locks of love

You can't keep your hands off of it!

It's so cute! And funny. And quite charming.

You remind me of a Brek Girl. (google it)

We had been talking about it since you were 10, but we never got around to donating to "Locks of Love". Today we did.

I made an apointment with the Bijou and I half expected you to simply get a trim like you did last time. I mean, Dad was pretty adamant that your hair was beautiful long. He didn't want you to cut it.

But you were having so much trouble with it getting tangled and just becoming a mess and very hard for you to keep up with and very hard just basically to do anything with it.

So, you cut it.

We made an apointment with Keri (with the pretty tatoos) and got it cut. MAJORLY cut.

It's soooo cute!

your 13th birthday

We were in the mountains. It always falls while we are in the mountains. We've been going on the Labor Day Warriors trip for quite some time now, 11 years to be exact, and we usually try and throw a party before we go. But that's getting harder and harder with sports, jobs, and the yard. Ahh...the condition of the yard. It's awful, really, but there's no time to get it in shape and I'd rather spend that time with you and your sister doing something else. Anything else really.

You've been bugging me for over a year for a cell phone. I just thought you needed to wait, but now that you are riding buses to volleyball games, and after the "episode" with science club last year, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea.

so we did

and you LOVED it!

I checked your call log today by logging into cingular's account and you've talked 26 mintues already.

mostly to me

I'm happy.

grammy visits

I haven't posted here in forever! I was thinking about the goals and ambitions I set for myself back in January and then realized that I failed a fairly simple one. Posting about my kids. It won't take but five minutes and it will help me to remember all the little moments that slip by so quickly.

Like this one.

Grammy left yesterday morning. Her and Dunny were here for a few days visiting. We had such a good time just basically doing nothing. I love days like that. This is you with their dog Tidbit. He can be quite regal at times, but he loved the way you rubbed his belly. He would do this for hours and look just like stuffed dog.

biscuits

What a game! I still can't get over it!

A storm blew through last night and I had the opportunity to photograph you and your Biscuit friends in the middle of it! Everyone got a bit crazy the way folks do when there's a storm. You are getting that slap hitting down and I love it! I know I've said this before, but it is so much fun to watch you play.


Love,
Mom

wow

just look at you!

today was one those amazing days when it feels so good to be a parent! All those late nights up with you crunching numbers, or painting a project, or studying vocabulary. Everything pays off in one quick second, as a principal calls your name and declares before the entire world, or at least a small part of it, that you are number one. You have the highest GPA of everyone in the 6th grade!

WOW! I always knew you were number one, but to have everyone else know it also in that split second? It was just so cool.

Ice cream after to celebrate!

cousins

We first met Boo back when school started. At least I did, I think you were at some sporting event the night we had orientation. You are always at some sporting event!

Anyway, it's amazing to me how many cousins you have. Boo is a cousin. Her dad, Burt and your dad share the same Great Grandma, Monica. (Ida Lee's Mom.) I think it's so neat you will grow up knowing your family. You will always have a connection to them, either good or bad and you will know your family and what it means for family to stick by each other and share in each others joys and sorrows.

Because Grandad and Grammy divorced, I did not grow up knowing either set of my cousins. Oh, yeah, we knew them some. At certain family gatherins and such, but I'm so happy with our move to Cooper and how you will grow up knowing and enjoying your cousins.

These pictures are of Boo pitching on the Biscuits. You are playing with them this summer and enjoying every second! (Me too.) We've heard about her "through the grapevine" of softball conversations, but I never had the chance to see her pitch before. She's FIERCE! I love it!

You go, Lauren!

I love it when girls are strong, beautiful creatures, growing, like God created them to be. We were made to be HELP MEETS for our husbands, but gosh... the training we go through to get to that point? It all starts in your youth. WE as parents, have to find the Happy Medium we always strive so hard for. To raise you in the eyes of the Lord. To have you turn to him in times of need, but to raise you strong as well, so you can be strong for your families some day.









Brittany is your other cousin on the Bednarz side. How lucky are you? Her dad, Darryl and your dad, they share the same Great Grandparents. You've never really hung out together before, but this year, you've competed against each other, knocked each other down, shared locker space together, and then, finally during the All Star Tournament, played together. That was a breath of relief for me as a mom. I wanted you two to be on the same side for once. ha

She pitches too, and you two play on the Slammers together, a basketball team. I didn't get to see your first game, as I was in sunny CA, but according to eye witnesses, this Bednarz (Brittany) hustles just as much as you, and gives 100% of her heart as well to the game. She never quits and loves the sport of competition. I like that. You've needed kindered spirts to help feed your competitive soul and here you have them.






Two strong, competive girls, your cousins, that with the right guidance, and with plenty of prayers from their Mom's, will be able to help each other through the years.

You all are very blessed.

I'm the MOST blessed, Kalyn. God blessed me when he gave me YOU!

Love,
Mom

04.29.06

Tri County Tournament