GETTING CLOSER...

To fall posts.  Just a few tid bits to finish up July and August.  I'm fabulous at this blog thing, I know.  It's an art form really.

Cole's All-Star tournament happen to fall over our 13th Anniversary on July 18th and while my parents were still here so, we snuck out to have an early dinner at our favorite hibachi restaurant before the game.  It was soooo good, as usual, but it took a little longer than expected and we ended up having to make a major mad dash to make it to the game on time.  Oops.

 

The boys ended up losing their 2nd game the very next night.  And that ended our time playing All-Stars...Thank goodness.  The next week after baseball was finally over, the team met up at a frozen yogurt place to hand out pictures and trophies.  Good idea, Coach Chad, because yogurt is what all 9 year old boys want.  Geez.  In case you missed it from my earlier posts, that man is a VERY sore subject in our family.

A week later school started.  Yep, and just like that the summer break was over.  Unbelievable.  First Day of School...August 2nd!

Nathan's company picnic was at the Family Fun Center again this year.  It's normally very stressful for Nathan since he has to mingle with all the employees and families for a while and not be with us but, the kids really enjoy it...Especially since that's pretty much the only time we go.

Oh my gosh, this is random but had to be documented.  Cole was actually willing to help with some manual labor instead of being lazy watching TV or playing his video games.  He didn't help us with the first truck load full of these durn teeny pebbles earlier in the week but, he was in the blazing sun so that makes up for it a little.

 

I doubt Cole will be doing anything like that anytime soon.  He was beat.  September posts full of football and fall baseball are soon to come.  Yay!  

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day!  The Dallas Cowboys won and the Texas Longhorns just kicked the winning field goal.  Whew...That was close!  It's probably safe to assume that you'll be seeing my Thanksgiving post around Valentine's Day. :-)

  

ALL-STAR BASEBALL (three)

A short video of the little bit that Cole got to play.

The last of some of my favorite pictures from the All-Star Tournament.  We may not have had a great experience but at least I got some great pictures.  I think I'm going to start making those photo book things to have for keepsakes.

I don't know if it's the sweaty hair, the frog tog around his neck, the Longhorn sticker or just the way he's standing there with his hands gripping the fence but, my goodness, I absolutely love this picture.

 

Love this picture, too!  A smile from my dad would've made it that much better but that's ok because that's his normal picture smile.  In fact, I think he has the same look in my wedding pictures. :-)

Cole...

Mom and Dad are so very proud of you and how strong you were during this whole time!  We couldn't have asked for anything more from you!  

ALL-STAR BASEBALL (two)

Cole was super lucky to have some fabulous fans come to watch him. My parents and one of my nieces drove all the way from Texas straight to the fields for the Friday night game and stayed the weekend.

Sweet Girls

 

It was very hot and muggy but we made do.  Giant snow cones helped.

Yes, I really did bring a beach umbrella.  It was soooo much easier to set up than our bulky canopy and actually created a lot of shade for quite a few people.

                  The girls had fun painting while I made the big team sign.

I was so excited for my parents to come and see Cole play...Especially since they hadn't seen him play any sport in well over 2 years...And that was also part of why I was so frustrated with Cole not getting to play much.  I just felt so bad that they drove all that way.

I made this shirt for Brooke to make her feel special during the All-Star tournament.  She really liked it but was totally not feeling my pleas for pictures.  Stinker.

 

Mom, Dad and Carley...

Thank you so much for coming to visit us!  I wish it hadn't been for such a short visit but, it still meant more than you know to the kids.

ALL-STAR BASEBALL (one)

Cole had a goal of making the All-Star team all season long after being jipped out of being on the team last year. Last year his team won the Championship but the All-Star team had already been decided because of a side deal 2 of the coaches made to guarantee their own kids were selected. All politics really.

Nathan formed his own team this Spring to ensure Cole got a fair shot to improve and be seen. Well it worked. Cole worked his skronny little tail off and had an awesome season. We didn't win a ton of games but he really started showing his abilities.

Telling Cole the news that he made the All-Star team (turn the volume WAY up)...

I was less than pleased with the head coach but I still couldn't help making a little sign for the team.  After all, it's not the kids' fault that the head coach had no clue about how to coach a team or really even understand the game of baseball.  Complete moron.

Cole picked #17 for Nelson Cruz from the Texas Rangers. Love!

Oh man, the facilities where the All-Star tournament was held was in this podunk, hick county that apparently had no resources or know how of what the grounds should look like.  The grass on the field had little weed flowers that were showing, the pit at the batters box was a twisted ankle waiting to happen, not to mention all the bumps on the rest of the field...Thus the reason for the squiggly base line. 

See the flowers in the grass???  Ridiculous.

Yes surrr...Representing TEXAS in Tennessee, folks!

The guy standing here in front of Nathan is Steven Wallace...And he was the absolute best part about the whole All-Star experience for Nathan.  They talked a lot and became pretty close...So much so that they decided to coach a football team together in the fall.  Remember his name for a future post.

COACH NATE!!!

I couldn't get over the fact that this umpire's face mask thing looked like a jockstrap on his head. Huh-larry-us! I tried so hard to hold my smirk in every time he came right in front of me to drink his water. :-)

This All-Star team was actually a terrible experience for us.  Cole got to play very little and never as catcher.  He was pretty much just a filler for the team, as were a few other kids.  It just wasn't right...Especially since Nathan was one of the coaches and put so much of his time into the team.  Several of the parents even mentioned to me that they couldn't believe Cole wasn't playing after all Nathan was doing.

It's been months and I'm still kind of bitter about it all.  Just thinking about the head coach's name makes my eyes squint and my face get all tight and scrunched up.  Grrrr!!!  Chad, if I could just squeeze your neck a little I might feel a little bit better.  Nah...That wouldn't be right.  A nice, short elbow to the jaw would be much more satisfying!

Whoever wins the season gets to be the head coach...So that's Nathan's goal for next year.  And Cole's too because he was so badly hurt by that coach's selfish decisions.  I could go on and on venting my frustrations about it all but I won't.

However, I cannot tell you how PROUD Nathan and I were of Cole for taking the high road the entire time and never crying during the games and continuing to do his part and support his team.  I often had tears in my eyes just watching him in the dugout.  He would get very upset after the games and try to understand but, it's hard to explain to a 9 year old that sometimes life just isn't fair no matter how many things you do right.

Nathan and I saw a glimpse of the amazing man that Cole is going to turn out to be...And that in itself made it all worth it.