Kansas State Visit

It was fun to go back to Manhattan, Kansas. I haven't been there since my college days. All I had to do was drive by an old apartment, see a couple intersections in Aggieville and so many memories of visiting Shelby and Julie rushed back. Oh those were fun crazy days. Please Lord, help me guide my children in a better direction than the one I traveled in my early years.

Kansas State University Wildcats use to be known as the Aggies back before Texas Tech was the Aggies. Even though KSU is still an agricultural school, there's so much more. A Division I, Big 12 school with fantastic academic, social and athletic opportunities is just the kind of place we hope Reagan will chose to play for and continue her education.

Six Elite Girls Academy 01 teammates are actively being recruited by Coach Dibinni's soccer staff. What an honor it is to have a busy coach spend an entire day with your daughter in hopes to have her chose their program. K-State finished their inaugural soccer season with a 4-3-8 season. Not great but not terrible for a program primarily made up of freshmen playing upper classmen. I went to Manhattan thinking this is NOT the place for Reagan. To my surprise, I was impressed with the coach's vision and plan to execute, the proposed facilities and the campus in general. This would give Reagan the opportunity to help build a program, maybe be part of a historical first ever Big 12 championship. For being a brand new program, it's unbelievable that they will have a $17 million facility built before Reagan's freshman year of 2020. I'm not a fan of purple but I would wear it if my daughter choses K-State. 

Makenzie, Avery and Reags

 This picture does not do the locker room justice. Seriously, K-State has the nicest locker rooms we have seen thus far! We were able to tour basketball and football lounges, locker rooms and media rooms since soccer's won't be built until next year.

 We all thought the football stadium looked small. I guess Nebraska's memorial Stadium is so impressive, there's an unfair comparison. Since she won't be playing on the football field, it doesn't really matter...just an observation.

The coaches

Pam & Roger

 An absolute highlight of my day: running into Roger and Pam Barta at the basketball game. Roger was my HS math teacher, track coach and they both played the role of surrogate parent from time to time. Their middle child has been a dear friend to me since we were 5 years old. One night Shelby and I came home two hours past curfew. When we walked in, there they stood. I don't remember everything they said but it started with, "Melanie, I'm talking to you too, now sit down!" They loved me enough to treat me as one of their own. Pam and Rog want what's best for Reags but I'm pretty sure they are pulling for her to pick K-State. When I say they are die-hard fans I mean their blood may even be purple. 

We had an impressive unofficial college visit, watched an intense men's basketball game, enjoyed exceptional food at the training table and Aggieville and attended an overwhelming individual meeting. There is a certain level of stress that comes with these phenomenal opportunities but above all we know we are greatly blessed to be in this situation. Keep working hard child and as Tim McGraw sings, "Always Stay Humble and Kind"

Valentine's Day

If there is a reason to celebrate, I'm all over it. I would celebrate Boxing Day if I knew what to do. Let's be realistic, I don't even have the gloves. (just kidding.) Chris calls Valentine's Day a Hallmark holiday, to create revenue and make men all over feel inadequate. Truly, in one quick click social media can ruin the beautifully hand written note when compared to a gorgeous vase of flowers and a pair of diamond earrings but only if you let it. TBH (text lingo for to be honest) I prefer the heartfelt note. Back to valentines day in our home. It's conference week in our school district which means the man I love is at school from 6:30am - 8:30pm. Looking for the silver lining, we won't have to make reservations to go out for dinner. 

This morning the girls woke up to this sign and bouquet of Lindt chocolate flowers. (the flowers didn't turn out as cute as I had hoped so there won't be a close up photo) My hope is that while they are still a little grumpy about waking up so early they will slowly focus their eyes to see something cheerful and know their mom wants them to have a great day.

This is the last Valentine's Day box I will ever have to make. Yes, I am crafty and once we get started it is a fun process but I always dread it. This year I dreamt of wrapping the Nike shoe box in red wrapping paper, drawing a heart and calling it good...and then I looked into my sweet baby girl's eyes and knew that wasn't going to happen. Liv did a great job making Elle the Valentine's box.

What did I find this morning? My girls bought flowers. Aww, this brings me to tears. It's not the flowers, it's that they thought of me and then went out of their way to do something that they knew I would love. My hope for my children is that the love of Jesus would inspire them to pour out love on others. We live in such a consumer driven world where we constantly think about ourselves so much, there's hardly time to think of others. Breaking that cycle is crucial. Great job Emma, Reagan and Olivia! Another thoughtful person in my life is my mother-in-law. Linda knew she would not see us this week so she brought over valentines last week.

(side note: I combined Emma's Bday flowers with my VDay flowers)

 I have a date with 5 baskets of clean laundry. Don't be jealous! I'm not posting this so that you will feel bad about yourself or struggle with social media induced depression. I know it's not fair that I am so blessed to do this much laundry (and more). The warm cozy feelings I get from folding and putting away clothes will be there all year long.

AND THIS IS THE POEM CHRIS WROTE FOR HIS GIRLS, ALL 4

My Girls

“I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day” doesn’t do justice about the way

I feel about my girls.

My girls are giggles and laughter in the evening around our kitchen table.

They are colorful foliage of fall leaves swirling down from oak and maple.

My girls are a Netflix binge session with the television up too loud.

They are games, concerts and accomplishments that make Dad proud.

My girls are godly for more than just Sunday

In a world that tugs, tries to pull that away

They are sunshine and butterflies, an ocean breeze, a spring rain

A carnival, a rodeo, a thunderstorm, and a hurricane

They are messy rooms and birthday balloons

Wide Christmas eyes and Halloween costumes.

They are creative and genius, they are caring and strong

And can dig their heels in even when they’re wrong.

How does one like me be that lucky to have three caring daughters who cherish each other? Don’t look very far to see where they are is all due to my lovely bride, their amazing mother. Her eyes sparkle, twinkle, and shine with a laugh that lights up a room every time.

She’s involved and sometimes obsessed with helping our girls through failure and success. At times she takes on the role of a teacher, while others require her to be in the mode of preacher.

Oh, we may argue, sometimes disagree, her pink earbuds and my blue megaphone With three active daughters, forget man-to-man, quite often we are playing zone

My other half is the better half, my beau, my sweets, my bride, my wife

She’s my Sunday morning... my lazy afternoon. She is the love of my life.

My brown-eyed girl, as years go by, her by my side is all I desire

And always know, as we grow old, her love stokes this fossil’s fire

So let time pass and slip downstream, each day folded carefully into memory I look forward to days in future’s haze, knowing that it will be you and me. “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day” doesn’t do justice about the way

I feel about my girl. 

Make February 14th a great day whether you have candy, coffee and laundry or not. Share a joke, a smile or a word of encouragement with someone you know today. You both will benefit.

There's no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

John 15:13 NLT