We're headed to Arkansas!

Take a good look, these guys are the 

East Texas State Champions 

in 14 year old Babe Ruth baseball!  

They are headed to Mountain Home, Arkansas to compete in the Southwest Regional tournament next week.

I can't tell you how proud I am of these young men 

(and of course, one in particular!) 

You'll be glad to know that Texas will be very well represented.  These boys are such talented athletes as well as young men of character and sportsmanship.

If they win big in Arkansas, they will go onto the World Series in Utah.

This is definitely not a "kid's game," 

 we are in it to win it!

And if you could, say a prayer for their safety as they travel,

for them to play to the full potential of their God given talents,

and for some of the family they leave behind on this trip. 

(who cannot possibly go because of work/finances.

 GRRRRRR!  >:-<  )

Just know, boys, that a whole small town in southeast Texas is rooting for y'all!  Make some awesome memories and have the time of your life!

What the bugs didn't get...

 Eggplant

 Basil

 Peppers

I'm thinking this will be our dinner tonight,

maybe turned into toppings for pizza on the grill!

This guy is NOT on the guest list!

(much to the boy's dismay!)

ACK! I GIVE UP!

I give up! 

The bugs have WON!

My once beautiful little vegetable garden is now filled with thousands of evil leaf footed bugs and their demonic babies:

They are everywhere and have sucked the life out of all of my vegetables.  Sometime this week I am stripping the garden bare, except for my peppers and eggplants, they don't seem to want those.  I have scoured the internet and there doesn't seem to be any way to kill these bugs short of using poison, and I'm not doing that!  So I've decided to starve them and maybe they'll move on.

  

The only way I can think to avoid these critters is to move my garden.  I planted a new garden on the side of my house this year that is virtually bug free.  There are only sunflowers, medicinal  herbs, and one really HUGE luffa vine growing there:

This area may be my vegetable garden next year and my old vegetable garden boxes will probably grow my herbs...we'll see!  But for now I'm kinda done with the summer garden...well, more defeated than done.  But I'm sure I can find other projects to occupy my time!  

He's always been an All-Star to me!

Kyle has been playing baseball since he was six.

 I still remember it like it was yesterday...

 That sweet little boy walking up to the t-ball stand and taking a swing with a bat that was bigger than he was!

 He was the cutest thing ever!

  

But now he plays with the big boys.

Kyle played on two teams this year (silly me to think that ONE would be enough!), the Babe Ruth League here in Wharton and the Junior League in nearby Boling. 

He made All Stars in both leagues and lately it's been baseball almost every night of the week!

Yeah, it's been a bit of a pain because of the practice times and late night games, but I wouldn't miss any of it for the world.  You see, we've watched not only Kyle grow through the years out on that ball field, but many of his friends, too. 

 We've watched these little boys grow into young men.

They've not only become some really talented ball players, but young men of character.  It's been a privilege to watch them grow up.  These boys have played together year after year and have formed some great friendships, hopefully ones that will last a lifetime. 

That's life in a small town!

We sure do love our football and baseball...

but we love those boys out there even more!  

  

And you know I couldn't resist a picture 

of the cute cheerleader on the sidelines!