Reminiscing...

On our way to the Family Reunion, we stopped by Ray C.'s old stomping grounds...the Georgia State baseball field!  It has changed so much.  WE enjoyed a few moments of remembering college and baseball before we climbed back in the car and headed to North Carolina.

The pitcher

Look at him go...

Alfaro's and Rangers

We enjoyed lunch with Ray C.'s cousin, Ashley and her daughter, Emmala.  It was so much fun to see them again.  They have been living in Dallas for a while, but they are moving to Vancouver in just a few weeks.  They took us to a fun burger joint too!  Another place with wild game.  I'm liking the food in Dallas!

 (The boys were with us too, but they were too busy playing around to be in the pictures!

 Mary Frances was especially excited to hang out with another girl cousin!  She loved Emmala.

AND the Rangers!!  You can't go on a Hughes vacation without at least attempting to visit a ballpark!  We enjoyed a SUPER HOT game with the Texas Rangers.  

My Pitcher

Look who's pitching...

Dierker's Champs

I love these boys!

Dierker's Champs

I love these boys!  They are such a great group of friends!  It is so much fun to watch them grow and improve each year!

Still Champs

The team played 6 games in a tournament this weekend, and lost by one in the championship game last night. It was a weekend full of baseball!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

In case you haven't noticed, baseball is a big part of the Hughes family life...  So, for Father's Day, the kids told daddy they wanted to have a family outing to a baseball game.  They suggested the Astros, but daddy requested we go to a minor league game which he assured them would be much more fun for everyone!  

So, a few weeks later, we hauled everyone down to Sugarland to see the Sugarland Skeeters play!

 Daddy wanted to sit in the outfield so the kids could play at the splash pad and on the huge playground!  The kids didn't really care much about the game, but they did have a lot of fun! 

 And daddy was happy because he got to watch the game!

We even got to watch a fireworks show at the end!  

Aunt Jean's Visit

We were so excited that Aunt Jean came to visit for Father's day!  

 The kids have really enjoyed getting to know her better over the last year. 

 While she was here, we took her to one of Chase's baseball games.  She was a little shocked at how serious our 6 year old team is, but we had fun!

 "Diamonds are a girl's best friend!"

Another Tournament, Another Trophy

Chase's team earned their trophies last weekend!  It was either rainy or HOT for every game! 

They won all 5 games they played!

 The trophies have taken over Chase's room!  It's time for a new plan!

Random Baseball Pics

Our season is over, but I wanted to share a few highlights!

our favorite coach

prayer before the game

 Thomas had some great hits...including one homerun

 Iron Pigs receive their trophies for the season

 Missed him...Thomas, that is

our fearless leader

 Chase had some awesome hits, too including a few homeruns!

Baseball

Gavin, Chase, and Griffin gearing up for a game!

Tournament Champs

Thomas' team won the tournament!!!

It was a LONG weekend with two games on Saturday, and then THREE back-to-back games from 11:00 until 5:00 Sunday!  The boys were exhausted, but they did it!

 Thomas played several positions, but he finished up at catcher, which is his favorite position to play! He got a homerun in the second game on Sunday. 

 Ray C. got the boys together just before going out...all we need is to hold them to one run and we WIN!

 You have never seen a happier group of boys...as Ray C. called them...a rag-tag group of players!  We have one that does back flips when he makes a good play, one who jumps up and down on base after getting a hit, one who stresses about every play, and a few who watch the birds in the outfield!

 So proud to have their Tournament Champion Trophies.  I would be willing to bet some of them slept with them last night! :)

Again..nothing is better than winning a game with your dad as the coach!

9U Baseball Tournament

This weekend is Thomas' baseball tournament.  Today, they won their first game and tied the second game.  So, we play again tomorrow to see how we advance!

 Jessie and Mommy had to get some pictures with the baseball player!  Isn't he a cutie?

 This is one of Thomas' teammates, Kenneth!  I just love watching him play.  He is never lacking emotion - good or bad!  He is full of personality and absolutely loves to play baseball!

 Team meeting after our tied game which, of course, felt like a loss...Antonio, Cameron, and Thomas.

Here's another one of Thomas' teammates, Chris.  He has a lot of fun out on the field, too!  

We're looking forward to see how we do tomorrow!  

"Champs" show Great Sportsmanship

Anyone who knows us well knows that Dierker's Champs has been a HUGE part of our lives for the past year!  Ray C., Larry Dierker, and numerous others have worked hard on creating this organization where boys can learn great baseball skills in an environment that is encouraging and inspiring to those we play.  

Last night was a great example of how that is done!

 The championship game started out with both teams praying together at second base.

 The game was a nail biter...literally!  The boys were so nervous...not by any of the adult's doing, just because they love it and it's important to them.  Chase took BP (bating practice) before we left and once he got to the field.  He could hardly breath when he got up to bat and had to step out of the box several times to take a deep breath.  I teared up just watching his stress level, but once Ray C. reminded him of all the line drives he's had this year, he relaxed a little and hit in several more!!  We tied up almost every inning, but we came up short at the end and lost by one run.  

 The boys were disappointed at the loss, but they knew they had played their best.  They gladly took their runners-up trophies and congratulated the other team on their win.

 My favorite part, because DC is so important to us, was when the other coach stood up and commented on how impressed he had been all season with our team's "class" and the coaches' ability to control themselves.  He even said he wished he could do that good.

 The boys huddled up with Coach Ray who congratulated them on a great season and hard work.

 Then, they begged to dog pile...after all that is what they did after their football games!  

Nothing beats being able to share the season with your dad coaching!