Take Me Out To The Ball Game

While my computer was down I was unable to write about the Braves baseball game we went to on Sep. 28th. Chase has been to a game but he was a year and 1/2 old and Peyty had never been to one. Thanks to our good friend Beth who gave us free tickets, we were able to afford it. We arrived early so the boys went to the outfield where the teams were practicing so they could catch balls. Craig was able to catch his first ball ever. The game was a whole lot of fun. We bought lots of candy, and ballpark food which rocks, plus the boys each got ice cream in a collectable helmet bowl. As we entered the park we were given tomahawks and posters. Everyone got into it. About the 7th inning, Peyty's patience was thru and Chase was getting sleepy. The kids lasted another 2 innings and then they couldn't take any more. we left. What a fun day and a great memory.

In The Home Stretch

Craig hung up a few more pictures for me. We cleaned up the tobacco basket, just waiting for Craig to hang it in the bedroom. It turns out that it is a lot larger than we originally anticipated. I wanted to place it above the bed, but now it seems that it will not look right in that location. I am thinking about hanging it on the only wall in the room that has no furniture in front of it.

This is a picture of the Naples Pier which is where Craig proposed to me.

In the hall way next to the laundry room.

Above half-bath door but is in the laundry hall way.

Sunburst.

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate ordering anything over the Internet. But for my birthday Craig gave me $100 to do with as I pleased. I love love love the cartoon SAMURAI JACK and since it is impossible to buy the box set or any of the 4 seasons at a mortar and brick building, I finally took the plunge on Amazon where I found the BEST price if I purchased the four videos separately, which I did and saved $15 dollars over the cheapest box set price I could find. I was really nervous about it, but I went ahead and did it and had a good experience. My videos came as promised and on-time. Yeah!

Craig and his friend Ray (and even I) have finished the dry-wall in the basement. A gentleman will be here tomorrow to do the mudding, taping, and sanding, the Craig will paint the walls the same color of green as we have on the main floor. The bathroom will get the toilet and a new sink. We tried to use the old one from the half-bath, but the pipe stuck out way too far and the sink would not sit flush with the wall. We will save some money on the floors using material we already have in the house. Craig hasn't decided if he wants to do the shower tiling himself or if he wants to hire somebody to do it for him. I am so excited to get the basement done. Here is the current progress:

Craig power washed the front porch and got off all the slimy green crap that was stuck on the rails. He also sprayed the front door moulding and I couldn't believe how good they looked when he got done. I thought only a new paint job could save the rails and moulding, but now they look almost brand new. We bought a new door knob for the outside garage door that matches the bronze. The renters had put an indoor gold closet knob there and it had rusted out from the weather.

No longer has rusty unlockable closet door knob.



Front rail. Used to be slimy green.

The mouldings around the door are white again.

Side rail. No longer green.

I'm Back

Wow, it has been a crazy month since I have written last. My computer slowed down to the point where you could click on an icon and it literally froze and took hours to get there. So I have been out of writing commission and I have been missing writing here. Craig had my laptop repaired and it now works like a champ.

Since I last wrote, both boys have started baseball. Chase plays coach-pitch and Peyton plays T-ball. Today is actually the day of their final games. I have enjoyed watching them play and grow as ball players. I feel an immense sense of pride when I see them up at bat, hitting the ball and running the bases. I am sad to see the season end.

We purchased a trophy for each boy, one cost us $11.25 and the other cost us $7.00. We didn't see them until today because someone else ordered them. Here are the 2 trophies, can you tell which one cost more?

We retreived the RV from the dealer in Calera, AL who was doing warranty work and set it up at Craig's hunting camp. He is excited to teach Chase valuable deer hunting skills. Meanwhile, Chase is growing out of all his pants and if there is one thing I cannot abide, it is high-water pants on a boy. This school year Chase and I drop Peyty off at his pre-k class and then we head to the library to get his work done. It has been a great thing where we can spend time alone and get his schoolwork done early in the day.

Chase turns 7!

Yesterday Chase turned 7 years old. He has been so pumped up to celebrate his birthday. He wanted to have a family party. So, after eating homemade batman birthday cake for breakfast and opening his gifts, a new bow and some RC toys, we drove to Helen, GA for the day. Helen is a kitschy German town located in th Blue Ridge mountains of N. GA.

We went mini-golfing and then tried to go on a tube ride down the Chattahoochee river but when we saw people with big sticks pushing themselves thru the shallow water, we decided that it looked too much like work than like relaxation so we changed our minds and went to a local water park instead. The kids had a ball.

For dinner we ate at a local German restaurant and the accordion player sang Happy Birthday to him a long with the other diners. Their pretzels were to die for yummy. Chase picked out one more toy, Peyton got one too, then Craig bought some fudge and we drove home. Fun day.





T-Ball/Baseball/School

Peyton and Chase started T-Ball and Baseball this week. This is Peyton's first time and at first he had reservations about playing but Craig talked him into it and Peyton ended up having a lot of fun. He got a new bat, and we are still on the lookout for a right-handed glove. All we could find were pink ones. Peyty throws left and hits right. Chase started his 4th season of T-Ball which is now coach-pitch baseball.

Peyton at batting practice.

Chase in uniform.

Chase at bat.

Peyton in uniform.

Peyton also started Pre-School on Monday with Miss Heidi. She is a good friend of mine and she has a great school. She engages the kids and has lots of fun stuff for them to do and learn. Chase was in her school when he was 2. He loved it as well. Peyton didn't want to go to school at first, but once we got there, he was waving bye-bye sooner than I had anticipated. The next morning he told me that it I had left him there too long. The school is 3 hours/ 3 days a week. Today he had reservations as well, but he let me leave him there alone rather quickly. When we came to pick him up he was already at the door with his backpack on. He says he likes school and is having fun.

Peyton is having 2 firsts in his life right now. He is also not used to being away from me. I am his Sunbeam teacher at church, so we are always together. I love the fact that now he will learn how to listen to and follow directions from people that are not his parents.

UTAH Vacation

Our family was able to fly to Utah for 2 weeks to visit my family. While we were there I celebrated my 38th birthday. It was nice to have a family party, the last one I got to celebrate with them was way back in 2001.

Waiting to fly from the Birmingham Airport.

Peyty sat by me. He was very good.

Dinosaur museum at BYU.

Ginger and her dad Bill.

Craig with Bill.

My  hands and feet in cement at my grandma's home in Springville.

I was one and my sister Genise was 4.

My best friend Christine and I celebrated our birthdays together. Hers is the 10th and mine is the 11th.

We had a mini-reunion with cousins from my mom's side.

We got to ride on the Heber Creeper.

Grama and cousin Tori.

Chase and cousin Xavier. They got along so well. I was sad that they don't live closer to each other.

My sister Louise's boys with my boys.

We hiked to the Grotto up Payson Canyon.



Papa Bill drove us to the SLC Airport.



Bye bye to the beautiful Wasatch Range.

Here is a list of things we did on our trip:
1. Monte Bean and Paleontology Musems at BYU.
2. Birthday party for me.
3. Family reunion.
4. Chuck E Cheese.
5. Band concert in Payson Park.
6. Swimming at Payson Pool
7. Hiked to the Grotto.
8. Craig and I looked at many houses for sale.
9. Kids played like crazy with their cousins.
10. Kids got sick.
11. Rode the Heber Creeper.
12. Had a good time!
13. Got professional family photos taken.
(not all necessarily in that order either)