Homestead

Well Sunday Bert decided that we needed to start painting our fences around our cattle lots. He brought the color hunter green home. Tanner and Bert started painting first and to tell you the truth it looks really nice from the house. It actually matches our shutters. We are getting ready to build some new fence on the east side of the house and it will all be green too. When Bert was unloading the pipe from the trailor Tanner please tell me dad that this isn't all going to have to be painted green too. Bert said Yes. Tanner was like oh my goodness. The green paint does look really nice when you drive up. You can really tell a difference. I can really tell a difference on my legs and arms where I got it on me and it won't come off. Bert forgot to mention that it was an oil base and it will be very difficult to come off. I look a little spotted. Tanner was asked at school if he had the chicken pox. Funny how when you get the chicken pox they are now green. HA!!! I am sure when we get Bert's painting project done it will look really nice.

Carlee had another volleyball game last night. We played Nevada, again. The girls did good last night. Our girls won the 1st match and then lost the next two. The third game was really good it was neck in neck, so they made it very exciting to watch. Carlee had to get up to be at practice at 6:30 this morning. She was dragging just a little when she left at 6:00. Coach Marti is taking them to a Missouri Southern volleyball game tonight. He is such a daring soul. He wants some of the parents to come along, but I haven't made up my mind yet. Bert has a livestock meeting tonight at the school, so it would be Tanner and I. I think the favorite thing for him at a volleyball game is the food and socializing. I guess we will see what the day brings, and go from there.

To wound

I don't think before I react sometimes. I try though. Carlee started crying at her volleyball tournament on Saturday. It broke my heart when I noticed she was crying when they were in the huddle. She immediately ran over to Bert and I. Bert was setting below me and she sat down really fast and broke down. She was so worked up because the coach had taken her out of the game because she was having trouble serving. It was hard for us to watch her get that upset. I am not sure that she was upset with the coach, but more upset with herself because the couple of serves hadn't gone over. I tried to encourage her as much as I could. I told her that there were others that were having the same problem with their serves and it would be ok. You know I don't know if that was the right thing to say or not. I don't want her to think we aren't proud of the way she plays no matter if she messes the whole game up we will still be proud of her. I forget how hard 7th grade can be. I always remember telling myself I never wanted to go back to 7th grade. I just hate to see Carlee having to go through all of it now. She is also struggling and being hard on herself because she has a B in one of her classes. I have tried to tell her it is ok to have a B, but I can't get that sunk in. I told her I had tons of B's. I just know that I don't ever want to be back in 7th grade again!!!!! If anyone has words of wisdom please enlighten me.

Volleyball

Well last night the girls came close to winning their first game. They lost yet again by about three point in a three match game. Carlee did good. The girls are all trying really hard. Coach Marti seems to be having fun, but this is first year to coach volleyball so it is a learning experience for him too. The 8th grade parents keep telling me that their girls didn't play that well last year and they only won 2 games last year. The 8th grade parents seem to encouraging that it is 7th grade is just a learning year.
Tanner seemed to have a good time. Bert and I felt like he was eating the whole entire game. I believe right now he is a bottomless pit. I can't seem to get him full. I am hoping that means he is growing. HA!! I can always hope my kids will be taller than me.
Today was picture day for Tanner, so he got up early to make sure he had his hair spiked just right. He had to make sure his pink shirt was ironed and his tan shorts were ready to go. He seemed to be really excited. I am not to sure why, but he was. Hopefully he will just remember to smile and not fake smile. HA!!

Evenings

I went and picked Carlee up from practice after work and then went and picked up Tanner from Sara's. Brianna had practice last night so I tried to get Laney to come home with us and play. She is to cute, because she just looks at me and says no. She is a mamma and daddy's girl right now. Tanner tried so hard to talk her in to it but she kept repeating the word no!! Sara told Tanner that before to long she will change her mind and want to go with us all the time. When we walked out of Sara's house Tanner said, Well poop I really wanted her to come out and play. I told Tanner hopefully before to long she will decide she can come and play without her mom right beside her. It was to cute.
Carlee had a big test she was studying for last night. We were trying to keep the house quiet for her. I asked Tanner if he would go on a walk with me. He said he would if he could take Bert's sorting cattle stick. Tanner and I headed out down the lane, we sang, skipped and did other stupid things. It is nice when you can go out and just never really have to think about anything else going on in the world. When we were headed back to the house I about stepped on something I had no idea what it was and I freaked of course. Then Tanner wanted to go back and see what it was. Well the thing I kept thinking was I can't walk fast enough. We got back to the lot where Bert was checking out the calves. He was trying to see which ones might be good prospects to show. Tanner told Bert of course how dumb I looked when I squealed. Bert asked what it was and I told him I thought it looked like a pigs foot, but I wasn't going back to see it. Tanner thought it was a snake. Tanner kept checking my legs to make sure it didn't bite me. I told him if it would have bit me he would have known it. Bert was curious so we walked back down to the object. He just laughed at me. It was some kind of bone that I am sure a wild animal had brought up. I think Bert probably thinks I am a really big sissy sometimes. I guess sometimes I am just not cut out to be a farm girl. I think if Tanner would have had his way he would have taken the bone in for show and tell. Needless to say Carlee had a nice quiet time to study for her test. I don't think she was bothered at all.
Carlee plays in Joplin tonight and plays against College Heights. I think she is really excited. She had picture day today and was all dolled up. I am hoping to take some pictures of Carlee playing so we can post them on here. She is having a really good time playing Volleyball.

Weekend

Well the weekend was full of fun and enjoyment. On Saturday we got to venture to Nevada and watch a pee wee football game. It was fun to watch Tanner's friends play some football. Tanner wanted one of his friends from Nevada to go to the Springfield Cardinal game with him, so we went up and watched him play football and headed to Springfield. The football game was pretty cute. All those little boys dressed in pads and helmets looked like little pros. When the game was over, we headed out to watch the Springfield Cardinals. The kids were really excited. When we got to the field Brock had come to his office and handed Carlee her jacket which he had signed by Marti #15 and Andrews #8. I guess Andrews went to the All Star Game this year. Carlee was pretty excited. Tanner got his Springfield Cardinal shirt with Rasmus on the back of it. Colby had signed. Of course as soon as we got up to the game Tanner had to put his shirt on. The game was pretty sad the Missons were winning 11 to 0 in the top of the 9th. The Cardinals had a burst of energy and scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th. That made the game a little more exciting. They had fireworks after the game and they were so neat. Your seats shook with the fireworks. The kids had fun watching them. They ended the year with a bang. Skyler, Tanner, and Bryson went down on the field at the end of the game and checked out the field. I think the boys had a really good time running out on the field. Skyler thought that was pretty neat.

Sunday was we had a really good lunch out at mom's and got to watch Payton eat her watermelon. I love to watch her eat her watermelon. She thinks that is the best!!!! She always has the juice everywhere, it is as cute as can be!!!! Carlee and I got to go to 4-H meeting that lasted 2 1/2 hours, but we planned the whole years worth of meetings. It sounds like we will have some fun meetings this year. Carlee told me last night that she wants to do Cake Decorating as one of her projects. I tried to talk her out of it, but couldn't. I just kept thinking oh my goodness I don't think I can help her with that at all!!! I guess she is going to try it, so we will have to try some cakes out on everyone.

I have a couple pictures of Carlee and Tanner. There is the calm one and the monkey. I am sure you don't even have to look at the pictures to know which is which!

Carlee with Alli Massa and Lauren Morgan. These are her friends from when we go out and show!!!

Here is my monkey boy Tanner. You just never know what he is going to be up to!!!

The Joy

I have been stressed out during the days at work and trying to forget about everything that is going on around me. I set and think about what the kids are doing at school and try to get through the day with thinking of them. When five o'clock hits I try to forget about work and everything that goes on there. There are times where it comes up in subject like in the newspaper or t.v. and it brings it all up again. It brings it all back and then I replay my day through my head. I try to find a way not to take it home but it is so hard. I try to watch my children and watch their smiles to enjoy my evenings. The kids have brought joys to my evening and I just want to say how blessed I am to have them. Last night the kids and I gathered our bibles up and for about 45 minutes we just sat and read bible stories. Tanner has pictures in his bible so he would look at a picture and get so excited to read that story. Carlee read to us about turning everything to God, and not gossiping and to forgive. I need to work on that leason for the two or three weeks I think. It was so nice not to have a tv going, or having to be at a certain place at a certain time. It is funny how your kids can teach you so many things and they never know that they have.
Carlee has been having quite a bit of homework and I have learned that Tanner just tells his teacher he doesn't have time. I asked Tanner Tuesday night if he had homework after we got home from Carlee's volleyball game. He looked at me and said, "Well Mrs. Weber told us to read tonight, but I told her I couldn't because Carlee had a volleyball game." I told him he really shouldn't do that and we will always find time for the homework. I have sat down wondering a couple times what poor Mrs. Weber is thinking about my son. I guess you can't blame the child for not trying to get out of the homework. I am beginning to wonder how I have one child that is so self concious about every assignment and then another that tells his teacher he just can't do his homework because he has something else going on. Wow!!!

First Game

Well Carlee enjoyed her very first school associated volleyball game. Carlee went to the game thinking she would not get very much playing time. When the game started she sat out the first match. They lost their first match against Jasper, the coach then decided to put Carlee in. I could tell she was really nervous yet excited. She went in there fighting. She did her serves very well, and then she returned some serves back to the other team. I could tell by the middle of the that match she was easing in to the game, and some of the nerves were starting to go away. Carlee got to finish off the win on that match with her serves. With both teams winning one match they had to play the 3rd match. Carlee got to stay in and play the 3rd match also. It was such a good game. They ended up losing the match by two points, but you could tell the girls had a really good time. They had nothing to hang their heads about at all!!! When Carlee was done she came up to the stands and you could tell that she had an awesome time!! The girls play again tonight and they play in Nevada, I am hoping the girls all have a good time tonight. I reminded Carlee before the game that she needed to pray to play to the best of her abilities because God is where you get your strength from. I asked Carlee this morning if she remembered to pray before the game and she said no actually I forgot to. I told her that it is important to pray before an event because if it wasn't for Christ we wouldn't have any of our talents. Of course Tanner had to chime in and he told Carlee that was why he says a prayer before his baseball games, because that is his talent. Carlee looked at me and said you know mom, I think we need to pray as a team. I told her that was an awesome idea!! I told her she needed to suggest that. I thought to myself, what a witness. Something so simple as a prayer before a game. The thing is though, does she realize who that could touch that is not a christian? That moment in the vehicle this morning made me realize how proud I am of Carlee.

It has been

It has been a few days since I have posted, so sorry. We had a really good time this past weekend. We want to thank Bob and Tara for sharing their house with us all to have a bbq and pool party. Carlee and Tanner had such a good time with the other kids. It was so nice to get and visit with all the relatives. It seems like we don't get together near enough!! It is hard with everyone's activities and then trying to find the right times for everyone. I did miss not getting to see Jimmy, but I am looking forward to hopefully seeing him around Christmas time. I did get to see some pictures and he looks like he is having a good time. I am still trying to figure out who had the most fun in the pool though - Bob or the kids. I love to watch Bob in the pool with the kids. The kids think it is awesome!! Saturday was just an awesome day.
Sunday the kids and I took out for Springfield to see a Springfield Cardinal game. Bert had it all set up that we would all go and see the game. Bert was under the weather on Sunday, so he didn't get to go with us. Carlee and Tanner still really wanted to go, so I loaded them up and we took off for Springfield. We left around 12:00 because the kids wanted to eat at Incredible Pizza. Tanner has to be one lucky duck when it comes to the games. I still can't figure out how he always wins the bonus prizes. He just looks at Carlee and I like it is a piece of cake. After Incredible Pizza the kids each bought their own Build a Bear with fair money that they had earned. I enjoyed watching them stuff their animals, and then pick out their clothing for them. By the time we did all of that it was time for the game. We headed over to the stadium and we ended up setting out by centerfield. Well some of you would think that these weren't the best seats, but all Tanner had talked about since watching the Cardinals on Thursday was Colby Rasmus. Colby is the centerfielder for the Springfield Cardinals, and Tanner kept telling me he is the best. We got to set right behind him. Oh my goodness - Tanner was in hog heaven. I was telling Brock how much Tanner liked him and Brock was saying that he will probably take Jim Edmonds spot when he retires. I thought well maybe Tanner does have good taste. HA!! Carlee was ready to move around the 4th inning so we moved over by the pitching dugout for the Cardinals, and the kids watched the pitchers warm up. Carlee and Tanner stood there in amazement. You could tell the kids really enjoyed watching the Cardinals!!!
Monday we had a day of relaxation. Carlee did have Volleyball practice at 6:00, but other than that it was a nice quiet day at home. Carlee got to go out to eat with some friends after volleyball practice. She is turning into the teenager quickly. It comes to fast. She is really opening up and enjoying being around all of her friends. I am having fun watching her turn in to a young lady.