My Baseball Stars

Last week ended our baseball season for the summer.  Our two middle boys, Max and Pookey, begged and begged to play baseball.  We ended up saying "yes" and giving it a try for them, just so they had that experience to play, if only for one season even.  They were blessed enough to have their uncle coach (for Max) and uncle and father coach (for Pookey) and both of them had a cousin on their team.  That made it extra fun for everyone - including ME since I got to sit and jabber with my sister while watching their games.

Of course, both boys LOVED it and want to play next year too.  We are not going to promise them though.  They'll get plenty of opportunity to play baseball around the yard.  Plus, we tend to choose sports that can include more siblings.  It's just easier for our family that way since we have some many young ones so close in age.

Here are some pictures from their wonderful season.

*** MAX on the Indian team ***

*** POOKEY on the Oriole team ***

++Thank you, God, for our time this summer at the ball diamond and fun with family while there!++

A 39th Birthday - Forever YOUNG

My awesome hubby had his first 39th birthday today.  During the schoolyear, we always take the kids' birthdays off and make it a vacation day.  Obviously in the summertime, we are off already.  But hub's birthday lands in the summer and he works regardless.  Not this year!!  He took a half-day vacation so we could celebrate!  We had a lovely lunch out to eat at a local restaurant, got to enjoy the scorching heat while hanging out down by the river, and then we got to celebrate by going GREEN...

Then we came home and had a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting from the best bakery in town.  And, if you are from this area you KNOW where I mean.  This was the first time we put the exact number of candles on for one of us parents.  So lucky Neil got to huff and puff blowing out all 39!  It was so much fun for all of us - the lighting ceremony and all!  Hopefully Neil and kids will forget and not remember in April when it's my birthday.  ;)

And, when you take 12 pictures of a group shot down by the river really hoping for a nice picture of your handsome husband and beautiful children and only one turns out somewhat presentable, you have to laugh at the outtakes.  Enjoy....

Neil pinching Mario's bum

Mario pinching Neil back

++Thank you, God for my husband and best friend!!  He loves us all so much and gives himself fully to us.  Please bless him abundantly this coming year, and help him feel your presence through all of us.++

Puppies!! Puppies!! Puppies!!

My youngest sister rocks!!  She's a momma to four kids eight and under and is so calm and collected.  I just love her to pieces!  I tell her all the time that she's totally in the "thick of it" when it comes to mothering.  Having four that close was harder than my eight right now, mostly because I have so many helpers.  She gets to wear her super momma cape daily to just get by and pray for a TON of grace and love and forgiveness, which comes so naturally in a loving faith-filled family!  Anyways, her and her hubs are HUGE animal lovers too - they have chickens, geese, ducks, bunnies, cats, dogs, and just recently had their second litter of puppies.  Momma dog is a standard poodle and Daddy dog is a labrador.  So the babies are beautiful labradoodles!!  I took 5 of my crew last weekend to go visit the puppies.  I think they are 3 weeks here....

Aren't they precious??!!!  I didn't get any pics of Max and Pookey holding the pups because they snuck off as fast as they could to go play with their cousins!  They love their cousins and are such good buddies with them.  Did you know cousins make the BEST of friends?!!

Wordless Wednesday: Guess The Saint Peg....

Visiting Mount Rushmore

Our last night in South Dakota, we went to Mount Rushmore.  (we visited Custer Park during the day)   My mom is really good at jabbering with the locals and one of them shared to make sure you go to Mount Rushmore at night because of their evening show.  SO very glad we did!!!  They light up the faces and also call up any veterans for the recognition of their service to our country.  Both were very moving!!!  Well worth it to go in the evening, even though it was a little late for the kids.

 Definitely one of those places to check off your bucket list.  SO glad we did!!  We really enjoyed our visit to Mount Rushmore!!!

**********************************************************************

Click the image below to see all our destinations with details 

and pictures from our trip Way Out West....