Family

It has been a very busy but very good weekend. Molly played ball on Saturday with her new team. [Not really "new" team but she moved up in the organization to the 18U team. She's like George and Weezy.] My parents took Emma and Gabe to Sophie Ruth's birthday party so it was just me, Short, and the Coopster for the first few hours. The weather was nice - not too hot - and we were having fun until.....the ump made a call. We were about three innings into the game and a girl from the other team bunted. She threw her bat [in fair territory] and the ball came down and hit her bat. According to Craig, the batter was out, but according to the ump [who incidentally called the softball games when Jesus played] the ball was foul. And according to me? Haven't got a clue because I wasn't paying attention. [FYI: I'm not your typical "sports" mom. I love to watch the game but as for knowing what is going on besides the obvious, I ain't got a clue. I never played fastpitch softball. Yeah, I'm old.] Craig, jumping into his I-am-coach-hear-me-roar role, yells, "Come on Blue! She was out! The ball hit the bat in fair territory." Then, IT happened...the ump yelled back at him and here was the exchange:
Ump: What are you talking about? It was a foul ball!
Craig: It's in the rule book. If the ball hits the bat in fair territory then she's out.
Ump: I don't know what rule book you're reading.
Craig: The one you didn't read obviously.
Ump: I've been calling softball longer than you've been alive! You don't know anything.
Craig: You------ [I stopped him from saying anything that might end with him being escorted to the car for the rest of the day.]
So the rest of the game I got to listen to Short mumble things under his breath and watch him give the ump the stare of death. Men.....

Emma and Gabe came later, just in time for the [shhhh....Gabe might hear me type this] S-T-O-R-M. Gabe is like a radar for storms. The very minute [kid you not] the wind began to blow he started: I want to go home! Let's go home!!!! [Imagine this being said while screaming in a panic stricken state.] I picked him up and tried to calm him down - epic fail. He was having no part of me and my talk about it all being ok. Fifteen minutes later, all heck broke loose. Honestly, at this point, I was in a panic stricken state. The wind was howling, blowing sand on us and lifting anything not tied down. Swirling of the clouds overhead sent me and the babes to the restroom. [I HATE public restrooms with a passion. Now, because of Mother Nature, I was forced to not only go into one, but I had to stay until the fury of the storm subsided. Gross.] The game was postponed for about 30 minutes and after a good hard rain [and ALOT of crying by Gabe] we finished the night with one win and two losses. Craig, Molly, Emma, and my mom went back today for the last two games. Molly's team ended up winning the tournament, winning all three games today. [And Craig did not have any heated arguements with the umps:)]

Today, Father's Day, we all get a little sentimental about our daddies. I thought this would be a perfect day to talk about my family. First of all, my immediate family [the Shorties] are just plain awesome. We have the best time just being together. Often, we end our nights hanging out in the living room watching one of our favorite shows [Dual Survival, World's Dumbest, Pawn Stars, or the Office - real educationally sound TV for the kiddos] or sitting around the dinner table. Wherever we are and whatever we are doing we are together. There are not many evenings that we don't have dinner, at the table, together. [Just call us the Cleavers.] I want my kids to know that they are loved and that Craig and I are intereseted in their lives.

I cannot remember a time when my parents were not there for me. [I can remember many times they wanted to strangle me....the ruptured gas tank on the Prelude, the muffler, ripped from the bottom of the Prelude, the ticket for an "average" speed of 77 in a 55, and the credit card saga....just to name a few.] They have loved me unconditionally [even when I've been unloveable] and they taught me how to be a good parent. They sacrificed and worked so that Summer and I could have "stuff" and go to college. My parents raised us in church and were good, Christian examples of how a person should live a life of service and love. My mom and dad worked [and still do] extremely hard to have all that they have; they put themselves through college and graduated while Summer and I were in elementary school. Both have extremely successful careers and there was never, ever any doubt that Summer and I would be college graduates. Our education was always first and foremost; we were never allowed to settle for less that what they knew we were capable of doing in school. Family.

When I married Craig I gained another family [after being slightly intimidated for marrying the BABY and ONLY boy of three older sisters]. Craig's family is huge! I remember my first Christmas gathering with them when I forced to participate in the famous 12 Days of Christmas singing. [I'm not a singer - at all - like people beg me to NOT sing.] If my memory serves me correctly, I had to sing 10 Lords A'Leapin? And you don't just sing [because that would be way too easy] - you also have to dance the part. I'm guessing this was some sort of hazing ritual and I must have passed because they keep inviting me back for Christmas singing!! Family.

Molly was born when Craig and I were still in college [Some would say "not in the plan" - we had no plan - and it's all been just fine:)] In order to finish college we were going to need a babysitter. Craig's mom and sister, Kandace, would drive to Charlotte every Wednesday and keep little Molly for us because Craig and I were taking educational psychology together. [Just a side note: I made a B and Craig made an A. I wrote his papers for him - and mine too - what is up with that?] Needless to say, Craig's mom and sister were more than overjoyed to come and do this for us. At the time, Kandace did not have any children so she loved spoiling Molly :) They never asked us for money [Ummm, good thing too because we didn't have a dime - literally] or any compensation but gave of their time and money to help us out. Family.

After Molly was born and Cooper came along three years later, Craig and I were still struggling to make ends meet [and not much has changed has it?] we often found the end of the money before the end of the month. [If you've ever had to adjust to getting paid just once a month after getting paid every two weeks then this can be a struggle.] One day, after realizing that Cooper needed formula but the money was not there, I came home to find a note and money taped to the door. Both were from Uncle Butch [Butch is married to Craig's sister Jill]. He was working in the area and said that the Lord spoke to him and told him to leave us the money. God does not leave you or forsake you. I still cry, to this day [nearly 12 years later], when I think about coming home and finding that money. Family.

Our families have clothed us and fed us and kept food on our table. My sister has given us furniture [several times] and kept my kids when I needed to be out of town. One time, after Gabe was born, Summer and Chris [my sister and her husband] bought us a weekend at a bed and breakfast in Woolwine, Va [population 4] and then kept the children so we could go out of town. Summer paid for Emma's baby furniture. Summer drove down last summer [that sounds funny doesn't it?], after working all day, with Sophie, to help us move in the middle of the night [literally]. She packed and cleaned and unpacked and cleaned some more...then took my children to pick out something new for each of their rooms. Family.

I cannot speak about family without talking about Sonja Henie. If you've never met Craig's mom then you are missing out. She is an amazing woman. She raised four children, on her own, and worked two or three jobs at a time. She loves her son [my husband] dearly, as she does all her children. She is hilarious and brutally honest [which can be hilarious] and we call her MiMi. She kept the kids, when softball season started, for me on Mondays so that I could teach at GWU. Family.

The guidance and support of our families, along the way, has meant a great deal to Craig and myself. We give thanks, each and every day, to God, for allowing us to grow up in loving homes and we pray that our children see the same love in our home. Family.

My prayer, for each of you, is that you cherish your family and that you realize how important family is in your life if you don't already know.

As always, life in this family is awesome :)