Back to Back State Champs

Hayden was an All Star for his league again this year. The team had 11 players, nine of whom were on the championship team last year. Although he played 1st base all rec season, he was the 3rd baseman for the All Star team. It was tough going to start with but with a LOT of practice (to include most days when I got home from work!!!), he made it his own by the time we went to State tournament in Searcy. They run ruled each team they played and looked like the champs that they are! We are so proud of each of them and especially our little "hot corner" guy!~ On top of playing 3rd, he was 14 for 15 at the plate. It was that unlucky 13th bat that proved not to be a hit and my goodness did Mr. Cool lose his cool. HA He scored 13 runs too. Can you tell how proud of how much he put into all of this? :-)


He was awfully proud of that trophy.
I asked him why he thought he had to fall to catch this pop up and his immediate response was that he fell in a hole on the field. :-) I love the crowd reaction in these photos. Hay is not really in focus but the people in the crowd crack me up.
Cute little bootie! Ha
Team captains calling the toss. They won!
Sometimes he did have to dive. Glad he and Justin did not hit heads.
A little luck from Hattie.
This is a favorite of he and Jacob. This is what it is all about for sure.
Harold and I laughed so much over this one because he is checking to see if his foot is still on the bag.
Going in third a little harder than the league rules actually allow.


He caught it!
Going all out for home!
And he gets the out at 1st.
What the heck was that supposed to be? I think he thinks he is much bigger than he is!
Mimicking those swings he has seen over the years for sure.
I guess he is keeping all the "bad" things away from Blake as he catches the pop fly.


He is our All Star for sure.

Dreaming Big!

Our very sweet baby boy (yes he would just cringe at that statement) made the All Star team this year for his league. He was absolutely thrilled when his Daddy told him that he had made it. He never took it as a given that he would because he was on the team last year. He went out every game and every practice (okay give or take a couple) and gave it 100 percent! We are so proud of him. It is not so much that he is an All Star but that he knew what he had to do to accomplish this goal and he put the work and effort into it himself.
We had a practice recently and you can see the dreams are so big. Yep, he made the All Star team but his dream is to be an American League All Star so he wears this jersey to most all of his practices! Gotta love that drive and determination and that wonderful dreaming that he does!

Our First Baseman!!

Hay is loving getting to play first base this spring season in the rec league. This is a series of photos I took at a recent game. He was so proud. He fielded the ball, touched the bag and made sure the runner on 3rd did not go home. He is SO intense.

First Spring 2010 Baseball Game

Hayden had his first Spring baseball game this week. He was SO excited to be back on the baseball field. The difference in him from last year to this year is truly night and day. He is so much more concentrated. Don't get me wrong, he still has LOADS of fun but he is definitely there to do his best and not be silly and act goofy.

Check out the swing in this next photo. We may not have gotten that private hitting lesson at Spring Training because God's timing was just not in it for Hay this year (wink, wink, to the other two people on the face of the Earth besides me and Harold who know what I'm talking about here!!) But I am satisfied that just watching someone he admires SO very much swing a bat, did world's of wonders for this kiddo. He smacked the ball!!
Of course, this stretch made his Daddy and his coaches terribly proud. He is so funny, he used to tell us that he was trying to be like a "real" baseball player. Now he just says he is trying to do just like his ballplayers. Guess he has made to "real". ;-)
What would baseball game photos be without the swagger photo back to the dugout?!?

Baseball Evals

Hayden had baseball evaluations a week ago. How did this kid get so skinny? At least with baseball kicking back up, he has decided to eat again so he can be strong. Ha They had the "draft" on Monday night. Hayden will be a Red Sox this year. He is not really sure about all of that. He is definitely happy with his two coaches and two of the other players on the team but....a Red Sox? "Mom, they're like the Angels real rival!" So much drama!!! He did promise the Coach's wife last night to hit two homeruns for her this season. WHAT? I would just like for him to hit the ball hard. He is going to be tried out at 1st and 3rd so he is happy about that. His very first baseball hero plays those two positions so he is going to give it his all and try to be able to play them well. Now if he can just get the "correct" number for his jersey, we'll be good to go.

Such a Good Heart!

Hayden just never ceases to amaze us. (all parents say that right?) His school is participating in Pennies for Pasta again this year. It is a program that raises money for Lymphoma and Leukemia research. This year the school is allowing the children to raise funds in honor of loved ones who have survived cancer.Hayden has really thought about this program. He is making his donations in honor of his Great Aunt Johnnie. She is a cancer survivor and one of our heroes! We love her so much.
This year Hayden told me that he is donating the change he has saved all year for spending money for his Spring Training trip. I told him he did not have to do that this year like he did last year. (Now I know, and we get told frequently, we do spoil our son and he surely knows that he will get souvenirs even without spending money) But his response when I told him that he could keep his change for himself was something that I will cherish and remember always...."Mom, lives are much more important than trips and stuff".

Yes dear they are!

Our Valentine

Happy Valentines Day!
Harold and I are so blessed to have this wee one as our Valentine. Oh my goodness, we love him so so much.
These photos were taken on our snow days here. Do you just love our little redneck's camo? He was in heaven playing in the snow, chasing Ranger, pelting me with snow balls and pretending to play baseball with snowballs being pitched to him. What a one track mind this kiddo has.
But we would not have him any other way!!! Hay, you will ALWAYS be our baby and we will ALWAYS love you!