This year the boys played another season of baseball for East Union's little league.  Josh played coach pitch, and he was coached by Scott and Coach McClellan (EU XC coach).  

His first game was somewhat of a disappointment.  He struck out all three times he came up to bat!  After the game, Scott stayed to pitch to him.  When our left-handed child walked up to bat as a left-hander (last season batted right-handed), he started smacking them into the outfield every time!  Something had happened over the last year, and now Josh was a left-handed power hitter!  

 Their team had a super successful season!  They ended up winning the county tournament and getting 1st place for the league!  Way to go L&W Fabricators, and thanks to Papa for sponsoring the team!

 Will played his second year of kid-pitch.  This year he was with a great group of boys, and he was coached by Coach Basil (EU baseball coach).  I was a little nervous about this, because last year was Will's first year to play, and Coach Basil can be a little intense.  Thankfully, this was the best thing that could have happened to him... Coach Basil is an excellent teacher, and he spent a great deal of time actually teaching fundamental things, rather than just expecting them to know what was going on.  

This year he moved up from right field to center field, and he did a great job of backing up the second baseman when people were stealing.

 Last year he got two hits all season.  This year was SO MUCH BETTER!  He got at least one hit, sometimes two or three, every game!

 His team ended up winning the county league tournament and getting second place in their league!  Way to go Power Equipment!

Below:  Will with Coach Basil and with his tournament and league trophies!  

 The county tournament championship games were on the same night at different places.  I was with Will, since Scott was coaching Josh, and Kay was in town and went with Scott and Josh!  Afterwards we all met up at George's for burgers and shakes.  Here's Scott with his two baseball players!

Pinewood Derby!

This spring the boys participated in the Pinewood Derby with their scout troop.  The troop leaders borrowed a track, and the boys got to have sort of an inner-squad competition.  

Will's derby creation, The LUCKY CHIPPER, was very creative... but not so fast.  The car looked like a chewed off log, and he sculpted a little beaver (complete with goggles and helmet) to place in the driver's seat.

Josh's derby creation was a bit lacking in creativity, but it made up for it in speed.  His car was one of the finalists!

Spring Violin Recitals

Goats... in the van!

This winter we had some subtractions and additions to our farm family.  Luke Skywalker (above) was a good dog.  He kept coyotes away, restrained himself from sucking eggs, and let the kids put clothes on him.   Sadly, he got too interested in the highway and was hit by a vehicle.  

Sarah and Josh were devastated.  We buried him up by the shop, and Josh and Sarah decorated his grave with a wooden cross and a necklace with his name on it made from alphabet beads.  

Just a FEW days before, we got goats!!!  That in itself was an adventure... involving a trip to the boonies, buying goats from a shady situation, and then transporting the goats home in our VAN!!!  

 

The goats are Sarah's big adventure.  She used all of her birthday money to buy them, does all of the goat chores, etc.  The goal is milk, so she traded the little brown and white buck to the Blassingames in exchange for a Nubian baby doe named Buttercup.  

Unfortunately, Buttercup had been sick and the stress and change was just too much for her.  She died the day after Luke was killed.  Bless her heart, Sarah was so sad.  We buried Buttercup next to Luke.  

The Blassingames were kind to give us Bucky back, and so we were back to our original 3, van transported goats.  At this point our fence was not finished, and the goats spent most of their time knocking on the back door or napping on the patio!

When you have chickens and goats, you can't go very long without a dog.  Although we had Frizzy, she was busy getting pampered and spending a great deal of time in the house... (She was present for Luke's accident, and we found her shaking in the bushes across the road about 6 hours later.)  

We decided on a Great Pyrenees to take Luke's place.  Meet Chewy, short for Chewbacca.  (Staying with Star Wars theme.)  Josh was thrilled!  Chewy was small enough to stand under Frizzy's belly!  It is hard to remember him being so small... 

He just kept growing... and growing... and growing.... 

And now he is a GIANT!!  You could fit two Frizzys under him!  

It wasn't long before the goats began to get in our garden, eat my flowers, and even climb on the vehicles!!  It was a good thing that Scott got the fence built over spring break!