Fresh Air
"Fresh Air"....It was the title to the sermon at Church of the Highlands
The message we heard in church today was perfect. It was necessary at the start of our new season. Period. God placed us there and fed us what we all needed to hear. How amazing is that?? (After I re-watched it online. Caroline was not having it in the nursery. Ha!) Prayer is something our family is trying to recommit itself to. We pray at meals and bedtime....but praying on our own, and at the non-expected times is so important. We want to get better at that.
As a family, we felt like we had been in the "doldrums" during and after baseball. Christopher wrapped up an amazing All-Stars baseball season winning runner up in the STATE baseball tournament. It was fantastic to watch and utterly amazing to see Christopher be a significant part of something so special. He will never forget these moments in his life. It was a long hard road to get there. His team had to win sub-district, district, and then play a full week at the state tournament. And...did I mention none of these happened where we live. Yup....about 6 weeks of baseball out of town....most nights we were rolling in around 11pm....during the week....yup...and all the parents worked the next day. OMG. The state tourney was held in Athens, AL which is about 4 hours away. Brett and Kate stayed up there with him and Caroline and I drove up a couple of times when I was able to with my work schedule.
Brett was soooo proud of him. He has been their one and only first baseman and is awesome! He was also the 3rd best hitter on his team and in the top 10 for the entire tournament. His batting average was .340. Pretty Darn Good!
The two best cheerleaders there!!
Fortunately, Athens, AL is about 45 minutes from Brett's parents in Franklin, TN so we all stayed with them for the tourney. One Sunday, we went to brunch to celebrate Brett's Dad's Birthday.....Grandaddy Bob.....we love you!!!
The restaurant we went to was called Mack and Kate's . It was sooo good. I had what seemed like a simple "breakfast sandwich on a croissant"....but it was probably the best thing I have ever placed in my mouth. We all were in heaven and will be back. ASAP.
This was the perfect restaurant for our Kate. It was also the cutest, most perfectly decorated space. I seriously could have moved in.
You may be asking.....where is Emma Grace....
well....we just picked her up on Saturday from FOUR weeks at camp. Yikes!
To say that her Dad was excited was an understatement....Every morning he would wake up and announce "how many more days until he gets to hug EG". It was so cute. When she saw him walking up towards the cabin she shouted "Daddy!" and just ran out to see him. Love it.
She went to a camp called Camp Mac in Munford, AL. All 3 kids went last year to the 2 week term, and EG was the one that really wanted to go back again. She said she cried the night before we came to pick her up because she didn't want it to end. That is how I felt when I went to summer camp. I think it is the greatest. She came back a little different. A little more confident. A little more "worldly". A little more grown up. A little more of a better person for going. We are so proud of her and are also so glad she is home. I don't think she stopped talking and telling stories for at least 24 hours. Ha!
In EG's words..."the most awesome cabin eva"....G1
Her 2 C-I-T's (counselor in training).....she loved them and they loved her!
It was "family fun day" on pickup day so the other kids got to try a few things. Here they are about to zip line... (kate is at the very top...first in line)
This past Friday, our favorite "6 year old" Claire had her birthday party. She thinks Kate is the absolute coolest "older girl" and so Kate and I joined in on the festivites. Faith (my "would-have-gone-crazy-if-i-didn't-meet-her friend ...aka...Claire's mom) threw a "movie night" themed par-tay. The kiddos loved it!
Here is Claire, the birthday girl. Notice the movie candy and the personalized popcorn bags. She thought of everything.
The girls all got into the costume bins after the movie. Kate was loving the pink!
And...So....Here is one happy Dad...
He has all his kids back together after "one crazy summer" (minus little bit taking a much needed nap. ha!)
I think everyone had a great summer....
For EG...Camp Mac has likely become a part of what will be her life. She seems committed for the long haul and we couldn't be more proud. She has returned a more mature and beautiful young woman.
For Christopher...All Star baseball was the special experience that only a few young men get to know...He practiced hard, played hard, and learned some great life lessons.
For Kate...Her experience at Kids On Stage (in Nashville TN) and Summer Show-Offs solidified her heartbeat for all things musical and artistic. She walks to a great beat...and we love that about her.
Make no mistake, we had an amazing crazy summer, but we are so glad to get back to a routine. School is starting tomorrow, and I think Brett and I are excited to get back to "our" normal. We can't wait to attend church regularly, exercise and eat better, have all our kids home, and just start this school year off right....with a big breath of fresh air.
The message we heard in church today was perfect. It was necessary at the start of our new season. Period. God placed us there and fed us what we all needed to hear. How amazing is that?? (After I re-watched it online. Caroline was not having it in the nursery. Ha!) Prayer is something our family is trying to recommit itself to. We pray at meals and bedtime....but praying on our own, and at the non-expected times is so important. We want to get better at that.
As a family, we felt like we had been in the "doldrums" during and after baseball. Christopher wrapped up an amazing All-Stars baseball season winning runner up in the STATE baseball tournament. It was fantastic to watch and utterly amazing to see Christopher be a significant part of something so special. He will never forget these moments in his life. It was a long hard road to get there. His team had to win sub-district, district, and then play a full week at the state tournament. And...did I mention none of these happened where we live. Yup....about 6 weeks of baseball out of town....most nights we were rolling in around 11pm....during the week....yup...and all the parents worked the next day. OMG. The state tourney was held in Athens, AL which is about 4 hours away. Brett and Kate stayed up there with him and Caroline and I drove up a couple of times when I was able to with my work schedule.
Brett was soooo proud of him. He has been their one and only first baseman and is awesome! He was also the 3rd best hitter on his team and in the top 10 for the entire tournament. His batting average was .340. Pretty Darn Good!
The two best cheerleaders there!!
Fortunately, Athens, AL is about 45 minutes from Brett's parents in Franklin, TN so we all stayed with them for the tourney. One Sunday, we went to brunch to celebrate Brett's Dad's Birthday.....Grandaddy Bob.....we love you!!!
The restaurant we went to was called Mack and Kate's . It was sooo good. I had what seemed like a simple "breakfast sandwich on a croissant"....but it was probably the best thing I have ever placed in my mouth. We all were in heaven and will be back. ASAP.
This was the perfect restaurant for our Kate. It was also the cutest, most perfectly decorated space. I seriously could have moved in.
You may be asking.....where is Emma Grace....
well....we just picked her up on Saturday from FOUR weeks at camp. Yikes!
To say that her Dad was excited was an understatement....Every morning he would wake up and announce "how many more days until he gets to hug EG". It was so cute. When she saw him walking up towards the cabin she shouted "Daddy!" and just ran out to see him. Love it.
She went to a camp called Camp Mac in Munford, AL. All 3 kids went last year to the 2 week term, and EG was the one that really wanted to go back again. She said she cried the night before we came to pick her up because she didn't want it to end. That is how I felt when I went to summer camp. I think it is the greatest. She came back a little different. A little more confident. A little more "worldly". A little more grown up. A little more of a better person for going. We are so proud of her and are also so glad she is home. I don't think she stopped talking and telling stories for at least 24 hours. Ha!
In EG's words..."the most awesome cabin eva"....G1
Her 2 C-I-T's (counselor in training).....she loved them and they loved her!
It was "family fun day" on pickup day so the other kids got to try a few things. Here they are about to zip line... (kate is at the very top...first in line)
This past Friday, our favorite "6 year old" Claire had her birthday party. She thinks Kate is the absolute coolest "older girl" and so Kate and I joined in on the festivites. Faith (my "would-have-gone-crazy-if-i-didn't-meet-her friend ...aka...Claire's mom) threw a "movie night" themed par-tay. The kiddos loved it!
Here is Claire, the birthday girl. Notice the movie candy and the personalized popcorn bags. She thought of everything.
The girls all got into the costume bins after the movie. Kate was loving the pink!
And...So....Here is one happy Dad...
He has all his kids back together after "one crazy summer" (minus little bit taking a much needed nap. ha!)
I think everyone had a great summer....
For EG...Camp Mac has likely become a part of what will be her life. She seems committed for the long haul and we couldn't be more proud. She has returned a more mature and beautiful young woman.
For Christopher...All Star baseball was the special experience that only a few young men get to know...He practiced hard, played hard, and learned some great life lessons.
For Kate...Her experience at Kids On Stage (in Nashville TN) and Summer Show-Offs solidified her heartbeat for all things musical and artistic. She walks to a great beat...and we love that about her.
Make no mistake, we had an amazing crazy summer, but we are so glad to get back to a routine. School is starting tomorrow, and I think Brett and I are excited to get back to "our" normal. We can't wait to attend church regularly, exercise and eat better, have all our kids home, and just start this school year off right....with a big breath of fresh air.
All of the Scullens make my heart beat stronger in Texas. Love you all.
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