Improvement

 I have learned a lot over time about improvement. As time goes on and one continues to work hard at something, there will most likely be an improvement. Sometimes it takes longer to see, like a few years at least, or sometimes it will take a lot less time. 

I have seen some improvements in areas of our lives that are so rewarding to see! 

Jason works hard in our yard and our grass is definitely improving. Overseeding, fertilizing, mowing, and watering have taken high priority in his schedule. It has paid off!

Victoria's foot has been improving and from what she tells me, her jumps in dance and her throws at track are becoming even better than they were before her injury. I can't wait till competition season and track season to see the fruits of her labor!

Erik's soccer team, I just learned yesterday, is at level A, rather than level B like they were last season. Since they came in 2nd last season, they moved up a level. I had no idea till I overheard him and his friends discussing it at church yesterday. They're still at level B, so we won't be playing them this season, but probably next season since they're 1st at their level. That also explains the losses in the last few games. We've been playing so well, but are playing really hard teams, so we have lost the past 3 or 4 games. Those losses will help us improve next season!

Go Sharks!

Kai is in the second year of color guard and has already improved so much! There are some new tosses that she's learned with the flag that are really hard. Also, her confidence level is so much higher in her performances! I can see it in her moves and facial expressions. The best example of that is the competition from last weekend in Novi. I went up the 20 minutes to watch the performance and was so glad that I did. During the final section, Kai was the only color guard member on the field with the rest of the band, twirling her flag like a pro and performing her heart out. I wasn't planning on taking any pictures during that particular performance, so I didn't sit in a very good location for that. When I realized that she was performing a solo, I started snapping a few pics real quick. When I returned home, I exclaimed to Jason that I had no idea that she had a solo! When Kai returned a few hours later, she told us that the accidental solo she performed was because the rest of the color guard, minus her and another guard member, have a quick change, and apparently none of them got changed quickly enough. So Kai went out when they were supposed to and did her thing, all alone! The other member who didn't have a quick change is a freshman, so was a little nervous to go out without the others. I don't even know when the rest went out, but you couldn't tell that anything was unplanned. Kai did it with her head held high! They even got 3rd place last week! Two days ago, they came in second!

Here's when I realized she was the only one out there. I was in the very front, but had these bars in my way!

You can see her flag there on the left. She travels 30 yards through this section of the performance as well, so not only was she alone with her flag, but she went from the 20 to the 50 yard line!

I posted on social media about Austin's great improvement: the most improved cross-country male runner of all five middle schools! I knew he had been improving because at each meet he PR'd and the first one was a few minutes compared to last year. I was so proud of the effort he was putting into it. He set a good pace for each run and then would kick it in gear for the last leg to the finish line. After the district meet, I commented on how he was probably one of the most improved at Discovery Middle School (he has a friend who was always in the top 5 or 10 last year and is the very first this year, so I think he improved a lot as well). The day after the district meet, Victoria's history teacher, who is the high school cross country coach and knows all the stats, especially of the kids going to the high school next year, pulled her aside and told her that her brother was "the most improved male cross country runner this season"! He went from 106th place last year in the district meet to 17th this year.

It was a cold and wet day, so I didn't get many good shots during the race.

He also improved his hair! (We liked it before, but the perm is fun too!)

Everyone has done so well in keeping at their hobbies! So proud of everyone's efforts!

Fall Visit

 Fall is a great time to visit us in Michigan. Grandpa Dave and Grandma Mary Lou made another fall visit with us just recently. Besides celebrating Victoria's 18th birthday with us, we enjoyed a few other things with them here.

The kids actually had off of school on Friday, the 7th. It was a professional development day, so they got to chill with Grandma and Grandpa that morning while I went to work, as Red Bell doesn't usually get off on those PD days. I know they enjoyed relaxing, visiting, and Kai making waffles. When I returned, my dad and Mary Lou helped me take out the tomatoes, since we were going to have some freezing weather. They even got to take some green ones home and are now enjoying them as they ripen!

We went to a cider mill when everyone had their laundry done and things in order. Jason got to come with us because we left later than we had initially planned, due to the laundry that Victoria and Kai needed to do. This meant, unfortunately, that Kai couldn't join us because of plans made with friends for that evening. At least we were able to ride to Northville in one car! We even got to see the Downtown Northville skeleton display on the way back and the early Friday evening music that they were playing.

We used to go to this cider mill when the kids were little and they would play on this train.

Edward Scissorhands skeleton!

Spiderman skeleton at the top of the pole!

It was good to have downtime on Friday because Saturday started bright and early with Erik's soccer game in the cold. They played hard but unfortunately lost to their opponent who had a very lively coach and may not have let his team hear the end if they had lost to us. He was pretty brutal with his words!

He's a tough defender!

After lunch, we left for the invitational cross-country meet that Austin was participating in. That was a first for us and we had no idea what we were doing or where we were going. Plus, Austin was running as an individual because his school wasn't running in it, but it was highly encouraged by Salem High, where he'll be attending next year. Even though he was scrambling to find the right place to check in up to the last moment, he ran a fantastic race, shaving time off of his previous PR and feeling great doing it!

Austin's in the gray.

Always running in different middle schools as Owen, but they'll be together at Salem next year!

That evening was Victoria's party, which we left during part of for Kai's community performance with the marching band. It was fun to watch the progress they have made since the last one and as they prepared for their next competition. 

Sunday was a nice relaxing day with just church, and Monday Austin and Erik got McDonald's for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. They were super excited about that! Then all of a sudden, Austin felt completely awful with aches and pains, ending up with a fever of 102.7! Since it came on so suddenly, we were a little afraid of what it could be, and getting the grandparents sick. He ended up missing 3 days of school as it developed into a double ear infection and he couldn't sleep well at night because of that. He actually got prescribed amoxicillin, surprisingly since they never do for ear infections anymore, and has been improving. 

Watching a football game!

Victoria's birthday was in the previous post and we enjoyed having Grandma and Grandpa here for that. On Wednesday we just walked around Downtown Plymouth a bit after I got off work to enjoy the pumpkin displays there before the next morning when they left. 

Grandpa's karate chop in Downtown Plymouth!

We're so glad we got to spend time with them!

Adulting

 Somehow, we made it to Victoria's 18th birthday. True her typical excitable, social, never-ending-need for fun personality, Victoria could not wait until she turned 18 and became an adult! She especially couldn't wait for her birthday party, which of course we still held - why stop when you love your friends so much?

It was a busy day for me, so she did the decorating and a lot of the cleaning and planning, though I helped plan a few games since we had to change the venue of the party.

We were originally planning on having it at the park, but with her high ankle sprain and the need to wear a boot, we didn't think running around the park and playing sports all evening long would be the best idea, so we changed it to our house.

It was made even more special by the fact that Grandpa Dave and Grandma Mary Lou happened to be in town for their yearly visit. (See more specific details in the next post on their visit).

We served pizza, all forms of spicy chips (Takis, Hot Cheetos, Jalapeno Potato Chips), carrots, grapes, Fresca, and brownies. The teens ate, chatted, played a few games, jumped on our trampoline, and then left for the park in our neighborhood (because why not?). During that time, I went with my Dad and Mary Lou and Jason to see Kai's community performance for the marching band. Austin and Erik were still at home to help "supervise". Though apparently there was some drama caused by some of the boys attending the party. Yes, you heard that right- drama from the boys, not the girls! I think the party overall was super fun, but the drama put a little damper on it and Victoria wasn't happy at church the next day. However, by the time Tuesday rolled around and she was an official "adult", things had been smoothed out and she felt much better. She also decided that since she was 18, she shouldn't let those younger friends of hers get under her skin so much.

On her birthday, she brought cinnamon rolls to seminary and enjoyed a delicious Puerto Rican dinner that Jason made. After school, Grandma Mary Lou and I accompanied her to Ulta for her free gift, where she got a bonus gift from Grandma as well. She went to dance class that evening to see her friends there, even though she wasn't quite ready to dance yet, due to her injury. She enjoyed all the cards and gifts that were sent by friends and loved ones. She really does love all her friends and family and considers everyone to be her favorite. That girl has a huge heart!

The miracle of her ankle sprain is this: she went to do baptisms at the temple the week before her birthday and immediately afterwards, felt a difference in her ankle, for the better. When she went there with her boot on, they told her she didn't need to get in the water, but she wanted to do the work for her ancestors and experience the blessings that come from that. The boot is removable, so it was easy for her to take it off. She hobbled in with difficulty, but when she came out, she could feel a difference. She still wore the boot and iced it as much as she could. Two days ago, just 10 days after attending the temple, I felt her leg and the lump is gone! It was still very prevalent 10 days earlier, but not now! We have a smaller wrap for her to wear now to make sure she doesn't reinjure it at track practice or dance, but we are so happy for the miracle of healing that came to her in the temple and as she continued to take care of herself. What a special birthday blessing!

I can't wait to see what is in store for her for the rest of her senior year and the next year or two as she begins a new chapter in her life. She's also excited to vote next month! Happy 18th Birthday, Victoria!

Before the party

Party Attendee's Shoes!

Birthday morning!

They got her a watch!

Nice perfume!

PR Pork!

Coupon for throwing shoes!

Discus bag

Kai got her a gift card and a candle.

Guess who can blow out 18 candles in one breath? This big-mouthed, large-lung beauty!

Doubles!

Younger and Younger

 My kids are getting jobs younger and younger. Victoria got her first job at Plato's Closet when she was 16. She now works at Red Bell once a week in the afternoon and sporadically at Jumparam on Saturdays as a coach there. Kai was 15 as a new hire at The Ninja's Edge, working as a coach. They are so easy to work with because they let the kids take off for a few months during their busy sports time and then continue on when the busyness dies down. Kai works here and there when it's not a full practice schedule during a week.

Austin earned his referee certificate and is now a sideline ref for soccer, at age 13! At this rate, Erik will be getting his first job when he turns 11 in a couple of months...!

In all seriousness, Austin worked really hard to certify over the summer. He had to do a bunch of online training and then Jason had to drive him a couple of hours away to complete an in-person training. We ordered his uniform, which he got last week, just in time to ref a game on Thursday. And guess who's game it was - Erik's!

Austin didn't think he could ref his brother's game, but the game was supposed to be Tuesday and had to be rescheduled to Thursday because of a lack of refs. I would have intervened then and signed him up to ref that one, but he had a band rehearsal for the Band Night on Friday. When I saw that Erik's game desperately needed refs for Thursday, I emailed the ref scheduler and told him that Erik's brother could, and he agreed! Austin's friend Sam was the other sideline ref and Sam's neighbor, a high schooler, was the main ref! Austin was on the line across from us so Jason and I didn't have to focus too closely on him and interfere with his job with any parental comments. 

It was a very exciting game because Erik's team (the Sharks) was playing the best team at their level. The Sharks are always one or two behind, but the Tigers always beat them pretty solidly. Well, this game was a little tighter. We were even winning by 1 at one point. I could see the other parents and coach starting to get worried. They're not used to losing. They pulled through in the end and beat us by only 1, but it was a very exciting game and Erik made 2 very good defensive saves that the goalie may or may not have been able to get, once the ball made it back another couple feet. 

Our coach was ecstatic that we had such a close game with such a good team. Jason and I enjoyed watching the younger boys play and the older boys ref. 

Austin's excited about this super fun job!

Austin, across the field doing his job.

I didn't get pictures of Erik's amazing saves, but here are some good ones.