Good times in the Ville

After the baby shower in Pana, we headed to C-ville where we decided to go see cousins Tucker and Finn's baseball games. It was a feat of athleticism that was not to be missed. Here are Tucker and Finn each getting a hit. Pretty impressive!

Everyone gets to bat in the inning, which is why they only play 3 innings. Then when on defense, every kid plays the field as well, all at the same time! It was looked pretty much like chaos, but they all knew which base to throw the ball to. With that many kids on the field at once though, it's hard to notice when any one of them goes AWOL, which is what happened during the second inning. Tucker decided he needed a mint, so he walked right off the field and asked Mimi for one.

Finn, on the other hand, waited until his team was at bat before he wandered over to say hello :)

The action on the field wasn't the only entertainment draw though. Sydney and Gabe were among the fans in attendance, and they also played their part to keep us entertained. Sydney is just the sweetest girl ever and made nice, polite conversation telling us about school and the books she likes to read. Here she is with her Mom.

We hadn't intended to take this many pictures, but it's a very photogenic family. Here is another cute shot of Syd and Mimi.

Gabe, on the other hand, was too busy to talk much: He had found a stick.

Gabe apparently has never met a camera he didn't like. It really is a shame that the boy is so shy :)

The next night we went out to the Glades for Susie's birthday. Susie's parents, Grandma, and Angie and Jerry were there, and they invited Rachel's parents to come along as well. Susie got all of the presents she had asked for. She got a heat gun and some embossing powder, which she is already putting to use, some computer speakers for her office, a gift card to buy more embossing supplies with, and some hanging towels for the kitchen. We forgot the camera, so we didn't get any pictures, but it was a lovely evening spent with good food and great company.

Our other nights in Carlinville were spent just lounging in Mom and Dad Spangler's backyard. They have a very impressive garden this year. Susie even got put to work one night when they picked two big bowls full of green beans.

Stay tuned for more on our trip to Illinois. Up next - Bloomington/Normal!