My Cute Chef-in-Training--and Her Amazing Food!

In her uniform!

Roasted Red Pepper soup garnished with basil and a toasted slice of homemade bread.

Green salad with cucumbers, carrots, walnuts, and a homemade dijon vinaigrette dressing.

Blue Cheese stuffed tenderloin with a balsamic vinegar glaze and blackberry butter, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. 

Chocolate Molton cake with white chocolate and raspberry sauces and fresh whipped cream.

Coming up short

We hung in there for four innings. In fact, we were up 4-3. Then we gave up 4 runs and couldn't make them up. So we lost 7-4.

Nathan played short stop again. He struck out, walked, and hit a grounder to first.

A Rough Day

Yes, we lost again. 11-1 after 5 innings. Nathan didn't start on the mound, he came in in relief in the top of the 4th inning and struck out the final batter the end that inning. The 5th inning he still pitched well, striking out the first batter. But two pop-ups were missed in the field. Two other batters had nice base hits to outfield. And finally the last batter hit a grounder to second base and we turned a double play. In the bottom half of that final inning, Nathan made it to first on an error, stole second, made it to third on a grounder where the batter was out at first, and then arrived at home plate to score our only run on another error by the first baseman.

All in all, a pretty ugly game.

A Nail Biter

We finally got to play baseball today! Our first district game. We didn't look good early. We got down 4-0, inched back 4-1. Then 5-1. Then 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 6-6. But in the bottom of the 7th we gave up a run on a passed ball.

Sigh.

Nathan got up three times--and out three times. But all three times he hit the ball, and one ending up being a sacrifice RBI in that crucial big inning. He also fielded the ball nicely at shortstop and threw the batter out at first.

Next game, he's on the mound.

Off and Running

We went to our first track meet of the year yesterday. It was sunny and beautiful--except for the 20 mph winds!

We aren't real sure what the coaches are thinking this year. They have taken Aaron out of the 1600 and 3200, where he has always done well, and put him in shorter races. Yesterday he ran the 800 and the 4 x 400 relay. He also did the triple jump.

He didn't do very well in any of those, but then again, most of the schools there were much larger than our school, so maybe he'll do okay come district. We'll see. We have two more meets before the district meet.

Rain has prevented baseball for the past week, but we're hoping to get a couple games in this week, so check back for those updates.

On the Mound

Nathan's team lost their game last night. He was the starting pitcher. Walked three batters in four innings but also had several strikeouts. Several fielding errors led to runs, so I'm not sure how many were actually earned by him. I guess if he's going to pitch, I need to learn more about that aspect of the game!

Anyway, the final score was 15-5, but they did play five innings, which was better than their losses in the tournament! His coach is pleased with their progress, knowing they have so much to learn.

We're off for spring break, but both baseball and track will begin in earnest after that!

Tournament Play

The varsity baseball team took the field for the first time this year in a tournament this weekend. Again, a young team, so we'll take our lumps. And in this tournament--a mish-mash of public and private schools--our lumps were the size of mountains! But we have a new, good coach who is very encouraging and is trying to get a feel for each boy's strengths and weaknesses before district play begins. So here's the run down.

GAME 1:

Our opponent in this game was a 5A public school JV team. It's a good thing it was JV--more equity in ages, although that didn't really mean much in the end. We lost 25-0 in four innings. Only two of our batters reached base--Nathan on a hit-by-pitch and his cousin Chris with a walk. One of our juniors hit a ball to the fence, but the outfielder caught it. And those are the highlights.

GAME 2:

We played a varsity team this time, but from a 1A public school. We played better, though we still lost 20-0 in four innings. This time we had several put the bat on the ball (Nathan hit a fly ball that the shortstop caught), and two of our juniors actually got on base with hits. Fielding was obviously still an issue, but Nathan pitched the final two innings and in those innings only gave up 4 runs, all of which were unearned.

GAME 3:

Well, our opponent (our district rival) didn't show, so we played the same team from game 2, but this time they played their 2nd team. And we made a game of it! I, of course, missed it. Aaron and I were on a local college visit. But I'll reconstruct the game a bit via Jeff's text messages. (Gotta love technology!)
We started well, down only 1-0 at the end of the 1st innings. In the second inning, Nathan bunted to reach first base, but we still couldn't score--until the third inning. Then we managed to hit one in and tie it, 1-1. In the 4th inning, Nathan was hit by a pitch for the second time in this tournament, but again, he couldn't get around the bases. 1-1 at the end of the 4th inning. In the top of the 5th, the other team scored two runs, but we answered with one, so at the end of 5, we were losing 3-2. In the bottom of 6th, Nathan reached base yet again, this time on an error by the 3rd baseman. He stole 2nd. Then he scored! End of 6, we were all tied up, 3-3. Top of the 7th and final inning, the other team scored, leaving us down by 1 going into our last at bat. We managed to get two on base and then one of our players ripped a single that scored both runners! WE WON, 5-3!!!!!!

I'm so thankful this ended on an up note for these boys. After those first two games, they were pretty down. But this should give them some confidence going into district play.

New Experiences

In the past couple of weeks the boys have had some interesting new experiences. Aaron participated in the academic competition for private schools in the spelling and persuasive speaking categories. He also participated in a debate tournament. His new ventures were not "successful" in the outward sense, but I was so proud of him for stepping out and trying new things. In fact, he enjoyed debate so much he said he'd do it again next year!

Nathan's new experiences involve art and music. He made a pottery vase (which I haven't seen yet) that received an honorable mention at our district art meet. He is really enjoying art and computer this year, even wondering if the fusion of those and his music would make a good career choice. Another new thing happened yesterday. He showed up to practice with the Praise Band and they discovered their bass player was absent. So Nathan played bass in chapel that day--the first time he's ever played the bass guitar! But my musician friends have always said a piano player that understands chords can move easily between instruments. I guess they were right!

Ending in Like Fashion

We ended the basketball season tonight--finally. It's been painful. We lost by 30. Aaron had 2 points, Nathan had 5 points.

On to baseball and track . . .

Thoroughly Modern Millie

I really missed Elizabeth this weekend! Last night we went to our school's production of the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. For the past four years, I've loved the weekend of the play. Costumes and makeup and kids hanging out at our house between the matinee and evening performances. From that freshman year "coup" of landing the part of Bloody Mary in South Pacific to last year's wonderful portrayal of Aunt March in Little Women, I had a ball watching Elizabeth and her friends perform.

At least this year I had a few ties to the cast. My niece Sarah was in the chorus, as was Nathan's girlfriend. Aaron's girlfriend had the lead role (Millie) and one of Elizabeth's good friends had the humorous supporting role, the kind Elizabeth often played. They did a great job. I loved it all. But it made me miss my drama girl!

Uniform and Knives

Well its the start of the second semester and i received my uniforms and knives for my culinary lab classes so i just wanted to post some pictures for everyone to see

Losing is Hard Work

Another loss, 76-25. In our defense, two of our tall boys, including our leading scorer, were out sick. Aaron managed 5 points, Nathan 6 points (2-3 pointers late in the game). I have to say, no one at our house it very sad that the season will soon draw to a close.

I know the Lord is teaching my boys through these dismal seasons--teaching them to persevere even when it looks like their effort is for naught. But that's a hard lesson. One some adults don't even understand! And so we journey on . . .

Another Pounding

We played a small public school last night. After the first quarter, we were only down by 2 points! But then they brought in two boys that apparently start, but didn't start that night. And it went downhill from there. We lost, 64-24. It didn't help that our leading scorer was home with a temperature of 103!

After a very slow start, Nathan ended up the leading scorer and rebounder for this game--seven rebounds, seven points. His cousin Chris scored six points. And Aaron, after many, many shots that just wouldn't fall in the bucket, finished the game with four points.

Six more games to go, mostly district games. And since we are in one of the hardest basketball districts, a win would be a miracle. But we will persevere with our young lineup and hope their experience pays off in the future!

Battling the Refs

Not sure what the refs were doing tonight. The other team mauled us--knocked Aaron all the way to the ground on at least two shots with not a call in sight, and yet if we stood still with hands straight in the air, we got called for the foul. Then at the end, when we were trying to foul, they refused to call our obvious fouls so we could try to get the ball back! It was truly one of the most awful games I've ever watched. And the shame of it is that even with all that, we only lost by 7!

Aaron finished with 4 points, Nathan with 3.

Now we have to switch our focus to finals!

A Better Game

We won! 50-25. Aaron scored 7 points. Nathan scored 12 (two of them were 3 pointers!). Both had a few rebounds and an assist. It was nice to have a bit or a breather from the hard games. But the break won't last long. Another district rival comes to town this week.

Stay tuned!

An Ugly Game

We lost tonight. We knew we would. But the officiating was so bad that it made everything worse. At the least the other team put 4 bench players on the floor for the second half (mostly). The score ended up 50-something to 20-something. Not really any high points to speak of.

On to next week.

Back to Basketball

I've been a little slow getting this up, but we started back with basketball on Monday night. We actually looked better than I thought we would after the break! We lost 35-53, but the game was much closer than the score indicates. In fact, we pulled to within 2 points in the 4th quarter! But then we had a run of fouls, ending with Aaron fouling out of the game. And, frankly, without Aaron on the court, our young team falls apart.

Aaron ended the night with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Nathan had a tough game for turnovers, but still managed 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was 2 for 2 from the free throw line and two of his assists were to his brother!

This was the first district game. As in football, our basketball district consists of at least 3 teams that usually go deep into the state playoffs, so just a win or two would be quite an accomplishment for our young team. We'll see what happens.

'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!