It's 1, 2, 3 Strikes You're Out!!!!

My daddy put me on the softball field when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I didn't know which end of the bat to hold or where to stand (btw my daddy loved sharing that story!).   I didn't know about running bases, etc. But, I finally learned and enjoyed many years playing softball with kids from my school and neighborhood. My parents spent many evenings watching us play ball and sometimes stepping in to help coach. When my daughter was 6 I put her on the softball field and then became her coach. I coached her for 6 years. There is nothing like summer time and ball parks. We virtually lived there. I love sports. Most all sports.

Now my son is 5 (he will be 6 in April) and I put him on the ball field this past Saturday. He didn't know anything about the bat or how to catch a ball. His throw is not so great either. But he will learn and I soon found out he has a hidden talent for baseball.

One of the Coaches showing Caleb where to stand, how to watch for the ball, etc.

I think he looks so tiny out there!!! 

Caleb is on the small side - um, let me rephrase that - he is super small for his age!!! He is not the youngest person on his team but he is the smallest. Most of the other boys are at least a head taller than he is.

One of the first things the coach did was to have them run bases. A couple of little boys started out and then Caleb started his run around the bases. The coach paced each boy before having the next run. Caleb was almost to 1st base when the boy behind him began to run.....as Caleb came up to 2nd base the little boy behind him was in front of him, as Caleb came up to 3rd base, the other little boy behind him was in front of him, and by the time he hit home plate about 4 boys had passed him up. Caleb is not a slow runner.....he just has short little legs that couldn't keep up with the longer legs of others. I have to say it was extremely funny to watch and oh I felt so bad for my little guy running his heart out and then being left behind.

His first day out he learned how to catch the ball - yes he missed quite a few but he got the handle of it. Then it was time to come to the plate for batting practice....I just cringed....I hated the thought of him missing every ball pitched to him (by a pitching machine 37 mph) - the laugh was on me -- Caleb swung and missed the first two pitches and then BAM!!! He connected and wow what a connect - I was almost reduced to tears (not really - I was jumping up and down yelling for my little guy!). Then came the next pitch - BAM!! And then the next pitch -- BAM!!! WOW!!! My baby can hit the ball!!! Now he just needs to know that you run to first after you hit the ball!!!

Coach showing Caleb how to hold the bat, swing, etc.

Getting ready to connect with the ball.

I put the camera away after the first couple of missed swings.

Shame on me.....I missed getting a shot of Caleb connecting with the ball!!!

For now the doctor is out.......anticipating the very first game, the cheering, the excitement.....um, the heat, the humidity...maybe the doctor should rethink this.....nahhhh, it will be worth it!!!!

The Wind Beneath My Wings

It's no secret I had a very bad 1st marriage. I went into that marriage full of life, happiness, and on top of the world. I left that marriage a very broken person, wondering if I could ever become my old self again, wondering about my self worth, my own intelligence, my skills as a mother, and myself as an individual. I left that marriage with a beautiful daughter who kept me grounded and gave me hope for the future. I never intended to get married again. NEVER, and I really mean NEVER. Around that time there was a song entitled, "Me and You Against the World," and it became my theme song with my daughter. Eventually I began to gain back my self, the me I knew was there somewhere. I made a decision to go back to college to get the degree I was working on when I married. Not long after this I was introduced to sweet hubby

(Thank you Kera!).

Sweet hubby was a blessing from the Lord. When sweet hubby asked me out on a date, it was "I would like to take you and Sarah...." What more could a person want than an individual in her life that recognized she came as a package - with a child. Sweet hubby never excluded Sarah in anything we did together while dating. In fact sweet hubby brought along Joshua too (his son from his 1st marriage). Sweet hubby always understood my need for independence and never pushed me on that. Sweet hubby did very gently take care of me. At this time in my life I was very serious about everything...working, raising a child by myself, and working on my BA....I had forgotton how to laugh or have fun...sweet hubby brought laughter and fun back into my life.

After dating for six years (yes, six years) sweet hubby and I were married. Sweet hubby was very understanding when I wanted separate checking accounts. At this time I was just finishing up my Master's Degree. Sweet hubby was very supportive when I spent hours working on my thesis. Sweet hubby was also supportive when I took a research job at the university which required a lot of travel. Then when the university asked me to teach 2 undergraduate classes at night, sweet hubby was very supportive again. Sweet hubby took over the household things so that I could live my dream of teaching at a university. Sweet hubby became the chauffer for Sarah taking her to school each day and eventually to early morning seminary.

When I told sweet hubby I was ready to get my doctorate he was right there beside me. I was working as an evaluator for a non-profit at the time and getting a doctorate meant driving 2.5 hours one way to Memphis two days a week. Sweet hubby closed down the business early two afternoons a week to drive with me to Memphis. Working fulltime and taking classes began to take up more and more of my time. Sweet hubby once again took over the household stuff. As I sat at a computer every evening working on projects, research papers, residency project, and finally dissertation sweet hubby would miraculously show up with a plate of dinner for me to eat while typing away. With a doctorate program comes many opportunities to present papers at conferences. As each conference came up sweet hubby proudly sent me away to make my mark on the world of research. In order to really make my mark in the world of research conferences became international. Again, sweet hubby proudly sent me on my way to do what I dreamed of doing and continues to support me each year as I come running in to tell him my paper was accepted at the Barcelona conference, the Belfast conference, and the most recent - Cambridge conference. Sweet hubby holds our house together when I am working fervently on papers for publication. Sweet hubby encourages me constantly to reach for those stars.

Sweet hubby never balked when I said I wanted to go visit Sarah - whether in Utah, Kansas or New York, he would smile and send me on my way. Sweet hubby is also very understanding about my yearly ski trips with my aunt or my trips with my sister and mom.

Sweet hubby is an example of service to me, never complaining when asked to do service for others or fulfilling his callings within our church. When sweet hubby and I got married my theme song, "You and Me Against the World" went out the door and was replaced by, "The Wind Beneath My Wings." Sweet hubby gives me the courage, the love, the support, and the desire to reach for the stars and live my dreams. I am truly blessed to have sweet hubby in my life. Sweet hubby is my everything and more. Sweet hubby is the wind beneath my wings.

For now the doctor is out....thinking about how truly blessed she is having sweet hubby in her life.