home

After 17 days, 3 destinations, 6 planes rides, 2 rental cars and 6 hotels....WE ARE FINALLY ALL HOME!!! And oh my, does it ever feel good.

I forgot how much I loved my house.  I love my dust.  I love my own washing machine.  I love cooking in my kitchen.  I love sitting on my comfy couches.  I love driving my very own suburban.  I love having more than one room to hang out in as we did in our hotels. I love NOT having to live out of a suitcase.  I just love being home.

But we had so much fun!!!  Disney was a huge success for all, especially Cydney Claire.  Her favorite was probably Minnie Mouse, but when she picked her souvenir...she chose PIGLET!! The big kids favorite was probably Hollywood Studios.  There were big, fun, fast, and exciting rides there.

After several days of Disney, it was nice and relaxing to dip our toes in the water in Marco.  The beautiful tan that came along with that was definitely a plus for me.

Telling my boys good-bye brought tears.  (I am not good at good-byes!)  But the girls and I headed to Virginia for a busy week of Bluedevil basketball.  We didn't fair as well as we had like at the National Tournament, although they did very well.  They placed about 13th out of 34 very good ball teams.  I am super proud of those Texas Bluedevils.

Finally...we flew home with a quick overnight stay in Amarillo for a family reunion.  It is always good to see family that we don't see often.  Sure would have loved to have seen them longer.

But home never felt so good!!

more than basketball - branson post #2

lots of hugs and kisses

swimming

swimming

more swimming

sweet friends

Noah's Ark, the musical

more sweet friends

lots of pictures

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bluedevil basketball - branson post #1

Better grab your favorite drink and a comfy chair, this post could get lengthy!  Have tons to tell you....

I had every intention of keeping you informed of our week of basketball at the AAU National Tournament in Branson last week, but technology was not on my side.  I guess, due to the many hills and trees, phone service was a little shaky.  I couldn’t check my facebook or post to my blog from my phone.  Talk about drive me crazy....a week without Facebook is a good way to do it.  I felt out of touch with everyone except the our Bluedevil family.  But never fear, the hotel has wi-fi.  Ya, whatever!!  Very undependable wi-fi, if you could even call it that.  I could never get a blog post to post, much less any pictures to upload.

Sooo... your stuck with an incredibly lengthy post covering a weeks worth of basketball.

The trip to Branson was relatively uneventful.  We split the trip in half to make it a bit easier on the kids.  I didn’t have Cydney (he flew with Robby’s mom), so I was able to spend some time with the two older ones.  We sang REALLY LOUD and even danced in the car.  I know what your thinking...I was being safe!!!  It was fun!!!

The tournament began with an opening ceremony that is fashioned after the Olympics.  It was really cool and the girls loved it.  It is customary for each team to bring items from their hometown/home state to trade with the other girls at the tournament.  Last year  we tookTexas license plates and they were a huge hit, so we took them again this year along with Bluedevil pins.  Most teams bring pins with their team logo to put on their lanyard.  Each girl then wears her lanyard through the week and has a keepsake from the tournament.

Basketball didn’t start as we had hoped the first day.  Bluedevil girls were a little shell shocked from being at the National Tournament.  We lost the first game in pool play, but made a good comeback on day 2 and finished second in our pool.  This seeded/placed us for the championship bracket of the tournament.

Calleigh is #15

Day 3 of the tournament began the championship bracket.  We got lucky and got a bye the first round.  This moved us to the Sweet Sixteen.  That afternoon, the girls won their game which moved them to the Elite Eight.  It was pretty exciting knowing that we had made it to the top eight teams of the tournament.

Day 4 was a heartbreaking day for Bluedevil basketball....for this mom, anyway.  We lost our game that morning by 5 to another Texas team which would eventually win the National Tournament.  Although we had lost, we held our opponents to the lowest scoring so far of the tournament.  No one they played had lost by less than 20 points.  The girls had nothing to hang their heads about, but losing is never easy.  We lost again that afternoon to an Indiana team by 2 points.  We just couldn’t get our game going again.

Friday morning we played our last game against an Oklahoma team for 7th place.  We won the game!!  Although we hoped for a higher placing than 7th place, we are super proud of our Bluedevil girls.  They played hard all week, and never quit fighting until the last buzzer rang.

Out of 27 teams that qualified for the AAU National Tournament, Bluedevils finished 7th.

Proud to be a Bluedevil mom!!!

basketball, basketball, and more basketball

We have been super busy since summer began with, you guessed it....BASKETBALL!!!  We have done basketball camp, basketball practice, a basketball sleepover, and basketball tournaments.  It has been non-stop!!  It is something we have become accustomed to, and I have to admit...I do kinda enjoy it.

This past weekend, the Kirkland Krew went to Lubbock for a basketball tournament (and a wedding!)  The Bluedevils usually play in 5th grade leagues to give them good competition (all the Bluedevils are 4th graders!)  In the Lubbock tourney, the 5th grade league did not have enough participants so they bumped us up to the 6th/7th grade league.  I was not really all that thrilled about it.  I worry about someone getting hurt because those girls are so much bigger than our girls.  And they were...they made our little girls look just that....little girls.  

The first game was not so good for the Bluedevils.  They played their hearts out, but came up 3 points short when the buzzer sounded.  It again made me question why we were playing these big girls.  They are just a different league than we are.

However, the loss lit a spark in the Bluedevils and they came back fighting!!!  The girls played 4 games on Saturday to work their way back to the championship game on Sunday.  We also got a little sweet revenge on the team that beat us the night before.  We don't get mad, we get even!!!

We didn't win the championship, but played hard 'til the buzzer rang.  Our girls may be little, but they are full of fight and lots of effort.  Hard work and effort definitely paid off for them.

On Friday, the Bluedevils head to Branson, MO for the AAU National Tourney.  We are so pumped.  I honestly have very high hopes for the outcome of the tourney.  I am excited for a week full of basketball!!! I will keep you all posted on the ins and outs of Bluedevil basketball.

But, for now...it is off to laundry, packing, and golf camp for Carson.  It never ends...

where does the time go???

WHEW!!! Today I finally feel like I have been able to slow down long enough to catch my breath. Our schedule has been non-stop since Calleigh and I left for Florida. It has been fun, but exhausting. So, as I am catching my breath, I will try to catch you up on the happenings in the Kirkland household the past two weeks...

TEXAS BLUE DEVILS...

Florida was a great time. It was edge of your chair excitement. It was fun. It was frustrating. It was awesome. It was amazing. It was even a little intense...and yes, I did have to yell a little in those moments. One of my weaker qualities. You all might as well get to know the real me through this blog!!!

The Blue Devils played ALOT of basketball in the 7 days we were in Florida. We started with two days of pool play where we lost 2 of 4 games and ended up the 3rd seed in the bracket. Our first bracket game didn't go so well, but the girls came back VERY strong and won the remainder of the games. The Blue Devils finished the tournament with a 5-3 record...losing to two teams that were the national champions and second place. We were all very proud of our basketball team. Not only did they play great basketball, we all had a ball (no pun intended). The girls had a great time together, becoming such close friends. Blue Devils are taking a break for a bit, but we are excited to see what the future holds for these young ladies.





In between all that basketball, we did get to see a little DISNEY!!! We managed to squeeze a few hours here and there to see all the things we wanted to see at the Disney parks. Sometimes it was early in the morning, and sometimes late at night...VERY LATE FOR SOME!! But, we got it all done, and had a super time doing it. Calleigh and I were very homesick and ready for our family to all be back under one roof. But for a week, we were blessed to spend our time with 9 other amazing families.

FISHING TRIP...
While Calleigh and I were in Florida, Robby and Carson went on a father/son fishing trip to Vermejo park. The boys had a great time enjoying the coolness of the mountains and a little fishing. Carson was going to make sure that the fish tales he had to tell were true...



Carson caught this 5 lb trout while fishing on the first day. He was super pumped!! From what I hear, this was one of the biggest fish caught that weekend.

Carson also had another big catch....HIS DAD!!! While casting his line into the lake, he accidentally caught his dad's neck. OUCH!!! Carson is so tender-hearted...he felt TERRIBLE!!! Robby was fine. The most painful part was the tetnus shot he had to get the next day.

CYDNEY'S 1ST BIRTHDAY...
An exciting time. A memorable time. A fun time. A bittersweet time. My how the year has flown. I remember only a short year ago, going to the dr. for a routine check and finding out we having a baby THAT DAY!! I remember the anxiousness. I remember being scared (she was 3 1/2 weeks early). I remember the excitement. I remember the 5 lb, 10 oz baby girl I held in my arms. I loved it all. Today, she has more than made up for her small size. She goes to the dr. on Monday, ANDI feel sure that she will weigh close to 25 lbs. She is a healthy girl. I love every roll, pudge, and wrinkle on that adorable body.














It has been a fun year. I wouldn't trade one single moment of it. This moment makes me realize how quickly my babies are growing up...I love it, but I am just not ready.

I AM SO BLESSED!!

In between all this fun, we managed to squeeze in a week of Bible School and a quick trip to Angel Fire with my parents. I wonder why the summer has gone so quickly??? Hmmm!!! Blessings to you all. Have a super weekend.

and they're off....

I thought when summer began, this would be such a great time for updating my blog frequently and keeping you all well informed of summer activities. But...NO!!! I can't seem to find the time to sit down and write, even a few words or pictures. That won't be getting any better this week it seems. Calleigh and I leave tomorrow for...



Many of you already know that Calleigh's basketball team, Texas Blue Devils, won the AAU regional tournament to qualify for the AAU National Tournament at Disney World. We leave in the morning...Tuesday...and will return the following Tuesday. I am seriously dreading leaving part of my precious family at home. I hate it!!! This will be a fun time for Calleigh and I together. Robby and Carson are leaving Saturday for four days in the mountains on a father-son trip. They did this last year, and it was a great time. And poor little Cydney....

she will be at home. Right where she likes it best. She will staying with my mom and dad while we are all off having fun. Please pray for travelling mercies over our family as we part. Pray for the safety and protection of our children. Pray for us to enjoy our time with our children and not be homesick. (I need the prayers because as I type this I have tears rolling down my cheeks...)

Be sure to check back next week....should have lots of FUN pictures. Be sure to check in with us on Facebook, as I will give updates on Calleigh's team and how they are progressing through the tournament. I can try to post a quick blog, just not sure if I am smart enough to figure that out from my phone. Hope you all have a blessed week...lots of love