New Post!

It has been way too long since I have posted. No excuses…just haven’t done it. I hope to do better because this has really been the only journaling I have been doing  (or not doing). It’s hard to believe all that happened since that last post. Just 3 weeks after that post devastating tornados hit our hometown. We were safe but it was way too close! It was so moving to see so many people come together to help. There were several times I would just cry at seeing a caravan of power trucks going down the road or reading the stories of things going on right around us. I was so proud that Chandler wanted to go out and help with clean up and that he and Richard were able to do that. I remember feeling so helpless and going out and buying stuff to donate and cleaning out the kids toys for a toy drive but feeling that it was so inadequate! The town was so weird for weeks after. Roads and neighborhoods closed off and guarded by police and then National Guard. The church parking lot across from Evan’s daycare was set up as a command center. Insurance RV offices set up, Tide Loads of Hope being in the mall parking lot, radio stations not playing music but giving out information and people calling in with needs and those needs being immediately met. We were without power from that Wednesday-Sunday but I don’t even remember it being a burden at all! I will never forget those feelings. The town is slowing showing signs of rebuilding but there is still a lot to be done! It’s just unreal to me that there are still so many houses and businesses that haven’t even been touched as far as clean up. I am so proud to be from Tuscaloosa and to have witnessed such love and generosity. Now for family updates…

Chandler finished his JV season at Northridge and got to play varsity for their summer ball season. He also played with a Post team over the summer. He didn’t really enjoy it too much and was ready for a break when it was over. They have started practicing for this season and he should be the starting catcher. I hope they have a good year! Other things to note in his life…he turned 16 in September and got his driver’s license! So crazy! I was a little worried about his test but he took private lessons a few weeks before and I think that helped a lot! It has been great that he can drive and take himself places and even help out with Hudson some! Last year was really tough on me with seminary and the ball schedule. He is driving the Dodge Durango that was once driven by me and then Richard. New tires and a new radio and he is happy with it. He is a great kid and I am so thankful for that!

Hudson played baseball all spring and had a good season. He made all-stars again so we had another summer of traveling and stuff for him. His world series was in South Haven, MS and that’s always a fun place for baseball. We stayed in the same hotel that we did when we were there for Chandler when he was 8. They have an indoor and outdoor pool and the kids had a blast. They didn’t make it very far in the tournament and we were able to come home and unpack and repack to head to the beach the next day. That fall Richard put together a travel team and they played in a couple of tournaments and then Hudson played fall ball at Kentuck, too. He is playing basketball now and just really loves it! Their team is pretty pitiful but he loves to play. He will be playing travel ball only this spring. He just turned 9 in December and it already saying he can’t wait til he’s 10. He is doing great in school and loves his new I pod touch!

Evan was a true ball park kid last year. She loves it and has fun wherever she goes. A couple of weeks after it was all over and settled down, she would say in this pitiful voice, “I want to go to the ballpark” She is so much fun! She loves to paint, color, do stickers and it is so fun to watch her play with dolls or barbies. She is defiantly momma’s girl and is stingy with her loving to anyone else! She loved swimming and the beach this summer! She wanted a hair wrap from the beach because her cousin Sydney got one a few weeks earlier. Her hair has grown so much this past year and she will let me fix it most of the time. She is very hands on with picking her outfits and loves to just wear leotards, bathing suits, and dress up clothes. So very girly! She moved up to Primary this year at church and does great! She sings the songs and participates! She also started gymnastics a couple of weeks ago. She really likes it so far even if right now it’s just jumping on a trampoline and doing forward rolls. She sure looks cute doing it! She loves when she gets to play with her cousins and says they are all her friends. I am so glad that we all live so close to one another and they can grow up together. There are now 12 total on my side (since the addition of Charley Bec Sprayberry in August) and about to be 5 on Richard’s as Russell and Jill are expecting a girl in March!

As I said earlier, we were able to go to the beach for a few days in July. We had a blast! Hudson and Evan ask all the time when are we going to go back. Richard and I have just been working and handling all the activities of 3 kids. We were able to go to one Alabama football game as a family this year and that was a lot of fun. Of course it was also awesome to cheer on our football team all year as they won another National Championship! Roll Tide! So proud to be a Bama fan! This year Richard’s parents got a place on the river in Pickinsville so we have enjoyed many afternoons of fishing, swimming, and boating. Should be lots of fun for years to come. The boys-Richard, Chandler, and Hudson-or as Evan calls them “my boys” have also found the sport of Frisbee golf and have become somewhat obsessed.  Richard swears he’s going to enter a tournament sometime this year. As you can see, all is well in the lives of the Morgan’s. Until next time…