The fall garden

It's time to rip up the summer garden because my fall seeds have come in!  This week my goal is to get the weed patch I call a garden cleared and composted so that it will be ready for these seedlings in 6-8 weeks.  Hopefully by then we'll start having some cooler temperatures, too.

That's what I love about gardening, 

it's so easy just to start all over!

I got these gorgeous heirloom, non-GMO seeds from
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

My next big project

I snagged all Kyle's old baseball jerseys one day and decided he needed them sewn into a quilt (thank you, Pintrest!).  

More to come on this project soon, 

I am stupid excited over it!

One more baseball post then I'm done, I promise!

On Monday night, the Sugarland Skeeters recognized our boys before their game at Constellation Field.

They let the guys on the field a good thirty minutes before the game started.  Kyle really took everything in, I think he loves the Skeeters more than he loves the Astros!

It was fun to watch the boys who started out all lined up against the fence.  Slowly, they gravitated as a group to touch the grass, talk to some players, and joke around with Moe the mascot.

The night was "a buzz" for the Wharton All Stars!

(pun intended)

Then finally it was time to take the field with the Skeeters...

And to use the words of a young man who doesn't say very much...

"It was VERY cool!"

Gettin' my groove back!

So we spent six days in Arkansas,

threw a birthday party for my son's 18th birthday the next day,

then I worked three back-to-back 12 hr. shifts.

Y'all, I was tired!

I did absolutely nothing on Monday but laundry and nap, 

but it seems that I've gotten my second wind today!

I planned and prepared EIGHT freezer meals for the crockpot...

thank you Pinterest!

 These meals worked out to be a little less than ten bucks per meal and it only took me an hour to prepare all eight of them.

Directions are written right on the bags.  All Doug or the boys have to do is take a bag from the freezer, drop the frozen "brick" into the crock pot, set it on low and forget it!  And I get to come home to a home cooked meal on the days that I work...it's a win-win!

Our busy day meal stash includes:
2 packs Asian meatballs
2 packs pepper steak
chicken fajitas
shredded beef burritos
Italian beef sandwiches
chicken curry

Check out this Pinterest link for more crock pot 
freezer cooking recipes.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

My first born turned eighteen this week. 

 EIGHTEEN!

I am now the mother of an adult child.

I think I may need to go lay down for a bit...

We came, we saw, we conquered...almost!

So proud of our Wharton All Stars!  They competed in the Southwest Regional Tournament and came in third, the last Texas team to still stand.  And even though they didn't make it to the World Series, I think they are pretty proud of their accomplishment!

I know we are!

Truly, by a miracle, we were ALL able to make the trip to Arkansas.

The players stayed with "host families" while in Arkansas.  That meant we didn't have to worry about washing uniforms, making it to practice on time, or feeding them.  The host families were a blessing to us, especially ours!  Mr. Bob is a rock star in our eyes and we are so thankful for his hospitality and generosity!

 Kyle turned 15 while we were there and I know he made some awesome memories.  On the long drive home he told me, "I know we were there to play ball, but that was kind of in the background.  I had the best time with my friends and traveling to some place new!"

My heart swells for that boy!

We stayed in a hotel for the six days we were there.

John Paul and Daniel thought they died and went to Heaven.

 Swimming, hot tubs, waffles for breakfast every morning, having someone else make your bed...

and eating popcorn in bed while watching TV~

Danny told me, "This is the LIFE!"

Our family doesn't do yearly vacations, but I think we'll count this trip as one.  We got to see some of the beauty of the Ozarks, meet some wonderful people, and watch some great baseball games.  Some really good memories were made this last week, thank you Mountain Home for treating us so well!

We're headed to Arkansas!

Take a good look, these guys are the 

East Texas State Champions 

in 14 year old Babe Ruth baseball!  

They are headed to Mountain Home, Arkansas to compete in the Southwest Regional tournament next week.

I can't tell you how proud I am of these young men 

(and of course, one in particular!) 

You'll be glad to know that Texas will be very well represented.  These boys are such talented athletes as well as young men of character and sportsmanship.

If they win big in Arkansas, they will go onto the World Series in Utah.

This is definitely not a "kid's game," 

 we are in it to win it!

And if you could, say a prayer for their safety as they travel,

for them to play to the full potential of their God given talents,

and for some of the family they leave behind on this trip. 

(who cannot possibly go because of work/finances.

 GRRRRRR!  >:-<  )

Just know, boys, that a whole small town in southeast Texas is rooting for y'all!  Make some awesome memories and have the time of your life!

What the bugs didn't get...

 Eggplant

 Basil

 Peppers

I'm thinking this will be our dinner tonight,

maybe turned into toppings for pizza on the grill!

This guy is NOT on the guest list!

(much to the boy's dismay!)

ACK! I GIVE UP!

I give up! 

The bugs have WON!

My once beautiful little vegetable garden is now filled with thousands of evil leaf footed bugs and their demonic babies:

They are everywhere and have sucked the life out of all of my vegetables.  Sometime this week I am stripping the garden bare, except for my peppers and eggplants, they don't seem to want those.  I have scoured the internet and there doesn't seem to be any way to kill these bugs short of using poison, and I'm not doing that!  So I've decided to starve them and maybe they'll move on.

  

The only way I can think to avoid these critters is to move my garden.  I planted a new garden on the side of my house this year that is virtually bug free.  There are only sunflowers, medicinal  herbs, and one really HUGE luffa vine growing there:

This area may be my vegetable garden next year and my old vegetable garden boxes will probably grow my herbs...we'll see!  But for now I'm kinda done with the summer garden...well, more defeated than done.  But I'm sure I can find other projects to occupy my time!  

He's always been an All-Star to me!

Kyle has been playing baseball since he was six.

 I still remember it like it was yesterday...

 That sweet little boy walking up to the t-ball stand and taking a swing with a bat that was bigger than he was!

 He was the cutest thing ever!

  

But now he plays with the big boys.

Kyle played on two teams this year (silly me to think that ONE would be enough!), the Babe Ruth League here in Wharton and the Junior League in nearby Boling. 

He made All Stars in both leagues and lately it's been baseball almost every night of the week!

Yeah, it's been a bit of a pain because of the practice times and late night games, but I wouldn't miss any of it for the world.  You see, we've watched not only Kyle grow through the years out on that ball field, but many of his friends, too. 

 We've watched these little boys grow into young men.

They've not only become some really talented ball players, but young men of character.  It's been a privilege to watch them grow up.  These boys have played together year after year and have formed some great friendships, hopefully ones that will last a lifetime. 

That's life in a small town!

We sure do love our football and baseball...

but we love those boys out there even more!  

  

And you know I couldn't resist a picture 

of the cute cheerleader on the sidelines!

HE DID IT!

Last night we attended Ryan's GED graduation at Wharton County Jr. College. Now you might be wondering why we attended a graduation ceremony for a simple GED certificate, I'll explain...

Ryan has been homeschooled since the first grade. He wanted to take the GED test as "proof" of his education. He was quite intimidated by the test so he enrolled in a GED test prep class offered at the local jr. college.

He did very well in his prep classes and tested out to be included in a pilot program called "T3" or Teach/Train/Transition. 
 These students attend GED classes and college credit classes at the same time. And since it was a pilot program, we didn't have to pay for anything!

Ryan aced his GED and takes his certification tests next month for the T3 program. When he passes those exams he will be certified to work in a medical office as an office manager or in medical billing.  The classes also count as credits earned if he wants to go into any of the other medical fields such as nursing, EMT, paramedic, or radiology.

This has been such an accomplishment for our Ryan.  He has never been a model student.  His learning style is very eclectic and is hampered by ADHD.  After years of homeschooling I wondered if he could just walk into a classroom setting and do well.

He could.

He did. 

And he worked so very hard to be successful in this program and make us all proud.

  His hard work and enthusiasm obviously touched his instructors, too!

This simple "walk" was so important to Ryan.

We are very grateful to everyone who came to share this wonderful night with us!

We are akso thankful to the WCJC system for their dedication to the GED/T3 programs!  It allows so many people from vastly different walks of life to educate and better themselves.  It instills knowledge, skills, confidence, and a huge sense of pride and accomplishment in it's graduates...

Especially eclectic, blue haired, home educated young men!

The world is at your feet, son.

Go out there seize the day!