Ju-Nearly-July.

I just finished my last two ball teams, have made my last deliveries and have no plans to touch my computer for weeks, or to visit Costco photo center for at least a week :) One more screw-up from Eric at Costco might be grounds for a throw-down! Don't make me jump that counter-top!

This month has been packed full of Tee Ball and Softball games. Tee ball is soooooo not my favorite, but our little team is pretty cute. They try so hard. Gage Loves it this year, so I guess it was worth having Derek coach one more year. We Pinky-swore we would not get suckered into doing it again. Gage is usually a dirt kicker, but this year he has become really competitive and want to tag everyone out. He is a good little hitter and in his own mind, it is fully necessary to slide into each base. Bless my soul We need to do a TIDE commercial. His baseball pants are never going to be white again. Anyway, He DIGS it. He keeps score in his head and of course, our team is always kickin' BUTT. ( We need to work on that counting thing over the summer :)

Mady has overnite morphed into an amazing little softball-ER. SHe Kicks Butt as a pitcher. Derek LOVES it. He has the Perma-smile on while she is in action. She is fairly consistant and does a great job. She is a great athelete (and she totally got her athletic abilities from her mama :) ... as if. ) She has been in perpetual motion since about the end of April as we have triple-timed softball and 2 dance classes, practices and games. Needless to say, she sleeps really well lately. Bless her heart, if I could bottle all of her energy, I would be rich :)
This last week, they had their tournament. They went into it in 7th place and ended up 4th. THey were kind of in a batting slump so we expected them to be eliminated after 2 games. We were all pleasantly surprised. It was a fun season. I am however soooooo glad not to hear their crazy cheers until next season! WOW! THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDER-ATION... WE'RE THE BEST TEAM IN THE NATION!!

Mady had 3 routines in the recital. It was a mad house trying to get her in the right costume at the right time and in the right place. I missed parts of her routine because I was running back and forth from the costume room to help her. NUTZ.

We took a trip to Salt lake to visit with our friend - Orthopaedic specialist, Dr. Smith. Apparently there is really nothing that can be done about Brennan's scoliosis. He just needs to stay active - we are really happy to get to pay $500.00 for him to tell us that. I am pretty sure that man makes a hundred dollars a minute. ok maybe $90 dollars a minute. We were in that room about 6 and a half minutes. I am CLEARLY in the wrong profession. Funny... he wants us to come back in six months for a recheck... Well, he can re-check THIS! We are happy to know that he can be as active and involved as he wants to be. He is looking forward to football season. He has been busy mowing lawns for his dad and doing odd jobs. I don't know that he loves working so much, but I think he is finally deciding that having money to spend is pretty darn great, so he is getting the work concept.

Chloee... sleeping. potty trained. sweet & sassy. Gypsy! She has found a new little friend across the street. Brooklyn. She thinks it is pretty great to sneak off and play. Before when it would get quiet at our house, I would run to see what she was in to.. well now when we don't hear her we have to scour the neighborhood because she quietly opens the door and runs out to play. She loves to ride her bike with training wheels. She loves dresses and twirly skirts. SHe is too funny... she wants to brush her own hair and has this funny little "ratting" motion that she makes with the brush. She says some of the craziest things... she hates to be teased... Brennan loves it, so there is constant chaos.

We have finally made it through her dance class. Never again. She does not love ballet and tap.. and neither does her mama. I am waiting until we can get her in an afternoon class because 10 am nearly kills me. She was funny to watch in the recital. SHe didn't know her dance that well, but gave it her best. Whew. We made it through the recital and all of that craziness. She didn't want to do her second number, but decided she would because both of the grandmas were in the audience watching her. What is it about a 4th kid that is so insane?

On the 19th, Dena and her family came back to visit. We have had fun staying up late visiting, playing, watching movies and such. We all went for Mani's & Pedi's the other day... good times. We spent last weekend at the Aberdeen Marina and campground. I am thinking that is one of my new favorite spots. CHeap. Close. Grassy. Great dock area and parking. THe water is still really cold but not as cold as I expected it to be. THe weather has been unusually cold & Rainy all spring. The reservoir is the highest that I have ever seen. CRAZY! MY kids love boating and being pulled in the tube. They had a blast with the cousins. Gage is our newest die hard... and yes, we finally got Mady to ride in the tube. SHe has been so scared to ride in it - I think mostly she is afraid of being dumped in to the water. THis is our 7th summer with that boat. ONe of our most excellent purchases EVER. Brennan thinks he should get double the turns that anyone else should have. What a turd! If he can't stir things up or tick someone off, he just isn't happy lately. ( IT is a gift from the Ratliff side... I admit it :)

As the month rounds third base and heads for Home, I am grateful to have a minute to take a deep breath, grateful for full nights of uninterrupted sleep, happy to spend time cleaning up our piggy hole house ( I swear it has never been in such horrid shape) glad to have time to catch up the laundry, and love that the weather is finally warming up - Yes, I am getting a tan. I am about scarry as nothing else in a bathing suit, but tan fat is for sure better than white fat! We are headed to Twin Lakes this weekend for a couple of days of R & R with dear friends... Friends are the Family we choose for ourselves. What is not to smiLe about?