Some Sadness,
Some Yummy Happiness, &
Some Sportiness (the good and the bad of it!)

First off...can you all please remember Alexia McWaine in your prayers today? She is a 11-year-old in Delaney's class at school and her mother was one of the two women shot at the Wachovia bank robbery in Bessemer, Alabama yesterday (all of you in Alabama and the South probably heard about it, and I know it made some of the national news outlets too). Just such a sad, sad thing. An armed robber just walked into the bank, shot and killed two tellers, and wounded several more.

Delaney said that her class made cards for Alexia yesterday and the teachers were making food for the funeral. Delaney, who I always say is my most sensitive child, was very upset by it. (In fact, she told me yesterday that too much of this had happened while she was in school.Two years ago, a little boy a grade ahead of her was killed by his father, and then last year one of her classmates lost her mother to cancer.) What do you say to that? I just tried to explain to her that sometimes you just can't understand awful things like that, but she can be the kind of person and friend that others need during times like that. She can reach out with a smile and some kind words, and of course she can pray.

My lesson from it all? Treasure EVERY SINGLE DAY, because you never know when it might be the last you have. Morbid perhaps. But true. Hug your children, tell your husband you love him, reach out in kindness to someone. And do it TODAY!!

And now for some happier news--in fact some Yummy Happy news! lol

One of my favorite guys in the whole wide world--Ryan!--told me Monday night that his office was having a party catered the next day by Full Moon Barbecue, my favorite barbecue in town.I asked him pretty please to bring me some of their yummy, delicious "half moon" chocolate chip cookies if there were any left over. And guess what? He brought me a dozen of them last night out to the ballpark!!

I shared the love, giving one to his wife Allison, McKenna, her boyfriend Murry, and a few other select people! (lol; I had to determine if they were chocolate-chip-cookie-worthy!!). But then I ate FIVE of them all by myself!!! (and they are some big cookies!!) How bad is that???? Sweets are my weakness and these things are so GOOD!!

(And did you know that yesterday was Chocolate Chip Cookie Day? How apropos was that? I think you all need to celebrate it today--just one day late!)

And now...how about some Sportiness?

Last night was our last night of park ball softball. McKenna's team played great and won their game--a good way to end it all! A girl who has only pitched one other game pitched for us (our ace pitcher was sick) and it was so great to see a girl just get out there and have fun! She smiled the whole time and you could tell she was just thrilled to get to be the pitcher for us! So THAT game was good!

The other game of the night was Delaney's, which was the championship game. Delaney had had some amazing games (of her last five games, four had been no-hitters, including one against the team we played last night).Well, last night,they hit off of her and hit BIG; but we hit well too. In the end, though, we lost by 2 and I was so disappointed!!

In fact, I was SO disappointed that I became the parent that I usually hate (we have a few parents on our team this year that have been very foul-mouthed and ugly, so I have sat away from all of them and had been extremely happy and easy-going about it all). But, last night I guess the championship fever got the best of me--or the worst ofme!! lol

I really feel like the coach cost us the game (he had Delaney throw a change-up to someone that should never have a change-up thrown to; and he made some awful base running decisions that cost the game at the end).And, I know... I know...we really shouldn't get mad at coaches because they are doing their best (and Gary has coached enough years that I totally understand about stupid parents). But... the ultra-competitive Cheryl took over and I yelled something out onto the field that I know the coach heard and well...Lord, forgive me for letting it come out of my mouth! lol

(Have I told any of you before that I love sports and am very competitive? lol)

But, ball park season is over and now comes some more travel ball. We will be going to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, right in the midst of the Smokey Mountains, for a tournamen this weekend. Can't wait for that!

I did want to share these few pictures from last night at the ballpark. Delaney pitching...

And I LOVE this one of Delaney. She is always so intense and into the moment. Not sure what she was thinking here, but I can just feel her competiveness...

And then, let me just tell you, this child came home SO dirty last night!!! She played in the rocks and dirts all night long and was a MESS. I think there is still dirt in her ears this morning...


Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!! Today, I am: working on two articles to get turned in by the end of the week, wanting to work on scrap challenges from Your 15 Minutes and One Little Word (but doubt I will have time), and eagerly anticipating "Lost" tonight (I have read some stuff on Entertainment Weekly that has just got me salivating for it!)

See ya tomorrow...