Merry Christmas!

In typical fashion, our kids wanted to be home for Christmas. We LOVE this about them!

New on our tradition list was Christmas Eve service with Jimmy at his new church.  They had a mini parent, TONS of music and cookies. Jimmy knew all the pastors and some of his friends were there too. In fact, 2 of the kids in the pagent are Tom's kids at school and he also ran into a fellow teacher. Small world. It was fun to see Jimmy finding his faith and church community.

We kept it really low key with a fantastic lamb chop dinner, kids champagne and matching ugly sweaters (Tom gave us all a Christmas Eve gift of ugly sweaters - cute).  We laughed, talked and Kay even let us take her photo AND she's smiling!  Best. Gift. Ever.

Before they went to bed, the kids did rock paper scissors to see what time they would get up.  The boys wanted earlier (9) and Kay wanted later (11). Jimmy won and set the wake up time for 9:00am.

By the time we actually got everyone up, it was 9:30, we had cinnamon rolls ready and the kids attacked their stockings.

Then, it was off to the main event.  The kids are getting to an age where they dont really want much, but what they do want is expensive.

Billy had asked for a gaming laptop as a combination birthday/xmas gift.  Since the kid almost never asks for anything, we had to find a way to make it happen.  I looked around for reconditioned laptops and had great luck at Device PitStop (again!).  He was thrilled and has been on it non stop since.

Jimmy wanted pants, a bible and a t-shirt for St Johns Football. We also got him a pair of Birks so that he can stop wearing Tom's.  Kay gave him the bible which is the ultimate in irony.

Kay wanted a puppy.  A teacup chorkie puppy to be exact (chihuahua and yorkie mixed). She was on puppy websites for 8 weeks and finally wore me down.  We didnt actually get her a puppy but gave her a promise of a puppy.  We agreed to a mixed breed or rescue small (not teacup) puppy.  Now we just need to have the "right" puppy come along. We did fill out an adoption application for the cutest mixed breed sheltie puppies and are being considered. Its an 8 week process and I am in no hurry;)

Tom and I got things we needed, which was just fine with us.  Books, weights and clothes.

Post the present opening, we headed to Brigid's to see her family, Tom's mom and dad and their good family friends.  We had prime rib, aunt minnies, salad, stuffing....the whole feast. The kids had a great time playing pool and Kay and Charlie are 2 peas in a pod.  Kay was thrilled when Charlie said that Kay was her favorite cousin.  They ended the day either watching football or playing Sequence.

All in all, it was a wonderfully relaxed, happy, fun and family holiday.

We have so much to be grateful for. We are blessed.

Getting ready to open our Christmas Eve Surprises, we were watching Lucy for Wendy and Annemiek. For some reason Nikki boycotted the photo

My newest and most favorite picture of us. It perfectly shows what a great day we had.

My boys

lamb chops - yes, that was just for the 5 of us. We did bring some to Tom's mom as a present the next day - its her favorite

Stuffing and roast broccoli 

brussel sprouts onions and bacon

The finished product

For Santa and the reindeer.  Substations this year - raspberries instead of grapes for Blitzen and wine instead of coffee for Santa 

Christmas morning!

Stocking!

Stocking!

Stocking 

Kay hiding and Jimmy loving the bible she gave him

Billy being silly and thrilled with his gift

We LOVE our gifts!

The Murphys!!

Billy Baloo - 14 yrs old!

 

Happiest of birthdays Billy! Wow, I cant believe you are 14 years old!  The time is just flying by and its so fun to see your personality continue to develop and your interests expand. You are still a deep thinker and man of few words and we are so so so glad you are part of our family.

 

When we celebrated last night every said 2 good things about you and they were dead on...

Smart, kind, funny, calm, loves animals, caring, a good friend, curious ....

 

I would also add that you …

• love to know how things work
• enjoy music (you really like the 2nd seat in violin and I caught you playing guitar for fun the other night)
• really enjoy your ALM class (a class where its self directed learning and you get to "make" stuff)
• are a big reader, I love that you always are reading at least 1 book
• and are a gamer, you play online with friends and they all seem to games where there is a puzzle to be solved
• are patient
• see the big picture and don't let too many things bother you
• are having growing pains (hoping this is the big growth spurt!)
• are about to turn into a full fledge teenager, I just got my 1st eye roll and getting you to take off your headphones to actually talk to me is a miracle some days

We are so very lucky and blessed that your birth parents and foster parents were loving and had your best interests in mind.  We hope we are living up to their expectations and we KNOW that they'd be proud of you.  You are an amazing human being. 

 

We love you.



 

 

 

You LOVE to dig holes in the sand and can do that for hours (still!)

The 3 musketeers  - you are all such amazing friends and amazing athletes

You are so tough too! Smiling through the 1st bloody nose in sparring at the US Open this year

And smart! You regularly beat Tom and Jimmy at chess (I suspect that's because you actually play with a bit of strategy and they both play with gut instinct)

And funny - you aren't afraid to laugh at yourself too, this  trait will serve you well your whole life. 

The Gotcha Day that never was....

Kay, damn we've had a hard time celebrating your special day this year!
It was right after Thanksgiving while Daddy was on a pheasant hunting trip. We tried to celebrate when he got home that night but you were zonked out in bed. Then we tried the next night but you went out for treats with your team after practice, came home and went straight to bed (and fell sound asleep). Finally, on Friday we told you to "wait up" for us. Billy had taekwondo and Jimmy's jazz band was playing at the Depot.  You managed to stay up for us but when we tried to celebrate, you shrugged, headed to your room and fell asleep (I will say, you've gotten more sleep this week than you have had in years and I think thats really good but ... are you about to hit another growth spurt or something?!)

You did manage to eat the pie we got for breakfast and maybe we'll attempt to celebrate again during Sunday supper.

But, whether we actually get to celebrate with you or not, we can still celebrate YOU!

You are funny, clever, strong, determined, single minded, confident, gorgeous, a good friend and extremely creative.  We can not imagine our lives without you. When are you are in a good mood, there is honestly no one more fun in the whole world.  I love the friendship that is starting to form with your brothers and I'm excited to see what live has in store for you.  Whatever you put your mind to, I have no doubt that you'll succeed.

We can also be so grateful for your birth family and foster family.  I am sure that they think of you every day and wish that they could see the fierce woman you are turning into.

Kay, I love you.  Even saying that doesnt seem like a good enough description of how I feel. You are my heart. I wish for you a brilliant future and the determination to make it happen for yourself.

Love Mom (& Dad!)

The cousins! Jimmy, Kara, Joey, Lola, Astrid, Georgia, you, Rece and Herbie. Billy is missing ;(

Remember that one time you treated me to a spa day?

Zombie bride

Gorgeous

The best fisher person ever.

Ice fishing with Dad and out fishing all off us

15th bday glamping party

Our 1st photo of you 

Those cheeks!

St Pats pyramid

You have always baited, caught and cleaned your own fish

Korean squat while opening bday gifts

Beach horseback riding in costa rica 

Billy is kicking butt and taking names

The taekwondo season officially started in September with the Kicks for Cancer event and Tournament of Champions meet.  Then we had a quite weekend trip to Chicago for tournament, Olympic Sparring camp in Orlando and the South Dakota Invitational in Sioux Falls. We have been busy!!

This is Billy's last year as a cadet (age 12-14) and he's (finally) growing! (we bought him new pants in September that are already too short).  Everyone is noticing his voice has changed and he's getting a little surly around the edges (wears headphones all the time, hates to shower, drinking a gallon of chocolate milk a day ...you know ... the typical teenage boy stuff)  He's now 99 lbs and just cleared 5 ft tall. You go Billy!

This is all great news because next year he'll compete in juniors (15-17) and he needs all the momentum he can get!  (you compete in the age group that you'll be in by 12/31 of that year. Sort of a drag for Billy since he's a mid December birthday)

His fighting continues to be strategic and intentional and could use a bit more aggression. His pomsea (forms) is precise and controlled.  He consistently takes a place and is good about learning from his mistakes and losses. He loves his teammates and they have a ton of fun.

We'll let the photos and videos speak for themselves....

We love you Billy, continue to do what you love!! We love you!!

Tournament of Champions 1
Golden Point - 1st person to score within 1 minute wins - Billy lost in the last 2 seconds
Sioux Falls Pomsea 
Sioux Falls Sparring 1
Sioux Falls Sparring 2
Chicago Pomsea

Chilling and doing homework in Orlando

Tournament of Champions silver 

Ashley and Billy both take 2nd in Chicago

No one else showed up for awards so ... why NOT stand on the 1st place block?!

Getting some kicks in with Coach Moreno in Orlando

Peak Orlando Camp

The 3 stooges lunch in Orlando

Reliving his childhood, Carrabarra for dinner the night before Sea World

Peak camp is tiring

Sea World!!  Another reliving of childhood

Luckily it was warm enough to get wet

Drenched

Sharks head

Very loud and assertive sea lions

He was so bummed that he couldn't ride the mini Shamu ride over and over and over and over like he did when he was 5

Inside the aquarium

Isaac and Billy were roomies for South Dakota

Gold in pomsea in SD

The team for SD

3rd in sporting SD - these were tough matches

Gold and Bronze in SD

Relaxing post SC fights and pre-reunion dinner

Reunion!! Ian, Grace and Billy - They had an amazing time hanging out, playing cards and video games post Billys tournament in SD

Brock is just plain awesome - he'll be a black belt one day

Yep, Billy went as a box for Halloween. He made it himself....

Football 2018 in Review

Starting in February Jimmy began one on one trying at The Base Sports Performance Center.

Monday-Friday 2 hours a day strength and condition and speed and agility, intense football focused work out, he never missed a day for 4 months. He started the summer football camp circuit at 6.2 and 215lbs.

There were several camps including the Team USA, Sound Mind and Sound Body, 2 Gophers, the Badgers, and Bemidji State rounded off the camps. They were all fun, focused and all about recruiting. Jimmy's take away from the camps was that he must have been doing pretty good if each coach he worked with wanted to follow Jimmy on Twitter .

Team summer practice was run mostly by the Captains/ Seniors with the coach only being able to attend a certain number of days, and of course Jimmy was the first one there and the last one to leave, every single day. The team then ended the summer preseason with a trip to South Dakota for a weekend football camp. Hopkins has never done well in these camps and historically finishes in last place. There are usually 5 or 6 teams that go through a series of drills, skills and games. This year Hopkins came in first! Jimmy and the team were beyond excited.

Two a days began the second week of August. Jimmy was practicing on both sides of the ball. On offense he was in the tight end spot and slot receiver and on defense left end and outside linebacker. Needless to say he was having a ball. Then in the last week of practice he got his finger caught in a kids shoulder pad and broke his finger. He was in a cast for two weeks and was cleared to play with a cast. Once we got through that same set back he was good to go and go he did.

The games were all somewhat the same meaning...the team that made the least mistakes won. Jimmy has several catches for big yards and first downs and blocked for just about everyone.

He was very focussed and involved in each game. He led the team onto the field, he ran to the crowd to get them into the game and stood first in line at each and every game, home and away and sang the Star Spangled Banner, every time.

The best part for us as parents is that he still has to come home from the game win or loose and explain the entire game to us, he can't go to bed with the debriefing, it is awesome.  He continues to be extremely passionate about football but at least we can get him out of the car when they lose (vs in 4th grade when he'd cry in the car for hours).

Melanie (girlfriend) would come to many of the games and cheer on Jimmy - they are pretty cute.

So what's next, College visits. So far the University of South Dakota (SDSU) invited Jimmy out for a game day experience. We toured the new stadium, practice facilities and were on the field before the game. The school had all his films and stats and even had him take a picture in a JackRabbits jersey that just happened to be the same number he wore at Hopkins, coincidence, I think not! We have heard back from St. Thomas, St Johns and are waiting a a few others. He's sent his info to Drake, Baylor, Davidson and the University of Dayton. He's looking for a school where he can play football, study political science and jazz. This spring will be busy. Currently he is focussing on weight training and studying for the ACT.
We are proud of him and his accomplishments this Junior year!  He's definitely got goals and is focused. He's got the world by the tail right now;)
More to come....

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