'Tis the Season

 For the HCA mission trip!

The boys are down in south Texas helping with various projects. Apparently they've learned to tape and bed!

Third Time's a Charm

Yes, it's the third time we've played this team in a week. And the third win. But considering the fact that our team was winless last year, we'll take these three wins!

Last night we scored a total of 47 points to their 21. And our scoring was spread around, which was good, too. Aaron had 5 points, Nathan had 6. Both played well on defense and stayed out of foul trouble, too!

december Tournament Play, Game 3

We ended the tournament on a high note of sorts. We won, 47-29, but it was against the team we had already beaten last week (and the one we play again on Monday!) Still, it was a good game. It was close until the second half. Then we pulled away (after their leading scorer fouled out!)

Aaron had the second most points, with 13. Nathan was the leading rebounder with 10.

December Tournament Play, Game 2

I missed this one due to a doctor's appointment in Dallas, but they lost a heartbreaker, 49-42. Aaron fouled out with 3 minutes left in the game and apparently they floundered a bit out there without his leadership on the floor.

Aaron ended with 14 points, Nathan with 6.

Football Accolades

Although this season didn't afford as many high spots as seasons past, we did get some bright news recently. When the district awards were announced (and remember, of the four teams in our district, one was state champ and the other one state runner-up), my boys were honored as follows:

• Aaron was named 2nd team all-district wide receiver, cornerback, and kicker.
• Nathan was named 2nd team all-district quarterback.
• Nathan was named the District 2A Freshman of the Year. 

Wow! I was blown away! Congrats to them for their hard work during a tough season!

December Tournament Play, Game 1

First let me say: we played a small public school. We got pounded--literally, 52-13. (One boy on the other team was even thrown out of the game at the end for his flagrant fouls.)

But there were some bright spots. In spite of a ton of turnovers, we also had several steals. And the boys never quit hustling. Never.

Of the 13 points we scored, 8 were Aaron's (4 from the field, 4 from the free throw line) and 3 were Nathan's (a bucket, with a foul, and he made the free throw.)

We'll see what happens tomorrow!

That's More Like It

We got our first win tonight. I can breathe easier now, after last season's 0-fer. And what a way to win!

In the 48-13 win, Aaron scored 22 and Nathan scored 2. Yes, the Mateer brothers scored half our points! Aaron had a monster game, finally getting a feel for his shot and being in position to make it. Nathan had a great game handling the ball, he just didn't get an opportunity to score much. He had several rebounds and steals and assists, though, and that's pretty much what a point guard is supposed to do, right?

We play the same team again next week, but first we'll see how we fair in a local tournament.

Nothing to say

We lost tonight, 54-19. Not much else to say on that one.

Getting in the Groove

Tonight was a better game than a week ago, in spite of a holiday with no practice. We still lost, 60-34, but Aaron and Nathan and the rest of the team seemed to be more comfortable on the court. Of course, since Aaron sat out most of the last game in foul trouble, this was really his first chance to find his basketball groove.

Aaron finished the game with 14 points (leading scorer), 7 rebounds, a steal, and a few assists. (Also a few turnovers, but we won't talk about those!) He also drew more fouls than he gave, which was good, although his free throw percentage needs help.

Nathan again showed poise at point guard. He score 6 points, had 6 rebounds, a steal, and a few assists. His biggest accomplishment in this game was having 1 turnover--and he handled the ball the majority of the time.

Another game tomorrow, so we'll see if we keep improving!

Transitioning to Basketball

So we had our first basketball game tonight--just a week after the end of football. It was quite evident that our three starters who played football haven't quite made the transition yet. We got trounced--I can't even remember the score, although I know we did score over 30 points.

Aaron is going to have to learn how to play as a big man. Even last year he got calls because he was the littler guy out there. Tonight he was called twice for blocks that last year would have been charges and once for over the back. He's never been able to reach over anyone's back before! It will take him some time to learn to play with his new 6-0 frame. Oh--and those three fouls? They all came in the first QUARTER! He's rarely had three fouls in a whole game before, let alone a quarter!

Nathan went from running the offense on the field to running the offense on the court. My little point guard kept out of foul trouble, made around 10 rebounds, tied up the ball in jump balls several times and just hustled all the way around. He did finally score a few points (3 maybe?), but his biggest frustration was shots that just barely missed or went in and out. He hasn't had enough shooting time yet to get into that rhythm, but he'll get there.

All in all, it should be an exciting season, in spite of the bumpy transition. Maybe we can even win a game this year!

On to Basketball

The season is over. We kind of knew it would be after this game, but we didn't expect this game to be so--well, ugly. Our team just didn't look like itself. We lost 56-8 at halftime. Aaron did have one nice, long catch from a pass by Nathan, but everyone had some uncharacteristic mishaps, too. Like Nathan's three interceptions. And two fumbles by running backs. And Aaron jumping off-sides. And the other team just had it all together.

So football ends for another year. By the time we do it again, it will be Aaron's last season on the gridiron. But while the boys are sad it ended this way, they are happy that it is on to basketball. We're looking forward to a season of hoops!

Last District Game

We played our last district game today--against the #1 ranked private school 6-man team in the state. Of course we lost, 54-8 in the 3rd quarter. But that's okay. We are in the playoffs!!! The top three teams from our district go and we are #3. So off we go to the bi-district game next weekend.

On the upside of today's game: Nathan threw a touchdown pass to Aaron, who then kicked the extra point. Aaron actually caught a few passes and made some good tackles.

We're glad this game is over!

Showing Our Stuff

Last week we played the #1 ranked team in the state. Next week we play the #2 ranked team in the state. Tonight we got a chance to show our stuff instead of being pounded into the ground. We won, 64-16 just after the beginning of the 4th quarter. It was a very fun game. Two of our scores were kick returns. We also scored a safety.

Aaron pulled in two touchdown passes, one from his brother, one from the running back. He also made one really great tackle, helped with a couple of others and made all 7 of his PATs!

Nathan had a great passing game. He did get picked once and he had a couple of balls hit the receivers in the hands and get dropped (and a couple of those drops were by Aaron!), but he threw a total of four touchdown passes and, except for the interception, really didn't throw an awful pass.

It feels kind of like ending on a high note being that it was the last home game of the season. In reality, the season will probably end with two really ugly losses. But we are a young team, and tonight's game bodes well for the future.

update 2

well this week has been a pretty busy week for me

we had our first really flag football game against the phi mu, who are known for their blitz

the game went to triple overtime in triple overtime i had a pick and threw the winning touchdown pass

also we had an open night mic at the bcm which brought in a lot of people who dont normally come that we were able to witness to and tomorrow we have a harvest hoedown

the pictures above are just of some of my friends

A Drumming

We played the #1 ranked 6-man private school in the state last night. Need I say more? It was a drumming, ending at halftime with a score of 52-0. I guess it could have been worse. We did have one player injured on the opening kickoff (collarbone), but other than that we are thankful we made it through without further injury.

Nathan did his best, but our one senior player--our center--was sick and didn't suit up, so we had a freshman back-up in place. That meant not only snap miscues, but defenders basing through the line and creaming Nathan, usually before he had time to do much of anything. He did end up completing a couple of passes--one nice, long one to his brother--but he also threw two interceptions that, I believe, were both returned for touchdowns.

It was our first game to be shut out this year. On our final drive of the game we had a shot at the end zone, but the ball (thrown by the junior who is now running back instead of quarterback) was just beyond Aaron's fingertips.

Mostly we are just glad this game is over. Two games left for this season--three if things hold as they are and we play in the bi-district game.

Update

well i was told i need to write on the blog more so here is my update

im playing flag football and my teams name is P21 based upon the verse phil 2:1 and we had our first scrimmage today

we won 34-0 i had 2 rushing tds and 2 passing tds and a couple "tackles" on defense i believe the season starts sometime next week but ill do my best to keep it updated

for those of you who are still doubting my ability aka aaron and nathan pictures and video will be soon to follow

as for everything else all is going good i think i was told today i only have 5 more weeks til finals or something like that i actually have my first final a week from today so im doing some studyin on that and it is the sanitation final so when i pass that exam i will be certified by the national restaurant associate in that area.... i hope getting this certificate does not change the expectations of how clean i will be in the kitchen at home... just kidding also i think next week we get measured for our chef coats which is pretty exciting

anyways ill do my best to update more in the future

Another Big Win!

We went into our first district contest as the underdogs--and we came out as winners! With 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Aaron kicked the final PAT to end the game with the score of 60-15. Another amazing game. We scored 8 touchdowns. Aaron made 6 of his 8 PATs.

Nathan played quarterback again. He did great, but he did throw an interception early in the game (but the other team didn't score on the drive afterward). He also got his first really hard hit when a defender burst through the line and sacked him before he could even get set to throw. He even got to catch a ball and did a nice spin move on his short run! He completed 8 of 10 passes for 108 yards. Two of those passes were for touchdowns.

Aaron had a great game, too. Besides his kicks, he had two catches for 11 yards. He also got an interception and caused a fumble. He had a few other tackles and had one or two other balls that he came very close to intercepting.

All in all, a very good night for those Mateer boys!

Homecoming PIctures, Part 2

Homecoming PIctures, Part 1

Most of these are of Aaron. I'll get more of Nathan later today (I hope!).

Aaron and Lana after the pep rally and at halftime, as the Junior class prince and princess. (I thought this picture was appropriate since they talked the whole time they were out on the field!)

After the big win!

Don't they both clean up well? And their dates were gorgeous!

Part 2 pictures coming soon!

WOW! What a Game!

First of all, let me say that we played all four quarters! Woo-hoo! The last time we played a full game was the state championship last year, which we lost. Before that, I can't remember when our team played all four quarters!

That said, I'll give you what you've been waiting for. WE WON! The final score was 52-48, and yes, it was as close as the score would indicate. Here's my recap, with unabashed bragging on my sons!:

Our team made some changes in positions for this game and they worked out well. Also, all three of our freshman stepped up and made big plays, as well as some upperclassmen who haven't had big games before. We were firing on all cylinders, but that didn't mean it was a cake-walk. The other team had come to play!

The other team kicked off with a nasty little on-side kick that they recovered. They went on to score, although their kick failed. We were down 6-0. Nathan has the reins at quarterback now. And he was AMAZING! His poise and smarts as a freshmen were a joy to behold. Anyway, We drove downfield in fits and starts and finally Aaron scored on a 4 yard pass from our quarterback-turned-running back, Austin. Then Aaron made the kick after the score.

Second quarter, we had the ball again. This time Nathan handed off to a junior who ran in for his first touchdown since he began playing football in 6th grade! Aaron kicked again and we were up 16-6. Again, we held them and they held us. Then Nathan tossed the ball back again to Austin who threw to Aaron--a 55-yard TD! It was a beauty of a catch, too. He had to stretch for it and got it with his fingertips and ran probably 20 of the 55 yards after the catch. Amazing! After that effort is it any wonder that his kick failed? Score: 22-6. But the other team didn't give up. At halftime, we were still ahead, but only by a touchdown. We stood at 22-14.

(Homecoming halftime was fun. Pictures to follow later this weekend. My camera battery died so I'm waiting for others to send me their pictures!)

Third quarter began with the other team pooching three kickoffs and recovering them. They scored three times before our offense was able to touch the ball! By that time we were down 22-36. Could the boys recover? We didn't know. But they did. Austin ran in two touchdowns. Aaron made one kick and missed one. We were all tied up at 36 when the third quarter buzzer sounded.

Fourth quarter. I was so nervous! The other team struck first, but their kick failed. 36-42. Our new kid, who is injured but playing, scored on a short run. Aaron made the kick. We were up by 2, 44-42. The clock was winding down. Could we hold on to our lead? The other team marched down and scored, but their kick failed. 44-48. Less than two minutes to play. My stomach hurt. Either Nathan had to lead them downfield without a mistake or a last-ditch effort would have been a field goal by Aaron, which scores 4 points in 6-man. So in either scenario, my boys had to perform. Down the field we went. At one point, just over mid-field, Nathan threw a pass intended for Austin. He tipped it. Then, lo and behold, Aaron caught the tipped pass with his feet just in bounds! The drive remained alive! We'd made it to almost the ten yard line. The clock was ticking down when Nathan tossed an eleven-yard pass into the end zone to the same boy who'd scored his first touchdown ever earlier in the game. A diving catch--but he got it! Aaron nailed the kick. With 25 seconds to go we were up 52-48. The crowd was going crazy! We managed to hold them out of the end zone on the final drive, with the last tackle of the game coming on about the twenty-yard line.

Whew! If you stuck with this long post, I hope you felt some of the excitement we felt at the game. It was so, so fun! And I am so proud of our little team. They really went to a new level. They worked together. They played hard. Our two other freshman made significant contributions on defense--one in tackles and the other with an interception. And the juniors stepped up and led the team. It's a game that will be remembered for a very long time.

Another Pounding

53-6 in the 3rd quarter. It was bad. We couldn't stop them. We couldn't put the ball in the end zone. And after 2 weeks of cool, it was hot. A recipe for disaster.

Both the boys got pounded pretty hard. Nathan played quarterback most of the game and was something like 8 for 14 with no interceptions, which was okay. Aaron didn't have any receptions, although he broke up one pass and tried to block and kept getting held. He also caught a kickoff and got flattened by two of their biggest boys.

Thankfully next week is our bye week. We'll need two weeks to get our heads back up to play the homecoming game.

They Make a Good Team

Nathan is holding for Aaron's kicks this year. Aaron hasn't been as accurate this year, but he's having to adjust to playing other aspects of the game then switching his focus to kicking. And he and Nathan have had to get the timing down, since Nathan has never been a holder before. They are learning. I think they make a good team!

A Win!

I was out of town this past weekend, thus the late update.

The boys won their football game! Woo-hoo! The final score was 54-6. The game ended in the 3rd quarter. Aaron scored two touchdowns and three extra points. Nathan threw for a touchdown. I wish I could have seen it all. Hopefully the momentum will carry into next week!

Rainout

The football game last night was rained out. Apparently the field we were traveling to was flooded. On to next week . . .

Homecoming Court Prince

My sweet boy was voted Homecoming Prince by his junior class. His girlfriend was voted Princess from their class. All that means is he will escort her on the field at halftime of the homecoming game next month as part of the "court" for the seniors crowned king and queen. But it's an honor to be voted in by your classmates--even though it is a small class!

Losing with Respect

We got trounced tonight, 58-6, with the game over at halftime due to the 6-man 45-point mercy rule. But the public school team that beat us could've made it much worse--and didn't. It is a team that is really good, but doesn't use their talent to humiliate people. I appreciate that. Losing to a team you respect makes for a whole different reaction to the loss. After the game, our boys could actually think of things they had done well as a team.

Like making 3 legitimate (non-penalty) first downs. Not getting shut out. Not getting called for any penalties. And actually moving the ball forward.

And I can find even a few more: like Aaron catching 2 of 3 passes thrown to him--one for a first down, one for our only touchdown, Aaron making a great defensive play on a pass, and Nathan going in for the last series at quarterback and blocking for the running back.

This week they looked better than last, so that's good. I think by the end of the season they'll be proud at how far they've come and how hard they've worked.

The Beginning of a Long Season

We are small, slow, and inexperienced. It's hard to overcome all three. We lost the first football game of the season 56-6, the game stopping just after the beginning of the 4th quarter due to the 45-point mercy rule. There were many bleak spots for these young men, but there were a few highlights, also.

Aaron and Nathan each caught a kickoff. They didn't run far after the catch, but at least they didn't fumble! And Aaron got swung to the ground by his face mask, so with the 15 yard penalty, we started in a pretty good position on that drive.

Nathan got to play quarterback for two series. One one, he had a pass tipped and then it was intercepted. But another of his passes went 30 yards and found his brother in the end zone! Touchdown Mateer boys! That was exciting!

I think Aaron played every play of the game, except maybe on the kick blocking team. He was the second leading receiver and the leading tackler. He played center for most of the game.

We know this team needs time to click, time to figure out how to play with the big boys. They'll get there. Hopefully each game will be just a little better than the last. We'll take our lumps and ready ourselves for next week--a state-ranked public school. We'll have to look for little victories.

Scrimmage

The boys had a scrimmage tonight. They didn't do too badly, either. Nathan got to play a couple of drives at quarterback and did pretty well. Of course he had a beauty of a pass to his brother in the end zone--that Aaron dropped! Actually, Aaron dropped two passes he should have had.

However, Aaron had his own successes. He made two good solo open field tackles. He ran down one guy, taking the angle to make up for his lack of speed.

Of course adrenaline isn't quite the same during a scrimmage as it is in a real game. We're ready for the season to begin!

Leaving Middle School Behind

Nathan's first day of high school. We don't ever have to do middle school again. Yippee! It felt very strange, though, to send the two boys off in the car that has so long been Elizabeth's!

Dorm Room

Hey everyone well i am all moved in. My roommate's name is Paige she is from Thibodaux and her mom is the associate dean of the business school here at Nicholls. I put up some pictures of my dorm so yall can have an idea of what it looks like. It is really nice. Everyone here has been really helpful and nice. Well i guess that is it for now I will do my best to keep everyone updated.

Love yall

Elizabeth

Two-A-Days

And so it begins . . .

The boys are off to two-a-days. It will be a much different season this year, with a very, very young and inexperienced (playing time) team. But I'm hoping that, as often happens, the boys will play with such heart that they will rise above expectations. For now, they just have to survive the August heat!

(Don't worry. They are drinking plenty of water!)

Elizabeth in Africa

Just a few images of Elizabeth and her friends in Africa. This first is of Elizabeth and Ibrahim, a little boy she met four years ago, on her first trip. She has visited with him every year since.

This is Elizabeth with Pastor Mohammed's son, Saleem, who is 2. Apparently he follows his father everywhere!

This is Pastor Mohammed, a man who loves God and his people--and Elizabeth and Mrs. Read!

Elizabeth and her good friend Leah, who went for the first time this year.

This is Elizabeth's translator, Abucardo. He has been her translator on the past three trips.

She's Home

Elizabeth got home this afternoon. It was a long trip home and started with some confusion at the airport in Ghana because the computers for the airline were down. But they all made it on the plane, finally, and arrived here this afternoon. She had a great time, as usual, especially enjoying her time at two different orphanages and doing hut to hut evangelism in the villages. She gets a couple of days to recover, then she's off to work on Monday. I'll post some pictures soon.

Wisdom Teeth

Two down, one to go. Elizabeth had her wisdom teeth out two years ago. Today it was Aaron's turn. To be honest, I've dreaded this. Aaron has never had the tolerance for pain that Elizabeth has. (I don't think she feels any.) But he's done remarkably well. Even so, 'm glad we only have to do this with one more child!

And She's Off . . .

We got Elizabeth off to Ghana for the fourth time in four years. We're old hat at this now!

If you want to keep up with the team over there you can check out the mission team's blog. They'll arrive in Ghana tomorrow night and will be there through July 3.

John and NIcole

I know for many of you, as for us, John is like family. Here's a snapshot of his wedding day yesterday, with his sweet wife Nicole. It was lovely. I wish the picture showed her dress. It was gorgeous! We wish them many, many blessed and happy years together. (The new picture at the top of the blog was taken at the reception.)

CELEBRATE!

What an amazing day! A day of rejoicing, not a tear shed among us. We are so proud of our girl. So proud that she has made it through high school. So proud that she finished strong. So proud that she is excited about her future and ready for a new adventure. For those of you who couldn't be here, the following is a sampling of the day in pictures.

Elizabeth and the amazing graduation cake, made by the mother of another student at her school. It not only looked great, it tasted great!

Elizabeth with her good friends, Jordan, Lauren, and Jenna. They are all jun--oops, I mean seniors--so they will be staying behind to finish high school while she goes off to college. But I think there are already plans in the works for visiting Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth's memorabilia table at the reception at the school. She had quite a varied array of things to display from her growing up years.

Elizabeth with her diploma, with her senior picture on the screen in the background. This is the pose she chose for the yearbook, although I chose a more traditional picture for the one I sent to friends and family!

The happy graduate. Being on the school's Board of Trustees gave Jeff the privilege of handing the diploma to her. What a special moment. We are truly thankful for the young lady she has become and are excited to watch her grow up even more in the next few years. 

Cleaning Up

Nathan's end of the year honors recital was tonight, and he cleaned up on the awards. He came home with three trophies and two medals to add to the ribbons he's received at competitions throughout the year. He played well, too. I have it on video and hope to get it up here soon, but probably not until after I get the graduation stuff up this weekend.

We are so proud of all he has accomplished and he is excited to try out next week for the Praise Band at school. If he makes it, he will play every week at chapel. It still amazes me to watch my child excel at music. 

Pictures Promised

Here are the pictures I promised from last night's sports awards. Note: in the one with Elizabeth and Aaron, I TOLD them I wanted it with their trophies. Of course I was helping clean up the place rather than supervising the picture, so that didn't happen. But it's a cute picture anyway. The other two pictures are each of them receiving their all-district basketball medals.

Enjoy!

Bringing Home the Hardware

Spring sports awards were last night. I'll post pictures later. Elizabeth and Aaron both brought home honors in basketball. Besides their all -district selections (Elizabeth, 2nd team, Aaron, honorable mention) which we already knew about, they also received some team awards. Aaron received the Hustle Award. It is one he often gets for his effort both in practice and in games. Elizabeth was awarded Offensive Player of the Year, averaging 8 points a game, with a season high game of 18 points. 

The big surprise came in softball. This being Elizabeth's first year of varsity softball, she didn't expect any accolades. But she was named 2nd team all-district AND Newcomer of the year for the district!

A fun evening of wrapping up the year in sports.

A Fun Surprise

I had a fun surprise at secondary awards today--Aaron received medals for highest average in both English II and Spanish II! Of course I have to qualify this for you: these are the non-honors sections of those classes. Maybe 4-5 students in each? Anyway, we are proud. He has worked very hard all year to reach this pinnacle. And I'm so happy he can be successful in a regular class rather than tank in an honors one. Huge boost for the kid who thinks he has no school smarts!

Over and Done

It's official. Her high school career is over and done. Her last class was yesterday. She turns in her last paper and project this morning. We still have a week until graduation, but she is finished. It's been an amazing ride--sometimes harrowing, sometimes smooth and peaceful, but always driving us to our knees in prayer. We are so proud of her, of who she is becoming. We can't wait to celebrate the actual event!

End of an Era

The girls lost their regional playoff game today, 11-1. We gave up all the runs in the first and seventh innings. They played well in between. While we are sad, it certainly gives us some breathing room in our schedule, which is nice. But more than a loss, we realized it is the end of an era for us. No more will we watch girls' sports where we have a vested interest in the players or the outcome. It's a bittersweet ending. On the one hand, we've been watching Elizabeth play something since she was 5 years old. On the other hand, now we only have one boys' team to watch each season, which shrinks the amount of games on our calendar. 

It's been a fun ride, but we are excited to see what new things we will get to experience with our daughter!

1st playoff win

One game down, three more to go!

We honored our five senior girls before the game tonight, then we went out and tromped the other team, 12-0 in five innings. Elizabeth struck out her first at bat but had a great single over the first baseman's head that garnered an RBI. In the 7-run bottom of the 4th, she grounded out to 2nd but got an RBI on that one as well. 

One more home game next week. If we win that, it's off to the state semi-finals/finals tournament. One game at a time, but they sure are looking good!

One Place Short

Aaron finished 5th in the 3200 meter (2 mile) race at the Regional Track Meet yesterday. One place short of moving on to the state meet. But he was several seconds behind the 4th place finisher, so at least he didn't have the heartbreak of missing it by a hair! He had a good track season and can now settle in and finish his schoolwork, which has been sadly neglected over the past few weeks!

Finishing Strong

Middle School baseball ended their season on an up note, a 13-3 win! They really did play great, in spite of some questionable calls by the umps. Nathan played third base for the first two innings and pitched the last inning. At the plate, he walked, grounded out to first (although our coach swears he was safe!), and hit a TRIPLE into left field! His pitching was good, too. He gave up a couple of hits but picked off the runner on second base for the first out then struck out two batters in a row to end the game. A great ending to middle school sports!

Elizabeth's team is finishing strong, too. They are playing a few, good, larger schools to get ready for playoffs. Tonight they beat one of those teams 8-5. All we know is that she was 1 for 3 at the plate.

TRIPLE PLAY!!

In spite of our loss this afternoon, 7-4, the varsity boys executed a very exciting triple play in the field. It started with a grounder to the pitcher. He threw to home to hold the runner at third. Meanwhile, the runner on second didn't realize what had happened and was halfway to third base. The catcher threw to the shortstop covering second who tagged out the runner who had been on second. Then the runner went from third toward home. The shortstop threw home and the catcher tagged the runner out. The batter was now on his way to second. The catcher threw a bullet to second and the second baseman tagged the batter out! Amazing!

Aaron struck out once and grounded out to the second baseman. Only a couple more games to go.

District Track Meet

The District Track meet is finally over--and boy am I glad Jeff went instead of me! A long, hot day! Aaron started off well, taking FIRST PLACE in the 3200 meters (2 miles)! Woo-hoo! He shaved a minute off his time from last year and beat the second place finisher by 22 seconds!

He didn't fare as well in the 1600 meters (1 mile). He finished 5th out of a field of 11, with his slowest time thus far this season. So he'll represent us at the Regional Meet in the 3200, but not in the 1600. His team didn't place in points, either, although Aaron himself scored 12 points for the team.

Will he finish top 4 in regionals and qualify for the state meet? I don't know. Let's just say it will be a fun surprise if he does.

The Winning Pitcher

Nathan came out as the winning pitcher in tonight's middle school game. They won 8-5. He gave up a few hits, but most of the runs were from errors or walks. He made some really good plays in the field, both at pitcher and at shortstop after another boy came in to relieve him. He also scored 3 of our 8 runs after reaching base twice on walks and once on an infield grounder (the first baseman missed the throw.) All in all, a good game. And finally a baseball game in baseball weather--sunny and warm!

Extra Innings

We lost a heartbreaker in 9 innings (we usually play 7), 6-5. We tied it up 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th, held them in the 8th, gave up 2 runs in the 9th and could only find 1 run to answer, falling just short of the win. But they really did play well.

Aaron played DH again and went 0 for 4, (this picture is from a previous game), striking out the first at bat but then grounding out the other three times, usually with 2 outs. So he's getting the bat on the ball, he just keeps hitting right to the other team!

Prom

The kids had a great time at Prom last night--the only one Elizabeth and Aaron would both attend. Aaron took his friend Lana, the same girl he took to homecoming. Elizabeth went with her friend Spencer, from her class at school. The girls were beautiful. The guys were handsome. It was, of course, bittersweet for the seniors. Their last big thing together, except for their trip after graduation. And for the first time I think Elizabeth enjoyed the whole process--the shopping, the getting fixed up, everything. It was fun to watch her so grown up, so willing to enjoy being a girl! Aaron goes to these things because I make him. He's such a homebody he has to be forced to socialize, although he always has fun with his friends once he gets there.

Track Meet

We competed in a track meet on Thursday, meant as a "warm-up" for the district meet next week. Mostly bigger schools, but not that much bigger. Aaron placed 14th of the 19 in the 800 meter race, with a time of 2.33. In 1600 meters he finished 10th of 14, with a time of 5:45, almost the exact same as he ran it last time. At least he's consistent!

TWO WINS!!!!

Yes, the varsity boys team WON today!!! Woo-hoo!! They pulled out a 9-5 victory. Aaron was the DH for his friend who played 2nd base. He struck out, hit an amazing lead-off double over the head of the left fielder (and eventually scored), and hit a pop fly to shallow center field that was caught. It's the first game I've been to and it was so fun!

Elizabeth's team, of course, won again. 10-2. Elizabeth had a single and 2 RBIs and she threw a runner out at 2nd. 

A Win and A Loss

It's the usual: a win for the girls, a loss for the boys. The girls are officially District champs now, although they have one more game to play before playoffs. 

Aaron, apparently, had a walk and a strikeout. Elizabeth went 0 for 3, but made a GREAT catch in right field to stop a rally by the other team at a crucial point in the game.

A Quick Trip

Elizabeth and I took a quick trip to Louisiana so she could attend registration and orientation. It was truly a whirlwind tour, complete with back-to-back early morning flights, driving through unknown territories in a rental car (a PT cruiser--how fun!) without getting (too) lost (Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the use of the GPS!), and a one short-lived mix-up on our confirmation date of her attendance at the event! But we made it! She has a schedule and an ID and she feels "official." She caused quite the stir, being one of the few from out of state. I told her she'd be famous on campus as "that girl from Texas"! While the trip came in the midst of a very busy time, at least she doesn't have to sacrifice a day of work this summer to go do all that. She's set until we move her in the dorm on August 16! Can  you believe that's just 4 months away??

But one thing I did learn: it is not fun to go down on back--driving or flying--on consecutive days. Unless we run into an absolute necessity, it will have to always be a 2 night trip from now on!

Softball and Baseball

Elizabeth's team sewed up the district championship (even though there are 2 more games to play) with a 22-2 win. Elizabeth had 1 pop up for an out and 2 hits--both of which came in the same inning! If they keep playing like that, a run for the state championship isn't such a pipe dream.

Aaron is filling in on the varsity baseball team while they have a few ineligible players. He played 2nd base today. He walked on his one at bat but was thrown out stealing 2nd. Obviously these coaches haven't seen him much or they'd know he isn't fast enough to steal!

Something New, Something Old

Aaron went to his first track meet today. It was a track meet of mostly large private schools, so we don't expect to place, we just want our kids to get some experience and to see where they are on their times or distances.

Today Aaron did a few new things: triple jump and 800m. He also ran his old race: the 1600m (or 1 mile.) He didn't come in last in his new events and he came in above the middle of the pack in the 1600. He was pleased with his performances but is now ready to concentrate on his better events for the district meet coming up in a couple of weeks. 

The Silver Tongue

Elizabeth proved her silver tongue once more. She finished 2nd in the TAPPS State Persuasive Speaking competition. This involved pulling a random current events topic, being given a few minutes to jot notes and then giving a persuasive speech in support of the issue. She put off preparing her research until the night before and still managed to "persuade" the judges to give her 2nd place! That just shows--it isn't about the facts as much as it is your passion and ability to sway with your words. She got that ability in spades!

3-0 in District

Today, the girls showed they could overcome adversity and pull out a win. Up 6-0 in the 4th, they began to flounder. Suddenly, it was 6-6. It remained 6-6 going into the final inning. That's when our girls stepped up to the plate--literally! They scored 4 in the top of the 7th and held the other team in the bottom of the inning. They won, 10-6.

Elizabeth had two strikeouts and two singles (well, on one she reached on an error actually) and fielded one ball cleanly. 

Now we head to our home field to play three more district games before we head into the playoffs. The girls know the district title is theirs to lose. Hopefully, like today, they can dig deep and come up with victory.

Another District Win

The girls racked up 14 runs versus their district rival yesterday afternoon. They allowed only 2 runs to cross the plate for the other team. Elizabeth struck out twice but hit on her final at bat and got credited with an RBI as well. She played right field and threw out a runner going to first base! More district play later this week.

A Chilly End

We braved the 25 degree wind chill for our first game this morning, which we won 14-0. Elizabeth was hit by 2 pitches (she's okay) and hit a good double.

We knew the second game would be much harder--and we were right! We lost a heartbreaker, 3-4. Elizabeth struck out, walked and singled as well as caught 2 pop flies. We just came up a bit short. 

But all in all, they did well, playing close with the bigger schools and annihilating the schools our size. That, we hope, bodes well for district play and on into the playoffs. We'll see!

Football Weather for Softball Games

Elizabeth's team is in a softball tournament this weekend. That wouldn't be so bad except a cold front moved in this afternoon. It went from 69 to 42 in a few hours, with about 20 mph winds. Needless to say, it was not fun sitting in the cold (which most of us weren't totally prepared for) watching softball!

Here is a brief summary of the three games:

Game 1: We won, 10-0. Elizabeth had a double and a walk.

Game 2: We lost (to a bigger school), 6-9. Elizabeth had a great bunt which scored a run and she made it to 3rd on the overthrow. She scored on a passed ball. She also struck out for the final out of the game.

Gam 3: We won, 10-1. Elizabeth hit two doubles and a single, scoring each time on overthrows or passed balls.

And guess what? We get to brave the 30 degree weather in the morning to do it all again. Yea, us!

Back to the Bases

Well I really thought the games today would be rained out, but after a quick, hard shower, the sun and wind dried everything pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the games were still kind of a bust.

Elizabeth's team played a district rival--except that no umpires showed up! So they scrimmaged. They won, but it didn't count.

Nathan's team also played an area rival, but one whose "school" team is playing in a competitive league and has players (most of the good ones) that don't go to the school that is our rival. (Did you follow all that?) We got trounced 13-1. Nathan had a good stop at shortstop. Not such a great throw, but the first baseman made a good play and we got the out. He struck out once, walked once, and got thrown out at home plate. He also came in to pitch in the last inning with bases loaded and no outs. Given the situation, he did ok. He struck out one. Gave up three hits (all but one had fielding errors), fielded a ball hit back to the mound and threw out the player coming home, and caught a pop fly to end the inning. Not bad for not having thrown at all during Spring Break AND having both his Tetanus and Hep A shots this morning!

A Great Vacation

This is a view from the balcony of our hotel room at the Boardwalk Inn Resort at Walt Disney World. It's one of the reasons I love Disney vacations: when you aren't in the park, you feel like you are at some ultra relaxing resort! What we loved about this hotel (besides a fun view) was the proximity to Epcot and Hollywood Studios (both a short walk away) and the several sitting areas inside the hotel and out (including one right outside the door of our room!) where Jeff and I often took our books and read during our "down times." 

Disney's newest roller coaster is Mt. Everest, pictured above. It was very fun. In fact, while we are not known as a "roller coaster family," our motto on this trip was "everyone rides everything." Unlike our last trip to Disney (when the kids were 10, 8, and 7), they had to coax us to ride rides instead of us coaxing them! And we did. We all rode all the "big" rides. And it was fun! Of course, the kids were embarrassed when I screamed through several of them. 

And yes, we saw Mickey. This time (again, different from last time), they didn't care about seeing the characters. But we did make them stand in line to get this picture. Oh, and they willingly stood in line to have their pictures taken with Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen from Cars. All in all, it was a very fun trip. Since this was the last time we'll all have spring break together (Elizabeth's college has theirs in April and the boys' will be in March), we are happy to have good memories. 

District Play Begins

The girls began district play on Monday with a 5-4 win! Their pitching has been tremendous with fielding and batting pretty good, too. But the difference in close games comes down to our aggressive base running. They are brash in their steals, even stealing home when the ball is in the hands of the pitcher! We'll see if they can keep it up, but so far so good.

Piano and Persuasive Speaking

We had two kids competing today. Nathan did one of his piano competitions. We won't know his results for a few days, but he did not feel like he did well at all. (He apparently forgot portions of both of his pieces. I'm not sure how obvious it was, but he was not happy with himself!)

Elizabeth, on the other hand, succeeded in making the cut for the state competition in persuasive speaking. (She didn't make it in original oratory or current events.) In this event, they draw a topic then have some time to prepare with whatever materials they've brought with them. Then they have to speak on the subject for 7 minutes. Since this is a bit like debate--some preparation, much thinking on your feet--she did well. We'll see how it goes in the bigger competition. 

One more baseball game, two more softball games, and then we'll be off on Spring Break. Yeah!

A Blowout and A Squeaker

Elizabeth's team won 21-4 today. In 4 innings. Elizabeth had two singles, two RBIs and scored a run. She also hit two grounders straight to the first baseman! Because of the big score, she got to play 2nd base in the last two innings after starting in left field. Can I just say? It really isn't fun watching a blowout game like that.

Nathan's team, on the other hand, got down early, 4-0, but they battled back, starting with Nathan's double into center field. He then scored the first run on a passed ball. They had battled back, but were still losing 5-4 when Nathan came up again. This time he singled to left, stole 2nd, then 3rd, then home on another passed ball to tie the game 5-5! We scored one more run and won the game 6-5! I just wish I'd been there! He played 3rd base.

A big win

The softball team had a big win today over a bigger school. Our girls led the whole game, but the other team crept up, little by little, until, in the bottom of the 7th inning, we were only up 5-4. Now, at this level of softball, one run is not that much. Believe me, we were biting our nails in the stands!

But our team came through. The center fielder made a great catch of a big pop fly. Then our pitcher, who pitched the entire game, dug deep and struck out the last two batters! Great job, Lady Eagles!

Elizabeth had a pretty good game. She caught a fly ball in left field and had a nice hit to right. Her other two at bats she hit grounders to the second baseman and got thrown out at first.