He did it!

Well, the fat lip was finally worth it! Last night at baseball Hunter got his first hit and first run! It was so much fun for him. The other kids on his team and their parents were all so excited and cheered for him like crazy. Each batter after him had a base hit so when he finally crossed home plate for his first run all of the parents and kids cheered him on again and it was hard for him to keep a straight face. He really doesn't like to be in the spotlight so he came over to us quickly for a round of high 5s. It was also great that his Grandpa Bob and Grandma Cathy could be there to see him on such a great night.

What a great feeling it is for a parent to see their child succeed at something that hasn't come easy for them. Hunter has struggled with hitting the ball this year (he's a bit nervous about that pitching machine) but has been good about practicing and it is finally paying off. I know it is hard for him to see the big picture, but for me I can look back at his determiniation and sticktoitivness (than might not be a real word :) ) over the past month or so and see it all coming together for him. After experiences like this Missy and I try to help him look at what his hard work has helped him accomplish. I understand that hitting a baseball isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it sure does illustrate a much larger life lesson. I hope that lesson sinks in for him and for me.

A big thanks to his coaches also. They are so patient with him and have worked so well with him and given him so much encouragement. The only bummer of the night was that his head coach Brett wasn't there to witness the hit first hand, but his wife was so she filled him in.

Fat Lip

Well, since a picture is worth a thousand words:



Hunter got hit good in the mouth tonight at baseball practice. After he freaked out for a few minutes, I got a cold pack out of the first aid kit in my truck and he held it on his lip. I was really proud of him though...after he held the cold pack on his lips for a few minutes he reluctantly went back and finished practice. Sometimes being a kid is tough.

Kids are funny

So we were driving to the Jazz game on Friday night and there was a commercial that came on the radio...maybe you've heard it. There is a father and daughter talking about being basketball bffs (best friends forever if you don't know). The commercial ends and Hunter pipes up from the back of the Yukon:

"Dad".
"Yeah pal?"
"Um, when baseball starts can we be baseball b-f-fs?"

Of course my answer was yes! What a funny kid! It just proves that kids are always listening when you least expect it.

Oh, and here we are at the Jazz game. It was the first time all five of us had gone. Alexis was the busiest as usual, but between the popcorn and the ice cream they all had a good time.

MS Walk

Every year the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has a fundraiser called the MS Walk. This fundraiser event is important for many reasons, but since Missy and her mom have MS it is especially important to our family. Unfortunately there is no known cure for MS right now. There has been lots of progress made over the years, but there is much more work/research to be done and that takes money.

For the past few years we have wanted to participate, but either we were out of town or we found out too late when the event was to be held. I'm happy to report that this year we are participating in the MS Walk! We have started a team and would love for any friends or family members who feel so inclined to either join us in the walk or sponsor us. You can get more information here:

MS Walk

Library fun

Amelia's preschool class had a field trip to the Salt Lake City Library a few weeks ago. The Governor's wife was there to film a commercial and she sat down with the kids and interacted with them. You can see the pictures here: link

Amelia is the brunette sitting on Mrs. Huntsman's lap in the first picture and Alexis is the blond with the pink shirt on. They had a great time at the library and Alexis didn't even scream enough to get them kicked out!!

21st Birthday

As I mentioned previously, we went to Vegas to celebrate Drew's 21st birthday. Drew brought one of his friends, Dan, with him also. (This information is important as you'll see in just a minute)

On Friday night we had a birhtday bash for Drew. Ma and Pa ordered pizza (well, Megan did the actual ordering and I hold her personally responsible for at least 5 of the pounds I gained in Vegas!) and they also bought a nice Oreo cake for the birthday boy. So close your eyes (well not really 'cuz if you did you couldn't read this) and imagine us all singing happy birthday to Drew as Cathy carries the cake to him to blow out the candles. Here's her baby boy all grown up! The moment arrives and Drew takes a big breath, blows out the candles and gets a big smile on his face. Surrounded by family and a close friend he is so happy. Cathy gets ready to head back to the kitchen to cut the cake for all to enjoy when the cake slips...will it land on Drew...will it hit the floor...will she catch it??






Poor Dan, he was sitting too close to the birthday boy. Oh, meet Dan...he's the one with the cake on him. :) Thankfully, Julianna and Megan did a full CSI investigation to determine which parts of the cake were edible and many mounths enjoyed the Oreo cake afterall. :)

Oh, and just in case you were wondering...Dan does have a face:

I beat Julianna!!!

As Julianna mentioned in her blog, our family went to Vegas last week to celebrate Drew's 21st birthday. We had some good times together and I'll post more later, but this post is mostly just to beat Julianna on a post trip blog post (say that three time fast!). Hahahahahahaha...I beat you at your own game!!

Here are a couple of pictures of Missy and the kids on a merry-go-round in an outlet mall in Vegas: