Go Gators!

Brandon teaches Natalie how to do the Gator chomp!

Tomorrow night the Gators play UCLA in the second game of the Final Four at 8:47pm on CBS. If they win this game, they will play Monday night for the championship. By the way, if Florida wins Monday night, it will be the first team in basketball history to win back-to-back titles with the same five players as starters.

Living Gallery 2007

We will be heading up to SC next week for Easter and I am looking forward to this year's presentation of the Living Gallery at Bob Jones University in Greenville. The music, drama and "living" gallery is always special and it helps you focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This April, artistic masterpieces will come to life in Living Gallery 2007: Frames. Using live models, makeup, costumes, lighting and special sets, paintings are transformed in a unique medium more than three times larger than the originals. These living works of art are tied together by a drama centering on the life of Christ. Visit the Living Gallery website for a Flash presentation and ticket information.

Tribute to Big John

The big local news here was the ceremony last Friday to Decommission the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy based at Mayport, Florida.

The local newspaper has A Tribute to Big John posted at this link. It may only be available for a couple of weeks on line.

Also at this link you will find lots of photos, videos, stories about the Kennedy's last trip

Happy Birthday, Joel!

Wishing a Happy Birthday to Cindy's nephew Joel Baggett in Texas. He turns 23 today. We hope you enjoy many more birthdays.

Joel with Tyler just horsing around!

Brielle, are you smarter than a first grader??

Who says 6 months is too young to learn to read!

Happy Birthday, Joshua!

Our oldest son, Josh, turns 29 today! Wow that means we are getting old! Hope you get your wish for "no more snow" this spring.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

We hope you enjoy your 81st birthday today, try not to work too much and use the remote as often as possible! Happy birthday to Dad, Grandpa and Great-Grandpa Franklin!

catching up on the journey...

My son was able to get free tickets to the Barracudas this past Tuesday night. This was only the 2nd or 3rd hockey game that I have been to in my life, so I am not sure I understood all the rules and penalties that were called. I did figure out that the game has three 20 minutes periods with 20 min. intermission between each period. Thanks to Brandon's employer, we were able to enjoy seats in the Wachovia suite, chairs with leather seats no less. We also were able to purchase the "club" buffet for $12.00. Not a bad price for a full course meal when you could easily spend $10.00 for a hamburger and drink.

I guess this was the week for freebies as my wife and I also went to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra concert on Friday night. This concert featured all music of composer John Williams, most famous for the film score for Star Wars as well as the Olympic Fanfare and Theme. Brandon was able to secure free tickets for us from someone at his workplace - seats that were on row J - great seats ten rows from the front! Other selections included music from Jaws, ET, The Cowboys Overture, Jurassic Park, Superman and more. We really enjoyed the concert and even had "valet parking" for the first time ever! We could get used to that! If you do not have any music by John Williams in your CD collection, check out this link to Amazon.com. This CD would be the one to purchase. LISTEN TO CD

Happy Birthday, Jeremiah!

We wish a happy birthday today to Cindy's nephew Jeremiah Baggett. Hope you have a great 26th birthday!

spring fever

desert diary.com

This blog written by Major Robert M. Hart was featured recently in our local newspaper. Major Hart is a U.S. Army Reservist currently serving in Iraq. When he returns home, he will resume his job as a high school teacher and coach right up the road from here. He teaches at West Nassau High School in Callahan, Florida. You can read about him at desertdiary.com.

Read his desert diary at this link and if you scroll down the page, you will find links to Big Al's Excellent Adventure.

"Big Al" began his adventure when he was chosen from a group of his brothers from their nest at the University of Florida's Reitz Union bookstore. He was selected on a game day weekend by two young boys (Maj. Hart's nephews Jacob and Alex). His first stop was to the boy's classrooms at Jacksonville Beach Elementary School. Then he was airlifted along with a package of carefully
packaged chewy cake to Camp Victory, Iraq. The chewy cake was hard as a rock when it arrived but Big Al was just fine.

Happy Birthday, April!

Wishing a happy birthday to April Logan. My niece was born on this date in 1984. Happy 23rd!

Slideshow of Natalie and Meredith

baseball season just around the corner

It's the "ides of March" and the "madness" of basketball is in full swing. In the meantime, here are a few baseball links to "wet your whistles" with, because it will be time to "play ball!" before you know it.

First up, in the news again, the famed "Honus Wagner" baseball card - Please, moms, don't throw away those cards yet!

The "Holy Grail of baseball cards,'' the famous 1909
Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting $2.35 million, the seller of the card said Monday.

On second thought, "who would-a thunk!" that Topps baseball card maker would ever sellout to another company?

The maker of baseball cards and other collectibles
announced Tuesday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Tornante Co., an investment firm founded by ex-Walt Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner, and private-equity group Madison Dearborn Partners.

I realize some you think watching baseball is the equivalent to watching ice cubes melt. But if you are a true baseball fanatic, you will enjoy these two sites. Spring Training Yearbook Online is the place to keep up with your favorite team during this time of the year, the pre-season known as "spring training." The other site is called Baseball Think Factory -

The Baseball Primer grew out of a series of phone calls
made between Jim Furtado and Sean Forman during the 1999-2000 winter. We were a little burned out working on the 2000 Big Bad Baseball Annual and were looking for a new direction to go in baseball analysis.

And last, but not least, it is a good time to add this link to "America's favorite team" - the ATLANTA BRAVES. Yes, I will removing the basketball links for Duke shortly and replacing it with the Braves on my blog favorites.

more photos of Meredith

Meredith is a growing baby girl. At just over 3 months old, she weighs about 14 lbs now. These are some recent photos of her.

just a little snow in Wisconsin

What would it be like to live in Wisconsin the past few months? Here are a few pics of the snow in Watertown that Leah emailed recently.

Looks like they are making a big snowman! (that's Natalie in the green coat)

Natalie and Daddy made a snow fort

Natalie enjoys the cold and snow!

the bracket for the Big Dance

Happy Birthday, Leslie!

Birthday greetings to Uncle Les! Born this day in 1949, Leslie Mark Baggett was just 5 years old when Cindy was born. They became best of friends and playmates until Les had to go to first grade. According to her mom, Cindy cried all day that day!

Happy belated birthday, Bradley!

This year I am trying to post a birthday blog for each of our family members. Of course, I do not have all the birthdates and will miss someone from time to time. Please let me know when I miss one, so that I can update our family history book. We wish a happy belated birthday to Bradley Blackstock, born on March 3, 1987. Happy 20th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Allison!

We wish Cindy's cousin Allison (B.) Michau a happy birthday today. She was born in 1977, just 3 months before our wedding. I always wondered why she didn't make it to the wedding! Hope you enjoy the day with your family, Randy and son Gavin, in Arkansas. Take a break from grading those papers this weekend! (a very young Allison in photo above)

Happy Birthday, Loretta!

Caden says, "Happy Birthday, Grandma!"

My younger sister, Loretta, is celebrating her birthday in SC today! Enjoy your day and don't eat too much cake!

for those who love doughnuts

I took a vacation day this week and when I returned to work, the first question I asked was "Did I miss anything - like pastries or doughnuts?" I was half-way joking! That reminded me of this link I found a few weeks ago at msn.com. Check out Ode to the Doughnut for recipes to make doughnuts at home. There over 10 recipes at this site.

Happy Birthday, Sheryl

Wishing a happy birthday to Cindy's cousin out in California, Sheryl Baggett Greigo. She was born on this date in 1969!

more guitar gathering photos

The local paper, the Florida Times-Union, has posted more photos taken at the Guitar Gathering. Nephew Philip Logan is the 2nd one from the left in the group photos taken during their concert (3rd set of photos)

click to view the photos: DA Guitar Orchestra

photo gallery slideshow below

Josh emailed some photos of Brielle taken in February, so I chose some for the slideshow below, for "Heart Month with Brielle." This photo is my favorite!

slideshow - Heart month with Brielle

photos of the snow in Spring Grove, PA

It snowed 6 inches on Valentine's Day and 4 more inches the following Thursday. Along with the sleet it made for some wet snow!
Looks like his car is frozen in place!
Photo of snow from the front steps

Josh emailed us some photos from the snow in PA during the middle of February. I think he is having too much fun for a guy born and bred in Florida!

the healing power of God

If you have not heard, Leigh Crockett, the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Indiana, has recovered from lung cancer and a possible brain tumor. According to this video link below, the television station reports that he is now clear of any cancer. The doctors are amazed. Thanks to God for healing Brother Crockett. Coincidentally, his son Josh Crockett was in the same dorm room during his freshman year at BJU with two of my sons, Josh and Stephen. Also, back in 1997, Leigh Crockett spoke at our church in Florida for a week of revival meetings - the same fall our sons roomed together. Josh Crockett was chosen to be the pastor at Grace Baptist while his dad was going through this illness. Keep praying for a full recovery and also for Leigh Crockett's wife and family.

Watch the video (after at 15 second commercial plays) at this link to Doctors At Loss To Describe Patient's Recovery

Also read his letter to his church (after his surgery) and other updates, including the Thanksgiving Praise service 2006 at this link.

"March madness" is upon us

March is living up to its reputation as it comes in like a lion today. Tornadoes in the south are part of a large weather storm producing blizzard conditions in the Midwest. But what I like about this month is the NCAA college basketball playoff system we call "March Madness." In keeping with the "madness" theme, the University of Illinois is banning it's Native American mascot, Chief Illiniwek, just to please the NCAA and host the tournament. The regular season ends Sunday with probably THE game of the year, Duke at North Carolina. All of the other great ACC teams must spend their study time preparing for Duke and UNC both, so when these two teams meet, you know it is going to be great basketball. By the way, if you have not registered for the CBS sportsline.com, you need to do it now! This will enable you to keep track of the NCAA tournament while you are at work via the internet, just learn to use that toggle button when the boss walks by! Other sites to watch this month are theacc.com, the site for Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, and goduke.com for the latest Duke basketball news!