Happy 4th of July!!!

Wow - it's been a while and I really have no excuse except that nothing huge has happened.
So far, this is a short version of what has happened though...

1. Jason's mom came for a visit in May and we really enjoyed her time here even though it seemed so short. We went to the Fort Worth Zoo one day and had a great time.
2. Courtney's softball team won 1st place :o) Their tournament game was against the other Aledo team that they never won against but this team, they won big!!!
3. Both kids finished school - Courtney, of course, will be entering 5th grade while CJ will be entering Kindergarten. This will be the only year they'll be at the same school so it'll be nice.
4. The kids and I traveled back to Alabama in June to collect the remaining things at our friends house that didn't fit on the move out here. We stayed a week and enjoyed our time. We visited several friends - Jamie, Brandon and the girls (they were kind enough to let us stay with them the whole time), Rhonda and the girls (we met up with them for dinner one night but Kevin was working late), Sarah and Colt (Courtney's pitching coach and her little bundle of joy 14 weeks old) and finally, Malissa and Marshall (CJ's best friend from Grace Presbyterian Pre-K). It was a wonderful trip but a very, VERY long drive to and from 10+ hours.

Now for what is happening the rest of the summer (that I know of at this point in time)...

1. Taking care of the Shafer Zoo while James and Marti are in OK during the 4th holiday weekend.
2. Getting together with Misti, Brien and the boys along with coworkers of Misti's for a July 4th cookout and fireworks.
3. Courtney starts volleyball camp - it's the 7th-10th from 9-11am
   
4. Courtney's big Pulmonary appointment on the 22nd.

Now that I've caught you all up...maybe I will keep it up. I don't think I could get any worse than 2.5 months of not posting.

Again - hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th!!!

3-1 record now...

Courtney's team Aledo Flash has done really well so far this season. The last game came down to the final inning and they won!! Courtney came back in the top of the 3rd to really do some excellent pitching. We were all happy that my parents were able to attend. That is the first time (I think) they were able to watch her play and of course, pitch! Hoping they'll make it to Friday night's game.

Here are a few pictures of her.

Batting (I really need to get a better shot of her batting besides her backside)

Getting ready to steal home...
Pitching..

2-1 record!

Courtney has officially had 3 softball games...and has won 2 straight! She does like hearing everyone cheer her on while she is pitching - I think it gives her the 'ump' she needs :o) Next week is another full week with softball - Monday practice @ 6pm, games on Tuesday @ 6:30pm, Friday @ 8pm and Saturday @ 10am. It's softball life again :o)

Can't forget to mention the fact that my parents are making their way out here to visit. They will be leaving Florida on Monday and arriving sometime on Tuesday. The kids are excited for them to visit.

Not much else happening around here.

Where has time gone?

I can't believe that Sunday is Easter already - time has flown this year AGAIN!

Well, Courtney got her palate expander last Wednesday and is adjusting well now. It is still hard for her to chew lots of things since food can get caught between the spring and the roof of her mouth. Here's a picture of her expander...
Finally, Courtney had her first softball game as Aledo Flash. She is the starting pitcher :o) It is wonderful to see all the hard work she has done over the last year with pitching lessons shine. I am so proud of her and her skills. Although they lost 6-5, it was mostly on their throwing or should I say over-throwing their own teammates. Aledo Flash really came together and played like a team. There were some great hits too!! I did take some pictures of her before her first softball game and then after her picture day on Saturday so here are a few of those...

Postponed!!

Courtney's first softball game was postponed on Friday night. We believe it was due to how cold it was along with the winds. We are still unsure when her first game will be now. She was disappointed because she was really looking forward to playing.

Tomorrow the kids go to the dentist for their cleanings :o) Also tomorrow starts Kindergarten registration but thankfully, we don't have to register CJ since he is already enrolled in the Aledo ISD.

Not much else is going on here.

Top only!

The big day was Wednesday for Courtney - she got braces!! For now, it's only the top ones and then next week comes the palate expander. She'll have both for a couple of months before getting her bottom braces. She has to have the top expand before putting the bottom ones on.

She did really well and thanks to Aleve - no major pain!

Here are a few pictures that I got to take (she didn't want any but...)
She is in a little bit of pain due to the wiring poking the inside of her cheek. They were putting the bands on and trimmed the wire right off.
Here's a final picture that I got...not the greatest but...

Tonight is her opening game for softball - she is really excited. She actually chose orange and black bands to match her softball and school colors. Who knows what she'll choose next time :o)!