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Go Braves!

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We went to our first Braves game of the season yesterday. My Dad (aka Papa) had four tickets and took Mickey and me to the game with him. My step-mom, Dorothy (aka MiMi), stayed home with the girls while we went to the game. We had a GREAT time!

Traffic was thick going through downtown Atlanta on 75/85, but it opened up pretty well and we made it almost on time. We parked way out and had to walk a bit in the drizzling rain, but that was okay. We all need the exercise. Once inside Turner Field, we stopped by a vendor stand and got a baseball cap for me since it was still drizzling rain. I got a cute pink Braves cap with an “A” in white on the front. It’s girly, but at least it’s a Braves cap, right? We then went to our great seats! We were maybe 15 rows up behind the Braves on-deck circle. We were right in prime foul ball territory, but none ever came close enough. Still, we had a fantastic time! It was a great game. There was even a bit of excitement as the Braves thought they had turned two on the Mets, but the call got reversed. Now, let me tell you, if you want to see my Dad get excited and animated, put him at a ballgame. He was giving the umpires a fit. In good team spirit, of course. The rain returned around the bottom of the 4th and we stayed until the bottom of the 6th before we left. The Braves had a pretty decent lead by then and we were getting wet and cold. On the way home we heard on the radio that Kelly Johnson had come in to pinch hit and gotten a grand slam to put the Braves even further in front. Too bad we missed that, huh?

Here is a picture Mickey took with his phone during the game:

It was a great day for baseball. So, it was a little drizzly, but I’ll take that over 100 degrees at the ballpark any old day!! We had a BLAST and can’t wait to go again!!

And, as an added bonus, the girls had great fun with Mimi. Although, I think she probably slept the day away today after they wore her out with their boundless kid energy. 😉

Thanks, Papa and MiMi, for a great Saturday!

Godspeed, Larry Munson…

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The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Larry Munson, voice of the Georgia Bulldogs, is recovering from brain surgery. According to AJC reports, Mr. Munson had a subdural hematoma (blood clot in the brain) and underwent surgery in Athens on Friday. Follow-up reports are that Mr. Munson is doing well and is expected to make a full recovery.  UGA fans, like me, will be further relieved to know that Larry Munson is still scheduled to call all of UGA’s home football games in the fall. Having been a fan of Larry Munson for as long as I can remember AND not knowing UGA football without him, I am glad to hear that he is doing so well after his surgery. I know I join countless others in sending up prayers for him and keeping him in my thoughts as he recovers. Godspeed, Larry Munson!!

The Church Book

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The time has rolled around yet again for our church to put together a church directory. (No small feat for a large church, by the way) Our family had our portrait session on Friday evening. Macey was so excited about this because she absolutely loves looking at the last directory which she refers to as “the church book.” She will get the directory out, flip through page by page and pick out everyone she knows. She has long loved this book! And, since the last one came out a couple of years ago, Mariana wasn’t even a twinkle in our eye yet and it’s been bothering Macey that her sister isn’t in the church book.

So, off we went on Friday. All dressed up and ready to shoot our church book portrait. We arrived a bit early and the photographer was ready for us, so we got a head start. We told him we have never gotten a good family portrait of all four of us, so his work was cut out for him. We have to give that photographer ALL the credit in the world because he tried so hard to get us that perfect family posed portrait. Didn’t happen. Mariana either wanted to get down and run around or she would sit stone-faced for the camera. Macey was smiling, but her pose position was a tad awkward for her at times, so she would have to shift. Yea, it was definitely an adventure. But, really, the photographer went above and beyond to try to get both girls smiling and all of us looking at the camera at the same time. The best we could do was a shot where Macey is looking somewhat startled, Mariana has a smirk and there sit Mickey and me, smiling like big happy cheesers. 😀 The photo was certainly good enough for the church book and we’ll take our free 8×10, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to buy extras. We wanted to because the photographer tried SO hard, but we just couldn’t bite that bullet.

The quest for a great family portrait continues. And, if anyone knows how to get an almost two year old to sit still and smile for photos, do let us know. 😉

Rainy Day Saturday

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It’s a gray, rainy day here in metro Atlanta and we are so grateful for that! Our area is in a severe drought right now and every drop of rain is a blessing. Praise God for these showers!!

As I looked out and saw the rain this morning, I was also struck by how clean and renewed everything looked outside. Our neighborhood has been a lot greener since spring started to arrive a few weeks ago, but today everything just looks brighter and happier. It’s like the earth just smiles on days when rain comes.

I decided to look up some Biblical passages about rain this morning. Here a few of the ones I found that blessed my heart on this rainy Saturday morning.

Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?
Job 38:28 (NIV)

He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
Psalm 72:6 (NIV)

He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground,
and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful.
Isaiah 30:23

Those verses reminded me, yet again, that God is the Father of all creation. He is our Provider, our Renewer and our Constant in a world of change. God never fails. Just as He brings to rain to refresh and renew the earth, His promises should be ever renewed upon our thirsty souls. If we are faithful to receive it, His grace is always there and plentiful for those who will receive it. We will never perish so long as we accept and believe. Praise God!!

So, as the rain falls today, I thank God for His faithfulness and His provision once again. Amen.

Book Review – Sugar and Grits

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Sugar and Grits by DiAnn Mills, Martha Rogers, Janice Thompson and Kathleen Y’Barbo

This is a collection of four short stories set in the small Southern town of Calista, Mississippi. Each storyline revolves around one main character within a group of friends.

I found the stories to be easy reads. They were light and fun, but nothing overly memorable, honestly. I found some of the stereotypes to be a bit overboard and thought that at times the authors were seeking to incorporate as much Southern slang and Southern expressions as much as they could into each story. One character in particular, Sassy Hatchett, reminded me a little much of Ouiser from Steel Magnolias. However, I will say that these stories were, in fact, decent reads. I’d say this would be a great vacation book. I could see myself sitting on the beach, relaxing and reading these stories. Or, in a hammock somewhere relaxing and breezing through this book. The stories aren’t going to change your life, but they are nice little stories for light reading.