Fall Ball Classic

You say, "Ball," and Carter says, "I'm there!"  After some wondering where he would play - he made a VERY grown up decision about playing ball this fall - he chose to play with his friends and had a great time!  We just ended 6 months of playing ball (we did have a month's break) and are ready for new adventures!!!  Here are a few glimpses of his fall season . . .

Photos by Jim Jones

Thank you, Coach Jeff and Coach Alex, for a great season of baseball!  Anyone up for winter ball?

Dressing Up in Our Best Jorts for Homecoming

Homecoming weekend is always a time where I love for the kids to put on their best to be ready to meet and greet former kids and our friends from our college days.  So when I get a text from Hunter Friday night saying they are wearing flannel shirts and jorts I was a tad confused.  Come to find out Carter had been texting Hunter asking how they were going to dress up for the game the next day.  Remember this from last year?  Well, it's back and Carter is participating . . .  So this is how he dressed for Homecoming this year . . .

Trying to figure out from Hunter exactly why they have their back to the visiting team as they are introduced.

At least LB's friends dress appropriately!!!  Thanks, Whit, Claire and Katie!

Not only did he dress the part, the baseball boys who were on the losing team for their intersquad World Series had to keep mustaches.  I got a picture from the other side of the gym showing that Carter had "grown" one during the guys' game.  He wanted to be like Wood.  

Buh-less!!!

                  

We loved getting to see our Hayley (Hunter and Whitney's sister who has joined the family this year) play basketball.  LB is sitting in her lap in this picture.

Thankfully, we did not go out to eat afterwards!!!!  We did enjoy ourselves at Homecoming very much this year and are proud of our students - present and past.

It's All For the Kids, Right . . . .

East Chester had their annual Fall Festival and, now that I am employed, my role was a tad different from years past.  Ms. Kim asked for volunteers to be silly stringed by the kids, so, of course, I signed up - chalk one up to being a rookie or whatever - because it is all for the kids, right?  My team teacher, Jill, and I took the 5:00-5:30 spot and only had about 5 minutes of a break ($3 a can - that's not that bad - because it is all for the kids, right?

               

Of course, my kids got a hold of me more than once!!! The above picture shows my sweet little Cecily (who I have kept since she was 6 weeks old!) getting a hold of me as well!!!

Me and Jill - we survived!

 FHU's baseball team came to help us run the games and did a fabulous job (as always)! Carter especially loved them being there.

BFF Hunter and Carter sportin' their stone cold look

LB FINALLY got her face painted and showed her true colors!!!

We had a great time . . . raised a lot of money . . . had a great time . . . ate great food . . . and enjoyed ourselves 100% - 

and it was ALL FOR THE KIDS!!!!

Trixie, the Halloween Fairy Book Club

Laura Beth's book club met the other night to discuss October's book of the month Trixie, the Halloween Fairy.  The girls LOVE the fairy books so they were so excited to get to read this one.  We had decided that they could all dress as their favorite fairy for this club meeting.  

To get ready for the night, LB and set the table in a fall/Halloween mood.  LB had picked out the plates and glow-in-the-dark fairy wands a long time ago.  Thank you, Pinterest, for the candle idea!!! (Don't you just LOVE Pinterest!)

My fairy - Stacey, the Soccer fairy (big surprise there) waits for her fellow friends to come for the night!

I was horrible and did not get pictures of the food we ate.  Our menu for the night was:

Fairy Sandwiches

(sandwiches cut in half as triangles and then set on the plates

with the points together)

vegetables and dip

apples and caramel dip

(this was part of the book)

cheese and crackers

Fairy Wands 

Rachel Grace and Sarah were jewels and made the Fairy wands for us.  They took pretzel rods, dipped them in white chocolate and covered them with sprinkles.  The girls absolutely devoured them while we talked about the book.

We are taking the month of November and December somewhat off because of holidays and everything. However, while we are gone, we are going to all read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

LOVE it

Carter and Josh showed up for Wednesday night song leading class looking like this AGAIN!!!  They promise me they did not plan it.  I did not take a picture the first time they did it, but I had to take a shot this time. I am so glad that they have each other!! What a special friend!

A "Frankly" Ghoulish Halloween Party

Our friend, Rachel, is quite taken with Halloween.  To say she loves it is a MAJOR understatement!  She holds a BIG Halloween party each year and this summer she asked me to help design some of the elements for the party.  I was honored.  The kids were so excited about the party and could not wait dress up!!!

Rock Star LB, Viking Princess Cecily and Darth Carter

 I even joined in again this year.  I could not think of much, so I went as a fairy!!!  Thank you, LB's dress up box!!!!

Me and Bridget

Rachel always goes above and beyond with her decorating!  She was trying to have a Halloween party with NO orange this year.  Her theme was Frankenstein . . . Here are her precious centerpieces made from clear rectangled plates, green toile, black construction paper, bolts and glow sticks!!!  

The Hardeman House was the venue for the evening.  The usually beautiful dining room was full of black spiders and the like . . .

The candy bar.
I made the apothecary labels telling the guests what the candy was.

Here is an up close look at some of the types of candy she had that night as our treats . . . .

The menu consisted of

Barbecued Beast (BBQ) 

Zombie Guts (Baked Beans)

Green Slime (Ranch Dip that was tinted green)

Radioactive Cupcakes

Young Frankensteins (Rice Krispie Treats)

Pumpkin Cookies

Monster Strawberries 

Witches Brew

Along with other Poisons you could choose

I made these cupcake toppers for her radioactive cupcakes.

I loved using the Mini Monster cricut cartridge to make the labels.  I was not as creative as I had hoped to be with the new job, but LOVED being a part of this amazing night.   Can't wait till next year, Rachel!

Happy Halloween 2011

We enjoyed Halloween with friends at FHU again this year.  The kids had a blast and we BOOKED it through the different dorms.  We also enjoyed seeing friends and family throughout the night!

LB and Whitney!

We love some Carissa, Claire, Whitney and Katie!
We love Emily, too, but she was not there!

HAD to take a pic with Fake Jessica.
We are ready for real Jessica (and AC) to be back!

LOVE LOVE LOVE Ms. Diane!!!

and Houston!

Halloween is not Halloween without stopping to see RoRo and Bub!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

Trick or Trunk 2011

We had a LONG time of celebrating Halloween this year.  It seemed to go on and on and on and on.  We began the festivities with Trick or Trunk at church . . .   I fell VERY short this year and did not even get pictures of the kids in their outfits like I usually do (Carter was QUICK to point this out to me!).  However, there are plenty of pictures of them in their costumes.

an appropriate costume for these two!!!

Carter went as Darth Vader - shocking, I know, that he was NOT a baseball player!

Carter with friends Pearce, Tucker and Evan

LB with friends LeighAnne, Madlyn, Lexie and Mary Katherine

A Tradition like NONE other - The Welches and Youngs

This picture took some convincing, but I think in a few years, we will be glad we had this one
Lane, Evan, Madlyn and LB

Thanks to the youth group for hosting this special night! It was a real treat!