ALL Stars

The Roach house was excited about All Stars this year. We canceled a vacation and let both kids play. Daughter played for the 6U team and I got to coach her. She plays third base and she told me, "I own third base. Someone should put my name on it!" Confidence, she lacks none. I was so proud of her because she played double headers in the 100 degree heat ( and even pouring rain) and never asked to sit out an inning, never whined and played with all her heart.

Son whom I call Tbone on the baseball field had a blast. He played first during All Stars and he also had a big first. He hit his first out of the park homerun!!! This child can tell you how many homeruns he has had since Tball. He can tell you how many outs he made during what game. It is true that I am a loud baseball momma. I love to watch him play but I don't watch him bat. I put my head down. When I heard him hit this ball I looked at the third base coach who was making the signal for a homerun. I looked up to see the ball clear the fence and I yelled like a coyote yelping at the moon. When he touched home plate he pointed at me and smiled. Promise, I cried.

I don't think baseball or softball will matter when they are 30. I don't think Tbone will be able to recite his stats of youth ball when he is 40. I pray that what they will remember is me as their cheerleader. There is something about cheering for your child that you can't put into words. It is like cheering for your heart running around bases. I know when they are grown I won't remember how many gloves, bats and cleats I bought. I won't remember trying to get the dirt stains out of white baseball pants. I just hope we all remember the laughs, the fun and the chance.

Mississippi State Friends

I have Mississippi friends. They always turn out to be Mississippi State friends. I do have a couple Ole Miss fans on my friend list but these State friends are a rare breed. They have the cow bells and they bleed maroon and white.

I appreciate sport fans. If you are a Roach Reader you know I bleed orange and blue. However, truth be told we all bleed the same because of the blood shed for us. Meet my friends Amber and Dustin Polk. Amber and I met at church several years ago and were a part of small bible study together. My husband was in a men's discipleship class with Dustin. This is precious couple with a heart for Christ. They are in the process of adopting not one but two brothers from Russia. To help with the cost of adoption they have developed two websites. One is their blog where you can read all about their adventures and the other is way to raise money. Since moving across the state line they have been faced with a decision to choose Auburn or Alabama. The fans that raise the most money will get 6 new fans! Please go to http://www.ironbowladoption.com/ and cast your vote and money. I will be so happy to see this family in orange in blue but more importantly to have two new baby boys at their house.

End of Aubie

The school year is over and I am thankful to have survived the last nine weeks of school in a cast. I had a purple and pink cast, a black cast and then my famous Aubie cast. To celebrate school being out and the beginning of summer, my Aubie cast got around on it's last days on my leg. First stop of summer, Zac Brown Band. Meet my friend Misty. She hooked us up with tickets and pushed my wheelchair self literally all over the place. Seriously. My sister who was also with us stated she would have left me. It was 400 degrees and all up hill. Kelly gave Misty a break in pushing but Misty even said a War Eagle one time in desperation to get me through the mass crowd. It was hysterical. I am thankful for friends who have taken me places when it was more work on them. It has not been easy being my friend.

We caused a riot. Never take a Auburn or Alabama symbol to concert. We literally were stopped all night with" War Eagle!" "Roll Tide!" "Can I take your picture?" Luckily once again the firemen came to my rescue and took over the wheelchair pushing. They took us to our VIP deck seating and checked on me through the night. I think they thought something else was wrong with me cause they spoke to me very s.l.o.w.

This is my sister and I on the party deck. ZBB did not disappoint. It was a fabulous concert and one I will never forget! Say a little prayer for her tomorrow she is having surgery. My poor mother. Someone send Peggy Sue flowers.

The next morning we headed off to Lake Martin. Aubie was not as much fun at the lake. I was dying to get in the water but settled for a boat ride and sitting on a porch with family.

My kids and husband enjoyed water toys and when I go back I will be the one in the water.


I only had one week to be stuck at home with Aubie. God decided to turn up the heat and I became very resourceful. I could not stand not being in the water any longer. So I have been in my pool for a week wearing my cast cover I use for showering in the pool. It is heaven and such a blessing after last summer.

Even daughter has been relaxing. Brothers make good escorts.

Bless you if you are still reading.

Tomorrow I will get Aubie off and start the hard part. I will learn to walk again. I will put weight on newly fused bones. I am ready. I am ready to drive. I am ready to swim. I am ready to sleep. I am ready to stretch my foot. I am ready to shave my leg. I am ready.

Day Off

I had to take the day off to stay home with a sick son. After a quick trip to the Doctor we found he has Strep Throat! Which I should have known Saturday after tears during a baseball game. I was at the pool checking on the water level and I hear a scuffle. These friends were fighting at the watering hole. They have managed to break their flow valve, dump over their watering can and were eating at the hose pipe until I went down there. Son was able to turn off the water and I gave them the "that is not nice" speech. They immediately were shameful and turned their heads in embarrassment. They are currently in time out waiting until their watering hole is fixed again.

A Year

May 22, 2010 I was busy. I was getting my childhood house ready to move into by washing with Clorox the outside of the house. Husband and kids were getting the pool ready. It is so like God that on this weekend a year later the pool is almost full of water and will finally open. I wrote in my blog here last year. People that don't see me often have often stopped me wondering if I have lived in a cast for a year. I laugh because it seems that way to me too.

I have been a part of a Saturday morning bible study this spring. Yesterday, we were discussing sheep. In the bible the word sheep is mentioned 204 times per google. God ofter refers to us Christians as His sheep. Sheep are not really smart animals. I learned lots of stuff of sheep yesterday. Sheep need shepherds to protect them, lead them, give them rest, keep the sheep together and know the sheep. Sheep will sometimes wander. Shepherds will often break the leg of a wandering sheep. Then the shepherd will splint the sheep's leg and carry it in a sling close to his chest. The sheep will then heal while being connected to the shepherd up to eight weeks. The sheep will learn his shepherd's voice and will have to depend on the shepherd for food and water to live. Talk about being hit between the eyes.

While I don't know why things happen, I know that God uses EVERYTHING to bring Him glory. I can tell you I know my shepherd's voice. I hear Him speak to me in my trail. He has given me the food and water I needed to survive this past year. He carried me when I could not walk. He gave me a smile when I didn't have one. He gave me Godly counsel. He gave me a home group. He gave me a family. He gave me friends that were his hands and feet. He gave me transportation. He gave me happiness. He gave me peace. I believe He had me in His sling like the wandering sheep. My prayer is that I will know His voice more than I did a year ago. I pray that I will be obedient to Him. I pray that others may know Him as their personal shepherd and I will be able to be used by Him.

For all of you that read this blog or who have been a part of this year long journey, I thank you.

*Sheep picture courtesy of this website.

Day 5 Pool Makeover

Pool liner and Diving Board!

Today is really the first or second day I have wanted to rip this cast off.

16 more days and I am jumping in the pool.

It is all coming together and we are thankful for God's blessings.

City Boy and Ketchup

Is it summer yet? The garden is planted thanks to Daddy Mikey Fresh.

Old farm joke and I apologize: A family of tomatoes was walking down the street. The baby tomato was falling behind. The daddy tomato walks over to the baby. He steps on it and tuns it into red paste and says, "Ketchup!"

City boy, husband, just had to plant these tires. Not the big garden. These old tractor tires make BLT's for a WHOLE summer!
These tractor tires are home to my tomato plants. Lately I have developed a new life saying, "I love you more than ketchup." I do love ketchup. I ate ketchup sandwhiches my whole life for afternoon snack after school. You can't love ketchup more than me. I am going to make ketchup this summer. I am going to love people more than ketchup. And when I am tired of people. . . I will eat ketchup sandwhiches.

Look at him work. I just cheered and watched.

Corn is sprouting in the garden.
Who wants to pick and grill?

And this picture makes me want to marry him all over again. A baseball cap backwards makes me think my momma will come home and I will be in trouble for having my boyfriend over. Look at those tomato plants. I apologize for all the readers I just offended.

Ketchup sandwhiches to all my Roach Readers.