WARNING!!! WARNING!!!!
(if I could make those words blink to let you know how serious I am about this warning, I would!! Because it is time for an...
Extreme Photo Overload!!!

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our trip this past weekend to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. We had so much fun and Delaney's team did wonderfully (you'll see further down in the post); Sydney loved the mountains; Dollywood was a blast; and I ate way too much fudge for my own good! (The only thing that would have made it better was if McKenna had been with us; but she's off on a mission trip.) So, without further ado...get ready for the Photo Overload!!

The Smokies are one of my favorite places anywhere and, thank goodness, we had some time to appreciate the beautiful surroundings...


We loved our cabin...

and I especially loved the jacuzzi bathtub (although it was surrounded by three full-sized mirrors and I will just tell you right now that I don't necessarily need to see my behind that up-close-and-personal. But I am a "bath person," so I was in heaven!)...

We did not, however, love the fact that the maintenance crew took a good two hours to get our air conditioning working...

(But it was all good, and we entertained ourselves by going and eating way too much food at a yummy local restaurant. When we returned, it was cold!!)

The next day, we headed off to Dollywood. I am not much for theme parks, but I actually enjoyed this one. There were enough "low key" rides that I could actually ride, and it was shady and pretty; there were also good snacks (always a pro in my book!). And, best of all, the kids loved it!

We got a quick pic of the entire team, before everyone went their separate ways...

And we got a few family pics, that I really love...

(okay, so this next pic isn't really that great...but it makes me look pretty skinny and, after all the Southern cooking and fudge I ate--and the three-way mirror that revealed the enormity of my backside to me--this picture made me feel pretty good. So I'm posting it!! lol)...

And a few favorite pictures of Scout (oh, how a four-year-old can change moods quickly!)...



Gary and I even posed in an owl's nest...

And this was a good Father's Day picture...

Then we all enjoyed some rides...





(you can't see me in the picture above, but I'm behind all that water!! I was soaked!!)







One of the best parts of the trip was the girls getting to spend time with their friends. We feel very blessed to be a part of the team Delaney is on. We have been on other teams when the families don't all get along, or some girls are "divas" to the others and they aren't necessarily good friends. This team is quite different and Delaney loves her teammates...



And, as an extra bonus, Sydney has good friends too (the team is full of younger siblings!!)...



Of course, the REAL reason we came to Tennessee was to play some softball!!! The tournament consisted of eight teams in the 12-and-under division. We were the only Alabama team to compete in it, and the other teams were mostly from Tennessee. But there was a team from Virginia and one from Ohio, so that was really cool for the girls to play against teams from other states.

Here are some of my favorite action shots of Delaney throughout the weekend...







We had a GREAT tournament and went undefeated in five games. Because we never lost, we never got stuck in the loser's bracket, which is a big advantage when you're in a double-elimination tournament.That way, when you make it to the championship round the other team has to beat you twice. We ended up playing against the White Lightning team from Tennessee for first place and--with a combination of great pitching, great defense, great base running, and some great hits when we needed them--we won 5-0!! (We only gave up three points all weekend!) Delaney had a really good tournament, with two beautiful bunts at very important times of the game and some great defensive plays.

Here is the team at the end of the game, and then posing with their first place trophies...


This win is another good step for us as we get ready to play in the World Series in Maryland in July. Wins like this give us more confidence, and we also earn points that should give us a good seeding in the World Series. (Go Mustangs!!)

Of course, once the girls were off the field, Sydney had to run the bases and pose with Delaney's trophy too...



We were sad to have to leave, but Gary had to work in the morning so off we went (it was already 8 pm, and we knew we'd get home LATE).

We did stop to admire the view a few more times (love that picture of Delaney and Sydney!). Until next year...