Another Catch Up....

 Madelyn celebrated her 10th birthday with friends at the skating rink. She requested a 50s them and dressed as a Pink Lady.

 A successful Softball season, and I helped coach. It was a lot of fun and I didn't make any girls cry, amazingly. We took second in the end of year tournament, which was a far cry from where the season began.

 Madelyn and I enjoyed the Pretty Prairie Rodeo with my mom and dad. It was a first for all of us.

 Conley and I volunteered at the annual Starkey golf tournament. We drove the beer cart. Is that kind of like putting a fox in the hen house?

 Conley and I went on a float trip down the Elk River in Noel, Mo. with our dear friend, Jacinda, and her cousins. We had an absolute blast and I cannot wait to go again.

 Madelyn's back to school swim party. Just a few of the 5th graders were there.

 Madelyn's last first day of Elementary school!!! Where has time gone?

 Enjoying a day at the Y water park. This was the first time and only time we went all summer. It was a day with few people there so we enjoyed the lazy river and slides with little waiting time.

Madelyn had a fever on the 3rd day of school, so I stayed home with her the following day until she was fever free for 24 hours. I spent her sick day mowing and painting. I need more productive sick days. 

Picture Update

 

 

Completed my 3rd Warrior Dash in KC, Mo.

 

 

 

 

 

Madelyn had her first experience mushroom hunting. She loved it, minus the ticks.

 

 

 

Madelyn, Kailyn and I completed our first Color Run. It was freezing cold but so much fun.

 

We went to Tanganika Wildlife Park with my parents, Conley and Summer to celebrate Mothers' Day.

 

 

I volunteered to help coach Madelyn's softball team and games will start in a couple of weeks.

 

 

 



Lately...Our Lives in Pics

 

Another succsessful basketball season. As a team they didn't win many but they improved as the season progressed. Madelyn was often times the high scorer of the game. Her height has its advantages.

 

 We celebrated Valentines Day with her class.......and....

 

 

 

 

 

By bringing home Maggie May home from the Humane Society. She is a Heinz 57 pup, we think part lab/part terrier. It's like having a toddler in the house again. Not quite sure what I was thinking. Madelyn adores her and TJ tolerates her. The jury is still out with my opinion of her as she has broken a lamp, chewed up my sunglasses and created quite a few potty messes. Thankfully potty training is going much better these days.

Sorry for this repeat pic...I couldn't delete it for some reason.

Worked out at the YMCA...or at least one of us did.

 

 

 Dug out from 12 inches of snow, school was closed for four days and my work was closed for three.

 

Celebrated St. Patty's day with good friends.

Basketball Season Begins

This Saturday will be Madelyn's first basketball game of the season. They have switched things up a bit and the games will now be played at the St. James or the Augusta Middle School (AMS) gyms.

The schedule is as follows:

1/5 - 11:00am  @ St. James

1/12 - 12:00pm @ St. James

1/19 - 11:00am @ St. James

1/26 - 5:00pm @ AMS #2

2/2 - 12:00pm @ St. James

2/9 - 2:00pm @ AMS #2

2/16 - 10:00am @ St. James

2/23 - 11:00am @ St. James

Madelyn is again the tallest kid on the team, and because of her height she is now playing a forward position rather than guard. She has made a smooth transition to her new position, but most importantly is enjoying playing ball.

Aristocats

Last month Madelyn made her debut at the Augusta Historic Theater as she performed as a bird watching cat in the play, Aristocats. Although she didn't have any lines, she sang and danced her little heart out. There were three perfomances in two days, each elementary school came to watch the performance. I watched her perform in two performances. All the kids did a great job and I'm glad our little community puts on a play/musical two times a year. I have a feeling Madelyn will be a repeat performer.

 

 

Last month my friend, Tim, invited me and Madelyn to go horseback riding at his place. He is a competitive team roper in his spare time and always has an extra horse or two to spare. I warned him that it had been years since I had been on a horse and Madelyn only had been on a horse twice in her life so we needed gentle, nearly dead horses to ride. Each of the horses are used for team roping but are gentle giants when not competing. Interestingly the horses that Madelyn and I were on were not fans of the horse Tim was riding and anytime my horse got near Tim's he would start jumping around and acting like a fool. So Tim thought it would be best if we traded. Talk about change, the "new" horse would barely walk without being kicked let alone walk. I was surprised he was the main horse Tim rode for team roping, apparently he knows the difference between work and pleasure. Reminds me of our old horse Byrd. She knew when my dad was on her it was time to work when DeAnn or I were riding her it was time for play.

 Meeting "Heavy Duty." He is definitely a gentle giant.

Tim adjusting her stirrups

 The view from my horse

Saying good bye.

 

 

We enjoyed our evening of riding horses. Madelyn LOVED it and was ready to get out of the arena and go to the pasture for riding. But I wasn't quite ready to let her have that much space to roam when she is just learning the "ropes" of riding. She continues to ask when she gets to ride Heavy Duty again and maybe in the spring we will schedule another ride.