This is Mark.... and it's his birthday....

I finished reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha's World and decided to order Having a Mary Spirit.... It is so much better than the first book.... I loved the first, but this one is hitting home with lots of things... I like for things in my house to be "fluffed" as Betty Carol says, but sometimes having a fluffed house isn't the most important thing.... Without a doubt, Mark has a Mary Spirit.... I have a few examples below that I have taken just this week... while I hope I never become so relaxed I come to these measures.... I do hope I can live a life more like Mary....I mean Mark... the one who always stays calm during trials... the one who always sees something good in bad situations... and the one who has a good answer when I can't think of one.  My hope is I can be a good combination of both Mary and Mark.... 

I can't help but think of the story of Mark being little and MaMa took him to the doctor...he didn't like to get a haircut so his hair was a little long... the nurse called him "Mary".... from that day on.... you will never find a picture of him with long hair.  Who knew at 42 I would be calling him Mary too!  

He just drove in from Atlanta after being in San Diego this week... I admire him in so many ways... he is sleeping soundly already... along with KB who has hit the teenage years of being able to sleep until noon... and of course, Ben is asleep because he went to the lock-in at church... Mark picked him up on the way in from Atlanta.... So while this birthday won't include a party, or visits, or a cake.... I know Mark won't care because he loves a good rest... his chickens under our roof.... and a day with nothing planned! 

 This is Mark- he can't shut a drawer.... I'm not sure how a grown man gets this far in life... but what I can learn from this.... maybe I should change my attitude and when people hurt me or make me upset... I shouldn't just shut them out... maybe I should leave that drawer open a little...I'm trying...

 And here is another example of Mark.... the trash drawer... he can't shut that either... he loves to throw away some trash.... sometimes things we need.... but he has a hard time closing it completely... when I get finished typing this... I'm going to wipe the cabinet down.... filthy!  Sometimes it takes a picture to see what things look like.... even though I look at it everyday... I didn't notice this....

 Mark has taken a loving to this dog too... yes, it is on my couch... without a blanket... NASTY... I don't like dogs... I like cats.... but Mark with his Mary spirit thought we should save this dog who was thrown into a driveway by a passing car.... She is Mark's best friend... she comes to work with him... rides to pick up the children... and is his sleeping companion on the couch...or even in the bed.... I'm overlooking a lot of things that get on my nerves, but I'm also learning that life is much easier when I do! 

 Just this morning I almost broke my toe on this.... the suitcase that is never completely emptied... this past year it almost got him arrested, but it's a sign that he is hard at work... providing for a our family... and while he may not like all the traveling, I sure am glad he has his spunk back! 

I have also learned this.... no matter how full the bag seems in the drawer... if you take it out and let it hang on the cabinet for a few days... you can always add more.... While this drives me crazy too... it's Mark... I look at it as he is still working on emptying bad things even after we think we have a fresh new start.... there is always room for a little more evil to get out of our lives...

Happy Birthday to "My Baby Deddy".... thanks for everything you do for us... the paths you lead us on... where you are taking us to... and most of all, your "lead by example"... except for all these things above that get on my nerves... you couldn't be any better!  Here's to 42.... WE love you! 

It has to be shown...

So... the other part of Ben's birthday that I haven't talked about yet... the after party... Mama and I usually don't ever stay on course with the plan, and this time we had Christie to help us out too!  We decided after we ate supper that the Kohl's in Anderson probably had some really good stuff to look at... so the big girls rode home and sent Mark and Guille with the children... It's been years since I have done this, but I was still celebrating my birth "month" and used that card....

Anyway... I got home a little later than everyone else... I decided not to write my blog until Monday because I wanted a fresh mind.... and I wanted to process the day.... all of this was decided after I watched the video that I'm posting at the bottom of this blog... I wanted to write about it... the words were ready and right on my fingertips... but I knew that I needed to write about Ben's birthday first... so I did that yesterday... and now... tonight.... everyone gets to see the real Ben...

The real Ben is always into something... he is scary smart at what he knows how to do... we took his GOPRO to the ballgame and Mark held it during the pitch/warmup... evidently when they got home, Ben decided he needed to shoot some more footage... It won't be funny to anyone else but me... It amazes me that he can make all this noise, all the dancing, all the filming... and a man, a teenager, and a dog never even notice him... one day I hope he looks back and appreciates the freedom he had as a child... to be adventurous, to be a thrill seeker... ... he threatened me to show this so it isn't on his birthday blog that he saw today... but this is the McKinney life... silliness and all....

Ben, 

I love you so much... I go from wanting to choke you at the questions you are forcing me to answer right now... to wanting you to crawl in my lap and give me a hug telling me I'm your favorite and you love me the best... I have no doubt that you will always be doing something as you grow older... and probably get in trouble for it... but remember this... Everyone makes mistakes... everyone makes poor decisions... everyone wishes they could have done some things differently... just know that no matter what you do... I will love you... because that it my job.... don't let others worry you with their talk about how you shouldn't have, didn't, or can't... focus on doing the right thing and it will always be worth it!  And finally, remember that your mama has a blog to keep every second of your life recorded... and when you use the GOPRO to make a video.... It will get posted!  

Love, 

Mama

Expect the Worst, Pray for the Best

 We left Lincolnton yesterday morning fully expecting freezing temperatures that would make us miserable sitting outside at a game of baseball... and out of nowhere... the sun was shining, we were warm, and a little boy was as happy as he could be!  The sign above says first pitch at 1:00 pm... Ben actually threw the pitch out about 12:50! 

 Here he is heading out on the field...

 Some last minute instructions about what he could do! 

 I didn't notice the sign with his name on it until I uploaded the pictures... He picked his favorite player "Duggar" to catch the pitch... Ben loves anything Clemson, but last year when he came out to Dougie... he immediately held a special place in his heart for him! 

 He is ready! 

 I wish I could remember the words about winding up...

 getting ready...

 pulling back

 and getting ready....

 to release teh pitch...

 and he caught it! 

 Ben was a nervous wreck! 

 As Mark and Ben left the field, I noticed them taking a picture with this player from West Virginia... I wondered why, but the video at the end explains it all... Ben got to warm up with the Mountaineers... their players were extremely nice to him and he even got a retweet today! 

 We didn't know about this, but Clemson let all the children come out on the field and stand with their favorite player during the National Anthem... Duggar giving knuckles.... I'm not sure if he knows how much this meant to Ben, but even more... to his mama... Ben will never forget this special day.... He and James were thrilled to be out there! 

 One last knuckle before the game started!

 James got knuckles too! 

 Zoom in and see the smiles on their faces...

 Running off the field as fast as they can... I like it that they choose an outfielder...sometimes I think people look over them... they choose a pitcher, or catcher, or first baseman.... the team wouldn't make it without the outfielders! 

 Coming off the field....

 It was cold...and of course no one wanted to sit at a game and watch in the cold... so we had fantastic seats... when I walked in... the man saw that they stadium was singing happy birthday to Ben and he told me to sit where I wanted and if someone came... to just move... no one ever came to our seats!  It was great! 

 Right behind home plate! 

 We were spread out...

 The Mattison family...

 Another fun thing they did was "break" into the little practice area and play for a little bit...

 KB... you aren't going to catch a ball with your hands in your pockets...

 Ben had to buy a hat... like he needed one more hat....

 He looks like a natural...

 He might brag a little too much about his excellence... HA!

 James having fun! 

 I love seeing smiling faces... especially on little boys who think that they want to come to Clemson when they grow up!  (Let's hope Guille will keep his mouth shut and not persuade James to go back to the other side)

 Have to have a picture of the PAW!

 Baseball field...

 We love tigers... in Clemson only...

 Flying proud....

 Thomas had to get in on a little action too!

 And then I had the great idea to do a posed picture... and this is what I got...

 A fall down...

 not sure here...

 and not a good one in the bunch... the sun was in their eyes... they had their eyes closed... they were looking goofy... regardless... they  had fun... I'm sorry Ashley and David got away before we could get them with the boys! 

 It's hard to believe that in a three years, we will be preparing for her to head across the river... I'm thinking Mark and I need to move to SC to be able to afford it... I promise to move back to LC as soon as they graduate! 

 And this... this is my heart.... whether standing still and posing... or sneaking kisses... I love them with all my heart... and when they smile... I smile! 

 And for the McKinney photos... well... they are all terrible... Mark is gritting his teeth here...

 KB's hair is messed up...

 Mark is doing something funky with his mouth...

 KB's eyes shut...

 Again....

So.... we had a fantabulous time.... We will be back... just hope it is a little warmer...

The first video is Ben warming up with the Mountaineers...and don't mind Mark's nose hairs in the video... I am not sure what he was doing...

And here he is throwing the opening pitch!