Tournament Season Begins

Anyone who knows my son, knows he can play baseball year round, so when he was selected for All-Stars again this year - he was ready.  We began the tournament season this past weekend in a small All-Star Bash tournament with some of the teams we will see in our sub-district tournament next weekend.  The team won Friday night, and was ready to play two games on Saturday.

 They played very well - lost the first game to Bolivar (who always plays well) and won the second game against the team that put us out at state last year!!!!  Whoo Hooo!!

What brothers and sisters do while the games are going on - my LB holds story time!!!

Well, two games turned into 3 games in a matter of 6 hours - Carter was in HEAVEN!!!!  We came out with the runner-up title losing to Bolivar - the team that beat us for district last year.

Considering the team has only been playing together for two weeks - we did not think this was a bad outcome!!!!

Carter was excited and now we are ready for sub-districts this weekend - where we play Bolivar in the first round!!!!!AAAHHHHH!!!!

MSYC Week 3

Laura Beth saved up her birthday money so she could go back to MSYC for another week with Anniston.  She and Anniston met a year ago December when Anniston was here visiting grandparents.  They hit it off and have planned to go to camp together for a year now!!  They had such a wonderful time with each other and new friends.

With counselor Brittany

with Counselor Sara - never had her but we loved her!!!

An added blessing of the week was having Hayley there.  You might recognize realize she looks
a lot like our college kids Hunter and Whitney. Hayley is their younger sister who will be at FHU
in the fall.  She and LB hit it off BIG TIME!

getting ready for camp sing along!

 When LB went to camp first week, she won second place in the model walk.  We never saw this walk - she REFUSED to show us what it looked like.  However, this week she won FIRST PLACE in the model walk and had to do her walk going up to get her award!!!!!

So proud! We work hard on that at home!

I guess being Sam from the Streets and winning first in the model walk is worth it when your child also receives the Bible Student of the Week award!!! Of this we are proud of her. I have seen so much personal growth in her from her time this year at MSYC, and just could not be prouder!!!

As camp comes to a close, the campers gather round and sing A Common Love together.  I love that she and Hayley are together for this song!

One of the biggest things about camp - FRIENDS!!!!

Hope, LB, Kristin and Anniston

Katie, LB and Claire - I remember when these Morris twins were born!!!

Blessed beyond measure to have Miss Brittany again!

A big hug and an "I love you" from Miss Sara

LB's amazing Co-Counselor for the week - Miss Staci!!!!

Thank you to everyone who made her weeks at MSYC the very best they could be!! You have touched her life in a way you will NEVER know and we thank God for each and every one of you!

I Went to Camp Church to See My Child . . .

and found this child instead . . . .

I mean seriously!!!!

She was Sam from the Streets in her cabin's

skit of The Bachelor.

She could not live without her

Bling Bling . . . .

I mean, really?????

Thanks to Counselors Brittany and Jake for the wardrobe!

She's BACK!!!!!

I think she has lived in the cabin more than she has her own room this summer, but that is ok!!!  On Sunday, we moved LB back into Cabin 6 at Mid-South Youth Camp for week #3!!!  She was so excited again to be going back, to have Miss Brittany as her counselor again and to be with Anniston McCall for the week.

They have been planning this week for over a year now!!!

We got Miss Brittany again!!!!

I know they are going to have a wonderful time this week together!  I can't wait to hear the stories that come from this week!

A Six Flags First

Damon and I are not doing our job in raising the kids to be fun loving kids because this was their first time to go to an amusement park.  LB had it in her mind that she did not like roller coasters, and being there without Damon I was not in the mood to change her mind.  They did have a wonderful time though!  They loved seeing the characters.

They loved most of the rides with their friends Josh and Mary Grace.

Carter was my driver for the old cars and did a good job!

Me and My boy on the Hot Air Balloon ride

First row you see is - LB, MG and Josh.
Carter and I are on the next row - looking at your right.

Then, when we were at Skull Island (which we were NOT prepared for at all!),

the county we were in was under a severe thunderstorm warning, so we had to go into hiding.  This is what you get when two boys are stuck in a confined space for a period of time that is really too long!!!!

We had a great time with the youth group and are thankful for the big friends in our lives!!!

A Game with EVERYTHING

I had convinced the kids that we would not be going to a baseball game this summer.  However, when one of our youth ministers came up to me on Sunday night and said he had 4 extra tickets for the Atlanta trip (and I could give him a package deal) - the kids and I jumped on that!!!!  So, we loaded up the bus with the youth group and took off on a great trip!  My friend, Kim, gladly went with us to help me with the kids since Damon had to work - what a sacrifice on her part! Thank you, Kim!

LB wound up with a home run ball during some batting practice.
Carter was jea.lous!

But just happy to be at the game!!!!

Carter, Homer the Brave, and LB

Kim, Me and LB at the game

Caleb and LB chowing down on some cotton candy.

We made tv with the sign!!! The kids were so excited when they found out!

Cheering on the Braves to a victory with her tomahawk chop!

I realize that my pictures of Carter are very limited. I did not get many good pics at the game - don't know why.  It just wasn't my day!  The game was awesome as we beat the Mets!!!!  LB got a home run ball in batting practice.  Chipper Jones (my favorite) had a home run!!  We were down 2 in the bottom of the 9th, so Carter finally remembered his rally cap.  No lie, as soon as he put it on - Brooks Conrad hit a 2 run home run to tie the game.  What does that mean?  FREE BASEBALL!!!!!  We held the Mets in the top of the 10th to no runs.  Bottom of the 10th comes up and with 2 men on base, 2 outs, Jason Heyward is up to bat and the Mets' pitcher BALKS IN THE WINNING RUN!!!!!!!!  I have never seen that happen in my life!!! Carter was going crazy and then had to explain to some of the adults what a balk is!!

Braves Win! Braves Win!

Doesn't get much better than that!!!!!

Fans of the Game

My kids are so blessed to have such wonderful support in ALL they do!! This baseball season was no different.  Carter had different people come to cheer him on over the course of the season.  I did not get pictures of all of them but here are some.

Whitney, Carter and Claire

Mark, CT, Carter and Tompkins

Great Papa Whittle, Carter and Great, Great Aunt Zelma

Grandad, Carter and Gran