Monday, August 25, 2008
Well...it is official. I am home alone. John and I just dropped off our three kids at school. This is the first time to have all three in school. I have waited along time for this day. I had hoped it would give me time to do all the things that I have put off for the last 10 years. Chandler and Mary both were very nervous. I'm not sure when school began being dreaded by either of them. They used to be so excited to be in school. I think the opposite sex has begun to interfere with their happiness. All they think about is does that person like me? Does this outfit make me look stupid? That bothers me. That should not happen until high school. Right? Anyway, I still have Wesley that is not corrupted by young adolescent games. He went to his classroom this morning like a pro. A sad little pro but a pro none the less. He walked right in and went straight to his desk, sat down, crossed his arms, and sulked a little. I think he was very nervous as well. Not for the same reasons as the other two kids but just because it was such a big day for him. I mean he has to meet new kids, get used to a new teacher, learn new rules, and ride the bus home. That is a lot to adjust too. I have to say, I am a little sad also. This is the beginning of a whole new way of life for me. As I said before, I hope I can do somethings I have not done in quite sometime or even just start some new things. It has been ten years since I had Chandler and the years have been great from that moment but I put a lot of things aside while my kids were at home. I want to be able to paint more. I have a painting I have been working on since a year ago. I want to write a lot more. It helps calm me down. I hope to get closer to God. I want to have time to have quiet times with His word. I hope to play golf more and get better at it. I would like to be able to actually play at a level that keeps me competitive with John. I hope to keep my house clean on a consistent basis. I would love to read more. I have tons of books I have bought over the years and never seemed to be able to get them started. I hope to get healthier. Ten years is along time not to have exercised. I want to take control back over my weight and be more energetic. I want to be a more well rounded, happy go lucky, fun, peaceful person. Do not get me wrong, I think for the most part I am all of those things and have always been but I just want to be more so. My kids have been in school for an hour now and I can't stop thinking about them. I know they are in God's hands. Pray for my sanity to make it through the first day of quiet at home. (As I wrote that the dogs started barking - I guess total quiet is not possible so thanks God for my barking dogs to keep me company.) Jenn
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Well hellooo!!!
I just had the most amazing time vacationing. I have been in Gulf Shores for the past week with my family. It is so nice to go back home. Oh and when I say family, I mean my whole family. We had several houses full. My cousin got married on the beach and John performed the ceremony. It was so beautiful. The weather was perfect. John did a great job. It was just nice to be surrounded by so much joy and happiness. John and I also celebrated 11 years of marriage while down there. It has been an amazing journey. We have been through so much to get to where we are. God has blessed us so much in such a short time. We could never have imagined in 11 years we would be parents to 3 great kids (and 2 great dogs), living in Texas so close to family, with beautiful friends and a great home. We have been blessed with such an amazing church as well. We have so much joy from knowing where we were and where God has lead us. He has showered us with His love and for 11 years given us each other to depend on and to love uncontionally. I am so glad I did not go down the roads I thought I wanted to go down. God knows my heart best and knows what I need. He knew I need John to live my best possible me. Was that a little sappy? Well sometimes the sap holds it all together.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Warning: Do not cross us when it comes to our kids! We will call you out on it!
Chandler had his last tournament of the season this past weekend. Short back ground of the weekend is we recruited 5 players to play for the tourny b/c we have lost so many. John thought, maybe just maybe, this would give Chandler the opportunity to play more than outfield or more than sitting the bench b/c he had been with the team longer. Well in Friday nights game chandler was benched most the game, Saturday mornings game Chandler was benched for all the game except facing the last 3 batters from his position in left field. At that John decide it was time to talk to his coach about why a kid who has never played 3rd base and just walked on the team was getting a chance to play infield and Chandler was benched.
He basically told us that Chandler will never be anything but an outfielder and quite frankly Chandler was not cut out for competitive ball and maybe we should just realize that it is not for every kid. He also said that every parent feels their kid is the best and we should just let it go. I have to say I was livid but more than that I was hurt because he has never given Chandler the opportunity to play in field other than pitching a time or two. Not even at practice has Chandler been allowed to come infield. And that kid they placed on third that had never been in that position before never caught one ball thrown at him in any of the games but they let him continue.
Coach also told us he was not concerned with developing strong players but with winning. He did not care how they won as long as they won. During this conversation he told us he would let Chandler pitch in the third game to make us happy. we told him it was a little to late to start now. Since Chandler had not even pitched since June 10, we felt that would be setting him up to fail. He had no practice or warm up since then either. Well he put Chandler in to pitch and told some of the parents and other coaches that he wanted to watch Chandler fail. Well needless to say my heart is so broken. Chandler faced only 3 batters. He walked two and let one reach on a single and then they pulled him. Chandler is a good kid and the fact that someone who is mad at John and I would take it out on a 10 year old infuriates me. This all happened Saturday. We have since found out that the assistant coach quit as well in middle of that game b/c of how Coach treated Chandler. So now 8 boys and 4 coaches have left during this season (that is not normal).
John did have the chance to confront the coach yesterday and ask him why he did that to Chandler. He actually admitted to John that he set Chandler up to embarrass him and to fail. I think he was alittle shocked John called him on it but he admitted to it and that is what I needed to hear from him. This coach is also a member of our church and has professed to be a Christian but his action show otherwise. In the conversation John had with him, John told him, he forgave him and would be praying for him and his family. He also told Coach that our God is bigger than baseball or any disagreement that comes from baseball. John told him that he hoped one day he would come to know God's love on a deeper level and that he would continue to seek God's love and grace in his life.
Our prayer through this, is that John and I handle this in a glorifying manner to Christ. We want Chandler to know that there are better ways of dealing with problems and these types of people, than to stoop to their level. But I have to be honest, I am so hurt for Chandler right now. He has been torn down all season and this just might be what breaks him. I have tried telling him it is the coaches problem and he says he can see that but I still think there is doubt of his own abilities. I have since found out that this coach never even played ball not even high school. Chandler has been in love with this game since before he could talk. He has an understanding of the game beyond a normal 10 year old (and that is not coming from me, although I think it also). We have always given Chandler the choice to play or not. He has never sat out a season nor does he want to start now. He just wants to play ball. Is that to much to ask?
Am I being one of THOSE parents??? You know the kind that thinks their kid is the best or cute as a button and you do not have the heart to tell them their kid is as ugly as can be. Am I being naive about this? Most of you have seen Chandler play baseball, what are your thoughts. Be honest, I need to know if he is the ugly kid that I think is awesome. Oh and just to let you know, I would still think he is awesome because that is what a mom does but you could still be honest.
Jenn
He basically told us that Chandler will never be anything but an outfielder and quite frankly Chandler was not cut out for competitive ball and maybe we should just realize that it is not for every kid. He also said that every parent feels their kid is the best and we should just let it go. I have to say I was livid but more than that I was hurt because he has never given Chandler the opportunity to play in field other than pitching a time or two. Not even at practice has Chandler been allowed to come infield. And that kid they placed on third that had never been in that position before never caught one ball thrown at him in any of the games but they let him continue.
Coach also told us he was not concerned with developing strong players but with winning. He did not care how they won as long as they won. During this conversation he told us he would let Chandler pitch in the third game to make us happy. we told him it was a little to late to start now. Since Chandler had not even pitched since June 10, we felt that would be setting him up to fail. He had no practice or warm up since then either. Well he put Chandler in to pitch and told some of the parents and other coaches that he wanted to watch Chandler fail. Well needless to say my heart is so broken. Chandler faced only 3 batters. He walked two and let one reach on a single and then they pulled him. Chandler is a good kid and the fact that someone who is mad at John and I would take it out on a 10 year old infuriates me. This all happened Saturday. We have since found out that the assistant coach quit as well in middle of that game b/c of how Coach treated Chandler. So now 8 boys and 4 coaches have left during this season (that is not normal).
John did have the chance to confront the coach yesterday and ask him why he did that to Chandler. He actually admitted to John that he set Chandler up to embarrass him and to fail. I think he was alittle shocked John called him on it but he admitted to it and that is what I needed to hear from him. This coach is also a member of our church and has professed to be a Christian but his action show otherwise. In the conversation John had with him, John told him, he forgave him and would be praying for him and his family. He also told Coach that our God is bigger than baseball or any disagreement that comes from baseball. John told him that he hoped one day he would come to know God's love on a deeper level and that he would continue to seek God's love and grace in his life.
Our prayer through this, is that John and I handle this in a glorifying manner to Christ. We want Chandler to know that there are better ways of dealing with problems and these types of people, than to stoop to their level. But I have to be honest, I am so hurt for Chandler right now. He has been torn down all season and this just might be what breaks him. I have tried telling him it is the coaches problem and he says he can see that but I still think there is doubt of his own abilities. I have since found out that this coach never even played ball not even high school. Chandler has been in love with this game since before he could talk. He has an understanding of the game beyond a normal 10 year old (and that is not coming from me, although I think it also). We have always given Chandler the choice to play or not. He has never sat out a season nor does he want to start now. He just wants to play ball. Is that to much to ask?
Am I being one of THOSE parents??? You know the kind that thinks their kid is the best or cute as a button and you do not have the heart to tell them their kid is as ugly as can be. Am I being naive about this? Most of you have seen Chandler play baseball, what are your thoughts. Be honest, I need to know if he is the ugly kid that I think is awesome. Oh and just to let you know, I would still think he is awesome because that is what a mom does but you could still be honest.
Jenn
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Okay so I need to catch up. We have been very busy. I hope everyone had a Happy Fourth. We went to Houston to visit family. I think the kids had the most fun. They literally swam everyday, all day. It was fun just to get away and not have anything to worry about. I do have to say that God is so amazingly good. We did not have any trouble with the drive there or back but once home we had major problems with the van. I mean as soon as we pulled in the driveway the tire went completely flat. When John took the tire off to see if we got a nail or something in it, we discovered the tire was bald and had a hole in it. John took it to Goodyear the next morning to get a new one. They checked the other back tire and that one too was wearing bald and could blow at anytime. This was happening because, this is where I use my technical terms, the rod thingy was bent causing the tires to wear wrong. They said if the rod thingy had broke we would have been in a serious accident causing the van to go one way and the wheels to go another. So, needless to say, John and I started thanking God for His protection and mercies. We had made a four and a half hour trip on messed up tires and as soon as we get in the driveway it was brought to our attention. You can't tell me God was not in that. Well because of the repairs to the van being more than the van was worth itself, we declined to fix the van. We instead got a new vehicle (which we were going to do within the next month or so anyway). So we got a Suburban. It is about the only thing big enough for our family, especially on long trips. Our trip to Houston had been a pretty tight fit, so this is much nicer. I asked the sells guy if we were the only crazy people buying a suburban right now with gas prices so high. He actually said they could not keep them on site. He said people were buying them left and right. Ours had literally just came off the truck and had not even been processed yet when we bought it. I did not think I could drive such a huge thing but I am getting used to it. Parking still is giving me trouble but I hope I will get better with time. Anyway, John said, "Who new you had to get a whole new car just because you had a flat tire." God is still good because this little story could have ended much more tragic. My mom, my kids, my husband, and myself are all well and safe.
Friday, June 27, 2008
My husband is awesome!!!!!
For those who know me well, know that I have a few things I am passionate about.
1. My family
2. My dogs
3. My friends
4. and My Braves
So for two months my husband has been telling me he had a business trip to Atlanta and I would be joining him. I do not enjoy the business side of these trips. I do not like having to sit at dinners with the firm partners and clients, pretending I know what they are talking about. I stress about what to wear and where we will eat. So for two months I have been stressed out. John then tells me, that not only am I going to hang out with the partner's wife all day while they are in meetings but Kevin, the firm partner, had gotten his wife and I a day at the spa. Well that just sent me overboard. Do not get me wrong, Kevin's wife is very nice but I do not know her that well. While the spa would have been great, the idea of going with someone I hardly knew bothered me. I knew my Braves would be in town and I kept begging John to take me to a game. How could we go all the way to Atlanta and not see the Braves? Well with all the meetings he would be in, he did not think we would be able to fit it in, and besides he had taken me the week before to the Braves/Rangers game in Dallas. For the two months of knowing about this trip, I begged to go to the game but John stood firm and I was not getting to go.
Well, this past Tuesday was the dreaded trip. Some of my closest friends were not even going to be in town. I tried to get out of going but I was stuck. So on the way to the airport Tuesday afternoon, John talked about all the stuff he would be doing and clients he was meeting and blah blah blah... He then gave me an envelope to see what time my spa treatment would be and then how much time I would have to get ready for the ever so important dinner. When I opened it up.......there were two Braves tickets. I looked at John very confused and then hit him a few times for saying we would not have time to go to a game. Then he laughed saying that was the reason we were going to Atlanta. Well in the moment, I did not catch on. I thought it was still a business trip and we just were going to the game also. Which would have been all I wanted but John went beyond just the game. When I finally realized the whole business trip bit had been a lie to get me to Atlanta, I busted into tears. You see, he had planned this whole trip so that I could go to the game and get a Brian McCann bobble head doll (the promo for the day's game). Brian is the catcher for my Braves and I adore him. My sweet, wonderful, amazing husband tortured me for two months to give me the most amazing trip to Atlanta. We stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast, sat by the Braves dugout at the game (they won 4-2), went to a great restaurant with friends and spent time together without kids. In August we will celebrate our 11th anniversary. John has never in these 11 years been able to surprise me with anything (EVER). He got me so good on this. I was so not happy about this trip and I had no clue what he had planned. I am amazed he would go through the trouble of taking off work and planning ever thing just to see me smile. Now, I realize some of you are thinking, I am crazy for being so excited about a game but I am just trilled that I have a husband who knows my joys and would be willing to do something so goof as to go to Atlanta just so I can have a McCann Bobblehead. We got back yesterday and I am still in disbelief that John fooled me.
a very lucky Jenn
1. My family
2. My dogs
3. My friends
4. and My Braves
So for two months my husband has been telling me he had a business trip to Atlanta and I would be joining him. I do not enjoy the business side of these trips. I do not like having to sit at dinners with the firm partners and clients, pretending I know what they are talking about. I stress about what to wear and where we will eat. So for two months I have been stressed out. John then tells me, that not only am I going to hang out with the partner's wife all day while they are in meetings but Kevin, the firm partner, had gotten his wife and I a day at the spa. Well that just sent me overboard. Do not get me wrong, Kevin's wife is very nice but I do not know her that well. While the spa would have been great, the idea of going with someone I hardly knew bothered me. I knew my Braves would be in town and I kept begging John to take me to a game. How could we go all the way to Atlanta and not see the Braves? Well with all the meetings he would be in, he did not think we would be able to fit it in, and besides he had taken me the week before to the Braves/Rangers game in Dallas. For the two months of knowing about this trip, I begged to go to the game but John stood firm and I was not getting to go.
Well, this past Tuesday was the dreaded trip. Some of my closest friends were not even going to be in town. I tried to get out of going but I was stuck. So on the way to the airport Tuesday afternoon, John talked about all the stuff he would be doing and clients he was meeting and blah blah blah... He then gave me an envelope to see what time my spa treatment would be and then how much time I would have to get ready for the ever so important dinner. When I opened it up.......there were two Braves tickets. I looked at John very confused and then hit him a few times for saying we would not have time to go to a game. Then he laughed saying that was the reason we were going to Atlanta. Well in the moment, I did not catch on. I thought it was still a business trip and we just were going to the game also. Which would have been all I wanted but John went beyond just the game. When I finally realized the whole business trip bit had been a lie to get me to Atlanta, I busted into tears. You see, he had planned this whole trip so that I could go to the game and get a Brian McCann bobble head doll (the promo for the day's game). Brian is the catcher for my Braves and I adore him. My sweet, wonderful, amazing husband tortured me for two months to give me the most amazing trip to Atlanta. We stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast, sat by the Braves dugout at the game (they won 4-2), went to a great restaurant with friends and spent time together without kids. In August we will celebrate our 11th anniversary. John has never in these 11 years been able to surprise me with anything (EVER). He got me so good on this. I was so not happy about this trip and I had no clue what he had planned. I am amazed he would go through the trouble of taking off work and planning ever thing just to see me smile. Now, I realize some of you are thinking, I am crazy for being so excited about a game but I am just trilled that I have a husband who knows my joys and would be willing to do something so goof as to go to Atlanta just so I can have a McCann Bobblehead. We got back yesterday and I am still in disbelief that John fooled me.
a very lucky Jenn
Sunday, June 22, 2008
catching up on the past week
Wow! We have had a long week. We had VBS. there was a total of 3500 kids that came daily. My head is still trying to stop the noise and VBS ended Friday. Anyway, Mary and Chandler were in my group. We had a lot of fun. Next year Wesley will get to be in my group. And yes as of now I am doing it next year. It was a great way to spend time with the kids.
On a different note, Chandler ended his baseball season finally. He got a hit in his last two games. I think he was finally get back to being comfortable at the plate. He will be trying out for another team in the next few weeks, so I am hoping he gets to hitting fast. He starts baseball camp on Monday. I hope he can learn great things to help him improve. We will see. He may have one more tournament in July but no word yet as to if we will be playing in it.
John to Mary and Wesley playing golf today. John said Wesley was doing really well. We got him a new club and Wesley went right to swinging away. I think he may have done better than John but John won't admit it. Mary was supposed to play as well but instead rode in the cart and took a nap. She said it was fun. She will not do anything that takes effort. She might break a sweat and she can not have that happening.
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