Ahh... The Weekend

It's another Friday. Yay! We kissed Kelly and sent him away for a weekend series in Beaumont, Texas. I considered packing up the kids and tagging along, but a weekend spent at home with no commitments other than kids' games was just too tempting. Kelly was gone Tues & Wed for games as well, and I'm pretty sure we're looking at 5 games a week from here on out. Things will be wrapping up soon, as the conference tournament is now just a month away. We're definitely attending that one, as it's in Corpus Christi and I've insisted to Kelly that we extend our stay and make a beach vacay out of it. It's Nolan birthday too, and I've convinced him that the beach is THE best place to turn 6!

(insert Spann fam here, just under the palm tree)

Nolan played his first official baseball game on Monday, and the Dragons proved victorious. Nolan played catcher, which meant that he had to have possession of the ball at home plate for the play to end. Now, it's not too serious, but he did a great job. He plays again tonight, preceded by Claire in her opening game of the season.

Other than that, I plan to dust off the sewing machine, pick out some fabrics and teach Claire a thing or two. We'll take in a move, play Wii and eat ice cream. It's been in the 90s the past two days, so ice cream is required. Icees, too. Happy Weekend, everyone!

I am a C, I am a C-H... Nevermind

I am a Christian.

But sometimes I am embarrassed to admit it. Not because I am ashamed of Jesus Christ or what I believe, but because of all the connotations that come with the word, "Christian".

I love Jesus Christ, who He was and continues to be. I love that I have a real relationship with Him. I am in awe of the fact that even in my darkest times - my desperate, wandering times, His love for me continued. I love His kindness and compassion for mankind.

I don't love how many Christians act. I don't love how the church often acts. I don't love that so many people call themselves Christians, but really don't know anything about Jesus or who He is.

I grew up believing that "good" Christians didn't smoke, drink or swear. The really good ones didn't watch TV or listen to "secular" music. You went to church, read your Bible and tried really, really hard not to do anything bad.

Sometimes I wish I could give myself another title. I've always liked 'The Way'... "Follower of The Way". Sounds a little too out there, I guess. But I want people to know that I am in love with Jesus because of what He has done for me. He has erased my guilt, my shame. Shame that I felt as a result of my decisions. Jesus doesn't owe me a thing. But He frees me anyway. It took me a long time to accept that freedom. I knew that I was forgiven, but still felt like I had to carry around the shame that lingered. That it was my burden, my "lot in life" as a result of my decisions. When I finally learned that I could lose that load, that I didn't need to feel ashamed for being freed, even if I didn't deserve it, my life was changed. I can honestly say that I am a different person because of that freedom. In return, I love Him for that. And because I love Him, I want to obey Him. I'm not the best at it, but I try. I also know I could try a whole lot harder.

And that is what I want people to know.

I suppose I'll still call myself a Christian, and try not to cringe when I do. And since the only person I have any control over is myself, I guess I need to make sure that my life reflects what I believe. That I am sincere in my love for Him. That I am authentic. Forget what I think I am "supposed" to do, and follow Jesus' example, which he so freely lived.

I am currently reading 'Blue Like Jazz' by Donald Miller. An excellent read. If you've ever felt anything close to what I've described, or even if you totally disagree with me, I recommend taking a look at it. Another inspiration is the song "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew.

Love These

How cute are these? I'm pretty much in love with them. I think the idea is fabulous! I'll admit, I'm not so good at making roll-out cookies. I'm more of a drop-cookie kind of gal. But I'll change it up for these...

(Found them at a favorite site of mine, Baking Bites. Check it out!)

Mailbox Love

I love magazines. We used to get lots of different subscriptions. Elle Decor, Parenting, Sunset, Gourmet, Better Homes & Gardens, ESPN (okay, that one is technically Kelly's, but I read it too). But slowly my subscriptions ended and I didn't renew them. We've moved a few times in the past couple of years and I just didn't keep up. Chances are, I have a couple of them floating around from mailbox to mailbox, searching for the Spann Fam!

Recently, I've been mourning the loss of the feeling I'd experience when I opened the mailbox and saw a magazine waiting for me. It was all I could do to wait for a free moment to curl up in my comfy chair with something yummy to drink and lose myself in the pages.

I'm quite systematic about how I read a magazine, however. First time through, I casually peruse the pages, reading a paragraph here and there, from front to back. I wait to read the more lengthy articles, and try to make it "last" as long as I possibly can. Sometimes I'll mark the pages where I see a really great tip or story that moves me. After several weeks of revisiting, it goes in my magazine basket, where I'll pick it up again in 6 months or so. If, at that time, nothing strikes me, it's headed for the recycle bin. Otherwise, I may save an entire issue or just clip what I really love.

But I digress... (in case you didn't notice!).

I've indulged in the world of paper love once again. I'm already receiving Real Simple and Kelly's getting ESPN again. I put my card in the mailbox yesterday to order Country Living & Good Housekeeping. Both magazines for a year for... wait for it... $12!! Can you really beat that??

So now I wait. But going to the mailbox will be exciting again. And as I mentioned before, I'm looking for a little excitement. I'll take it any way I can get it!

A Pep Talk for Ang

The past 2 days, all of my thoughts have been in blog format. I spend my days, blogging in my brain. "Oh, this would be a great post"... etc. But then I get in front my 'puter and it all goes away.

I realize my posts have not been witty or funny or all that interesting lately. That's because I'm too busy to be interesting. I go to work and baseball games. That's it. Angela Spann in a nutshell.

I used to be interesting. Creative. I lived a charmed life, where I stayed home with my kids, made crafts, did sewing projects, cleaned efficiently, cooked interesting & yummy meals. I made my own baby food, for crying out loud. Not so much, these days.

But the creative, witty and interesting Angela is trying to bust out. I can feel her. She needs to express herself. I just need to make time for her. That means getting up earlier, planning ahead, getting (and staying!) organized. Stressing less about work. My job my be full time on paper, but it only has part-time status on the priority list. Family & home come first. The papers on my desk will get taken care of eventually. I'm pretty dern good at my job, so I need to stop focusing so much on it and rely on my aptitude.

I'm going to organize my pantry, label something, get my sewing machine out and go crazy. Who knows what will happen. Maybe this blog will get interesting!!

Spring Fling

Hello! So, it's been awhile... I feel like we have some catching up to do. I'm in shock and awe (and thankful!) that it's April and nearly Easter. Time really does fly when you're having fun, as my mom always said, but now that I'm an adult, it just seems to fly.

It must be summer, because I'm sunburned. Oh wait, I forget that I now live in Louisiana, and one can get burnt just about any time of day between the months of March and November. I've spent extra time outside as the kids are now in their baseball/softball seasons. I really enjoy watching both kids play, but I have to say that I especially enjoy Claire's games. She's moved up this year, to 'coach pitch'. So, Claire is the pitcher, but she doesn't actually pitch to the batter. She stands next to the coach and once the underhand pitch is thrown, she takes it from there. She's a natural athlete (um... we all know that she got that from dad, not me) and she's really good. She loves to play and takes it very seriously. Nolan's games are fun, they're just a little more frustrating to watch, as his team is all 5-year olds. Boy's baseball is serious stuff, though, especially in the south, so the rules are tougher and expectations higher, but he's getting the hang of it. As long as his polyester pants aren't bothering him, we're okay.

The kids & I enjoyed a good old-fashioned Easter Egg hunt last weekend. It was put on by Les Amies, a ladies service organization here in Natchitoches. The kids found more eggs than would fit in their baskets and were thrilled with it all. It was at the Lemee & Steel Magnolia House, so named for the movie they were featured in.

Kelly is on the road this week. They played Baylor last night and took a bit of a beating. They head to San Antonio today and will play a 3-game series starting tomorrow, bringing him home on Sunday morning.

I look forward to a long holiday weekend, with plans to take the kids to the zoo. Claire & Nolan are on Spring Break next week, as is the University. I don't get the week off, unfortunately, but will take it easy with a day or two off. Work has been crazy, as it always is this time of year, but the promise of graduation is on the horizon, which means slow summer schedules.

As I look out the window, it's a perfect Spring day, with an expected high of 79 degrees. I hope that wherever you are, you're experiencing Spring in all it's splendor and have the opportunity to celebrate & reflect on the love that was expressed by the ultimate sacrifice. Happy Easter!

The Latest and Greatest

What's new with the Spanns? Well, I didn't want to bore you with details that only include baseball, which explains the lack of blog posts. But then I remembered, that if I skip the baseball stories, there will be nothing left to tell!

Last Tuesday the kids & I headed to Baton Rouge to watch the Demons take on LSU. It was a beautiful evening. LSU has just built a new ballpark and it's very nice - like a mini major-league park. The concession prices reflected that feel as well, as I spent $23 on snacks, including five-dollar "Tiger" Cotton Candy! Ultimately, the Demons lost, but it was a great game. We pitched really well and remained tied 1-1 until the bottom of the 9th, when we just couldn't hold em any longer. I was the proud team 'momma' and was so happy we could be there.

We joined the 21st century when Mandy accompanied us on our venture south. She helped us find our way with no incidents, and even guided us to a Dick's Sporting Goods prior to the game to pick up new cleats & uniform necessities for the kids' upcoming season. Mandy, of course, is the name of our GPS. As many are aware, I can get lost driving just about anywhere (even if I've driven there several times) and have no sense of direction.

Just when I thought we were totally recovered from our recent fever-cough bout with the kids, I heard Nolan cough-cough-coughing all night last night. Both Nolan and Claire stayed home from school recently due to minor illnesses. It was a first for the Spann fam, as our kids are usually quite healthy and if they do get sick, it's always been during a school break!

These days, we're either at one ballpark or another. If it's not for a college game, it's for either of the kids' practice. They have pre-season scrimmages and tournament coming up. Lots of rain has brought some cancellations, for which I rejoice in, just to have an evening at home!

We head to Huntsville, Texas this weekend, as the kids are out of school on Friday and we love to travel to away games. The Demons take on Sam Houston State and the highlight (besides the baseball) will be going to see the 3D movie 'Monsters vs. Aliens'. Kelly leaves with the team this morning to play Texas A&M and will stay in Texas (that's my favorite country, Mom - says Nolan) through the weekend.

I chopped my hair off, my usual spring makeover, inspired by Katie Holmes.

And that's about it. The latest and greatest in the life of the Spann Fam. Yeah, not so exciting, but hey, it's what we do.