During the month of January, Kyler was able to play on his first sports team! There was a local basketball league for the elementary kids, and it was a lot of fun! We were going to let him play t-ball or something while we lived in Lubbock, but it was really expensive (like $125, ridiculous). So he never played. I was shocked when they told us the basketball league cost $10 and that included the t-shirt!! Wow! We did have to pay $1 to get in every game, but that didn't break the bank either! Kenney volunteered to coach his team as long as no one else could do it. Well of course they picked Kenney. He was the coach for the kindergarten and first grade purple team! We were really surprised that Kenney was the only male coach, not that there is anything wrong with that, we just thought there would be more dads involved. I think it was safe to say that the kids had more fun than Kenney, but it was fun for him too! Kyler liked the first practice, but after the first game he didn't like it because he couldn't shoot without being blocked. Welcome to real basketball Kyler! You are no longer the biggest, playing against your two little brothers!! Haha! Towards the end of the season he started to have a lot more fun with it.
During the first couple games, Kyler pretty much avoided everyone on the court. He didn't want anyone to touch him, and he sure wasn't going to touch anyone else! He was without a doubt, the first one back when the ball changed possessions. He was definitely one of the fastest kids out there every game!! He didn't get the ball very much even though he was one of the better shooters. By the last game, I was afraid he might not get a chance to make a basket. However, during his last turn on the court he made a shot!!! I was so excited for him!! He didn't show much emotion, but he was really happy!! He also kinda played defense during the last game. He at least got close enough to touch people!! Next year it should be really fun to watch Kyler and Damon play together!!
PS~ These pictures are not very good. I was trying to control two crazy little boys dying to play basketball and holding a baby, so my picture taking really suffered!!
Not unusual to catch him alone without anyone else around!
Notice where the ball is and where all the other kids are looking... except Kyler!!!
During Kyler's first game he got blocked while taking his first shot, as seen here. It made him pretty hesitant to get close to all the other players after that. Eventually he got comfortable enough to shoot again!
First one back and no clue where the ball is!
I got super excited when this happened. Kyler got the ball on a fast break and was alone dribbling the ball. He can run faster than he can dribble so the ball got behind him, but he did shoot a basket all alone. I was bummed when he didn't make it, but he just got too excited and nervous at the same time, so he didn't shoot his best shot!
Warming up before a game.
These kindergarten and first graders were so much fun to watch. They were clueless to pretty much everything going on, but they all had so much fun!!
Kenney did a great job coaching! All the kids loved him, and he made it fun for all of them. It was impressive how much better the team got as the month progressed!
I told Kyler to get with one of his friends after the last game to get a picture. He just stepped slightly closer to the kid next to him, whom he hardly knows, and faked a smile. This is Kyler and TJ.
The team picture. Kyler really wasn't as small as he looks in this picture. The first graders were definitely bigger, so it will be fun to watch next year!
This is the beginning of the first game. Our team, which really wasn't very good, was playing the best team! Our kids still hadn't figured out how to throw the ball in or learned to not steal it from one another! Towards the middle of the month we had kids doing "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" to pick which kid to throw the ball to. It was quite funny, but the beginning of the season was a little embarrassing because the kids seemed so clueless. Kenney was trying to explain and yell so the kids could hear him, but they didn't listen very well. They were just too excited which made it even more comical.
This video is the best because in the background you can hear Radley and Damon yelling, "Go Kyler!" You can especially hear Radley yelling, but Damon is Kyler's biggest fan. He would get excited when anyone made a shot, but even in warm-up, if Kyler made a basket Damon was the first to yell and get excited for him!
This is just one of the many times Kyler would just run as fast as he could to get back. It was so funny to watch. If there was a fast break Kyler could always catch up to the kid with the ball, but he never played much defense once he caught up! We can always teach defense, but we can't teach speed, right?!?
The camera pops out almost every time Bentley puts on a new outfit, especially on Sundays. She has been blessed with so many adorable clothes! I feel like I have to get a picture before she grows out of all these cute clothes! It is really funny how much the boys pay attention to her clothes. Damon loves to pick them out and is very opinionated about what she wears. We all love having a baby girl in the house. I really hope that she continues to have her brothers wrapped around her finger because it is the most amazing thing to watch! I absolutely love it!!
Not the best picture, but look at that cute sweater dress!
She was so smiley in her polka-dot dress.
She makes all of us smile!
Look at that, how could you not be happy looking at that?
Just couldn't get enough!
And this was the winner!!!
Bentley makes the best pouty faces with a lip that sticks out so perfect. I was trying to get a picture of it, but she couldn't decided if she was happy or sad!
This was as close as I could get when I had the camera out. I tried for a good 5 or so minutes, but I couldn't make her sad anymore!
I didn't get a great picture of the dress, but I love feminine things that aren't pink!
Poofy hair!
Nothing special about these jammies, but I love how she is sleeping. Don't tell anyone (especially the Dr) she is sleeping on her stomach. I promise it's only for short naps.
Just so tired!
These next few videos are of Bentley just smiling and talking. She is getting so much more interactive and responds so well when she looks someone in the eye. Here she is talking and smiling at me.
We had a BIG party to ring in the new year!! Well it wasn't really a big party, but it was still fun! The Payne family was still in town after the blizzard, and we celebrated together. We made lots of food, watched football, played games, and danced the night away!! Damon actually lasted to 12:00!! Not by our choice of course! The kids had a blast, and it was fun to hangout with them and Nana & Papa!
Dance Party!!
On the move.
Brek took great care of Radley. She pretty much did whatever he asked her to do! Poor girl is left with so many boys around!
These two were pretty good buddies this time around! Our boys are so luck to have such good cousins!
"Mom, Bentley needs to lay here with us!" I don't think she will be left out of much. They always make sure they can see her when she is awake.
They may not pay much attention to her, but they love her being close to them.
Not her best picture, but I love this sweater dress Oma sent. She has a pink one in the next size from Grandma too! She will always look so cute thanks to her grandma's!!
Supporting the Longhorns! The Texas women's volleyball team made it to the national championship game this year. They didn't win, but Go Texas!!!
I think almost every grand kid has a picture like this with Papa. He somehow always takes the kids when they are sleepy or he makes them go to sleep somehow!
The kids seriously danced all night and the next day! I was amazed how long they were entertained by dancing to the same songs over and over again!
My kids were not as good about the choreography as the others, but they were fun to watch none the less!
