T Ball 2017

The season started on March 19 right when Don and I were in Kauai but Connor handled the first practice and the first game for us.  Our games have been bright and early Saturday morning at 8am. We only had one 9am game and that was the very first one.  Kyle's team is the Cardinals.  He doesn't like getting up early on Saturday-neither do we but we go and he has fun but mostly because we tell him if he has a good attitude and plays without fussing we will go to McDonalds for breakfast after the game.  It's worked the last few games.  We only have 2 more games in the season.  There have been a few times I have not wanted to take him to practice because he is tired or more likely because I am tired but I have pushed through so we don't teach him to be a quitter.  I can't very well pray that he will be engaged and active if I don't teach him to be.

Weight Loss

Yeah it isn't happening.  It probably doesn't help that I'm eating cookies whilst on the treadmill.

Lost

This past week a 14 year old boy went missing here in the valley.  Rumors were rampant about why he ran away but regardless it was a mother's worst nightmare.  After the boy had been missing for 24 hours they called out Search and Rescue from Las Vegas.  I went over to the command center set up at our church parking lot to volunteer to help look for him.  I had found out earlier in the day that the boy was our insurance agent's grandson.  The Search and Rescue team divided up groups and sent them out to look in their predetermined fashion which was not conducive to our valley and the issue at hand.  They had our group start at the boys house and walk in a wide line through the subdivision's empty lots looking in yards, in bushes and under tumble weeds.  This seemed very futile especially because that neighborhood had been searching and watching for the previous 24 hours and so I went off with another gal into some actual neighborhoods where there were houses with yards, and numerous hiding places.  I had Abby Morgan watch the boys and I had to have her bring me some shoes as my decision to go help look was pretty spontaneous and I was not dressed for hiking through the bushes. I looked for about and hour and then they moved us over by the river because they said they had a credible siting.  We looked there for an hour but by 8:00 I had to get home.  This is my one souvenir left in my shoe for all my desert walking.  The boy was finally found the next morning out in Moapa.  It hadn't been him that they thought they saw after all even though they called off the search because they said he was running away from searchers.  I had a rough night sleeping Wednesday night even though I had never laid eyes on the kid other than the missing picture they were circulating.  I was just sick about all the things that could have happened to him and was so worried for his family.  I was impressed how the town came together and so many people helped.  Connor stood watch at the reservoir with Joe Perez most of the day and even went out after dark with Chris Zundel and Luke Minogue to look in the fields where they thought he was hiding after the official search got called off.   I took dinner to the family the evening after he had gotten home and gave him a big big hug and told him that I was so glad that he was home safe.  I found quite a few similarities with our Savior and how he searches and waits and hopes to find us and how he will be saying to us that he is so glad that we are home.  I even bore my testimony on Sunday because of the parallels.

May the 4th Be With You

We like to celebrate obscure holidays.  Today was Star Wars Day where we celebrated with our Star Wars shirts. Kyle had his friend Johnny over and he had a Star Wars backpack so we had to get a picture.

T-Ball

Kyle started t-ball a few weeks ago and his first game was Saturday, March 12.  He has been to 2 practices at the park and his game was at the ball fields.  His team is the Pirates and he got a full uniform.  He was quite excited to play even though he still doesn't have the full grasp of the game.  He was first at bat during the game and he when he hit the ball he skipped to first base.  Then when it was time to run again he skipped to second and third base.  He did finally run to home base after a little hollering and from mom.  10 4-5 year olds are quite entertaining to watch but they need alot of assistance.  I stayed in the dug out and helped them get ready when it was each of their turns to bat.  Then when it was time for them to go back out to the field I had to help them find their ball caps and their mitts and steer them out to find where they were supposed to play.  Kyle played sort of short stop the first inning and was a little distressed that he didn't ever get the ball.  Most of the kids were barely able to hit the ball a few feet out from home plate so most of the kids in the outfield didn't see much action.  Kyle sat down a few times and dug around in the dirt to entertain himself.  The second inning he played catcher and got to get the ball when the first baseman threw it toward home plate and then he was able to put the ball on the tee.  He was getting hungry toward the end and when it was a little challenging to get him to finish.  We were in charge of  snacks for the first game and we took chips and Kool-aid Jammers and Halo clementines.  They have a small snack bar and Kyle's coach gave him a dollar to buy a snow cone and I bought him a hot dog.  We don't have a game for 2 weeks because of Spring Break.  Hopefully we can have a little time to practice and get him a little more familiar with the game.

Blessings From Heaven

Today was another example of how when I look for the Lord's hand in my life and ask Him to make Himself known to me, He does.  I was busy this morning cleaning and cooking and doing laundry like every other day of my life.  Kyle was busy playing with his toys and making a mess in every room he could.  He has been playing quite animatedly with his Star Wars and has been missing Han Solo for several days.  He asked me to help him look for it and after I had sent him looking in several locations he couldn't find it.  I started looking for it with him in his room and then I had a thought.  This was a perfect opportunity to teach Kyle about prayer. I asked him if he waned to say a prayer. Of course he asked me why.  I said that sometimes we need to ask Heavenly Father to help us when we can't find something.  We said our prayer and continued our search.  He looked in the Lego box and I looked in the other toy bins and the big toy box.  He was perplexed that we didn't find it immediately but I told him that sometimes we still have to work in order for Heavenly Father to answer our prayers.  We didn't find it in his room so we went to look in my room.  I got a flashlight and looked under my bed and under the treadmill but we didn't find it.  I said a silent prayer that Heavenly Father would answer this little boy's prayer so he could understand a little more how prayer works but also that He would answer my prayer and increase m faith.  I looked under the dressers and then under the night stand on the other side of the bed and there he was.  We had found Han Solo.  I showed Kyle and he was all smiles.  I told him that we needed to thank Heavenly Father for answering our prayer.  I am grateful for these little opportunities to teach m children these principles of the gospel.  I hope to be able to realize when I have these opportunities.

Birthday Boy

Connor Mckay turned 19 on Monday January 11.  We celebrated with his favorite meal of grilled Diet Coke chicken, rice pilaf, salad and little biscuits.  I think that he wanted this last year too.  He has always asked for a Skor cake so he got that again too.  We gave him a mini fridge for his shed but I think the picture is on Don's phone.  Gifts aren't much of surprise when we put them in the garage but where do you hide a mini fridge?  He was happy about it even though he saw it earlier in the week.  Just like all adults he had to work on his birthday.  Oh well that's what happens when you grow up!