Summer Time Ballgames!

Well we are in the middle of summer ball and it has been quite a time for me without Stan being home in the evenings. Trying to make it to all their games has been a challenge. Tyler and Taylor both travel so they could each be playing in different towns and Trevor might have a home game. Tyler is playing on the Acme (high school) team and has been doing pretty well. Taylor has struggled, but the other night got her first base hit! I WAS SO PROUD OF HER! She also caught a pop fly a week ago and she was just smiling in the outfield! She said later her heart was beating 100 mpr as the ball was coming at her!! LOL Trev, well he is struggling too! Can't get a base hit for anything, until last night he finally got one. His coach had him pitching last night and he didn't do to bad. I really do enjoy watching them play and even though it's very hectic making sure they are to practices, games and have all their gear washed and ready it will all be over in a flash! I am also thankful we live right in front of the park!!!! LOL




Tyler's pitching has changed so much since he started at the age of 10. This year the distance from the pitchers mound to the plate is farther, so it's taking some getting use to.





This is the night Taylor got her base hit!! She did not play last summer or in the spring so she is a little rusty.



WOW! He is starting to look like Tyler! I can't believe how relaxed I am with Trev starting out. When Tyler started it was awful, every mistake he made I freaked out, now I see how far he has come and I look at Trevor and think "he'll get it!"




WATCH OUT MOM!!! He got a piece of this ball and it just about hit me in the head!!!! Figures!




Taylor would rather be in the dugout cheering her team on! She is quite the cheerleader in there, but she does NOT like cheerleading!! YEAH RIGHT!!! This is her and her best friend Taylor. There are 3 Taylor's on the team!

Father's Day

See what I have to put up with!!! Actually I would've made a face too, but didn't know that's what was going on behind me. WHAT DORKS!!




The first family picture in forever!




Now this group, well I'll just say this was one of the better pictures. They were making faces, not smiling (surprise) and just goofing off. They are growing up so much, but yet so IMMATURE!! HA HA





Stan and his Dad. We are so blessed to still have both our parents with us. We treasure each time we have together.




This is the storm that was blowing in as Dad & Mom S. were leaving. Mom called and said that there was all kinds of branches and trees over the roads up towards their church. I am so glad they were not in it!

Saying Good-bye

We took Holger to the airport Sunday morning to send him back to his family in Germany. I can not believe how fast the past 9 months have gone!! There were so many things running through our minds when we found out he was coming to stay with us. Would he like us? Would we be able to handle another child especially a 17 year old??! I feel like it went well, there were days that were harder than others, and times we had to deal with things we didn't want to, but isn't that the way it is when you have children? We struggle with our own children and he fit right into that. I just miss him so much and start to cry when I think about not knowing when I'll see him again. People ask us if we will ever do it again and we say no, not because it was a bad experience. It was so hard to say good-bye Sunday I just can't imagine doing that again! We became so attached to him and he will forever be our German son!




Trevor really had a hard time saying good-bye, even though it was hard having another big brother to pick on him, he really liked being with Holger. When we got home Sunday and the boys were in the pool, I started to say Holger leave Trev alone, but realized it was Tyler this time! They really did have a good time together.





Taylor who was so moody at times and made me so upset misses him too.



Stan said after we got home that all afternoon when he heard an airplane go over he thought of Holger. At times I felt like Stan was to hard on Holger, but that is just Stan. He cares deeply for Holger and wants the best for him like his own sons.



This was a goofy picture that I took myself if can't tell! LOL We miss you Holger!! I know you are reading this!! HA HA We really hope you had fun staying with us!

SURPRISE!!!

This past Saturday we had a surprise going away party for Holger. He was so shocked! He had NO idea what was going on and that we would do this for HIM! It was great!





SURPRISE!!!!!



The Shipman family and TIPPER! The wild dog!!




The crew! This is a GREAT bunch of young people that he has become very close with. There are a couple missing because they had other things going on, but he has made some great friends this year!




Some of Holger's friends have siblings that are Tyler and Taylor's age, so they came to swim. Can you tell they are COLD??!!




The group hung around on the deck for a while and then went out back to the park and set up a game of cornhole and used their vehicle lights when it got to dark to see the bean bags.