Basketball Begins

Canyon had his first basketball practice and game on Thursday. He is on the red team. Last year there were 24 players. This year 51 so they broke the group into 2. Canyon plays 6-7 and the second group plays 7-8. That works for me.

This is a picture during practice.
The other 2 are from the game.

He had a great time. He loves running up and down the court. Lots of action and great exercise for him.

I am such a bad Mom!!!

Canyon's birthday is Sunday and I haven't put anything together! He has known his b-day is coming up for the last 2 weeks too. Asking for cake and presents. GAH!!! It's been a very crazy week. We will probably just do a family thing Sunday and maybe go to the movies or something. Then have a party later. A family we would have for the party is out of town this weekend anyway and had asked if we could wait for his b-day :)

This week:

Spirit week for RMS

CPR test

Canyon's first basketball practice/game

Sahara takes the Driver's Permit test

The PHS/DHS game!!!! (unfortunately Jared's ankle is not healed enough to play :( )

Buddy Walk

Canyon's B-day

Canyon's eyes

Just got back from the eye doc with Canyon. Everything looks good. His nystagmus (shaking eyes) has no change. His cataracts have not changed, tho they give him 20/30 and 20/40 vision. And his far sightedness has no change. Doc says we could do glasses for farsightedness, but because of the cataracts, it really wouldn't help anything out and why bother with glasses because he mostly likely wont wear them. Surgery on the cataracts is something he doesnt want to do either until he sees that they are growing. For now he thinks they are something he was born with and not really a problem. So, that's it till next year.

Pottsville's Homecoming Dance

Sahara and Jared have waited a long time for this:

They finally got their first date!

Pottsville lost their game. Dardanelle won theirs. No they didn't play each other.

That's next week!

Jared rolled his ankle in practice this Thursday so he didn't get to play tonight. But he is going to hobble to the dance anyway.

After dance update:

They had a good time. They were exhausted even before the went so by 12:15, you could see tired all over their faces when they got back.

They danced with friends not just with each other, which is BIG for them and their jealousy issues. They have come a long way!

I love my little couple!!

They're too cute!!!

Here we go!....

Sahara and Jared's schools are having there Homecoming at the same time. That's frustrating for many reasons. Jared and his brother were chosen to be the Junior escorts. We will miss that because we will be at Sahara's schools game. Also, both schools are having a dance afterwards. Not really a Homecoming dance, they call it -5th Quarter- and it's directly after the game and it is come as you are. He wants to go to his. She wants to go to hers. I told them, that's fine. Go to your own. Have fun with your friends.

Turns out Jared's school canceled their dance because they only do 2 dances a semester and had a back to school dance all ready and later will do a Christmas dance or something like that. So, Jared is going to take Sahara to her dance :)

This is going to be their actual first date --- and it's this Friday :).

Our 1st ever Buddy Walk

A little boy I met 9 years ago, with his mom and grandma, in Walmart, I just got reintroduced to. He was 5 weeks old at the time. Canyon was 3. His last name was Collins as well and we were so excited that he would be going to Pottsville eventually too. We thought it will be very interesting because they look so similar and have the same last name that people, especially the kids, would assume they were brothers. That didn't happen and we never really knew where he went.

Now we do! His name is Logan and yes, he has DS too. His mom is starting a Buddy Walk and this is the first year. It's going to be the day before Canyon's 12th b-day. He lives in Dardanelle. Yep! Another Sand Lizard!

http://logansriverwalk.com/index.html

We are excited! Like Canyon, Logan is the only one in his school with DS. He does however have 2 younger brothers and a baby sister. Playmates abundant! Canyon really could use a buddy tho so we are looking forward to getting to know Logan and his family better.

We went to church today

Only for the baptism of 3 of Sahara's friends. Zach, JayMac and Tyler, all who have graced this blog in the past, got baptized this morning.

Zach was up first. He did not look nervous at all. The church was packed!

Next was JayMac. He did look nervous.

Last was Tyler.

The cake was beautiful!

Mila cut the cake and I served. No, I don't even belong to the church and never have even been there, but I jumped right in.

Jared came with us [of course :) ]

It was short and sweet. It actually took us much more then twice as long to get ready then the ceremony lasted.

After, Sahara, Jared, Canyon and I went to a new Mexican place for lunch. It was very crowded (all the after church goers tend to have lunch out on Sunday's) and the food was good, but I still prefer Las Palmas.

Jared's football picture

Looks like he has his game face on.

Don't look too closely, one of those daggers might get you!

Same ol' same

I hate that I haven't posted in awhile. Things are just the same. I turned in my very first rough draft for my first essay for class today. I'm kinda nervous....but we will see.

Sahara's grades for the first 4 weeks of school have been great! But she thinks she bombed her Biology test last week. No results on it yet.

Canyon has sinus issues lately. Hope he feels better soon. His teacher is acting odd this year too. Let you know more on that later...

The lawn is about 2 feet high but the mower has been out of whack. It's on the charger now and maybe (keeping fingers crossed!) it will start after work tomorrow so I can at least get the front done.

Happy 15th !

Sahara, Jared and I went to the movies for Sahara's b-day this year. No party, no cake. It was a very different year. Canyon stayed at Mila's because the movie Sahara wanted to see was too scary for him. Jared does not do scary movies at all so it took a lot of talking him into it and I haven't been since I was 20ish.

The Last Exorcism

In the theater waiting for the movie to start. Save your money (not that anyone was going to go see this anyway)

Out to dinner at Brangus looking at the menu.

For some reason Sahara hands the money to Jared. Did I not teach her anything???

Thank you Grandma.

And the check too??!! Thank you Grandpa.

Jared stuffs himself with peanuts. Look at Sahara's face :)

A credit card from Nana and Papa! Thanks! Looks like shes gonna hold on to that!

One from Aunt Kristy too! Thank you!

Plus a couple of nice American Eagle shirts! Thank you!

Jared's turn :)

His actual birthday is in May, days after we met him. So we blew it off back then. Now that hes a regular around here, we decided to make it up :)

Gift card to Game Stop.

He reads his card! Wow!

Awwww!

Sahara didn't have anything to do with the picture. If she had known I was doing that, she wouldn't have let me because she would have found something wrong with EVERY picture of herself. It's actually a beautiful shot. And he loves it!

Canyon enjoying his corn on the cob.

All the waitresses came to do a b-day song for the 2 of them. Sahara said she was embarrassed but Jared said he wasn't. The picture tells a different story :)

Spoon feeding each other Possum Pie.

FAIL!

After dinner we went to Hastings and got Clash of the Titans and watched that at home. That about rounds out the night.

:)

Jared came over today with a gift for Sahara.

Ed Hardy Cologne :)

(oh, and she is wearing the other Aunt Kristy shirt)

I survived!

My first online assignment (well I got it turned in and posted on the website correctly and on time anyway) and my first campus class! GO ME !!!

Foos' ball

The season is getting started and we went to Jared and Jordan's scrimmage with Two Rivers and Russellville this evening. Humidity is down so it was hot, but manageable.

Jared and Jordan play for the Sand Lizards.

Jordan 50 Jared 14

Random pictures with Jared.

Braces

Sahara has a full set in her mouth now. :) So, with hope, she will be corrected and have them off in time for Senior pictures!

Pool fixed....

.....sort of. Got the new filter up and running and after 3 days it's mostly cleared up. I will have to take test water in to see if more salt is needed. But it is swimable now.

Why do I bother ?

I guess spending $500 on a pool this summer was a total waste of money. No one really swims much. Chlorine is very expensive. I bought the saltwater system and salt but all the system does is beep at me and I now have pea soup. I dont know if the system will continue to work if it is beeping, but I left it on and will see in the morning. I think I may just be draining and tossing the whole thing. Buying season passes at the local pool would have been a whole lot cheaper....even if they never got used. :( :( :(

First Day !

Sahara was not at all looking forward to school since she is in the high school this year. But after the first day she was ok. Canyon was not wanting to get up at 6:15 in the morning but was happy to wait for the bus :) Zach was at his house and since we have several 'first day' photos with him...we called over to him to come for a picture and he did before the bus came.

Canyon 6th - Zach 10th - Sahara 10th

Dallas Trip

We headed to Dallas on Thursday morning. All went well until we got to Dallas and they were doing major construction. We ended up missing our turn off somewhere and had to drive a completely different way then the directions I brought. Luckily when we got to a gas station, the people there were very nice and helped us out and got us on the right next 5 freeways to get to the hotel. The freeways there are INSANE!

We enjoyed the pool all to ourselves Thursday afternoon and Friday too! After that for the weekend a HUGE crew for a family reunion took over the place.

We also went to the mall Thursday night.

Then Friday we headed to the Dallas Aquarium. Direction were correct and we made it there with no problem.

Canyon got to feed a toucan!

There was a Mayan dance show.

The dancers were very nice and let us take as many pictures as we wanted.

Next stop was at Ripley's.

We went to the museum and the maze of mirrors. The maze was great! Video of the maze at the bottom.

Saturday was 6 Flags day! It was extremely hot! 110 and humid. Free ice water was given out all over the park. Canyon got heat stressed and had to be taken into one of the stores for about an hour to cool off. But that caused him to pretty much be done for the day.

Trying to get cool in the shade.

Zach was crazy enough to try this...The big hang from a wire and swing thing.

It was so scary to watch. He LOVED it.