HOT LAVA!

So as you may know Jay is coaching Jaxon's Upwards team but he is also coaching Kenna's team which in his own words is "WAY different than coaching boys". Kenna absolutely LOVES having her daddy as her coach, something she has wanted for a long time and she seems to really be loving basketball. She even told Jay yesterday that she liked it more than cheer leading (how can this be!!!????). Jaxon is so focused and knowledgeable about the game and has really great body control and can do whatever you tell him to do. Jay coaches by using basketball terms with the boys but with the girls its a whole different ball game! He came home last night to tell me that he was trying to teach the girls a lay up drill where they run wide to the hoop as apposed to straight up the middle, but the girls didn't seem to be getting. So he explains again that they need to stay out of the key and just before he was about to blow the whistle to start the drill Kenna yells "Just a second, Just a second"....pause "Its like its Hot Lava and we need to stay out of it!"......"Right" Jay says and then they all got it!

Marley & Me

We just got home from seeing Marley & Me and it was so cute! And so true to life. I laughed at Jennifer Aniston at the end of her rope with the crying babies & barking dog, because Ive been there...more than once I hate to admit. So much about that movie seemed as though I had lived it...not so much the dog part because....well, honestly, Daisy has been a dream! Yes she chews things up and sometimes barfs on the floor, but she is so loving and sweet with the kids,with all of us. But the thing that caught me off guard was not that Marley dies in the end but when "Jenny & Jon" are at the doctor to see their first ultrasound and they find out that the baby has no heart beat....gulp....I lost it. It will be six years in April that I miscarried our 3rd child and to be honest I haven't cried over that for probably 5 1/2 years. I don't know why...I know the Lord has a plan and it didn't include that child in our lives and Ive always been OK with that and I still am, but when I saw the look on the actresses face it pierced my soul and so much came flooding back. I spent the rest of the evening thinking about what our life would be like had I not miscarried, how I would have a 5 1/2 year old. Would it have been a boy or a girl? All things I wont experience in this lifetime. Either my hormones are extremely out of whack or as a mom I will always carry that feeling of loss with me. How strange for it to pop up during a movie about a dog, I know...but it made me think about that little someone that I hope I will meet someday in heaven. It also made me think about how strange it is to loose something so much a part of you and yet because of that loss I have Huddy & Ty and I may not have them had the miscarriage not happened...that I am SO thankful for. You'd think after coming home from a movie about a dogs life with a great family I would have come home and hugged Daisy (I did =)) but mostly I wanted to scoop my 4 babies up into my arms and sob. God is good, He always is, and He always will be. Thank you Lord for this reminder, for this memory that came flooding back, and for being there for me 6 years later.

AAU Basketball

This was Jaxon's first season of AAU basketball and it was much more like real basketball! As much as I love Upwards there is just a different level of intensity that comes with AAU ball. And the kids actually play a position, run plays, foul, steal the ball, and GET into it! Or maybe I should say I GET into it! He plays for the Meridian Wolf pack and considering that they have only been together for 5 weeks they did pretty dang good! This weekend they played in a tournament with just 4th graders (last tourney was against 5th graders...boy, one year makes a difference). So they actually won two of the 4 games that they played! This was a BIG deal! Its great to see the boys get a taste of success when they have worked so hard the last few weeks.

Jaxon had an awesome weekend. He plays point guard and can dribble through just about anything! He had 11 points in the last game and considering they only scored 31 total, that's great! He had 4 or 5 steals for lay ups, really learned how to draw the foul and had some awesome assists! He even threw up a shot at the half time buzzer and it went in! The crowd went wild....you would have thought we just won the championship! I have to say, I never thought 4th grade basketball could be so exciting! I get giddy just thinking about it!

But what impresses me most is the incredible attitude my son has. Jay and I just look at each other and wonder where he got that from! He is all smiles win or loose and he asked Jay after the last game "what could I work on to get better dad?". And he really wants to know! Considering he is one of the best players on the team that's amazing to me. He's not a ball hog, but he's not afraid to keep shooting even if he misses. I hear him after every game encouraging his other team mates, telling them what they did great out there. There is no pride, or arrogance just a teachable spirit and a true love for the game. Oh, Lord, I pray he keeps this attitude! What an inspiration he is to me and Jay.

#3, Point Guard for the Wolfpack....Jaxon Huuuuuughes!

Free Throw shot...yeah....it went in!

Antoher Free Throw

From the Foundation, Up!

Last week Foundations Academy held an open house for anyone who wanted to come walk the framed halls of the new school building. So of course we had to be there! They had hot chocolate to drink for everyone (good thing...it was BRRRRRR cold), and sharpie markers to use so that the kids and parents could write their names and favorite verse on the framed building. It was so fun! The kids loved finding where their classes will be next year and even Ty and Huddy had fun running through the kindergarten rooms. Huddy wrote and H on the wall and Ty wrote a T! We are so excited that this new building is literally right across the street from our subdivision! What a blessing from the Lord!

The kids in the halls of Foundations!

Little boys in Kindergarten room...someday boys, someday...

Kenna's markings

Jaxon writing on the door post of the 4th grade room.

Oh, how we cant wait for the fall of 2009!

December Recap

Since December was such a whirlwind I'm going to have to recap all that we did!

The day after we got home from Yakima we started decorating for Christmas. The day Jay and the kids put the lights up on the house it was almost 55 degrees! Since it was so warm we had chili out on the front porch for lunch! The kids loved this!

Here they are on the roof!

Aren't they funny!

While they were all outside putting up lights I was inside decorating the house with Christmas music blaring!

I worked on homemade Christmas gifts.

We had lots of snow to play in!

The kids had a blast in all the snow!!!

We hosted our HFG's Christmas party!

Steph and I spent a whole day making soups!

We went to the Botanical Gardens' Winter Garden festival! Beautiful!

We went to a Blazer game in Salt Lake with Jaxon, Kenna and the Turners. Fun but fast.

The Day the whole family arrived in Boise we had a little party to watch BSU in the Poinsettia bowl....slightly disappointing, but fun to hang out and have football food together!

Look at these cuties!

Christmas Eve Day we put our Gingerbread House and Gingerbread Train together!

Christmas Eve we went to Calvary Chapels Christmas Eve service that was wonderful and then over to Chad & Bridgette's for dinner and presents.

The kids waiting so patiently for their first present!

Tyson LOVED his new football slippers...he just had to dance around in them for us!

We hosted Christmas Day at our house so we started off the morning with the kids opening their stockings by the fire. We then spent the morning getting ready for lunch with the rest of the family. We had a WONDERFUL prime rib dinner with lots of yummy sides to go with! We finished lighting our advent wreath and spent the day hanging out with family.

On Christmas Day evening we went over to the Moffatt's for their annual (we make it when we are in town) Christmas play done by kids only! Its such a great way for the kids to remember the story of Christ's birth! It was so fun!

Singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!

Our last night together we went bowling down at Westies, then drove up to Quail Ridge to check out the most decked out holiday house in Boise and then back to the Hughes dome to for chili and corn bread. It was a great way to end our time together before Mom, Dad, and the Grandparents headed back to Yakima.