Gold

As I said in my last post about club baseball the boys teams have been split. Spencer plays on the AAA team and the AA team (Also called Raptor's Gold) and Ethan plays exclusively for the AA team. Well this past weekend we played a Raptor's Gold (AA) tournament. I always love watching both the boys play together. I love hearing others talk about the boys and how much they look and act alike. I just think they are so dang cute.

For the Gold team Spencer plays short stop & third base and occasionally he will pitch. Ethan plays almost exclusively second base and he is dang good at it! He saved our team more than once this past weekend. I was blown away by just how all around fantastic he is defensively! Plus he is playing with boys 2+ years older than him - and you would never know.

The Gold team struggles a little bit with being able to bring home a win but I am hoping that will come over time. This last weekend they won 1 out of 4 game and they played really well, especially compared to how they were playing when they were first formed. They have made tremendous improvements and I am just so proud of them.

Owlz

    Ethan is playing on the Minor's Owlz team this season in little league. It has been a lot of fun to watch him shine! He is a clear leader on his team and his coach relies on his ability a lot. The other boys look up to him and it's easy to see why. He is so good! 
   It doesn't help that he is a giant! He is with kids his own age and older but he looks like he at least a year or two older than any of the other kids. It is comical to look out and see him sticking out over everyone else.

 His coach has him catching (of course, because that is his favorite position!) and pitching and playing short stop. At this point in the season no other kid has ever been able to steal second base on Ethan. He throws them out every time! It is so fun to watch him behind the plate... he is a total natural.  To my surprise, he is also a pretty talented pitcher. The other night he was able to pitch a complete game (5 innings) in 49 pitches! That was pretty amazing. He gave up 1 run - a home run - to the other team. Plus he is was involved in every defensive play except one. Then in his last game he his a GRAND SLAM to win the game for the Owlz! Obviously I am just super proud of my boy!

Diamondbacks vs. Phillies

Today Dan & I took Ryleigh to the Diamondbacks game...and by today I mean currently....I am using my handy blogger app on my iPhone to post this during the game. We are at the top of the 6th right now and the Diamondbacks are down 1-0. Ryleigh, our little Philly fan is happy, I am anxiously awaiting the time when Hamels gets tired and they have to go to the bullpen.

Santan Softball

  We had the kids switch schools over Spring break. The drive from our new house to their old schools was getting to be too much. It wouldn't be such a big deal if gas wasn't $4.00/gallon....but that is a different post for a different day...

When we went to register Ryleigh at the her new junior high we noticed that their softball season was just about to start! Tryouts were that week. So she signed up to tryout and she made it! Unfortunately she seems to have an injury so she is getting very limited play time right now. She has an appointment to see the doctor on May 1st, so lets keep our fingers crossed that it is just a muscle strain or something.

Ryleigh batting

Ryleigh batting

Playing 1st






#23 (Ryleigh) playing 1st base



8th Grade Santan Girls Softball team





Winning!

 We have the most AMAZING club baseball team! I am sure that most people love any organization that they are a part of, but I honestly love our Raptors family. We spend more time with these people than some of our own family members so I guess its a good thing that we enjoy them so much.

At the beginning of the year we had enough players that the team needed to be split. They created a "Raptor's Gold" team, this team consists of the players that need just a little bit more practice than some of the other - older players. Ethan was moved to the Raptor's Gold team and Spencer stayed with the orginal Raptor's team. Spencer still plays tournaments with the Raptor's Gold since Dan is helping to coach both teams so it just makes sense to have Spencer there too, plus this gives him a chance to work on things that need a little more improvement - like his pitching.

Last weekend we had a Raptor's tournament. The boys were ON FIRE! It was so fun to watch mainly because it is so fun to WIN! The Raptors run-ruled all the teams - even in the Championship game! After demolishing the competition USSSA promptly bumped this team into the AAA brackets.

Coach Dirk

Spencer - up to bat

 For the Raptor's Spencer plays, almost exclusively, 1st base. He is a picking machine. We always joke that he makes everyone else look good! There is no glory in playing first base - everyone always remembers that amazing diving catch by the shortstop to throw the kid out at first - but they don't remember that the first baseman had to pick the ball out of the dirt for the play to be a success.

He loves the position, and I love him playing it.

I really love each one of these kids so much! I feel like they are all an extension of our family. I know that eventually the boys will grow up and move on but I am in no hurry for that to happen! I am loving this moment!

A's

Run for your life! It's a baseball post! 

This Spring season Spencer is playing for the A's in Little League. This is his first year in the Majors division and it has been good. They have a pretty good team and I believe they are currently in 2nd place in the standings. His coach has him playing 3rd base and occasionally pitching. Both positions he plays very well.

He is the lead off hitter for his team and his is quite successful in getting on base, which is the job of the lead off guy. He has been hit by a pitch in every single game of the season so far. Once he got hit in the head so hard that it took the paint off the helmet - that is now the only helmet he will use.

Girls Lunch at Nikaela's

As I've mentioned before, Once a month all the girls in my family (that live in AZ) get together for lunch. We rotate houses each month so someone new makes us something yummy. It's a great time to socialize and become good friends. It's super fun and I realize how wonderfully unique it is, for not only me to have such a close relationship with my cousins but for my children to have such a close relationship with my cousins children.

 This month is was HOT already.... In April.... it's going to be a long summer! The Bela & Livy got in their swim suits while lunch was being prepared and turned on the hose. I thought their teamwork was so sweet. One of them would hold the hose for the other so they could slide down the slide. They just kept going back and forth! It was so sweet!

Our youngest Girls lunch participant! Nikaela's daughter Cosette. She is such a delightful baby!

This month Aunt Cori was actually down visiting from Utah! It was really fun to have her here for Girls lunch! We couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a group shot. (Now that I have seen this shirt in a picture I don't know if I can every wear it again... no, it's not maternity and no, I am not pregnant)

Aunt Cori "helping" with lunch.

Our lovely matriarch. Gramma Suey.

 Uh, ya... Amalie made this little cookies and they were KILLER! I wanted to eat about 15!

Easter

Soo... I can't believe that it is Easter already! Where is time going!? Before I know it the kids are going to be out of school (which I am also excited for because we renewed our Sunsplash Season passes! woohoo!) Aparently the Easter Bunny was also thinking it was already summer because he hooked the kids up with some swim suits this year! I am grateful because they needed them, plus I am not really a fan of all the candy. bleck! The kids all seemed pleased with it too!