjoying just watching each of them live, love and grow. I know these moments are precious and fleeting and one day, there wont' be practices or games, or classes or clinics, and then I will SLEEP!!! But until then we are just living it up, messy house and all.

Here are a few pics that I love from the past few months ;)


Meg with her 1st Duck - ever ;)


Meg and Trace looking for "treasures" at the Ranch in Del Rio

Trace getting ready to ride the jeep

One of the kid's Christmas Pics

Meg being silly while I'm trying to get her to pose for a pic

She is very good at giving the "serious" face, while I'm trying to get a "non-school" or sports pictures of her, BRAT!! LOL

Trace looking ever soo cute with the long hair on his 1st grade feild trip to the zoo.

Meg as "Miss DeMeanor" for Halloween

Trace dressed up for 50's Day at school ;)

Trace proud of his pumpkin he carved...with a little help LOL

Growing up Fast

In one week, my baby will graduate Kindergarten. I know it's just a simple milestone, but for some reason today it's hitting me hard. In the hustle and bustle of our crazy life, I feel like I haven't done enough! I know we stay busy and do everything for the kids, but we have gotten so involved that we forget to enjoy. I think back and it seems like just yesterday Trace was starting PDO in the 3s class, and now in 1 week he will graduate Kinder. He is soo excited. Tonight he will be getting a "big boy" bed, no more toddler racecar bed (yes, I'm fully aware we have held on to it far too long), and next week he will walk proudly across that stage and except his diploma from Ronald. Don't tell him I said this, but I kinda miss him crying for me every morning, that's probably why I let him sneak in the bed everynight. I know in no time at all he will join Meg in the too big for Mom role...but until then I want to hold him tight, enjoy the snuggles, and savor every sloppy kiss. He is my baby..and he is growing up.

This isn't Trace's 1st day (I couldn't find that pic ;() but this is his 1st PDO Feild Trip. Old McDonald's Farm.


These are just a few pictures I snapped this week for his graduation. He is soo proud and excited!

Robert and Nicole

Well..things are still CRAZY bust around here...It's All Star Season, enough said. With both kids making All Stars there is not a moment to spare (BTW I'm not complaining, super proud, just SUPER Busy). But I did find time to take Robert and Nicole's engagement pics. It was sooo fun, and something I'm really enjoying playing with. I have always loved taking pics, but this is something new. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the pics. Hope ya enjoy.

What we have been up too....

Well as you can see I haven't blogged in a while ;(..How sad, I was on quite a roll. Well I'm afraid to say life has just caught up with me, or more importantly baseball/softball, LOL. League is in full swing here in Tarkington, which means things are CRAZY. I know that sounds like I'm complaining, but I do LOVE most of it. My kids and the hubs love it, so therefore I love it too!!

Great news for me and those of you who read this, lol.. I got a new camera ;). I have been wanting one for a while and finally just did it. I'm soo glad I did. I LOVE IT. So now instead of just reading my ramblings you get so actually see some of my joys too ;). So instead of just rambling on today, I thought I would post of the pics I have taken since Thursday :: Hope you enjoy!!

Scrap Night Recipes

Oh my!! Baseball season is in full swing here at our house, what a blessing!! We love it, but it keeps us busy and gone. Hopefully I will make myself stop and catch my Blog up, LOL. First off SCRAP NIGHT!! OMG, what fun!! Literally, I'm not trying to be funny here. I love my ladies!! We get together once a month, create master pieces, eat great food, gossip and giggle. This past Friday night was my night to host. LaJeania created a wonderful Boy Layout for us, it was great and I can't wait to put pictures of Trace on it. Anyway, I promised I would share all my recipes so here goes:

Pizza Dip
This was actually the 1st time I ever made this or tasted it. Thanks goes to Sharon Woods for sharing ;) I think my proportions are a little different (she prepares it for a PDO class, and I prepared it for a party of adults. So this is how I did it:

2 bricks Cream Cheese (softened)
1 Jar Pizza Sauce (I used Ragu)
4 Cups Mozzarella Cheese grated
Parmesan Cheese (to taste)
Pizza Toppings (I used mini peperoni, black olives, and mushrooms)

In a 9x13 pan, spray cooking spray and spread out the cream cheese. Then layer the pizza sauce. Sprinkle on the cheeses and other topping of you choice. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve hot with chips, crackers of your choice.


Pizza Rolls
1 pkg Frozen Rolls (I use Rhodes-orange bag)
1 pkg peperoni
1 pkg sliced Mozzarella cheese

Follow defrosting/rising directions on the roll's package. Using hands (or anything you want) spread out the dough, spread 3 peperoni and 1/4 piece of cheese. Fold dough around the stuffing and follow the cooking directions on the roll package. My kids LOVE these and they make a great pre-game meal.

Potato Soup
Ok, I'm going to be honest every time I make this, I add or do something different. Apparently Friday Night's versions was good, I got tons of compliments on it ;). So here is what I did Friday Night.

2 pkg small red potatoes
1 small pkg Owens Sausage
1 onion
3 cans cream of mushroom with roasted garlic
1 block Velveeta cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Rinse and chop potatoes into bite size pieces. Boil until tender, not too tender though, you don't want them to be mashy. Drain some of the water, I leave about 1 inch above the potatoes. In a small skillet brown sausage and onions, then add to potatoes. Add soup, Velveeta, and salt and pepper. When all the cheese is melted the soup is ready. Save your leftovers, I think it tasted better the 2nd day ;) Enjoy

Make it Monday - Valentine Love Potion

Ok, while looking through all the blogs that I love I found these super cute Love Potions. Here is a super cute alternative to the traditional candy and card valentine that the kids pass out at school. Check them out:


They were really easy and fun to make. The kids loved passing them out. ;) I found them on the Blog Tatortots and Jello (you should look it up, she has FAB ideas!!), there is a link at the bottom.

Look at that signature!! I love it! I don't know why, but I just think it is the best embellishment for this tags.

Meghan aka Snagz. She is such a goob (I mean that affectionatly, LOL). She said, "Mom everyone knows that is my true name" LOL. I hope she still likes when she gets older, she has written it everywhere ;)


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