Softball

Winnie played her third and final season of City of Iona fast pitch this year. We were able to find a pitching coach (Kali Scoresby, a pitcher for ISU who graduated from Thunder Ridge), and she was amazing! Winnie (and I ... and Grandpa Scott) learned so much from her. I feel bad that I never got around to finding pitching coaches for Rebekah or Miriam because the information was invaluable. Winnie wasn't bad before, but with Kali's instructions, Winnie became quite the standout.

Our team (Bunt Force Trauma) actually had five girls who all pitched for us during the season. Winnie didn't have the highest percentage of strikes pitched in games, but she was a close second, and her pitches were all way faster than the others'. In fact, we had random people stop to tell us that Winnie was a great pitcher.

Winnie also did a great job fielding and batting. She caught a couple of pop flies during the season, and she scored lots of points for us by hitting (or walking) to get on base and then working her magic as a base runner/stealer. You could see the kid paying close attention to the whole situation--the pitcher, the catcher, the other base runners, the fielders, her base coaches--and running smart and hard. She stole home several times and always slid. It was majestic.

And our team as a whole did better than any other season. Our record going into the tournament was 3-5, but we ended up playing five games in the tournament and taking third place overall. The team met all of their goals, and the morning of our last day of tournament Winnie helped me dye by hair bright red because that's the color the girls picked after earning their final reward. It was a magnificent way to end my coaching career.

Winnie all suited up and ready for a game.

Andrea heading out to base coach.

Winnie sliding home.

Pitching. Isn't she incredible?!

Fielding the ball at third base.

With her teammates eating pizza (their second to last reward for meeting goals).

Coach Grover, Winnie, Coach Scott.

Winnie dying Andrea's hair.

The red hair. Before that day, I had never done anything to alter the color of my hair. This was an abrupt change from my dirty blonde with white highlights.

Here's a list of the teams I have coached or helped coach over the last 12 years:

• Red (T-ball, Miriam): 2014
• Iron Men* (T-ball, Miriam): 2015
• Ponies** (pitching machine, Rebekah & Analee): 2015
• Stormtroopers (T-ball, Miriam): 2016
• Pink Angels*** (modified fast pitch, Rebekah): 2016
• Hogwarts Express (T-ball, Miriam): 2017
• Fantastic Beasts (fast pitch, Rebekah): 2017
• Bouncing Ferrets (pitching machine, Miriam): 2018
• Order of the Phoenix (fast pitch, Rebekah): 2018
• Fire-breathing Kittens (pitching machine, Miriam): 2019
• Base Invaders (fast pitch, Rebekah & Analee): 2019
• Pancake Batters (modified fast pitch, Miriam): 2020
• Pitch Perfect (modified fast pitch, Miriam): 2021
• Screaming Goats (fast pitch, Miriam): 2022
• Burninators (fast pitch, Miriam): 2023
• Mitt Fits (fast pitch, Miriam & Winnie): 2024
• Mad Batters (fast pitch, Winnie): 2025
• Bunt Force Trauma (fast pitch, Winnie): 2026

*I didn't sign up to coach this team, but after a couple of games, the coach's husband was in a car accident and could no longer come to games. At that point, I stepped in and coached the rest of the games that season.

**Barbara Bird coached this team, but she asked if another parent could step in as an assistant coach to (1) base coach and (2) take over when she was gone for a week, so I acted as an assistant coach.

***Kris Whitehead coached this team when no other coach could be found for a group of girls who all registered without teams. She asked if there was a parent who could help, so I offered and helped with base coaching.

That's a whole lot of teams and a whole lot of ball. I have to note that I only coached T-ball or assistant coached other people's teams until 2017. I knew the league needed more fast pitch coaches, but I was admittedly scared to take on something as serious as that until I went to my dad and asked if he'd be willing to coach with me. He was more than game, and our father-daughter coaching legacy began. 

I took care of all the paperwork: registering the team, getting signatures for waivers, scheduling practices, creating lineups, tracking tournament play. Dad was the steady hand that helped girls with the mechanics of hitting, throwing, catching, running, fielding, etc. I base coached first; he base coached third. I learned as much about the game as I did about coaching in general from him. It was a blessing to have that time and shared experience together. 

Spring miscellany

Saturday, March 28: No Kings protest and a walk

Grandpa Scott, Ana and Seth participate in the No Kings Rally on the Broadway Bridge protesting Donald Trump's presidency.

Seth takes Peach on a walk around the church field.

Sunday, March 29: Dixie cuddles

Ana and Winnie keep Dixie company by the back door during Miriam's family birthday dinner.

Monday, March 30: Pruning

Winnie climbs the crabapple tree in the front yard to help Andrea with the pruning.

Tuesday, March 31: Women's activity

Winnie and her friend, Jane, pose at the photo op booth at a stake women's activity. We picked up Jane and brought her with us because her mom wasn't going.

Thursday, April 2: Spring snow

Snow on the tulips in the front yard. Southeast Idaho experienced very late frosts this year, so we'll see if the fruit trees produce.

Saturday, April 4: Oopsie and bare shoulders

Ana and her whipped cream on her sweatshirt.

Andrea sporting bare shoulders for the first time. She has recently acquired some of the Church's new "open sleeved" garments. Her shoulders felt oddly cold being exposed for the first time in a non-swimsuit situation.

Sunday, April 5: Spending time with the dogs, finishing a project, and an Easter egg hunt

Seth relaxes with the pooches in the back yard between session of General Conference.

The finished T-shirt crazy quilt Andrea made for the jazz dinner silent auction. It was her first time making a crazy quilt, and the first time freehand quilting on her new Juki sewing machine. She finished it while watching Conference.

Winnie giving Miriam a piggyback ride in Grandma and Grandpa Scott's back yard during the annual Easter egg hunt.

Winnie, Miriam and Oakley during the egg hunt.

Saturday, April 11: Avoidance

Miriam hides in her hoodie at the kitchen table. 

Sunday, April 12: Making her mark

The handprint Ana made while working with dough in the kitchen.

Monday, April 13: Jazz dinner siesta

Grandpa Scott rests his eyes during the annual jazz dinner fundraiser at the Bonneville High School commons area.

Tuesday, April 14: Hairy dog

Dixie sports a bunch of loose Peach hair.

Friday, April 17: Move in day

Andrea holds Ana's plants while the parents help her move back up to college.

Ana and Seth in Ana's newly moved-in bedroom at Brookside Village in Rexburg. Ana has the winter semester off, so she was home from mid-December to mid-April, then she moved in for the spring semester.

Saturday, April 18: Driving home from Stone

Miriam drives the family home from the Scott reunion in Stone while Winnie rides shotgun.

Andrea and Seth in the backseat while Miriam drives. Grandpa Scott was in charge of the reunion this year, so I took it upon myself to prepare the food and activities. We had a pasta bar with two kinds of pasta and two kinds of sauces plus breadsticks. I found the Stone Elementary kitchen to be woefully lacking in supplies and cleanliness. Next time, I'll bring my own cooking tools.

Friday, April 24: More spring snow

Dixie, Toad and Peach on the back porch during the dogs' breakfast time.

Sunday, April 26: Kitty snuggles

Miriam loves on Toad in the living room.

Tuesday, April 28: More kitty snuggles

Winnie snuggles Toad on the couch.

Sunday, May 3: Picnic and together time

Lizzie kisses Ana during a picnic in Grandma Susan's back yard.

Winnie lies on top of Miriam in our living room.

Saturday, May 16: Signs of Ana and meanwhile in D.C.

Ana's shoes indicate that she did, in fact, come home the night before to sleep between her Friday night and Saturday morning rehearsals.

The item Ana added to the list of things to not forget before leaving to Winnie's Festival in Utah. We did, in fact, find the cat and deposit him in her room.

Nathan and Rebekah at the National Zoo in D.C.

Monday, May 18: Keeping Dixie company

Seth lies next to Dixie near the back door.

Friday, May 22: Palmyra and sister gift

Rebekah and Nathan at the Hill Cumorah on a trip following Nathan's completion of the semester.

Ana opening the pins Miriam gave her for her birthday. They depict characters from a video called Deltarune.

Saturday, May 23: Pennsylvania

Rebekah and Nathan at the Isaac and Elizabeth Hale home in Harmony, Pennsylvania.

Monday, May 25: Cat table

Ana works on her laptop ... on a pillow ... on a cat.

Memorial Day weekend

So while Ana stayed home and took care of our pets, the rest of our household traveled north to spend some time at Grandma Hendricks' cabin. We went up Friday evening and made a stop at Jimmy Johns in Rexburg for dinner. Rather than doing a whole weekend of fishing, we decided to switch things up. We spent Saturday morning at Grandma's cabin playing games and watching shows, then we went into Yellowstone and did a lot of driving and a little bit of walking around.

Checking out the petrified tree stump at Mammoth.

Enjoying ice cream on the lawn at Mammoth.

Walking to Artist Point to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Eating our picnic dinner.

Walking around at Norris Geyser Basin.

More Norris.

Sunday we went to church, took it easy at the cabin and then headed over to Rachel's cabin for dinner and family time. Winnie ended up staying at their cabin for a sleepover with the cousins. The next day, We spent a lazy morning at the cabin, then packed up and got home in time for Miriam's percussion clinic. Winnie went fishing with Grandpa Dennis on Grandpa Hendricks' boat and caught a fish.

Winnie cooking s'mores at Wildes' cabin on Sunday night.

Miriam doodling at Grandma's cabin on Monday morning.

Winnie with her fish. We ate it the following week.