2021 Sports - Take me out to the ballgame

It is good that I like sports. This year has been a fun-filled successful year for sports all across the board from college football to 3-Year old tee-ball.

Peyton had a spring and fall season this year with Hardin Simmons at Brownwood with 16 games - 6 in the spring and 10 in the fall. Our average day was 14 hours. The farthest we went was Sul Ross in Alpine. We did go on to Big Bend country- a place checked off my bucket list. I did search for the Marfa Lights. We did visit Terlingua. The Davis Observatory was still closed because of covid. Peyton had a great season getting defensive player of the year.

Cade started the year with basketball. He was the point guard and very fun to watch. Next we went to baseball. The Gunter Tigers did not disappoint. They made it all the way to the final four at Dell Diamond - State playoffs. We lost the first game. During playoffs the team got in pitching trouble, and the coach put Cade in to finish the game. He did awesome, so he became a closing pitcher at the end of the season. The Gunter Tigers also made it to the state playoff game at AT&T Stadium or better known as Jerry's World. We lost to Franklin which was a better team than us. We did play with them for three quarters. We were 15-0 going into the game. We had to beat Holiday and Roosevelt to get there. Canadian got beat out this year. Until the last game we never had a close game.

Anja and Isabel played spring soccer. So Rick and I did a road trip to Nashville to see soccer games. It was  a rainy day, but good times. (Diana and I also flew back to Nashville in May to see Anja graduate from Kindergarten. 

Cali played volleyball and basketball, as well as, participating in track and field events. 

Last Fitz and Evans had their debut with sports with soccer. Chad signed up Fitz for 3-year old soccer with him being the coach, which ended up him coaching two teams. The last game of the year Fitz was sick. Since he did not have enough players, he put Fitz's suit on Evans and let her out on the field to fill a spot. 

Take Me out to the Ballgame, Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks..... 

Forget the peanuts and Cracker Jacks, just keep me in plenty of Diet Cokes and sunscreen.

SnowMageddon 2021

     Valentine's Day, February 14 was technically the first day of the SnowMageddon, even though we had already had some very cold days before this date. On Wednesday, we called off our night church services because of the anticipation of some very cold temperatures. Cade's baseball games were called off for Thursday and Friday, as well as, Peyton's college football game on Saturday. The temperatures were already below freezing on Thursday and will stay below for the next 10 days. 

    On Sunday, the church services were also canceled. During the afternoon the snow began to fall. At 6 we had our first problem. Rick had been warning renters and children on how to prepare for these temperatures, but Brandi had the first mishap. She had a frozen pipe that flooded her house. So she had to cut her water off and start hauling water in ice chests. We had about 3-5 inches of snow - enough to cover the ground. For the next week, school would be canceled along with everything else. The night temperatures would be under 15 with a low of -2 one night. On Tuesday and Wednesday we received another 3-4 inches of snow. Supposedly this was the lowest temperatures in 70-80 years, and the second longest period of days below freezing.

       We experienced rolling brown-outs, where we would have electricity for 15 minutes and off for 45 minutes. Everyone had a different story. Some people lost power for days, some lost water, and some lost neither. We totally lost our internet and television for 5-6 days. We did lose our water at the end for about 24 hours, but we had already put water in the bathtub "just in case." The grocery stores were very similar to the early days of Covid. People were hoarding up water, bread, milk, and eggs. 

    We did try to save a baby calf, Popsicle, but the extreme temperatures were just too much for him. In all, we lost a total of three brand new baby calves. Mindi had one sink to freeze. Marci's place all froze up. The church and school did not fare so well. The school had many burst pipes. The church just had a few. Rick and I swept water at the church one morning. Rick stayed busy for the entire 10 days helping with problems. 

    I was blessed during this time. I enjoyed the snow and birds. I had enough groceries and Diet Cokes on hand that food was never an issue. I managed just fine without television, stores, and going somewhere. 

Christmas 2020

It is the most wonderful time of the year!

I did have the house all adorned for Christmas since the first of November. Which was a blessing especially after losing time with Covid and sports. Even though Thanksgiving was a bust, I kept looking forward to Christmas. Diana and I went out looking, with some shopping, and dining at McAlister's almost daily prior to Christmas. That was our treat to ourselves. 

December 18 Chad's nanny's husband was tested positive for Covid so now the Christmas I thought was supposed to happen got changed after his family had to go into quarantine. Suzy did end up with Covid also, but none of Chad's family got the virus. Diana decided to keep her littles safe she would just keep them here in Gunter so they would not be exposed and change her plans. So we had Marlow and Jackson from Sunday to Wednesday before Christmas. Christmas Eve (Thursday) Rick and I did Christmas with the girls at Brandi's. Christmas Day we fed cows and messed around until we got to pick Greg and the girls up at the airport. The catch to this is we had no communications with Greg the entire day. We found out that there was a bombing in Nashville that knocked out all the ATT services and the airlines also had some issues. The plane was only 45 minutes late, but they were here and Christmas could begin. 

We started with crafts and presents soon as they got to Gunter at 9 PM, and this was our life for the next four days. Saturday, December 26, was set aside as our family Christmas with food, gifts, and games. Santa did not come in person this year, but he did leave a sack of goodies on the front porch that the girls found on one of their Rhino rides. The food was a charcuterie tray for lunch and Chicken Fried Steak for dinner. We did dinner earlier than normal so we would not be rushed during our games. Games this year consisted of smelling candles, craps, counting marbles, "lump of coal" Saran Wrap, golf, candy cane/ toilet paper, etc.

We did miss Chad and his family, but this gave me special time with Anja and Isabel. They are pretty special girls. Jenna and her family left on Sunday. Monday I had the girls to myself. On Tuesday morning, I had to take them to the airport. So that  gave me about 36 hours to get my house torn down from Christmas and back to normal before Chad's family came in on Wednesday night. He did not think his kids could handle all my trees and decorations. So by the time they got here, the house was back to plain Jane, except for a mound of Christmas presents.

Fitz's main presents were three different Hot Wheel toys that had be assembled. These toys kept him busy the time he was here. I kept the kids while Chad and Tara went to dinner and to spend a night at a hotel for their anniversary on New Year's Eve. Since I had the kids and knew my night would not be good sleep, I had to do the New York New Year's Eve and went to bed at 11. Friday was our Christmas Day with Chad and his family. We did the presents and his favorite foods (pork chops). Some of Justin's family had been exposed to the virus, so they were quarantined and Chad did not get to spend time with the cousins. Diana and Rick came.

When it was time for Chad to leave his car was packed to the limits. The Griswalds have nothing on him. As I stated earlier, Chad's kids are pretty special too. I must be a grandmother.

2020 would not be normal without a side note about Covid. December 26 at noon while we were getting ready for lunch, Rick Ferguson got a call from Mindi that he got to get a Covid shot. The following Saturday, Diana, Rickie, and I got our shots.

As 2020 closed out, God was good to us and blessed us well during the Pandemic. I want to have an attitude of gratitude for the many blessings we experienced during this sad time around us. I am so very thankful for Jenna who has been a front-line worker dealing with this DAiLY 24/7 since the week it all started in March. She has witnessed the effects of this virus daily. I am thankful for Justin, a fireman, who has dealt with this also for 10 months. I am thankful for Mindi, our family "drug dealer", who has had to deal with this and the crazies for 10 months. I am hopeful that 2021 will be better for the families that were less fortunate that had a loss of a family member, a job, or business. As we look forward - God is in control and He has this.

Football 2020

The Gunter Tigers did not disappoint this year - again. We had a very young team, and we did not expect to make it to get to play Canadian, Texas. However, our Tigers made it all the way to get to play the Canadian Wildcats. The Wildcats this year were the real deal; and they did beat us and went on and won the State Championship. We had nothing to be disappointed about. We were one of the top 4 teams in the state of Texas. It is especially amazing that we did get to play all our games (except Blue Ridge) and we got to attend the games. 

I will be the first to say it was a very different year with CoVid. We wore masks to the games, and you never knew from week to week how many fans were allowed and what manner you would have your tickets. Never did we go to a game the old-fashion way and pay for admittance at the gate. We were never allowed on a field after the game to talk and hug the players.

On a positive note, we did have Cade on the team as a Freshman. He started on all the special teams, played defensive end, and if we got ahead he would get to play slot and run the ball. We did get to play in some very nice stadiums this season. We started off in Prosper's new stadium for two games. Then for our playoff run, we got to play in Globe Life Park - the old Texas Ranger baseball park. We finished our season at Abiline Christian University football stadium. 

We had a record of 13 wins - 2 losses (Pottsboro and Canadian). It was a great season. Really these two losses were the only teams that could play with us all four quarters. We know that we have a great three more years of Gunter Tiger football with Cade. The JV, 8th, and 7th teams each only lost one game this year. We only graduated 2-3 Seniors that saw playing time.

We were disappointed that Peyton's Hardin Simmons football season was canceled until February, when it will be a four-game season plus a playoff game. This means he will gain an extra year of eligibility. However, it will work out great for us. We will not have to make choices on which games to go see. We will get them all in.

My Experience With CoVid 19

 The week of November 15 Rick and I did our normal activities. We went to playoff volleyball games, basketball games, church, and a playoff football game on Thursday night. Friday morning, I woke up with a snotty nose, but thought nothing of it. Diana had her grandkids, so we made a day of it. Saturday morning November 21, I woke up with  an aching feeling and some congestion. I didn't have any energy so I laid around and took naps most of the day. Sunday I was a little suspicious so I chose not to go to church or to be around anyone. I did not sleep as much today. Monday still congested, but I felt better. I did continue to stay isolated from everyone. However, with it being Thanksgiving I knew that I needed to be tested before Chad and his family came to Gunter. I went to a drive through testing center at GCC. Tuesday afternoon at 6 PM I received the text that I did test POSITIVE. So all Thanksgiving activities were canceled for all of our families. Wednesday came, and I noticed that I could not taste my toothpaste when I brushed my teeth. So at this time, I had lost my taste and smell. Rick had a mild sore throat so he decided to be tested also. He was positive, also; even though he had the lightest case ever. Diana and I decided to trade some food for Thanksgiving. She cooked the turkey, cream potatoes, and vegetables. I cooked the dressing, rolls, and salad. It was a challenge to cook a meal that you can not taste how anything is seasoned. I watched Hallmark movies and put two Christmas puzzles together. We stayed in our 10 days and away from people for 14 days. My taste and smell did come back after a week. Luckily no one else got the virus from us, even though Diana and Jenna's kids quarantined for 14 days. 

My Wanderlust

 CoVid has affected me in several ways, but one that stands out is my desire to travel. We had our lady trip canceled with no other hope to travel. So then when my birthday was approaching, I decided that I wanted to go to the cabin for my birthday. We went August 1-5 to what I call my "happy place." One day we went to Santa Fe, one day to Chama, and one day Red River. The night before my birthday, Rick had a spell of confusion. Later this was quite humorous to us.

   Then in September, we were visiting with Roger and he invited us to go to Yellowstone with them and James/Kay Williams. I immediately found a way. I called this our Anniversary trip September 26 - October 4. Rick and I flew into Salt Lake City. They picked us up at the airport and the adventure began. We spent 3 days in Yellowstone, 2 days in the Grand Tetons, 1 day driving to Cheyenne,  1 day driving to Dodge City, and then 1 day driving to Texas. We were gone nine days. Amazing as it is, Rick never got homesick or bored. We kept him busy day and night diving and hiking. We saw everything there was to see - geysers, waterfalls, mud pots, and lots of wildlife. It ranked up there with Alaska.

  Then in October, Zach was supposed to get married on October 17. Avery's parents both got CoVid so the wedding was postponed on Wednesday. It was a "Bye" week for sports. Rick had worked hard to get all the farming done, so we had really nothing to do. On the spur of the moment, we decided to go to the cabin again. This time we took Sue Lewis, Rick's cousin with us. One day we went to Santa Fe, one day we went to Red River, and one day we stayed around the cabin. 

I have to admit that Rick's retirement has been great for my "wanderlust".

July 4 - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

    The Fourth of July is our happiest of times. It is when we ALL get together for fun, food, projects, parties, and fireworks. Diana and I started early with our spreadsheet of meals for the two weeks which actually turned in to 19 days. We bought an abundance of meat and groceries for this time together. On June 18 at 11:00 AM Diana and I went to DFW to pick the girls up from Lisa, which was coming from Minnesota. We found a Rosa's opened for lunch. That night at 7:00 PM, we went to Love Field to pick Greg up from Nashville. Friday at noon, Chad and Fitz arrived. Jenna and Jared got to Gunter at 5 and it all began. This year we had seven kids - five years and under. At the house, it was like the old days. We had mattresses on the game room floor and in one of the bedrooms. 

    It was a wonderful 19 days with parties, meals, crafts, and fun times. We had four parties:

1. A Happy Party - this was for all the birthdays we had missed (Rick F., Rick S, Fitz, Mother's Day, and Father's Day)

2. Rick's Retirement Party from TMC. July 2 was his last day to go in full-time.

3. Evan's First Birthday party

4. Isabel's Birthday party

    Diana and I were also the "cruise director" or the "activity director". We did many crafts and projects. Each day we had something planned, including swim time and slime time.

    While the rest of the world was dealing with CoVid, we had a case of chicken pox. Isabel woke up one morning with spots. At first, Greg tried to tell me it was bug bites. In less that 24 hours, I had convinced differently. After calling her doctor's office, it was found that she had missed this one vaccine. Twenty-one days later, Evans broke out in the chicken pox.

    The boys did have a great year of selling fireworks. It was the biggest year ever. They did a private show, Van Alstyne, and Tioga shows. We did not run out this year, and I did get to sell during the shows. To add to the stress, Jenna sold and bought a house during this time. Chad was still unemployed with a few good possibilities coming up, and Tara is going to change jobs very soon.

    With everything going on, it was still "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."