6U Baseball Wrap Up

Note:  I am SO behind on the blog, BUT I figure I better start where we are and then go back or I will be even further behind.  

We wrapped up yet another season of baseball at Walnut Creek Fields.  This may be our 14th straight summer we have had a boy playing at those fields, if my calculations are correct.

So much fun for Max.  Once again Scott was the head coach, I wish I knew just HOW many teams this man has coached in all of these years with boys...baseball, football, basketball...he has coached.  Such a great coach and he does have a gift for teaching and encouraging the boys.  So much fun to watch him.  Jack was one of the Assistant Coaches this season as well.  He does such a great job and Max LOVES to have him there.

Here are some highlight photos from the season.

"Mom's Game" the night Scott has the Moms do all of the coaching while the Dads chase the other kiddos in the stands and do concessions stand duty etc.  

 Jack headed up the last practice as Scott was in St Louis for work.  He chose some water balloon fun. The team LOVED it...it made me about tear up where at the end he sat the kids down and gave a little speech.  It went something like this...

"Hey guys I won't be able to be at your last game as I am going to camp.  But it's been a great season.  I am proud of ALL of you.  You have all gotten better at baseball and we have all had fun.  Be sure to thank your Mom, Dad, siblings and whoever else has made it possible for YOU to be a part of this team.  For driving you here every week and cheering for you."

The reason I wanted to cry as this is the EXACT speech I have heard his Dad say year after year as he has coached teams.  His example has been passed on...Jack has heard what he has said.  That is tradition and legacy.  

After the game last night we headed to DQ to celebrate...Max came over and told Scott he HAD to sit with the team, HE was the Coach.  So cute.  Tommy and Drew said I am getting "lazy" in my old age as we once hosted a potluck dinner at our house for the season's end.  We had an award ceremony and all.  Now all we do is head to DQ for ice cream.

SaveSave

The Lady in the Pink "Slacks"

I just got home from Hyvee, crying in the produce aisle of Hyvee to be completely honest.  I was running into grab a few things and I saw this sweet lady walking ahead of me.  Pink "slacks" (as my Grandma would call them), blue gingham button down shirt, matching stone necklace, perfect hair, and a coordinated purse.  She had to be around 89-90.  She reminded me SO much of my Grandma Lu.  And it's amazing how somethings little like that can bring back a flood of memories.

Grandma ALWAYS was dressed from head to toe, no matter where she went.  Hair perfect, clothes perfect and always accessories that went with it.  In fact as she got older I started to buy her fun things like shoes, purses...because I learned just how much she loved to coordinate.

I stopped at the flower shop and grabbed a bouquet of fresh flowers, asked them to wrap them with a ribbon.  I told the flower shop my mission, they know me well at that shop...they smiled.   I found that sweet little 90 something year old Grandma in the produce section.  I told her, with tears streaming down my face, that she reminded me of my Grandma.  That my Grandma was in heaven and that I missed her.  I told her I wanted her to have these flowers since I can't give them to my own Grandma.  She smiled, gave me a hug and told me that I just made her day.    The truth is she made mine, she reminded me of my Grandma.  She reminded me that memories are strong and no one can take those away.

I am SO grateful to have known both of my Grandmas so well...and to have been loved SO much by them.  Their fingerprints are all over my heart.

Graduation

Graduation has come and gone.  May was a non-stop whirlwind month.  I lost track of the amount of open houses we attended, the grad cards I mailed off and the amount of pulled pork we ate.  We went to program, after program...it seemed daily the boys were having a "party" at school that required some sort of food or item to be brought with them...it got so bad that one day either Drew or Jack caught me off guard saying "Today is my passing period party Mom and we need to bring..."

I will start off my catching up with Tommy's graduation weekend.

We were blessed to have ALL 4 of the boys' grandparents here for the weekend.  That was a feat of sorts, between Mom having radiation that week and excruciating headaches to Scott's parents getting on 2 planes to get here while Don was feeling particularly week...his sister Kathy along to help them. But they ALL made it...and that was a HUGE blessing.

Tommy also had districts in golf, or maybe it was sectionals...I am not sure but I do know that it mattered how they did and they made it to state by 1 stroke.  So that was a BIG celebration on Friday night!

Saturday was the day...the grad day.  Loads of open houses to attend, think I only got to one...and then family came to town.  My Aunt Sandy and Uncle Dean came with Annette, Mike, Cara and kids got to grad just as it was starting....they made it.

We set up the tent thanks to Uncle Dean's Eagle Scout skills earlier in the day, arranged flowers for the grad party that was happening on Sunday...ran many an errand and headed out the door in time to get seats for the big ceremony at school.

I was shocked that I wasn't more emotional that evening.  It had been a crazy week, with 3 days at Mayo, finding out Mom's cancer was indeed back the week before...and learning she needed radiation and then starting it within 24 hours of that news...it was a LOT so in hindsight perhaps I was just thrilled to have something to celebrate!    I did get a tiny bit choked up watching him walk in to the processional music...but nothing that even brought a tear.  So that surprised me...

It was a nice ceremony...the mic wasn't working real well so it was hard to hear the speakers.  It was short and sweet.  SO grateful for Des Moines Christian and the people that have been a part of Tommy's years there. He has had amazing teachers who truly have loved and cared for him.  He has made wonderful friends and been a part of so many amazing families through them.  I don't think the full impact of DMC will hit him until he is away.  He will look back and be so full of gratitude for what the school and the people in his life have given to him.

Open house blog post coming up next....