Nothing better than watching grandkids do just about anything.  We have a baseball player here!!!  Rivers Gleason #8.  The New Orleans Naturals.  Great name for a baseball team. 

Tournament weekend and it was hot and humid.  There was plenty of shade and lots of fans installed at the seating areas.  Spectating was not bad at all.  I can't speak for the players.  

Rivers plays in the outfield and first base and he is good at those positions. 

Batter up!

And he takes off to steal 2nd base!

Safe!

Oh, did I mention that he pitches? Yes he pitches.  

Spectators! Michel and Steve.

Look at me, I can play centerfield.

You can see the ball below Rivers.  He did get hit with this pitch.  

Headed for home!

It's a new day.  Sunday and look at that stretch.

Rivers hit two doubles in this game. 

Safe again!  The ball is at Rivers feet. 

On second heading to third!

And he made it. 

Nice catch in the outfield. 

A sliding catch!

And that wraps up our visit.  Gray is in the car playing with buttons.  

Steve and Michel live in a great area. It has a park all around them.  There are some big, big houses.  I took a few scenery pictures of the area before we left.  

These oak trees are incredible.  

Our last night in New Orleans there was an lunar eclipse.  Hard to get a great picture but I managed this. 

Tap Shoes , Apperance and Friday Night Football

Oh this girl!  She is unique and beautiful.  She loves pretty things.  A friend of Michel brought her some tap shoes.  Joy, complete joy.  She loved these tap shoes.  

You can only tap so long and then you have to rest!

Friday started with Rivers at his school. In the evening Steve needed to make an appearance at a get together.  Some of the people at the get together were donors to Team Gleason so Steve needed to show up for a bit.  Not sure what the purpose of the get together was but I have never seen anything so fancy. We walked and went WOW, should we be here?  Look, Mike found the bar and the drinks were free. Now that's exciting. 

Mike only had one drink just so you know.  He isn't a big drinker but the free appealed to him.  

I might have this wrong but this man with Steve and Mike could be a donor to Team Gleason. His company is a donor. 

We met this man and his wife and it made our evening.  We had great conversation and lots of laughs with them.  We were only at this shindig for 25 minutes. 

Now back to the real world. Rivers and football in a slight rain!  The pictures loaded backwards for some reason but I didn't want to fix them.  Flag football and Rivers tearing off a flag. 

Gray was catching raindrops.  Ah, youth!

It was a great Friday and a fun start to our visit! 

A Long Overdue Trip to NOLA

We have arrived!  We hadn't seen Gray for 2 years.  She wasn't even a year old when we saw her last.  As soon as Michel told her who we were she was all about having us for grandparents.  

This was a unique experience for me.  Rivers goes to a private Catholic school and there was ceremony to honor Mary at his school.  He had a part in the ceremony.  Rivers and Gray were all dressed up and ready to go. 

I kept hearing how Gray could be a handful.  Not during this.  She sat quietly with her hands just like you see in the picture most of the time.  Precious.

Michel, Mike and I used the restroom before the ceremony started.  Actually I think they called it a mass.  Michel and I got back from the restroom and no Mike.  HMMM!  It was tricky to get back but Michel and I made it before things started.  Obviously Mike didn't.  The mass/ceremony had already started.  Instead of walking around the outside of the seats he walked right down the middle aisle where the boys procession was going on.  He looks a little out of place.  Gotta love it!  

Rivers. 

Rivers had a speaking part which is coming up.

Photos after the ceremony.  

Jill, Michel's mom attended too of course. 

Very formal, very different than our church but it was a special treat to see Rivers and his classmates participate in this ceremony.  Of course Gray had to wear the crown. 

Hits and More Hits and The Bonus Prom Pictures

We missed this game but a parent on the opposing team got Layne's home runs and shared them with Kristin.  We were in New Orleans.  Exciting stuff. 

Nothing better than a home run for sure. Well, actually there is.  Two home runs in the same game.  

Now Lucy with some big hits. 

Go Lucy, go! A triple!

How is this happening? The junior/senior prom already.  Layne is a junior and in the black dress.  Beautiful girls. 

And they are all athletes!