Kind of dark but this is our team. They are champs!

Emily was the target. This was her game.

Allie got doused and she didn't even play!

Time to catch up

This summer has been crazy. So many things going on - 0r rather went on. Seeing as it is almost time to go back to school and I have not been on the computer other than to check the email. I'm just so pooped at night to and too busy in the day to do this. So here it goes.

Softball: Our summer softball season was fantastic. Everyone (except Ryleigh who is in Utah) was involved. Baily was the only actual player in the family but we all had jobs to do. Ray and I are both on the Board of Directors. Ray is vice president over the competitive league - which is the girls 12 years and older. I am the secretary for the league. Allie tried her hand at umpiring this summer and did a great job. She could not actually play because of her knee, but she could umpire 10 year olds girls because she did it from the field and didn't actually have to bend behind the plate. Bret also decided to umpire and loved it. He umpired the older girls and had a great time. The coaches loved his knowledge of the game and his great sense of humor.

Baily worked as a "groundswoman." She and another boy were in charge of getting all the fields ready for play each day. Ray was their supervisor and helped when she had a game that conflicted. Baily works very hard. It was hot and dirty and she loved every minute of it - except for Logan. He is the boy she had to work with and she didn't appreciate the fact that he didn't really know much about softball. His chalk lines were pretty wobbly and she is a perfectionist. She finally got brave enough to tell him just to drag the fields and she would do the lines. We now laugh at the new street lines on Pines Road by I-90 because the lines are so crooked. We call them "Logan Lines." LOL

Britt and I worked in the concession stand. She was a snow cone making machine! She did a fabulous job until she decided to have a baby in the middle of the season. (I will catch up on that too.) Taylor Carpenter was so willing to step in and take her place and we had fun working together too.

When we were not all doing our jobs, we were rooting on Baily. Ray was the head coach and Bret assisted. I kept the score book and Britt and Allie cheered on the team. We had a great time with all the girls. I think we had the best girls in the league just because they had such great attitudes. We will miss the girls who are graduating and moving on. Our team ended up winning the 18U division tournament. We took third in league and rallied to win the tournament. It was awesome. Baily is eligible to play 3 more years and Allie should be able to play next year so we look forward to next summer.

Once a month is the best I can do.

Keeping up with blogging is a lot of work when you have so much going on. I am terrible at writing letters to people. I don't call my parents often enough and I almost never write in a journal. What in the world made me think I could keep up with a blog!?

I have been quite busy as the secretary for the Spokane Valley Girls Softball Association; a job I thought would be a piece of cake. HA! I cannot believe how may people complain about who their daughter is playing with rather than just being happy that they get to play at all. I get all the phone messages - which I don't reply to per the instructions of the Board - and all the emails for the league. I am certainly not the only one on the Board who is busy, but I had not idea I would be this busy. The games start tomorrow, so I hope that all the complaining has stopped and we can just get on with letting the girls play ball.

Baily will be working hard this summer. She is still going to be doing the singing thing, but will also be playing softball two to three times a week, plus doing all the prep work on the softball fields. Quite a nice job for a young girl to earn some good money. She is a good worker and will earn every penny of it.

I am so proud of Allie. She is going to work too. Not something that comes easily to her. LOL She will be an umpire for the 10U level of players. They play with pitching machines so all she has to do is count pitches and watch for plays at the bases. She is excited about earning some money. She will also help me out in the snack shack for a little more of the green stuff.

Bret and Britt are counting down the days until Olivia arrives. Brit is doing a great job setting up house and getting ready for Olivia's arrival. Bret is working some construction jobs and is going to umpire this summer in the softball league. Before he knows it it will be time for him to start school in the fall. He is enrolled in the law enforcement program at SCC.

Roo is staying her usual busy self down in Utah. I haven't heard from her much lately, which means she is busy. Allie is going to visit her soon and they are both looking forward to it.

Ray and I are so blessed to have such wonderful children. We got the cream of of the crop!

Happy Mother's Day!

Life is good. The sun is shining. My kids are healthy. I don't have to cook today and I have time to do this.

Allie is progressing quite well with her knee. She is riding a bike now - stationary.

Baily is winding up softball at school and soccer for club. She is getting ready to start her singing project with the record company. It will be a busy summer. She needs to write some songs and they will put them on a CD to sell. I will let everyone know when so you can buy it. :)

Ryleigh is no longer homeless. After a nice visit last weekend, she is back in Utah and back to the grind. She went bike riding this weekend and had a wee accident. Nothing big, but she is a little sore.

Bret and Britt are settled in their new apartment and looking for work. Bret is getting all his ducks in a row to start school next fall.

Donna is enjoying working at the pre-school. The other things I usually do at home get put on the back burner, but it's okay.

Ray and Donna are getting geared up for summer softball with the girls. We are on the Board of Directors for the league and that keeps us busy.

Ray is happy that better weather is here so he can ride his bike.

Like I said, LIFE IS GOOD.

Wow - It's May Already

Lots has happened. I may have to write this in two sections because Allie should be home soon and we are going to get her a new brace for her knee. She is doing quite well and her therapy is on schedule. The brace they ordered for her slips all the time so we are trying on new ones.

Bret and Britt (and Olivia Ann) moved here last weekend and are getting settled in. It was a long drive back up here from Provo with three blizzards even, but we made it.

Ryleigh is here too! She came up with three of her "Utah friends" and is showing two of them, Chris and Tron, around Spokane. Taryn's parents live in Tri Cities so her mom came and got here this morning to visit with her family for a couple of days.

Baily is currently negotiating with a record company in town to make a CD and promote her singing. Please look on www.myspace.com/go4jantzrecords and check out her demo. She competed in talent show at her high school and the producers liked her enough to want to work with her.

Donna is working again at EVSD in a pre-school class. I love it.

WE FINALLY SOLD THE HOUSE UP IN 5 MILE THAT WE HAVE BEEN SITTING ON FOR OVER TWO YEARS - I THINK IT IS ACTUALLY PUSHING THREE YEARS. YIPPEE!

Live is good and we have nothing to complain about.