Back Yard Fun

Kelly's brother Kasey and his wife Whitney invited Kelly, Kellissa, Walker and me over for some back yard fun. They have two small kids and LOTS of fun outdoor toys that even adults can enjoy....like a roller coaster! Well, the adults are too big for it but we had fun pushing and catching the little kids as they went down it. It was a perfect night! We couldn't have asked for better weather. Walker was the only one that got sweaty b/c he was running around like a madman chasing a frisbee. Thanks so much for having us over Whitney! Maybe next time, we can beat Kasey at washers.

God Bless The U.S.A.

On Saturday, May 15, the Texas Rangers had Armed Forces Day. Their plan was to honor one person from every major US war in a pregame ceremony. The person in charge of the pregame ceremony was having a hard time finding a person from WWII and asked me if I had somebody. I said of course!!! Big Paul served during that time. So I called up the parents and they said they would be happy to drive him up here to be apart of our pregame. Big Paul gladly accepted the invitation when I called him. Not only did my parents bring Big Paul and Betty Boop but we had almost the whole family here but John. Paul's cousins even got to come. The ceremony was definately worth waiting for....another rain delay! They received a standing ovation from the crowd and even got to shake Nolan Ryan and Jim Sundberg's hand. Thanks Big Paul for everything that you did for our country!!!

Nice to meet you!

After the longest time, Kelly and I finally got to meet Miss Kate and Miss Lainey. Heather had everyone over to celebrate Cinco de Mayo last week and we all got to catch up. It was so nice to see everybody. It was almost 3 months! Heather said she actually forgot about me...rude. The babies and little boys were so cute. I couldn't believe how much Matthew and Brody had grown. They looked like boys...not little boys. The girlies were so sweet and so cute. Kate was awake before Lainey so I went in and woke her up. She didn't even make a fuss. The girls are very close in age but their size difference is so funny. Please notice the bathing beauty, Kate, in the bathtub. That picture is great and I am sure she will hate that I posted it when she is older. I just couldn't resist. I can't wait until I get to babysit them!

Please excuse Kelly as the camera flash hurts his eyes.

Brody got to ride in the "special" truck going home.

Pow Pow

My sweet sister let me keep her 2 youngest boys, Caden and Hudson, for the weekend. It was so much fun!!! They are complete rascals and ALL boy. Unfortunately, they came to the ballpark during a really bad thunderstorm. They didn't mind at all. The more puddles the better as they stomped in nearly every one at the ballpark. Sorry if their shoes are ruined, Carey! I let them stand on the balcony at the ballpark and look out of the windows in the breakroom. Caden said he could see the whole world from up there. Once the rain let up, they got to see the groundscrew roll up the tarp. That was so much more interesting than the game. The game only interested them for about an inning so we headed off to Kelly's clubhouse. I explained that it was for boys only and they really liked that. Kelly took them inside and let them pick out any candy they wanted....they chose Dill Pickle Sunflower seeds!!! Little did they know that Kelly had lots of gum gum so I sent them back inside for some blue gum gum. You can see it drooling out of Caden's mouth in the pictures below. Kelly even took them for a ride on his golf cart. That was really nice of him. For souvenirs, I gave them foam fingers which they used as shotguns. They shot nearly everyone with their fingers on concourse. The worse part was that they shot the custodians more than any one. Caden would get in his gun shooting postion and just blast them with his foam finger. I was so embarrassed but they just laughed. Pow Pow Pow.

Welcome to the Family!

Last night we welcomed Emery Kate Marable to our family. She weighed 8.5 pounds and was 20 inches long. Emery definately did not want to leave her mom but with much assistance from the nurses and doctor, she finally came to join us late last night. Blake and the nurses said that Amy did a wonderful job. She pushed for 2 and half hours. What a trooper! Amy said that she definately has the Sudan mouth. Blake was just happy that she didn't have the Conlee head (at least not yet as she still has a cone).

The Marable and Sudan family had a great time together in the waiting room. Once Jayden came, he was the life of the party. Emery is going to have such a fun time with Jayden and her other cousins (Ashton, Amber, Jonathan, Sterling, Caden, Wills, Thomas, Camryn, and Hudson). She will definately be spoiled by all her aunts, uncles, and grandparents!!!

Hippity Hoppity

Kelly and I went to Waco for a little Easter action. We first visited the booming metropolis of Valley Mills, Texas and then to the even more happening Aquilla, Texas. While at Valley Mills, we hid some eggs for Ashton, got to enjoy the bluebonnets, played an impromptu game of baseball, and celebrated my brother John's birthday. It was quite a full day.

Bebe and Ashton

Kelly and Ashton

On Easter, we went to Granny Voe and Uncle Fudge's house for some Easter lunch and our annual egg hunt. Yes, we all still hunt eggs and no, we do not have anyone younger than 15 in our group. It is so fun and we are super competitive. I have to admit to picking up and egg that fell out of Rebecca's basket and rubbing it on her face. Yikes! The egg hunt turns me into a mean person! Woman and Jim did a great job of hiding the eggs. So well that we had to hunt a second time. John took first place by finding the most money. I got second....I need to sharpen up my egg hunting skills! This was also Kelly's first Easter at the farm. I think he enjoyed himself and he thought we were all pretty funny hunting those eggs.

This is what we get in our eggs...who needs candy!

Becca made the cutest Easter basket cupcakes.

Bonding time for the sibs

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Opening Day is such an eventful time at the ballpark. The ballpark comes back to life after 6 months of being dormant. The smells of hot dogs roasting, the crack of the bat, and the guys back out on the field are something that fans of all ages look forward to. However, if you are an employee, you sometimes think Opening Day is the worst day of the year. It means 81 home games, long hours, and little sleep. Stress levels are high and everyone is running around. To make it extra hectic, we had two exhibition games right before Opening Day. That sure was good timing!

However, this years Opening Day had a super fun surprise. Former President George W. Bush was scheduled to throw out the first pitch. He arrived with a team of Secret Service, Laura, and his daughters. The ballpark tunnel was on strict lock down when he arrived. It was pretty cool being able to observe everything that took place in the tunnel. The president was so nice and friendly. He made it to both clubhouses, pressbox, umpire room, suites, and more. He said hello to all of his old friends including Kelly!!!

George W. came into the clubhouse and peered into Kelly's office. He recognized him and said "You still working here?". Kelly said yes and the chit chatted for a bit. The Kelly asked to take a picture with him in his office. Before agreeing to take a picture, George asked the Cleveland Indians if he was treating them right. They all said yes and he responded that was good because he would have fired him 23 years ago. Upon entering the office, Kelly told W to look at "Pops" picture on the wall. George thought that was pretty neat and smiled nicely for Kelly's picture.

Kelly and Former President George W. Bush

Kelly also was introduced during the opening ceremonies. He was so cute. He had on his Ranger shorts and longsleeve shirt. I was able to run up to see him running onto the field and giving all of the guys high fives as they came out onto the field. I was cheering super loud for him!




Your 2009 Texas Rangers! Kelly is 4th from right.