The boys...

The boys at Halloween

Okay, at this point I have probably forgotten so much I would have written about but I will do the best I can to hit the highlights of the 2nd half of the year... and I'll start with the boys.

Caleb during All-Stars

Caleb finished his 6th grade year in May. He had a fantastic year and we could not have been more proud of him! He maintained a straight A average all year on his report cards and was invited to the All A's banquet at school.

District Champions!

In the beginning of June Caleb got the call that he made the 11 year-old All-Star baseball team. He was so excited but it left him with a choice to make... play baseball or travel with the family to Disney World. Ultimately he decided on baseball, stating that he knew this might be the last opportunity he has to play on an All-Star team. I missed my ride buddy but I understood and the experience was a great one for Caleb. His teammates were a great group of kids and they won the district championship! The team, and the parents and fans, headed to Lebanon, Virginia for the state tournament. The team did well, advancing further than most thought they would. It was an exciting season!

Caleb on 1st.

Caleb up to bat... still great at bunting.

My first attempt at decorating a vehicle.

Swimming breast stroke during the relay.

At the same time he was practicing/playing baseball every evening, Caleb was also getting up in the mornings to go to swim practice. He was only able to swim in 3 of the 7 meets but he did well. He moved up an age group so that was an added challenge this year but the competition was good for him.

Caleb turned 12 in September.

The start of the school year went well until day 7, when an earthquake hit... the epicenter of it being in our county. Caleb, and his brothers were out of town (watching the Little League World Series) with their grandparents so they didn't experience the big event. But since it destroyed our high school and those students now share the middle school building, Caleb goes to school Tuesday and Thursday and every other Saturday from 8-4:30. The new schedule has been interesting. It has been nice for the scheduling of medical appointments (we are having some testing done due to the lumps on the back of Caleb's back) and for me to have help with Jessa during Nyah's dance and speech times. I have also enjoyed getting a bit more time with Caleb than I get when all the kids are at home. Going back 5 days a week in February will likely be hard but I think Caleb needs the more typical routine to stay on top of things.

We get funny looks at places we go on the days there is no middle school ~ easy to
ignore though because nothing is crowded!

Caleb ran Cross Country again in the Fall and, thankfully, did not have the foot troubles that plagued him last season. He wasn't the most consistent racer but he did have some really fantastic races. At the same time he played Fall Ball. It was so much more relaxed than the regular season and was fun to watch.

Home meets were held at Jouett Elementary after the earthquake.

Caleb is now swimming for the high school. He cannot compete, just practice. The earthquake schedule has made that more of a challenge as well so for now he is only practicing 2 days a week.

Crazy pool dives. Sadly, probably the last ones because the country club was sold and there are no plans to reopen the pool. We will miss it... it was a great gathering place for the neighborhood.

Caleb got a trick bike for Christmas, along with a Rip-stik ~ thankfully Santa brought him a helmet  because some of the stunts he tries make my heart beat a bit fast. He also went hunting for the first time a few weeks ago with his Uncle Darryl and his cousin Josh and loved it.

Price and Caleb at the end of the year baseball picnic for the Mets.

One of only a few in-focus and decent captures of Price... typically he only gets in front of my camera when I don't want him to be (jumping in front of whatever or whomever I am photographing, on purpose).

Price is in 4th grade this year. He also did really well in school last year; it was his first year of our state's standardized testing and he got a perfect score in social studies and in math. So far this year he is doing well, and I am happy to say that his handwriting is now readable!

Pool silliness.

Price took the summer off from sports, preferring just to hang out with his friends and at the pool. In the fall he returned to the soccer field with the same coach and many of the same players he has been with since he was 4. The Lions were a very strong team and Price continued to play well and enjoyed seeing his former classmates (redistricting divided them up). He also was a bit more adventurous this year at Disney and at Kings Dominion so between Price and Brynn I never had to ride alone.

Price ~ oh those cleats ~ oh that hair!

Price under the raining umbrella at Disney.

Basketball started up again in November with the first games scheduled for the first week of January. This year he moves up to full court.

Price being forced to pose for a picture.

Price continues to be a social butterfly and would have a friend over or go to someone else's house every day if he could!  Price really wanted a bb gun for Christmas and his Nana got him one. I was more okay with it than Doug, but I think Doug really enjoyed the first practices outside. Price has also taken an interest in helping me cook lately and that has been fun... I trust him a bit more around the oven than my girls.

Evan actually standing still!

Evan was voted "Funniest" by his classmates at the end of the school year last year and has really come out of his shell at school (thankfully the teachers have said he does it appropriately). He played baseball and once again did really well and loved it.

Up to bat. He insisted chewing his shirt helped his hitting.

Silly Ev!

Evan also took the summer off from sports though really he had no choice. During one of Caleb's district ball games, Evan climbed over a fence and on the return trip he got stuck. He pulled himself free, falling in the process and breaking the same arm as last summer, though this time 2 bones with surgery required. He is now pinned and plated for life and is back full force though really once he had the surgery it was hard to keep him still.

Ouch!

Evan started again with soccer in the fall. We wanted to bump him up to Price's team so we would have one less thing on our schedule but Evan would only play if he could play with his age group so that is what he did. Fire did well overall... and I am thankful that they did not go undefeated; Evan hates to lose to the point he wasn't even going to play so being defeated in the first game forced him to deal with it. He became buddies with another boy on the team and the two of them would make amazing plays on the field.

Evan in charge!

We are very thankful that Evan has a teacher this year who challenges him and finds ways to get more out of him. Things are a lot easier here in the morning as far as getting him out the door to school when he enjoys it!

Evan turns 8! Another sports party!

Evan is also playing basketball again this year and looks forward to it each week. He still is ultra-competitive and would play video games (sports of course) 24/7 if allowed, with Sports Center showing on the other TV. He is like a walking encyclopedia and someday I expect he will be bringing home the cash from Jeopardy! Since January our elf, Tommy Z., has been visiting and Evan liked the challenge of finding him first... often getting up at 5:45am to find him. He needed every light on in the house to do so and to let us know he found him and where, then would go off to bed, leaving the lights on and us awake.



Onto the girls tomorrow...