June
So, I started this post a couple weeks ago and June has been a roller coaster so far. My original title for the post was "June Begins." We are way past halfway through June, so that's not very accurate anymore. Lots of good things, as well as a few lows throughout the month. We have started to get out into the world a lot more and have seen friends again. This is such a great feeling! Here are a few updates, but we have more that I will put in the next post. Some of these pictures seem like such a long time ago, now that I'm getting time to write about them.
Gracie with Ruby
Again, this seems like awhile ago. We haven't had an evening like this for awhile again.
One of the first weekends back from "quarentine" when stay at home orders were lifted and we could get out into the world again. We had some friends out for an afternoon/evening of fun. We played wiffle ball and grilled. Good times with people we hadn't seen for quite awhile. I believe this was Memorial Day weekend.
Creating the wiffle ball field
The kids getting ready to play. Adults participated too!
The real deal
We had a really busy Memorial Day weekend, as you will see in the following pictures. This was the first opportunity Gracie's team had to scrimmage another team for softball. It was a little rough, as they had only had a few practices, but it was great to be involved again.
Gracie pitching in the scrimmage
Then catching
And a little hitting. This picture makes it look like the bat is bent. Weird.
Memorial Day Hike
We had a great day of hiking through Mark Twain Forest. We knew it was going to take awhile to hike 5 miles, but it ended up being about 6 miles and took approximately 3 hours. We were tired and hungry and ended up pulling ticks off of Ruby for over an hour. But we had a lot of fun.
Nick and Ruby. Ruby appreciated the cool stream.
It was not really hot, but was a humid day and being in the forest made it a bit steamy.
Ruby, Nick and Owen leading the way on the trail.
Gracie and Owen did a little off-roading and climbed up into a cave.
Owen in the cave.
We were there too!
Photo opportunity on a pretty high ledge
We're all here!
Little did I know at that time, it would be the last significant outdoor exercise I would get for awhile. Two days after that, I starting having lots of pain in my lower back and it eventually spread down my left leg. It has persisted now for almost 4 weeks, and I have been unable to run. There are a few days in the last couple weeks that I have used the eliptical. The doctors and chiropractor estimated that piriformis damage and neural aggravation can last about 6 weeks, so I have been going in for PT and chiropractor appointments a couple times weekly hoping that it gets better. I am counting the days and trying to focus on what I can do right now instead of what I can't do. Ugh. So frustrating.
We had a beautiful evening about 4 weeks ago.There were storms on the Eastern horizon and we had a beautiful sunset on the Western horizon. There was a full double rainbow and we were just on the edge of a thunderstorm. I took a walk and sat on the porch for quite awhile and just watched.
That is a perfect evening for me.
First Tournament of the Season
It has begun! Gracie's first tournament of the season was with a 14u team down in Jeff City. She had played with the majority of the girls on the team before, though. It was a lot of fun and we had our first experience with Central Dairy Ice Cream...the actual store where they make it. It was so good! We went two days in a row!
Gracie with some of her teammates
Gracie on third base
After the game...The white uniform is not so white anymore.
After the games on Saturday we went to a teammate's house who lives in Ashland. 4 of the girls Gracie played with go to Southern Boone. 5 of the girls on the team played together a year ago, but most of them moved up to 14u last fall.
Scoring a run
They actually won their bracket!!!
It was a really fun weekend with a bunch of great girls and families.
Like I mentioned, 5 of these girls have played with Gracie in the past.
After that weekend, we began our own schedule of tournaments and league play. We have 4 tournaments scheduled with Gracie's team that Nick coaches. Gracie guest played already with a different Galaxy team. She is also guest playing with a Stealth team consisting only of girls her own age with 2008 birthdays. We most recently went to Oklahoma and we're scheduled to go to Des Moines with them in July. Gracie is also in 2 different leagues in Columbia. We signed her up for everything not know if she would get to do anything this spring/summer.
Baseball for Owen!
We were equally concerned that Owen would not get to do any activities this summer. However, he has had 4 games so far and is having fun!
Owen is doing a different league this year in Columbia that is a little more realistic for his level and the amount of pitching 9 year olds should be doing. It's still kid-pitch, but coaches come in to pitch if a batter walks. It's very similar to what Gracie was doing a few years ago.
Trying out pitching
He is doing pretty well so far.
I still love my cute little catcher
Another picture of Owen catching
Gracie's 12U Galaxy team.
These girls are great and some of them have been together for so long!
Tom Tom...
So, here is one of the lows of the past month. We had to say goodbye to Tom. He was getting old, but unfortunately we think he got hit by a car. He made it up to our porch and was walking fine, but his jaw was broken and he wouldn't eat after it happened. We took him to the vet and had him evaluated and they sent him home after a day and recommended soft cat food. He still wouldn't eat and after five days of not eating he had lost way too much weight. We loved Tom and were so sad to let him go. Owen wanted to go with me to the vet even after I explained what might happen. He has such a big heart and loves animals so much. Tom was a great cat to have and I'm glad we've spent the last five years with him.
Owen and Tom a little over a month ago. I think this was around Mother's Day.
Nick and Tom last fall.
We have all become more fond of cats.
Gracie and Tom on the first day of school last fall.
Tom welcoming the new kitties last summer.
All of them on the mower. They're so weird.
Tom hanging out on our porch
Another first day of school. This must have been 2018.
Tom is seeing them off.
I also mentioned that I haven't been able to do my normal running. I somehow injured myself and it's pretty painful to do much of anything, as well as tingling/numbness in my left foot. I'm trying to be patient, and do all the things that therapists are instructing me to do.
Our kids are happy and busy again, though. They will start summer school in less than two weeks, which will be great. It will be a little different this summer, but at least they get to go. The plans for the fall should be interesting. I just hope that it will not be all online again. Gracie and Owen need better teachers than their parents.
We have more softball and baseball games this week and a tournament in Columbia this weekend. It seems like not long ago we were eating at home together every night, and for the past two weeks, we have hardly been at home in the evenings.
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