Sad?

Thursday was Senior Night for our basketball player.

Dani has bounced a ball almost since the time she started walking. She has always loved the sport, a true fan of the game. In grade school, Mr. Stark asked her to be the MS girls team manager. By season's end, he had a whole stack of scribbled on papers with all of the plays she had drawn for him. She started playing AAU in 6th grade, in Moses Lake. We have a lot of memories from those years. High School basketball has brought a lot of ups and downs. Torn ACL, new coach, team dinners, a lot of losses, six three-pointers in one game and a lot of new friends.

I was sad on Thursday, not because it was the end, but because it didn't end the way we thought. Dani wanted so badly to make districts, this was our year. I don't understand why or how it happened but it wasn't meant to be. It is sad when your kids are so disappointed when "life's not fair", when they work hard to reach a goal and are inches short. We have hugged and cried but certainly not talked about it. I feel sad that everything we have said over the years "set your goal" "be coachable" "work hard" "be a team" they did and the results did not equal the work.

We are so proud of Dani! You did work hard and overcome physical and emotional challenges. I hope one day you see that you did accomplish many goals, some that you were not even aware of at the time. Just like the first time Dain announced your name and you got to run through the cheerleaders, we will always be standing in the crowd cheering you on!

This is getting so much easier....

Monday - Moses Lake
Tuesday - Tri-tip Roasts, Baked Potatoes
Wednesday - Kona Chicken over Rice
Thursday - Salad and leftovers
Friday - BBQ hamburgers
Saturday - Split Pea Soup

I've Been Tagged

Here are the rules:
1) Post rules on your blog
2) Answer the six '8' items
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment.

8 favorite TV shows:
1. My Name is Earl
2. The Hills
3. Dexter
4. Survivor
5. Boston Legal (even the reruns)
6. Diners, Drive Inns & Dives
7. Two and a Half Men
8. MonsterQuest


8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Wii Yoga
2. Regional Wrestling (for 10 hours!)
3. Laundry
4. load dishwasher
5. read
6. give my kids and sweetheart valentines
7. answered a million kid questions
8. Did I mention sit at Regionals for 10 hours


8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. going on vacation
2. fitting in to a new pair of Calvin Klein's
3. Summer
4. Spring Break
5. being caught up on laundry
6. Darin not being sick
7. raising confident, kind children
8. growing a vegetable garden


8 favorite restaurants:
1. Steel Pig, Seattle
2. La Cabana, Royal City
3. Killer Tacos, North Shore Oahu
4. Brunswick, Othello
5. Lariat Burgers, Naches
6. Chili's
7. Tony Roma's
8. truckstop breakfasts


8 Things on my wish list:
1. a raise
2. tropical vacation
3. happy, healthy, giving children
4. a chef and housekeeper
5. peaceful family
6. a tan
7. college tuition
8. Win the lotto so I don't need a raise, can visit my own tropical island with my happy, healthy, giving children, hire the best chef and housekeeper to go with us and our peaceful family, while I am getting a tan, and sending my kids care boxes while they are in college.

8 people I tag:
1. Sue
2. Courtney
3. Becky
4. Elaine
5. Tiffany
6. Gari lynn
7. Melanie
8. Carley

Smiff Funnies

Lane "Mom, do you know what my dog likes to do? He smiffs, you know just like us Lane Smiff."

Justin "Mom, today at school Mrs. Mueller said the groundhog saw his shadow. In six more weeks it will be Christmas and I want a bike."

Carley (at the dinner table) "Mom, why do they call this angel hair pasta?"
Lane (gagging and scraping his tongue) "You mean this is really hair!"

*&^%!!#

I know for a long time we have had a secret stalker out there. Someone who is faithful in reading the blog but will never comment. Someone who secretly has been waiting for me to blog about them. Oh, believe me I have had my chances but have tastefully refrained. Until now.

Sunday was an ordinary day. Church at 11:00, annual meeting. (Hmmm, don't see Mike & Robin here, I thought that was odd since there might be big news to share.) The meeting started, numbers and voting, nothing that I really had to ponder or look deep into my soul about. Then, a cute story from the pastor. Something about a great coach and the words he taught his players "Don't drop the ball." Take this into our daily lives, the tasks that come before us, "Don't drop the ball." Next, a challenge to the congregation, catch these Nerf footballs, they will have messages/challenges for us all....Don't drop the ball.
And then it happened, I caught the ball destined for Mike Scroggins. I am sure of this because I know God does not give us more than we can handle, so this football with this message in no way could be mine.......Don't Curse.

Thanks Mike for not being there!!!

Part II

Next they decorated their t-shirts at Mike & Lisa Christensen's. After judging they received their clue that would lead them to Chad & Jande McGary's. The kids had to act out movie titles for the McGary's to guess before they received their bag of goodies (the movie they acted out, popcorn, movie candy). I wish I could have heard what some of the guesses were for "Pretty in Pink", "Never Been Kissed" or "Blades of Glory"!

Everyone was then off to our house where they had to make their own version of RiceKrispie Treats. They delivered them to Mike & Becky Noftle's who judged them on taste, presentation and use of a special ingredient.

Finally they were given the clue to go to Jana Gonzales' for pizza and Rock Band, after that the guys and girls split up to actually get ready for the dance.

I think between the activities, taking their random pictures and finding the variety of scavenger items, they kept busy and it was a pretty fun afternoon.

Again I am glad we live here where such good neighbors are willing to be a part of a teenager's date! Thanks everybody (and especially Ted & Jean Christensen, who were not on the list but somehow all the kids just gravitated to them!)

Connor & Dani, Paul & Katrina, Oscar & Tawnee

Winter Formal & Scavenger Hunts Part 1

Saturday was Winter Formal. Since it was girl asked guy, Dani escorted Connor Paysse. It is always neat to see our kids that have grown up together and known each other since diapers still enjoy each other's friendship and have so much fun together.

This whole event started by Dani "asking" Connor by writing her name with pepperoni on a pizza for his mom to bake for lunch one day, followed by the "answer" of several chocolate cupcakes to spell out YES along with some great elementary pictures of them.

On Saturday, the 3 couples started out at our house with their directions for a scavenger hunt that I put together, along with the gracious help from our friends. They were first given a list of items to find during the day along with a list of pictures they were to take. Then they received the first clue that led them to the laundromat; there they found their t-shirts in dryers along with scrambled song lyrics they had to rearrange and sing before they could receive their second clue. I am pretty sure some of the patrons at the laundromat thought I was nuts when I ran in and tossed the shirts in three different dryers and didn't put a single quarter in any of the machines and then just sat down and watched them! They were just as confused when Paul Nunez started singing "Bubbly" and Connor singing "All the Single Ladies".

..........stay tuned for Part II

Monday Menu

Monday - Burger & Swiss Dips, cottage cheese, dessert chocolate pie
Tuesday - Chicken & Broccoli over Angel Hair Pasta, breadsticks
Wednesday - Crab Louies, dessert pumpkin muffins
Thursday - Wacky Jacky Soup ( Gracie's variation of a recipe she found)
Friday - Subway or leftovers (Basketball Game)
Saturday - pasta (carb-load, another Basketball Game), broccoli & cheese
Sunday - Roast, vegetables, dessert ? I am looking for a new recipe to try...