Baseball Party!

For Jacob's end of season party, the team and families went to the Stars' game. Jacob's team was able to go on the field and when their positions were called, they got to run to the base/field area. They looked so tiny next to those big players. Jacob ran to home base since he played catcher at the end of the season. In all the pictures, Jacob can be picked out since he is the tallest. I think he had a major growth spurt this spring/summer.

We watched the game and had an awards time during the 7th inning. All in all we had a great time. I was getting a nice sinus infection that night and didn't feel up to taking pictures! This has been a bad season for pictures. Hopefully it will get better!

Blueberries and Baseball

Here is some information on the place that I have been blueberry picking. It has been a few years since we have been in town to pick! So I am looking forward to having blueberries in my freezer again. The kids are given their own small buckets to help pick. If anyone wants to go with me and the kids let me know!

Mary Mac Berry Farm - Blueberries, blackberries

2060 Dug Hill Road, Brownsboro, AL 35741. Phone: (256) 534-5328.

Directions: 4.2 miles north of 431. Two miles south of 72 East.

Open: June 15-August 15 Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm. Be sure to call ahead.

Now on to baseball. Yesterday, Jacob played a double-header and his team did so well. They have lost more games then they have won. Which is fine...it's the experience that counts, right? Jacob was having a great night. His team won the first game and were very happy. For the second game, the coach moved all the kids to different positions. Jacob has played catcher for the last 2 games and has loved the position but he was moved to 3rd base for that game. During the second game, Jacob even got his first home run! I have rarely seen such a happy face on that boy! (Of all games...I didn't bring a single camera!!!) They ended up losing the second game by 2 runs. Turns out that the team we were playing against hadn't had a win all season. I think our coach is a good man who really wanted to make sure everyone had a good experience. It couldn't have been a better night!

Memorial Day Weekend

We were ready for the long weekend! My parents decided to visit for a few days. Unfortunately, Emma had a fever for whole time they were here. Mickey got the pool filled up and the water was freezing. Of course, Beth and Jacob were sure it would be fine. They swam for a few hours and when they got out, they were freezing. But if you ask them, it was fantastic!

After my parents left on Monday, we headed to the movies with the kids. I didn't want to head home. So we decided to go North to Tennessee and explore. We started out at Falls Mill. They use a century old mill/water wheel to grind wheat and corn. The grounds were beautiful. We bought some multi-grain pancake mix to try and I think it is great.

Mickey wanted to drive farther on to Winchester, TN. Once we got there, we saw signs for Tim's Ford Dam. So we decided to see the dam. It wasn't as big as I thought it was going to be and the grounds were overgrown and a little dirty. Not my favorite site of the day.

I was ready to go home and Mickey thought if we kept on the road we would get to Fayetteville, TN. We didn't take a map and I was getting a little nervous. Prayers are answered and the Holy Ghost does brings things to our remembrance. Suddenly, I remembered that I had picked up a pamphlet at the Mill and it had a useful map in it! Mickey was right...as bad as I hate to admit it. We were headed in the right direction.

In our wanderings, we found Lynchburg, TN. We got there about 4:30 and saw signs for the Jack Daniels Distillery..last tour at 4:30. The staffers were very nice and held the tour for us. The kids loved the smell for the very first part since it smelled like bread. But after that, they kept putting their shirts over their noses. The grounds are beautiful and the tour ended with a glass of lemonade. (The kids favorite part!)

By the time we got home, I was ready for bed. All in all, we had a great weekend.

End of the School Year!

Jacob finished the 1st grade. He was on the A Honor Roll and got a trophy for reading 100 AR books. He had a fantastic year and looks forward to being a 2nd grader. Here he is with his teacher, Ms. Davis and his friend, Arizona.

I don't know why I don't have a decent picture of Beth from her awards day. But she had a good year. Beth earned the AB Honor Roll and looks forward to being a big 5th grader next year.

4th Grade Field Trip to Montgomery

Due to the Swine Flu, Beth's field trip to Montgomery was postponed for 2 weeks. Beth was so excited to go on this trip. The school received a grant to make the trip possible. Beth had to be at the school at 5am and then got home around 9pm that night. They rode charter buses, toured 6 different Alabama history sites and finished with dinner at a buffet. Beth had a great time.

Strawberries!

Earlier this month, I took Emma out to pick strawberries. It had been so rainy at the beginning of the month and we finally had a dry afternoon! Emma lasted about 15 minutes and then she was ready to be done. I finished the gallon and we headed home. That was Thursday. I had hopes of making strawberry jam. But I have fruit addicts and by Friday afternoon, all of the strawberries were gone. I convinced Mickey to head to the strawberry patch at Browns Farm on Saturday. We had planned on picking a few gallons this time. Unfortunately, the rains started about 25 minutes after we got there and we only got a single gallon. This gallon made it until Sunday and then it was gone! Next week, I hope to take the kids to the "pick-your-own" blueberry farm.

Beth and her odd shaped strawberry.

Emma loved to pick and acts like the expert now.

Jacob found this perfect strawberry.

Oh the memories!

When I was a kid, we had a pool in our backyard. I used to live in my swimsuit all summer. Well...we decided to get a (cheap) pool from Sam's and have something for the kids to do since we are not going to be traveling this summer. Yesterday, Mickey set up the pool. Now, we are in the process of filling the pool and I feel just like that kid again. I guess I have never really grown up! I hope that the kids will make the same happy memories.