The CHAMPIONSHIP!

(Be sure and read the post below that starts our trip.)

Back to Round Rock for THE GAME!

This must be what teenage girls do. Although I must say it's not the usual face of Taylor. Usually a sweet girl!

Kyle and Chase waiting anxiously.
Pregame warmup
I like this picture of Tracy.
More crazy pictures.


Now here's a story. My brother (the head coach) started a movement in Waxahachie.

He decides to inspire his players for the playoffs...to motivate...to play as a team.

In a nutshell-he asks them if they were dangling off of the edge of a cliff hanging only by a rope - who would they want holding the other end of the rope?

Your teammates.

He had t-shirts made up for the players. It swept through the school. Everybody wanted to know what Hold the Rope meant.

Our parental unit.


Love this!

Do you think it was a stare down between the two coaches?



Touching home plate after a home run (the only run actually scored by the Indians.)
Now that's what I call going green.
Not such a good game, huh?

My bro.
The panoramic of the field. That, I think, is the coolest setting on my camera.


The final outcome.
Ahhhh....makes me sad.
The final score was 11-1. The Indians got run ruled after the 4th inning. This team was out of Corpus Christi and my brother said he had learned that morning that they were ranked 7th in the nation!
This is Taylor watching her Daddy get his medallion.
Tracy 9you can only see his finger in the middle) talking to his team after the game. He told them there was only 1 other team in the state of Texas better than them.
More interviews.
Awfully long faces.
Aw, cheer up guys.
Chase and Kyle.
These high school kids were signing autographs left and right. It was pretty cool to see.
After the game with the fam.
The 2nd place trophy. He wasn't too pumped about taking a picture with it. He wanted a win.


Kyle and his Nana.
What is this....they are all actually smiling?
My two big brothers....Tracy and Kirk.
Tracy and Mom

The game always has to replayed afterwards.
Looking for trouble, I'm sure.
Mobbed.
Thursday, June 5 was the anniversary of the day Mike asked me to marry him. on the way back from Austin I dropped him off at the ball park to spend time with Tracy and to watch more baseball. I remembered when I got back to the hotel room and I texted him to tell him Happy Anniversary. After the game we go with Kirk and my parents to eat at Chili's. At dinner Mike mentioned to my family that "18 years ago this was the best day of Shannon's life" and he proceeded to tell them why. He then just looked at me with a bizarre look. "We're at Chili's". O M G!!! He proposed to me at Chili's. Weird!

This Chili's was in a little town called Hutto right outside of Round Rock. The high school mascot is, OK, get ready for this....the hippo. Hutto Hippo's. WOW. This hippo was right outside of Chili's and Carson climbs aboard acting like he's a bull rider hippo tamer.

Bored after dinner.
Oh the memories!
Chase roamed around outside after we got back to the hotel. He fond this ginormous toad. Can you see the blue eyelids? Props to Chase for this picture.

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

Must have been an injury after the wrestling match on the hotel bed.
We decided after letting the boys swim for the morning that we were gonna head to Tracy and Lisa's house and stay the night there. My mom initially was gonna go with us be she decided against it. While heading down the freeway in Round Rock I spotted this restaurant.
Saltgrass Steak House

Mike had eaten at the one in Houstin several years ago when he worked down there. "Best steak ever put in my mouth". I pointed it out to him as we passed by on the freeway. I immediately saw him begin to salivate. "You wanna go?"

"Sure, why not."

We turned around and headed in for lunch. We let the boys get some sort of steak-albeit small ones. Lordy-bee did we have a some beef. Dee-lish! It was a nice little splurge for the boys.

After leaving we stopped to filler up.

GAH!

Carson peeing somewhere in Texas on the side of the road.
We cooked out at my Tracy and Lisa's house Friday night. We hung outside by the grill and played ball - of course.

Sweet little Taylor.

I think that's Taylor's head in the side of that picture.
Could he be any hotter?
Taylor and Me. Lord have mercy look at big toe on that left foot.

Can you believe he was on the phone? Child, please!
Luvin cuzzins

Burgers, bratz and dogs. In the hood.
Another spitting picture
They have a house down the road from them that is the exact replica of the Munster's house (although the real address is NOT 1313 Mockingbird Lane)
My SIL said they decorate for Halloween and have open house.


Now on to Euless, TX BRIGHT and EARLY Saturday morning to watch Kyle play ball. We were out the door by 7 AM. Tracy was pretty proud of us...and we were actually packed to leave for home by then, too!

Gangsta

Carson taking it all in.
I love this picture. Carson givin his daddy a little lovin.
Self portrait.
In between games.

Kyle




We left Euless and drove back thru Dallas to eat at Humperdinks. As we heaed out the dooor to head back home, Carson begged to stay with them to go to his Uncle Tracy's baseball camp. He agreed that he could and we let him.
More on that later.

Oh Lord, what were we thinking?

~Shannon

SURPRISE!

I DID IT! I PULLED IT OFF! I successfully held a surprise party for Mike's 40th birthday. Oh how I've wanted to blog about it, but Mike DOES read my blog on occasion. It was so much fun-but WAY nerve wracking.

the invitations turned out pretty well. Not at all what I wanted but it worked. I told him that I was renting a hotel room just for the two of us....enough said? I ended up getting him to the party non-chalantly (sp?). He was SO surprised!
He has no clue here.

He was surprised with a hilarious gift here!

This is the gift. Tammy made this up for him. Click on the picture to make it bigger. Old, bald and beautiful!

The cake. YUM! It was dee-lish! Friend Angela made this for Mike. Her husband Jeff used to work with Mike years ago and he now coaches Carson..and has for a few years now. Thanks girl. It was gee double-o dee...GOOD!

I made two poster boards full of pictures of Mike. From baby on up. I thought they were a big hit. I also had 2 of his football and track scrapbooks that his momma made sitting out. Mike and Sam checking the pictures out.

Childhood friends Bobby with cutie kids in tow, Shannon Carroll and his wife and Doug. Doug drove all the way from Fayetteville for the party. We missed Laura and the kids but Mike and I both were SO glad he came. It wouldn't have been the same without him.

Kody and Dummy. This is Melissa. Kody's girl. He calls her Dummy. Why does he always act like a goober?

My best friend Lorie Davis and Mike's best friend Doug Quillen.

Lorie told me about this place several months ago. Idlewild House. It belongs to the city of north Little Rock. It's a small building complete with A/C, bathrooms, tables, chairs, stove, fridge, tennis courts and a park. LOVED IT! It was perfect!

Kody and Sam....I swear he's cracked out! (JK)

Mike and the fam. Sister's Lisa and Carol, momma and brother Larry.

Grilled burgers and dogs for everyone!

See, I told you the pictures were a hit!




Luke, Cain and Carson. All the boys stayed outside the WHOLE time and played baseball on the tennis court. Boys can always seem to play ball anywhere.

Kody and Dummy. We LIKE her!

Allison (Chase's girl) and Ms. Cheryl. We love both them both!

John, Bruce, Cheryl and Amy. Ball park people and good friends!

Bruce made a presentation to Mike. Because he is a pharmacist, he gave the gift of geriatric aides. The reading glasses were the first of many of these aides.

Underwear from Sam and Lorie...........................

Mike being presented with his many gifts.

Cheeser! Chase and Allison were such a help with the party!

This was my gift to Mike.

And then this one. The family had reels and reels of old home movies that I have ALWAYS wanted to get converted to DVD. It just so happens that with all the storm damage at the ballpark I happened to come across a web site that does it. http://www.homevideostudio.com/ It cost quite a bit but they had tons of reels. Mike's siblings went in on it which was a TRUE help! Thanks, guys! He was really excited about it!

They all got copies of the DVD's!

Bobby

Chase and his aunties.

Kody = crack!

Chip being...well Chip!

Mike and Bobby and the kiddos.

Lorie and my mom looking at the books.

Bethy

Bruce and Mike.

Angela, Sandy and their crews!

Kody and Beth.

Mike and Shannon Carroll. We all go WAY back! Lots of time spent together at the OLD ballpark as kids.

Noah, Blake and David. Only in for a drink!

What do you do with him? He has ALWAYS done this to his Aunt Lisa!

Chip and Tammy. I could NOT have done it without them! They brought the grill, cooked, helped ice drinks down. I LOVE you guys. Thanks ain't EVEN enough!

Looking forward to the next 40! Love you babe!
~Shannon

Tragedy!