One year!!!!

One year ago today we were on our way to NY.
It wasn't just any regular trip.
Not going to tour the Empire State Building. No visit to Times Square.
No Long Island or Manhattan. Nope!
We were headed to Yankee Stadium. For a ball game? Sure!
A Yankee vs Red Sox ball game!
Oh....and a wedding!
Bears....
I love you. I am so blessed to be married to my best friend. Through the wonderfully easy times to the trying tough ones...there isnt anyone I would rather be married to. I still remember our vows that beautiful day and I promise to love you more every day.
We waited through a lot of years and a lot of time to find each other and I look forward to the next 40 years with my love, my best friend, my partner.
Happy Anniversary my bears!!!!
The first of many many more!

Our disappointing weekend at Regionals

So Trevors All-star team did it again! Three time Western Mass State Champions. And then...   it all fell apart. And by All.... I mean all. Well... mostly Trevor. Ya, the red headed temper got the best of him again. Or low blood sugar..  or just plain crankiness. Or brut competitiveness... I just couldn't tell ya. But anyway.... needless to say, he got called out on a run to first (when he felt he was clearly safe) and pretty much melted down.And by melted down... I mean full on temper tantrum in which the words.. I suck, I should quit, I can't hit all were uttered, and not quietly. So... his coaches, God bless them and their patience benched him for the next game and had me remove him from the hotel that night and take him with me to my parents house in Maine.

I have to say that even with my embarrassment as a mother, I was proud of my cub. He took his punishment like a man. Cheering on his team. Shagging foul balls, and warming up the pitchers and outfielders.

The team lost and were eliminated in the second game. They were upset. There were tears. AGAIN.

But in this house there was a valuable lesson learned. A life lesson. One that I hope will stay with him for the rest of his life and baseball career. He feels he let his team down. He feels that they might have had a better chance to win if he was playing and he knows it was his fault he was not allowed to play.

He has learned that being a player isnt easy but being a coach is always harder.

We are grateful for his coaching staff and that though he is just a part of a team.... if a win was quite possibly forfeited by HIS actions... the coaches did their best to teach him a lesson he will need to remember his whole life long.

We are now past baseball season, and taking the season off from Football ( all the young ones anyway.) Heres to some down time!!!

The hard lessons we teach.... and learn

Well here we are. ... Summer is finally here, and for us that means Baseball!!
Ashers team played well. ASHER played well and did us proud! Sadly, they fell short at the State level and didn't pull out the win. Aside from a "fun" tournament this coming weekend ( for both boys' teams)...  Ashers season is over. *sigh*

Trevors team..   2 time Mass State Champions... fell short at the District level last weekend but as luck would have it, they are still in the State tournament next weekend ( shortage of teams). *sigh*.

Tough losses for my little baseball AllStars. Its tough to see your child lose at something they are so passionate about. Its tough to explain that though sometimes your talented child is one of the best on a team of talented young men.... that recognizing EVERY child is super important!!
Every boy selected for these teams is as AllStar and though we as parents sometimes want to fall into the trap of believing OUR child is the MVP, the top player, the "glue" holding up the team... a cup of humility is imperative not only for us as parents but the key to raising a well rounded, human, compassionate person. It will only make them better adults, to recognize that this is a Team. Not one child is responsible for the losses OR the wins! They win and lose as a TEAM!!

I am grateful for the gifts that God has granted all my children but its our job as parents to help them USE those gifts and abilities.... and that includes being kind, gracious and humble!!!

So be proud Trev and Asher.... you represented Northbridge well... you made your parents and coaches proud! Never give up!!!

Have fun this weekend at your tournament and remember... first and foremost you are Our children, Gods blessed boys and RAMS!!!

Overdue
 

FAmily


Casual

BeAch


Tournaments

Innings

Outings

Naps



We are officially on Vacation starting now for a week with nothing much to do other than Tournaments, Baseball, Beach days and did I mention Baseball?

Yea.... GO RAMS!!!!

I am getting old and I am not a very good nurse!

It has been a few very busy weeks in our little corner of the world!

First, our oldest daughter Kylie Elizabeth Barents graduated from high school two weeeks ago! Yea. O-L-D.


I was fine. Cool as a cucumber, until the music started and I saw her walking in with her cap and gown on...and then I teared up... a little. Where did my little girl go? My little wide eyed wonderous toddler.

She is off to Cosmetology school in the Fall. For now she continues to babysit as well as waitress at the little coffee shop in town. We are SUPER proud of her!

Hubby underwent back surgery ( a Laminectomy) last Wednesday. It was NOT fun but it was much needed and very overdue surgery. He did well, though he does not respond to the pain medicine well at all.Of course I am not a very good or patient nurse. So it was a rather tough weekend. We made it through and he is on the mend. Still very sore but mostly surgical pain, not the dibilitating pain he has been suffering from for the last year.

Now he heals. His back is very black and blue but he is walking, sitting at the kids baseball games and trying to keep moving.

Continued prayers and good thoughts are appreciated!!

We are heading into the playoffs for Trevor's regular season team ( tonight is the semi final and possibly the Championship game. )Aaron and Asher's regular seasons teams are finished and Joels team continues to play....

Then next week... All Stars!!

Before we know it August will be here and it will be FOOTBALL! Phew!

Its rough being talented...

 

(last years photo of BOTH the boys and their Championship wins!)

Our boys are yet again AllStar Baseball players! I say that with the utmost joy and happiness and not meant in a flaunting or cocky way at all! OK OK.. maybe just a little bragging!

But seriously, this is why we allow our boys to be the best athletes that they can be, why we push them to learn their sports inside and out, why we as parents put our lives on hold for pretty much the whole year ( if you count football and basketball as well.) Because we have talented young men in our house. Not that our girls are any less talented... but right now, its all about Asher and Trev(Dogger)

Both boys earned a spot last year and though they are on seperate teams ( Asher is just a few months shy of being old enough for Doggers team) we had a blast. We were all over the map, between regular tournament games and then winning States and on to Regionals ( in totally another State) but it made the summer memorable and fun. Crazy, YES. Of course. We didnt get to take any major family vacations, and sometimes when we talk to other families and hear all about their plans for lazy summer days, beach vacations, and days traveling to sight see we have second thoughts. But then we spend our night watching Asher pitch a 16 strike out game, or Dogger catch 2 pop flies and get the outs..... watching Noah coach and spending time with our baseball family.... there really is no other place we would rather be!

So bring on All Stars! And to all the other teams out there...

Watch Out! The RAMS are taking it all the way this year!!!

Best of Luck and Congrats to all the boys who worked so hard this year and we will be seeing you on the field!

For my bear...

Bears...

I love you. And.... because I know how much you loathe Country Music... I shall refrain from making you actually listen to this song... But read the words.

I love you. With all of me. Forever isnt nearly long enough.

In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. For richer or poorer....ALWAYS.

Love,
Your bear
P.S. I would never put you in the zoo.

I've been a walking heartache
I've made a mess of me
The person that I've been lately
Ain't who I wanna be

But you stay here right beside me
Watch as the storm goes through
And I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true
God gave me you

There's more here than what were seeing
A divine conspiracy
That you, an angel lovely
Could somehow fall for me
You'll always be love's great martyr
I'll be the flattered fool
And I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true
God gave me you

On my own I'm only
Half of what I could be
I can't do without you
We are stitched together
And what love has tethered
I pray we never undo

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true
God gave me you, gave me you
Gave me you