Sweet 16, Soccer and Softball

As I write this blog, my mind is in a fog as I come to the realization that our oldest daughter, Corrine, will be 16 years old tomorrow.  Where oh where has the time gone???  It seems like yesterday my little rugrats were crawling around, getting into everything and just so incredibly sweet.  (they still are so incredibly sweet)  Now, Corrine, will be sweet 16.  Just yesterday she was born, just yesterday she was crawling, then walking, just yesterday all she wanted was juice and "green pips" (code talk for juice and sour cream and onion chips), just yesterday she started Kindergarten, just yesterday she started to read, just yesterday she started wanting "girlie" clothes and jewelry, just yesterday she was a patrol and in the fifth grade, just yesterday she started middle school, just yesterday we moved to NC and she started eighth grade, just yesterday she started high school, just yesterday she was 15 years old.   Needless to say, the cliche is so true that so many wise people reminded us over the years: "Enjoy every moment with your children while you can because before you know it, they are all grown up".  Now, I know she isn't all grown up yet...... but this is a big one.  One that stops you in your tracks and makes you think, "where in the world has the time gone?"  And yes, we have enjoyed every single moment with all three of our beautiful daughters.  We have always said that Corrine is the "guinea pig" in the family since she is the oldest sibling and is paving the way for the others. And what a gracious guinea pig she is.  Perfect... no.  None of us are.  She learns from her mistakes and moves on.  She loves God!  She loves people!  What more could you ask in a daughter or son?  She is so giving, so beautiful, so talented in many ways and so INCREDIBLY funny!  We are so incredibly blessed with all three of the girls.  Tomorrow is an eventful day!  Corrine has declared that "Corrine-fest" has begun.  It starts tomorrow with her birthday and her favorite meal (cajun chicken).  Will continue through the week and Saturday night we are taking her and many friends to PF Changs (her favorite restaurant).  Nothing frilly.....just a great big celebration!  We will post next weekend's pictures after the big event!  

Emily has started the fall soccer season and is playing with the Optimist Club in Winston-Salem and is doing great!  Last week during the first game of the season, she scored the one and only goal for her team!  She, too, is growing up so fast!  And tall....... She is also in the jr. high choir at church and LOVES it!  She is now volunteering at church before service starts and will be doing various jobs like serving coffee, etc.  She has such a servant's heart!  Soon there will be tryouts for All County Band.  Much of her time is spent practicing for that.  

Morgan is still playing softball and had another tournament yesterday.  Her team placed 3rd.  Quite a standing for a team that has just formed.  Most of these travel teams have been together for a very long time.  They improve every week and usually play girls that are twice as big as they are.  She is still catching in every game.  She, too, is in the jr. high choir.  She just started.  She will also have All County Band tryouts for the trumpet soon.  

That is it in a nutshell.  Fall is upon us; the weather matches up with that.  We have had BEAUTIFUL weather.  Life is great!  God is good, all the time!  And we continue to be so incredibly blessed. (Disregard the dates on our photos; we need to fix that on our camera!)

and more photos.....

More Beach Photos

Finally....A Trip to the Beach!

We finally got away, just the five of us, to the east coast of NC.  We went to Carolina Beach over Labor Day Weekend and had a great time!  Very pretty beach and we picked a perfect weekend for surfing.  Awesome waves!!!  DJ was ready to surf and so were the girls. I even attempted surfing.  It has been several years.......  Emily is a very good body surfer.  The waves took her pretty much up to shore.  She was the one who challenged me to get in the ocean and have some fun.  We are all very sore, but it was well worth it.  We came home Sunday night so we could have Monday to recover, do laundry, grocery shop, etc.  Back to reality.  I think we might make it an annual tradition for us to head to the beach for Labor Day weekend.  We did a lot of laughing!!!!!!!  Enjoy the photos.

Photos

Okay..... here are the photos that go with the blog below.  Sorry about that.

Summer Camp and Volleyball

Sorry for the delay in blogging.  Things have been very busy.  Toward the end of summer, Corrine attended a volleyball camp at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC with other girls from the high school.  She had a blast; but it was very challenging.  She learned a lot and really improved her game.  The following week she had camp at the high school and then tryouts.  With a lot of upcoming freshmen trying out for JV, it was not a shoe-in.  But she did it and made the team!!!!  Volleyball season is now in full gear and games have begun.  Also at the end of summer, Emily and Morgan attended Jr. High church camp with Calvary and had a BLAST.  Upon returning home, I asked them if they ever got homesick while at camp.  They simply said, no, they were actually campsick.  Ouch............   They are growing up too fast!  The pictures from the top of a mountain are ones that Emily took while at camp.  School started a week ago and they all like their teachers, schedules, etc.  Morgan is playing tournament softball and Emily just started playing soccer for the Optimist Club.  She had her first practice last Friday night.  Hope to have some soccer pictures soon.  Enjoy the photos!

More All Star State Champions Photos

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS..........

Last week, on Wednesday night, Morgan's all star team won the district division.  Pretty awesome!  It was a close game, 4-1; but a great one.  Morgan threw a girl out at second and it was a great play and it was very needed at that time!  It was so exciting.  The team is a great team with great families.  We all get along so well and really have a great time together.  This weekend, we went to play for the state championship title.  It was the best two out of three games against Roxboro.  We drove to Roxboro, about a two hour drive (in the middle of nowhere).  Their first game was at 3pm, about 95 degrees out.  VERY HOT!!!!  It was a great game; we won 24-0.  We pretty much blew them out of the water.  The next game was scheduled for 7pm but we didn't get started until 9pm.  This time, the other team put up a good fight.  We were actually tied at one point in the 2nd inning.  Kind of a nail biter.  We really did not want to have to play a third game. Long story short......our team did what they know how to do best; they won 24-12.  All sorts of emotions were present.  Excitement, exhilaration, exhaustion, a bit overwhelming, and a humble pride.  The girls and their coaches deserved it; they played their hearts out and really are an incredible team.   They always thought about the next play.  We tailgated that whole day - needless to say, we were ready to pack up and go home.  We arrived home around 1:15 in the morning and PASSED OUT!  We all slept in until 11:00.  We are still in a fog from being so tired.  Hope you enjoy the photos.  

She's an ALL STAR.................

Morgan made the All Star's Softball team!!!  Her first game was last night and they won 14 to 4.  If they win the next game on Wed. night they head to state championship games next weekend.  They had an awesome game last night!  Morgan is #27.  She was the lead off hitter and her first hit was a great one!  She nailed it into right field.  She had 2 RBIs and scored one (maybe two) of their runs.  She did a terrific job as catcher.  She knows right where to "set up" for the different pitches.  Our pitcher was incredible!  We also have our cousin Christian with us this week and he was with us last night!  Corrine and Emily were gone all last week with their grandparents and cousins at Lake Hartwell.  DJ and I went Thursday to join in the festivities and Morgan stayed behind for practices.  We left the lake on Saturday morning, drove to Franklin, NC to pick up Christian, then made it home in record time for the game.  We are all a bit tired today.  

Enjoy the photos!  For some reason, our videos did not load.....hopefully will have more later this week.

Before and After

We have completed the kitchen.  I am SO proud of DJ and his hard work.  Instead of replacing the cabinets we decided to paint them and "antique" them.  We were not sure how it would turn out but we are very pleased.  It has been a LONG process.  You definitely need patience for this.  we are so glad we did it and so glad we did it ourselves; you save A LOT of money that way.  Enjoy the slideshow.

Night At The Pops Part III

This one is from  Corrine's concert.  I wanted to post a different song that highlighted the trumpets better, but I had a hard time uploading the video.  Corrine is kind of hard to see; she is in the back, second chair trumpet.  She and her friend look at each other and smile at one point. Hope you enjoy......

Night At The Pops Part II

Night At The Pops Part II

This one is from Emily's concert.  Emily plays percussion.  She played four different instruments this night.  The song on this video depicts her playing the bass drum.  She is right in the back in the very middle.  Maybe another time we will post the song that she plays the snares on.  She is a very talented percussionist.  She was also recognized for making the All County Band last fall.  Enjoy!!!

Night At The Pops

Here is the first of three posts with one song from each of the girls' band concerts.  This one is from Morgan's.  She plays trumpet. You can't see her, but when you hear trumpets, that is her.  She is second chair and is very good.  Enjoy!  (these posts will probably be most appreciated by grandparents, but everyone will enjoy)

Did You Eat Your Wheaties?

Hello everyone. Just wanted to share the latest events in our family. I titled this post, Did You Eat Your Wheaties, because that is what I must do to keep up with my hoodlums (sp?) schedules. We have game after game, band concert after band concert, homework after homework, appointment after appointment, Civil Air Patrol meetings after Civil Air Patrol meetings, etc., ( I think you get my drift!) I wouldn't change it for the world though. Of course, with the end of the school year approaching, this is the way it goes. Corrine performed in a dance recital last week at the high school and did and awesome job. They can take Dance as an elective. It was great! She is also playing softball and the season is coming to an end. I have to brag a bit...... last night while playing right field, she caught a line drive and made the out! We looked like crazy people jumping up and down. Emily is continuing with Civil Air Patrol and loves it. She now has her camo BUDs (uniform). Now I have to brag on Emmy....... she is in the jr. high choir at church and will soon be going on a mission trip to Virginia. She made honor last quarter and hopefully will again! She has now decided that next Spring she wants to try softball as well. At the batting cages this weekend she did great. We think she may have missed her calling. Morgan (bragging again) is doing great in softball and had a GREAT game on Memorial Day. She loves being the catcher and is fantastic. She will find out on June 15th if she made All Stars. The girls are growing up into lovely young ladies. I could not be more proud. Dj and I are doing great. Still LOVING it here! Had a great time with our Sunday School after church this past Sunday for a cookout. We feel so blessed to be a part of Calvary and our Sunday School. Our jobs are going great! We are looking forward to summer. Rocco (our dog) is also doing well. He is loving the warm weather and being outside a bit more. That is really about it. Hopefully we will have more pictures to post soon. Take care everyone!!! We miss you all - if anyone is up this way this summer, PLEASE visit us! - Jenny

Corrine Ties The Game..........

The score is 3-2 (we have 2).  Corrine is up to bat.  There were two outs.  The air is tense.  Corrine  gets a strike.  Then she hits a foul.  Then.........SHE HITS A SINGLE!!!!!  Now she is on 1st base.  This video shows her journey around bases to score the tie run.  You might be able to catch this on ESPN.  Note the smile on her face as the video ends...........

FACES ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE...........

On our new computer, there is a program that can entertain you for HOURS.  It is called photo booth and it takes your picture and distorts it in many different ways.  There have been many evenings when after laughing so hard at our photos, we have thought of investing in Depends.

Morgan Doing Her Thing.........

Morgan is the catcher for her team. 

(and she has the bruises to show for it.)

Carlson News

Hello everyone!  We have started this new blog page.  We will post latest photos, videos, happenings, etc.  This first post is a picture of the girls taken at Easter.