More Pictures of the End of School Year Bash!

A few of the really good pictures that I didn't get a chance to share earlier!

Two Plus Two Equals Fun In The Sun!

What do you do when you have two extra kids and two days off of work? BEACH!!!!

Corbin just hanging out!

Corbeano dug a huge hole and then Mary Katelyn & Emery buried him in it.

Baywatch Babe!

Emery is too cute for his own good!

Aren't they adorable!

He had no clue I was peaking at him from about 30 yards away! Some of the best shots are the candid ones.

MaryKatelyn in a tube!

My Beatiful Baby Girl!

If he gets any cuter I'm keeping him! Emery kept cracking me up and then when I would laugh he would say, "Miss Header you make me laugh!" and then I would just laugh with him.

MK climbed on top of the car's roof. Emery kept telling her that if she fell she was going to die! There was no way he was joning her!

She was much braver this time then ever before. Usually she climbs, slides and swings but today she hung and tried swinging from the bars and the loops and was much more adventureous!

Mary Katelyn helps Emery.

Emery returns the favor.

Peakaboo!

We've had a great couple of days! A much needed two days off and the kids have gotten along really well! There aren't very many pictures of Corbin and none of Dylan because the two of them went swimming and rock hunting while I hung out with the itty bitty kids. I think they all had fun! If the amount of food they've eaten and the time they've spent napping/sleeping is any indication, I'd say they played hard and wore themselves out! It's a good thing!

Live'n Life & Share'n the Memories

Things have been so crazy lately and busy too! I would never be able to share all that we have done but I do want to share some of the memories so here's just a few pictures!

June 16th - Schuler's Shindig!

Mary Katelyn takes Matt for a ride!

Just too cute!

Slip'n & Slide'n

All Our Kids

The Kids & The Big Kids

Chris, Sam & Me!

June 10th - Sr. High At The Beach!

Only Brandon Can Make That Hat Look Good!

One Question. Why?

The Little Man Has It Made!

June 8th - All Youth Lock In!

Kelsey, Bridget & Kim.

Brooke, Anna & Jasmine.

Michael, Michael & Bryon
Cyndi, Kim & Emily

Wheel Out the Barrel........

June 2nd - Mission Trip Fundraising Carwash!

Ecuador Mission Team Carwash.

Connie

Random Crazieness!

Brandon

The Torture Tree
Dylan & Dan Delight In Torturing Brandon!

May 27th - End Of School Year Bash!

Genna, Anna, Courtney, Beckah & Bridget

Brandon & Dan

Soccer Season Highlights!

MaryKatelyn Loves Soccer!

MaryKatelyn As Goalie

MK On the Go!

Scott Shares His Camera With MaryKatelyn

He Shoots.......He SCORES!

MaryKatelyn Battles The Giant

She Is So Determined!

May 19th - Dylan Challenges the Grandparents to a B-Ball Game!

Granny Mattie Proves She's Not Too Old!

Pawpaw Everett Schools Dylan!

Youth Gone Wild

Beckah, Kate, Jazzie and Sarah

Cyndi

Dan, Beckah and Nick

Kate, Beckah and Sarah

Nick and Ryan

Kate, Beckah, Sarah
Dan, Nick and Ryan

Brad be nimble. Brad be quick. Brad jump over the .......Brandon?

Nodnarb the Amazing and his death defying feats!

Nodnarb the Amazing strikes again!

Disclaimer: No youths were harmed in the taking of these pictures.
All stunts are figments of your imagination and never really happened.
No adults were present at this fictitous time and place.
Questions or concerns call: 1-NODNARB WHO? (That's 1-663-627-2946)

MK's Fourth Soccer Game and Awana Awards

Tonight was a busy night for the Buck's! As soon as Bryon got off work we were off to Mary Katelyn's soccer game! This was her fourth game and she did really well! Bryon and I sat on the sidelines cheering her on and marveling at the progress she has made in such a short time. There is no doubt about it, she is most successful at Goalie. Her head is in the game when playing Goalie and she stopped a minimum of 6 goals tonight!

She is definitely an agressive player!

One of the many goals she stopped and got to throw back into play!

She knows when she's done a good thing! No self-esteem issues here.

The joy radiates from her.
Win or lose, Mary Katelyn is having the time of her life

As Forward, she's chasing the ball down.

MK dribbles the ball up the sideline!

What a "Go-Getter"!

These little girls can really teach us all the meaning of good sportsmanship! When the game is over no one knows the score, who scored the most goals or who was the best goalie. When the game is finished each player walks off the field with a smile on their face to a roar of applause! If you ask Mary Katelyn if she won her soccer game she will smile really big and tell you "Yes!" because as far as she knows, she played her heart out and loved every minute of it. That to her means she won!

The second the game was over we packed up and raced to the church for the Awana Awards Program. Mary Katelyn has been in Awana's as a "Cubbie" for two years now. Tonight she received an Honorable Mention Ribbon for only missing two Wednesday nights of club and a participation award. Once I sew her last two patches on, her vest will be complete! She has learned so much in the last two years as a "Cubbie" and we are very thankful to have such an awesome Awana program in our church!

This picture only shows about one-third of the children who participate in Awana.
Mary Katelyn's up front and center.

She's a happy Cubbie!

Ms. Shelley giving Mary Katelyn her award packet.

After the summer break, when Awana's starts back up in the fall, Mary Katelyn will be a "Sparky"! She can hardy contain her excitement! She's already talking about her new red vest and her new workbook and much fun it will be! We have failed to inform her that she won't be with Ms. Shelley anymore. I'm not sure how that will go over once she figures that one out, but I'm confident she will love her new leaders too! Who knows, she just might have Ms. Amanda! Awana vacation means summer is almost here! Five more weeks of school and it's SUMMER!

Cosmic Bowling & Nick's Birthday Party!

By request.......It's Bridget and Anna!!!

Adamstein. I think he is a direct decendant of Frankenstein.

Alex and Curtis

Amy and Beckah

Cindy and Anna

When your guilty... you hide. Notice who is hiding!

Jazzie and Leeann

A very NOT pregnant Kelsey.

Luke munchin' away

Nick posing with his B-day T-shirt

That was a very cool plaque!

Sara and Kim

Scary Dan

Scott juggles 5 balls at once

Stephanie actually swallowed her bowling ball! Kelsey just did the tuck and fake!

Dan and Brandon
Bridget, Anna, Cyndi and Kelsey

Curtis, Beckah, Dan, Brandon and Nick

Bridget and Kelsey
Curtis, Beckah, Dan, Brandon and Nick

Becca and Bridget
Cyndi, Anna and Kelsey
Beckah, Dan and Brandon
and Curtis

Anna, Becca, Bridget and Cyndi

Saturday, Sunshine & Soccer! - April 21

You couldn't ask for a more beautiful day or a better way to spend the morning! BOth of the kids had soccer games so we were out on the fields by 9:30 and didn't finish up until a few minutes after 1:00. It was the best spring day we have had so far and we even managed to get a sunburn! I gave in and let Dylan play soccer despite his hamstring injury. He really is doing a better job of letting it rest and knowing his limitations. He did ask Coach on Thursday if he could play Goalie since he was injured and it was hard for him to run. That's definite progress!

Mary Katelyn takes a break in the middle of the game!
Playing four quarters without any subs makes for one tired little girl.
The final score was 6-0 but MK had no clue they had lost! She played hard and had fun!

This was Dylan's most amazing play of the game! The guy you see rolling on the right had to roll over the top of Dylan as he dived for the ball. He got it too! And as you see it in his grip there is another player (#16) gunning for the ball! It was impressive to see Dylan dive for it without fear and come up with the ball in his hands after all the dirt settled! The final score was 5-2 and Dylan was not on the winning team. Hey, I know winning isn't everything... but try telling that to a thirteen year-old!

Mary Katelyn's Second Soccer Game - April 19th

Right after Dylan's Track Meet we booked it over to the soccer fields for Mary Katelyn's game. The only way to describe her game was "controlled chaos". Teaching 5 year-olds soccer positions and the do's and don'ts of the game while you are running up and down the field with them is something to be marveled and amazed by. It's something I don't even want to think about, let alone do! Can you imagine keeping track of 7 little girls while chasing and teaching them and actually trying to accomplish something at the same time? If Mary Katelyn wasn't entertaining enough, then Dylan and Austin rolling with laughter on the sidelines was enough to push me over the edge. I have never been so stressed out and laughed so hard, both at the same time! If MK was playing Defense then she was running up front trying to get the ball as if she were a Forward. When she was a Forward then she would be hanging back to the back or helping the Goalie out! She will be a force to reckon with if she ever figures out what to do at the right time!!

Way to "Top Stop" that ball and pass it Mary Katelyn!

Running toward the all and determined to get it!

She has mastered "Throw Ins"! She doesn't even lift her feet!

Way to scramble for that ball, Mary Katelyn!
She is number 14 in the picture.

They were playing one man short so there was no sitting out for a quarter this game!
Mary Katelyn was all tuckered out, but they managed to tie 1-1!

Track Meet - April 19th

Dylan ran the 400 today, but if I tried to describe it to you I would say he hobbled or ran/hopped the 400 today. He pulled his hamstring this past weekend and despite trying to let it rest and heal up it is still bothering him. I guess one day off isn't going to cure anything. Between soccer and track practice his hamstring hasn't had much downtime! I've been trying not to be the over protective mom and let Dylan be his own gauge and trusting that he would know when to say enough is enough. After watching him run the 400 today I knew it was time to play the Mom card and trump his Ace. I talked to him and the coach and pulled Dylan off of track until Monday. He will at least have Friday - Monday to rest it and we will see what Monday brings.

Here are a few pictures I took of a few of our favorite kids! Austin, Aaron and Brittany! Brittany's school was one of the competitors at the meet this week so I was thrilled to be able to see her run! That girl is all legs!

Track Meet & Soccer Game - April 16th

After school today Dylan had a Track Meet in Dowagiac at 4:00. The wind was brutal, but Mary Katelyn and I hunkered down in our blankets and watched the meet. It was Dylan's first Track Meet ever and he ran two different events. We wouldn't have missed this for the world! Can you believe our boy is running track? What a testimony to the amazing power of God! I remember 11 years of "no competitive sports" and the joy he felt when he was allowed to play soccer. Now, to be truly free and able.....what a gift from God! We have agreed to let Dylan try any and everything for at least one season as he checks out new sports and sees where his strengths and weaknesses are. We will be running the roads and busy for a while, but it is so worth it and today is only the beginning!

Dylan running the 400

That’s my boy in Lane Two!

Dylan was Third in the 400 and First in the Mile Relay!

Before the Track Meet was over, but after Dylan had finished his events, we were off and driving (flying if the truth be told.......) home to Dylan's soccer game! We picked up Bryon and were only five minutes late! Thankfully the wind had died down and it was a little warmer close to home so we could relax and enjoy the game.

Not wanting to cause a foul but definitely wanting to score the goal, Dylan bends over backward to make it happen!

Hot-dog'n as Dylan traps and takes control of the ball.

The final score was 4-1 and Dylan was on the winning team! Win or lose, we had a great night as a family and had a lot to be thankful for! Watching Dylan play sports, win or lose is a major VICTORY!

Spring Soccer Season 2007 - April 14th, but it feels like the dead of winter

When opening day rolls around each year it is a real eye opener! The temperature is below freezing and the wind is howling but you will find us in coats, hats and scarves, wrapped in quilts and watching our children run around pretending they are warm. It's insane! In dressing Mary Katelyn I went for a long john top and pants, sweatpants, soccer socks, a hooded sweatshirt and her jersey. Before the first ball was kicked we even put her winter coat on underneath her jersey! She looks more like a linebacker than a soccer player!

My favorite Soccer Brats!

Mary Katelyn makes an adorable Goalie!

Here she is playing Forward.
She plays a little of everything and never complains about where Coach puts her.

She's a Beast! If they are in her way she will run them over!
Thankfully they don't call penalties at this age or MK would be in big trouble.

Here she tripped her own teammate just to get the ball! Poor Abbey!

Mary Katelyn almost scored a goal for the other team!
Here she is dribbling the ball toward her own goal! Don't laugh... she's trying her best!

Two pictures of Dylan in control and dribbling the ball down the field.

Both of the kids lost their first games today. Mary Katelyn's final score was 3-1 and Dylan's game ended 0-2. Both had a great day and were ready to go home and get warm!

MK's First Soccer Practice Ever! - April 13th

Because of the cold weather and all of the wind we have had Mary Katelyn's soccer practices were cancelled. She only had this one practice before her first game! She is the only girl on her team that has never played before because the rest of them played this past fall. She is not the youngest on the team, just the newest!

Watching her practice was extremely comical and nerve racking att he same time! She gets an A+ in aggressiveness and willingness to try anything, but I'm afraid she would get a C- in understanding the game. She plays goalie and forward okay but has no concept of "defense". She thinks it's her job to get that ball and SCORE regardless of what position the coach has her playing! Thankfully the two coaches stay on the field running back and forth giving direction and reeling the waywards in. Mary Katelyn will run there ragged before the season is over!

She caught the ball!

Then ran out to the line and threw it!

Mary Katelyn really goes for it! She is so determined.

I just pray that she loves the game and continues to give it her best!
Once she understands what's going on she will be even better!

A Dream Vacation

What an AmaZinG Spring Break! I owe everything to Beckah and Bridget who are just the best! I can’t believe they invited ME to go with! JAMACA, COZUMEL, & GRAND CAYMAN. Can you just imagine it? The cruise was to die for and oh my goodness! You would never believe how much fun we had! The weather was so WARM and sunny! The sand was like flour it was so incredible! (Although I didn’t enjoy it when Beckah dumped a bucket of it over my head!) Oh, and this one time…. we went to the market on a burro! I let Bridget drive the beastie (She needs all the practice she can get!)

You wouldn’t believe all the things we saw that I had never seen before! We just walked and talked and had the best of times! We stayed up late every night playing Texas Hold’em and I won almost every game! Me and my Mad SkillZ!!

It was so much fun! Beckah and Bridget both got a great tan and I stayed nice and white! White but WARM! It was a vacation that one could only dream of…………maybe it was just a dream.

Exhausted

We had a long three-day weekend again and again spent it down south staying with and taking care of Gramma. Three of these in a row and we are really knocked off our rockers! We're such creatures of habit and routine and all of us have been stretched. "Gumbyfied" would probably be more accurate.
Knowing that we would not be able to see Gramma again until late summer (she is being moved to Ohio this week) didn't help things. It was emotionally draining and stressful but also a blessing to be together and over all it was a successful weekend. If that makes any sense.

The kids zoinked out in the van on the way home. How do they do that?

After we got home and unloaded the van, we put in a movie and all four of us snuggled on the couch and watched it. Okay......... three of them watched the movie and I fell asleep sitting straight up! But we were all on the couch together so it still counts as family fun time!

Truth

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." ~Romans 12:17 & 18

A powerful reminder that I needed today.


heather on 04.05.07 @ 11:54 PM EST [link] [14 Comments]

Shin-guards, Socks and Shoes

For the past two years Mary Katelyn has been begging to "play soccer like brother" and we kept telling her that she had to wait until she was five. At the end of the fall soccer season we began telling her "after you are 5 and after the snow is gone, you can play soccer!" She turned 5 in March and the snow has been gone since then too! She is out of patience! A couple of weeks ago we found out what team she would be on and that practices would start the first week in April with the first game being on the 14th of April. Mary Katelyn has been bouncing off the walls in anticipation! She got a soccer ball from Nana and Papa for her birthday and has been practicing. We went and bought her shoes, socks and shin-guards the other night and she had to try them on and practice to see if they would work! Mary Katelyn is so serious about soccer and won't leave anything to chance! Note that her "uniform" is the orange outfit that she wore when Dylan first played for the orange team and she was his cheerleader! She won't get her official uniform until right before the first game!

Is that the face of a fierce competitor or what!?! It's hard not to laugh at her when she says things like, "I'm going to win for you Momma!" or "I'm gonna be a soccer star like brother!" It's all I can do to keep myself from roaring with laughter when she does a "header" and completely misses the ball!

How do you tell a five year old that headers are for the big kids? What she lacks in coordination she more than makes up for in drive and determination.....I just don't want to see her defeated and deflated. I want her to dream big and have goals! I want her to score goals!

As she naps and I type this, her coach has called and cancelled her first practice that was tonight. Yesterday the temperature dropped from 71 degrees down to 31 degrees and it is extremely windy outside. Too cold and windy for little children! Oh, how I'm dreading this! I'm wishing one of you would tell her the news......
I'll let daddy do it when he gets home!

Chutes and Ladders

Mary Katelyn had no problem entertaining herself and her mother while Dylan had soccer practice. Her smile and her adventurous spirit can turn the most routine day into a memorable event! Her enthusiasm inspires me and that gleam in her eyes reminds me just how blessed I am.

"Outings are so much more fun when we can savor them through the children's eyes." ~Lawana Blackwell

Something to chew on........

Remember: "It all goes back to poop!"

Buck Meets Deer

After a busy Saturday of birthday shopping (yes, Mary Katelyn is still celebrating!), eating dinner with and visiting with Granny Mattie and Papa Everett it was time to relax and just hang out before we had birthday cake yet again! Dad and Dylan went outside to pass a football around for a while and Mary Katelyn was entertaining the rest of us with her new doll baby and modeling her new clothes. Dylan came to the back window and said “Deer Mom”. At first I thought he was being sweet…but then reality struck. We had deer in the field. I grabbed my camera and as Papa stood at the corner of the shed, Dylan Mattie and I crept closer and closer. I was determined to get off a few shots before they were spooked and the white tails started wagging. I was AMAZED at just how close I was able to get! I hid behind the woodpile and every time the camera clicked they would stare my direction but they couldn’t see me! It was great! Here are a few of the shots I took!

There were seven deer out there.
They had come over the railroad tracks while the guys were out playing ball and stood in the back field and neighbors field eating grass

It was fun to see them looking for me and know that they couldn’t see me!

If the shutter sound would have been shut off of the camera they wouldn’t have even known I was there. But then again, I would have gotten shots of them eating then instead of looking for me!

Papa and Dylan want to go hunting in the back yard this fall. I would much rather take shots with my camera instead of a gun…..but then again I do like deer meat!

Dyan and Granny pose as Mary Katelyn digs into the frosting! and Papa and Mary Katelyn snuggle-buggle'n

Wishing I could delay the inevitable...

When Mary Katelyn was little we would take her picture in the rocking chair with “Bear” every six months or so. As she got older we only took her picture on her birthday. Thru the years it has been a great way to se how fast she is growing!
Lately I have been looking back over the pictures and reminiscing about those sweet, innocent days. I think the fact that our baby is now five and getting excited and ready for kindergarten is pushing Mommy over the edge! “Where has the time gone?” “Where did she learn that?” and “What are we going to do with her?” seems to be the most frequently asked questions at the Buck mansion these days.

Mary Katelyn at 25 weeks old and at 5 years old. I don’t think “Bear” even recognizes her anymore.

Tuesday's Torture

Mary Katelyn went to the doctor for her “5 Year Checkup” on Tuesday. It was really her 5-year checkup plus her physical and screening for Kindergarten but since she had to get four immunizations as well, we didn’t tell her the appointment was for school. She is so excited about going to school that we didn’t want anything negative connected to Kindergarten.

If you don’t want to hear “potty talk” then skip this part. Mary Katelyn had to have blood work and a urinalysis too today. Can you imagine the morning I had trying to explain to a five year old why she had to potty in a bowl? She thought Mommy had lost her last marble. When she saw me put the potty bowl in the refrigerator she started yelling at me! “Mommy! You can’t put my pee pee in the fridge! That’s just gross!” I tried my best to explain that it was what the doctor said to do and it would be okay and that the potty was in a tightly sealed bowl and wouldn’t get on anything. She replied, “I’m telling Daddy cause that’s just not right.”

On the way to Bible School (BSF) she kept laughing and saying “Potty in the fridgerator!”. I could just see it now, all the children’s leaders wondering what she was talking about as she continued to laugh and repeat herself in class. Once again, I tried to tell her that it was normal and that it would be okay but we shouldn’t talk about it to other people because it was private and they didn’t really want to hear about her potty. To this she replied, “Mommy, you just know your going to get in trouble! But I won’t tell. I promise!” That was the end of her potty talk for the rest of the morning.

After BSF we had lunch and visited with Amy before it was time to go home and get her potty and pick Daddy up from work and go to her appointment!

Mary Katelyn passed the vision test!

But she failed her hearing test. There was an entire frequency that she couldn’t hear! And all this time I just thought it was selective hearing! The doctor said not to be too worried about it because she had just gotten over a head cold/virus and they could recheck her in a month or so to make sure it was just residual stuffiness that was causing her trouble. We’ll recheck her later…but I’m not worried at all. It’s pretty routine stuff!

She got her finger poked and four immunizations and she was a real trouper! Everything went smoothly and she is all set and ready to start Kindergarten in the fall!

Happy Birthday Mary Katelyn

She turned 5 today! Where did all those years go? I can't believe my baby girl is growing up so fast and will be in Kindergarten this next fall! It doesn't seem possile.

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Mary Katelyn I can't believe you are a 5 year old it was just the other day that Daddy and I prayed for a brown haired brown eyed little girl and brother asked God for a "Boo" know that you are every thing we ever hoped for and so much more and we love you and can't wait to see what adventure you take us on tomorrow never stop dressing up and strutting your stuff sister because you are that special may all your dreams be filled with butterflies and ponies Happy Birthday to you!

Pictures

Things have been so busy lately that I haven't had very much free time, but we've been having tons of fun! Here are a few of the highlights in recent weeks!

The bodies just keep pile'n up!