July 4 - Independence Day

What a great July 4th holiday! We spent the evening with our church small group at the Osbourne's house (Tara and Patrick and their boys, Cooper and Carson). They have a pool, so they kids swam, we ate, and then we launched a ton of fireworks! I swam as well, which is why there are not any pictures of the boys swimming. It was wonderful time! The boys asked if we could do it again next year. I sure hope so!

First, I have a picture of my 3 boys on Independence Day. This is a yearly must-have photo. :) Second, I took a picture of Major in this outfit because all 3 of my boys have worn this outfit on July 4th through the years. He will be the last one to do so. It is time for it to be passed on for someone else to enjoy.

 
 
 
 

Bill and Eli - Passport to Purity Trip July 1-3

When Eli was 3, I learned of this series called "Passport to Purity" in which a father and son go away for a couple of days and discuss growing up, purity, and God's plan for your life. We decided then that Bill would do this trip with each boy the summer after they turned 10. Well, 7 years after my initial hearing of this series, Eli is 10. July 1-3 Bill and Eli took a trip down to St. Petersburg, Florida, just the two of them, to discuss these sensitive issues. My prayer is that Eli will remain pure and will become the Godly warrior he is meant to be.  There is some time in the trip for fun, as well as discussion. Here are some of the pictures Bill took of them on their trip. Hopefully, these memories and lessons will last a lifetime.

Picture #1: Eli completing his first project, a puzzle with no clue as to what it is and a few of the pieces missing. The point is that you need a guide to help you through life.

Picture #2: Eli in front of a statue of Bobby Bowden (legendary coach) at Florida State University.

Picture #3: Bill and Eli in their free hats at a Tampa Bay Rays vs. Detroit Tigers baseball game.

Picture #4, 7, and 10: Eli and Bill at the gulf in St. Petersburg.

Picture #5 and 6; Eli at "the Swamp" - University of Florida football field.

Picture #8: Eli behind the Tigers dugout at Tropicana Field holding a ball he got autographed by 3 Tigers players.

Picture #9:  Nick Castellanos autographing a ball and throwing it back to Eli at the ball game.

 
 
 
 
 

Father's Day

Father's Day with the best dad in the world! He loves us, provides for us, plays baseball with us, he's a hard worker, and we love him! The boys and Bill all got some baseball cards to open together! Baseball is definitely a special past time that Bill shares with Eli, Brady, and Major. We love you!

 

June Major

Major spent all of July supporting his brothers' baseball careers. He was their #1 fan!

 

The Boll Weevil Statue

Eli's sub-state All-Star tournament was in Enterprise, Alabama. Enterprise has a giant statue to a boll weevil in the middle of downtown, so while Eli was getting ready for a game, I took Brady and Major to go see it. It is the only statue dedicated to an insect in the world. Of course, I had to look up the history. In 1915, Enterprise saw all it's cotton crop wiped out by the boll weevil. The farmers all thought they were doomed, then slowly changed over to peanuts. By 1918, the majority of farmers were farming peanuts and were making more money than they ever had with cotton. In 1919, they erected this statue to the boll weevil because that insect taught them diversification in farming and allowed them to make more money in a new crop. Really interesting!

Eli's All-Star Team

Eli played pitcher and 1st base for his All-Star team. He was a fierce competitor and I love to watch him pitch. He is definitely in his element when he is on the mound. He had a fantastic change-up that struck out many batters! Another great season!

  
 
 

Brady's All-Star Team

Brady played pitcher or 2nd base for All-Stars. I love watching him out on that field. Brady loves baseball, he loves life, and he loves people, and he shines on the field. My heart is full and happy when I see that sweet smile on his face.

 
 
 
 
 
 

All-Star Baseball - June

Both Eli and Brady made All-Star teams for their baseball leagues this summer. They had a blast. It was our first ever All-Star experience in Alabama, and it was INTENSE! They had practice 2-3 hours every day, and then tournaments on the weekends. If they do well enough, they could even play in the little league World Series. Brady's team made it to 3rd in district, so their season ended at the end of June. Eli's team made it to sub-state (after district and before state), but ended up 3rd in stub-state. Their season ended the second week of July. Basically, by the time All-Stars ended, we only had 3 weeks of summer left! Here are some family pictures we took of the boys in their uniforms. They look so handsome!

End of May Random Pictures

The end of May also means the end of baseball season. Both Brady and Eli were on winning teams, so they were a lot of fun to watch! Brady's coach-pitch team won their division, and Eli's player-pitch team also won their division. They boys were very proud of their teams and their trophies.

The last two pictures are just a little bit of early summer fun. Major was giving a shirt to match Eli's so he had to wear it to match his big brother, and the boys started off the summer with a water balloon fight. I absolutely love how much they love each other!