Track Star

Atta girl.

Way to run.

Way to push.

You rock.

Afty at her school track & field day on Friday 3/9/12

Here she is, far left, running in the first heat of the Girls 5th Grade 50-yard dash

She was fast, and she finished in the top 3 of her heat, qualifying her for the finals

Only the speedy ones here.  These are the qualifiers from all three heats.

And they're off in the finals...

Afty pushed hard, but she didn't get the greatest start at the horn, and ended up finishing 5th overall.  I was a proud mama, though, watching her determination and desire to win.  She had been looking forward to this day for several weeks.

Each class had competitions amongst themselves to choose the two fastest boys and two fastest girls for their relay team.  Afton was the fastest girl in her class, so she was chosen to be a part of the team. They practiced almost every day for two weeks.  I haven't seen her this excited for something in a long time.  On the big day, she ran the first leg for her team.

Love this game face.  And I love this girl.  I was only there for the morning running events (she ran the cross country event too and finished 12th in the school), but then they spent the afternoon doing all the field events.  Of course, Afty wanted to participate in everything, and she did.  Long jump, hurdles, softball throw, etc.  She thinks she won the girls softball throw for distance, although the final awards weren't given out that day, so she'll have to wait and see.  But she loved the whole day and had a blast being in her element.  Outdoors, in the sun, with friends, working hard, going for the gold.  Love it!

Fall Ball

Well, the girls have only been done with their fall ball season for two weeks now, and I already miss watching them play.  It is kinda nice actually being home a night or two during the week, but we've sorta gotten used to living at the ball park.  Here's Barrett's Junior Division team at the tournament the weekend before last.  

Barrett is playing for the Stapley 7th grade team now, but I just have to say that the competition is nothing like fall ball.  All the girls who are playing fall ball are there to compete and it is so much more fun to watch.  Even though the fall league has a pretty big age span (13 before the end of 2011 to 16 year olds, which means 7th graders - juniors in high school), both our starting pitchers were 7th graders.  And they are both great pitchers, both fun girls, both good friends with Barrett.

Barrett with Hallie & Jen (her two best buds on the team and both our pitchers)

Barrett at 2nd base

Hallie up to bat

Jen on the mound

And here's Afton with her Majors Division team on the last night of the fall ball season.  I didn't get many pics of her team since all the games were night games, but I was there, cheering them on.  Their team was so good - I think they only lost 2 or 3 games all season long.  It was great seeing Afton finally get her "wheels" back after her broken foot earlier this year.  It seems like she was running flat footed for a few months post-recovery, and not nearly as fast as normal. But I think she's back.  And back fast, just the way we like it.  Afton's best buds on the team were Syd Bauer (front row, second from left) & Riley Colvin (back row, far right).  

It will only be a couple of months before next season starts up, so we'll have to keep hitting the cages and playing some catch over the winter to stay in ball shape.  We're looking forward to it already!

Mountain View All Stars 2011

Taking the half full approach to life, I no longer have a stomach full of butterflies, I'm not going to be spending all my weeknights at the ballpark, and I won't be exerting my nervous energy outside in 110 degrees. Oh, and maybe a few less nights out taking BP in the heat. But, truth be told, I'd way rather still have the butterflies and the busy nights and the hours at the park in the heat if it meant that our All Stars were moving on.

But they're not. They played a great game last night against Apache Junction and lost 6-5 at the end. We were up 5-4 going into the bottom of the 5th, but they scored two and we couldn't come back in the 6th. Afton started and played a great game at second base getting lots of action. In her second at bat (she walked the first time up), Afton took one deep into right for a triple and 2 RBI's. She then scored on an RBI double by Riley Colvin, our friend and neighbor. She went down swinging at a high pitch after fouling a couple off her next at bat. Sadly, four of AJ's six runs were scored on throwing errors by our team, but that's just how it goes in Minor League All Stars.

So, we won't be moving on, but it was a really good experience for Afton playing her first season in All Stars. Even though she played up in Majors all season, she wasn't eligible for Majors All-Stars due to her age. We're already registered for Fall Ball and looking forward to many more fun seasons at the park.

Here's Afty with her two great friends, Riley Colvin and Sydney Bauer. All three of them played up in Majors this year and they were all big contributors on the All Star team. Sydney pitched another lights out six innings last night - she did so great through the tourney! I love these girls and am so proud of them for all their hard work. And even though we're not moving onto State, the girls scored with killer new rolling bat bags (embossed with their names and numbers) and shiny new red helmets too. It's kinda "big time" being an All Star!

Our Softball Girls

Well...I'm not sure when the next time we'll be seeing this again.

Sisters.

Matching jerseys.

Tearin' it up together.

What a great time we had this spring out at Quail Run park watching our Diablas light it up. Gotta love those flame socks!

The girls' coaches were outstanding. Coach Lawrence, Coach Chris & Coach Dean really worked with the girls all season.

Emma, Bailey & Afton

And even though the Diablas season is over...

We'll still get to see a little more of this...

because..

Afton made the 9-10 year old All-Star team!

You go, Afton!

Can't wait to watch you play at the Regional Tournament coming up in a couple weeks.

More Afty...many moons ago

In celebration of Afton this week, I just thought I'd post a handful of retro pics from her early days. These ones made me smile.

I remember this snow trip vividly. It was Afton's first time tubing up in Flagstaff, and she was amazing. She'd just turned four, but I swear she hiked up the big hill 100 times, over and over and over, and would just fly down with no fear. It was so fun to watch.

Afton with her baby sister, Rowan, back when we lived in our Gilbert house. Almost seven years ago now since this one was taken. Holy cow.

Afton has always wanted to be what she wanted to be for Halloween. Never really open to suggestions. Never what I thought she should be. She just knows. When she was almost three, she was super into the Blue Clues show. Hence, she wanted to be Blue, the main dog, which I thought was a little wierd, but then again, Blue is a girl on the show. But then she dressed up like Scooby Doo a couple years later (when Barrett was Daphne.)

Tonight we were at Water & Ice for our FHE treats after decorating Grandpa Reid's Christmas tree. Afty ordered her absolute favorite: a scoop of chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone. Her face looked just like this tonight. Really. That's just how she eats it. I think it must taste better when you go at it full bore, no regard for the chocolate mustache (or beard for that matter). Too funny.

Our awesome little Afton Kate. Our only brown-eyed kid. GC affectionately refers to her as her "Brown-Eyed Beauty" and I couldn't agree more.

My Newest Double Digit Kid

Here she is.

Miss Afton Kate Brown.

Code name "Afty Cakes."

She's newly ten.

Ten and fabulous, that is.

We enjoyed Sunday dinner at our house to celebrate with the family. Grandma Cheri made this killer giant cupcake using her new handy dandy pan. It was the maiden voyage for the oversized delight and it turned out great. Aunt Jayme brought her famous homemade cheesecake too, and it did not disappoint.

Grandma Cindy & Grandpa Steve bought Afton a new hoodie (which she is sporting here and which she has been wearing non-stop since she opened it on Saturday morning.) She also got a new pair of Vans, thanks to the lean mean shopping machine, also known as GC, or Grandma Cindy, who hit two Journeys, two Tilly's, one Van's store, and who knows how many others until she could finally procure the must-have style that Afty fell in love with. Sadly, they were too big, so we're hoping to find a half size smaller this week.

Grandma Cheri & Grandpa Bob scored with a new Build It Monopoly game and an inside smore maker with all the fixins. I'm sure that will be a huge hit in our house.

On Saturday, Afton's actual birthday, we all had a blast at Afty's cosmic bowling party at Brunswick. She invited five girlfriends for some cosmic bowling, pizza, and some arcade fun. It was such a score for me too, since all we had to do was show up and let the party hostess take over. No prep, no extra house cleaning, no game planning, no cooking. I just had to drive. And pay. What a screamin' deal. I'm thinking I like that kind of party...I like it a lot...Plus I got to bowl and did pretty dang good if I do say so myself. I bowled a mean 152, although that still wasn't enough to pass Grandma Cindy, who scored in the 170's. But then again, she is a bowling pro and bowled three games in her new Friday morning bowling league the day before. Yes, GC just filled the fourth spot on a team and joined a bowling league with a few of her good friends, and I am really excited for her. She hasn't bowled on a league since I was a little girl, but she's always loved it.

Riley, Barrett, Lily, Afton, Kelly & Sydney at the party

Easton had too much fun bowling, but he also loved playing some air hockey with his daddy afterwards. I'm not sure who was having more fun...Easton or Dad.

Happy Birthday my sweet Afton. We love you so much. Thanks for being a remarkable girl. Funny as heck, so sporty, beautiful voice, truly creative, ultra smart, super obedient, and good to the core. What would we do without you? I can hardly believe you're a double digit kid now. Oh, where did the time go?

Panthers 2010

I have mixed emotions about ball season coming to an end. Mostly, I'm a little bummed that the girls didn't make it to the finals in the tournament, but they played hard. They lost their last game Tuesday night 9-8 in the bottom of the fourth. They led the whole game until the last batter got a 3-run homer. As in every lost game, the Panthers missed a couple of key opportunities to score, left a few too many stranded on base. Overall, it was a good game.

But, if I'm really honest with myself, I'd admit that part of me is glad that it's over. May Madness has been all that and a bag of chips this year. Seriously, every single stinkin night we've been gone with games or recitals or programs or school projects or church functions or appointments or something. All good stuff, just too much of it. It will be nice to breathe.

Hello, Summer Vacation! I wanted to share a few pics from the season, so we'll always remember. I loved that Barrett and Afton played on the same team this year (and their good friends Riley and Karynn.) It made going to the games all the more fun to watch.

Here's the Panther brood after last Saturday's second tournament win. Lots of smiles, happy to be moving on in the tourney.

Here's our little jock, Afton. She's got some wheels and some energy and a love of the game. We're hoping for good things from you, Miss Afty Cakes.

Riley had a good season, too. She really progressed in her pitching throughout the season and had a blast playing on the same team with our girls.

You go, Barrett. I love that serious look. You've been the MVP of the team this year with your good pitching, strong defense and consistent strong hitting. The coach has had you batting clean up all season and we are so proud of you! I am glad that you've had a blast this season.

Love this pic. Afton on deck. Ready to hit.

Most of the season, Afton played first base (and did really great). She played short a couple games too. I was the team mom and official scorekeeper at most of the games, and I can tell you that we had quite a few 1-3 (when Barrett was pitching) or 6-3 (when Barrett was at short) ground out combos in the scorebook. Our fellow team parents (and good friends) joked that it was the "Brown Show" whenever that happened. At Tuesday night's game, in the bottom of the second, Barrett was playing short stop and got hit three grounders in a row. She fielded them all cleanly and all three were sat down after strong throws to Afton at first. Three up, three down. (Too bad the fourth inning didn't bring the same results.)

Well...before I get too sentimental about the season ending, I just got an email from the Mountain View Softball Little League letting us know that fall ball signups are coming in August for the Sept-Oct season. Looks like we'll be playing again soon enough! Not sure what Afton will want to do, though. She's been begging to play soccer (ugh!), but I'm hoping that she'll be just as thrilled with softball. I've never loved soccer and I'm not sure why, but I have no desire to be a soccer mom. I think team mom and scorekeeper suits me much better. Hehehe. Not that it's about me. I get it. But still...ball is in our genes.

Until then, we'll be playing some catch, taking some BP at the retention basin (if we can stand the heat), and enjoying lots and lots of time by the pool this summer. Our first vaca of the year is coming up in a 11 days. But who's counting?

Hmmm....I'm dreaming of:

mangos on a stick,
vanilla popsicles on the beach,
reading under the cabana,
laying out poolside,
waterslides,
beautiful condo,
Miami Ice (virgin of course),
fajitas at Ramon's,
new sunglasses,
jewelry shopping on the sand,
a nice tan,
.....
and the list goes on.