I Miss My Blog

I miss my blog.  I miss the "good ole days" when I documented all the day to day events that went on here...the big and the small.  I know that, one day, I will be so disappointed that I didn't keep it up.  I am going to try, once again, to pick it up again.  I can't stress myself out about doing what I've already missed, but I am going to try to put a priority on documenting our lives.  If I don't, I won't remember anything from these years!

I guess I will start with the summer.  This was definitely a summer of baseball for us.  Braden and Cade are not on the same team, but they did travel to the same cities most weekends.  This was a nice change for us because we normally have to divide and conquer.  We had lots of fun, but it sure doesn't feel like we had a summer!  We got back from our last trip to Atlanta in time to buy school shoes and get on the bus.

As I am going through pics to post, I realize I never posted anything about Braden's school season!  I will have to go back and hit that next.  These pics are confusing because both Braden and Cade played for a Marucci team, and they had the same uniforms.  Cade also played for 2 other teams throughout the season when he could :) These two are also looking very much alike these days so I am going to label them all...mainly so I will know who is who in a few years :) 

Cade with Chaos

 

Braden

 

 

 Braden

 

Braden actually played with 2 Marucci teams at times.  This team won second place in a huge tournament in Atlanta.  We almost won it, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

 



 Cade with Prodigy.  He literally jumped straight over this catcher with the ball and was safe at home!

 

Cade

 

Cade

 

 Braden ended up pitching quite a bit this summer.  He has never been considered a pitcher but he pitched a perfect game this summer!

 

I'm not even going to lie...it was HOT!  The girls were such troopers and, most of the time, were happy to do their thing.

 

Cade

 

I can't believe the summer is already over.  Cade is not playing football this year, so it is going to be a quieter fall.  Bryce starts tigerband camp Tuesday, however, so we will be enjoying watching him and the LSU tigers!

Deja vu

If you've read my blog long enough, you have seen pics of these two together.  Cade and John Ashley (Jag) have been friends since they met each other on the t-ball field!  They don't go to the same school anymore, but they still love to hang out. 

This year, Cade played for Jag's baseball team when he had an off weekend.

Here are the pair about 7 or 8 years ago. I am thinking Cade was 5 and Jag was 6. This is what they did in the backyard...all the time!  Both of them pitch and catch, so they just swapped out.


And here are the two of them this year. Cade is 13 still pitching to Jag is 14. It is so fun to see them on the field together. I'm so sad that they won't be going to the same high school :(

You're OUT!

I have a love/hate relationship with photographing baseball...especially since the girls have come home!!  9 out of 10 times, you're not going to get the shot.  Chances are, when the play happens, you won't be sitting there ready with your camera focused through the fence.  Instead, you'll be fixing the DVD player for the 20th time, taking someone to the potty for the 100th time, or jabbering with the mom sitting next to you :)  Every once in a while, though, it works out.  And you capture the shot that makes you smile big.

This series makes me smile.  Cade is one of the biggest players on the team, but he's also fast.  He plays shortstop which means he is involved in pick-off plays and run-downs all the time.  There have been about 3 or 4 plays very similar to this one that Cade has been involved in this year already.  Last weekend, he did this exact thing with his catcher's equipment on!!!  You guessed it...I did not catch that shot :(

This base runner was trying to steal 2nd base.  Cade is standing on 2nd waiting for the ball to come from the catcher.


Here's the ball....love how you can see the runner put on the brakes!






Cade could have thrown the ball to the 1st baseman, but he decided to chase him down himself.


I love how they're running in sync, and the expressions on their faces!!






Got him!!  You're OUT!!


Baseball has definitely changed for me since Wesleigh came home.  I used to be the mom sitting on the fence watching every single second.  I have had to adjust that.  I might see it...I might not.  I won't say that I'm completely ok with this, but I've accepted that this is how it is.  Well...most of the time I accept it (unless I end up crying on my bathroom floor because I missed Cade's first homerun because I was sweating in the park bathroom with the littles!!!!)  :)   Oh well...that's my life....and I love it (except the sweating in the bathroom part!!)

Take Me Out To the Ballgame

I know some of you are still buried in snow, but here in the south, we've already started America's favorite passtime :)

It's still really cold to play baseball, but the boys didn't seem to mind.
Here are some pics:
This is my favorite shot. Yesterday, they started playing right at the "magic hour" for photography. I had forgotten how much I love snapping pics of my boys playing ball!





Saturday night, it was COLD! I had my trusty propane heater and 3 blankets wrapped around me. I was nice and toasty until I stood up to leave...I don't know how they play ball when it's that cold!  Notice my dad  wrapped in his blanket too :)


Cade started the season with a homerun his first at-bat! It made the cold easier to bear :)

 The best news is we won the whole thing!



A great start to the season!  Next week it's Braden's turn!!

The Beast

So this post is totally going to be bragging.  I apologize now but it is, after all, my blog :) Cade is having an amazing week!

We are in the middle of football season.  Football has been different this year.  He's playing for the jr. high school and it doesn't quite compare to the amazing season we had last year.  Last year was something special.  However, he is in 6th grade and he's doing great.  He plays in the 7th grade game and will likely start seeing the field in the 8th grade games, as well.  I never knew I would enjoy this sport as much as I do! I have yet to catch any amazing pictures yet, but I'm going to try again tonight :)

In the middle of football, we are also playing a little baseball!  Not a lot, but we are on a newly formed team this year and they want to see what they have.  This will be the first year that Cade has played in his own age group.  He has played in a higher age bracket since he started tee ball at 2!  He got away with that because Richard coaches and because he's so much bigger than most boys his age.  Also...he's that good!

He has had an amazing week.  He went 9 for 10 Sunday with his first over the wall homerun!  He was just a little excited.  I, however, have been in mourning all week because I was in the 200 degree bathroom with 2 little 4 yr. olds when he hit the homerun!  I'm pretty ticked about it actually, but so proud of him and happy for him!  He also caught a pass for a touchdown yesterday (NO...I was NOT there!!!!).  I will be there tonight, however, so he'd better do something impressive!!!!!!!!!!

They played and won 4 games Sunday and I had 4 other children to take care of, so I missed the last 2 games.  A friend snapped these for me.

That is his homerun ball and the ring they won.

Whew...

Well, I knew that Cade coming home was exactly what I needed to liven things up around here! Right after I saw the pictures of Bryce on the computer, I headed out to pick up Cade (about 10 minutes from my house). And...of course, what happens...I get in a wreck! Actually...I decided that the little car on the side of me wasn't big enough to be on the road with my big bus :) It was one of the few times that I was not on the phone, I did not have the tv on (in the back), or kids in the car asking me a million questions...I was blonde on my very own...nobody else to blame. Oh well, things like that don't really bother me too much. I was just upset that I couldn't pick up Cade. The other driver didn't so much share my laid-back approach. I soon won her over, though and she turned out to be very nice. What could she do...I appologized for being dumb...she had nothing left to say :)


Cade brought home a bag full of disgustingly dirty, stinky laundry...and a stomach virus! It had started going rampant through the camp and Cade woke up with it on Saturday. Four of our players ended up having the virus. This is what Cade looked like at noon on Saturday:



and this is what he looked like 6 hours later...


Here are some of my favorite shots from the weekend:







I love how they are both looking up at the umpire to see his call in that last shot. I need to add that the umpire called the kid SAFE!! Go up to that first shot and tell me if that kid is safe or out!!

Anyway....love how he looks like he's trying to sneak by the pitcher here :)




This shot is after a run-down. Yes...he was OUT!


This was Cade's last tournament of the season. They poured their heart and soul into it but lost their second game on Sunday...basically due to a REALLY bad call by the ump. Yes...I am still a bit bitter about it. No...we won't go there :) Believe me, you don't want to :)

So...what do you supposed happened Monday morning? Yep...Mom starts with the virus! It laid me flat for 2 entire days. I don't know how those boys played ball!! Yesterday, I woke up a new woman. Even Wesleigh noticed. When I went to get her, she said "Mommy tummy better?" I wonder what tipped her off...the fact that I was standing upright or the fact that I wasn't green? Perceptive little sucker!!

Two more days until I get to hug my big boy's neck!! I can't wait. I hope he's having a good time and ready to stay 10 more days. I can tell you...I want to stick him in that car and bring him home with me!! Hopefully I'll have some great shots from the day to share!!