December 5, 2009

Well, as is so often the case, I've gotten way behind on updating my blog. We've been busy with the usual family activities and they've been as fulfilling as they usually are. I really enjoy watching my children and participating in the activities they enjoy so much. Kevin has been busy with school and tons of reading and studying but this assignment has been nice as he is home much more often than normal and we can go on frequent walks along the water together and have many lunch dates.

The football season is over for Garrett and he has launched into Basketball season as the Freshman team prepares for their first game next week. Jacob and Matthew have both earned their yellow belts in Tae Kwon Do and Kevin is trying to convince me to start class with them in January. That should be a sight to see. Jacob will start basketball in January and Matthew will begin indoor soccer next month also, so we'll have plenty of our evenings booked as usual. I am enjoying singing with the Navy Choristors and Nautical Notes. This weekend begins our schedule of Christmas performances. It should be fun and a great way to welcome in the Christmas season.

The house is decorated and most of the presents are bought, now I just have to get them wrapped and under the tree. I'm hoping to enjoy much of the month sitting down to some long overdue scrapbooking.

MUSIC

Okay, so my house is always noisy when the boys are home....but now we have reached a new level of craziness. I'm so glad my boys love music but it can be a little tough on the ears sometimes. Garrett has his alto saxophone and now he's taking guitar class at school so not only does he practice (which sounds pretty good) but then he goes off and makes up some song about a donkey....don't even ask me about that one....perhaps writing lyrics is not his gift.

Then there is Jacob with his trombone and occasionally he chooses to practice the piano. Again, he's pretty good and I enjoy listening but not necessarily at 9:30 at night....

And now Matthew is going to take the Strings class at school and is going to learn to play the violin. Hope they don't all decide to practice at the same time!

Matthew cracks me up though. He came home yesterday from school and tells us he can choose between the violin and the guitar. He says he's choosing the guitar because he wants to be different from everyone else in the family and the instruments they play. He then looks at Kevin and says "Well dad, you have the radio."

Then today he comes home and tells us that he's going to learn the violin so he can make money at the subway in New York. (I'm a little worried if that's the direction he plans on going!) lol!
Then he follows up by saying that when he meets some cute girl he'll be able to play for her outside her window. I'm going to have to keep a keen eye on that child!

Summer

Wow, summer will come to an end soon and it has been so crazy. We started off with Jacob and Garrett heading to summer camp, toting me along as the girl's camp sponser. It was an awesome week. Meanwhile, Kevin and Matthew stayed home and prepared the house for our move to Rhode Island. The next week we finished up things at the house while the boys were at VBS. Then we left and spent about two weeks at my parents in North Texas, with a side trip to a Texas Rangers game to hear our brother-in-law sing the National Anthem before the game. From there we went to East Texas to spend the weekend with Kevin's family and celebrate the 4th of July. After a short visit back at my parent's we embarked on a 5 1/2 day trip to our new home in Newport, Rhode Island. We saw some beautiful country and had the chance to experience some fun things. We fell in love with the countryside in Northern Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. We took several hours and drove and walked through Gettysburg. We spent our last night of the trip in New York City visiting with Kevin's cousin, Katie and her sweet family. Although we sort of got lost getting back to our hotel in New Jersey and so it ended up being a very late night we enjoyed the visit to NYC and hopefully I'll be able to convince Kevin to go again.

On July 15th we arrived at the Naval War College and were able to immediately sign for our military quarters in Newport, RI. We immediately fell in love with the location as we have the ocean on both sides of our neighborhood.

We've spent the last month getting moved in, putting several thousand pounds of household goods in storage because they will not fit in this house...but it's been good. The boys have tons of kids in the neighborhood to play with. We can walk to the beach and they can swim and play. We can sit and just watch the sailboats in the harbor. It is gorgeous here.

Although it's been crazy, we've managed a trip to Boston for Kevin's birthday. We'll already going again next week as we were able to get tickets to a Red Sox game. I figure we'll be going to Boston a lot over the next year.

School doesn't start here until after the first week in September, but Garrett has started football practice and is quickly learning to love his new high school and team. The coach has already penned him as a leader on the team and the kids have quickly befriended him and love to call him Texas or by his old football nickname, Tighty-Whitey. He's having a blast.

We've got about three weeks left before school starts and plan to hit the beach several times before then...........it's going to be a very fun year here in Newport!

In the midst of the move

I am ready to get to Rhode Island. We have now been in a transient state for approximately three weeks and it will be four by the time we actually get to Newport. Our household goods were loaded on the moving truck on June 11th and I am ready to have my stuff and be settled in my new home at the Naval War College. The good news is we received a call today and as soon as we arrive at the NWC we will meet the housing associate at our set of quarters. Apparently we will receive keys and be able to move in the same day we arrive! Way cool. Tomorrow we'll find out how soon we can have our household goods delivered and everything will be all set. We drive out of Graham on Friday for our 5 1/2 day drive to Rhode Island. It's going to be a grand adventure!

I probably shouldn't be even on the computer as the packers come on Tuesday to start packing our household goods for the move to Rhode Island. But, it's been a really hectic week with a lot of accolades and commendations for the boys. But, school is out, summer is here and we're looking to have some fun, memorable times as we enjoy summer activities in the midst of a cross country move from Texas to RI. We're looking forward to driving through a part of the country we haven't really seen much. I expect it to be beautiful!

And now it's time to brag on the boys. It has been such an exciting week. I'll start with Matthew. Matthew had an awesome year! He has improved so much academically this year. He was commended on his Math TAKS test and passed his Reading Taks with ease. He also made the honor roll for the 2nd semester.

Jacob had an incredible year for his first year in middle school. He was commended on his Reading TAKS test and received a certificates for academic excellent from most of his classes. He also had the highest average in his science class and was honored by the School District with an academic achievement award. He made the highest score he could at the Band Solo and Ensemble competition. He ended the year on the AB Honor Roll and is looking forward to the challenges 7th grade has for him.

Garrett had a banner year capping off his middle school years with style. He was commended on all 4 of his TAKS tests, with a perfect score on the History. He also received a district level Academic Award. His earned 1's at his solo and ensemble competition also and had a terrific year athletically. At their 8th grade celebration ceremony he got to lead the Pledge of Allegience because he is finishing middle school at the very top of his class. He received an award for his TAKS accomplishments, an award for being commended on his End of Course Algebra test, and received a Presidential Award. He has had some an awesome three years and is really looking forward to entering high school in the fall.

It's been a fun and busy year and I'm looking forward to what God has for us as we move and start another adventure in our family's life.

Readying to Move

Our upcoming move is getting here so quickly. We are excited about our new adventure but this is going to be our most difficult move yet. We've been here longer than we've lived anywhere else during our marriage. The boys have basically grown up in Texas now and it will be hard for them to leave all of their friends here. We've enjoyed being so close to both our families over the last seven years and that is definitely going to make this move harder. We've got a terrific church family and saying goodbye to them will be really tough. The movers will be here in just over a week and I have tons to do before they arrive.

We are having a yard sale on Saturday to try and get rid of so many things that we really don't need anymore. As much as I despise having yard sales myself I know that is really the only way I can declutter my home to the extent that I want to. I'm actually letting go of probably about $1000 worth of scrapbooking and crafting supplies. Don't worry, I've still got way more than I probably will ever use. I hope that this next year in Rhode Island I will have more time to fit scrapbooking into my weekly schedule. With us only being there a year I don't know that i will be as involved with outside activities as I usually am. Of course, we'll still have sports, church and band activities with the boys.

As much as Killeen frustrates me and I gripe about the horribly hot weather in Texas, this place that has been our home for seven years will be missed. Garrett and Jacob will probably always think of this as home and perhaps Matthew is old enough he will as well. That's okay. I'm proud to be a Texas girl and I don't mind if the boys feel like they are Texans too.

Next year is going to be new for us in many ways. We're lightening our load by getting rid of many "things" we've carried around with us for years. I believe that the less cluttered our home is the less cluttered our daily lives will be. We really don't need so much "stuff" and it feels good to get rid of much of it. Our family will have a new dynamic next school year as we will have one child in high school, one in middle school and one in elementary school. That should be fun when fundraisers come around. Kevin's job will be to attend school for the next year so his schedule will be a complete change from what we're accustomed to. I'm hoping to start back to graduate school so we may all be attending classes which should be fun. We can have family study times together! Well, whatever this upcoming move holds for us I am very excited about the possibilities and I'm looking forward to living somewhere where I can look out my back door and see the coastline and feel the ocean breeze. I'm loving the idea of new experiences, new challenges and living in a totally new environment! It should be fun!

Baseball

Well, the baseball season here has officially begun. Garrett and Matthew are playing this year. Now Jacob kind of wishes he had played too, I think... maybe next year. Garrett's team won their first regular season game last night and I think their team is really turning some heads in the league. The baseball league here is highly competitive and many of the teams are made up of kids who play on select travelling teams. They didn't really expect much from our little team. Surprise. Kevin is coaching Garrett's team, the Orioles, this year and he, along with his great assistant coaches, are apparently the talk of the league these days. They beat last year's first place team pretty badly during the preseason and now the other coaches don't seem to be able to know what to think about the Orioles.

I myself find it rather amusing. They all get so wound up and upset and Kevin and his guys just remain calm and collected. Kevin also teaches the boys on the team to be gracious winners or losers, whichever the case may be. Last night, the opposing team's head coach actually got ejected from the game and the baseball complex after using some very inappropriate language when objecting to a call by the umpire. He had spent most of the game yelling at his players, putting our players down verbally, and basically degrading his team. I'm so proud that my husband and son are an example of how the game should be coached and played. I believe that it teaches the kids so much more when a coach encourages them and corrects them without resorting to foul language, yelling and insulting them.

I'm excited about what the future holds for their team this year and I've asked Kevin if his goal is to tick off every coach in the league. His team has already had two team's coaches foaming at the mouth.....Guess we'll see how the other's react.

Matthew's team lost their first game.. But they almost came back from a 9-1 game by finishing the game 9-6. Kevin, Garrett and Jacob are looking forward to spending some time with Matthew over the next several weeks helping him improve his catching, hitting and throwing schools. He's still got a lot of the basics to learn but I think once he understands the game more he'll be a much improved player. The awesome thing about Matthew is he is always so easy going and it doesn't seem to matter what happens during the game he always ends the night with a smile and a positive attitude. I hope he always stays that way. It is so easy for Matthew to put a great big smile on my face and a swelling of pride in my heart. He is an awesome kid!

Bible Drill

I can't think of anything more exciting than getting to celebrate with my children when they accomplish something. It is truly one of my most defining moments as a mother. I love to see them succeed, especially when they have worked hard for it. I had one such moment this weekend. Jacob has worked hard this year to improve his skills at bible drill and it has paid off. He is doing awesome. He made it to state competition last year but we always just kind of held our breaths because each level he barely made it through to the next and we didn't really feel like he was truly prepared. This year he knows all of his verses and key passages by heart and it is so amazing to watch him compete. Last weekend he sailed through the church competition with only two mistakes (his best ever! They are allowed 11) and then yesterday at the association competition he again advanced to the state competition and only had three mistakes. I can't wait until the end of the month when he goes to state. He is so pumped and has set a goal of making state excellent this year! I know he can do it, in fact, I think he has the potential to go state perfect this year! How awesome would that be?

Spring

Well, Spring is almost here officially but of course, living in Texas, we get glimpses of it way before the calendar says it's actually a new season. Today it is raining buckets which is just what my newly planted flowers need to look full and beautiful this year.

We are finishing up soccer season which has been tough for both Matthew and Garrett as both of their teams have had a disappointing season this year. But they both have baseball to look forward to as that begins in just a few weeks. Kevin will have the chance to coach Garrett's team again this year which is always fun for him and he's starting to get out in the yard and play catch with Matthew to get him ready for the season.

It's been a busy couple of months since the last time I posted anything here but we've been busy as usual. Matthew celebrated his 9th birthday. It's hard to believe it, but he is really growing up. I can't believe my baby is growing up so quickly. He's so independent and is so willing to try new things.

As the middle of March nears and within a few months we will be moving, we are spending most of our Saturday's now getting the house ready for our departure. We have decided to rent it out for at least a few years instead of selling it right now, so that does take some pressure off but we've got a few household projects that we want to complete before we move out. We are really looking forward to someplace new. Rhode Island is going to be a totally new climate for us and we're excited about that. Of course, we'll have to beef up our winter gear as we've been in Texas now for seven years so we don't really have any of our cold weather gear anymore.

Garrett at the Inauguration

Well, Garrett is back home now and still pretty exhausted after five very active days in Washington, D.C. He has had lots of things to tell us about his experiences and I'm sure will continue to add things as he remembers so many of the things they did and saw during the week. The inauguration was exciting for him, even though we don't align ourselves politically with President Obama, Garrett understands the historical significance of this inauguration and knows that he has experienced something that most of us never will see in person. Although he didn't get to see much except for a million plus people, and even though the temperatures were freezing, he says that it was worth it. He made many new friends and now shares some exciting experiences with them. He especially enjoyed hearing Eric Wehenmeyer speak. He is a blind mountain climber who has accomplished things that most of us with perfect sight can never even imagine. He also had an opportunity to hear retired General Colin Powell speak. He went to the Air Space museum at the Smithsonian and they got to eat lunch on some type of river cruise.

Ever the athlete, one of the most memorable parts of the conference, was that they had all of their meetings and guest speakers at the University of Maryland's gym; which is where the 1967 Texas Wesleyan University men's basketball team won the NCAA title. It's special for Garrett because for the past two years he has attended the Spurs Basketball Camp which is hosted by Nevil Shed, one of the black players on that historic team.

Garrett has now officially been to D.C. more than me. I can't wait for us all to go as a family and have him as our tour guide. These CYLC conferences have meant so much to him and provided him with the opportunity to experience so much of the history that makes us still proud to be Americans, even when times are tough and our future is questionable. I'm so glad he got the chance to go but it's great to have him back home again and see him get back into his regular school routine, basketball games and starting this weekend, soccer practices and games. Yes, it is definitely busier when Garrett is home but I'm just glad we've still got 4 1/2 more years before he's off to college. For now, I want my "little" 5'11 boy right here at home with me.