The Country Life

Today was the last day for Luke's "Itty Bitty" ball at the Legacy Center here in Lehi. The two week program culminated with our team playing soccer, flag football, and basketball with a group parachute game in between. It ended with a balloon with a piece of candy attached for everyone. He looked like it he was as close to heaven on earth as a four year old could get.




I had a great time working with my two teams this session and I am planning on doing it again in May for baseball since he has to be five by June for a tee-ball team and he will miss the cut. I'm looking forward to helping with a Pinto team 5 and 6th graders, Ashlyn's first grade coach pitch team, and Luke's four year old Itty Bitty. Should be alot of fun this summer.

I took a quiz on facebook the other day called "where should you be living?" and it came back "the country" and I thought hey, I am where I should be since this is probably as close as this city slicker will come to country living. Heck, our city has an annual Rodeo called the "Roundup"to celebrate "Lehi Days", we have a small town parade down main street every year with bands, floats, and lots of horses.

There is a young guy named Scott who's grandfather owns the property next to my house and he rides a black horse named "Blackie"and owns a dog named "Dawg." I saw the old man that owns that field plowing the ground this weekend with a motoerized vehicle, I thinks they call it a tractor or something like that . There's a herd of at least sixteen deer that graze that land in the spring and summer right out my back door. I'm thinking this is what the "Country" must look like, right? Here is the view from our dinner table for the time being.

Itty Bitty Stud

We started itty bitty ball this week for Luke. This is my third year coaching/babysitting for our recreation department. It runs every three months and the sports rotate according to seasons.

So anyway, this week we played baseball, basketball and football. Of course I am very excited to teach these young pups and I glory in their individual achievements but in all the chaos, and believe me there is, only one athlete/player keeps my attention. It's one with the gorgeous mother sitting in the stands, no just kidding, it's the other boy with the gorgeous mother at work my Luke boy!

I know he's only four and we have a long way to go still but sometimes I marvel at his abilities. He is really no better or worse than any other boy (well maybe a little better than most but who's comparing?) but I am just in awe of him. Where does he get his speed, his power, his agility? From me of course! As if you didn't already know where I was going with that.


Of course I am having some fun with this. I have coached over a thousand boys in my career and have had to make cuts for almost every school team I ever coached, so the tryout process is very clear to me. The most difficult time as a coach without a doubt in my mind is the night before the final selections are made. Young boys hopes rest on your shoulders, parents teeter on whether or not their son will make it or not.

So now I bring you back to my itty bitty week, where I am looking at Luke and in my mind I am holding a tryout in my mind to compare him to his fellow teammates. Will he make the cut?

I have never been on this side of the fence and frankly it stinks. I don't know if I will be able to take it once the day comes and I know it waits for him in the future. I can only hope that it is as agonizing for that coach who ever he will be as it was for me. And if things don't go Luke's way, I will will first console the little guys heart as he learns life is intertwined with moments of elation and setbacks And then I will say a prayer for that coach because I know I sure could have used one back then.

He's only four, but I'm already teetering. We are heading out to play catch right now