Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

The kids are playing t-ball this summer, Jacob's first time and Annalyn's second time. Its actually pretty entertaining watching all those little kids running in wrong directions, or not running, just standing on the base, or catching the ball when they are supposed to be running to a base, or just running back to the dugout after they hit the ball. This beats Major League games in my opinion any day.

Here's Jacob on shortstop ready to go; he looks pretty determined, except he's facing the wrong direction.

Here's Annalyn on third, also determined, and also facing the right way.

Jacob up to bat, I think he has yet to hit THE BALL, but he always manages to hit the tee which sends the ball to the field, whatever works right?

And since this is his first time playing, the directions of the bases are still being learned.
Do I go this way?

I don't know what I'm doing! Am I still going the right way?

The helmet is a little big, so holding it with both hands while running makes for giggles.

Oh, here's mom with the camera, I better give my biggest smile!

I made it!

Great game!

Fun in the Sun

We got the kids a pool for summer and Saturday we tried it out. The older kids loved it...

but Lizzie did not like it so much...

Better now...

Here she is, unsuspecting anything and then here comes Dad with the squirt-gun...

Didn't like that either...

Once she got a hold of the squirt-gun then she was happy...

Miss Anna, always ready to pose for the camera...

It's so fun to spray your kids with water!

Mothers

In honor of Mother's Day coming up...

I'm not sure if it's because the holiday is this Sunday, if its because my kids have been sick this week or if its because I've really missed our families lately but I've been thinking about how mothers are self-sacrificing, unconditionally loving and never failing. When you think about it, mothers are amazing. They work all day and some of the time all night, they have everyone else's interests at hand before their own, and they will sometimes go without showers or food if they have too.

Mothers are who we think of when we have a problem, they are our comfort, our strength and our examples. They work jobs in the home and out of the home and will do whatever they have to for their children. What they want usually comes last, if at all. Mothers have so many qualities and some of them you didn't even know you had until you become a mother. I'm not sure if screaming into a pillow counts as a quality but I wouldn't doubt it.

Losing sleep, being puked on, cleaning up spilled milk 5 times in the same sitting, getting headaches, trying to raise kids righteously and all the stress and worries that comes with motherhood are so hard, but it's worth it because of the blessings we have in the form of our children. I think about all the mothers I know. I admire each of you. You are all examples to me and I consider myself blessed to know you. I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day, whether you are a mother now or a future mother. To my husband's mother and my own...we love you and miss you; we appreciate you more than you'll ever know and thank you so much for everything you have done for us, from the time we were born until now. We are blessed to have you as our mothers.