Go Rangers!!

I want to interrupt my string of catching up with a shout out for my Rangers!  We love us some baseball at the Sweet house, and we could not be more excited that the Rangers are back in the World Series!!  Sadly, the only game we have seen in person this year is the Spring Training game we saw in Surprise, Arizona.  But we are with you all the way!  Go Rangers!

Baseball 2011 Recap

When last I left you, we were gearing up for baseball at the SweetJourney house.  Oh. My. Word. did we baseball this year.  Having all three playing kept us hoping...well, literally driving 6 days a week to a ballfield here, there, or yonder!

SweetBoy had a good season.  He did a great job off the bench making the most of opportunities he was given.  He even tried pitching!  His team won the district tournament for the first time!  By that point it was late into the summer and our plans were up in the air about pretty much everything.  "It depends on if we are playing baseball,"  became a common phrase around our house.  After district, we advanced but that was as far as we got.  And it happened that it was the week before camping.  It would have been neat to advance to the next round, but it just didn't happen.  And since it didn't, we were really looking forward to a break from the heat in cool Colorado!  It was a record setting HOT summer and we had been out in it a lot!  Here is SweetBoy in action.

 SweetDoll's team had a rough beginning but continued to get better through the season and finished 2nd!  (There were only 3 teams, but hey, 2nd still sounds good!)  She had another good season and contributed to her team on the field and with her bat.  Great job, Sis!

 After cheering Brother and Sister all these years it was finally SweetTate's turn!  This was SweetTate's rookie season.  He loved every minute of it!  It didn't matter if it was practice or a game, he was ready to play.  He played well and had a blast!  It was so fun to watch him play.  And his favorite part...the free snow cone after every game!  (For some reason they are so much better than the ones you pay for.)

So for most of the beginning of the summer, this is where you could find us--on the ballfield or in the car on the way to a ballfield, but I would not have it any other way.  :)

You might be a baseball mom if...

For the past 5 years I have known the day would come that all three of my kids would play ball at the same time.  I have kind of dreaded it.  Three different teams.  Three different practices schedules.  Three different game schedules.  One frazzled mom!  But actually, I'm so excited for SweetTate to start!  He has some mad almost-five-year-old skillz and he is going to love it!  I can't wait to watch him play too!  His and SweetDoll's games are on the same day in the same place.  And SweetBoy's schedule will be winding down when theirs gears up, so I think I can handle it.  (Remind me of that in a few weeks!)

You might be a baseball mom if...
* you have scraped a page or two on your laptop in the car during practice
* you have the early bird supper at 4:45 before practice or games
* you know what an rbi, dp, and k mean and when it is a good thing!
* you have a repertoire of suppers to take to the ballpark
* you are horse from cheering for your favorite teams
* you also have DQ's number in your phone so you can place an order and pick it up for supper!
* you have shopped for boy's foundational garments--that was a new experience!
* you love to see your man playing with the kids
* you have a permanent cooler packed with snacks and drinks by the door
* you sit through rain, snow, wind, heat, cold, and sun to watch ballgames
* you know how to score a game for the coach
* you can wash a uniform Friday after the game and have it ready for a Saturday morning game
* when you hear the word diamond, shiney and sparklely don't describe your picture
* your heart has sunk too when they strike out
* your heart has soared when they get their first hit of the season!
* you jump up and scream when they score!
You might be a baseball mom, if you can't wait to watch your kids play!

All the way to the top!

This week we went to our local activity center.  (Boy, local is relative isn't it!)  We had not ever been there, but heard from lots of friends that it was very fun.  We did the batting cages...yes, we.  I got in there too!  And much to my son's surprise (and mine!) I made contact with a lot of them!  SweetTate was too cute!  SweetHeart got in their with him to help, but it wasn't long before he was ready for his solo shot and in one cycle he hit 5 out of 10!  Way to go little slugger! 

SweetDoll hit 9 out of 10 when she got her rhythm going.  SweetBoy was getting some really solid hits!  I am excited for the season to start!

Here is my honey!

Then we went to the rock climbing wall.  I have always wanted to repell, but never had an opportunity to do it.  SweetTate was not excited about getting his feet that far off the ground, so he didn't try it.  Surprisingly, SweetHeart did!  He is not one for heights either. 

SweetDoll said, "I'm going higher than you!"  And she did go higher than SweetBoy and her dad.  But not higher than Mom--I made it all the way to the top!  No picture proof because I left my phone on the ground, but I made it!  I don't know how people do that for long periods of time.  I have got to get in better shape!

It is a great facility.  We will definitely have to go back and bowl and play some more!  Fun day!

Spring Break

Long time, no post!  Sorry about that.  I'm finding that 1) there are not many news worthy things going on and 2) my creative writing has other outlets at the moment--facebook (it was inevitable, right fb friends?) and the Mom and Loving It blog.  Have you checked it out lately?  But this week I have a couple of things to share.  We'll see if I actually get them done!

We had talked about going somewhere for spring break, but we didn't decide on anything.  Until about 3 weeks before hand, we decided to go to Arizona!  I had been through there on my trip with my grandparents when I was younger and I was excited to show my kids the Grand Canyon and Painted Desert/Petrified Forest.  And a certain favorite baseball team has their spring training facility out there!  So we planned our route and itenerary, booked hotels, bought tickets, and we were off!  (I usually say, "We are off like a herd of turtles!"  But SweetTate has added his own twist..."We're off like monster turtles!")

Part of our itenerary was planned time at the hotel for the kids to swim.  Problem...the hotel that we had planned the most time to do that in their indoor pool, the pool was being painted.  SNAP!  But when we arrived in Phoenix it was warm enough outside that we could use their outdoor pool.  Perfect!  We were at the hotel for 2.5 minutes and the kids already had their suits on and waiting on us to go.  Oh.My.Word. That water was so cold!  I can not describe it!  Yes, I can say that from experience because I jumped in the take-your-breath-away icy waters.  We seriously wondered if it qualified us for the polar bear club, but we didn't think they had sign ups for that in Phoenix.  The kids loved it, and life is good.

 Her lips turned a few more shades of blue before we decided it was time to get out!

Our first adventure was the Rangers game. 

A friend who had been there a few weeks before said they would sign autographs before and after the game, so that was our main souvenir objective.  Each of the kids had a ball, I had  my scorebook, we all had sharpies--we were ready!  We waited...and waited....no one was signing before the game.  Snap!  So we went to our seats that were amazing!  Right behind the Rangers dugout!  And had a delicious ballpark hotdog!  Yum!  I think they are better than the ones in Arlington.  We enjoyed the game.

Josh Hamilton hit a home run, Neftali Feliz had a good start pitching, and the Rangers won!  And we actually saw most of the game!  It wasn't so stinking hot that we were drinking so much to stay cool which brings potty breaks every inning with kids!  By the end of the game, most of the star players had already left and signed autographs as they left, and where our seats were, amazing as they were, we were not in the right place.  But after the game, David Murphy stood at the corner of the dugout signing.  SweetBoy grabbed his ball and went to get his signature.  I really didn't think he would because there was such a crowd. 

Before I could really hope that he got one, SweetBoy was back beaming showing us his signed baseball!

Awesome!  Then SweetDoll and SweetTate took off, and they got their baseballs signed also!  I seriously need to send David Murphy a thank you for totally making our day!  And yes, he is our favorite player now!  (I'm reading over this and noticed how many !!! I have used.  Sorry, but if I were talking to you in person, I would be that excited.  We had a great day!)

The next day was a full day at the Grand Canyon.  SweetHeart had been there before too and what he remembered was watching the IMAX film.  We found that and really enjoyed the views it showed.  (And it was much cheaper than the helicopter ride to get that loose your stomach feeling as you plunge over the side!)  Then we made it to the Canyon.  The vast, majestic views were beautiful, and it was amazing how it looked a little different through the day as the sun went down. 

I wanted to stay for the sunset, so we took a picnic supper to eat at just the right spot to watch it.  One of the highlights of the day happened as we sat there.  Earlier in the day we went to a Park Ranger presentation on the big birds of the Canyon.  We learned about four different birds and how to recognize them.  We saw lots of ravens, and then we saw one of the rare ones--a California Condor soared above us!  They are terribly ugly vulture-type when they are sitting, but in flight, they are very graceful and beautiful!  I am so glad we planned a time to sit and enjoy or we would have missed that.  The sunset was not that different than ones we have here, but I don't often sit down and enjoy one so it was special.

As we made our way back this direction, we planned to stop and see the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest.  It is amazing to me that there is something so different and interesting just off the highway, but you have to get off the highway to see it!  We walked around the Crystal Forest and marveled at how these huge trees used to live in this place that doesn't have a tree in sight now!  And what makes the hillsides purple? 

It is one of those places that makes me think that my God is so creative!  The kids did the Junior Park Ranger program and were sworn in.  That was a highlight for them.

In our travels, we noticed several things that looked like they were the inspiration for the Disney movie Cars.  These sandstone formations look like the car profiles they had in their hills.

Then on the way to the Painted Desert, we drove through Holbrook and saw Sally's Cozy Cone!

When we stopped for lunch the lady there told us they have a tow truck parked there that people stop and take pictures with.  We drove back by and it was Mater!  We just had to stop!  That was too fun!

We had so much fun and enjoyed our time together.  I realized that our kids are at really good ages to do stuff like this.  And I'm so glad we are at a place where we can.

Trick-or-treating 2010

SweetTate as Buzz Lightyear.  "To infinity and beyond!"

 "Falling with style!"

 SweetDoll as a flapper girl.

 SweetBoy as a knight.  (Not exactly King Peter like he wanted to be, but it had a sword and shield so we're good!)

 My three characters!

 This is the first year we have gone to houses trick-or-treating.  We have gone to a few houses of family before.  We have gone to Mamaw's to help pass out candy.  And we have gone to the church or school activities, but this year we just did regular ol' trick-or-treating.  It was good!  We still just went to neighbors we knew.  At one house, the ladies were outside and we weren't necessarily going to stop, but they invited us over and it turned out we did know their parents who lived there!  That is the beauty of a small town I guess.  And let me tell you, this town has some good candy!

 We made a short loop around town!  Yes, that is a cotton field in the background!

Then it was back to the house to wait for trick-or-treaters to come see us!  (You know we had to go out early and get back because the Rangers were playing in the World Series!  We saw the pre-game and National Anthem was on in some of the houses we stopped at.  It was recording at home so we didn't miss a thing!)

I've never been real big on Halloween, but I must admit, I will be a little sad when my kids are too big to dress up, so I'll enjoy it now!

Speaking of the Rangers...they lost the World Series in game 5.  But my Rangers played baseball in November...it was a good season!  Hopefully they will make it back to the series again soon.  Even if they didn't play well in the championship series, it was fun getting there!  This year, beating the Yankees in the ALCS was our championship!

I heart Ranger baseball!

I have not always enjoyed baseball.  When I was younger, I thought it was the most boring thing on TV!  Then I met SweetHeart, who played a little college ball, and I had to learn it out of self defense!  He taught me how to score a game, and I learned the lingo.  Now I can talk baseball, especially the Rangers.  We have been fans for years, and now they are going to the World Series!  We could not be more excited!

A FB friend asked what is your favorite baseball moment.  It got me to thinking and reminiscing...

• I love to go on Opening Day!  The fan fair and the excitement in the air is so much fun!

• When Pudge played for the Rangers and he threw a runner out at second, that was great baseball! 
• I love to watch them turn a double play! 
• Home Runs at The Ballpark are always fun because they shoot off fireworks and play the music from "The Natural." 

• Seeing the players smile like they are having the time of their life. 
• I have come to appreciate the slow pace of the game.  It is great for visiting.
• The Rangers have a storytime for pre-schoolers in the morning.  We went one time and had a blast with the kids!  We even got to eat our lunch in the stands and watch all the workers preparing for the game that evening.
• We have been there in the cold, in the rain (the rain delay of 2010 is not my favorite memory, but it was definitely memorable!), in the stinking hot, and when it was absolutely gorgeous for baseball. 

• We have seen them loose and win. 
• We were at the Rangers game on my due date with SweetBoy, and SweetHeart caught a foul ball!
• We have been there when they retired the numbers for Nolan Ryan and Johnny Oats.  We were there when they honored Michael Young for being the Rangers All-time Hits Leader.  We were 5 of thousands who signed one of the giant congratulations cards.  (I'm sure he noticed!)
• We have had seats all over The Ballpark so every camera angle on TV looks familiar.
• We have gone to games with family and friends, just the two of us, and with the kids.

• And there is the food at The Ballpark--hot dogs, pretzels, lemonade, lemon chills, cotton candy. Yum!

• Our kids have grown up going to Ranger games, and those are family memories that I treasure!

• We have had access to more games on TV this year and have watched a lot of baseball! SweetHeart laughs at me when I get so into the games--gasping at close plays and doing a happy dance when they won the ALCS.

Go Rangers!  ALCS champs!  Go for the World Series!