The Warrior movie trailer

A fun night at the ballpark...GO TRIBE!

After spinning the prize wheel -- Two Sizemore Bobbleheads, one voucher for "buy one get one free tickets," a coupon for iced coffee, an umbrella and a coupon for a polar pop.

Cambrie's first Major League Baseball game. And quite possibly her last for awhile. She was worn out before the game started. She did love the treats though.

The only thing that would have made the night better was if the Indians had pulled off a WIN.

Showing off Grady Sizemore's signature. One of the Twins players singled Brynnley out during batting practice and gave her the ball. She really wants him to sign as well...and determined that we need to go back to EVERY Indians vs. Twins game in order to track him down.

Our favorite Indians pitcher - Mitch Talbot. Also a member of our ward. We've been dog-sitting his dog Ace this summer when the team is on the road and when Mitch's wife, Julie, goes with them. The kids are in HEAVEN having a dog around again. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Ace looks just like Kerrdog...a yellow-lab. (Although, Ace is a lot thinner!) Mitch is from Cedar City, UT and as it turns out, his mom was my boss at State Bank of Southern Utah many years ago. Small world!

Warriors are we

Rachel crawling through the mud pit.

The worst part was getting cleaned off at the end. The water was FREEZING.

Modeling our cool new hats.

Jennie leaping over fire like it was NOTHING.

AFTER

Going through the mud and under the barbed-wire.

Greg still trying to take video with the waterproof camera.

Ok, so the pictures pretty much explain it all. Mud. Water. Rocks. Trail Run. Laughs, more laughs and SO. MUCH. FUN. I would definitely do the Warrior Dash again.

Down the drain

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the post...I just think it's a cute picture and pictures with blogs are more interesting and eye-catching.

Sometimes stupid things happen. And there just really is no logical explanation for how or why.
Yesterday, one of those unexplainable stupid things happened.
It still seems unreal when I think about it...so I simply try not to think about it.

My entire set of car keys got flushed down the toilet at the park.

Yes, you read that correctly...my ENTIRE set of keys...complete with keys and remotes for both cars, all grocery store/gas station/library/gym key tags....gone, gone, gone into the depths of the North Olmsted sewer system in a mere matter of seconds. Although, admittedly, it was like watching a horror movie in slow motion...

Don't ask me how I couldn't stop it...I have no intelligent response for that question. All I know is that one minute the keys were sitting on the top of the toilet paper holder, the toilet was nearly done flushing and as I reached for my keys they simply jumped out of my hand (a sweaty hand granted...it WAS 91 degrees and humid and I was a sweat-producing beauty) and dove head-first (do keys have heads?) into the swirling water right.  I think I must have paused with the shear ridiculousness of the situation -- just long enough to miss my chance to reach in and grab them. Seriously though...I didn't think an entire set of keys (did I mention remotes, grocery cards, etc. were attached?) would actually flush all the way down. I think my rationale mind must have assumed they would sit there (as has happened when chapstick or other items have accidentally fallen into the abyss known as the toilet.)

'Twas not to happen however...

You might imagine the fun conversation with the parks and recreation people. Or the conversation I had with the guy at the gym when I told him I needed a new card. He said, "was it the kids?" Although I desperately wished I could say "yes, darn kids!" I took the full blame. Stupid.

Let's just say that it isn't likely we'll see those keys again...and I am not sure we want too.

Show Choir

Addysen is feeling neglected because as she scrolled through my last several posts (which date back many months as I have been a blog slacker!) she determined she is not mentioned/pictured in many of them. So, on that note...let me just take a moment to congratulate my beautiful first born....she tried out for her school's SHOW CHOIR and made it. She is very excited...as am I...except for the part about getting her to school by 6:30am two days a week for the entire school year. Ouch.

Way to go Addysen!

Taking a moment to catch my breath....whew.

May and December.
Two whirlwind months...every single year.

I will skip the dialogue and just post a few (or a lot) pictures....in no particular order because that would require thought and effort on my part. I'm just trying to breathe again.

 Baseball kicked into high gear...except not really because our 45/55 days of rain (only a slight exaggeration) changed the schedule over and over again.

 Kalahari -- not technically a May event but a Spring Break event that I just haven't blogged about. (and probably won't say any more except that we had a lot of fun and it was a nice get-away.)

 The sweet autographed Indians gear that we auctioned off for Cannon's team fundraiser. Thanks to Mitch (Cleveland Indians pitcher) and Julie Talbot for hooking us up! These items were a huge hit!

 Just one of many Spring concerts we attended.

 Soccer. Soccer and more soccer. Mother Nature wreaked havoc on our Spring sports schedules -- and we spent a good portion of the time in mud up to our shins.

 Because we had so many rainouts...we played double headers the last 3 Saturdays. Multiple two games by a couple of the kids and it equals some long days...a little too long for a certain 5-year-old. I know, I know...who doesn't want to spend 7 hours on the soccer field? I am a true soccer mom.

 A few missing teeth.

 Another concert.

 More mud...and more mud...and more mud. Seriously  -- enough. The fields even smelled bad from all the churned up mud.

 A first experience cutting the grass. This is NOT the way I did it when I was a kid. No comments to Cannon on the pink pauncho! He was actually cutting the neighbor's grass as a service. (The guy didn't have a lawnmower and quite frankly, I think Greg got sick of looking at it.)

 Our newest niece -- Hadley Kaye Carlson, May 10, 2011. 6 pounds 8 ounces (I think I have that wrong) and 18 3/4 inches. Wish we could meet her in person!

 Weird skies. Weird weather. Tornado warnings and watches and severe thunderstorms galore!

 The hail that accompanied one of the tornado warnings...we should have been in basement instead of watching from the windows. Too bad we didn't know we were under a tornado warning until after the fact.

Preschool graduation. Kindergarten...here we come~!

Whew...that pretty much sums it up. Don't expect pictures of this week's activities any time soon...bowling field trips (Cannon and Brynnley), Cedar Point field trip (Addysen), Family picnic (Brynnley & Kenzie), more baseball games....

Coming next week....THE WARRIOR DASH.

Turning into a beast?

The title of this post goes against my new-found (ok, not new-found, but my renewed effort towards you get what you think about) goal of only thinking in terms of the positive. However...after I tell the story...you be the judge.

Things tend to get a little crazy around here on Wednesdays when we try to get everyone out the door to various soccer and baseball practices which start at 5, 6, and 6:30 -- all at different locations. Because past experience has taught me that certain children are a little less motivated than others to get out the door...we start the process early.

Last Wednesday was no different. Nor was it different from the aspect that Kenzie was not feeling overly compliant towards my requests to "get going."
"Shin guards itch, I'm not wearing them."
"Those sweats are the fluffy sweats. I don't like them."
"I don't want that headband."
"I want the yellow water bottle and Brynnley took it." (Never mind that it had Brynnley's name on it.)
I'll spare you the rest as I'm sure you the idea.
The thing is...no one has more fun than Kenzie once they get to the soccer field. She loves running around kicking the ball. But she certainly was onry about getting ready to go.
********************

FLASH FORWARD to after practice in the car on the way home. I had just finished telling Addysen about a few more 'naughty' things Kenzie had done throughout the day. In the meantime, Kenzie was practicing the songs they are singing in church for Mother's Day from the backseat.
"Mother, I love you. Mother, I do. I'm so glad Father sent me to you.....
Mother I love you. I want you help you because I love you. I want to mind you..."
At this point I couldn't help myself...I said,
"Kenzie, why don't you listen to the words you are singing and try to do what you are singing."
She said, "What?"
I said, "In the song, you talk about wanting to help me and mind me because you love me."
There was silence in the backseat for a moment and then she belted out,
"FATHER, I LOVE YOU. FATHER I DO. I'm so glad Father sent me to you."

She's only 5. Please tell me she didn't have the presence of mind to really think through that whole thing!