Getting in good with the grandparents :)

In this era of technology, what's the best way to get in good with your baby's grandparents?  Post lots of pictures of him, of course!  :)  Oh, and then upload those pictures to shutterfly so that they can print out hard copies, right?  I'm on it.  Did I do good, or what?  Here are some pictures from LJ at Lance's game yesterday.  Sunday day games are great because kids get to run the bases, it's early enough for Lance to stay out and play...not to mention we get to have dinner together!  We have done that like 2 - 3 times in the 1 1/2 months, so that's a BIG treat!  I hope you enjoy these pictures - it was a joy taking them.  I'm in the stands with a profile view, so now "straight-on" shots.  Maybe next time :)

LJ, who's your favorite person in the world??  Pointing at his dad.

Watching a ball he just threw, hoping it doesn't "go out"... :)

Having the time of his life!

Dad teaching him how to clean off his cleats ...you know in our Type A family, cleanliness is next to Godliness :)

Hey, ump!  I need a new ball!

"My father did't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."   

~Clarence Budington Kelland

Cleaning off the rubber

"..and the Home of the Brave!"

It seems like a good place to rest the ball to me, too.

So sweet.  My favorite #31's

Rainy day today, lots of block-stacking then knocking down.  He can't take his eye off this one...he's so sure it's gonna tumble!

...and why not give him a haircut?  Rainy days get so much accomplished.  I love this sweet day at home with Lance here!

We're still here!

OK, so I know - I have taken too long a hiatus from the blog.  I have missed it, and I hope you have!  Between traveling back, spending some much-needed time with Lance, getting some rest, (thank you, Lance!) and doing my daily training, I have put it off.  At the end of the day, I am SO tired, and it seemed like a monstrous task.  Lance comes home and I'm like, "I see your mouth moving, but I don't understand a word"...:)  I LOVE the training, and playing with LJ (sometimes taking him with me to train), but it takes its toll.  By the end of the day, I'm zapped.  Now that I have these pictures uploaded, though, I'm back to square one.  I will try not to get behind again :)  I wanted to post a few more pictures from our time at home...gosh, WHAT A REFRESHER!!!  I love my home!  Do you?  I hope so.  It is my haven, and even though Lance wasn't there, it was a great week.  I hope you are well and having a wonderful Sunday.  We've missed you!

LJ and Kacy playing in his little playhouse.  He LOVES those sweet girls!

A happy grad with his favorite nephew...there's a tie for the nieces.  

The other sweet girl...with a HUMONGOUS weed behind her.  That thing's gonna take over.  We miss you, Tomy and Kace!!

What a beautiful family, right?  LJ so looks like he could belong to them :)  Here's Aunt Rach and Uncle Wood...LJ's favorite T-town friends!

Maw-Maw and LJ sharing a joke.  Aren't they cute??

An awesome picture of April and LJ - He convinced her to climb in the hut with him!

Me-Maw and LJ on Mother's Day.  What a treat!

OK, so he looked SOOOO much better (shirt tucked in, no stains...) before the church service and his weekly "fist-fight" with Mr. Doug ...in the grass.  But, boys will be boys, huh?

  

Throwing pennies into the fountain after church.

Me-Maw bought LJ this catcher's mask and he would not take it off...even for a nap.  He's asleep here.

While LJ napped at the pool, Big Al came by.  I had to take a picture as proof for him. :)

Our last night, the Johnson's had us over for dinner.  We had A blast!!  LJ played with Tucker and the boys while I got to hang out with Anna, Molly and Ms. Doris.  What a great way to spend our last night!

Graduation day!

What a great weekend!  I think Beason's Graduation was the best Mother's Day gift he could have given his momma!  My family filling up my home - that was my gift!  Though I missed Lance so much, it was so wonderful to look around and see my mother, her mother, my sister, her daughters, and my brother, ready to take the next big step in life.  Blood is thick, and I love it!  :)  I hope your weekend was special as well.  Happy Mother's Day to all the sweet mothers in my life especially My mother, Lance's mother, Maw-Maw and Granny.  We love you more than we can say!

The table for B's party - the balloon in the back sang "Hey Now, your're an all star..." when you poke it.  When I was putting it in the car to get home, it was windy and sang it over and over as I tried to stuff it in there.  :)

Before Graduation - here are our sweeeeet girls feeding LJ his lunch so I can play in the kitchen :)

Halelujah!!!  Don't you know these two are happy?  Sweet mom and son pic.

And a cute one with his Maw-Maw!

Look at this crew!  Beason had a big cheering section :)

Now if these aren't the best kids, I don't know who are.

Graduate: May 2009

Congratulations, Beason!

The tassle IS worth the hassle!  

How handsome does he look?  On the quad, with Gorgas Library in the background.

His tassle, his shoe, his brick, his degree.  So proud of you!  If you look closely, you can see "finally" watermarked throughout the whole picture in different fonts, just like his brick.

Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahh...It's so good to be here!  All that is missing is our sweet Lance!  I have just  a few pics to post, but there will be more to come.  Beason's graduating this weekend!!!  Yay, B!

On our flight home, LJ got to go in the cockpit!  My big lens is on, so I couldn't get far enough back quickly, (read:  other passengers asking me to move), so this will have to do.  He thought it was so cool!

Our first night:  We both christened the big tub - me with a book, him with toys and bubbles!

Our friend, Tucker, got to come over yesterday.  He was so much fun!  Jarret and Anna, his parents, were sweet to let us borrow him.  Rookie is at his "class", so we miss him!

Buddies.

Seriously, what a dog, right?  Oh, and what a boy, too :)

someone else's home cookin' and rootbeer floats!

Last night was the fist night in a LONG Time that we've had Lance home.  We decided to to to a cajun restaurant, (It was good!) for crawfish.  On the way, we passed an A&W place, so we had dessert there after.  Lance leaves tomorrow, and so do LJ and I, so it was great to end a homestand on such a fun note!

Evidently, it was good :)

Poor little guys - at first LJ was scared, but he ended up playing with them after

One of these signs says "Lafayette" :)

How's that for a first float!?

DELICIOUS!

Redundant

I know, I know...all of the pictures I put up of LJ these days are of him playing baseball.  I gotta tell you, though - that's all he does.  Unless we're in the pool, (which I don't want to go near with my camera alone - prior incident), he is playing baseball.  Catching, throwing, pitching, sliding - you name it.  Right now, he has me waving a Rays car flag and saying "Go Rays" or "Go LJ" while he plays, (catcher mask on backwards, footy pj's, and glove).  If I type for longer than 10 seconds or so, he says, "Mom, Go Rays!", and back to waving I go!  

He's doing all this right now while he's sick.  The pictures below are of us outside with Rookie, keeping from adding cabin fever to our list of symptoms.  He's been running a good fever and coughing with a bit of a runny nose.  You can tell by his face, mainly his eyes, that he's not 100%, but he continues to play.  Like Cal Ripken, Jr., this boy is not going to sit one out.  The team's counting on him.  :)  He's getting better, so maybe he can actually go to Lance's game tomorrow before the Rays head out again...and we do, too!  LJ and I get to go home!

We hope you enjoy this post - sorry it looks so much like all the others!  I'd say it's a phase, but I don't think so.  This boy's got the bug, and I think it will last LONG past baseball season :)  

OK, one non-baseball one...he's probably praying for baseball-related things, though.  We pray for our entire extended family every night by name, then he adds his own tid-bits..."God bless the boys", etc. ("The boys" are the players)

 

Rookie sitting next to me as I play "catcher".  It's not ideal, but he's a trooper, just happy to be outside.

LJ's turn!  

The big pitch - I'm taking a risk by catching it and taking a picture at the same time.  Luckily, it didn't hit me in the head!

Sweet catcher.  If you look in his eyes, you can see he's not feeling great.  Also, you can see his "goggle marks" from the pool -- he wears those ALL DAY when we're out there, so he's got almost a permanent mark because he likes them TIGHT!  :)