SHREVEPORT FAIRGROUNDS: ALL-STARS

ME AND MY BAILEE

CAIDEN GOT A BAT SIGNED BY A PLAYER
IT WAS BROKEN, WHICH MEANS IT WAS ALREADY USED. A LOT OF THE BOYS GOT ONE. YOU CAN NEVER GO SOMEWHERE AND NOT BRING SOMETHING HOME!

CAIDEN IS PROUD OF HIS SIGNED BALL

COACH TALK!

SO PROUD TO BE BY CAIDEN'S SIDE

OUR FANTASTIC FAMILY OF FOUR

COACH AND TEAM PLAYER: FATHER AND SON

WE ALWAYS TRY TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR OUR ALL-STARS . WE AS PARENTS TRY TO MAKE IT AN ENJOYABLE AND MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE. WE ALL MET AT THE REC AND HEADED TO SHREVEPORT. WE STARTED OUT A RYANS FOR SUPPER. WE THEN HEADED TO THE BALLPARK TO WATCH THE SHREVEPORT SPORTS BASEBALL TEAM PLAY. IT WAS THE NEATEST THING. AS SOON AS WE ARRIVED OUR ALL-STAR TEAM GOT TO GO ON THE FIELD BEFORE THE GAME AND GOT TO MEET THE TEAM. EACH ALL- STAR GOT A BASEBALL SIGNED BY THE SHREVEPORT SPORTS. THEY WERE SO EXCITED!! THEN THEY PROCEEDED TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IS CALLED "THE DREAM TEAM". THAT IS WHERE OUR ALL-STARS GOT TO HAVE THEIR NAME CALLED OUT ON THE LOUD SPEAKER, THEIR NUMBER, AND THEIR POSITION. WHAT WAS EVEN MORE EXCITING WAS THAT THEY GOT TO RUN OUT ON THE FIELD WITH THE PLAYERS!!! THEY ALL GOT TO STAND ON THE FIELD AND SING OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM. IT WAS SO FUN! THE BOYS HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME , THE CHEERLEADERS CAME OUT AND PICKED SOME OF OUR ALL-STARS TO COME UP THERE WITH THEM FOR A DANCE COMPETITION. THEY PICKED CAIDEN, TANNER, AND HUNTER. IT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING I HAD EVER SEEN!! THEY DID A APPLAUSE METER TO SEE WHO WON. CAIDEN WON!! HE GOT FOUR FREE TICKETS TO SEE THEM AGAIN!! WE HAD A GOOD TIME, BUT WE ARE SO VERY VERY TIRED.

CAIDEN WINS THE COMPETITION!

A BABY BOY

A BABY BOY WAS BORN AND I HELD HIM IN MY ARMS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
I SAW IN HIS EYES THAT HIS WAS LIKE NO OTHER, HE WAS OF A SPECIAL KIND
THIS BABY BOY WILL SOMEDAY BE HIS OWN PERSON AND GO PURSUE HIS OWN DREAMS AND DESIRES
BUT A BABY BOY HE WILL ALWAYS BE TO ME THAT I SO LOVED AND ADMIRED

THIS LITTLE GIRL

THIS LITTLE GIRL WAS GIVEN TO ME
A PRICELESS GIFT FROM GOD, THIS I WILL ALWAYS SEE
HE WILL SHAPE HER AND MOLD HER TO MAKE HER WHAT SHE OUGHT TO BE
I WILL RAISE HER UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LORD, FOR SHE WILL ONE DAY BE GIVEN BACK TO THEE

OLDEN DAYS, GOLDEN TIMES

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PICTURE. MY MOM AND I HAD THIS PICTURE TAKEN FOR JERRY ONE FATHER'S DAY. CAIDEN IS HOLDING A BASEBALL BAT, IMAGINE THAT!! BAILEE'S LOVE OF DOLLS IS STILL WITH HER!

ALL-STAR CAR DECORATIONS

YES, IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR, WHEN PARENTS START TO FEEL THE EXCITEMENT OF ALL-STARS AND WE START DECORATING EVERYTHING! I FIGURED SINCE GAMES START SATURDAY, I BETTER START BY DOING MY CAR! ITS SO FUN: ALL OF US GO OUTSIDE AND EACH ONE PICKS A SIDE TO PAINT. CAIDEN'S FRIENDS HAVE FOUND HIM A NEW NICKNAME, AND IT SEEMS TO AGREE WITH HIM: C-DOG. I AM NOT VERY CRAFTY, AS YOU CAN SEE, BUT IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS!

JERRY: STILL ONE OF THE BOYS

I LOVE THAT JERRY STILL FINDS TIME TO SPEND WITH OUR CHILDREN. HE IS TRULY THE BEST DAD I KNOW. CAIDEN HAS SOME FRIENDS OVER, AND JERRY WANTED TO PLAY WI WITH THEM. CAIDEN HAS A NEW BASEBALL GAME AND JERRY DREW UP A BRACKET FOR THEM TO PLAY A TOURNAMENT.

BEEN THERE: DONE THAT

I have been home with my children for the most part of their lives. I had always wanted to be a mother and stay home with my children. My mom had always told me that a had that "motherly" instinct. She noticed it at a very young age. I was always trying to be a mother to any child that came along my way. I always babysat other children in my teenage years. I guess you can say that i love children. I never really had to work till i got divorced. It was a hard pill to swallow. I had never been on my own, even more, never had to support myself. I would soon be on a journey of self-sufficiency, and maturity. I soon was working at a daycare center, ( of course) and doing everything by myself. There was getting the kids ready for school, breakfast, homework, getting clothes out for the next day, etc. I was taking 2 children to 2 separate fields at the ballpark, games at the same time, same day, and running back and fourth to those fields. I was a single parent and i was relying on no one but me. I was the one cooking supper as soon as i got home from work, making sure i was sitting right there making sure they understood homework. I was the one making sure i was showing them that i was excited to hear about their day, the friends they had made and how they got an A on a test. I was there to tuck those sweet babies in bed and proceeded to tell them that tomorrow was a new day, perhaps a better one, that daddy would soon be home, and that maybe we would be a family again. I am not trying to feel sorry for myself. Women do this everyday and i guess i could to, I DID DO IT, and i am so proud that I could.I never thought that i was that strong, but as the saying goes, "what doesn't kill you only makes stronger" and i was strong. I was strong for them! There were many nights that i would put them to bed, and the last thing they saw was me smiling and telling them that i loved them. I would soon be crying after that, wishing that i had not torn my family apart. But, i had to be strong for them, had to be there "backbone", their support, their mother.I am home with them once again, and loving the dog out of it! I'm there for everything and anything, and i don't want to ever miss a thing they do. I had to lose everything,to gain. I realize now that family is the most important thing in this short-lived life. I will never take my family for granted again, ever. I can say now that i have worked and had a family and was successful at it. I managed the two and I'm still here!! I don't want to go back and do it again....BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT, and I'm proud of it!

A PROUD FAMILY

Jerry,Bailee, and I just wanted to say how proud we are of Caiden. Caiden has worked so hard this season. He has really improved in baseball this year. He has learned so much from his coaches, and he uses it daily to further his development in this sport. He deserves nothing but the best support and encouragement we can give him! Great job Caiden, we will always be here to support you in everything you do!

4TH PRACTICE GAME: MANGHAM

WE WON...AGAIN!! OUR BOYS HIT SOOO WELL TONIGHT! CAIDEN ALMOST HIT A HOME RUN! IT WAS A FOUL BALL, BUT IT WENT WELL OVER THE FENCE. WE WILL HAVE A LITTLE BREAK, WELL NO MORE PRACTICE GAMES. OUR REAL GAMES START SATURDAY. CAN'T WAIT TILL SATURDAY!