Ohio Valley Regional Champs

Action Shots of Hunter

Four Smith Boys in Tuxes

Here's a photo from Scott's brother Michael's wedding last night. Great fun. The boys enjoyed their tuxes but were very happy to take them off. Ian was an usher, Jack did programs, Sean was the ring bearer and Scott was a groomsman.

When we got to the church, Sean asked me "Have you and Dad ever been important people in a wedding before?"

Home Run Derby night

Matt and I will be in the thick of things tonight....he will be roaming Busch selling foam fingers and other goodies and I'll be working in the team store. Doubt you'll see us on TV, but I think it will be lots of fun anyway! Go Albert! (And please, don't hurt yourself.......) -Julie

Summer Olympics at Dauphin Island.....?

Yesterday M&N had a great idea: how about we have the Olympics at Dauphin Island this summer? We immediately started on a list of "events" and we need your help. Here's what we've got so far:

Washers
Wiffle ball (team exhibition sport)
Uno tournament
Apples to Apples tournament
Yahtzee tournament
Poker tournament
Left-Center-Right tournament
Frisbee throw
golf ball closest to hole
Pickle
Karaoke ("Dauphin Island Idol")
Ankle-stomping balloon game
Limbo
Shell finding
seed spitting - distance
scavenger hunt
crab races
sand sculpture within time limit (use neighbors for judge)

Scott also suggested "person who falls asleep the fastest" and Matt suggested "beer drinking" but then we'd have to handicap Tom.

Any other event ideas out there? Kudos to M&N for the idea, and kudos to Monica for finding the perfect medals online. (yes, there will be medal award ceremonies. Be glad you don't have to make a family banner for the opening ceremonies!!)

Any other event ideas??

Lighter Fare

Sorry about the "heavy stuff"....the 4th of July always gets me goosebump-y. And don't worry, my friends harass me constantly about being the only nerd who cries during fireworks.

Okay Ty, here's your link! The website looks great. Hopefully the tourney goes without a hitch and you can hop in the car when it's over and join us all at the beach. I'm guessing my pal Linda is waiting until after the ASG to get your goodie-bag ready. I am actually working the team store during the Home Run Derby as a "greeter" with my friend Julie Korenak. Yes, we will be getting paid to talk to people. Is this a great country, or what?? (Actually, we'll be getting paid with merchandise, but that's okay too)

Here's Ian's band from last week playing some Lord of the Rings music! Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Tough to Compete.....

Julie has been throwing down some deep stuff lately, which makes normal family stuff seem fairly insignificant. I will lighten things up with some baseball talk. I am directing Newburgh's largest ever baseball tournament July 23-28. We're having 10 teams from seven different states coming to town. We expect over 500 people from out of town.

I have built a web site for the tournament that I want to show off. I can't get the link to work!! Julie, will you fix this for me?

www.newburghregionalbaseball.shutterfly.com

We're off to a good start. We won a tournament in Madisonville, KY last week and went 2-2 in Nashville over the weekend. We lost to a REALLY good team yesterday 5-0. We're going to the State tournament this week in Greensburg, IN.

I'm still looking for ideas on fundraising for the tournament. If you have some ideas, please comment. I have a Harry Carry recording of 'Take me out to the ballgame' we will play in the middle of the fourth of each game!!

My favorite John Adams quote

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means."

Letter to Abigail Adams, July 3 1776

I love the fact that he had such vision....even back then....referring to "one end of this continent to the other." I had a history teacher friend once who told me how lucky we were that our nation was founded by statesmen, not politicians. Amen! Happy 4th of July! -Julie

A Second Effort at Family History from Norm

Many thanks to Julie for her efforts on the Nilsson Family Tree as it has opened up a whole new group of relatives that I really knew nothing about. Let me explain. Nils Peter Nilsson, my grandpa, married Elmira File way back when and she died before I was born so I knew nothing of her family. Keep in mind that my mom's family was also from Pokey so that on the rare occasions that we went to Pokey we hung out withe Marti family. I say our visits were rather rare because, in those days with an old car and totally dirt roads, our family rarely left town. How exciting it is to discover, thru Julie's research, that my great great grandpa on my dad's side was actually born on the 4th of July in 1776. And, again thru Julie, Mom and I had the pleasure of meeting some of Elmira's relatives this past Sunday. Gerry Jenner's wife was a File and he told me the story that his dad and Uncle Charlie were close friends and when Charlie moved to Champaign, his son Chuck stayed with Gerry's family to finish his Senior year of Hi School. So when Gerry went to the U of I he stayed with Charlie's family in Champaign. Gerry worked for Upjohn and sold drugs his entire career. His wife Martha was a nurse and is a lovely lady. The other couple were Ben and Mary File. Ben is a master story teller and gave me a book he has written called Ben There and Done That which tells stories of his life. He also is a U of I grad and his wife was a music major at Millikin in Decatur and she joined him as a pig farmer. Every Sunday eve any of the File family that is available meet for dinner at a Cafe in Pokey and I'm sure that Mary & I and Julie and family will join them on occasion so that we can contine this fine relationship. Thought you might like to know a little bit of family history that you didn't know.

A Bit of Family History from Norm