EVER LOVIN' SATURDAY ~ Plants and Treats and Sweet Peeps

It's planting time in our yard. Neil and I spent some time at Chuck Johnson's Nursery today. So much to choose from! We brought home a pink flowering crab apple tree, some gorgeous azaleas, and my must-have geranium.

The weather just does not get any better than this. We were scheduled for some fierce storms today, but instead we were blessed with perfection~the best day ever to be outside. [As I write this, the wind and rain has finally arrived at 9:30 tonight]

Daughter Kelly and grandson Knox dropped by this afternoon to share these cute lady bug cupcakes with us. Knox picked them out at Wal-Mart. They were almost too cute to eat.

But we dug into these chocolate bugs anyway~who cares if they're cute. They were totally delicious. [The lady bugs look like they're staring up at Knox, probably thinking, You're really going to eat us? But we're so cute!]

Knox helped his grandpa plant a little pink dogwood tree. He learned how to push the shovel into the dirt with his foot.

Neil just happened to have a Knox-sized shovel so he could help fill in the hole.

Knox had the best time working alongside his grandpa. What little boy doesn't love playing in the dirt? Knox said, "I don't have time to stop right now. I have work to do." Neil enjoyed playing in the dirt, too, until he ran into some stubborn roots. But they got the tree planted and also those azaleas. The crab apple will have to wait until tomorrow.

I got my hands dirty today, too. Planted my geranium in the clay pot my grandpeeps Shelby and Elijah made for me for mother's day a couple of years ago. I'm not positive what color the blooms will be. I'm hoping for a deep pink [at least that was the color of the others it was sitting next to on the shelf at the nursery] 

Supper at Fazoli's with Knox and Kelly. More sugar overload for Knox. The chocolate chip cookie was dessert, not dinner, by the way. He had a busy day today and didn't have his usual nap, so maybe he won't be bouncing off the walls by bedtime. Happy Saturday, everyone! Hope yours was awesome.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

We went to a TTU men's baseball game this afternoon. Attending a college baseball game is a first for us. Grandson Elijah, who plays coach's pitch baseball, has been practicing with one of the assistant baseball coaches at Tech and was interested in seeing the big boys play ball. It was the second game in a double header today with the Murray State Racers and didn't start until four. It was summertime hot today. We were grateful for those clouds that moved in over the sun. 

They had a great turnout, pretty crowded, and we ended up sitting on the Murray side. We found it amusing that 90% of the people there were female. Maybe the guys on the team have lots and lots of lady friends. Here's our bunch from left: grandson Knox, hubby Neil, grandson Elijah and his friend Anthony, who brought their gloves just in case a stray ball came flying their way, daughter Holly and granddaughter Shelby. (Photo by daughter Kelly. Thanks for sharing!)

We didn't make it into the group shot, so Kelly took this selfie of the two of us. (Thanks for sharing the pic, Kelly!)

The first inning was fun to watch. Tech got off to a great start. Their player #11 popped a beautiful home run over the right field wall. Murray rallied, hitting a couple of their own home runs which made it a game. But not being baseball junkies, we soon realized and remembered that, yes, baseball moves at a snail's pace, which is simply the nature of the game, and it might be more fun watching paint dry, so we left after the end of the 6th inning, two hours later. Tech was still ahead at that point, and they did win the game, 12-7. They won all three of their games this weekend. Yay, Eagles! (Thanks for this picture, Kelly!) Good times with family. Hope your ever lovin' Saturday was a home run, too!

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME ~ Let the games begin

“(Baseball) is a game with a lot of waiting in it; it is a game with increasingly heightened anticipation of increasingly limited action”
― John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany

It’s that time again. Spring in Tennessee means green grass, unpredictable weather, and coach’s pitch baseball. It was opening day for grandson Elijah and his team, the Cardinals.

Warming up before the game

Elijah is playing first base this season. He’s been practicing with one of the assistant coaches at TTU the past couple of weeks, learning a lot of technique in fielding and batting.

His practice really showed in the game this evening. He got some long, hard hits.

Run hard, run fast. His team got off to a slow start but rallied in the second half of the game. They all played well but lost 10-6.
Grandson Knox watching his cousin play ball ~ Knox had lots of questions about the game. I’d love to see him play someday.

It was a chilly soggy game. Daughter Kelly and son in law Kerry finally had to hunker under the umbrella in the last inning. That’s Elijah waiting his turn at bat. [Will those white pants ever come clean??]

Elijah’s other cheerleaders ~ sister Shelby [who’s thinking she’d much rather be home where it’s warm and dry], mom Holly and grandpa Neil

Elijah’s dad Jerry is one of the coaches this season ~ here on third base as Elijah takes off toward home with his eye on the ball.

Good game, red team, way to rally! Looking forward to the next game.

GONE FISHIN’

Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him for the entire weekend.  ~Zenna Schaffer

Hubby Neil and son in law Jerry took Neil’s recently purchased, previously owned fishing boat out on City Lake for a spin today for the first time. The motor started right up. The boat did not sink. They enjoyed an afternoon of fishing. Jerry caught one and threw it back. And no one drowned. A good day out on the water. Happy Saturday, y’all!

Borrowed this picture from son in law Jerry off Facebook. Thanks for posting, Jerry!

EASTER PEEPS! SNAPSHOTS FROM OUR ANNUAL EGG HUNT

Easter, so longed for, is gone in a day.  ~James Howell

Easter is one of my favorite traditions. After worship service and lunch somewhere, we take family photos and then we hide eggs, hunt eggs and eat eggs and all manner of candy, and this Easter, God blessed us with an exceptionally beautiful day to be outside and enjoy family.

Daughter Holly and granddaughter Shelby boogie to a tune playing on daughter Kelly’s cell phone.

Ranft/Myers/Kimbrough Family ~ Kelly and Knox, me and Neil, Holly, Elijah, Shelby and Jerry [Kerry couldn’t join us—had to work]

Myers Family


My Grandpeeps! Shelby, Elijah, Knox





Knox already had his socks and shoes off and was on the trampoline when it was time for his family photo. His mom joined him [you know that old saying, If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em ~ works well here]

Kimbrough Family [minus Kerry]





My sister Jane and her daughters Sarah and Julia got to color eggs this year. They’re usually attending Lads To Leaders in Nashville Easter weekend, but the girls have grown up and out of this function. I love it that they are a part of our Easter tradition.


Shelby, Sarah, and Julia have outgrown the egg hunt, but we entice them into it anyway with well-hidden prize eggs [money is involved]. Neil is an exceptional prize egg hider.

Julia on the prowl for her egg ~ she did eventually find it but I’m sad to say I didn’t get a picture. How did that happen?

It took Knox a while to warm up to the hunt, but he finally did get into the spirit.

Still looking…

Grandson Elijah spotted a prize egg but it wasn’t his and he didn’t give the location away to the other hunters.

Sarah found hers tucked under a flower pot

Knox found his in the tulips


Love these ladies! Julia, Jane, Sarah

Shelby found hers, too


Elijah is a good hunter, but it took him a while to find his prize egg.

The ladies having a pow wow….or something


Knox filled up his basket twice


Love to crack into those pretty hard boiled eggs and eat them sprinkled with salt. Looks like Elijah has his hands and mouth full.

If you get melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.  I have no idea who said this [originally] but it is totally true.

Jane and Knox enjoyed some bubble blowing time in the sunshine. It just doesn’t get any better than this. What a fun afternoon!

Happy Easter, everyone!
…7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.…  Romans 5:7-9