Weekend Update in Pictures (Softball!!) . . . and Question #2 Answered!



Well, I guess I could call this past weekend the Super Softball Extravaganza (or something liek that!). On Friday night, I took Delaney to her travel ball team practice and then on Saturday we had softball all day long with our park teams here in Hueytown. We had the parade on Saturday morning (all of the teams decorate trucks or trailers for their teams and parade through town; it's the kind of excitement that can only be found in a small town!) and then Opening Day ceremonies and games throughout the day.

Gary is coaching McKenna's team this year (he has coached Delaney since she was 4 and this is the first year he hasn't; but McKenna asked him to coach her this year, which will probably be her last year playing, so of course he couldn't say no!). But it was hard on him Saturday when their games were at the same time and the only part of Delaney's game that he saw was the very last play!

Both teams played well. McKenna's team--the Lightning Strikes--lost 8-5, but they actually did much better than I thought they would (they have four girls who have either never played or only played for a year, and are still learning how to bat and field); they also happed to get the hardest draw of the day, playing a team that has an infield of previous All Stars. So, they really did pretty well! Delaney's team--the Hot Rods--won 8-1, with Delaney striking out 13 batters. (That's her in the top picture in her purple and hot pink uniform! She is known as "D" at the ballpark!) She pitched great! And Sydney? Well, she spent most of the day playing in the rocks and bribing older children into playing games with her (she somehow has the ability to sweet talk others into doing almost anything for her! lol); she also spent most of the day eating candy from the huge loot she accumulated at the parade that morning.

You wanna see some pictures of it all?

Sydney and I camped out for a great view of the parade . . .

McKenna's truck rounding the curve . . .


The girls on Delaney's team having a good time in their truck (she is the one with the sunglasses on) . . .


This had to be the CUTEST float of all . . .

Everyone, it seemed, knew Sydney so they were ALL throwing candy at her. It took her a WHILE to collect it all (it filled up her Dora backpack! lol) . . .

The purple Hueytown "H" welcomed us to the park . . .

Some of McKenna's team (they are a very sweet team, which really is the most important thing of all!) . . .

Delaney with two of her best friends, Shelby and Scotti . . .


A few shots of Delaney pitching . . .



Sydney spent the day playing duck-duck-goose . . .


And watching the game from her Dora chair right by the fence . . .

And after a very LONG day at the park, it ended with McKenna taking a nap at the base of the bleachers . . .


And now we will spend the next two months doing nothing but playing softball. It takes up A LOT of time (practice or games every night of the week!), but we really love it. Our whole family loves sports and it's a way for us to spend a lot of time together. The only thing I don't like about it right now is how COLD it is at the ballpark. It's going to be very chilly at our games this week! (I really would much prefer to be wearing shorts and watching a game in 70 degree weather! But alas.. I don't always get what I want!)

Sunday was a much more relaxed day for me. We had a wonderful service at church with some very inspiring moments and a fantastic sermon, and then I actually laid around in bed for a few hours in the afternoon (I don't take naps in the daytime, but I did watch some meaningless television, which was nice).

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Now, let me answer Question #2 from the Q & A for Cheryl that you all gave me this past week. In fact, my plan is to answer a question each day this week. I'm really enjoying thinking about my answers, and really appreciate you all providing me with such good questions!

The question I'm answering today is from Michelle, who asked "What is one of your favorite childhood memories?"

I have so many fond memories of childhood with my Mom and Dad and my younger brother, Christopher. I love to brag about my childhood, because I truly remember it being a very happy, almost idyllic, one. My parents were very encouraging and positive people who always let us know that we were loved. I also had a lot of wonderful friends.

When thinking about this question, two things immediately came to my mind (although I then thought of A LOT of other ones). Firstly, since it's been so cold these last couple of days and I often wish that my girls could enjoy snow like I did as a child, I thought of how our whole neighborhood would gather together whenever it snowed. The whole crew of kids that lived around me would build snowmen, build snowforts, have snowball fights, and go sledding down the long hill behind our house. (We also spent countless hours on summer days riding our bikes through the neighborhood, making circuses in my backyard, roller skating in my carport, and reading underneath the tree in my front yard.) I didn't live in a fancy neigborhood (we were probably lower middle class), but boy was there a lot of fun and camraderie in it. There was always a game or an activity going on, and my memories from that neighborhood outside Fayetteville, Arkansas, are very sweet!

The other memory that came to my mind immediately was the many, many mornings I spent in the car on the way to school. My Dad drove me to school every morning from first through sixth grade and those are some of the most vivid memories I have. We would sing songs every morning ("Puff the Magic Dragon," "Stewball was a Racehorse," and all sorts of songs by the Byrds were our favorites!) to pass the time. I will always treasure that time I had my Dad all to myself, and it's a lesson that I have tried to repeat as a parent myself--to let my girls know that I simply enjoy being with them and having fun!

Thanks, Michelle, for the great question!!