The Boys are Growing!

I'm having some moments today and did yesterday as well.  Last night was our oldest son, Joseph's first flag football game of the season.  He's played with Victory Sports in one sport or another since he was in Kindergarten.  Joseph is now in 6th grade.  This is his 6th season with Victory (spring and fall) flag football.

Here is a link to Victory Sports Outreach League.  It's a Christian league founded and run by the Pendarvis family in our church, who are Missionaries with the North American Missions Board.  Their ministry is to share the Gospel of Christ through sports.  You want to know people with big hearts?  It is them!  (Their Family Blog, with their inspiring story.)

I took this photo last night on the side lines of the game and Joseph just looked different to me all of a sudden.  Never mind that fact that last Sunday he tried on several different pair of long pants for church and could not wear a single pair!!  My child is growing!  He's almost 12.  

He's only one year away from being a teen ager.  Where did the time go?  It is flying by.

Playing with his favorite play doh at age three and a half

Then, I look to my right and I see his little brother, Philip watching the game.  He smiles at me and wants me to take his picture.  He looks different too.  It's been three months since we've been on these fields for football.  PJ is growing too.  He's 8.  

I remember when my mom used to hold him as a baby.

Then I can't help but have this thought in my mind.  I'm seeing them grow before my eyes.  I blink and they are bigger, I declare! 
Bear with me.... this grief is still so fresh in my heart.  It's a process and we are approaching 3 months without one of our favorite people in our lives.  Thanks for walking with me as I write!

What would Mom say?  She would be so proud of them.  Her boys! 
This is one of my favorite pictures of them together in February of 2012.

Mom would say something about how big they are getting.  If I can see the growth and I see them everyday, I know she would have noticed even more because she would have seen them once a week.  She always commented on how tall they were getting.

I miss seeing her every week.

They miss seeing her every week.

She would be enamored with them.  She would dote on them as she always did.  "Come, here! Give me a hug!"  Arms open wide.... "You are getting so tall!"  I can hear her voice now.  Yes, just when I feel like I'm having a good day, here is this void I'm feeling today.  The void of not sharing  my sons' growth with my mother anymore.  Yet I'm so thankful, I don't get to miss a moment with them.  Little boys are such a blessing.  One little boy would not want me calling him "little" anymore!!  He's still my baby though!

I so wish Mom could see them now.  I say that with a smile on my face, but a little tear in my eye as well.  

And I've got to take my son pants shopping!!  Being sentimental does not put pants that fit on Joseph.  Ha ha ha!  

Sure do love my sons.  Can't wait for next week's Friday night flag football game!

Running for His First Touchdown

Philip J. ran for his first touch down last night during game three of Victory Sports Flag football spring season.

What a moment for him!  

He couldn't believe he did it.  

I've seen him run those fields many times during his brother's football practices.  My son LOVES to run.  Sometimes he'll just run along the out of bound lines just because he wants to.  

He and his brother run our backyard quite a bit as well.  Big brother chasing younger brother with the football.  They keep a pretty good pace with one another.

 This was a great lesson for Philip in listening, following through, and giving your best last night.  When coach tells you to run the ball down the side lines because it is wide open and you listen and give it your best, amazing things can happen. 

Thank you Victory Sports!  Being a part of the Victory family really is a wonderful thing.  It's a an awesome setting for a child to learn team building, sports skills, and learn about the Lord all in one place.  I'm so grateful for what Greg and Mia's ministry has provided for our sons.  

Philip we are so proud of you!  Next game Thursday May 17 on the Flint Hill Fields. 

His First Flag Football Game

My little Philip is growing up....

 Time seems to go by faster now that he's almost eight.  I don't know where the time is going, I just know it's not stopping and I'm having a hard time keeping up!

It was his first flag football game ever on Friday evening.

We participate in Victory Sports, which we've been a part of since Joseph was in Kindergarten in 2006.  We started with soccer, but along the way Joseph found flag football and has never looked back.  Of course his little brother has been watching him for 4 seasons and decided just playing with the football in the backyard might not be enough.  He'd like to try being on a team.  So this season he is part of one of the 1st and 2nd grade teams.... the Falcons.  

Their team color is red.  Red is Philip's favorite color.  How cool is that for your first flag football team to be your favorite color!

It was great watching him play.  Mike's Mom, Grace, watched the game with us.  She actually did a wonderful thing for me this day by letting the boys play at her house so I could take my mother to the doctor.  She was so very kind to me!  She is just a wonderful and loving person.  The best mom in law I could ever have hoped for!  She loved seeing Philip play in his very first game!! 

My two boys are enjoying football this year so far.  I'm so happy for them.  Joseph can't ever wait for practice to start or for his games to begin.  His enthusiasm is contagious!  I hope it rubs off on Philip as time goes by!  Joseph is his number one fan!

 Here's to a great spring season! 

We Have the Victory

" But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."    1 Corinthians 15:57


Victory Sports flag football season ended tonight.  

It has been a fast eight weeks.  I can't believe it is over.  We have gone from a beautiful warm fall week, to quite a chilly night for a last game.  We were shivering on the side lines.  

The rain held off, until right after Coach P. had our last devotion and the coaches handed out trophies.  My son's prayers were answered from this morning!!  He really wanted everyone to be able to play in their season final game.

Victory Sports is like a family.  If you are ever part of this sports league, you are part of the Victory Family.  We support and pray for each other.  Families care about each other.  Kids make great friendships and learn a little about sports along the way.  

The most important part about this league is sharing 

the Gospel of Christ. 

 It is why Victory even began.  Read about who Victory Sports are on their website here.

You can even sign up for upcoming sports on their website.  Registration is open for winter basketball, cheer leading, and special needs leagues at this time. 

Mama Mia and Coach P.  (aka Greg and Mia)

Greg and Mia have huge hearts.  It shows each week in what they do.  We love being a part of such a ministry as this. 

A few favorite pics from this season.....  

Flag football has cultivated a love of being on a team in our oldest son, Joseph.  

He loves coming to practice each week to see his friends and to play the game.  We've seen his self confidence grow tremendously through playing flag football and the positive environment of Victory Sports.

A couple of weeks ago during a game, Joseph and another player from the opposite team collided.  Joseph tripped and fell down.  He hurt his ankle.  However, he got up off the field with the help of his team mate and hobbled a little bit off to the side.  He was fine a few minutes later.  He was so excited he said to be "injured on the field" and be able to say he got up and kept going.  It was a memorable moment to him.  It was like his own little victory. 

He's had a lot of little victories over past seasons.  Tonight was no exception.  Two touch downs.  One was a short pass from Coach Jeff followed by a long run.  The second was a  long pass from Coach P. himself then just a short run to the end zone!  The coaches of the team surprised Coach P. tonight, by asking him to do the honors of being their quarterback for the last part of the game.  How awesome is that!!  What a night!! Joseph catching  a pass from the biggest heart on the field.   More victory moments! 

Love you Coach P. and Mama Mia!  Thank you for providing these opportunities for our children and for God to shine each time we're on the field.

I'm sad to see the season end, BUT spring is just around the corner...... We'll keep practicing I guarantee you and another little boy might be jumping on the football band wagon for the 1st/2nd grade team. 

Gee I wonder who that might be??

His brother can teach him a lot.  He already is.

Thanking God for our victories each day!  All of us are going through family issues, financial issues, job issues, medical issues with family or ourselves and more.  It is life.  But thanks be to God that He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, that we always have HIM to depend on as we walk through life together.

Reaching for the Sky

My favorite picture from this year's Victory Sports Flag Football Season of our son, Joseph...

It's often times difficult to snap photographs of players in action.  I never know what I'm going to get.  So I just keep snapping photographs hoping I'll get some that capture special moments.

"Reach for the sky"..... 
The ball is in the air, 
the hands are outstretched,
anticipation beats in his heart, 
with gleeful expectation of the possible catch he hopes to make.

This has been a very fun season for our son.  Victory Sports is a wonderful league of which we are glad to be a part.  Joseph's joy and appreciation of the game of football came from his growing as a player in Victory Sports.  We are very thankful!

Living life purposefully.... Part 2

The flag football game.....

This afternoon, I brought my Dad to our 9 year old son, Joseph's, flag football game with Victory Sports.  This was his first time coming to any of Joseph's games.  And he loved it!  I assisted him through the not so even dirt/grass parking lot to the field.  He did a great job with his walker, but I was still cautious because I did not want him to fall.  We sat in camp chairs at the edge of the field.  It has been a beautiful fall day.  There was a breeze and it felt like fall, yes finally!  My husband was on the field helping to coach defense and referee for our son's team.  Our youngest, Philip was sitting next to me and then Granddad next to him.  

Then it dawned on me.... 3 generations were sitting on that field watching this game.  How wonderful....
AND how often does this happen in my immediate family?  Rarely.  The health issues are too great and have been for over 2 years, but today God helped to make this a good day for my Dad and for us.   Not all days are good days and we are thankful for the good ones.  


My dad was intently watching jersey #10.  "That's my boy!" he says out loud.  "Go get 'em! I'm proud of you!  You're doing a great job out there son." 

That's my dad.  And a part of him that I love.

He's always been our cheerleader in life.  Always encouraging, sharing that wonderful gift of the attitude "You can do it!" 
And if we fall or fail, he's the first one to say, "Perhaps it will be better next time, and even if it isn't. Guess what?  I still love you."  


That speaks volumes to me and my heart.   


Joseph's team won their game.  And they were so excited.  I'm not sure if my dad really was keeping up with the score.  He was too busy trying to keep track of Joseph on the field I think.  But he enjoyed himself immensely.  And I'm glad we made time to bring him to the game.  We may try it again this season.  There are 5 games left.


It was a "living life purposefully" type afternoon for me.  Time is so short especially when you are talking about parents that are aging with health issues that are unpredictable and kids that are growing up way too fast for my liking.  




To be continued......