Atlanta Braves!

Jessica and I had to go overnight to Atlanta for a work conference (MHA Regional meeting) on Tuesday night.  We had not even thought about the Braves, until we turned on our exit to get to the hotel and it said Turner Field!  Just so happens that they were playing the Florida Marlins that night at home!  So...we bought tickets online and headed to the game.  We asked the guy at the front desk what would be the best way for us to get to the game.  He said to walk "6 blocks" to Underground Atlanta and catch the FREE shuttle to the game!  He also assured us that he walked the same route every night and most of the times he didn't get off work until midnight and that we would be perfectly safe!  We decided not to carry our purse...you know...so we'd be less muggable.  We put our credit card, ID, and phones in our back pockets and started walking.  After 1 hour and 15 minutes, 12 blocks, 2 police escorts, being hit on by 3 men, passing up 2 homeless guys asking for money, we made it back to the hotel!!!!!  That's right...Underground Atlanta was NOT the place for the two of us to be at ANY hour of the day, much less night!!  When we got to the shuttle, it cost $2 each...which we had NO cash...remember?  Less Muggable??  Anyways, we finally got back to the hotel and drove to the game! We finally made it during the 3rd inning, and we actually left during the 8th (to beat traffic and because we had to get up early the next day).  We were very glad we decieded to go to the game!  It was so much fun!!

We got GREAT seats!  Right behind the 3rd base dugout!!

As we were leaving, we asked a lady to take our picture!

Chipper Jones!  I'm so glad we got to see him play one of his last games!

Welcome Mary Collins!

Mary Collins is here!!  Anna Claire was scheduled for her C-section on Monday, September 24, 2012.  MC was born about 7:40am!  She was 7 lbs 14 oz (just like her Aunt DeeDee, btw!) and 19 3/4 in long!! 

Emma and Thomas "patiently" awaiting Miss Mary Collins's arrival!

(LoLo stocked up on plenty of activities, and of course this was MUCH quicker with the scheduled C-section!)

Wearing his hat like his Daddy had to!

One PROUD Big Brother!!  He is so excited that she is finally here!

Thomas was the FIRST to get to hold Mary Collins!

Emma and Thomas checking on "their" baby!

(Apparently they are really cracking down on visitors...this was as close as Emma got to the baby the entire 3 days they were at the hospital...somebody was NOT happy!!)

Proud Big Bro and Proud Papa!!

Madi had to check on her little cuz also!

She is actually blowing her kisses through the window!

(Madi has been waiting on her "partner in crime" to get here, so they can gang up on the older two! ;)

Sweet Mary Collins!!!

Mary Collins looks EXACTLY like Anna Claire's baby pictures!  They both had a head full of beautiful dark hair!!

Sweet family of FOUR!!

Mary Collins and Dee Dee!

FINALLY!!  Emma got to hold her sweet baby cousin when they got home Friday!

Madi "loving" on Mary Collins!

Emma the Athlete!!

Emma has been "exploring" lots of different activities over the last year!  I wanted her to start out early to figure out what she likes and is good at!!  So far, she seems to be pretty athletic and coordinated!  This fall she has chosen... (drum roll!)

SOCCER!!

Ready for our first soccer practice!

Getting a little instruction from her coach!

AND CHEERLEADING!!

Emma LOVED the Saltillo cheer camp and says that's what she wants to be when she grows up!  So...I called DCA (Dallas Cheer Academy) in Tupelo, and Mrs. Angie let her come try it out to see if she liked and we wanted to do competitive cheerleading!  Here are a few pictures from her FIRST practice...

Yep...that's Emma on the TOP of a pyramid!  Needless to say, she was grinning from ear to ear!  This is a 2 hour class, with the first hour of stunts/ choragraphy and the second hour of tumbling.  Emma was actually SORE after the first class, and almost decided not to do it because "it was sooooo hard!"  But, we practiced a little and she went back the following week and absolutely LOVES it!  She is one of the youngest on the team, but she has improved so much in just the 3 weeks she's gone!  The only downside is that we've had to give up gymnastics at Flip Flops :(  The DCA Stars will practice all this semester and we will start competition in January!

Last Weekend of Summer!

Labor Day weekend was very low-key for us, but we still had a GREAT time!  I ran in the Prairie Arts 5k in West Point with Emily on Saturday morning.  Afterwards, LoLo, PaPa, Emma, Madi, and I (Nick was of course, fishing!) went to the waterway at Smithville to hang out on the West's boat!  We had so much fun skiing, tubing, and riding in the boat!!  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures :(  It turned out to be a beautiful day, even though it was forcasting rain and thunderstorms!  Monday, we decided to just hang out at LoLo and PaPa's pool for one last swim!

Until today, Madi has wanted NO PART of the Puddle Jumper!  You just never know with that girl! ;)

Sweet baby!!

Madi getting a little TOO brave!!

(No, she didn't jump off by herself!)

Emma has turned into a little fish this summer!  She is now jumping off the side AND the diving board without any floaties!

Yay Emma!!

Prarie Arts 5K!

A couple of months ago, one of my besties (Emily) asked me to do a run with her in West Point on Labor Day Saturday!  At the time, it sounded like a GREAT idea (but then when I got up at the butt-crack of dawn to get to West Point to RUN...I was thinking... "Tell me again why this is fun?")  HA!  But it really was a fun time to get to catch up with Emily and Hal!  We don't get to see each other nearly enough!  Of course, Emily (and Natalie) are training for a half marathon in October, and I had pretty much quit running all summer, so I was struggling to keep up!  But, we made it in under our goal of 30 minutes!!!

Amy (Emily's sis-in-law), Emily, and me before the race!

Me and Emily after the race!

Me- 29.47 minutes; Emily-29.45 minutes!  GO US!!

Emily and Hal!

Hal won 2nd overall!! He finished in less than 20 minutes!!!  Way to go Hal! (I know...makes me sick too!)

 

So...I guess my running has officially kicked off again!  Next race...October 1st!