A couple weeks ago our niece Kristy told us that her son's baseball team would be playing in a tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this week. Since Chattanooga is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Huntsville, we decided to run up there to catch a couple games and visit with Kristy and her family. According to Google Maps, the motel where Kristy was staying was 106 miles from our house, so we packed up the car on Tuesday and headed out.

We were just checking into the LaQuinta motel in East Ridge when Kristy spotted us. After greetings and hugs, she told us about the opening ceremonies scheduled for 5 PM that day. She rode with us to the ball park where we met the rest of Kristy's family: husband and coach Rick, daughter Kyra (14), and son Trey (12). She left her 18 year old son, Vann, at home, so of course he's not in the picture above. After the opening ceremonies, Rick treated us to dinner at J. Alexander's Restaurant. Thanks, again!

Baseball games began the next morning at 8:30. The LA Express easily won their first game. Trey played 2nd base. "LA" is not Los Angeles or Lower Alabama for that matter. It stands for Lansing Area as in Lansing, Michigan. Most of the boys are from Eaton Rapids, which is just south of Lansing. After the game we were invited to join the team and all the parents for a pot-luck lunch in the motel lobby. When everyone had finished eating, I asked the family to pose for the picture above. The banner behind them was hanging on the back of their dugout. I used photoshop to place it on the lobby wall for this picture. After that Nancy and I shopped until I dropped; her somewhat sneaky way of having me walk on a 95+ degree day. That really big mall had some really good A/C.

The next game was at 11:30 on Thursday. Trey was the starting and winning pitcher. Later in the game, when the opponents were beginning to hit Trey's pitches, Rick moved him to shortstop. Just a few pitches later, a batted ball took a bad hop and struck Trey in the face just under his left eye. He came out of the game, but seemed OK when I talked to him later. That game was a little tougher, but the Express still won easily and moved into bracket play. Nancy and I said goodbye to everyone and drove directly home after the game. It was great seeing Kristy, Rick, and the kids.