Sledding

New Year's Day: January 1, 2009Sledding at Rock Canyon Park in Provo, Utah with Charlie, Emma, Annie, Halle, Kris, Kamae and Jackson.Rich and KaitlynBrynnMattJosh Rich and Brynn taking a run down the hill. Kaitlyn deemed it far too "scary" to try out.Trey took a major spill. Halle makes sure he is still alive.The icy trek back up the hill.Charlie, Annie and EmmaKris, Kamae and Jackson Annie and KamaeLook Ma, no gloves!
A perfect way to start off the new year!

Bowling

December 31, 2008Our dear friends the Badgers drove down from Salt Lake on New Year's Eve day to spend a few hours bowling with us. Jonni, Erik, Luke, Sadie and Cameron were some of our best friends here in Lexington and moved to back to Utah when Erik finished up his periodontic residency at UK this past July. We were thrilled to see them over our Christmas break and catch up.We miss you guys!

An Ode to my Mother

How do you begin to thank your mother when she puts her life in Utah on hold, kisses her husband goodbye for two weeks and quickly comes to your rescue in far off Kentucky? It's a difficult task. Really how can you ever repay someone that.....

Glued down and filled into two cuts in your kitchen linoleum

Caulked around your bathroom tub

Spackled nail holes in your walls

Scrubbed old, dripped paint off the tile in the basement and storage room

Pinned and sewed slick quilt binding on two new blankets for the girls

Bought you endless groceries, new Rubbermaid containers, a frying pan and a can opener

Hunted through Target, Wal-mart and Lowe's for a new rug for the basement

Cut out a chunk of dry wall from your family room and headed over to the paint store so you had a perfect paint match

Then patched the hole and painted your walls

Replaced a broken light shade in the family room

Used toothpicks and glue to fix the door stop by the front door

Washed and folded your clothes

Bathed your girls

Bought new toys and vitamin for the boys

Treated me and the girls to end McDonald's outings (who are still loving all the Hello Kitty watches they amassed)

Took me to a movie on my birthday

Dusted, vacuumed and cleaned my drapes, blinds and corner of my room

Helped me box up endless amounts of out grown girl clothes

Revamped the boys room and sent bag after bag to Goodwill

Made my favorite tuna casserole and homemade corn dogs

Provided a shoulder to cry on

Gave you endless love and support when you really needed it


I am at a loss. So I will share a poem I found that says exactly what I was feeling.

Everything Mom

By Joanna Fuchs

How did you find the energy, Mom

To do all the things you did,

To be teacher, nurse and counselor

To me, when I was a kid.

How did you do it all, Mom,

Be a chauffeur, cook and friend,

Yet find time to be a playmate,

I just can’t comprehend.

I see now it was love, Mom

That made you come whenever I'd call,

Your inexhaustible love, Mom

And I thank you for it all.

My own simple words are not eloquent like a poem, but they are heartfelt and true.

THANK YOU.

I LOVE YOU.

AND WE MISS YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN KNOW.

You were my lifesaver. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Love you Mom!

Perfect Poetry

I realize how blessed I am to have an amazing mother-in-law. I love her and she loves me back. She is easy to be around, full of stories and talk and laughter. We stayed up late, even when we had early mornings looming ahead. She bought groceries, treats, DVD's, books and a new waffle iron. We ate KFC, Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, Little Caesars and McDonald's til our hearts content (the kids were in heaven!). She made homemade pizza per Trey's request. She played endlessly with Kaitlyn, read story after story to Brynn, pushed Trey in piano, cheered Josh and Matt on in basketball and watched Barbie and the Nutcracker with the girls too many times to record. She tended the girls while I went to parent teacher conferences, renewed my drives license, had doctor appointments and got my hair trimmed. It was an eventful two weeks.

The days and weeks of her visit flew by and soon it was her time to head back to Utah to a patient husband who has shared her with so many recently. A solid month of service she gave- to her ailing parents, to help her daughter Heather with her recent move and then arrived in Kentucky less than 24 hours after I bid goodbye to my own mother.

She was our lifesaver too.

We welcomed back Rich from Washington D.C. and we tried to enjoy every moment together. We just don't get enough time with loved ones when you live far away.On her final day with us, she slipped a poem she had written on to the counter. She is well known for her clever rhymes. The kids listened eagerly as Rich read her words aloud. They were simply- perfect.Who'd have ever thought
I could have such awesome fun
Hanging in Kentucky
In the snow and in the sun.

Helping Trey with 8's
Was a challenge for my brain
But hearing his piano
I was so proud that I came.

Who knew he could play basketball
And dribble well and shoot,
I'm glad I could see him play
For him I love to root.

It was fun to talk to Josh
Some call him "Baby Bear",
He's the first up every morning
And cool sports clothes likes to wear.

I loved to watch his All Star Game
But sad to miss baseball,
I got to seem him throw and catch,
In school he does it all.

Matt is so creative
He can build most everything,
Some people call him "Stealth"
And All Star plays he brings.

At school he's doing well
And likes adding up big numbers,
They like to call him "Midnight Matt"
Always last to slumber.

Brynn and Kaitlyn as you know
Are Ariel and Snow White
They change their clothes a million times
They're such a cute delight.

I'm just so proud of all of you
You help your Mom and Dad,
Can't wait to come again to "Tucky"
The most fun that I've had.

Love,
Grandma Blackhair
Mom, thank you for your love, support, help and friendship. I love you so very much.As much as I hate when loved ones visits come to a close, I am starting to see an end to our long medical training road. After 8 1/2 years away, 2 more years just doesn't seem impossible anymore. And we look forward already to when our visits to Utah will be weekly trips to the house where we will have lengthy hellos and very short lived goodbyes.

Glendover Basketball Highlights

Every Saturday from late November to the end of March we could be found in one place- in a gym watching hoops. The boys played in the Glendover Basketball League. It was a big step up from YMCA they played a few years ago. The boys were in different divisions. Trey's league played strictly by the rules. Josh and Matt were in the Fifth Quarter which had a skills challenge before each game. The boys had a great year and what a joy it was to watch them play. Both of our moms were able to see them in action when they flew out in March to help with my pregnancy. Josh and Matt: Celtics

Their league was made up of kindergartners and first graders. At the beginning of each game there was a skills challenge which had each player catch and throw passes, dribble the ball with each hand, pass the ball and try to hit a target and then shoot three baskets which earned points for their team. The scores were added up and put on the scoreboard. This allowed each child to earn points, no matter what their skill level was. They learned the fundamentals of the game and it added to the feeling of team unity. Rich thinks it is brilliant.

Then they played four 5 minute quarters. There were about 10 kids on the team, so each child was able to play one quarter in the first half and one quarter in the second half.

For the first time Rich's schedule allowed him to be Josh and Matt's head coach. The assistant was Jeremey Haskins who was Josh and Matt's t-ball coach for two years. It was a perfect fit.

Josh was one of the leading scorers in the league and his large stature helped him get nearly every rebound. Matt was by far the best defensive player on our team and maybe in the league. He is famous for his jumping technique which is very distracting to the opponents shooter. He scored his first basket in a game ever and made many of his skills challenge shots.They ended the regular season 7-3 and won their division (one was peanut butter, the other was jelly.) They went far in the tournament and took second place overall.Go Celtics!

Great season Josh and Matt!
Trey: Panthers

Trey's league was 2nd-4th graders. He was on the Panthers. While the three coaches look normal and happy in the team photo, don't be fooled, these guys were a bit insane, determined to win and very, very vocal to the refs. One even earned a technical foul. A proud moment for us all. (Kidding here.)

Once when Trey was on the bench watching, a player from our team turned over the ball when he was trapped. The coach rushed over to the bench and told the kids to never let that happen. They should hold the ball close to their chest and swing their elbows- basically so you could hit the opponent in the face. Nice. Really nice.

Did I mention they all are coaches at Southeastern baseball? Where intense and insane are requirements to coach. Yup, they fit the bill perfectly.

The Panthers finished in the middle of the pack and lost their first game in the single elimination tournament.Trey had a great season. He had only played YMCA basketball once two years ago and to suddenly be in a league where they call fouls and traveling, it was a big jump. He scored a few shots in half the games and by the end was the most aggressive defensive player getting rebounds, jump balls and steals often.

Great season Trey!

THE BIGGEST FANS: Brynn & KaitlynWhile they did spend a lot of time actually watching the action on the court, they were full of action themselves.Ever climbing on the bleachersLooking out windowsHelping coachSurprised by the loud buzzerRummaging through their bagsTaking photos like their MommaPaying bills (note: Kaitlyn did sneak in old checks from Louisville in her bag....)Chasing the walking Barbie horse across the seatsHugging the bears and dolls while eating snacks

Andd being very grown up all at the same time. What a season!