James Family pictures 2010

As some of your may know, my parents are now living in Greece. Yes, Greece. They are the new directors of the Harding University in Greece program and are having a blast. We all got together the weekend before they left for a big send off, and of course, if you know us James', we had to take family pictures. Lots of family pictures. Did I mention that it was super hot that evening? What was even funnier? Our little family of 5 didn't even notice the heat! That is what being outside in Houston heat and playing softball does to you!! :)

Jon and his girlfriend, Jenna.

Jer, Jen, Jesse and Jonas. I love my nephews. Aren't they just soooo cute???

Mom and Dad. AKA, Nana and Papa to the kids. We miss them but know that they are having such a fun time and we will see that at Christmas!!!

Jess, Cliff and my most beautiful neice, Ella Kate. Love her to pieces. Literally. She is so precious. A little kiss magnet. I can't keep from loving on her!!

The WHOLE family.  My favorite picture.  Now I have to get it enlarged and printed. Oh yeah, and framed and hung on a wall.....

Nana and Papa with their grandkids that love them so very much!

We had no idea that Dad was taking this picture...I think it is one of my favorites!! Jer is a hoot.  And the fact that I, of all people, am fixing my hair is just so funny.

The four of us James kids.  Love my sister and brothers.  So much.

The original James Gang.  I miss my family.  So much.

All the grandkids.

Another grandkid picture to end the session.  Love them!!

First Turn 2 Tournament

Grace played all spring and summer (April to mid July) on a All-Star team for the Katy Cobras. We loved it. It was a wonderful experience all around for the whole family and for Grace, as far as softball goes. They won the 8U State Championships, she has 2 new trophy shelves in her room full of trophies (they placed in EVERY tournament that they played in...Amazing), and they got to play in the World Series in Panama City, Florida. Loved it.

Even in the heat of the summer, those little girls were troopers and kept on playing. It was so much fun and we loved the girls and the parents. Of course, we should have loved them. We were together, every weekend for 14 weeks so we all really became pretty close. After the World Series was over, our coach and his sweet wife (he is retired) hopped in their RV and took off for Colorado. We think they will be back in October. He told the girls to go on and play whatever sports they wanted in the fall and we will all talk later about our team. So....that left us wondering. What to do this fall??? Grace took (and is taking) pitching lessons to be a pitcher in 10U ball. Did I mention that she has to move up? Yeah. It's a huge step from 8U to 10U. So, her coach told her to just play rec ball and work on her pitching. Well...we got a phone call that a 10U team was having try outs and Grace was invited to try out for the Texas Turn 2 10U team. Well...you know Grace. She made the team. So, here are some pics from our first tournament this past weekend!!

Grace is #1 when they wear their white uniforms...she looks so big now to me!! 

Their team won second place in the "Back to School Bash" tournament in Splendora. This team only has 10 girls on it. You can only play 9 girls on the field in 10U ball. There are a ton of new rules and things to get used to in this step up, but the girls are taking it in stride. Grace scored in EVERY game we played this weekend. That is huge!! She only got one hit (only 3 girls got hits all weekend) but she walked on every time that she batted! Good eye, Grace!! It helps that she is left-handed and the girls this age have a hard time pitching to left handed batters!! :) Grace is on the bottom left and Aaron is helping coach so he is in the pictures now, too!!

She had a great time! We have this weekend off and then we are back at Splendora for another tourney on Labor Day weekend. It's nice to not have a tournament every weekend. With this select team that we are on, they only play 2 tourneys a month!! Yippe! Grace gets to play and then we get a few weekends as just a family at home.

This is Grace and one of her best buddies, Kylie. She and Kylie played together last fall and then this past spring in rec ball with Katy Girls Softball. She is also a redhead and they have so much fun together. We are thankful for good friends on the team like Kylie. She is also playing on this team with 2 other of the girls that played with us on our summer All-Star team...Chloe and Morgan. Again...so very thankful for our good softball friends!!

I warned you....more pics....

Susannah and her wonderful teacher, Mrs. Holdman. If you remember from, oh I don't know, like 6 blog posts ago, Susannah's Kindergarten teacher looped up with the kids to first grade!! Love it!! She is the best and we love her so much. Her daughter, Sydney, is also in first grade so she is in this picture, too!! :)

Here is SusieQ sitting at her desk, already doing her work on that first day. She was so very excited to be back with her favorite teacher and of course, all of her friends from last year! She even had a playdate after school yesterday at a friends house. She loves 1st grade already and it's only been 2 days!!!

Grace is in 4th grade this year. Our school is just huge. So, of course, we now have portable classrooms at our school. Yep. Our school is ONE YEAR OLD!! Talk about poor planning on the school board's part. Their enrollment is .....get this....1,130 kids!! That is just K-5th grade. Isn't that CRAZY?? So, they put all of 4th grade outside. You know, the other grades are too little to go outside and 5th grade has earned the right to stay inside because they are the biggest in the school. Grace took a sweater to school yesterday. So funny. She said it is freezing in the classroom. I guess that is a blessing. They can control their own heat and air so I don't have to worry about her sweating in this crazy south Texas heat!

Grace in her classroom. She wouldn't let me take her picture with her new teacher. The main reason? He is a new teacher and he is a HE!! That is right. Our school had to hire 17 new teachers this year and one of them is a male teacher. The only one in our school besides one of the PE coaches. So, she was a little apprehensive at first about him and getting to know him. Now, she really likes him. Why? Because his little sister plays college softball!!! How cool!! :)

More first day of school 2010 pics...

Parker had to get in on the picture action that first day back. It was cute...he said, "I need kisses!" and the girls were like, "Mom, take a picture of us kissing Parker!" They so have my family genes when it comes to pictures, for sure. Always looking for a cute pic!

We walked to school on the first day. I had a meeting up at school and they were so excited to get there early. Not again will we walk. Not atleast until it cools down. It was soo hot and it was 7:40 in the morning!!! Crazy! They ride the bus to and from school now and they both love it. It's great because it saves me time and gas....AND all of their buddies on the street ride this year, too. I guess we all got tired of that dreaded drop off and pick up line last year! :)

Here are the girls in front of the school sign! They were excited to go inside and see all of their friends that they missed this summer.

As we are walking up to the school, Sus grabbed Grace's hand and held on until we got to her classroom. Grace was sweet and just let her hold on for the walk. See, they like each other when it counts, right?

First day of school 2010

I know...I've been a down-right horrible blogger. Honestly, we just were not home at all this summer with sports and going to see family. But now we are home, school has started and we are getting back into our schedule again so I can blog again (just for you, Uncle Cliff!) So, here are some first day of school pictures for you to see and I'll blog on from there about the summer that I didn't have time to do this summer!! How about that?? :)

Grace is just getting so tall. She can wear my shoes now, but they are just a smidge too big...so I'll be having to guard my shoes even more, pretty soon!!

Susie in her "bling" outfit. The cupcake sparkles and so do her shoes. They also light up when she walks....oh my.

Parker in his mismatched jammies saying good-bye to the girls on their first day back at their school!!

Summer lovin'

Oh summer how I love you!  Our little family snuck away from the craziness of softball and big city for a week in the country not long ago.  It was wonderful.  My sister-in-law and her family live on a ranch in North Florida.  It's a little piece of heaven, just like out of a book or beautiful movie.  They have horses all over the property with several little ponds for the kids to fish in every night after dinner with their daddy and their Gramps.

The cell service there was hardly existent and you have to use an air card to get on the Internet.  I loved it.  One week of just enjoying creation and everything outside.  One morning, we just all sat out on the screened in front porch in rocking chairs hulling peas.  Doesn't that sound like something out of an old movie?  Who hulls their own peas anymore?  We did and they were delicious that night for dinner!!  We just loved "getting away" and enjoying the outdoors and our extended family. 

The kids favorite part of spending the week at the ranch was the cats.  Yes, I know, simple little cats.  I'm not a cat person.  I will openly admit that am not terribly fond of cats.  There, I said it.  But, my kids.  Oh, they love cats and everything to do with them!!  Thank you, Aunt Carrie!  The good thing?  She has so many cats running around her ranch that our 3 kids don't hardly know what to do most of the time.  They spend so much time outside chasing cats, playing with the cats and carting the cats around....they think that Carrie's ranch is a dream vacation in cat heaven.

I guess I can't complain.  The cats stay in Florida and I get to take the kids to visit them.  I guess that makes me super mom, right??  And I don't have to clean out any litter boxes!!

To blog or not to blog....

who has the time??? Yikes! This summer is just flying by so quickly!!  We have just been going, going and going with no real rest time in sight.  Crazy.  And I thought that summer was for sleeping in and hanging out at our pool.  Silly me. 

What have we been up to?  You guessed it.  Softball.  Remember our girlie girl, Grace?  Well, she and her little buddies won the Texas State Championship!  Yes, they did!! And after talking to several umpires at the State Tournament, our coach decided that we needed to take the team to the World Series.  Yes, I said World Series.  How many kids in their lifetime can say that they have gone to the World Series?  CRAZY!

Our girls are very excited and can't wait for us to get over to Florida and play some softball with girls from all over the United States.  Should be some fun times ahead for all of us.  Something that you forget in all of the craziness when getting invited to the World Series, though....yep.  How to pay for it!!  I just though, "Oh, we're going to the World Series!! Yippe!! "  Uh, No.  Entry fees, hotel rooms, food, etc., etc., etc.  All of the girls and parents have been running around town for the past 2 weeks getting sponsors for our little team, having "team night" at various eating places around town, we had a bake sale last weekend and then of course, the beloved raffle.  Yes, selling raffle tickets.  JOY.

Growing up, I was the kid who didn't even like to sell girl scout cookies.  I'm not shy, I just don't want to ask people for things.  I don't.  I like to do things myself.  But, this is a team and we are selling tickets for our team.  So, what am I making my child do today, you ask?  Yep.  Go out and sell those tickets, Grace and maybe you'll find a generous donor at the same time!! Until then...maybe I can find some time to blog and take a nap?  I didn't think so!! :)

2 big things for Susie!!

First off....the big girl lost her 2 front top teeth!! Oh my word, Susie Q!! She pulled and prodded on one tooth last week and now this week she lost the one beside it. So funny! She lost the second one Sunday night after pushing and playing with it all weekend...she came in my bed Monday morning, "MOM! I lost my tooth!" I was excited for her! So I said, "Well, let me see it!" She looks down, "Mom, I lost it. I lost my tooth and then I lost it!" We went up and it had fallen out in her sleep. It was that loose!! So, it was in her sheets and we found it! She wrote a note to the tooth fairy Monday night, "Please lev the tooth. Love, Susannah" So cute.

Today was Kindergarten graduation at Susie's school. They also called it the "Celebration of Learning" but with graduation all tied in...whatever! They sang 2 songs and then all 9 classes (20+ kids in each class) all got their names called and got to walk across the stage. She felt like such the big kid and was so excited. It was pretty cute.

Here is Susie and her best buddy Sammy from school....They are 2 peas in a pod and they make me laugh all of the time. I'm so thankful for cute little school friends and looking forward to summer playdates! Next year we will all be together in the same 1st grade class so we have to keep these kids liking each other over the summer!!

Mrs. Holdman has been one of the very best Kindergarten teachers that I've ever met...and I've met quite a few in my time teaching, remember. She loves these kids so much but is still has taught them so many things this year. Next year in first grade is going to be even better. We are so very thankful that she is looping up with the whole class. That shows you what a great teacher she is...not one person wanted to switch teachers...100% of the class re-signed up to be with her again. A wonderful blessing we've had and will continue to have next year.

Way to go, Susannah. Can't believe that you are a first grader now. Love you much, sweet girl.

Mrs. Holdman made us each a DVD with a 15 minute slide show and told us to watch it at home. Oh my word. I was a complete puddle by the end of that 15 minutes. Seeing how much Susannah has changed in just 9 short months. It's going by way too fast for this mama!

Celebration of learning?

Yesterday was the 3rd Grade "Celebration of Learning" or 3rd grade class awards, as I would have called it....Anyway, all of the parents were invited to the classroom to give our kids lots of love and support for their great work as 3rd graders. Grace did great. She was one of 5 kids to get all A's all year and have perfect conduct so she got the Principal's award. Yippe! She also got the leadership award from her sweet teacher, Mrs. Cowan.  She missed perfect attendance by one day.  Yeah...here is where I get the "mother of the year" award....she missed that day because I took her out of school to go to Harding's Homecoming.  Opps!  I totally thought that she would miss other days and it wouldn't be a big deal.  Um...not to her, you know, the "people pleaser, Grace"  Oh well, maybe next year, my dear one! :)

Grace loves Mrs. Cowan. Many days after school, Grace will start talking to me, "Mrs. Cowan, I mean, Mom..." It's really funny. We are so thankful that Grace had such a kind and loving teacher in Mrs. Cowan. She was so supportive of everything that Grace was into during the year and always was on her side!

Good-bye Mrs. Cowan! Grace will miss you and 3rd grade, but she is sooo excited about going to 4th grade!! Oh the joys....and who in the world said that my little red-headed baby could be this big??

Grace was also so blessed this year to have her best buddy, Brennon, in her class with her. I know...he's taller than her!! They are the tallest two in the class and even better than that? He lives 4 houses down the street! Every day after school he is ringing our doorbell to go and ride bikes or play street ball. God so had a plan when he put us in this neighborhood!!

I guess she likes it....

Well, it's official....Grace is officially in love with softball.  This past weekend they had a tournament one town over (thank goodness! no long drives!) and won big time.  The Cobras swept the tournament and took first place.  It was great! The girls were rocking the place during their Sunday games and it was so much fun to watch them play so great and be so pumped up!

We even had a visitor this weekend! Bethany came to see us and the kids were so excited and so was I !! She went with us to all of Grace's games and warmed her up before the games.  Graces' teammates kept asking if Bethany was Grace's big sister.  It was pretty cute.  Grace was pretty proud to have someone else there to watch her play.  I think I got one picture all weekend with Bethany and the kids...with her phone.  Sad, I know.  I need to really get on the ball with the whole picture taking thing.  Thank goodness that Bethany brought her good camera and took some good shots of Grace this weekend.  It helps when you have something better than just a point and shoot!! :)

I can tell how much she is loving this team now....she wakes up for her games and hops right in her uniform, she loves going to practice now and she started pitching lessons a few weeks ago.  Her coach, JD, is great.  Grace loves her and will do just about anything that she says....maybe she should come over here and tell her to clean her room! HA!  She is learning a lot and it's been great for her confidence.

Aaron had to teach on Monday (the company who must not be named doesn't take off for many holidays) so I took the kids to our neighborhood pool.  I told the kids going into the day that if the parking lot was full that we were turning the car around....well, of all things....there were like 10 empty spots!!

We swam for about 3 hours...they loved it and so did I....even better?? Yeah...FREE ICE CREAM!  Just walked up to the little vendor cart and told them what you wanted.  Popsicle?  Here you go.  Nutty Bar? Sure!  It was yummy and it turned me from mom to "Super Mom" in a matter of minutes.

I wish I would have taken my camera, but we were too busy having fun eating ice cream and swimming...maybe next memorial day I'll remember my camera, but I wouldn't count on it!! :)