*Auburn University Tigers Football Fan Day*

On August 11, 2013, Auburn University hosted its annual Fan Day.

We love our Auburn Tigers, and when we get an opportunity to go home for Fan Day, we are super excited! I mean what's not to love about your favorite team's fan days?? You get to meet the players, get their autographs, and have your picture taken with them if you want. You get to meet the coaches, the mascot. Mingle with all the fans. Wow! The excitement is almost palpable!

May Highlights

Well, May was a busy month for us, as it probably was for some of you. Finishing up with school and all the end of the year details that go along with that, and trying to squeeze our family vacation in too, kept us hopping!

2013 Lady Eagles

Softball Season Opener

It's that time of year again.

Softball.

I enjoy watching most all sports. We are big sports fans here at our house, so you will pretty much find us involved to some degree in sports year round.

I do love watching my daughter play softball. God has gifted her with much talent in this area, and it's just fun to watch her, and the whole team for that matter.

2013 Lady Eagles

Some of My Pictures of Late

Some of my pictures...

These are pictures I took of my great-niece

Anna Bailey

March 19, 2012

Just Some Things

Just some things I wanted to share... in no particular order

 

I found this gemstone mining kit and thought it would go along great with our geography unit right now. We are using Ann Voskamp's A Child's Geography Vol. 1, and we are loving it!

Will enjoyed digging for stones and he found 10. We haven't finished cleaning them up and determining what type of stone each one is just yet. In the picture below he is pointing out a stone he has found.

Basketball Season and a State Championship

We finished basketball season last month, and I have to admit... I am always glad when this sport's season comes to an end :). It's not that I don't like basketball, and of course I love watching my children play whatever sport they are currently into. It's just that basketball season is extremely time-consuming. Two and sometimes three games a week, and practice on every weekday that we don't have a game (except Wednesdays) makes for a mighty long and busy week. Add to that the fact that I was in charge of the concession stand this season, and you can easily see why I can now breathe a sigh of relief.

I came up with a catchy little slogan to sum up this year's basketball season...

Still Trying to Catch Up...

We finished up football season recently by claiming the GCAA State Championship on a cold, rainy Friday night. Go Eagles!

We're #1

my daughter, Kate and Natalie

our dedicated H2O Specialists for the team

Travel Ball

This is how we spent our Saturday... watching our daughter play in a softball tournament.

Bits and Pieces

Mike's knee is healing well after the surgery. He is continuing with physical therapy. He is still having some issues with swelling, and there is some fluid build-up on the knee. The doctor said this is normal and he can come back into the office to have the fluid drawn off. So far, he is waiting on that; he said the last time he had a needle in that knee it was excruciatingly painful.

Basketball Play-offs and Championships

The girls' JV and Varsity Basketball teams at Appling Christian Academy (Kate plays on both teams) made it to the State Tournament. The JV team won the Region Championship, as well as the State Championship! The Varsity team was runner-up for State Champions!

We traveled to north Georgia for the second round of play-offs and for the "big dance." The games were very exciting! We played ball games Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Friday morning at the Assembly to recognize the Region winners

JV Girls Region Champions!

JV Girls State Champions!

The seniors accepting the 2nd place trophy for the Varsity team

As you can see, we had an exciting basketball season! Unfortunately the boys' Varsity team didn't make it to the play-offs, but our boys' JV team made it to the second round of play-offs. However, all the teams worked hard and are to be commended.  

The Loveliest Village on the Plains

After Kate's basketball game on Friday night, we decided (kind of last minute, because some of us are still sick) to travel to Auburn, Alabama so we could attend the 2010 National Championship Celebration. We decided to forgo our usual detour to Roanoke (because of sickness) and we stayed the night in a hotel in Auburn.

For us, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that we did not want to miss (sick or not). Seriously, the last time Auburn University won a national championship in football was 1957. And since Auburn University is my husband's Alma mater, we decided to go.

At the stadium, we met up with some of my husband's family.

our family (except for Ryan, who had other plans and couldn't go with us)

I have been to many Auburn football games through the years, but I must say the atmosphere at this event was nothing short of electrifying! The commemoration of the 2010 National Championship took place in front of an estimated 78,000 fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The players were recognized individually, and many trophies were presented to the Auburn Tiger Football team. Auburn obviously had a very successful season finishing 14-0 in regular season, being named Southeastern Conference champions, and capturing the national title by beating the Oregon Ducks in the BCS championship game.

Auburn's Nick Fairley was presented the Lombardi Award. This trophy is awarded to the best lineman or linebacker in college football. The quarterback--Cam Newton--a transfer who proved his worth at Auburn this year, took home several awards, not the least of which was the Heisman Trophy. This trophy is awarded to the best player in college football. He also received the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award (both are awarded to the best player), as well as the Davey O'Brien Award and the Manning Award (both are awarded to the best quarterback).

Cam is being presented his trophy by former Auburn quarterbacks Stan White and Randy Campbell.

The Broyles Award, awarded to college football's assistant coach of the year, was presented to Coach Gus Malzahn, the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach. The Associated Press National Championship Trophy was also presented to Coach Malzahn.

The MacArthur Bowl National Championship Trophy was presented to Assistant Head Coach and Wide Receivers Coach Trooper Taylor. The Grantland Rice Football Writers Award was presented to Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach Ted Roof.

The SEC Championship Trophy was presented to Head Coach Gene Chizik. Coach Chizik also received the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award, which is awarded to the coach of the year, as well as the Home Depot Award, which is awarded to the national coach of the year.

And finally, the gleaming crystal football that adorns the coveted BCS National Championship Trophy was brought forward by Dr Lloyd Nix, quarterback for the 1957 Auburn Tigers National Championship team, and was presented by BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock to Gene Chizik, head coach of the 2010 Auburn Tigers National Championship football team.

the National Championship flag, unfurled during the ceremony

A tradition at Auburn University is the Tiger Walk. Before each home game, thousands of fans line Donahue Drive to cheer on the team as they walk from the Auburn Athletic Complex to Jordan-Hare Stadium. On this day it was a reverse Tiger Walk, with the team walking from the stadium to the athletic complex.

quarterback, Cam Newton

head coach, Gene Chizik

This is my niece, Amy with one of the players, Joey Caldwell. Amy and Joey are friends who graduated high school together. Amy is a student at the University of Alabama (Auburn's arch-rival), so the only reason she came to this celebration and wore AU colors is to show support for her friend, Joey (who, btw, is #47). Let it be known that as we picked on Amy, she took it all in good nature, never uttering a word in rebuttal, only opening her left hand now and then to display those words she had inscribed on her palm in crimson ink, Roll Tide. (Being a Die-Hard Auburn fan, that was mighty big of me to include those words in this post.)

 Here is Kate with her favorite player, Philip Lutzenkirchen (better known as the touchdown maker)

It has been said that Auburn has some of the greatest fans. It was mentioned in many of the speeches given at this commemoration. The coaches, the players... they have been amazed at the fan support they receive. In the good seasons, as well as the bad. In the triumphs and in the adversities. More like family than fans. So this year, that was the motto adopted by the university -- AU Family, All In.

At home or abroad, across the continent or across the globe, you know you're with family when you hear that familiar greeting of War Eagle!

Mike and I at the Loveliest Village on the Plains, better known as Auburn University

It's great to be an Auburn Tiger.

On the Cover of a Magazine...

I thought I would share one of the pictures Mike sent to me from Auburn University, where he and Kate are having a wonderful time enjoying all the pre-game activities. War Eagle!

Softball = Busy

Okay, I've been away from my blog far too long! So much has happened around here, as I am sure it has with you as well!

We've been caught up in softball around here, just another normal part of our lives.

that's my husband, one of the coaches, and my Kate is 4th from left, front row

Kate, playing short stop

Kate, on deck

I am sad to say that this team has pretty much disbanded before the district tournament even began! Too many girls quit the team. The head coach is going to ask if he can have some of the girls from the younger league brought up to play with us, but we don't expect much. Kate is sad because she loves softball. It is her favorite sport!

On a brighter note, now she will be able to be on the cheer squad at Appling Christian Academy this fall. She will be in 9th grade and she wants to go. She wanted to be on the cheer squad, but the practice schedule for cheer conflicts with softball practice and games. And of course if she had to choose, softball was going to win! Now there is no conflict, so she is happy that at least she can do that!

ACA Baseball

Today we watched the Appling Christian Academy (where my dh helps coach) boys suffer a heartbreaking loss for region title in Georgia Christian Athletic Association Class AA baseball...

It was a hard fought game for the boys. They rallied to come from behind 7-0, only to lose 18-15. Had they won, this would have been the first time they could claim region champs in Class AA.

Bless their hearts, it seems as if the odds were really stacked against them. They had to travel great distances for three games this week. Today's game not only determined who would claim region title, but also the seating for the state championship tournament. Since both teams had the same record, there was a draw to determine home field advantage. ACA won the draw and was declared the home team, yet had to travel to the other team's field to play... which made absolutely no sense at all! Home team means you play on your own turf.

Despite the loss (and a few bad calls from the officials), the boys displayed a humbling Christ-like attitude, which is more than I can say for one of the umpires. We may be down, but we're not out. This just means we are seated at number 2, rather than 1, going into the state tournament. We still have a good chance of obtaining the state championship. Either way, the boys have an opportunity to give God the glory on, or off, the field.

Bits and Pieces

Some of the things we've been up to lately:

Just for fun... math with Aubie

Science investigations:

investigating how the continual rubbing of rocks...

contributes to the formation of soil

investigating the ability of freezing water to break rocks

obviously we shouldn't have used a pickle jar... as the water

expands, the jar is supposed to break...

Upward Basketball:

     Our two youngest children are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to competiveness in sports, as you will see in these next few pictures. Kate is a very competitive and aggressive player. Winning is very important to her; she gives 100 percent and holds nothing back. Will, on the other hand, is so nonchalant and very laid-back. If his team wins, that's great; if they don't, well...at least he had a good time.

Kate, on a fast break

going in for a lay-up

Will dribbling down court, no fast breaks for him

putting up a shot

Our little guy, sick with strep throat, on sister's birthday...

please mom, no more pictures...

I'm happy to report that today he is feeling much better, after being on his antibiotic. He was not happy that he had to miss Awana last Wednesday night. Lord willing, he should be able to go to church in the morning.

Merry Christmas!

Wow! Where did the time go? I mentioned before that when basketball season kicks in, it gets very hectic at our house! My dh coaches varsity b-ball at our local Christian school, and right now we are having 3 games per week! Plus my daughter and son both play on Upward b-ball teams, so we are out of our house all the time it seems like! We've been in b-ball season since November, but the really hectic time (3 games per week w/ dh plus children's Upward games) only overlaps through January! It's crazy around here, but we do seem to survive!

Here are the kiddos posing for the Christmas card photo this year

I hope your Christmas season was a blessing to you as it was to me! I absolutely love Christmas! And although we didn't get any snow (we never do), it was actually cold here for Christmas! That's a record for us, because here in south Georgia, it is usually very mild, if not warm! This was a special Christmas for me because we went "home" for the holidays! We packed up on Christmas Day and traveled home to be with our families. That was quite interesting traveling on Christmas Day! It was also kind of strange, because we are usually at our house (so far away from all family) and I always cook a traditional meal for our Christmas dinner. On this day, of course, there were no restaurants open; the only restaurants we found open were in a bigger city just off the interstate and they were Waffle House and Hong Kong Palace. So...we had Chinese for our Christmas dinner! Something we will definitely always remember!! I love making memories.

my kids with my dear daddy

my kids with my dear father-in-law

A big change for us over the holidays was having our oldest son move BACK home again! After all my fretting and being so down over the summer because he was moving out in the fall, and here he is, back at home! He decided dorm life was not for him...yet. And since we are only about 40 miles from the college he attends, he decided that he'd just move back into his room and commute to classes each day. So, at first it seemed strange, having him back here again. But I've had the holidays to adjust. And an adjustment it has been! College kids....they keep the strangest hours! (LOL...it really has not been THAT long that I have forgotten what it was like!) It's been nice having him back home.


Another highlight for us during the Christmas season was having the Children of the World International Children's Choir back in our town again! We were able to host the same two little girls in our home again! What a joy they were...and what a privilege for us to be able to share in their lives! Our church raised enough money (since they were here back in October) to put in a well in a village so that 1,000 people can have clean drinking water! God used these children to touch our lives in a way that we could never have imagined... I'm sure you remember reading my post about them back in October!

my family with Pashi and Aljane and yes, we wish so very much that we could adopt them!

Summer Daze

Thanks to all of you who posted kind comments about the loss of our family pet. It is hard not seeing him run to greet us when we walk outside, but we are coping.

I'm sorry I've been away from my blog for so long, but it's been really crazy around here. Daughter's softball schedule has been taking up a good portion of our day throughout the summer. Rec dept All-Stars softball is over for us now; her team received third place in the district tournament and only the first place winner goes on to compete in the state tournament (awww). But she is interested in joining a travel ball team to finish out the summer. We'll see...

Here she is at bat

Here she is at the position of catcher

Oldest son has a summer job at a pizza restaurant to keep him busy and to put some spending money in his pocket! He's doing a great job of saving most of his earnings....Amazing how much more careful he is about what he spends his money on now that he is earning it, rather than receiving an allowance from us!

Youngest son is just having a blast this summer...playing with friends...doing nothing...enjoying the days!

Dear Hubby is doing what he always does...working...taking care of us. I know that he is counting down the days until we go on vacation...counting today, it's 13 days until we leave...woo-hoo!! We are going to the beach for one week (the gulf coast side of Florida). We can't wait!

And I am recovering from gall bladder surgery. I had the surgery one week ago today and I am recovering well...Just very sore, trying to take it easy and do very little until I heal. But that is hard for me...I'm not used to sitting around doing nothing! I spent the first few days in the recliner doing absolutely nothing (physical, that is...I had plenty of time to stimulate my brain through books, puzzles and games). Now I'm getting around pretty well, but still not 100 percent yet...hopefully by next week I'll be back to normal. My family has been wonderful through it all...waiting on Mom hand and foot, dividing up my jobs among themselves (in addition to their regular chores). And the meals from our friends have been absolutely wonderful! I couldn't ask for things to go any smoother than they have. I am thankful.

Well, now you are caught up on what's been happening in my life, so I'd better get to reading about what's been going on in yours.

Blessings!

Life

To quote my irl friend, "When did life move from fast to FAST?" That's definitely what it feels like around our house right now. Seems like everything happens all at once! I'm ready for summer now so we can slow down a little (sort of...daughter plays softball during summer, so we are on the go, but not as much as now).

FIL continues to improve (praise Jesus!). He is doing quite well with his therapy sessions. My dh teases him, saying they'll have him running steps before they're done!

Older son's baseball season is over now; we made it to the second round of state play-offs! However, he is in that "let-down" mode, kind of moping around the house because he has played his last "high school" game ever. I can tell he's in that transition mode; he's ready (sort of) to graduate and move on to a bit more independence, yet he's not sure if he's quite ready. Understandable...I'm not quite ready yet, either! Here are some pictures of the baseball games:

He plays 3rd base.

Younger son and mom

And yes, he did catch this pop fly; I just snapped the picture too soon! Timing is everything!

Here we are stopped at a Bass Pro Shop on the way home from the games. LOL, other people are there shopping and I'm taking pictures!

There were tadpoles in this water, and I was afraid I was going to have to fish my kids out (lol)!

Life is certainly moving forward. We've been having the best time watching the birds around here. Funny how last year we studied Apologia's Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day and we didn't seem nearly as interested in the birds then as we are now! We've also had fun watching the metamorphosis of the tadpoles we collected. I've enjoyed seeing the colors appear in my yard, how everything has turned from the dull browns of winter to the vibrant hues of summer! And I say summer instead of spring because around here we experience maybe about a week of two of spring-time, then we charge right into summer! I really do enjoy this time of year! Except for the mosquitoes!

Recently, we met with some others from our home school group and learned about composting, and we were able to make our own smaller version of a compost bin to take home. Afterwards, the kids just played together and had a great time. We moms enjoyed the time of fellowship as well.

By the way, we finished reading The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Spear today. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you do. It is a very good book!