Congrats to Miss Sadie - HS Graduate!

When I think of our sweet Sadie, she will always be "Little Sadie" to me, even though she has just graduated from high school.  This picture is the first thing comes to mind when I think of her.

This picture was taken at Nana and Bumpa's lake cabin.  Right before it was snapped, Sadie and I spotted a Daddy Long Legs spider, climbing on one of the fern leaves.  We went to investigate it.  Little Sadie said to me, "We have to be careful with it.  We don't want to break its legs!"   Those sweet little words are forever engrained in my memories.    Her giant kind heart and endearing innocence will always be one of her strengths.  And now, Miss Sadie is 18 years old and has just graduated high school.  The older I get, the more I find myself saying, "time flies by so very quickly".

To celebrate this marvelous young lady, we drove up north to her open house.  It was a lovely day, as the rain had subsided and it was a bit chilly (no chance of melting in the hot sun this day!).

Here's our sweet little Jango, being such a good traveler in the back seat.  He has what would be Connor's seat.  Unfortunately, Connor couldn't go with us, as he had to work that day.  :-(   Bummer.

And here's Little Mr. Ramsey giving Bailey Love a little snuggle when we arrived at Nana and Bumpa's house, just prior to leaving for the open house.  

When we arrived, there were so many fun things to see, yummy things to eat, and wonderful people to chat with.   

There were delightful mason jars on the tables, with markers and little black squares of paper for all to write on - specifically memories, advice, or just a general note.   Ramsey wrote his dear cousin a little note... it referenced her smarts and her "pretty smile".  :-)

And, we couldn't leave without getting pictures with Miss Sadie.  :-)

To our beautiful, kind-hearted, sweet, intelligent, and amazing Miss Sadie.... God bless you on your life's journey.  May your wings be wide and graceful and take you anywhere you wish to go.  Find the goodness in every day and enjoy the small things, for some of the small things can be the most meaningful.   We love you, sweet girl.

"Make Hay"

 Not just because fishing is relaxing and fun, but the food supply right now is plentiful!  The old adage "make hay while the sun shines" is definitely pertinent to our dock-fishing exploits.

The bluegill, crappies, and perch are still biting.  The walleye have moved out to cooler waters.  

Ramsey is the "designated passer of fish".  He happily takes the fish out of the bucket and gives them to Connor to fillet.  They chat about if it's a girl fish or a boy fish, what it ate recently, and which species it is.

Then, what's a night like in our household without some some commotion by Jango and Ramsey?!?!?

First Goal

Ramsey's very last soccer game was on Monday (blue jersies today).  It was a warm day with a slight bit of wind... perfect climate for watching on the sidelines and for playing, albeit having the sun in our eyes.

As mentioned in a prior post, this was Ramsey's very first season of soccer (due to a multitude of reasons ).  Ramsey had not yet made an actual goal during a game - only during scrimmaging in practice against his teammates.

Ramsey's soccer team truly has two "star" players, who are seasoned and have obviously played for a few years.  They are hustlers and confident in their abilities - and rightly so.   I believe that they make the other boys better players.

During this final game, it was obvious that his teammates were determined that Ramsey would have his first soccer goal during an actual game.   The head coach was in on this too, as she kept Ramsey in the game when normally he would have gotten a break (I will note that she has been a great coach and all of the kids have had equal playing time, no matter their abilities).   

And, today, Ramsey was really hustling and getting after the ball.  He didn't shy away or act lacadaisical, when at other times he might have.  Ramsey's teammates kept telling him to "go down by the goal" or "get down the field", letting him know they would pass to him or set him up to score.

And, they did.  They passed the ball and Ramsey kicked it towards the goal.... and the whole sideline cheered for him!  But... no goal.  A defensive player nabbed the ball before it went into the net.   I thought Ramsey might get upset.  He only pumped his arms down once, with a "Doh!".  Then, he rallied and kept going!

And again, the next blue possession, the boys passed Ramsey the ball and he dribbled it to the goal, while people on the sidelines cheered his name.  But... no goal again (bounced off the goal post).   The sideline fans (to include parents from the other team) let out the saddened  "ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh's." 

During the next possession, Ramsey's teammates were at it again.... passing Ramsey the ball so he could dribble it a bit and then try for his first goal.  And... once again.... the sideline parents and fans cheered, "Go Ramsey!!!".  And, finally.... he did it.  He got his very first goal ever in a soccer game!

The crowd... literally.... went... WILD!  And, this Momma's eyes welled up with such gladness and joy for her little boy, whose arms were thrown up in the air, waving and pumping with excitement and pride!    Daddy was at a different part of the field with Jango, who was busy chewing on grass and soaking in the sunlight.  Daddy was so happy and proud too!  (He won't say if he was tearing up or not. ha!)

I so wish I would have gotten that footage on video!  Not to sound melodramatic, but it was almost like a movie, where the underdog gets a personal win (with a little - or.... a lot - of help from his friends).  

How amazing and heart-warming though... Ramsey's teammates determined and rallying for him, a plethora people we didn't even know cheering him for the score...   That made my heart nearly burst.  OK, maybe that does sound overly dramatic. Oh well!  It reminded me that people are good... and kind.  

After the game, and the boys giving the other team their high-fives, the coach and assistance coach awarded each of The Buccaneer boys a soccer medal, for giving it their all and improving every game.

I know that getting that goal helped Ramsey's confidence in the game.  He cannot wait for soccer camp this summer and for soccer season to start again this Fall!

Sidenote:  Eric and I both joked hat Ramsey had to be the "most improved" of the season; from wriggling around on the ground and trying to get laughs from his teammates - to actually becoming a bit of a hustler and getting after the ball.  I hope he continues on the latter path!  ;-) 

Just Some Damn Cute Pics of a Puppy and His Daddy

Awww!!!

I had to throw these pics in this blog.  So cute! 

On a slightly different note, Jango actually watches TV.   We've never had a dog who actually watched TV.  And, he doesn't give a rip about puppies on TV.... but he'll watch Game of Thrones, Alone, Wicked Tuna, or any of Eric's "Alaska shows".  Too funny!

 

Back Seat Buddies + "Buccaneers" Soccer

Jango's gotten to go with us to a few of Ramsey's soccer games.  Ramsey loves having his pup with him in the back seat for road trips, even if they're short ones to the soccer fields.

This soccer day was picture day.   Here's Ramsey's U7 soccer team.... "The Buccaneers".  :-)

L to R:  Enoch, Cole, Ramsey, Jamison, Wyatt, Gunnar.

These boys bonded so well this season!

Jango - My Good Traveler

 Oh Jango.... what a sweet little pup.  He's getting to be such a good traveler!

In this case, I just took him to the vet for another round of shots.  But he was such a good boy and rode so well.

The sunlight peering through the glass and the hum of the 4-cylinder engine puts him to sleep.  Sweet little Jango.  :-)

Thursday Fun Night

 Just your typical Thursday night.... a little bubble gun action, a kid on a Hot Wheels (AKA Hell On Wheels), and a playful pup.

While Jango is still "small", posting some videos.  I'm sure we'll look back on these in just a few weeks in shock and awe and amazement!   This pup is growing like a flippin' weed!

And, what's an evening on the lake without some fishing action?    Connor had invited his friend Brayden to fish.  They caught enough fish (crappies, bluegill, and perch) for a few fish suppers.  Yum!