#6 ECA Upsets #3 Calhan

After a big win over Calhan, we're off to the District Tournament! 

Good job, girls! You really brought your "A" game tonight. 

Stunning. Simply stunning. 

Lip Lovers

Stop what you are doing. Go buy this and this NOW. 

Your lips will thank you all winter long! 

Ouch!

Earlier this week, Mark smashed his finger in the kickstand of his motorcycle. This resulted in much pain and a middle finger that looked like this...

When his finger started falling asleep, he began inquiring about what he should do. How do I stop the PAIN!? The answer? Get a straight pin and a lighter, heat up the straight pin, and shove it through your fingernail. I'm sure that many of you have done this before, but neither Mark or I had. We kept hearing stories of people passing out during this process or of blood that squirts out from the nail all over the place (actually hitting the ceiling in one case). So to avoid either of these mishaps, I made mark sit down on the kitchen floor...
...and perform the procedure inside a large ziplock bag. I was willing to hold the bag for him, but no cleaning blood off the ceiling for this girl! 
The procedure went well. All pressure was released and the throbbing has stopped. No need to worry. 

I'm Gonna Miss This

Only three days left of ECA Junior High Volleyball Season 2008. 

While I am looking forward to having more "free time" and time with my husband, I am really going to miss seeing these girls everyday. 

Sunday Afternoon

According to my husband, every Sunday afternoon should be spent in the country on motorized vehicles or in the mountains on a snowboard. And I can't say I completely disagree with him. 

Last week, we took advantage of one of this year's last warm afternoons and took our nephew, Caden, out to ride a mini-sized four-wheeler.  
Micah and Katey wanted to join in the fun too and the four of us took a crowded ride down the sandcreek. 
Good times. Good times. 

Above Average

Today, while I was tutoring a student in consumer math, I learned that the average American has 10 different jobs between the ages of 18 and 38. It got me thinking about all of the jobs I have had since I turned 18. 

I've been a;

Day Care Worker,

Nanny,

Resident Assistant,

Newborn Photographer, 

Office Manager, 

Substitute Teacher, 

Abstinence Educator, 

Buckle Employee, 

Tutor, 

Grant Writer, and

Volleyball Coach. 

That's 11 already...and I'm still 12 years shy of 38!

As Predicted...

...a good time was had by ALL!! 

My sister's school hosted their homecoming dance at my brother-in-law's barn, east of Colorado Springs. There were buggy rides, a huge bonfire, hot chocolate, and the best high-school dance I have ever seen. Seriously, the dj, one of the school's seniors, provided four straight hours of boogie time, complete with strobe and black lights. Everyone participated. For the entire four hours. 


My niece, Katey, even got in on the action and literally could not stop shakin' in for a good thirty minutes. 


It was a real, bonafide, party-in-the-country-til-the-sun-comes-up. (Or until-your-parents-show-up, whichever comes first.) 

Thank you, Matt, for providing such an awesome place!

This should be fun...

I'm taking pictures at homecoming tonight. 

I am so excited.

Wish me luck. 

Lucky Duck

Some hooligans broke into our car last night, intending to rob us. 

Here is what was in my car at the time: 

1) $70 in cash in the glovebox

2) A handful of quarters in the ashtray 

3) My large camera bag containing about $1,000 in camera equipment

4) My small camera bag that was completely empty 

Guess what they stole! 

My completely empty, completely worthless small camera bag. 

While the broken window is annoying, we think it is great that they walked away with absolutely nothing. 

I hope they learned their lesson. 

New Photos

I posted new photos on my photo blog. Check 'em out! 

Dinner Party

Strategy

This was our strategy to intimidate the Simla Bear Cubs last night. 
We won a match...and we lost a match...so it worked...kind of. 

Gotta Love 'em!

I've been coaching junior high volleyball for six years now. When I started, I never imagined how much I would come to love this job, these girls, and this age. 

I love it that junior highers some times come to practice in a skirt because they forgot their clothes or in patent leather shoes because they forgot their shoes. I love it that they will play in matches with just one sock or one kneepad because they shared the other one with a friend who misplaced hers. 

I love it that they are often more interested in dancing to the warm-up music than actually warming-up for the game. And that they know which songs are performed by Miley Cyrus and which by Hannah Montanna. On van rides, I've been introduced to the soundtrack from High School Musical 2 and Ice Princess and have come to enjoy both, especially with 14 voices belting out the lyrics to each and every song. 

I love it that when the girls are on the court, every play is a complete surprise. I might witness a "swing-and-a-miss" or the most professional looking bump-set-spike I've ever seen. And there is NOTHING like watching a girl accomplish something for the very first time. 

I love it that my girls cheer the loudest for the slowest and most uncoordinated girls on the team. 

I love it that these girls will sing every word to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and in the next minute they are singing the "Big Booty" game. And I know that when they sing, "bind my wand'ring heart to thee," they have not even begun to grasp the gravity of those words. 

I love it that at this age, the girls are no longer children and can understand reason. And that they are not yet teenagers and are therefore willing to be reasoned with. 

I love it that every girl (all 23 of them) has eagerly volunteered to lead devotions before each game. I love listening to them read their favorite verses and give their interpretation of what the verse means and what is means to them. I am captivated by their faith -- it is wholehearted, somewhat misunderstood, and still mysterious. They talk about their Jesus with childlike wonder and I often find them in conversation with each other about what it means to be a Christian. (I'm not making this up - it blows me away!) 

I love it that when we passed an accident on the highway the other night, they stopped everything to pray that the people involved would be okay. They were completely oblivious to the fact that the accident appeared to be unsurvivable. 

These girls -- in all of their naivety and innocence -- teach me about myself. They make me have more fun, relax more, focus on the big picture, and grow in my desire to know Jesus. Coaching volleyball has made me more competitive, challenged my patience, and reminded me what it means to be a servant. 

I love it that God has used 11, 12, and 13 year-olds to enrich my life. Because of them, I laugh more, know more, and have expanded my understanding of true character. 

People often ask me how much I get paid to coach volleyball. Somehow, I just can't sum-up the pay in terms of dollars and cents. The rewards are SO much greater. 

Introducing...

... the latest and furriest addition to the Kyle household ... 

Stanley McHops!! 

Mark and I were on our way home from Ft. Collins today and Mark suggested that I check Denver Craigslist for bunnies. I have been looking for a baby Holland Lop since Spanky Rabbit died in June, so I was thrilled to find a litter of Holland Lops that were just posted today. 
This little guy and his sister were the only two left out of the litter of seven. The kids who had raised the rabbits begged us to take the girl-bunny, but we liked the little boy so much better. I think they were a little upset to see him go. The four-year-old made puppy eyes at me and I felt a twinge of guilt for a fleeting second...very fleeting. 
Call me heartless, but I wanted this cutie for myself. 

Homework #4

This could have been my favorite of the assignments. It was all about experimenting with creative lighting. I didn't have time to try all of my "ideas," but here is what I did come up with. 

A light "painting," lighted only with the beam of a flashlight. 

Another light painting, this time with a white background. 
Eggs, using only the light from my refrigerator. 
The end of life for this match. The light from the match was the only light in the room. The little spot you see in the background is the match reflecting off of the toaster. 
The lighting of a match. Again, the light from the match was the only light in the room. (Do you like my match-holding-rig? I used a chip clip and a shot glass to get the match to stand up straight. Hey, the assignment was about lighting, not composition!)