Happy and then sad

I'm happy and I'm sad.

I'm happy that we are at Orange Beach for baseball. But I am I sad that the beaches, roads, and restaurants are so empty. I will say that I really am surprised that the beaches look as good as they do. I was expecting A LOT worse so I'm happy that we can still get in the water with only a slight oil application to the skin. ;) It is funny to see people laying out in their just bought for vacation swimsuit and dude in a hazmat suit cleaning up right beside you.

I'm sad with you BP.

I am happy that we are here to watch 2 of my boys play in their annual "lets wrap this baseball season up by heading to the beach with our favorite families and happen to play some baseball too." I like this program. Sign me up all day long. And, the beauty of it is.....We are here for 12 glorious days. As my 9 year old says..."Praise the high heavens."

Aren't they a cute bunch?

This is where you will find me for the next oh several days. I know...woe is me. I do feel sad for my dogs though. They are with a darling college girl, but I'm thinkin' they may be slightly confused on the transition and when are they coming back concept? Oh, funny thing...last night, Sarah, sends me a text that says..."oh, everything is ok...just some cows in your yard and walking down the street." Silly me. I failed to mention the country life we live in. She wasn't freaked out too bad.

See....the gulf coast is still beautiful. Kids were in the water yesterday. But...wow...look at the slim crowd.

Breaks my heart BP. I'm sad over you.

Blessings y'all!! Lots of fun pix to come.

Are we helping them or hurting them?

Hey friends...

I'm writing this just a few hours after my husband and middle son got home from East TN where his baseball team played in a tournament. This is a tournament that would have qualified them to play in a super big tournament in Disney World in early August. If you have followed the weather at all....then you know it has rained for 739 days straight here in Tennessee. Seriously.

Boats and snorkels are a hot commodity right now. Needless to say, their tournament was rained out. HUGE SURPRISE!!!

Rain....move along please. Sun....you may come out now.

Ok, back to my most frustrated thoughts that I truly just need to spit out when it comes to parenting and the decisions we are making for our kids.

What about these dads and coaches that are stacking teams with studded out players and play 12 months a year and work them 12 months a year and they can't play another sport and it's breathe breathe breath, eat eat eat, sleep sleep sleep that specific sport.

Let me clarify...that is NOT us. NOPE. NADA.

But, apparently some coaches and dads think it is perfectly fine to pick and choose their team so they can be all studded out. And, they pick and choose their team throughout the season. A team could change from tournament to tournament. Is that even fair?? Yes and no, but I can't explain rules.

Did you catch something I said above??? PICK AND CHOOSE YOUR TEAM TO STUD YOURSELF OUT!!!!

Did I tell you they are 11 years old??? Ok, let me tell you.....they are 11 years old.

Do we think we are going to make them into driven adults who can go after whatever they want??

Or....are we going to burn them out and cause them to possibly give up on something earlier in life than they should want to?

I'm just a little confused. Driven or burned out...driven or burned out???!!! Hmmmm....

What are we trying to teach our kids?? At the age of 11??? Can you remind me again??

When did this become ok??

Again, I'm confused and tad bit concerned for some kiddos.

What kind of coach do your kids have?? What are you hoping to get out of their sporting experience??? Would you let your kid move from team to team to be a stud?? Are you living out dreams through your kids???

Blah blah blah...I'm kind of sick of the new "elite" thing I've been exposed to at the age of 11.

Yuck. Sick. Gross.

I am definitely competitive, but I know where to do draw the line. I love sports. There is a world out there of million dollar backers and private jets and all expenses paid for 11 year old teams. Yes there are. GROSS.

Ok, I feel better now. Carry on.

Pride

All of these pictures are the "pride and joy" in my life. They make up my heart and soul. It's my family. My boys. All of them. I will defend them with every ounce of my being. I love them more than my life. I would go to any length to encourage them, help them, and take care of them. They are my family!!

But.....

I would never act like an arrogant fool if I coached them. And, believe me....my husband coaches many sports for them and he is NOT arrogant. He is competitive. He is not arrogant. Big difference.

We were playing a championship game tonight in baseball and the other teams coach was a piece of work. You know the scenario so I don't need to go down that road with you. What the coaches and team parents did was flat out w-r-o-n-g. They brought out the worst in us. They entered into the game with a whole bunch of ugliness and pride. It only got worse from there. Ick, ick, ick.

They brought out the worst in me and the worst in us as a team of parents. The things that came out of their mouths were rude and unnecessary and completely uncalled for coming from.....

Adults.

Well, I'm not sure they were adults. They looked like adults, but sure didn't seem like it. I questioned whether they were in church on Sunday because no one in the grownup Christian mind would say the things they did and act the way they did. Oh, ok...I know that's not true.

However, I have never seen such arrogance and pride in all my life.

Scripture that came to mind during the game was....

Proverbs 16:18 from the Message says it beautifully.... "First pride, then the crash--the bigger the ego, the harder the fall."

I wanted to walk up to the coach after the game....that we lost....and say....

"Hi, excuse me, but my name is Fran and I'm a Christian trying to raise my children in a world where grownups are setting the example of humility in their world, but today I saw something I didn't like. May I offer you some Biblical advice, Mr. Arrogant Head Coach??? Proverbs 16:18 tells us that right after pride, comes a big fall. And, I suggest that you take this scripture to heart soon, because I feel a crash coming on quickly. Now, thank you and have a nice evening."

Well, I didn't have the guts to say that to him. Instead, I stewed and stewed over this man and his team parents. By the time you read this, I'll be long over it.

What do we learn???

Let's act like grownups and set an example for our children. Pride is just flat out ugly on people. I don't want any part of it. I pray against it every day and I think we all should pray against it for our families and our children. It's not cute at all. Take note of that scripture. I have to go over and over it with my kids often. Obviously, it's not just limited to kids either.

Ok...I'm off my soapbox today. :) Have a great day with Jesus. I'm so thankful for His word and the life it speaks over me and every situation.

Hugs and blessings~

My football studs

My family is my God Stop Friday moment. Just a swelling of love and gratitude for what God has given me. I love ya Patty. Thanks for being the best hostess around.

How about some Friday fun with pictures of the cutest football players around???

They were so precious....i mean tough and cool....and I was so proud of their 1st V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!







And, yes they won 6-2. I believe the score reflects a game of defense!!!

They played a great game and this momma was so proud. The coach isn't too bad either! :)

Have a great weekend! Hope you get to enjoy some football!
Hugs and blessings~

A baseball prayer for myself

"Dear Lord ,

I may need your help today. You see, I'm really worn out from all the baseball games and a little edgy when it comes to bad umpiring, stupid coaches (of course from the other teams) and somewhat tired of embarrassing parents (of course from the other teams).

We are playing another baseball game today Lord. I bet you already knew that though. ;)
I got a little worked up in a game yesterday and maybe said a few things I shouldn't have. Don't worry, Father, I didn't embarrass myself too much. I really just need to settle myself down a bit today. This dern 1st base coach for the other time drove me NUTS yesterday! He was somethin else Lord so he may need an extra dose of patience and discernment today too.

Thank you, Father, for the opportunity my children have. And I praise you through it all, but I pray that I don't say things under my breath today like I did yesterday. I think I muttered something like, "you stupid coach. shut up."

Forgive me, Lord, of the short temper, ugly attitude (even though I kept it quite hidden and reserved for only one other momma) and maybe somewhat ugly thoughts I had about our opposing teams parents. They really were a bit obnoxious.

I obviously need a tad bit more of you today, Lord. I also think I need a tad bit more of the Holy Spirit today too, Lord. Whenever you see me running low, can you just instantly fill me up before I ask?

Thank you for a beautiful day and for watching over our boys today. I want to do better today, Lord. Thank you for loving me anyway.

In Jesus Name I pray....
Amen"

Some Summer fun!

Since my brain is on the "low productivity" side right now....I'm going to share some pix of all the fun we've been having lately. Not even going to type cute captions I don't think. :)

Enjoy...I hope your Summer is a blast!!













me and my best buddy on the tube!


Peace out!!



hugs~
Fran

Gotta do the church thing...

Ok..on Monday I did the infamous "I ain't got nothin" post because my brain was tired and I really couldn't come up with anything all that great. Remember, it's Summer people!

And, at the end of that random stuff post I told you about something said to me on Saturday night while us parents stood around after baseball games and talking about our Sunday schedule.

Now, let me backup and say that all 3 of my boys play travel baseball and it really is the most fun experience we have had yet as a family. I have a great big huge family now because of these 3 different teams. The kids all tend to play close to one another, but with only 2 parents and 3 kids, we have to do a lot of juggling. And...lets throw in the fact that I am the Director of Children's Ministry at my church and I really need to be there on Sunday mornings if I can. I will drive home late on Saturday night so I can be at church and do the "church thing" and then head back to wherever we are playing.

Now, we've been a part of this baseball organization for awhile now and everyone knows that I work at the church and that I need to go back and do the "church thing" and sometimes need other parents help.

During all of this, I have never looked at these times like I have to go back and do the "church thing." But, when someone said to me last Saturday night....."Oh, you have to do the church thing tomorrow," I got the impression that church was nowhere in their radar, family life, personal life, interest, etc.etc.

I feel 90% sure the "church thing" is not alive in this family's life. That in itself is another thing swirling around in my head.

So....how do I feel about this example I am setting??

How do I personally feel about this church thing that I do??

How do I react when people know that we have to give up some church on Sunday mornings because of their ball schedule??

Oh.....do I have much to say about this "church thing" I do. I could give you 101 reasons why I do this "church thing," but I'm going to answer it fairly briefly here. But, hear me loud and clear!

Church is not confined to Sunday only. For me or my children. Church is oxygen to me. It feeds me. The children and the families of my church, that I serve every single week, bring complete joy to me. I want others....the church goers and the non-church goers....to see how important church is to me. It is way more than my job.

This "church thing" that I do is my life in ways and depths that I can hardly articulate. Jesus is real to me. He is my life and my hope. He saved me from myself.

HE is the "church thing" and I'm thrilled to be a part of it on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays. Who cares when it is. I love this "church thing." I wouldn't trade this church thing for all the money in the world.

My prayer is that all of us will be setting an example of how important Jesus is to us so others who do not know, doubt it all, or want to roll our eyes at us....that through us, others and the wonderful ways of our great big beautiful God....others may see that He is pretty cool and we might just bring someone to a relationship with Him.

So, get out there and do the "church thing!" Whatever it looks like.

Hugs and blessings my friends.
Fran

Wonder what I did all weekend??

This is my life.

These are my boys.

This is my family that I cherish and have a complete blast with!!!

Thank you Franklin TN for a fabulous time!

Hope you are having fun and loving Summer!

Hugs and blessings~
Fran

Sending some love out to ya!!

Happy Mothers Day weekend to all you mothers out there!!

I am leaving town to watch our 2nd son play in a pretty cool baseball tournament in Birmingham AL. Now, we normally don't go this far, but this tourney is especially cool.

The winner......goes to........

DISNEY WORLD!!! Did you hear that???

DISNEY WORLD World Series in August!

His team is already qualified for another world series in Birmingham in July, but this one in Orlando is the big daddy for their age group.

I know you will be so anxious on Monday to find out how they did. I may be worn slick, but I'll manage to give you a "thumbs up" or a very sad look of, "we ain't going."

So, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, please know that, as I visit Church of Brook Hills, that this momma will be giving thanks for each and every mom or daughter that I've come to know through this blog.

May God's presence be the thrill of your heart and His blessings and favor be upon you and your families.

And, GO TEAM GO!!

Hugs and blessings~
Fran

I'm so disappointed....

Hey all!

It's Sunday night as I write this and I'm watching Opening Night of America's pasttime....baseball.....on ESPN with my family. We are baseball freaks I guess you could say.

We get all excited and love all that they do before the big game...the pregame....the introduction of the lineups....the national anthem....the fireworks.....cheering for one of our many favorite teams, the Braves, and then watching the ceremonial 1st pitch by the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

And.....as he walked out onto the field with all his important people surrounding him....

He was booed. He was booed by the people of the United States. And, at that point, my heart broke in two.

I don't care how you feel about him as President of our country, or the choices he's made, or the decisions he makes, or his leadership, or anything about this man that you may not care for....

He is our leader at this present time and we must not or should not boo him in front of all the world and in front of our children. What kind of message does that send our kids as they sit and watch that take place??

I just heard a sermon today that was titled "why can't we all get along?"

We are called to love.

We are not called to be disrespectful, ugly, judgemental, critical, or arrogant. Sometimes that's not so easy, but sometimes we need to get it together and simply love.....even when it's hard.

So, as I tried to delicately explain to my 7 yr old and my 10 yr old why people were booing the President of our country.....my heart hurt.

"why can't we just all get along?"

If we are the body of Christ.....let's act like it....especially when the larger world is watching.

ok....I'm off my soap box now. I'm feeling better now. :)

I pray that we all teach our children to respect the authority God has ordained for this season in each one of our lives. Authority is there for a reason. I lived so much of my life with no concept of authority and I guess you could say I'm extra sensitive to the need for it.

Blessings and love~
Fran

2 of us are here....

Well, I am one weird human being! I am home. By myself right now. And, screaming and jumping up and down like a mad woman over THIS basketball game!! Ya see....I'm a U of M alum so when it comes to basketball....my blood runs blue! I'm sorry Patty! :)

And...two of my boys are at this game! And...I'm completely jealous! See....I love sports. And I really love Tiger basketball. The rest of my crew is at their grandparents watching it on their big screen probably jumping up and down and acting like I'm doing......they just have the company of others to have the fun!

So....here are my 3 precious kids lined up in the back of dad's car as they head to Memphis! They were so excited! And....the one in the middle is the one at the game!! He's with dad. I've wanted to call their cell phone 100 times and its still the 1st half.




Well, its finally half time. We are up by one I think. I'm so exhausted. I don't know how I'll get through the 2nd half. I hope your Saturday night is as thrilling as mine! And....I'm serious when I say that!

GO TIGERS GO!!

Um...its over now and my Tigers lost! I'm completely exhausted! :(

Just had to......

Y'all, in case you didn't hear....my home state Arkansas Razorbacks upset the NUMERO UNO LSU Tigers tonight in about 400 overtimes. It was thrilling, exhausting, and made me wanna dance!

Wooooooooo Pig Soooooooie......Razorbacks!!