Photo op

Zach, myself & Leah backstage before the musical, KRAZY KAMP!

Pam

Lots of excitement!

Exciting times in this small community!

Last Monday our basketball team (who I have been photographing all season, along with my 2nd son)

WON SECTIONAL!

Perspective.

We have one of the best teams in the state in our sectional.  Bishop Luers.

Private schools create teams that are designed to win ball games.  Public schools often lose out, using only the kids born & raised in the district.

My opinion.

This is only the 2nd sectional win AC has won since division basketball began.

We also won the ACAC conference team championship.  Going 7-0 in the conference.  When you rank among the smallest school in the conference.  Let’s just guess when the last time that happened?

THIRTY-THREE YEARS AGO!

Another night of celebration!

No team from our school has ever won a Regional game.  Has ever won 20 games. 

Today that could change!

Today we travel to regionals & we play 2 games if we win the first!!

Really exciting!

Check out AC Basketball Facebook Page to follow the team or learn more!

Not only is this a good basketball team, they are almost too good to be true people involved!  Absolutely incredible attitudes.  Fun, nice, good kids.  Excellent program.

I really saw that a few weeks ago when my son was suspended (from a game) for missing the community service project they went on.  Zach’s attitude has been a thorn in their side all year (and last year).  It just won’t be tolerated.  Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to pull himself together & be what he needs to be.  So, he has sat the bench on JV much of the year, when in reality is is good enough to be on the Varsity bench.

As I thought about that, I realized that they were putting my son as a person ahead of winning games.  They were doing what they as a coaching staff could do to teach my son that living with that attitude will not give you success.  It will not be tolerated. 

I have been under the basket this season for every game.  I will say that I have seen a ton of attitude on the courts.  Much of it coming from teams that wear “Christian” on their chests.  The reality of the rarity of a program that will not tolerate attitude to poison their program hit me.

Too bad it has to be when I see my own son be the one to go through it.

But, we are on a journey.  He’s gonna learn.  Perhaps later rather than sooner.  But, we will be there through it all.

See him standing behind the bench in the black shirt… the one with the mohawk…

So, today we travel… Excited.  Zach will go as a fan, on the fan bus (praying he stays out of trouble).  James & Brookelyn are home.  James, Brooke, Leah, Dad, Ben & Myself are all traveling out together to watch the Jets! 

First game at 1:00 & second won’t start til close to 8:30.  Then travel almost 3 hours home… With the time change… GONNA BE A LATE ONE!

PLUS…

It’s musical week!  KRAZY KAMP

Zach has a lead… he’s a “junk food junkie”

Leah’s in the chorus… I have very few pictures of her, because she’s always in the back!  WHY are your eyes closed girlly!!! 

Perspective:  3 of the 5 starters on the basketball team are in the musical!

Last performance, that was supposed to be tonight is moved to Sunday at 4.

Can we just say exhausting weekend.  But, oh so much fun.

By Monday we may need a 2 hour delay in the worst of ways!!

Good luck to all this weekend!

AND

go jets!!!

Pam

Class Project

Leah had to do this project for a class.  This photo is half her & half me… kinda weird!! 

Pam

When the meds stop working…

…and start working against you…

It happens very quickly with some meds & you know right away it’s not a good fit.

It happens very slowly with some meds & you don’t realize until you are living a nightmare that maybe it’s the meds.

Sunday.  A tantrum during Sunday school.  Can’t even send her into the classroom alone.  Don’t trust her behavior. 

Can’t handle drawing a smiley face on your baby Moses??

Something is seriously not okay with this.

I’ve had the little thought before that maybe it was the meds turning on us.

I finally took the plunge and didn’t give her the medication on Sunday night.

Monday was a different ball game.

I had a different child.

I don’t know whether to be angry or rejoice.

Rejoice.

There is nothing I can do about the past.

She takes the meds for her ADHD, so without the meds the ADHD, impulsiveness, sensory issues are all heightened… BUT AT LEAST SHE IS RATIONAL!!

We don’t have to live like we are walking on egg shells because she can’t deal with ANYTHING!!

I even took her to Lucas’ ball game tonight!  Her first game this year…  She did fabulous!

I guess the sun was a little bright for her!

THANK you so much for your prayers… life isn’t perfect, but it’s, like a bazzillion times better than it was just a few days ago… what a huge relief.

A few pix of my kids playing football now…

Lucas…

Zach…

Leah’s first homecoming powder puff game… with interception!!  check out that smile!

Their freshmen team… they were awesome, they would have won too, but the seniors cheated… so the seniors won.  (leah is the second from the left on the front row)

And Zach’s homecoming activity… Sledgehammer volleyball… they won best costumes…

Sometimes, it’s best you just don’t ask!

Pam

All the posts I should have written all month…

I seem to have lost the time I used to take to write here on the blog…I miss it, not sure where to find it again, but I’d like to…

Jadon just put in “Let me hold you longer” on CD (by Karen Kingsbury), now I am crying… remembering why I started writing in this blog… needing to keep it up… the memories go by so fast.

James is in Florida, with 7 other friends from college.  He came home on Friday to pick up a large van we rented for them to take… I admit I have concerns… praying a lot this week that they aren’t enticed by the temptations they are going to have all around them & the freedom of being on their own with no accountability.

BC has “life-style covenants” that the students have to sign… wrong choices could mean the loss of scholarships & that would be really bad.  He definitely couldn’t continue there without his scholarships.

He has a girl he is really liking there.  We have met her 2 times briefly.  It’s so strange to have him involved with someone we don’t know at all.  She appears to be a great girl… they are just so young yet… always concerns.

BC has been experiencing some amazing revival things… Not seeing that James has really “caught” the fire yet… praying he will… praying, praying, praying…

He got a summer job with the college, he will be working with summer camps for Missionary church’s around the country.  He will receive a tuition reduction & some cash.  We will miss him being home, but it will be a great experience for him I think.  He’ll be home in May for the month & then another week in the summer, which we hope will be the one we will spend at the lake in July.

He’s doing very well, I have many things to be excited & proud of him about… I just see the enemy prowling around trying to “steal, kill & destroy”… and I pray…

Zach finished his season of basketball last night.  It was successful… he does such a good job.  Plays with a lot of passion & drive.  I am told over and over by other parents how much they enjoy watching him play. 

Last week when we went to watch James run in an indoor track meet, apparently Zach was supposed to be home working in the concession stands for an AAU tournament to raise money for the basketball team’s trip.  Zach had asked a friend to cover his time for him he said, but had failed to tell the coach what was going on.

This resulted in the coach “disciplining” Zach by benching him for a game. 

I am the first to admit that Zach has “attitude”.  He comes across as a cocky, confident, on-top-of-the-world, kid.  Reality is the exact opposite… it isn’t always easy for coaches & teachers to view him that way. 

My own personal opinion is that Zach was not treated the same way that the coach would have treated other kids on the team in the same position… I keep my opinion to myself… especially around Zach.  He already knows & says the same thing.  I encourage respect for coaches & hope Zach learns life lessons that will take him far… the world we live in is far from fair, people have favorites & people are misunderstood.

Zach has a new girlfriend.  She goes to the school just south of us.  She saw him at a ball game and added him to fb & they started talking.  He is “infatuated” to say the least! 

Rachel is a very nice girl, she’s into photography, so her & I have a lot in common! I trust the 2 of them ZERO when they are together, they are both way too “into” each other…

More praying… lots more praying…

Lot’s of reminders of what it was like to be their age and madly in love… which spurs lots of fears in my heart for my son… which I am trying to turn into praying…

Zach & I struggle to get along many days… he’s a lot different to raise that James was… He’s a lot like I was at that age… which scares the living day-lights out of me… must pray.  must pray.  must pray.

In the next 2 weeks Zach will turn his focus heavily on the musical at school.  He has a large lead for a sophomore.  Tons of speaking passages that are long… he’s getting them, but wow!  I am excited to see that performance in the middle of March!

Leah’s ready for high school.  Middle school is so “immature” ya know!  Things are going okay with her.  I feel like I lose touch with her so easily… Lose her to that stupid Ipod… I hate those things. 

Planning to spend some time with just her today.  Looking forward to reconnecting.

She’s doing great in school, works hard at it… much harder than the boys have worked… urhg…

Well, I am going to end this update for now… need to go get ready for church… I hope to continue real soon with what’s up with the other 3!!

Thanks for reading!

Pam

Leah’s Birthday Party

Friday night brought a house full of eighth graders over to our house to celebrate Leah turning 14! 

It went really well!!

Thanks to my mom for lots of cleaning & babysitting the other kids… my sister and Brother in law & Shania’s parents (it was a double party) for coming to help me chaperone!

They were good kids!

Pam

Leah {Lakes}

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having a cousin your age may be even better than having a sister!!

Pam

YOUR Gonna Miss This… Moment… 74

Last weekend my boys got to go to a hockey game with 2 mentor/friends.

So, I decided to take the girls out.

We went to paint pottery…

 

Not sure if the hippo or the Girl got painted more…

Finished projects…

Leah brought a friend along too…

It was crazy!

We had fun!

I hope my girls and I do fun things together for years & years!!

Pam

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How about you?  Last week I didn’t have anyone join me in this, I know I missed a few weeks, hopefully you will come back and join in again this weekend!!  I miss reading your moments!   Link up here…