We have started a new sport which means that we need new equipment: tennis rackets and tennis shoes,  purchasing uniforms and getting physicals, after school practices and meets.  It also means that we are always on the lookout for tennis courts.  We've gone to the BP park to play on their court and to Bellingham High School before church on Sunday morning.  I know nothing about it.  I went to a meet in Lynden and was surprised that the kids judge their own matches - no line judges at all.  There were four matches going on at once but I didn't realize that anyone was playing a serious game, I kept waiting for it to start.  After about 15minutes it dawned on me that thy were playing serious matches,.  Some kids were playing doubles and some were playing singles.  How did they decide.  I guess they had a qualification thing at school the day before.  In the first two meets, Isaac played exhibition matches meaning that his matches didn't count towards team points. 

From the Art Institute of Chicago When I saw it I knew that I needed a photo.

Our yarn drying after being dyed

My friend Marie has decided to start a knit club.  Lona and Adrienne were the subjects used to test this idea on which I'm all for.  At first I thought I would just take photos but it quickly became apprarent that I needed to learn how to knit along with Lona so that I could "help" her at home.   We started simple with a hat learning how to cast on, knit, purl, and decrease.  Then I made two of those hats but the second one I altered the pattern, then I moved onto these baby hats and finally a swirled scarf.  I'm off to find another project. But this is really a club for girls so I guess this should be about Lona.  She's made a hat that she absolutely loves to wear and is now making a baby hat.  Her next project that she wants to work on is fingerless gloves.  You go girl.  We also dyed yarn with Koolaid.  My friend who is also a knitter joined the group.  While the girls knit the Moms talk.  We are currently going through a book by Pink, "Attributes of God".  We try to meet at different little coffee shops but when we dyed yarn it was at my house. 

We had this opportunity this summer when Isaac was back from vacationing to practice with the U15 Ranger's team.  They practiced twice a week with Rob Knowles.  He is a fantastic coach and pushes the boys to give him their best.  Unfortunately if three other boys had tried out for Rangers they would have had a third team.  They had a coach lined up for it.  I wish I had encouraged Isaac to go out.  But I didn't - live and learn.  Anyhow they had this time of being coached for 1 1/2 to 2 hours twice a week.  During Labor Day weekend they entered a tournament in Skagit County.  They played boys that ranged from U14 to U16.  There were three guaranteed games and if they won their third game they coud go on to the championship.  Well, they won their first two games.  They had to scrap together a team.  They had one girl on the team as well. She was outstanding and a whole year younger than the boys.  She held her own and then some.  The last game was a killer.  They played a U16 team meaning the boys were a year older than our boys and 2 years older than Alice.  It was a battle and they ended the game with a tie.  The problem was that this game was the semi-final gold game.  So they needed to determine a winner.  That involved a shoot-out.  They lined the kids up and it was one-on-one with the goalie.  We would take a shot on their goalie and then they would take a shot on our goalie.  Back and forth it went.  We would make and they would miss, they would make it we would miss.  It went through the line and started back again.  Finally we had missed two too many and so lost the game.  However, it was a great experience and both John and I really liked to watch that quality of soccer being played.  I also had a chance to shoot in beautiful light and play around with my camera trying some fun stuff.

Sometime after I started driving, I had this orange Ford Fiesta.  It was a great high school car.  The key had broken off in the ignition so you needed something like a butter knife to start it.  The door handle of the inside passenger side door had broken and so you had to open the door from the outside.  It took almost no gas.  If it was high centered four guys could pick it up.  In fact my car was moved by four or five guys.  Once at a dance and so I had to look for it and another time they moved it infront of the sherriff vehicle at a basketball game.  They were caught doing that one though.  Everyone called it the pumpkin.  So the other day I was down at Sehome village and I saw my car.  I couldn't believe it.  I had to pull over and take a picture of it. 

I have to say a day on the lake is a little slice of heaven for me.  It feels as though I am getting away and on vacation.  Oh the boat may not be so nice to look at and there are tears and rips in the upholstery but the motor works fine and I'm learning to to tow the boat and put it in the water and pull it out of the water.  Backing up the trailer is difficult and then doing that without the boat on it and on an incline isn't the easiest.  It is doubly hard when the Sheriff is going through the check list for required boating items.  I think I backed in and out at least 10 times before I just gave up.  Nice that no one was waiting for me.  We've only been on the lake a handful of times this summer.  Twice with our youth group.  Loved that.  A shout out goes to the Hatcher Family for their use of their property.  And then we've gone a couple of other times.  We've gone out on the lake with a purpose this year.  I have learned to get up on ski, so much easier once I've done it a couple of times.  Lona has been working on her butter turns on the wake board, meaning she switching her forward foot from left to right and back to left again.  Job has decided to learn to water ski and is trying to drop a ski.  He gets up so easy on the skis.  And that leaves Isaac to work on jumping the wake.  John has given up water skiing and decided to just drive the boat.  When he crashes it just hurts his neck so much that it isn't worth it for him.  Ever since his car accident his neck has never been right.  I am sad for him in that respect.  He tried knee boarding and that might be what he can do just not sure at this point. 
Last Friday I decided that I could take the boat out on the lake by myself.  Lona got the boat ready meaning towels, snacks, and life jackets.  We headed out after Job left for school.  It was so easy to put the boat in the water.  I was happy.  My friend Amy and her kids arrived and out we went.  Unfortunately I forgot to pull the tie off line into the boat and it wrapped around the prop.  Then I couldn't start the boat so we paddled into shore and I called John for help.  When I realized what happened I unwrapped the line and the boat started right up.  I called John and let him know that I fixed it myself.  The rest of the day was perfect.  We headed into the dock a few times, no problem.  Lona wake boarded and did great.  She worked on her turns and jumped the wake.  So happy for her.  Lona and Maddy used the tube together.  Drew went once and then we talked Jack into it.  He wasn't sure about getting his foot wet since he hurt his toe really really bad.  But once he was in he kept saying faster.  We didn't have his go out the wake.  I think he liked it.  Maddy stayed with us when Amy and the boys left and we tubed, swam and gooffed off.  Finally it was time to go in.  I went to go into the dock but it seemed busy so I let a couple of other boats take out before us.   Finally a dock opened up and it looked as though there wasn't anyone else waiting to put in or take out.  So I slowly pulled up to the dock.  Then it all fell apart.  Lona was about to step onto the dock when the boat next to me decided not to back up but turn around and cruise out.  When they did that, they ran right into me. I quickly put the boat into reverse and then I hit the piling. I backout to try it again and the boat hit me again.  There were all guys in the boat and they were yelling at me in another language, arabic I think.  Someone else shouted for me to paddle in.  I quickly turned off my boat, got out the paddle and paddled in.  Another guy who had his boat tied up at the dock came over, grabbed my line and pulled me.  Meanwhile the boat of guys sped out of the dock area, which they weren't supposed to do. The nice guy told me that I did everything right.  Someone else then backed our pickup and trailor into the water for me.  I was shaken up and a little angry to say the least.  I had a hard time going to sleep as I was going over and over in my mind what I could have done differently.  I think that next time and there will be a next time, I will wait for two open slots and no boat next to me.  Then I'll have the tube tied to the back of the boat.  I may paddle in next time too.  The thing is I had gone to the dock without incident earlier in the day.  Alls well that ends well.  I am thankful. 

Last month John's Mom and her two sisters came to visit.  We love having all three of them over.  Isaac says that you can tell they are sisters by the grief they give each other.  Ethel and Myrtle went whale watching for a day and had a blast.  Betty came with me to look for yarn and make a Walmart run.  Another day we visited two quilt shops and I bought some fabric for Ethel to make a quilt for me.  John took a couple of days off of work.  We ate some great food and just generally relaxed.