Mayhem

For the Fall season Alyssa is getting her first taste of the Mesquite Fastpitch Softball Association.  After the craziness that was our experience with the MBI during the spring, Michael and I decided that perhaps she would be happier playing with the girls.  Towards the end of August I received a phone call from our new team Mom and was surprised to find out that because of Alyssa's age and the league rules she could play this Fall season on a 6U t-ball team but come the Spring of 2012 she will have to move up to an 8U team which is machine pitch.  After much deliberation and talking with Alyssa we decided that she would be most comfortable playing t-ball with the younger girls for the Fall season since in the spring Alyssa had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the boys.  She couldn't catch or throw as well as some of them could and she was no where near as fast as they were.  While she did a great job playing she honestly just couldn't keep up with some of them.

So with the  Fall season beginning we joined the 6U t-ball team named the Mesquite Mayhem and headed out to our first practice.  Upon arriving we met the head coach, Coach Kevin, and a few of the girls.  Immediately Alyssa took a liking to all three of the coaches and the team.  The coaches spend their time working with the girls and constantly praising them for jobs well done and reassuring them that they are doing great (even if there is a little mess up).  They talk to them and try to teach them how to do things but they stay very consious that these are still little girls and that the most important thing is to help them build confidence and have fun (much different than our last experience).  When we started out about 4 weeks ago there were plenty of girls on the team who were shy and didn't have a clue what was going on around them.  Now, after lots of work and patience from our coaches these girls have begun to come out of their shells and are showing great improvements on the field. I believe that with the pressure not being on them to always win combined with a constance reassurance that they are doing well, their confidence is building and so are their skills.

Now with Alyssa having played last season with the boys we all new that she would be aware of what was happening and where she was supposed to be; what we didn't expect was how suddenly on the field skills had improved.  During the first practice she was throwing the ball farther and harder than she'd ever thrown before and she was hitting her targets.  When balls were being thrown or grounded to her she was moving and getting in front of the ball with little effort and when it came time for her to run she took off faster than we've ever seen her move.  It was as if overnight she'd suddenly and magically transformed into this seasoned ball player.  Seriously, it was amazing!  Of course she could still use some work on her batting and catching (she has trouble with fly balls) but over all that little girl who had so much trouble on the boys' team was now shining like a star.

So far the Mayhem have played two games this season with their next scheduled for tomorrow night.  In both games the girls did great and Alyssa has really come through as a leader.  Team work is improving and as a result of it all the girls have won both games.  Alyssa so far has played pitcher and with no catcher that also makes her responsible to cover home plate.  When the ball is hit, she tries her hardest to be on top of it and to get the runner out.  On many occassions you can hear the parents yelling "Go Alyssa!" as she races a runner to the base.  When a ball gets by her she turns and jumps and yells for the other girls to get it in so that they can try to get another out.  When the ball makes it back to her I'm often on the edge of my seat as I watch her hustle and race the runner in to the base.  Those moments where you're waiting to see who will get there first are most suspenseful.

Now with our season off to a great start and Alyssa really enjoying being on her team and proud to be a girl I can't wait to see what our next six games are going to hold for us in the future.  We really could not have asked for a better group of girls, coaches or parents for our team and my only regret is that Alyssa won't be able to continue with them in the spring, but we'll worry about that when it gets here.  In the meantime we're going to enjoy the team that we have and continue to cheer and yell every Thursday night for our Mayhem girls.

To see video of the games click on the following links:

Mayhem Vs Little Giants Game 1

Mayhem @ Wildcats Game 2

The Dinner Party

On August 29, 2011, after 14 years of being out of school, I began my first semester at Eastfield Community College.  I have decided that since Cayden will begin school next year that it was time for me to return to school and  begin working towards my teaching degree.  So far, I have to admit that it seems a lot easier now that I am older and more mature than it was when I was just 18 years of age.  This semester, to start me off lightly, I registered to take three classes (Composition I, Introductory to Anthropology, and History of Western Music) and am happy to report that my classes are coming along smoothly. 

For my Composition I class, one of our first assignments was to write a narrative essay.  The essay could be written in either 1st or 3rd person and we could choose our topic from a list of three.  My essay topic: If you could choose to invite three people-living or dead to dinner, who and why would you invite them?  I am happy to report that I have earned a 90/A on that essay and that my teachers major concerns were to have me work on sentence structure (I missed quite a few commas) and to refrain from using contractions in formal writing.  So without further ado, here is my essay (with corrections made):

The Dinner Party

The table is set, dinner is just about cooked, and the guests should arrive shortly.  The menu for the evening is a simple menu of Shrimp Creole served with a side salad and warm, buttered French bread that is sure to satisfy the taste buds of all in attendance.  Tonight's dinner party is sure to be a memorable event, considering how extremely dear to the hearts of my family members each guest is revered.  This will also be a once in a lifetime event that is sure to never happen again.

As we finish our final preparations, the arrival of the first guest is announced by the doorbell. Upon opening the door, I can see that this guest is a handsome young man, perhaps about twenty years of age. He stands just over six feet in height with broad shoulders, dark hair, blue eyes, a warm smile and a little patch of hair just below the center of his bottom lip.  He is dressed in a suit but has managed to combine it with a pair of tennis shoes and a flat--billed ball cap.  The kids immediately rush forward to greet him with great hugs and kisses. I cannot help but to become a little chocked up with the overwhelming emotions of having him here before me. As the tears stream down my face, I reach out and embrace our guest.  His hug is strong, and I am filled with a sense of joy, mixed with remorse, but am grateful for the opportunity to spend this evening with him in our home and at our table.  He is invited in, and we talk as the children run around and incessantly beg him to play games with them.

Shortly after the arrival of our first guest, we are greeted again with a soft rapping sound emanating from the front door, signaling the arrival of our next guest.  This guest is a small and frail elderly woman, no taller than about 5'3". She has white hair that is neatly curled and brushed and is wearing a pink satin-like skirt suit.  She appears to be a little confused and possibly afraid as she stands before me; then she looks to my eyes and suddenly she understands. As we embrace, I can smell that familiar smell of body powder that she once used on a daily basis.  I immediately escort her into my home and introduce her to my family.  She is already quite familiar with our first guest.  After helping her to a seat and ensuring her comfort, we encourage the children to visit with and get to know our new guest.  There are many changes in my life that I want to catch her up on but the most important of them is my family.

A little later, another sound is heard outside.  This time the sound is not one of someone knocking on the front door but rather standing there talking to himself.  I become aware almost immediately that this someone must be our third and final guest for the evening.  He sounds a bit unsure of his choice to attend. I encourage my husband to answer the door this time, being as this guest is more for him than it is for me.  As he opens the door, he is greeted by an elderly man, perhaps in his seventies, whom he knows is a stranger yet seems to be extremely familiar at the same time.  The two men stand motionless for several moments as they gaze upon each other in disbelief. Finally my husband invites our guest inside and introduces him to the family and other guests. With everyone now in attendance, we may all sit and begin dinner.

Throughout dinner the conversations and interactions between our family and guests seemed to flow, just as simply as water flows in a stream. There were so many things to talk about, to learn and to divulge in such a short amount of time. The bonds that were previously formed grew stronger while new bonds were developed.  My great-grandmother, Mildred Clarke (b. May 10, 1910 - d. July 17, 1999) was being given the opportunity to see my current life and know her great great-grandchildren.  My husband was finally being given the opportunity to see and know his estranged father, Gordon Huff (b. April 17, 1931 - d. May 18, 2004). I was blessed with the opportunity to spend one last evening with my nephew/godson, Justin Duplantier (b. October 29, 1990 - d. July 14, 2011), and to hear his recounts of what happened on the day that he decided to take his own life.  Our children were elated to recite stories of things we have done and places we have visited for our guests.  My husband and I were glad for the opportunity to tell the stories of how our family came to be and how we ended up where we are currently in life. My Great-Grandmother and Justin (also her great great-grandson) talked about how they would remain close to one another in the afterlife and help God in watching over their loved ones here on Earth.  Most importantly we were all happy for the opportunity that was being granted to us from God; the opportunity to have that final moment with loved ones we lost.

As our time together drew to an end, we gathered up this odd group together for one last photo.  This was definitely a night worth documenting.  We then said our farewells and watched as they took leave in turn, just as they had arrived.  As they returned to the loving arms and care of our lord we knew that they would forever remain in our hearts and memories.

Summer 2011

This summer our family seemed to be on one roller coaster after the next and all without ever stepping foot into an amusement park.  If you've read my previous posts (Spring '11 T-Ball Has Ended, Alyssa is 7!,and Personal Demons) you already know that our summer began with the ending of Spring T-Ball, a birthday party for Alyssa and a trip to NOLA.  Yes the summer had begun, but it was far from over.

Upon our return from NOLA in June we decided that it would be a great time for my mother-in-law to come visit.  This would give her the opportunity to spend time and bond with Alyssa and Cayden while Dalton was away visiting with his mother for the summer.  So we packed her up with us and brought her back to Texas for a three week visit.  Here are just some of the pictures from her stay:

Towards the end of my mother-in-laws stay with us we received a phone call that once again brought us back to the NOLA area.  On the evening of July 14, 2011 I received a phone call from my mother.  Alyssa answered the phone and said "Mom, she wants to talk to you. I think she's crying."  When I took the phone I heard my mother's voice coming through in sobs and tears. She said to me "I am at your sister's house." followed by some incoherent words that I didn't quite understand.  When I asked her to repeat what she'd said she begged me not to make her, said that she couldn't then as I stood in the bedroom of my son's I heard her say "He's dead! Oh my God,Justin's dead! He killed himself!" I fell to my knees, the breath gone from my chest; words gone from my lips; thoughts gone from my mind; and the feeling gone from my body.  My mother had called to tell me that my nephew/godson was gone and that he'd taken his own life. Three days later we were headed back to the NOLA area to help my sister and brother-in-law bury their only son.

The remainder of the month of July was extremely difficult.  I was still in shock and coming to terms with the death of my nephew and I had two small children at home who were desperately trying to understand what was happening.  How do you explain to your 7 and 3 year old that the cousin they just played with three weeks prior is now gone forever and that no one knows why?  My husband and I did the best that we could in explaining things to them.  We kept no secrets, we were honest and we explained things to them before they happened so as to prepare them for what they would witness during our days in the NOLA area.  We made sure to paint the picture of the memorial services in a positive manner so as not to scare them.  We also encouraged them to ask questions and express their feelings without fear of reprimand.  Death is hard for adults to understand but it is even harder for children.

Perhaps at another time I will document a little further in detail the course of events that transpired between the time that I received that dreadful phone call and the time that we returned to Texas but for the time I will respect that it is still a fresh and open wound for my family. A wound that needs a little more time to heal.

Upon our return to Texas on the 21st of July we knew that we were going to have to come home and get our life back to as normal of a routine as possible.  School would be starting in a month and although we were hurting we had to continue on with our lives and a normal schedule for the kids.  So the remainder of our summer was spent doing just that: trying to be normal again.  We went to the drive-in theatre. We made homemade pizzas. We played at the splash grounds.  We rode dirt bikes. We just played and spent time together.