June 3-5 saw the Dan Lloyd clan on their first REAL vacation....ever.  We weren't in Utah or Nevada.  We actually left the state altogether and headed for LA.  Dan Lloyd and I decided it was high time to start making some really great memories.  I'll never forget how it all came about.  As you know, we are avid Yankees fans.  LOVE us some Yankees.  We were all downstairs in the mancave watching the Yanks play when I said, "I'd love to go to a Yankees game." Dan responded with, "Why don't we?".  Then, after really thinking about it, he said, "Why don't we?".  I figured I had about twenty seconds before he changed his mind.  I got on the computer to see where the nearest place is that they play.  Turns out, L.A. was closest and the game just happened to fall just two days before our 18th wedding anniversary.

I'm so mad!  I just spent the last thirty minutes writing about our vacation...I got kicked off the internet and lost all the work.  Grrrrr.....

So, no stories right now to accompany these pictures from our trip to see the Yankees, the ocean, Hollywood, and Knotts Berry Farm.  Brother!

Abercrombie & Fitch

See? This handsome fellow would do their label proud.  Ryan recently went to a school dance with one of the Anderson twins, Melody to be exact.  They wore matching checkered shirts.  Ry looked every bit as handsome as the model on the huge billboard as you enter A&F in Galleria Mall.  Except, of course, Ry had quite a few more clothes on...that dude on the billboard was half naked!  I wonder if his mother walks into that store and is proud?  Anyway, I digress.  Ry looked so cute and was super funny.  Of course, he's always super funny.  He's just that kind of guy....find the funny in nearly everything...or he's a total smartaleck and makes everything funny.  Either way.  Don't you think he looks adorable?

DISTRICT CHAMPS!

After two very close games, and some good, then horrible playing, our girls decided they wanted to be winners.  They took the 2A District Championship and are headed to Reno for state playoffs.  Cross your fingers and wish Chels lots of luck!

I'm so proud of her and how hard she's worked to be a post...foreign territory for a girl who's all of 5'6".  Chels has learned so much this year, from posting up to driving the ball to the hole.  She's also learned how to use the gift that is her butt.  Way to go, Poppy Tater!

Hoops

Cam has been playing in two different basketball leagues and it's been a crazy-fun winter.  She plays at 8 a.m. NV time in St. George every Saturday, then again at 1 & 3 usually.  She has some great moves and when she decides to she's the best rebounder I've seen since her big sis.  She's a good ball handler, can drive and shoot, and is a blast to watch.  I can't believe how much she's progressed this winter.  Her skillz are mad good (lingo I heard on MTV...kidding!). 

Where the Red Fern Grows

I have my own Billy, although he didn't get his dogs from Tahlequah.  Ryan has several hound dogs that he loves to run.  They are hardworking dogs that love to track and tree mountain lions.  It must be tons of fun because Ryan got a job to pay for his dogs and his gas.  Maybe someday I'll be invited to tag along and I can nab some pictures of Ry in the act.

Million Dollar Smile

Chelsea finally got her braces off! We've been so busy I haven't had a chance to get a good close up of her b-e-a-utiful smile.  I better go buy more shotgun shells because this chick's gorgeous.  Her smile lights up any room, and her laugh increases the wattage.

Picture coming soon...

THE WOLFPACK...

wants Ryan Lloyd!

Ryan got accepted to UNR.  I am SO proud of him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dapper Fellow, Ain't He?

I swear, this boy looks like an Abercrombie model sometimes...just look at him in his tux for Senior Ball.  Quite handsome.  We were waiting to be announced during the promenade, and I was looking at him thinking, "Wow.  So, this is it.  My baby boy is a grown up now.  He's 18 and leaving for college in just a few short months.  Where did the time go? He's so beautiful.  This is the last time I'll dance with him until his wedding." My eyes were starting to well up and that's when it happened.  He farted and I was reminded in a hurry that he's still such a little boy, in spite of his appearance.  The tears vanished and I should've chastised him but he dispelled my would-be maudlin moment.  Besides, no one was around to hear.  If ever there was good timing for a toot...

Uh huh...

The boys told us they were cleaning the garage, but this is what they were really up to.  Definitely chick magnets...if we lived in Kentucky.

Crying with Laughter

The following is a post I made on Facebook yesterday, and the ensuing conversation.  Cameron KILLS me.  So doggone funny and I'm still laughing about it today.

"Dean Martin and Bing Crosby singing Christmas tunes, my antibiotic seemingly working, AND it's my boyfriend's birthday...all is right with the world.

• • Kayla Lesicka Tell Uncle Danny I said happy birthday. And I hope he has a wonderful day.
    

    Cameron Lloyd mom it is Bill crosby not ding
  • Lindsay Hasselbach Love it all! Loves to you!
  • Lisa Cox Lloyd Wow. Cam, how many times have you seen "White Christmas"? BING Crosby is the red haired guy with the great voice. Further, it is Bill COSBY, not Bill Crosby. Thanks for the laugh, Madge.
  • Rochelle Riggs Phillips WOW Cam you just gave Rob and I a big laugh, we sure love ya though. Glad your feeling better Lisa, and happy birthday to Danny."

Chip off the old, er YOUNG, block

Chels is a fabulous volleyball player.  Fab-U-lous.  At the risk of being conceited, which we all know I am anyway, I will tell you that I wasn't such a shabby player either.  Matter of fact, I was the only jump server to be found in my league.  And I could...oh, sorry about that.  This post is about CHELSEA, not me.

Chels may not be tall, but she can hit the crap out of the ball.  Her serves are scary.  Downright scary.  They are hard and have so much top spin they go scant millimeters above the net before dropping ferociously and causing red welts on the back row receiver.

I HEART volleyball season and I have so much fun watching Chels play.  I admit I got a little out of control at the game in Alamo, and for a few minutes I sounded like a crazy Little League dad.  I couldn't help it.  I was yelling things like "short!, dink!, or MOVE YOUR FEET! Stop watching the game and play!".  Cam informed me in no uncertain terms that she was going to move if I kept it up.

I kept it up.  Cam never moved.  Also, is it just me or does it possibly look like Chels may be getting ready to pitch the ball in the bottom picture? Surely it's just me. 

SMALL things make me happy

Like puppies. Is there anything in this world more wonderful than puppies? We've been fortunate to have so many puppies in our lives over the years. They're delicious to snuggle and love on. There is no way you can spend time around puppies and not smile like a lunatic. They are sunshine in small, furry bodies. I adore them. This is the most recent litter we have. A mixed bag for sure. Two black and tans, one walker, and one red. Their names are Mosley, Bee, Wokkie, and Red. Yes, the last moniker belongs to the red dog. Genius, isn't it?

Look! Mosley and I have the same haircolor.  We must be soul mates; heaven knows that little boy loves me enough we could be.  Wanna know a secret? I love him right back.  He owns a piece of my heart, that little lovah.

These pictures are horrible, by the way.  Ever tried to catch a fart and paint it green? My mom taught me that saying and I can only imagine how her chest is puffed out with pride right now.  Anyway, this was a lot harder.  I would push the pups away, and they'd coming tearing right back to me.  I didn't even have time to focus, they were so quick. 

I really enjoy hanging out with these guys.  I'll be so sad when they become dogs and not adorable, tripping over their ears, sweet puppies.   I s'pose that happens to us all.  I used to be adorable, too.  :)

SCHOOL is FINALLY here!

School started August 24. Yay! Ry is a senior (no "Yay!" for that one), Chels is a sophomore, and Madge is in MIDDLE SCHOOL. It was really strange, and somewhat sad, not to have to jerk on a bathrobe and take a kid to Pioche Elementary. My babies are growing up so fast! It's gutwrenching...and so wonderful, too. It is a tradition to drag these numbskulls outside to snap a quick pic before they leave. Ry was grouchy and kept insisting I was going to make them miss the bus. No such luck, they made it with plenty of time.

August

August...where have you gone? I have so many posts to make and catch up on, but as long as I'm up to my eyeballs in Special Election it's not going to happen.

The kids started school August 24...I have pictures that'll be posted hopefully this year.

Ry has started physical therapy and is out of his sling...no pictures of him slingless, but I imagine I could probably follow him to therapy one day and snag some.

Chels' volleyball season has started...pictures are forthcoming...Spring 2012 probably.

Cam is in middle school...no pictures; me snapping away as she entered the middle school doors would've been enough to make her want to crawl in a hole. I'm just not cool anymore and it would've pushed her over the edge to have me follow her around like mommarazzi.

Dan and I...well, we're just Dan and I. Nothing different except maybe a few pounds here and there. I found some, he lost some, that kind of stuff.

Anyway, I WILL get back on the posting wagon once this election's over.

And Exhale...

We are crying gratitude tears. Ryan's surgery wasn't exactly what we'd hoped for. Actually, a far cry from what we expected. As they wheeled my beautiful baby boy away from me I was under the impression they would bring him back to me in about 45 minutes to an hour. Two hours later I hit panic and begged Danny to go find out where he was. He was still in surgery. The sweet nurse, Jaime, must've known I was incredibly upset because she tried to gloss everything over with "sometimes they have more than one OR going at a time and they'll bounce back and forth. That's most likely what's taking so long." Wrong. When Dr. Nakken got in there, he discovered much, much more than he could've ever anticipated.

Ryan tore his rotator cuff (which we expected), two tears in the labrum, tore the tendons in his bicep, and the joint was completely open. It defies logic that his arm wasn't hanging uselessly by his side, that he was able to function, and Doc said he's never seen so much trauma in a kid so young.

Dr. Nakken successfully put him back together, but delivered some excessively painful news. He has grave reservations about Ry ever taking the mound again. As a matter of fact, he's pretty sure it won't happen. Ever. He will not even be released to pick up a baseball for an entire year.

My son will miss the last baseball season of his high school career.

Who would've thought that the pictures I snapped at district playoffs this year would be the last of my graceful, hard working son on the mound? I certainly didn't, but that makes them all the more precious.

I hope I never have to listen to another one of my children mourn the loss of a dream. I thought my heart was going to break completely while I listened to my son sob and moan "no more baseball, mom? Mom? No more baseball? Oh no..." over and over.

Ryan will go through hell over the next year. He will be engaging in very intense physical therapy. Dr. Nakken said that they will rehab him as though he were going to play again, in the hopes that he will regain some of the ability. That being said, he was very emphatic about making sure we understand the reality of the situation: he will most likely never pitch again. Unless a miracle occurs. We've already received our miracle; our son is alive. Ryan survived an accident that clearly should've killed him.

I will take it. I will take our one miracle and be grateful every day for the rest of my life. As many tears as I have shed in the last several days, I cannot help but thank my Heavenly Father for sparing our son. I simply couldn't live without him.

So we will put the baseball dream to bed and wait to see what it is that he was spared for...STAY TUNED for greatness.