Blogging hasn't been high on my priority list (once again). But I am really going to try to do better this year (yeah, right!) However, I started getting the "blogging bug" again after watching Julie & Julia. I am by NO means going to do a diary of cooking through a cookbook -- I am not a cook, don't enjoy cooking, and don't want to enjoy cooking! So, what could I blog about every day? I don't know. I'll have to think about that. Maybe the best place to get a chicken sandwich (Chick-fil-A) or cheese-filled jalapenos (Sonic) or Tortilla Soup (Chuy's)...I could go on and on!!
Anyhow, here's my recap of 2009. Maybe next year, it won't be too far into 2011 before I do it again!
JANUARY: Connor and Colby were both busy with baseball practices and even played in a tournament each this month. The Hooks were working hard at fundraisers raising money for the trip to Cooperstown, NY scheduled for August. Connor attended his first RUSH weekend, or for us old folks, Disciple Now. He had a blast! The boys and I went to a Go Fish concert at church -- a kids Christian band out of Canada. I continued working at our church's Mother's Day Out program. Chris didn't go out of town once this month!!
FEBRUARY: Baseball practices and tournaments in Cy-Fair and Beaumont filled our month. Chris only had to travel to Dallas this month.
MARCH: Colby played in a tournament at Doss Field and Connor played at Spring/Klein. Chris was offered a job in January with a different company. After much thought, discussion and prayer, we decided to go for it. He ended up getting to take off a few weeks in March before starting his new job at Weatherford. Lots of little projects got done around the house!
APRIL: Mom Ann and Popcycle came to see the boys play some ball! Chris began traveling again -- this month to Ft. Worth, England and Austria. Chris and I had a "blast from the past" lunch with two friends from High School/College -- Kurt and Carrie Staller. The boys played in Cy-Fair and Spring/Klein tournaments.
MAY: Grandma and Papa came for a weekend of baseball -- Colby at Doss Field and Connor at Baseball USA. Connor played at Baseball USA again this month as well as in Beaumont. The end of the year Mother's Day Out program ended my career for the year. Connor turned 13!!
JUNE: School ended on the 4th; however, the boys didn't attend their last day of school. Instead, we loaded into the car and drove to Chama, NM to celebrate my parent's 40th Anniversary. My sister, her family, our grandmother, mom and dad, and the four of us met at the Elk Horn Lodge -- one place my parents stayed on their honeymoon 40 years before. We all rode the Cumbres/Toltec Railroad and ended the day at a chuckwagon cookout. A fun, fun weekend. The boys went on the Albuquerque with Grandma and Papa while Chris and I spent a night in Santa Fe. We met up with them in Albuquerque where I stayed for the rest of the week after taking Chris to the airport to do a tour of Singapore, England, Abu Dhabi, and Paris. The boys and I drove back to Houston in time for Vacation Bible School and a couple more tournaments. Chris got back in town in time to go and see his idol, Eric Clapton in concert.
JULY: A quieter month on the baseball front -- only one tournament in League City for Connor. Still practicing, though, to not get rusty! Chris and I took a whirlwind trip to Albuquerque for my 20th High School Reunion. Had so much fun reconnecting with all who attended!
AUGUST: About a year before, Connor's baseball team, the Hooks, decided to play a weeklong tournament in Cooperstown, NY. These tournaments are only open to 10-year-olds and 12-year-olds. We were given the week of August 7-14 to compete against 103 other 12-year-old teams from around the US. The boys raised over $20,000 to help with the costs and created a lifetime of memories! Chris's parents and sister and brother-in-law joined us for a week of baseball in the picturesque surroundings. It was an amazing week. Since we were so close to New York City, we decided to spend five days sight-seeing and being true tourists. We saw so much and loved everything about NYC! Statute of Liberty, Ellis Island, Chinatown, Little Italy, World Trade Center Site, Central Park, museums, Time Square, etc. -- so much fun!! I even got to go to a taping of Live With Regis and Kelly!! Got to check one off my "goals in life" -- seeing Regis in person! We went to The Lion King on Broadway, ate wonderful food and even camped outside of David Letterman's studio and were feet away from the guests for the night which included Donald Trump. Unfortunately, we are not self-made millionaires and had to go back to reality of work and...school! School started on the 24th where Colby became a 3rd grader and Connor an 8th grader.
SEPTEMBER: Connor decided to play football again for his Junior High while still doing baseball. We spent the Labor Day weekend at the lake house of some dear friends -- fun relaxing day on their boat where the boys couldn't get enough tubing and jet skiing. No rest from baseball -- tournaments and practices still in full swing! Grandma came in to watch Connor play football and then...
OCTOBER: ...she and I left for Canton's First Monday Trade Days. We met my sister and had a blast of a weekend shopping, shopping, eating and shopping some more. This was our celebration for mom's one year anniversary since her Stem Cell Transplant. In between Canton and Halloween was lots of baseball and football and trying to fit some homework in as well. Chris ended up being in Germany at the end of the month and missed another Halloween at home. Connor decided he was too big to dress up this year; but, Colby was a scary biker dude.
NOVEMBER: Chris was still in Germany the first week of the month. Connor ended his football career with no injuries(!) and the team record of 5-0-1. The Hooks went to Pflugerville, TX for the State Tourney and took 1st place -- leaving them 4th in the nation! The Hooks then went on to take a SIX WEEK BREAK!!!!!! Colby's team did not take a break; but it did give us a few nights off every week. Every year we meet my parents and sister and her family for Thanksgiving. This year my dad decided that we as a family needed to do a service-type project. I found the Mission Arlington in Arlington, TX who feeds about 5,000 people on Thanksgiving Day. We all met in Irving and spent Thanksgiving morning delivery food to those who were in need. I think the grandkids got a sense of how lucky they are and as they get older, we will be able to do even more volunteering that will hopefully make them more aware of their blessings. The day after Thanksgiving was spent at the Ft. Worth Stockyards where the kids had a ball and finished the day at the Stockyard Rodeo.
DECEMBER: Connor had been having horrible knee pains for about a year and since he was on a break, we decided to see an Orthopedic. As it turns out, he has Patella Tendonitis -- overuse of his knees and flat feet has caused this. He is in physical therapy and wearing lifts in his shoes and bands around his knees when he is active. We aren't sure what the future holds as far as his catching in baseball; but, hopefully these things will help ease the pain. Our dentist has also been telling us he needs braces; so, we have begun that journey as well. He got his spacers in and is experiencing the wonderful world of soreness right now. Chris traveled to Poland for a week, was home two days and off again to Germany. So much traveling and time off for New York had us staying home for Christmas. We had a nice, quiet time here enjoying our family of four. My parents came in on the 26th to celebrate a belated Christmas and Colby's 9th birthday.
2009 was very good to us and we feel very blessed because of it. I pray 2010 will be just as good and may we all enjoy life a little more each day!
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