Swing Batter Batter Swing!

It seems that Baseball has been the highlight of my Spring this year!  Well, it seems that I can stay awake for nothing else!

Pregnancy - at least the first trimester - doesn't treat me very well.  Well, at least it seems that way.  It's been nice that Rod's been home, unemployed, because I haven't had to worry so much about what I'm getting done or not getting done.  But - it's interesting to see how much isn't getting done - because Mom's not the one doing it...

Jaden is playing his very first year of baseball.  He's on the Mudcats.  Well, I have to say, that I never wanted any of my kids to EVER play on the Mudcats!  The two years that Josiah played Minors - the Mudcats were our opponents - and they were the team that always had the kids stealing bases when they shouldn't and took advantage of everything... when it just wasn't called for at that level.  Last year, Josiah was put on that team and we had him switched off.  The coach came up to Rod one day and said something about it - but we didn't really explain.  Josiah's a good enough player that everyone would want him on their team... Rod just shrugged it off.

Back to Jaden.  We've finally got used to the fact that he's a Mudcat.  And he doesn't know why we had a problem with it in the first place.  (The Mudcat - I realized after all these years... is a CATFISH. UGH!)  Oh, he's got such a long way to go in the land of Baseball... but he's doing it so whole heartedly that it makes up for all of the skill!  I think he's somewhat behind physically because of his eye sight.  And right now he's eyepatching and wearing eyeglasses that skew his vision (in the name of making it better in the long run.) But he's having a bit of a hard time to say the least.

This last Wednesday was his last game.  In it, he his twice (woot woot) and didn't need the T.  He was first baseman, pitcher and outfielder.  Rod has him on film... playing with dirt in the outfield :D  Oh to be 8 again!
He can hit, throw and catch - just about as well as any kid on his team.  Way to enjoy your first year Jaden!!

Josiah & Jedediah are on the Pirates.  Let me say that I L.O.V.E. their team.  They've only won 4 or 5 games and then gotten a couple of more through the other team forfeiting.  But... they have the best coaches that a mom could ask for.  The first week or so - I had Rod go talk to Coach Justin about the language on the team... and he told him that if the kids' language didn't improve that we were pulling our boys... Well, needless to say, it was fixed pretty quickly.  Josiah & Logan are the team captains.  The tallest and the shortest kids on the team :D

Josiah pitched every other game this season.  I watched him his his first (over the fence) homerun ever.  Boy that boy is enthusiastic!  And there's nothing quite like the smack of a ball going over the fence!  I was also there the day that he pitched a 14K game.  (Struck out 14 kids out of 18 available outs.)  He got balls from both of those games.  He also played 3rd base.  Which he's really good at.  Just didn't seem like there were many plays at the base for him this season.  (One of the dads from the opposing team bought Josiah a king sized hot dog when he hit that awesome home run.  Should have gotten a picture!  Silly me!)

Josiah & Jedediah's coaches started something new... they got a Pirates flag... and brought it to each of the games.  I really appreciated it because I always knew what side of the field I was supposed to sit on :D  The kids enjoyed it because they ran it around the field when they won a game...  Good times.  (This picture is of the day where the Seahawks mascot came to visit...)

Jedediah started out the year as a really strong hitter.  Something happened along the way where he just wasn't as confident.  It seems that he's going through what Josiah went through for the last two years... everyone knows he can hit - but just can seem to get it off of a kid pitcher.  That's not to say that he didn't get on base and score .. he did.  Just not quite to what he would have like to have done.  He also played mostly outfield (older kids usually play the bases b'c they are better).  And boy did Jed save the team a few different times with his great catching of fly balls.  He really excelled at that this year.  (When I was a kid I wanted nothing to do with fly balls... to afraid of getting hit in the face!)

All in all, it was a really great season.  A bit short feeling with so many games canceled due to rain or overly wet fields.  There's something a bit odd about seeing a guy with a leaf blower out on the field trying to get it dried out enough to let the kids play!!!!

What do the rest of us do doing all of this?  Julia always is great at meeting the sisters of the boys who are playing - so she has lots of baseball friends that she goes & plays with.  Rod & I are usually sitting on the bleachers with Jevonna... oftentimes taking pictures or eating garlic fries (which set well with me for about 1/2 of the season.)  When Jaden was with us for the Pirates games, he was often off playing with Julia.  Or sitting next to Grandma, Granddad or Garrett.. or off to the snack shop to buy candy.  Josiah & Jedediah only got to go to a couple of games of Jadens because of scheduling conflicts.

So the season is now about wrapped up.  After the 15th Josiah will be trying out for the 11-12 All Star team - and it looks like Jedediah may try out for the 9-10 team.  Hopefully it'll be a bit warmer the week of games in July...

Never The Same Again...

(Circa Summer 1991.  My picture from a YD Student Leadership hiking trip in the Cascade Mountains.  See me in the white shirt, on the right, with the poofy bangs??  That's ME!  Yes, there really was a deer in the background at the moment the picture was taken - which we didn't know about until the photo was developed!)

This last year Rod & I became a part of the Skagit Vally Youth Dynamics Steering Committee.  What a neat blessing that that has been.  It's unlike other ministry opportunities that we've had leadership experiences with.  Here, we are the support staff for the YD staff.  We have a few to do's... like we helped put on the YD Fundraising Dinner just this last Thursday night.  (Which was AWESOME, BTW!)  Thanks to everyone who came for all of your support!!!  But what I feel like we really do is provide support and encouragement to the staff.  We have a great Steering Committee that I see sticking together - we share the same heart and vision for the teens of the valley.

A bit of my story...  I have such a heart for YD because I was a student there for two & a half or three years of my high school days.  Two of those years I was one of the student leaders.  I found so much love and support there.  I also learned to walk in and walk out my faith during those days.  Gosh, I feel like SO, SO,  much of my life was shaped out of those couple of years... between my experience, my relationships with the youth leaders, the challenges that they gave us...  My experiences there changed my life & I was never the same again.

(Mission Trip 1992 with YD Student Leaders.  There's me circled.)

We took trips, did mission trips, challenge courses, rock climbing (can you see me out there!?), white water rafting, wilderness hiking trips, Rendezvous in Leavenworth and Chill Out! at Mt.Baker... I've thought so many times since then - that I wish that I could give my experiences to other kids.  (I've was even one of the students in their promotional video... I have a copy on VHS somewhere - I should see if I could find it!!!)

We haven't been involved at YD since about the time we were married.  The last few years though - Rod & I have been going on the white water rafting trips with YD Adventures.  So we've been in touch and have stayed pretty up to date on what was going on locally.

There hasn't been student ministry going on at the log cabin in Burlington for the last couple of years... and my has heart ached.  Then, last year, when we found out that they were hiring an area director, my heart soared.  Months later, we got a call from Bronco asking us to consider being on the Steering Committee.  After seeing how excited I was that there was going to be this youth ministry in the valley again - I just really felt like it is time for me to take part in what was given to me all those years ago.  Rod was on board - so here we are!  (I'd like him to post his own part of the story!)

So, here we are... part of the Youth Ministry that's going on in the Valley!!!  It's so funny, I never knew what went on behind the scenes when I was a teen... Looking back, I would have loved to been a fly on the wall in the Steering Committee meetings back then.  I had no idea that even though we aren't hands on in the ministry, that I would feel such a part of it.  It feels so good to be where God's hand is moving.  And you can just feel it!  It's so exciting!

Because we are on the steering committee - it's given Josiah an opportunity to get involved where he might not have normally been.. at least for a little while longer.  It's such a neat yet odd experience seeing someone else build a relationship with my son - in the way that they built relationships with me back in the day.  

Josiah's been going to Drop in on Monday afternoons and Rock Club on Thursday.  Drop in is where Jonas and the volunteer staff do youth ministry with about 20 kids that show up after school.  Rock Club is a Rock Climbing club - yes, I did say Rock Climbing.   Josiah and about 5 other boys (varies week to week) go with Jonas, Eric and Jared out to Mt. Erie to go Rock Climbing.  Yes, I just said that I've been letting my son climb rocks and repel week after week for the last few months.  CRAZY!  But since I know how particular and that they take every precaution - Rock Club isn't really a worry of mine.  I'm excited to see the kids build relationships and get challenged in their faith.

Josiah's going on a Friction Rock Climbing trip this coming week with Jonas and a couple other boys.  I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures of my son on the Rock!  Looking forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do in his life while his is gone (April 3rd - April 7th).  

If it's on your heart, please lift SV YD up in prayer... God's going something great here with teens in the Valley.  Also, if you could pray for good decisions on the part of the Steering Committee.  And for Josiah & his trip as well.  For a safe trip & that God would show him something - do something in him on this trip!

If you have teens who'd you like to see get involved somewhere - or if you have questions about Youth Dynamics in general, feel free to zip me an email - or leave a comment!

**First Snow**

 I always enjoy the first snow of the year.  This year though, I guess I have some issues - concerned about driving our van around in the snow.  Everyone says that this year is supposed to be worse than it was 2 years ago... Well, I need to give this one to God... but we had a h.o.r.r.i.b.l.e. time with chains 2 years ago.  We went through 2 sets and ended up using something called spider spikes - which were much better.

Besides that - snow at our house revolves around our turnstyle door and the dryer.  Normally, after a few days of snow it takes us, with all of our snow gear, a few days to dry out.  It's one of those things I sincerely don't look forward to.  Mainly because of all of the boots, I suppose. 

Recently, a friend of ours gave us a washer & dryer.  They got a new one, we "inherited" their old ones.  We had had our washer since the beginning of our marriage - so it's at least 13 years old.  Someone gave it to us when we were first married, so I imagine - it wasn't new then either.

Our dryer, we got off of craigslist 3 or 4 years ago.  Loved it when it was working... but it had lint troubles and the heating element went out on probably 3 times since we've had it.  It's just been time to get a new one!


So, anyhow, when these friends of ours asked if we wanted another washer & dryer, I jumped at the chance (mainly b'c of our dryer issues).  It's this cool double dryer.  Drys shirts, sweaters - has racks for stuff - and hooks for hanging things like shoes and gloves.  Didn't know if we'd like it - but we L.O.V.E. it!  Turns out that we use the top all of the time.  Since we've had this dryer - it's the first time in ages - that I've been able to keep up with the laundry!  Amazing!

 It makes days, like yesterday and today, a little more tolerable.  Knowing that we aren't going to have wet stuff hanging over chairs and drying in front of the fire.   I sure do enjoy all of the *joy* that happens just because it gets white outside.  Happy kids.  Smiles.  Red cheeks.  Hot Chocolate.  Everyone all bundled up.  Neighborhood snowball fights.  The beauty of it.  Thanks Lord, for reminding us of the beauty and enjoyment of one of your wonders!

Back to the van.  Well, we still have our spider spikes.  Rod grew up driving in the snow.  He's pretty darn confident.  The Lord took care of us before - and I know He'll do it again!!!

Jaden's Eyesight

Well, most of my friends know via Facebook that we found out yesterday that Jaden is legally blind in his left eye.  Looking back, I guess I should have understood the cues a little better.  You know - he liked to read too close, sit too close to the tv, played DS really close.  But he does other things completely normally - anything physical - baseball, soccer, at home football. 

I went to the eye doctor to have MY eyes checked a few months ago.  They said that the way my eyes are, that my kids eyes should really get checked.  So we took the boys in.  Josiah & Jedediah both have 20/20 vision.  Rod went into the room with each of them while the rest of us sat in the waiting room.  When it was Jaden's turn, I decided I wanted to see what they were testing.  Well, it was obvious that his wasn't 20/20 or even anything close!

Jaden is good at schoolwork.  But I haven't pushed him with his reading because something inside me said not to.  Looking back I really believe it was the good Lord.  Can you imagine me pushing a half blind kid to read?  We both would have been frustrated!!!  And I learned with Josiah - once a kids motivated.. they'll get it done in no time!  So I wasn't too worried.  So he knows all of his letters and many words.

Well, in the eye doctors office, he was getting the letters with his right eye right, but not his left.  When they did the follow the pen - eyetracking thing... he can track fine, but when the pen gets close to his nose, his left eye turned in.  The doctor said he hadn't seen anyone like Jaden before.  Eyes track looking at a distance perfectly, but up close the left eye crosses.

He said that he didn't want to give him a perscription.  And that he was going to refer us to a local eye surgeon.  Uh, well, what, does, that, mean, exactly??  So he said that Jaden could need glasses, might need therapy, and might need surgery.

Well we waited a few months for his appt to come.  Yesterday was the day.  We go in and they check his eyes.  I ask the lady to test with numbers or objects instead of letters, hoping that that might help him identify things with his left eye with poor vision.

They have him identifying things like a cake, a bike, a car, a chick, etc.  His right eye, he read all the way down the chart.  His left eye, the poor eye, he couldn't make out the birthday cake object at the very top of the chart.  You know the one that is normally the big E?  Yah.

So after the surgeon did some tests, he told us that Jaden is legally blind in his left eye.  Good vision in his right.  That he may eventually need things like surgery, but they want to try other things first.  So, first off, he's going to wear glasses.  They are supposed to help relax his eyes enough for them to stop crossing.  Second, buy some medical tape, you are going to be patching his eye - in hopes of strengthening the eye and making it work.  Probably for quite some time.  He must build up to wearing the patch for all but 2 hours each day.  He forwarned us, Jaden's going to hate it.  He's going to complain and probably beg us not to wear it.  The patch is so that Jaden's left eye will hopefully strengthen enough so that he will have legal vision in it.  Wow, I'm glad Rod was sittting next to me.  Did I hear him right?

He hands me a sheet of paper on how to "make" an eyepatch.  Don't you just buy a black eye patch and call it good?  I guess kids try to peek out of that kind of patch - so it must be taped on.  He said that we'll know whether or not his eye is working better because he'll be able to do more and will complain less.

After the appt. - we stopped by a medical supply store and bought 2 each of 2 kinds of medical tape.
We stopped by our original eye doctors office to order Jaden's glasses.  Which won't be in for four to six weeks... then we went to pick up the rest of the kiddos from the grandparents and spill the news.

His next appt is in November - to see how he's doing.  If his eye is taking in info or not.

Then we get home.  I'm just taking it all in.  Jaden's feeling odd because of his eyes being dialated... so he's not feeling right to begin with.  Rod runs an errand to the store with Julia.  I decided to practice making an eyepatch.  I make it - and put it on him.  At first no problem. 

About a half an hour later - the child is in tears.  Asking me to take it off.  Why can't they just do surgery mommy?  Can't we just let my eye be bad?  I can see with my good eye mommy.  He cried and cried and cried.  It was as if he was mourning the loss.  It hit me hard.  He was trying to play legos in the middle of the floor with the patch on and crying and saying things like... I can't see the legos mommy.  Deep breath.  He asks later to take it off.  I say yes, but tomorrow it has to stay on for quite awhile.  Jedediah makes fun of him unintentionally - (I make an eyepatch for Jed to wear and let him know that he needs to understand what it feels like - so that he won't have any desire to make fun of him then!  I wasn't mean... Jedediah now understands.) 

Rod and Julia return.  We get the kids to bed.  I break down and cry.  Obviously, I want this to be done so that he can see better - but it was heartbreaking to watch him figure out what is going to happen for the next few months.  At least 2 months - probably 6 months or more.

Today went well.  Jaden wore it in the morning-afternoon for about 5 hours.  He did really well until a friend came over to play and he asked to take it off.  The surgeon said that he can work into the long hours, so I said yes - he'd wore it long enough for his first day.  Great job Jaden!!!  It'll be worth it in the end!

I'm really glad we're doing this, but it doesn't feel easy emotionally.  Thanks to our friends who've been praying... much appreciated.  I guess if I can really be thankful for something, I'm glad we didn't wait any longer to take him in.  That there's still the possibility of better vision for him.  And I'm thankful for kind eye doctors and kind eye surgeons.

blog by phone

recently got an app phone. so im trying out a blog by phone app. i dont know if i like this one or not... today josiah had a doubleheader baseball game in anacortes. i really like this fall ball league. (This is where I accidentally submitted it). 

This league is in Burlington.  The coaches spend the same amount of time with the kids as they do in little league - but the instruction seems to be better.  Josiah's getting real coach help for a real time swing.  He's improving.  Josiah is at the point now though, he's had enough input - he just needs to get out there and stop thinking about everything these new coaches have been teaching him!

This was our view of the game in Anacortes today.  I do have one thing to say - those Anacortonians.. really know how put up a little league field!  I think that is, by far, the nicest little league field that I have ever seen.  Great view, great seats, nice field - although it was turf.... like I said, nice field!

Well, apparently the app - is ok.  I added the phone photo and was able to type in text fine.  Though - text entering box was small - and I published it on accident - I wasn't finished with it.  So it's okay, but i'll probably see if I can find another one that will do a better job.  We'll see!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.4