Strawberry Pickin' and Tourney Time

It's tournament time and Highfill is still in the winner's bracket.  We won a close one on Monday.  Jackson scored the tying run in the 6th inning.  He made a great slide at home plate and nearly took out the catcher who happened to be bigger than Webb (maybe Jackson should be playing football:).  He did great at the plate batting and catching and we were excited to leave with the win.  We are one win away from the championship game.  Can Highfill make it a "3-peat" this year?  We sure hope so! 

We are finishing 6th grade this week.  Another year down and only God knows how many more we have to go?  We actually enjoyed the journey this year, for the most part.  Jackson only has about four more months left before he completes the Barton Reading System.  It's been almost four years since he started with Ms. Lisa and what an amazing difference she and the program have made in our lives.  

We only have another week of preschool co-op.  A few weeks ago, Jackson joined us and the kids worked with yarn and acrylics on canvas.  They had some pretty cool creations; you can see Jackson's  below.  

Sawyer has been doing a lot of puddle jumping, frog catching and lizard catching these days.  He's learned that frogs can swim in his water table and that lizards can be difficult to catch because they can lose their tales.  A backyard can be one big science classroom.  

John Michael has been around more lately.  The boys love seeing him.  Yep, it gets crazy when he's around because they are all super wild together!  Back in the days when I was baby-sitting the Stewart kids, I never imagined that one day John Michael would be playing and entertaining my kids!    

Something kind of exciting and funny happened this past week.  Sawyer and I dropped Jackson off at tutor and headed to our usual place to run.  During our run, I thought I saw Zac Effron riding around on a Gator in the neighborhood.  I began to think something was truly wrong with me when walking through the clubhouse parking lot,  I saw a guy who looked so much like Scotty McCreery.

He was driving a nice truck with an NC State decal so my suspicions grew even more.  I walked within a few feet of him but didn't want to keep staring.  While loading Sawyer in the van, I snapped a few pictures.  As he walked to the clubhouse, I saw other men take pictures of him.  I wasn't hallucinating!  It was Scotty!  I didn't want to bug him but part of me was kicking myself for not asking him to take a picture with Sawyer.  Maybe we will catch him another time there.  

Soon after all of the celebrity sightings, we went strawberry picking.  Jackson opted to stay in the car.  It didn't take Sawyer and I long to fill up a ten dollar bucket of fresh, sweet strawberries.  We ate half of them the first day and ate more of them the next day, on top of pancakes, when we had breakfast for dinner.    By yesterday, the strawberries wilted.  When life gives you wilted strawberries, make strawberry lemonade;-)  Yesterday was definitely a strawberry lemonade kind of day.  We are looking forward to a calm, relaxing weekend at the White house.  

Art during co-op

Frog catching

Puddle jumping

Making a bridge

This picture reminded me of Tom Sawyer minus the pacifier 

Sawyer keeps raiding Jackson's trophy shelves

John Michael and Sawyer

It's Scotty McCreery!

Strawberry pickin'

My favorite catcher

Sam is taking his base after getting hit by the biggest kid in the league.  Poor Sam!  Jackson looks like he's waiting for instructions from his dad and assistant coach:-)

Jackson and Coach Coffin

Garrett on the mound and Cole Thompson, no relation, up to bat.

Warming up

Tournament play continues next week!  Let's go Highfill!  

Forgotten Photos

Here are some photos, mostly from April, that I forgot to include in my last update.  We planted a garden, Jackson finished up middle school ball with the Warriors, we enjoyed an Easter egg hunt with the Flythes, the boys raced, Gina got married (mom and I had a blast at the wedding and reception), Webb and Jackson went fishing (and we enjoyed a fish fry) after Highfill clinched the season title at WR, and Webb and I enjoyed an Alabama concert with the Brewers.

April

 April was a month with more little battles than usual.  I felt like each week, I was looking for verses for both Jackson and me.  Our spiritual muscles were exercised, OFTEN!  

"All things work for good for those that love him." Romans 8:28

What we often place value on, things that seem so important, the errors that we focus on, seldom change where we are going.  Too often, we get caught up on past sins, attainments, accomplishments, and failures.  We lose our way and and lose sight of God's bigger picture.  We must remember that God uses it all, good and bad, for the journey and it's all preparation for what lies ahead.  God loves us so much, that he is always working FOR us.  Do your best and know that God will take care of the rest:-)  

"I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed." Philippians 3:14

I've always heard that when you are racing, you shouldn't look back to see how close others are to you.  I know firsthand that it slows my pace when I focus on what's going on behind me.  I've even noticed how in Pilates class, when I am attempting some new balancing move and I look around at others, I end up losing MY focus and balance.  Isn't that an appropriate lesson in comparing oneself to others? We are all running a race but in this race, nobody else's time is important:-)    

"Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles."  Isaiah 40:31

The boys and I read a great devotion last month about eagles.  Eagles learn to fly and hunt by observing their parents.  Imprinting is done when the eaglets are about 8-10 weeks old. It's not instinctive for them to learn to fly.  The parents begin the process of teaching them to fly by hovering over the nest and flapping their wings.  The babies then learn to do the same. Eventually, they are ready for flight and the parents nudge them from the nest. What lessons did I take from this?  Flight is a process for eagles.  They aren't born knowing how to fly just as our children aren't born knowing how to walk.  Some things must be learned and life (and parents) can be great teachers.  Additionally, eagles must face into the wind to experience lift.  That sounds hard, much like life at times.  But guess what?  Without the wind and the air pressures working together, there's no soaring.  Soaring allows them to save energy because they don't have to flap their wings as often.  Okay, here's the symbolism....we can rest in the Lord when we soar....and yet again, I'm back to that trusting thing....believing that it'll all work for good in my life.  I can definitely rest in that!  

Here's a reminder to my boys, who will one day read this: you will mess up and you will make mistakes. Don't get hung up on failure.   If you know Him and follow Him, failure won't keep you from what He has for you.  Enjoy the run, the walk, the journey, and the soaring.  God's got this!  

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.  ~Winston Churchill.

Webb met me at the YMCA one evening to pick up S so I could go to class.  The firefighters were leaving and asked if S wanted to sit in the truck.  What a treat!  

S's depiction of his daddy.  We framed this and sent it to work with Webb.

More art!  The boys and I created an Easter cottage.  

Jackson catching

I took the boys to play mini golf one week.  It was Sawyer's first trip.  He finished the course in record breaking time!  He was done in 20 minutes!  

These guys are so funny together!  

Cole

Addison

Yes, I let them order the largest snowball.  No, they didn't feel good afterwards.  

We came home that day to this note and broken toy on our front porch.  There are honest people in this world!  The UPS man ran over S' toy and left a note saying he would replace it.  

This is what homeschool socialization looks like;-)  

Homeschool day at the park

At the beach with Garrett

Fort Fisher- this gave me the creeps.  We let the big boys walk to the end of one side.  

Exploring

The ferry is leaving for Southport

The big boys couldn't tolerate the gnats.  They were awful.

A quick photo while being attacked by the gnats

This cat was a keeper.  I wish we could've brought him home but I'm pretty sure some family would've missed him.

NC State Farm Days

                                                            Covered Bridge- Troy

They ventured off the path (imagine that!) and found these guys

Beautiful butterfly and flower there on the path

We learned that day that box turtles can survive underwater.  Ask this guy how we found out.  

Low Water Bridge

Pretty with her boo-boo's and all:-)

This was the highlight of the trip.  These two discovered a rope swing.  It looked like such fun!  

Jackson

Chase

Playing in the Uwharrie

Jumping Off Rock- we only stayed long enough to take three pictures.  This is too much for my heart to handle, being the mother of adventurous boys.  Yikes!