Well, game two did not go quite as well as game one. First of all, it was about 38 degrees outside with 15-30 mph north wind gusts that cut right through you. Connor and I arrived at 3:00pm for our 3:30pm game, only to discover that there was a game in session on our field with 55 minutes of play time remaining. So much for our 3:30pm start time, and it was FREEZING!
The boys watched a bit of the game on our field before heading to the playground to entertain themselves and to move around to stay warm. I tried to hangout by a brick wall to see if it would block the wind a bit, but the brick wall acted more like a wind tunnel than a wind block. I finally gave up and just went to sit in the stands. Of course, the stands are metal bleachers. Can you say, "COLD!" Luckily, I brought the sleeping bag. I zipped it up and climbed in it - pulling it up around my neck and ears. There I sat for almost an hour waiting for our game to begin. Freezing!!!!
Our boys finally took the field sometime after 4:30pm. Our pitching was not as hot as it was the first game, and the other team's pitching was incredible. Our first up-to-bat, their pitcher struck out our first three batters, and the top of inning was over. Their team was up-to-bat. Our boys made some good fielding plays and got a player out at 3rd and another at 1st base, but not before our opponent scored several runs.
In our second up-to-bat, we managed to get one batter on base, but he was called out trying to steal home. So, after two innings, we were scoreless and our opponents had 6 runs, I think. In the third inning, we managed to get two or three batters on base and scored a couple of runs, but their pitcher was strong, and our Tiny Titans could not get the big hits that we needed.
We did not win the game, but our little guys hung in there. The tournament is over, and we start regular season play on Tuesday night. The weather forecast is calling for much milder temperatures, so Tuesday night's game should be much more pleasant than Saturday's. Wish us luck! Go Tiny Titans!!!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tiny Titan's Baseball 2009
Connor is playing AA Baseball this year. He has been playing baseball since he was 4, sitting out only one fall ball season, I think, but this is his first round of AA Baseball. Our season began this evening with Round 1 of a Pre-Season Tournament. Our 10U Tiny Titan's team faced the 10U Red Sox team, and I am happy to say that we came out ahead! Go Tiny Titans!We were the "Guests" tonight, so we were up to bat first. Connor batted 8th tonight. He had a huge hit that went under the glove of the outfielder between 2nd and 3rd base and earned him a double! Each inning, the batting team is held to a 5 point run limit. I am happy to announce that we scored 5 runs in Inning #1, and our opponents scored only 1 run (their one run was due to 3 errors on our team's part). Although the boys made 3 quick errors, they redeemed themselves by fielding a ball at 3rd base, quickly sending it to 1st base, and getting batter #4 out! Whew Hoo!!!
On to the 2nd inning ... Connor made another great hit and earned himself a double - after an overthrow to firstbase. Connor and three of his teammates rounded the bases and made it home - earning us 4 runs in the 2nd inning. The Red Sox came back and scored 5 runs in the 2nd inning, and the inning ended 9-6. Our Tiny Titans came back fighting in the top of the 3rd and scored 4 runs!
With only a few minutes of game time remaining (each game is 80 min. long), the Red Sox were back up to bat. When the time ran out, the umpire called the inning and ended the game since the Red Sox had no chance of winning. Our Tiny Titans won their Pre-Season opener 13-6!
We were so proud of Connor and his team! They played hard, stayed focused, made some big hits, and some great plays. Our next game is Thursday evening!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Spring Break 2009
We had a "stay"cation this Spring Break. Instead of going somewhere, we hung out at home for the week. We started the weekend trimming one of the trees in the front yard. We trimmed limbs, hauled branches and limbs to the curb, trimmed bushes, and filled several lawn and leaf bags to the brim.
Monday, I spent the day cleaning some of the kitchen cabinets and organizing the pantry. It was a lot of work, but it felt great to get it all clean and organized. Tuesday I cleaned a few other things around the house and organized the master bedroom a bit. It still needs some work, but it is better than it was before.
Wednesday, we ran errands and purchased gifts for Easter baskets that will be given to area needy children through our local family services organization. Megan chose a basket for a 10-12 year old girl and Connor a basket for a 6-10 year old boy. They chose candy - chocolates and Starbursts, giant lollipops, and chocolate eggs. Megan chose lip gloss, fingernail polish, and a magnetic dry erase locker board for the girl, while Connor chose bouncy balls, a paddle ball game, and silly string for the boy. Both Megan and Connor selected a small stuffed bunny to round out their baskets. We had a great time selecting the Easter treats!
We met Stephanie, Colton, & Carson for lunch at La Hacienda. We enjoyed a nice lunch together before heading to our house so the kids could play. Stephanie and I spent some time together while the kids rode bikes and ripsticks and jumped on the trampoline.
Blake took Thursday and Friday off of work so that we could all spend some time together. And spend time together we did. We did not relax around the pool or watch movies. Instead, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we trimmed trees and bushes, stacked and relocated limbs and branches, cleaned flower beds, spread two yards of dirt, and put down a pallet of sod in the front yard.
Needless to say, we were exhausted on Sunday. We wrapped up the weekend with baseball practice, YoungLife letter night, and Life Group. It was a great week, but I think that I need to go back to work to get some rest!
Monday, I spent the day cleaning some of the kitchen cabinets and organizing the pantry. It was a lot of work, but it felt great to get it all clean and organized. Tuesday I cleaned a few other things around the house and organized the master bedroom a bit. It still needs some work, but it is better than it was before.
Wednesday, we ran errands and purchased gifts for Easter baskets that will be given to area needy children through our local family services organization. Megan chose a basket for a 10-12 year old girl and Connor a basket for a 6-10 year old boy. They chose candy - chocolates and Starbursts, giant lollipops, and chocolate eggs. Megan chose lip gloss, fingernail polish, and a magnetic dry erase locker board for the girl, while Connor chose bouncy balls, a paddle ball game, and silly string for the boy. Both Megan and Connor selected a small stuffed bunny to round out their baskets. We had a great time selecting the Easter treats!
We met Stephanie, Colton, & Carson for lunch at La Hacienda. We enjoyed a nice lunch together before heading to our house so the kids could play. Stephanie and I spent some time together while the kids rode bikes and ripsticks and jumped on the trampoline.
Blake took Thursday and Friday off of work so that we could all spend some time together. And spend time together we did. We did not relax around the pool or watch movies. Instead, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we trimmed trees and bushes, stacked and relocated limbs and branches, cleaned flower beds, spread two yards of dirt, and put down a pallet of sod in the front yard.
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Needless to say, we were exhausted on Sunday. We wrapped up the weekend with baseball practice, YoungLife letter night, and Life Group. It was a great week, but I think that I need to go back to work to get some rest!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Fireproof Your Marriage: He Said, She Said
As I mentioned before, we are participating in the Fireproof Your Marriage study with our Life Group. We meet every two weeks, so it is going to take us a bit to go through the study, but I like having two weeks to focus on each lesson. The first week was titled, "He Said, She Said," and we talked about the difference in the needs of men and women. Men need respect from their wives and women need love from their husbands. We went through some examples and chose the ones that made us feel the most respected and loved and then shared our feelings with each other.
It was nice to discuss this around the group and to hear different perspectives. Although Blake does not always communicate his feelings one-on-one with me, I heard him say several things during the group discussion that meant a lot to me. Our homework for week one involved some individual questions and then some couple discussion questions. First, we were encouraged to answer some questions as individuals. My questions related to Love, while Blake's related to respect. After we both answered our own questions, we shared our thoughts and feelings with each other. I knew that "everything" to Blake relates back to money. It does not matter what it is, Blake relates to it, looks at it, and bases his interpretation on its value or cost. I, on the other hand, don't look at the amount, but the value first. By value, I do not mean cost. I mean, how does it benefit us, how much enjoyment will be get out of it, how much do we like it, etc. Yes, the cost is important because if it is too much we can't get it, do it, etc. But, to Blake, the cost is really all that matters most of the time. That being said ... I learned that when I spend money, I sometimes show him disrespect. So, now, I am looking at it a different way and really trying to show him respect by spending wisely and not as often.
Love and connecting emotionally is most important to me. During the lessons we listed ways that our spouse could show love or respect to us that week. I listed things like ...
Since our discussion and study for week one, we have both been working hard to show love and respect to each other. Blake is doing an awesome job! I feel like he is really a part of this household. He is helping around the house with dishes, laundry, picking up things, etc. It is awesome! My stress level has gone way down, and I don't feel irritated toward him or the kids because everyone is pitching in and helping out. I don't feel like I am trying to do everything alone anymore!
Even though the kids were a bit resistent to doing extra things and to being held to doing and finishing some extra household chores/duties, they have been much happier and more pleasant. Megan, who is typically negative and pessimistic, sent me a txt message yesterday telling me that she was having a wonderful day and that she was happy. That is HUGE!
I am LOVING the Fireproof Your Marriage couples study, and I look forward to gaining more insight and to walking through this study with Blake more and more each day.
It was nice to discuss this around the group and to hear different perspectives. Although Blake does not always communicate his feelings one-on-one with me, I heard him say several things during the group discussion that meant a lot to me. Our homework for week one involved some individual questions and then some couple discussion questions. First, we were encouraged to answer some questions as individuals. My questions related to Love, while Blake's related to respect. After we both answered our own questions, we shared our thoughts and feelings with each other. I knew that "everything" to Blake relates back to money. It does not matter what it is, Blake relates to it, looks at it, and bases his interpretation on its value or cost. I, on the other hand, don't look at the amount, but the value first. By value, I do not mean cost. I mean, how does it benefit us, how much enjoyment will be get out of it, how much do we like it, etc. Yes, the cost is important because if it is too much we can't get it, do it, etc. But, to Blake, the cost is really all that matters most of the time. That being said ... I learned that when I spend money, I sometimes show him disrespect. So, now, I am looking at it a different way and really trying to show him respect by spending wisely and not as often.
Love and connecting emotionally is most important to me. During the lessons we listed ways that our spouse could show love or respect to us that week. I listed things like ...
- Before you turn in for the night, help me to pick up the house, to get the kid's lunches made, and to prepare the family for the following day.
- Do something to help around the house without me asking you to do it.
- Volunteering to take one or both kids to school so that things are not so crazy in the mornings.
- Being "involved" with the daily, routine things around the house that I typically have to do on my own.
Since our discussion and study for week one, we have both been working hard to show love and respect to each other. Blake is doing an awesome job! I feel like he is really a part of this household. He is helping around the house with dishes, laundry, picking up things, etc. It is awesome! My stress level has gone way down, and I don't feel irritated toward him or the kids because everyone is pitching in and helping out. I don't feel like I am trying to do everything alone anymore!
Even though the kids were a bit resistent to doing extra things and to being held to doing and finishing some extra household chores/duties, they have been much happier and more pleasant. Megan, who is typically negative and pessimistic, sent me a txt message yesterday telling me that she was having a wonderful day and that she was happy. That is HUGE!
I am LOVING the Fireproof Your Marriage couples study, and I look forward to gaining more insight and to walking through this study with Blake more and more each day.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Another Remodeling Project
For a few years now, we have wanted to ripped out wooden stair rails and replace them with wrought-iron. Well, we finally did it. The night before the new rails were to be installed, we had the opportunity to kick out a few of the spindles. Connor really got into it - kicking out half a dozen spindles with his karate type kicks. Megan and I joined in on the fun a bit, too.
Chip and his guys came in and tore out the remaining rails and spindles and replaced them with new ones. Soon, we will stain the new oak rails and treads the same color as the wood floors. But for now, we are enjoying the raw wood and the beautiful new wrought-iron spindles with alternating basket design.
Chip and his guys came in and tore out the remaining rails and spindles and replaced them with new ones. Soon, we will stain the new oak rails and treads the same color as the wood floors. But for now, we are enjoying the raw wood and the beautiful new wrought-iron spindles with alternating basket design.
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Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Two Year Project
Two years ago this month, we did some work on our kitchen. We ripped out the white Formica builder-grade counter tops, white tile back splash, the white porcelain sink, and chrome and white faucet and replaced them with granite counter tops, a slate back splash, a black granite sink, and brushed nickel fixtures. A few weeks later, I decided to upgrade the battered cabinets by painting them.
Now I don't mind painting. I have painted the entire interior of my home, and I'm sure that I will be doing it again in the not so distant future. But, painting cabinets is NOT the same as painting the walls of a room or even painting the baseboards. Paint the cabinets was initially a project that I was excited about tackling, but it quickly became a project that made me feel defeated.
You see, I started out by sanding them. The first few weren't too bad, but then ... the sanding bits gets old - especially when you try to get into the crooks and indentions of the cabinet face. Next, came the painting. I found a beautiful dark brown paint that complimented the new granite and back splash, so I began to paint. Blake was not too hip on the Safari Brown paint, and nor were a few other friends that came over to visit. So, after a few days, I began to strip and sand the cabinets and draws that I have primed and painted.
So, it was back to the local hardware store for more paint swatches. After going through swatches and looking through magazines, I decided to try some experimentation. So, I purchased a pretty golden yellow paint, painted the inside or a couple of doors, painted the Safari Brown over the top, and applied a crackle paint. Well, Blake hated that more than the plain brown, and I was pretty sure that I would not be able to get the crackle effect to look right in the curves and indentions on the faces of the cabinet doors. Once again, I was back to square one and had no idea what I was going to do with these cabinets.
A while later, I visited a friend's home. They had dark counter tops and stark white cabinets. That was it. I would just paint them white. I purchased white paint and proceeded to paint two cabinets doors. I disliked them instantly, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with them or really how to do it.
We were having company, so I reattached the cabinet doors so that everyone would not have to look at the contents of my cabinets. And so the cabinets remained ... for the next 18 months or so. A few were sanded down to the raw wood, a few were painted Safari Brown, a few were painted white, and a few were partially painted/partially sanded, and I just ignored them. People would come over and ask which one we were going with (which color, etc.), and we would tell them the story. I really thought that I wanted to paint all of the lower cabinets Safari Brown, but I just felt so defeated by the failed attempts that the project became an impossibility for me, and I hated it when Blake would talk about the "unfinished cabinets" because I just felt like a failure.
Well, this week, Blake and I met for lunch and made a plan. We talked about the projects that needed to be done around the house and how we were going to get them done. The number one project on Blake's list ... the cabinets. This time, instead of saying, "when are YOU going to get the cabinets painted?" he said, "Friday night, we are painting the cabinets." Instantly, the cabinet painting project did not seem so impossible because I was no longer having to face it alone.
Friday after work, I went to the hardware store, purchased new paint brushes and primer, came home, and got to work. Blake and I, with a little help from the kids, were able to prime the section of the cabinets that I had started working on. We decided that instead of attacking all of the lower cabinets, we would focus on the one section. This seemed doable.
Saturday morning, after Connor's 8am soccer game, we made another visit to Lowe's to purchase a gallon of Safari Brown paint, and then headed home to paint! After finishing all that we could on the initial section, we decided to continue around the kitchen. We primed all of the lower cabinets and then proceeded to paint them.
We have a few touch-ups to make, and some tea stain and varnish to apply, but the project is close to being complete, and I no longer feel defeated by my unpainted cabinets! We had our Life Group over this evening, and everyone commented on how beautiful our home was. I feels great to have accomplished and almost completed such a huge project, and I am so appreciative that Blake encouraged me and worked along side me this weekend to get this project done.
We still have several projects on our To-Do list, but I know that we will tackle them together so that neither of us feels alone or defeated.
Now I don't mind painting. I have painted the entire interior of my home, and I'm sure that I will be doing it again in the not so distant future. But, painting cabinets is NOT the same as painting the walls of a room or even painting the baseboards. Paint the cabinets was initially a project that I was excited about tackling, but it quickly became a project that made me feel defeated.
You see, I started out by sanding them. The first few weren't too bad, but then ... the sanding bits gets old - especially when you try to get into the crooks and indentions of the cabinet face. Next, came the painting. I found a beautiful dark brown paint that complimented the new granite and back splash, so I began to paint. Blake was not too hip on the Safari Brown paint, and nor were a few other friends that came over to visit. So, after a few days, I began to strip and sand the cabinets and draws that I have primed and painted.
So, it was back to the local hardware store for more paint swatches. After going through swatches and looking through magazines, I decided to try some experimentation. So, I purchased a pretty golden yellow paint, painted the inside or a couple of doors, painted the Safari Brown over the top, and applied a crackle paint. Well, Blake hated that more than the plain brown, and I was pretty sure that I would not be able to get the crackle effect to look right in the curves and indentions on the faces of the cabinet doors. Once again, I was back to square one and had no idea what I was going to do with these cabinets.
A while later, I visited a friend's home. They had dark counter tops and stark white cabinets. That was it. I would just paint them white. I purchased white paint and proceeded to paint two cabinets doors. I disliked them instantly, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with them or really how to do it.
We were having company, so I reattached the cabinet doors so that everyone would not have to look at the contents of my cabinets. And so the cabinets remained ... for the next 18 months or so. A few were sanded down to the raw wood, a few were painted Safari Brown, a few were painted white, and a few were partially painted/partially sanded, and I just ignored them. People would come over and ask which one we were going with (which color, etc.), and we would tell them the story. I really thought that I wanted to paint all of the lower cabinets Safari Brown, but I just felt so defeated by the failed attempts that the project became an impossibility for me, and I hated it when Blake would talk about the "unfinished cabinets" because I just felt like a failure.
Well, this week, Blake and I met for lunch and made a plan. We talked about the projects that needed to be done around the house and how we were going to get them done. The number one project on Blake's list ... the cabinets. This time, instead of saying, "when are YOU going to get the cabinets painted?" he said, "Friday night, we are painting the cabinets." Instantly, the cabinet painting project did not seem so impossible because I was no longer having to face it alone.
Friday after work, I went to the hardware store, purchased new paint brushes and primer, came home, and got to work. Blake and I, with a little help from the kids, were able to prime the section of the cabinets that I had started working on. We decided that instead of attacking all of the lower cabinets, we would focus on the one section. This seemed doable.
Saturday morning, after Connor's 8am soccer game, we made another visit to Lowe's to purchase a gallon of Safari Brown paint, and then headed home to paint! After finishing all that we could on the initial section, we decided to continue around the kitchen. We primed all of the lower cabinets and then proceeded to paint them.
We have a few touch-ups to make, and some tea stain and varnish to apply, but the project is close to being complete, and I no longer feel defeated by my unpainted cabinets! We had our Life Group over this evening, and everyone commented on how beautiful our home was. I feels great to have accomplished and almost completed such a huge project, and I am so appreciative that Blake encouraged me and worked along side me this weekend to get this project done.
We still have several projects on our To-Do list, but I know that we will tackle them together so that neither of us feels alone or defeated.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Bottom Braces
Megan has had her upper braces for a few months now. Today, they put braces on her bottom teeth. Although she was not at all excited about them, she did much better today than she did when they put the upper braces on.Just as they did the first time, the brackets were pre-set on a mold of Megan's teeth. The attendant cleaned her lower teeth with special cleaners, dried them, and prepared them for the bracket application. She carefully applied glue to the center of each of the lower teeth and then pressed the blue mold and brackets into place. After two minutes, she began to gently peel the flexible blue mold away, exposing the newly glued brackets on her lower teeth. After checking them all to ensure that they were properly placed and adhered, she inserted a wire and secured it with colored bands.
Megan will wear the upper and lower braces for about 12 more months, if all goes as planned. Here are a few pictures of the procedure.
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