Softball pictures!

Busy Weekend ahead..

The softball team has entered into a tournament that is being held this weekend. Tonight is our first game at 6pm and then tomorrow - we have 3 - yes you read that right - 3 games!! The times are 9am, 1:30pm and then again at 6pm. Then they play again on Sunday and it's a one game elimination. So we could actually play all day Sunday too if we win every game we play. It's all coach pitch so Courtney won't be pitching but that's ok - I'll be sure to get pictures I promise!

Biscuit is settling in really well here. We take her to the vet today at 10 for puppy shots - that'll be fun. Thankfully she loves car rides and doesn't get sick. She is so small she can fit under the seats!! I'm sure that'll change soon but for now, it's cute.

I want to say Congratulations to my sister Misti - she graduated on Monday!! It's nice to say that you're never too old to go back to school :o) And I'm not saying she's old at all but for some - being in your 30's and going back to school isn't something they'd do - so I'm proud of her!

Also, Marti got another goat! I actually told CJ about it and he can't wait to see it. He keeps requesting to have Norton too!! I tell him he can't but he states that Norton loves him :o)

I promise I'll do better with pictures soon - most are downloaded now but I'm using my laptop currently which has no pictures on it. Next time, I'll post some softball pictures.

We have saved a life!!

We went last Saturday to look at a beagle puppy that was for adoption but didn't get her for 2 reasons - 1. You had to have a fence up already and 2. She was really cute but VERY skinny. Lizzie was already in a 'foster home' so we didn't understand why she was still so skinny. When we were on our way to look at her, we heard the radio ad for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society 31 hour Adopt-a-thon. Since CJ was so disappointed about not being able to get Lizzie, we decided to go there and just look.

We looked at a lot of them - from puppies to older dogs (only up to 4 years old). We looked at a hound that was named 'Ella' which she reminded me a little of Angel with the tri-coloring but when we got into the room to interact with her - she didn't have much to do with any of us. We then asked to see a yellow lab (only 8 weeks old). There was 3 of them in one kennel and Jason wanted to see the 'middle shaded one'....LOL Her name was Sheree and she was so timid and scared. She peed from the time they took her out of the kennel to even when she was put down into the room. She warmed up a bit to each one of us and the kids started to fall in love :o) Then...out of the corner of Jason's eye, he spots the little black puppy he saw someone holding when we went to the 'meeting room' for the first time. The puppy wasn't in any kennel the whole time we were there so we didn't see it. Jason wanted to make sure the puppy was a girl and then wanted to see her.

So, only weighing 5 lbs (at least their last weigh in) - Biscuit came into the room. She is a lovable and playful puppy. She has become part of our family :o) We are not 100% sure what she is...we've been told a few things but the vet suggested a shepherd/lab mix but most of those puppies were triple her size at this age (2 months) so we don't know what she'll become. She looks like a Manchester Terrier too. The joy of watching her grow!

Here she is...

One of my favorite pictures I have gotten to take :o)

Now, all we need is our 'Buttermilk' (which would be a pug puppy from Piper) to complete our little family. Jason stated a brown puppy would work and call it 'Gravy' but I want a pug!! We looked for pugs at the shelter and even online at the Alabama pug rescue but no luck :o( - we'll just wait patiently for Piper's puppies!!

Another update...

Courtney is done with Predinsone...YEAH!!! It really has helped her sleep at night even though it took a few days. She is still coughing during the day but hopefully it'll get better each and every day.

There are only 2 more games in the official softball season - tomorrow night and Saturday afternoon. It's such a short season but they'll be playing in a tournament May 16th-18th. Courtney did get to pitch again in a game (Monday night) and it was in the 2nd inning. She was not looking good during her warm up pitches but when the batters got up there - she was doing good. She almost walked one but didn't!! She actually did 3 up 3 down!! I'm so proud of her! PLUS during that game, she had a home run!! She has been lovin' this season and wishes it doesn't stop. It all depends on All-Stars (we'll find out hopefully on the 19th). If she doesn't make it, she'll be having fun at 2 softball camps!

I have my camera out and ready to take some pictures and then download some! I know I owe pictures to this blog and hopefully will get to it soon!!

Quick Update...

Well, things are still crazy here. Courtney started to cough last Friday so we did our Ventolin Inhaler (Albuterol) everyr 4 hours. It hadn't gotten better and by Sunday - her stomach began to hurt. So I got her in to Dr. Miller (regular dr.) on Tuesday and everything checked out but we are treating her proactively against walking pneumonia like CJ had with antibiotics and started Prevacid for heartburn (thinking that could be the cause of her stomach issues present and past). She'll take it for 2 months and we'll go from there.

The last 2 nights she has been coughing in her sleep that it has woken her up. I called Dr. Brasfield today and got her in (1pm) - gotta love that!! We have upped her steriod inhaler to the middle level, added Predinsone (2 tablets) every morning for 5 days and keep doing her Albuterol everyr 4 hours for one more week. Hopefully everything changes with this and it'll kick this awful cough. We now go back in 4 weeks and see what our plans will be for the rest of the summer. It's been so bad at school that Mrs. Simpson told me today that she thought for sure Courtney would have coughed up a lung today plus a few classmates told me about how purple she turned while coughing!! I'm so glad we got her in today!!

Other than all that....we still are doing softball and enjoying it. Our official last game is on May 10th but have some tournament games scheduled for later in May and possibly June. Plus we never know about All-Stars!!

That's it for now, I'm off to make sure Courtney is resting after her not-so-much sleeping night - hopefully she'll nap before practice tonight. She has already complained about 'little black lines under her eyes' - LOL!!

3 straight days

We have softball games 3 days in a row. Tonight's was the first one and it was against Odenville. It was a game of 'change ups'. The girls all started in their own positions except for one (Kelsi) who was trying out a new position as catcher. After the girls scored and got really ahead, both Coach Carrie and Coach Jason decided it was time to change things up!! The girls really enjoyed it :o) We did win too!!

As far as all the positions Courtney did - shortshop, was on 1st base for a while until the normal first baseman didn't like being on pitcher's mound so they switched (this was during the time of Coach pitch) and then she actually pitched!! Yep...she got to pitch for the first time in a real game!! She ended up walking the 1st and 3rd batter, striking out the 2nd and got close to striking out the 4th but ended up walking her. I can't tell you the excitement I felt when she threw her first strike!! I'm so proud of her! She also made a great line-drive catch on pitcher's mound to get the 2nd out and then threw to 1st base but unfortunately overthrew her BUT it ended up being a double play since the first base runner didn't 'tag up' so it was 2 outs at once!!

I'm so proud of each and every girl on our team. Even had one of my Brownies (first time playing softball is now) hit a double! Another pure excited moment - I was jumping up and down for her!! The smile was priceless!!

As for all sorts of first today....Jason actually got on the mound to do some coach pitch! He has been doing some in the batting cages and at practices but never in the game. For 8 & under softball, it's girl pitch the 1st, 2nd and 5th innings and coach pitch the 3rd and 4th. Plus the coach comes in to pitch if 3 batters are walked by a girl pitcher in an inning and it doesn't have to be in a row. Jason didn't do too bad but he did mention that it was much different during the game than at practices!

CJ has already asked Jason to coach t-ball when he begins to play. We believe t-ball isn't offered in the fall like softball so we'll be spending TONS of time next spring at the ball park! It keeps them active and helps get all their energy out!!

I forgot to take my camera today but definitely plan on taking it tomorrow to the game - even if it's just to get pictures of Jason pitching since tomorrow's game is all coach pitch since it's a different ballpark we are playing at. We won against them over a week ago so tomorrow shouldn't be any different. We would like to win Monday night as we have lost against that team (Coach King - Courtney's fall ball coach) but it's definitely ok if we lose as long as the girls are having fun :o)

Wow....what a game!!!

Of course, we've been busy with the softball season. The girls have had 3 games so far and one rain out (which has already been rescheduled). They are doing so well!! Our first game was against another Moody team (Cherry) and we won 10-4!!! We had played them during the preseason tournament and lost so this was a sweet win :o) Our next game was against Courtney's fall ball coach - we hadn't practice since the first game (which was 4 days in between) and our rain out game was the night before so unfortunately we lost :o(. We ended up having practice with a few girls on Sunday late morning.

We then had a game last night against another Moody team (Holcomb) which went to the finals in the preseason tournament. They have won against us in practice games. It was a very intense game. We were the home team and kept them from scoring in the top of the first ending. We were up at the end of the first. Then all of a sudden we got down 6 to 1! During the bottom of the 3rd - the bases were loaded and Courtney was up to bat.

GUESS WHAT..............




GRAND SLAM BABY!!

I am so proud of Courtney!! As soon as she slid into homebase, we walked towards each other (I was the 1st base coach) and I lifted her up in the air! It was one of the most proudest sports moments I've ever had with her! She is on cloud 9 and on a personal high :o) We ended up winning the game 10-8 and the girls are so happy. Also during the game, Courtney got 2 of their best runners out on 2nd base - it was sure her night!! A mom from the other team ended up giving Courtney $10 after the game for her grand slam. Both her daughter and Courtney were on the same ball team in fall and I would always tell her daugther that I would give her $10 if she hit it to the fence. She did once for me and I paid up. I never thought it would go reverse especially being on different teams. Half of the fall ball team is on Courtney's team now and the other half on Holcomb's team. It's difficult to not cheer for those girls when we are playing them but we do support them in every game :o)

On another note, CJ just got the all clear from the dr. yesterday for his follow-up. We had to take him a week ago last Friday to the dr. since his cough wasn't going away and nothing was working. He had walking pneumonia! He is all better now and enjoying time at the ball field. He always ask if we are going to practice or play :o) He is one supportive brother!

That's all that's been happening here. We do have games this weekend. Friday night and Saturday late afternoon then again on Monday night. I hope we continue to do such wonderful teamwork!!! We are so proud of these girls! Hope to post pictures soon (when I'm not helping on the field as a coach I can take more pictures).