A skinny Michael Phelps.....?

For those of you who may not know, Mackay joined the GHS swim team this year. Yes, GHS does have a swim team. He is on the team with a couple of friends, Morgan and Tyler. They are having a ball and getting lots of exercise. I know Mack is skinny but I really had no idea how skinny until I saw him in his suit! Whoa!
Tyler, Morgan, and Mack watching a teammate race!

"Oh, Mother! What are you doing with your phone?"

Getting ready to race...

"Can you see me? ....Um, not really... but i know you are there somewhere!"

There you are!

Mack swims several races and he is pretty good. He swims the 50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle relay, 100 yard medly relay, 500 yard freestyle (20 laps!) But I think for the most part, the boys like to hang out by the pool in their tight little suits....

Where has my baby gone????

Well, it's official.....my baby boy is gone! 17 short years ago, I held in my arms the most beautiful boy I have ever seen! It is hard to believe that my chubby, bald headed bundle of love is 17 years old!!!! Why does 17 sound so much older than 16? He is now a man! He is my boy, he is my joy!

Just so you know..........

This boy really makes me smile!!!!!

Nuf said?

World Series Breakdown: Phillies vs. Rays

Well, October was not kind to the Red Sox. They lost last night so the Rays are headed to the World Series. One question......Do I cheer for the team that beat my Sox (because I don't want the team that beat the Sox to get beat) or do I cheer for anyone but the team that beat my Sox?

I did, however, get some memorabilia from Fenway Park!!! A friend from work brought me a treasure.....A paint chip from a seat at Fenway Park! Yep, he peeled it right off of the seat! He also brought me an awesome ball (I don't want to take the plastic off....it might get hurt) Thanks Greg!



All I know is I need a new blog topic!!!

I Believe.......So does BOSTON!

Just a quick note on last nights game.....Boston down 7-0...it is not looking good...but do the Sox give in? NEVER! What a rally! At the bottom of the 7th, it started to come together for the boys of October! They ended up with a 7-8 WIN!!!!

(I guess my clapping and yelling scared Gracie.....She says I'm too loud and she is tired of watching baseball. Sorry, Grace!)

Never Give Up!

I just need to take a moment to express some frustration with my Red Sox. They are down 2-1 in the ALCS Championship Series. Yesterday was not a proud moment for the Sox! But this morning a thought came to me....There is another game....Don't give up!

How many times do we have moments that we are not proud of? How many times do our throws miss the target or we swing too late? How many times do we miss the fly ball because we didn't want to jump to get it? Maybe we didn't slide because we didn't want to get dirty? How many times do we convince ourselves the other team is better.....having more fun?

What a lesson to learn from baseball! Even when the game seems long and we are getting beat, we must never lose sight of our goal! It is the time to keep our heads up, put on our rally hats, dig deep, and find the courage to just keep trying! We may have to humble ourselves and look to the Coach for help! He will always be there! He will be waiting in the dugout at the end of each inning to offer advice, encourage us, and remind us how strong we really are...then he will send us back out to finish the game! All we can do is take what we have learned, work together as a team, and do our best! We must never give up!

Tuckered Out....

Loren and Maren came out with their kiddies to help get the house/yard ready for Mom and Dad's return...24 DAYS and counting!!! They worked so hard! By the time 9pm came around....

And they are staying the whole weekend! I wonder what time they will drop tonight?

They Won!!!!

The Red Sox pulled it off last night! They beat the Angels! Now they move on and play the Tampa Bay Rays! The AL Championship Series starts on Friday, October 10, 2008 at 8:30 PM (ET). I can hardly wait!

A Red Sox Update....

I know you are just dying for an update....

Game 2-the Red Sox win! And we are on our way to Fenway Park!
Game 3-a tragic loss last night after 12 (yes, 12) innings. Those boys played ball for over 5 hours! I wonder how many people were late to work in Boston today?
Game 4-tonight at 6:30 PM on TBS

Send your good thoughts to Boston....John Lester is on the mound tonight! Let's see a repeat of his win in Game One! Go Sox!

Moms and Muffins

Friday was Moms and Muffins at GES! Go Grizzlies! It is a great activity to encourage reading. All Moms (and anyone else) are invited to come to school and read with their child(ren) for an hour and enjoy a lovely muffin! What a great time! The Nielsen moms met up with the the kiddies and headed to the library for some reading! It was fun to have all of the kids together reading and laughing. And it is always fun to take the kids home a little early....

The Paxman's

The Whites

Mals and Marianne

I have been tagged?

One of my blogging sisters has thrown out a tag.....How can I not respond? Surprisingly, I did have to think about these a little bit...

5 fears...5 joys...5 obsessions/collections...5 surprising things about me...then tag 5 more people

Fears-
1. This may sound crazy but I am afraid to start the lawnmower! Yes, it's true. I get visions of my feet being sucked into the blades. My logical mind tells me it won't happen but when I go to start one, I truly believe they will. (it makes my heart pound just to think about it)
2. Diabetes...the horrible things this disease does to a body is just overwhelming to me! There is no cure and it affects so many people.
3. That Mack will have to fight in a war someday. Of course I would support him, if the military is his destiny but the thought of losing my son in war is a real fear in my heart.
4. Losing faith, hope, and love. Need I say more?
5. That I will wake up one morning and find that Jared has just been a dream! The peace he brings to my heart and soul is irreplaceable! I can no longer imagine my life without him.

Joys-
1. My kids! I truly have great kids! They can be a challenge but I love them! They are the reason I do the things I do!
2. Kisses! Nothing makes me happier than to come home from work to a kiss from the one I love! Rhett Butler said it best, "You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." Jared knows....
3. Reading! I love to read! My book list gets longer all the time! I love to be surrounded by words! (see obessions)
4. Giving someone the perfect gift! This doesn't happen as often as I would like but making someone feel special by giving them what they really want/need brings me great joy!
5. Jared, of course! I'm sure I have broken the blogging rules already so let me just tell you...He is the best! He makes me smile like no one else can! He is the sunshine in my soul!

Obsessions/Collections
1. Pajamas! A girl can never have too many pjs! I have a hard time passing them by when I see something new! I think I am due for a new pair...hmmmm
2. Dishes! A vice that Jared has not seen in action yet. But the holidays bring it out it me. I believe that plates we eat on should change with the seasons and the holidays.
3. Reading! It brings me such joy but can get out of hand at times. Once I really get into a book, it is hard for me to put it down. Then I neglect all other responsibilities.
4. Hello!?!? Blogs! I may not always have something profound to post but I love to blog! I love to get updates on people, love to see what other people post. Sometimes my blogging friends write exactly what I need to read!
5. I realize that I must be obsessed with Jared too! I am afraid to lose him, he brings me joy...my obsession! He is the first thing in my mind in the morning, I think about what he is doing all day long, and he is the last thing I pray for at night. He never really actually leaves my mind. He is always there and it makes me happy! And I can't seem to get enough. (Sorry if I broke the rules Babe, you can blame Lacey)

Suprising Facts about Me
1. It is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I love to shop! The surprise is I am learning how to manage my money better. More surprising....it isn't so bad. I may blunder once in a while but I am learning that if I focus on needs and not wants, with a little sacrifice, I can still get some of the wants. Jared is such a good teacher, cheerleader, partner.
2. I wish I could play the piano. My mom told me not to quit lessons, that I would regret it later. She was right!
3. I wish I liked to cook. It is one of those necessities in life that I just don't get! My life would be a lot easier if I liked to cook. Then I could do it better. My poor family.
4. This is a surprising fact to me....I still need my Mom and Dad. They are the best parents in the world. Even though I am 30 something, they are still there when I need them. They are a resource for advice, a shoulder to cry on, a kick in the butt when I need it!
5. And, this is true, sometimes I wish I worked at home. Sometimes I wish I didn't miss out on so much because I am at work. I love my job and need it to care for my family. But there is a little part of me that wishes I was home when my kids got home from school. Ah well, maybe in the next life.

So, Melissa, Maren, Angie, and Deb.....You've been TAGGED!

It's October.........Bring on the baseball

Well, the American League Division Playoff Series started this week! Last night was Game 1 of the Boston Red Sox vs. the Anaheim Angels series. And I am happy to say that now my Sox lead the series 1-0, with a 4-1 win against the Angels! Way to go Sox! For those of you who need the schedule.....

Game 1 BOS 4 - LAA 1

Game 2 October 3rd in CA (9:30PM ET on TBS)

Game 3 October 5th in Boston

Game 4 October 6th in Boston

Game 5 October 8th in CA

With a two-run homer from the new guy on the field (Go Bay!) and my favorite closer on the mound in the last inning (Papelbon)....I have dreams of another World Series title for the Sox!