Baseball Begins

After much prayer and consideration, it was decided to let Carter play travel baseball this spring. He has been asked countless times to be on a travel team, but we always turned the offer down for many reasons.  However, we were approached this time and joined the West Tennessee Sliders baseball team.  

Carter has loved every minute of it.  He has received so much coaching already and he loves every minute of it!

 He really likes that some of his good buddies are on the team and he has already made some great new friends as well.  

It is going to be a growing season with a lot of new things - travel, kid pitch, etc, but as long as he is on the field . . . he does NOT care one bit!!!!

We Are the Champions!!!

We love our Lady Lion Basketball girls

(whoo hoo, Hayley!)

just as much as our baseball boys.

I just can never seem to get some good pictures at those games.  However, I FOR SURE had my camera on this night because I was not going to miss the conference championship!!!

Carter is already too cool for us - he has to sit with the baseball boys during the games.

However, sometimes he will venture over to see Shelbie and Addie who adore him and LB.

 Needless to say, I was too busy cheering during the game to take pictures, but I got the most important ones - AFTER the game!!!

Hayley cutting down the nets

LOVE Cynthia and Hayley

She's a bit excited!!!!

Mom is too!

This mom is too!

Yes, this is a rare picture of Carter and Cynthia!!!

He really does love them! (and the chase)

Hayley and Jordan

The baseball boys are the biggest fans!

besides these two, that is!

Whose child is that?

We are so proud of our NAIA TranSouth Champions!!!!

Favorite Shots of My Favorite Pastime

February means a lot of this around here, but the biggest thing that it means is - 

FHU BASEBALL

is back!!!!

Here are some shots of our weekends - cold as it may be - at the games.

Connor is always so good to talk to Carter after games.
There is no telling what they are talking about.

 I love this child for so many reasons - he reminds me so much of Carter at that age.

Madlyn, Connor and LB - about as close as we may get the last two
together for a picture.

LOVE this picture!
Saying special prayers for the one who was hurt at this game.
Our Ryan led the prayer.

Patriotic Program 2013

Each year in February, our school presents a Patriotic Program where the third graders choose famous Americans, dress like them, and give a short biography about that person's life.  Carter has been waiting for 2 years to be able to participate in this program and he has known who he wanted to be since that time as well.  Who did he want to be?

Jackie Robinson

Yep and so on this night, he put on his Brooklyn Dodgers jersey, hat and baseball pants to set right up beside Kid President (yea. . . he goes to school with Carter) as the Jackie Robinson duo.

All the participants in the Patriotic Program 2013

The kids from my classroom that participated in the program.

The Jackie's of the night - Carter and Robbie (aka Kid President)

 Big shocker, but I took pictures during the program.  Halfway through the program, Cooper, Chance and I had a little fun with my reversal camera on my phone!

Carter and Cade (aka Peyton Manning)

Gran, Pop, Grandad and Carter

Mr. Bob came to the program as well. We missed Mrs. Joan.

So proud of our Jackie for so many reasons!

Carter and Kid President

I think Jackie would have been proud!

Book Review: The Icecutter's Daughter

Bethany House and Tracie Peterson have done it again!! This time with The Icecutter's Daughter, the first book in the new series Land of Shining Water.  This was a very different book for me to read as far as the setting of it was concerned.  Set in Minnesota in the middle of winter, we met Merrill Krause - only daughter of the icecutter in town and is just as content being "one of the guys" as she is with her ladylike side.  Even though she can train and drive a team of horses better than most men, she does desire to have a family of her own despite a promise to her mother on her deathbed to take care of the family.  When Rurik Jorgenson arrives in town to help his uncle with his furniture and carpentry, Merrill seems to have finally met the man of her dreams.  He is handsome, hard working and not afraid of Merrill's brothers who have run other suitors off in the past.  However,  when Svea Olsson and her brother come to town, Merrill realizes Rurik may not be the man he has said he is.  Questions are raised about Rurik's intergrity, Svea's declarations and her brother's work ethic.  All the while, Merrill is trying to find the truth as well as be the Christian example she is suppose to be to those who may not be acting the right way.  I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down.  It is a fabulous read that will keep you guessing and in your seat until the last page is read - then you will want to know more!  Another great job by Tracie Peterson! Thank you, Bethany House, for the book to read in exchange for this review!

Book Review: To Honor and Trust

Once again, I am blessed to be able to give you a review in exchange for a free book - I just can't help myself!!!!  This time Bethany House sent me the book To Honor and Trust by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller.  I really can't turn away anything written by Tracie Peterson and she does a great job teaming up once again with Judith Miller.  This is the third book in the Bridal Veil Island series and I enjoyed it very much.  Set again at the fictional retreat island of Bridal Veil off the coast of Georgia in 1913, we meet Callie Deboyer who comes from a well-to-do family, but is now joining the Bridgeport family as their governess as they spend the winter on the island.  While she loves her job and the Bridgeport family, she keeps thinking that something is missing in her life and that God is calling her to a higher purpose, one that possibly would include joining her parents on the missionary field of Africa. As Callie enjoys the island for the first time, Wesley Townsend comes to the island as well.  He comes with his extremely wealthy family who is trying to convince Wesley to join the family business and leave practicing medicine behind.  While Wesley is trying to decide which direction to take in his life, he volunteers to teach golf lessons.  It is here that his path crosses with Callie's.  As the book progresses, Callie and Wes grow to care for each other, but neither as entirely honest with the other about their past as well as what the future holds for them.  I loved reading about their relationship and seeing it progress as the book continued. One of my favorite parts of the book though was the plot beside the romance - the mystery of expensive pieces disappearing from different homes around the island.  The authorities have narrowed it down to several suspects and Callie's names is at the top of the list.  Through the book we see Callie struggle with trusting another person, with what her future holds and with trying to clear her name.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great book.

In Grandma's Attic Book Club Meeting

Laura Beth's book club friends read the first book in the In Grandma's Attic series for

their latest book club book.

The girls were so taken by the stories that came from the true life of this woman's 

grandmother's life.  The book was an easy to read because each chapter was like a story in itself.

The girls found themselves laughing at many of the stories.

The girls brought pictures of their grandmothers to share at the book club meeting as well

as special heirloom treasures from their family. 

The girls loved sharing the special treasures and the stories that went with them.

Our menu consisted of family favorite recipes.

It was such a special night!

The next book takes us to England and China as we follow missionary Gladys Alyward.