Picture of the Week - 2/23/2017

Two unrelated, but cool pictures today.

The first is actually from last week.  Spencer got the "honey badger" award one night at lacrosse practice.  He's been good about going to practices and helping where he can - left-handed.  I'm sure his teammates appreciate him being there with them.  I know it's been frustrating for him to not be able to participate.  I think he misses it more than he's let on.  He's doing great though - and progressing through recovery like a champ.  He's started to wean off the brace and they are beginning to incorporate more strength training exercises at physical therapy.  I think he'll be able to participate in most of the summer football conditioning stuff, which is a great reward for the work he's putting in now.

The second picture is one my mom sent me from her day at the Elementary school.  She's been working with Zane's class on making a class quilt!  I hope those kids realize how lucky they are!!  Today she stayed and had lunch with Zane, which I'm positive he loved.  I'm so thankful that she gets to do stuff like that with the kids.  So fun!

Tomorrow Bob and I take off for our Buckeye Cruise for Cancer.  I'm working my way through "to do" lists and preparations to try to make things a bit easier for my parents.  This weekend the big boys are off for a church retreat and then Spencer leaves on Wednesday morning for his 8th grade field trip to Savannah.  It's a bit of a crazy week!  A crazy FUN week!

Cheers!

Picture of the Week - 2/16/2017

Hi everyone!  

Happy mid-February!  Anyone else realize how fast the first 6 weeks of 2017 have flown by???

Lacrosse has, once again, taken over our lives.  I've spent the last 4 days at the fields helping our photographer take pictures of all the teams in our program - we have 23 teams.  That's done now!  Uniforms are distributed, teams have been drafted, and everyone has started their "normal" practice schedules.  Spring season kick-off is NEARLY done!!  The last piece is getting all the game schedules loaded up.  That should happen next week - everyone cross fingers that the league isn't late.  If they fall behind schedule, I'm OUT because Bob and I leave for our cruise next Friday!

That vacation (our 5th Buckeye Cruise for Cancer) on the horizon has gotten me through MANY challenges recently.  I really can't wait!  

Here are a couple of pictures I took of the boys over the last couple of days.  How sweet is Quinn with those little boys?!?!?  And Beckett in the beanie hat with his "tough guy face" last night.... too much.  So cute!

PS - Spencer update...  He gets to start weaning off the shoulder brace next week.  Everything is going VERY well.  We are still looking forward to getting him back to 100% this summer and he's very motivated to use the summer break to make up for lost time in the gym.

Have a great week!

Kara

Picture of the Week - 2/10/2017

I've got no good reason that I missed the Thursday POTW deadline.  Sorry!

Here's a sweet picture of my little guys to make up for the delay.  This seems particularly appropriate as we get ready for Valentine's Week.  Show a little love to everyone around you this week!  It'll come back to you - I promise.

Have a great week!

Picture of the Week - 2/2/2017

Today is Quinn's 13th birthday. Wow!  The last 12 months have gone SO fast!

This hasn't been the easiest of years for Q.  He's had to deal with some pretty big disappointments - all on top of the background of being 12. It's a rough phase!  I really couldn't be more proud of the way he has handled himself (most of the time) and the way he has matured. 

Over and over he has hit some kind of bump and rebounded better than he was before.  A string of less-than-stellar grades turns into motivation to go in early for study groups and extra help. Getting cut from a Select lacrosse team (that he probably deserved... not just saying that as his mom...) had him focused on how he can get better for next year and asking for extra clinics or personal training or, Heaven help us, getting Spencer to teach him how to lift weights. When he failed to make the middle school basketball team AND I flaked and didn't get him signed up for rec basketball in time, he joined the wrestling team. He got beat time after time in practice and in matches. He never complained. He never asked to quit. He viewed it as an opportunity to get stronger - and tougher.

Honestly, with all the history making up the story of Quinn, he really shouldn't feel the need to ever prove he's tough. He's the kind of quiet strength that is going to surprise us all in the end. I don't think there's anything that can defeat that boy. 

That strength doesn't mean he's in ANY way immune to hurt. He's really very sensitive.  He sulks and pouts and sometimes withdraws into himself. He spends too much time by himself watching movies or playing video games in his bedroom. He lets things people say or do impact his mood and happiness. Some of that (I hope) is just being 12. Some of that (I pray) is a side-effect of Quinn's caring spirit and a trait he learns to harness to use to his advantage. 

I love the way Quinn cares about those around him. He wants people to be happy and he naturally takes care of others. It makes him a great babysitter and friend to his little brothers. Those little guys have no idea how lucky they are to have Quinn in their lives.  He pretty equally splits time between helping them in a caretaker role and just playing with them in a buddy role. They light up when he gets home. He seeks them out when he's bored. It's awesome. 

Quinn's relationship with Spencer is a bit more complicated. They are so different. Spence hasn't exactly embraced the idea that there is more than one way to be "right" and more than one path that can be described as "success".  He has very little patience for the very differences that make Quinn so special. Someday he will figure it out. For now, I know they care about each other and will stick up for one another.  The heartfelt, deep talks may have to wait a few years.

This year Quinn gets to kick his shadow-inducing big brother out of the middle school and take his turn as "King of the school".  He's likely (based both on age and on that xray of his growth plate we got a while back) going to grow a ton and start shaving and begin the process of boy to man. 

I think he will have an explosion of self confidence.  I think he will figure out the friends to surround himself with who make him consistently happy. I think he will figure out how to work for the things he wants. I think he'll get them. 

For now, though, I am going to focus on making sure he has a really awesome 13th birthday full of chocolate cake and friends and special birthday boy fun!  For this week, I want to reflect some of that love and caring he sends out into the world back at him.  I want to wish him the very happiest of transitions into the teenage years.  I want to give him a ridiculously big hug that matches the ridiculous amount of love I have for our Mighty Quinn!

PS - I'm writing this email from an airplane at about 36k feet on my way home from Scotland. Isn't this big crazy world a wonderful place!  This week all boys (all 4 of them) start lacrosse practices. We are busy every day except Tuesdays. If you need any of the Bovenizer's between Monday and the end of May, chances are very good we will be at Sawnee Mt Park. 

PSS - obviously I haven't seen Spencer in several days, but all accounts I've gotten are that his recover is going very well.  He's into the PT routine and off all pain medicine. All good on the shoulder front!

Have a great week everyone!