Long break

Clearly I have taken a long hiatus from the blogisphere. Not that I have many readers anyways. I'm not sure anyone even noticed that it was gone for a little while. Oh well, I do this for myself. Time to get back on track! Stay tuned... I know the anticipation is killing you!

Ready for a new school year

These three couldn't wait to get out the door for school. They were just a little excited. Maddox has been counting down the days for a few weeks to go to his new school. He started a new program this year that requires him to attend a different school than Remi and Avrie. Because Maddox's new school is a little further away, he gets to ride the school bus every day. He couldn't wait to get on his way. He made Bus driver Bob laugh with his excitement and they were on their way. They all had a great 1st day of school! Let's hope that attitude carries through the rest of the school year.

Lots of new changes

Now that Gannon has turned 3, he is no longer eligible for the Kids on the Move program. Bummer! They were so amazing! There is no way he would be as far as he is without their help. He is sad not to go to his horseback riding therapy anymore. We can never thank them enough for what they have done for him and us. Out with the old (too small) and in with the new. This boy is growing so fast! In less than a year Gannon was ready for new DAFOs. He's moved on from his dinosaur days to zebra stripes. Love it!

Pioneer Tournament

Clearly baseball has consumed our summer, but we are finally to the last tournament of the season. I've never cared much about the wins vs. losses in any of the sports or seasons that Remi has played. I am so happy that this kid plays because he loves it. He never gives up no matter what. The trophy is just a bonus. It has been an awesome season watching these boys. Even through some unnecessary team drama, they all came through it ok and played their hearts out. Can't wait for next year!

Summer fun

Even with the crazy schedules, the kids have been able to swim quite a bit this summer. Maddox isn't willing to get more than his feet in, but he loves soaking up the sun. Gannon has definitely found a love for being in the water. It has the potential to be great therapy for him as well. We've been able to swim in a private pool this year, so I was more willing to join in. I had the baseball coolers outside to dry after cleaning them out and as I approached one to put it away, this little head popped up. Maddox has great potential as a contortionist. :)

Omaha Baseball Tournament - Part 5

Sticking it out 'til the very end

A lot of the families decided to take off early so they didn't have to make the trip home in one day. We really wanted the full experience and stuck it out to the very end. The last night of the tournament they had the Closing Ceremony where each player was awarded their All-Star ring. These boys were so excited to get these rings. They are no cracker jack box rings. Really nice! Earlier in the day Remi started feeling really sick, but did his best to make it through. You can see it on his face in all of the pictures. Chris tried joking with him and having him pose with the father/son statue, but Remi wasn't feeling it. This is the only picture I was able to get where he doesn't look like he was going to kill us. I couldn't get close enough during Closing Ceremonies to not get the fence in the pictures, so they aren't the best, but I'm glad we have them. We only had 4 boys that stuck it out until the end. The All-Star Ring Their personalities show through in this picture. Remi just looks like he's going to puke. This poor kid crawled in bed as soon as the pictures were done and threw up all night long. It made for a really fun ride home the next day. (We still got home only a couple of hours behind the families that left the day before)Despite the tornados and the sickness, this was an amazing experience for all of us and we can't wait to go again!

Omaha Baseball Tournament - Part 4

College World Series

Alright non-baseball fans, this was a pretty big deal for these boys. How often are you given the opportunity to go to the College World Series when you're a kid? We went to watch North Carolina vs. Vanderbilt We sat next to the bullpen so the boys could watch them warm-up and talk to the players. Some of the boys were able to snag an autograph or two. I really missed my three kids we had to leave home, but it was a lot of fun to spend time with all of the team moms and I know Chris loved having so much time with Remi. Never a dull moment with this group.Had to grab one last group shot at the ball field after the game. We all had such a great time.

When they weren't playing, they were playing

The Village had an amazing inflatable water slide that these boys loved. They really didn't have a lot of down time, but they used any extra minute they could to get on that slide. I have to admit, I was a little jealous. During the Family Night at the Village, they all decided that they needed tattoos. It was really funny to see what they chose or what they were "dared" to do. One of the boys had a pin-up girl for his. Of course my son was the instigator of that one. Shocker! They were all so proud of their new artwork.

Omaha Baseball Tournament - Part 3

Let the games begin!

The team ended up playing six games in this tournament and played amazing. There are too many highlights to list, so I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. Remi played a lot as catcher this tournament. He did pitch in one of their games and played his regular short stop position very little. He has become a pretty good catcher and is always happy to play where he's needed. So proud of him and all of the boys. Team Hitmen--Omaha 2011

Omaha Baseball Tournament - Part 2

Tornado Country!!

Before we left on our trip, some of the moms on the team joked about hitting a tornado while we are out there. Wasn't so funny once it actually happened. We had no idea how much excitement we would have before even getting into baseball.

This is what the sky was looking like as we left the Denver area. I snapped a picture thinking it was really pretty. ...and then it got really ugly. The pictures I was able to get were in the the beginning stages. Definitely don't show how scary it became. I have never been so close to lightning and insane rain. Seeing that the weather was pretty nasty, we were smart enough to call ahead and reserve a hotel room in North Platte, NE. We had planned to go all the way into Omaha, but would have to settle for 4 hours outside. When we called to reserve the room, the lady asked if we were ok with a room on the top floor because that was all she had left. We're from Utah so of course we are stupid and thought duh, why wouldn't we. Until we pulled into North Platte with the tornado sirens blaring and then it finally occurred to us idiots. Not the best night's sleep, but we made it on to Omaha the next morning.

Time to check in!

The entire team was in a large dorm-style room. It was great for team unity and made it a lot of fun for the boys. After a few days of a lot of farting and midnight giggling, not so much for the coaches. There was still some time before the boys had to get ready for Opening Ceremonies, so most of them explored the Village and some went hunting for frogs. (Not that you had to hunt for them, they were everywhere!)
And then tornado #2...

Halfway into Opening Ceremonies to kick off the tournament, another tornado came rolling in. The sirens went off and it became a bit like running with the bulls. Everyone headed to the Athlete's Village to take cover and hope that it will pass to the side of us. Instead of hunkering down waiting for it to pass, the boys...

...played catch, watched the tornado rolling in, chatted with neighbors, and played games.
Don't they look scared! :)

Omaha Baseball Tournament - Part 1

On our way to Omaha, we decided to take a slight detour and catch a Colorado Rockies baseball game in Denver. The Rockies are Remi's favorite baseball team so it was a no brainer. Most of the families from our team also went to the game. The game kicked off our week long adventure in Omaha, Nebraska. We got to the gates early for the practice jersey they were giving away. Ended up being too small for Remi so Maddox got a nice little jersey when we got home. As soon as the gates opened, Remi and Chris were off to get player autographs. The lines were so long they only got one. They stood in line forever for the main autograph Remi wanted, but the line was cut off before they got to him. Bummer! We had awesome seats on the 8th row, just behind the Rockies dugout. It was a great Father's Day for Chris (that he gave to himself). Unfortunately the Rockies lost, but it was a great game to be part of. Remi with two of his teammates, Andrew and Andrew. It added a little bit of extra time to our trip, but we were all really glad we went to the game. Not only to spend time with our families, but it was also fun to spend time as a team.
Before the game ended, they started showing this message on the big screen. Never what we had expected to see at a baseball game, especially in Denver. I think most dismissed it and everyone got on their way to Omaha. And this brings us to Part 2....