FLASHBACK: Omaha Sights

Arriving in Omaha, Nebraska to watch the College World Series, we also looked forward to taking in the sights of the city. We found Omaha to be welcoming, accomodating, and generous. We could not have asked for a better time.

The team hotel was decked out in black and gold to welcome the Golden Eagles and their fans. It was so energizing to be welcomed by signs of support hanging in the lobby and hotel staff sporting Southern Miss apparel! The Hilton Garden Inn Downtown has hosted four of the five last College World Series winners (I believe my numbers are right). When checking in people were told that "this is where Champions stay". If that did not pump you up, what would!?!




The team had a charter bus that would drive them to and from the fields for practice and games. We even had the opportunity to catch a ride a few times. That was special!

Walking up to Rosenblatt Stadium was surreral. One of those sights you always see on TV but never imagine yourself in it's presence!


The legendary statue at the entrance of the stadium. One neat fact (that I think I remember being told) was that one of the players in the statue was the head coach of the North Carolina ball team we played in game 2.


Unbelievable...to see your school colors and name flying high!

They had an area designated as a tribute to the game. They had old paraphenalia, gear, and statistics on display. They even had a "locker" representing each team in attendance.

Fanfare provided many vendors selling their equipment and providing play opportunities. They even had former MLB players available for autographs.

And of course an ESPN tent!

FLASHBACK: Omaha - Go Eagles!

Here are a few pictures of the Golden Eagles playing in the College World Series.

I cannot describe how magical the moment was when we entered Rosenblatt Stadium and saw the Golden Eagle head on the scoreboard!


Seymour was roaming the stands leading the fans in cheers.


The crowd was electric...a sea of gold...and loud!!!


Let's Go Eagles!!! Ready to play Texas.


The game did not turn out the way we had hoped. The Eagles fought hard, taking back the game but in the end Texas won. I liked this picture of a few of the players kneeling to pray. BSU has a Monday lunch and Bible Study for the baseball team. Our director also serves as the "Chaplain" and travels with them to away games. He provides Chapel for the players on Sunday mornings while on the road or at home. Most of the team attends regularly. It has been neat to see the relationship develop among BSU and the players and coaches over the years.


Taking the field to play North Carolina. We lost this game ending our run at the World Series.


This picture shows the crowd of Golden Eagles waiting to show their support after the loss to North Carolina.


As the players neared the charter bus they stopped to shake hands, sign autographs, and take pictures with friends and family.


B.A. Vollmuth was a stand out freshmen for the team. He was given the opportunity to play midway through the season when one of our key players broke his collarbone. In our World Series debut he made several great plays, including an out of the park home run that we understand his sister caught!

FLASHBACK: College World Series Bound!!

In June, Southern Miss Baseball had a whirlwind end to the season. After a not so good record was accumulating they were still given the chance to play post season ball. They were selected to play in the NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament at Georgia Tech. Would you believe they won??? The entire tournament?!?! We were unable to attend but listened intently on the radio. Unbelievable!

The boys headed to Florida for the first NCAA Super Regional appearance by Southern Miss. The season was wrapping up in a way no one could have ever imagined. We debated making the drive but decided against it. It would be just too tough on the family. However, we decided then and there that IF they went to Omaha, we were there!

Game 1: we WIN!!!
Game 2: we lost
Game 3: we WIN - WE'RE GOING TO OMAHA!!!

To say we were excited is quite the understatement! Kris and I were jumping up and down and giving the kids high five. Wes and Ann Elise were chanting "We're going to Omaha! We're going to Omaha!" We could not believe it. We immediately started planning and scheming trying to figure out how to make the trip happen and what to do next. Over the next few days we pulled together a plan and headed North on Friday. We dropped the kids off at my mom's (after much deliberation we decided that the road trip would be too difficult on the kids) visited a little while and drove to right outside Memphis. We spent the night and headed out bright and early the next morning. We drove. We drove. We drove. From Memphis to St. Louis to Kansas City to Omaha - 12 hours later we arrived at our hotel. We checked in, settled our stuff and let the fun begin!

The trip was a blast among blasts! Going to the College World Series has been a life long dream of Kris. But not only was he there - he was there to watch his favorite team, our alma mater, the school where he serves, the jersey he wore. It was just about too much to take in! We spent our five days in Omaha enjoying every minute. We lost our voices cheering for the Golden Eagles, enjoyed the company of fun friends, watched baseball and more baseball, visited the Omaha Zoo, and found our way to some local hot spots. I'll be posting some pictures in the days to come...check back!

Watch out...they are falling like dominoes around here!

You might recall that our family has had its share of teeth woes in the last year. Once Wes started losing teeth it just seems like it won't stop! Once one is loose and then lost there is another waiting its turn. He has just recently lost the second of the front, top teeth bringing the total to 6. He is not the fondest of pulling his teeth. He typically hangs on to them until they themselves are hanging on! This last tooth was barely attached. He came home from school and told me a little girl in his class said "Wes, you could pull that tooth if you really wanted to." And that night, he did (well, Kris did). We were able to capture this video of our snaggle tooth and his new found speech. (please excuse my cackle of a laugh and the lack of clothing - we had just finished baths)



We had so much fun that night. He was very proud of his new look and was excited to talk for anyone willing to listen :)

FLASHBACK: Chocolate Ice Cream

When Kris and I were engaged and getting ready to be married, we were blessed with several very generous wedding showers. These showers wer given to us by very dear friends of our parents, our churches, and friends from college. We were fortunate to receive so many great gifts that enabled us to stock our house with things we needed and things we wanted. Out of those gifts there were a few items that we had not registered for, and at the time we probably saw those gifts as , let's say, odd.

Well, one such gift has turned out to be such a useful gift. One that has called our names several times over the years. One that was put to use over and over throughout this summer - our Electric Ice Cream Maker.


If you are fortunate to own an Electric Ice Cream Maker, you must try this oh-so-simple recipe!!!

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

1/2 gallon Chocolate Ice Cream
1 large container Cool Whip
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Pour all three ingredients into the ice cream maker. Pour ice and rock salt (alternating) around container. Turn on and let freeze.

The ice cream tastes just like a Wendy's Frosty. YUM!

International Friends

BSU is such an incredible ministry. Not only did it have an impact on my life and my relationship with the Lord, but it introduced me to missions. I have been in church all my life, became a Christian in 4th Grade, and attended Mission Friends and GA's. I was well aware of the world around me and their need for Christ. I had studied missionaries, packed them goody boxes, and prayed for them. I had seen lots of pictures and a few videos of life in other countries and how missionaries worked to share the Gospel. But, I had never gone.

During my first semester at Southern Miss I was encouraged to go to Guatemala during Spring Break. A former BSU'er was spending two years there teaching and the BSU planned to minister beside her, do some work at her school, and work with another couple that ran a feeding mission. I agreed to go and the excitement began to build! That mission trip ignited the truth of God's Word. I could see, feel, smell, hear, and taste the reason behind Jesus' words in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..." Since that time I have been fortunate to have many opportunities to participate in overseas missions and every trip has reminded me of the big picture. God's picture. People need to hear of His love.

I find it hard in Small Town, USA to remember the big picture. Most of the time my schedule consists of "go here, go there, buy groceries, pick up this child, take this child to there, get clothes washed" and if I run into many people, they are the same ones as the week before. It takes being intentional. It takes reminding myself that there is more to be done. How can I get to know people of other cultures and religions and maybe even people who have never heard His name?

The BSU does a phenomenal job of reaching out to internationals. They offer students plenty of weekly opportunities to befriend them with English tutoring, a coffee house, a Bible Study, a free lunch, summer missions, and overseas trips. What makes these opportunities even more exciting is that the BSU building sits rights next door to the English Learning Institute on campus. Hundreds of Internationals sit at our doorstep. Many of them are unreached!

Let me introduce you to two of our friends, Terry and Ming (pictured with Kris). They are both attending Southern Miss as graduate students.


We met Terry within the first few days of his arrival in the USA and have been getting to know him over the past few months. He was very fortunate to learn about Jesus just a year or two ago and accept Him as his Savior while in his home country. Neither of his parents are believers. Terry has a very generous spirit, pays close attention to God's direction, and the utmost reverence for God's sacrifice for his sins. He is a real joy to know!

We met Ming while teaching Sunday School this past year. He accepted Christ just a few months ago. Terry brought him to our Sunday School class and he shared his story. He told that once he arrived at Southern Miss and began making friends he learned about Jesus. He had never heard. Now, I am not saying he knew who Jesus was historically and just had not accepted him as his Savior. He was raised in a very tight knit and loving family with highly educated parents and yet, he. had. NEVER. heard. His parents know about his salvation and are OK with it but remain unbelievers. Ming is bright, very family oriented, and yearns to know as much as He can about our Lord. It is a delight to witness the Lord's work in his life!


The other night we had them over for a yummy Southern supper. It was their first taste of Poppyseed Chicken. It was a hit! We thoroughly enjoyed their company. Can't wait to get together again, guys!

FLASHBACK: Tadpoles and Crawdads

We are fortunate to live in a neighborhood with a walking track that has a creek running through the middle. As the days were warming up and the nights were getting longer, our neighbor and her daughter came over and asked the kids if they would like to catch some tadpoles. With that word, my children were off! Over the summer we frequented the creek to catch tadpoles (we always released them). The kids would get giddy at the hundreds of baby frogs swimming crazily in the water. On our visits we started noticing crawdad homes and Kris had the idea to introduce them to catching crawdads. Before long they were gathering their gear (string, paper clip, turkey or bacon, and a container) and catching crawdads - leaving the tadpoles alone. Most trips to the creek they would return with 5 or more crawdads. The excitement of the tug of the string had them hooked!





I would imagine there will be a good bit more tadpole and crawdad hunting in our future!

Spiderman

One of Bankston Hays' favortie words right now is spiderman. However, his pronunciation is "piuh-mahn". Too cute! We have tried to catch it on video but to no avail.

The other day I had finished folding some beach towels and they were waiting to be put away. I was in the kitchen piddling around and heard him running thorough the den repeatedly saying "piuh-mahn". He soon dashed around the kitchen island sporting our Spiderman beach towel as a cape!


He may be confusing Superman and Spiderman, but there is no confusing he wants to be a hero!

FLASHBACK: Ann Elise's End of Year Program

She had such sweet friends. We will miss them at our new school.


Ann Elise's preschool organized an End of the Year Program. The preschoolers put on a little program and then the parents visited their room. The three year old classes sang a few songs from the stage. Her favorite song to sing was "R-E-D, Red". When we got to her classroom she had decorated a flowerpot with her fingerprints along with several other crafts. We thought she did such a great job!

Look at her getting into the song:

Growth Chart

Growing up, my mom had a wall in our laundry room that held marks of our heights over the years. As the years passed it gathered names not only from the three siblings, but from numerous friends and family. It was such fun to see the way we grew from year to year and also compare ourselves with one another. There wasn't anything special to this growth chart. It wasn't planned, organized, or thought out. It was simply marks and marks of pencil lines, dates, and names.

As Kris and I were building our house and dreaming of the children we wished to have, I often thought about that growth chart in my mom's house and the special memories it held. I thought it would be special to have one of our own. A year or two passed, Wes was born, and before long he was standing on his own. I remembered the growth chart idea and got busy. I chose a space in our laundry room and started outlining a "yardstick" on the wall, painted it in with some leftover paint, and began our own tradition. Now, our kids look forward to their birthdays and leaving their mark!

I also mark my nephews heights when they come to visit. My sister made the comment that she would like to have one of her own. As we talked about her own, we decided that a movable one would be best for her (they have moved several times and were currently building another house). I got to searching online and found several cute, pre-made charts. But then I came across a blog post about how to make your own. My mind started turning and before long my sister and I had a plan for creating her own growth chart.



**Note: These pictures were taken in my red dining room. My sister's laundry room is brown.

Supplies:
two 1'X 2' canvas art boards
coordinating scrapbook paper (we went with colors from her laundry room)
little bit of paint
ric rac
buttons
stickers
staple gun
modge podge
hot glue gun
tape measure
sharpie

Staple the two canvas boards together to create one long board. Paint the sides of the canvas. Modge podge the scrapbook paper onto the canvas. Hot glue ric rac and buttons. Measure out the canvas and apply stickers accordingly. Hang at correct height. Start filling in your measurements with a sharpie.

A few weeks ago I was in town and took it to her. I think it looks really good in her new laundry room. Now my nephews have their own place to leave their mark!

FLASHBACK: Wes' Kindergarten Graduation

We celebrated Wes' graduation from Kindergarten with a ceremony at a local church. The kindergarten teachers did a great job organizing and planning the event. They sang several songs, recited some of the things they had learned, and each child was given a speaking part. Wes' part was reciting the phonetic rule for "ou": "ow, oh, oo, uh...OU had a big bike wreck". We were so proud. He did such a good job. He spoke clearly and loudly!

A big smile before we left the house:

Receiving his diploma from the Principal:

Showing his excitment over his diploma (Ha Ha):

Posing with his kindergarten teacher. We had a terrific year! I do not have enough nice things to say about her. She certainly set the bar high for Wes' future teachers!

The Last Sin Eater

Maybe you remember me writing about how much I enjoy reading. This summer I was able to pick back up my passion and found myself thoroughly enjoying the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury. I am still not finished with either series...but cannot wait for things to slow back down a little so I can get some more of the wizard world and the Baxter family!

One of my most beloved authors is Francine Rivers. I have yet to read a book written by her that does not grip my soul. She has a profound way of writing fiction in a deep, meaningful way that causes one to delve seriously into their walk with the Lord and how they feel about relevant subjects.

Over the summer I was looking through Netflix and updating our queue. I came across The Last Sin Eater and added it to our list.

I have read the book (same title) by Francine Rivers and of course thoroughly enjoyed it. I was looking forward to seeing the film. Well, last week it arrived in our mailbox and Kris and I were able to watch it. It was really good! I love being able to "see" books I have read. However, I always find my imagination to be much better :)

FLASHBACK: Bankston Hays' Battle of the Worlds

Back in April I found Bankston Hays playing in the driveway. He was definitely portraying his "boy" skills! He had all a boy needs...a mound of dirt, his big brother's conatiner of Star Wars men and Knights, and a serious battle plan.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

BooMama is hosting a recipe party over on her blog. She wants us to share our favorite dip recipes. And being the appetizer kind of gal that I am, I knew I could contribute! My only problem was choosing a favorite :)

There aren't many appetizers I wouldn't choose over real food on any given day. And this dip is no different! I first tasted this recipe years ago at a Sunday School party and have since made it on numerous occasions. I love that it is served warm and is super cheesy. That rates as delicious on my scale!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

8 oz bag Parmesan/Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
1 cup Mayonnaise (Hellman's tastes best with this recipe)
1 can (14 oz) Artichoke Hearts (drained and chopped)
1 pkg (10 oz) Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed and drained)
3 cloves Garilc

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together half of cheese, mayonnaise, artichoke hearts, spinach and garlic. Spoon into a 9 inch pie plate (recipe can be doubled to fill a 9x13 casserole dish). Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly brown.

I have served this dip with tortilla chips or toasted french bread rounds and both were delicious. I honestly can't imagine anything on earth making this delicacy taste bad! With football season here, maybe this dip will find its way to your tailgating table. Hopefully you'll agree with me...YUM-O!

Ann Elise is back to ballet!

After taking a year off from ballet and taking gymnastics, Ann Elise is back to ballet!

She has been to ballet twice and is LOVING it! It is a really neat setting. They hold their classes in the aerobics room at church. The classes are taught by a lady that owned her own studio for 25 years.

I think this picture is adorable. Her teacher is very sweet and Ann Elise really likes her. I love that her teacher is dressed like and carries herself like a ballerina. I think it makes the experience more special and has all the little girls feeling like they really are little ballerinas!

Ann Elise is also excited because she is learning to tap dance!