Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Eight

The Last of the First...

Jumping for joy and leaping for victory. Hugs, high fives, dog piles, and champagne. Those boys sure have a lot to be happy about. They’re champions. I’m just sad they’re wearing white uniforms and not gray ones. Because the Hammerheads wore gray tonight. And they don’t have anything but a completed season to be happy about. Second place just sucks. So close. Too bad close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The winning team, taking home the Florida State League Championship trophy and those shiny rings, were the Lakeland Flying Tigers. But now that I think about it…maybe they needed those things more than we did anyways. Because Lakeland is a crummy, dingy place…and their hardware should certainly brighten the town up a bit. Maybe they can put some money into that dreaded Imperial Swan Hotel they’ve got. At least enough to hire an exterminator to clean up the cockroaches. Haha…ok, I’m being a brat. It’s just that I’m a bit frustrated and sour about the season-ending loss. Our starting pitcher went 7 shutout innings – an incredible effort - but we couldn’t find a way to score…our bats were dead. Buried. Six feet under.  We mustered only 4 hits and committed 3 errors. And the Flying Tigers won’t ever let us forget that. They took advantage of a few mistakes in the bottom of the eighth inning, scored 2 runs, and never looked back. 

Well, maybe they looked back and taunted the Hammerheads as they made their brutal walk of shame to the visiting clubhouse. Maybe they didn’t. I don’t know. But seriously? As if losing wasn’t bad enough…all our Hammerheads had to pass by the celebrating Tigers’ in order to get back to the bus. Lame.  Gosh, I felt bad. We were just so close. So so close. We only needed one more win. They needed two. And that, they achieved. Dag gummit! Sigh.

Regardless of outcome, though I’d have it another way if I could, I am still so incredibly proud of my husband, the Hammerheads, and the amazing season they put together. We are so fortunate to have been able to return to Jupiter, meet a bunch of really neat guys, and play for a Championship in our first year of professional baseball.  We LOVE this team! 

Adam learned an incredible amount over the course of these last six months. With his newly acquired knowledge and a bit of hard reflection, his second season should be even better than his first! And his first was really good!!! It’s crazy to say, especially because our first year literally just ended, but I’m already looking forward to the upcoming excitement of Spring Training, team placement, and the adventures next season will bring! Outstanding job on your first year of professional baseball, Honey! You make every single one of us so proud. 

And just to brighten the somber mood of the traveling Hammerhead posse,  3 little Marlins decided to attack the Flying Tiger on our way out of the stadium. Here they are, poking out his eyes! Haha! Yeah, take that, you Flying Tiger! And didn’t your mom teach you anything?! TIGERS DON’T FLY! Shesh.

The mommy of these handsome young men is the wife of Adam’s hitting coach here in Jupiter. She’s a travel agent…and…she JUST booked our Honeymoon!!!! Wahoo!! Something positive, has in fact, come out of today. Hooray!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Seven

The Final Start of 2012

There I am, going at it again after a rain delay yesterday. Today was my last possible start of my first full season, and I was hoping it would be the last game of the season. As many of you know we are playing for the Florida State League Championship. Before my start tonight we were leading the series 2-1, in a best of 5 series. I threw well until the 5th inning when I ran into some command issues with my change-up, and some bad luck. the inning led off with a hit by pitch, then a walk, then a ground ball that rolled 15 ft, just out of the reach of me and my third baseman. The infield single left me in a jam, bases loaded, nobody out. I got pulled from the game and although we played well, didn't play well enough to hold off the Flying Tigers. they tied the series at 2-2 tonight. 

Another common theme I am finding with this team, is not only that they win, but that they don't do anything the easy way. We found that out again as I am not surprised this series is going to game 5. Baseball play-offs have many ups and downs, they are a part of a long season, and the other team wants to win just like we do. Our manager always says "don't expect the game to be easy, the other guys get payed too." haha there is a lot of truth to that statement. I love my job. What a great experience for Kendall and I! Let's go win a championship tomorrow! 

Today is September 11th, and when I was in 6th grade math class with Mrs. Rathbone (she was exactly how her name makes her sound) I didn't exactly understand just how terrible 9/11 was. Today there was a moment of silence before the National Anthem, I spent that time thinking about the innocent people who died, and the world we live in. I spent that time thinking about my brother, who recently was deployed to Afghanistan. I have learned as I have gotten older the importance of our armed forces,  and what this country stands for. I heard an awesome thought on a Christian Radio station this afternoon, it asked "what if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?." So I spent the rest of the national anthem reflecting on how thankful I am for my God, my wife, my family, and my job. 

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Three

The Reading Beauty Reads While the Sleeping Beauty Sleeps

Yes, our back "porch" looks really dirty. It's because of the rain, I swear. Plus, we don't have a hose and it's very unlikely that I'd ever scrub it with Scrubbing Bubbles anyways, so I'm stuck with the dirt. Thankfully, I was raised at the ballpark and learned the saying, "God made dirt, so dirt don't hurt," at a very young age. And that's precisely the reason I felt comfortable enough to lie my beach blanket down on the floor of our 5 x 7 foot "porch" to work on my tan. For me, walking the 20 feet to the slider door is much easier than the walk to the pool or the drive to the ocean. And I don't like leaving Adam alone anyways when he's home, so this is what I've been doing to catch my rays. I wake up a little earlier than my sleeping boy, read a book, and enjoy the Florida heat...which has been a rough task as of late because of all the storms. 

I finished the book "Little Bee" this morning. Let me tell you...I am so thankful for this read. If you have the chance, or maybe some spare time, read it. It might just change the way you look at the world. At least it did for me.

If I lived on ballpark food the entirety of the season, it would be a problem. I take my health and diet very seriously, and with that as my priority, I find ways to make my nights at the field work. I've eaten one hot dog this entire season. And I don't even really like them. I do like the ice cream, but tend to shy away because I know I'll regret eating it later. It takes a lot of work and diligence, but in the end, my body feels better running on real food and not feel good food. Hence, the orange. Nearly every game this season, whether in Greensboro or in Jupiter, I've smuggled healthy food into the stadium under the items in my purse. And that's how I eat during the games. It might not be "legal," but at least my pants still fit. 

And I'm loving my new hat! I was having a bad hair day...so I looked through Adam's hats and found this one. I think it looks better on me anyways. A real Jupiter beauty.  

The boys won their first of 5 tonight against the Lakeland Flying Tigers. They're playing for the championship AND that ring I keep talking about! LET'S GO HAMMERHEADS! Only 2 more wins!!!

Since Breaking Bad Season 5 is over, Adam and I are suffering. We needed a new show to suppress our appetite for blue meth (Hahahha). Our replacement: Sons of Anarchy. This is Adam's best impression of the main Character, Jax...which is also the future nickname of our son. How coincidental. Adam is much, much hotter than Jax though, but I do see the resemblance. Here, Adam is rocking his new Oakley Deviation sunglasses and a fresh Under Armor flannel collared shirt! SO HANDSOME!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Two

The FSL Divisional Champions!

By Adam

It only took 145 games to find out we were going to be playing for a Championship in 2012. I have learned a trend with this team: they win. Most of the members of our High-A affiliate, the Jupiter Hammerheads, were apart of the Greensboro Grasshoppers team when they  won it all a year ago. I have only spent half the year with this group, but had a feeling of intuition that we would find ourselves in this position. The next series is against Lakeland, an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, beginning tomorrow night. 

There we are, celebrating again. I'll tell ya, if you want to do your best to make a nearly 7 month long season, 140+ games, travel, good hotels, bad hotels, camaraderie, animosity and relationship seem shorter, just win. This is the 3rd time this year that Jose, myself, and a few others have been on a team that clinched the playoffs, or advanced to the championship series. Winning sure does make the grind a little better, a little shorter, and wholly worth the work and sacrifice. One more celebration will mean that we won it all, and I hope that in my first full year I can say I celebrated four times, and won two rings. 

On these occasions of course pictures are needed, so naturally, Kendall felt comfortable in this situation. Pictures were taken. 

I even let Kendall on the field to take a picture with me, she even got a hand on some hardware!

Remnant bottles from our celebration, all the liquid inside was fizzed up, and sprayed all over. A gatorade cooler was dumped on our manager, and I'm pretty sure at least a few people got hit with a cork... no one got hurt! The green bottles were genuinely champaign but the clear bottles merely impostors full of "alcohol-removed wine." Don't be fooled, I learned a lesson today I never will forget: the clear and fake bottles contain the most sinister liquid of them all. Champaign in your eye hurts, but this stuff was terrible! Again, all worth it. I could get used to this winning thing!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-One

The Divisional Series Game 2 and Adam's Thirteenth

This photo should not come as any surprise. Neither should that gigantic tarp or those looming torrential clouds. This sight has become a thing of the season, and really, truly, I'm getting quite sick of that shiny white plastic draped over the infield. I showed up to Digital Domain Park at 5:45 this evening, grabbed my seat, and began eating my Subway sandwich before the butterflies could take claim of the space in my tummy. I was feeling good. Excited. And then something wet dropped on my head. Then another. Before I knew it, the clouds were falling and the announcer was hitting us with more bad news: a game delay. What was supposed to be a 6:35 start was now scheduled for 7:00 PM. But at 7, the tarp was still lying there. 

At 8:15, Adam finally began his pre-game bullpen. The new, official start time was now 8:35...two hours after the original start time. Sigh. 

If you look closely in this photograph, you'll notice a man watching Adam from the top of the stands. His name is Mr. Meek, and largely because of his effort, Adam now calls himself a Marlin. Stan is the Vice President of Scouting for the Marlins organization and made his way to Port St. Lucie to watch Adam pitch tonight. Back in July of last year, Adam and I met with Mr. Meek at a hotel near Bellevue, WA to discuss negotiations regarding Adam's potential contract. It was a sort of business meeting that I'd never been apart of, so naturally, I had a lot of questions for Stan. Well, he must have remembered me. Because I got a chance to sit down and talk with him for a good amount of time today. It was nice to have a regular conversation with him about life away from the business end of baseball. He's a Christian man with a lot of insight on the experiences ahead of us, and I was eager to learn whatever I could from him. Mr. Meek had many sweet things to say about my husband and was excited to hear that married life is treating the Conleys so, so well. He also told me to put some more meat on Adam. Yes sir! Coming right up! 215 by Spring Training...

The second game of the Divisional Series was called by these fellas. Umpire second from the left was behind the plate tonight, calling all of Adam's pitches. He only messed up a few times, I'd say. One of those times, though, was a potential called third strike. Instead, he called it ball four. Boooo. 

Adam pitched well tonight. Especially if you take away the first inning. He said he felt good in the first, but had trouble finding the strike zone. Two batters walked. Two struck out. It was weird. I almost cried and my anxiety almost consumed me whole. But after that, it was smooth sailing for the next 3 innings. He was frustrated when he got pulled after the fourth...but, this late in the year, his withdrawal from the game was a sign from the Marlins that they care more about his health and his future. 

His line:

4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks.

The Hammerheads lost though, 2-1. Our bats just weren't alive. Somebody killed them. Tomorrow's game will determine if our boys have a shot at the championship...and that shiny ring that I'd really like to display in our Man Cave some day ;)

Oh, and shhhh...the Hammerhead Groupies shared a funnel cake during tonight's action. It was our reward for the long season. Yeah. That's it. 

Day Three Hundred and Sixty

The Division Championship Game #1

Tonight marked the beginning of Adam's first post season game. The Division Championship Game between the Mets and our home team Hammerheads began precisely at 6:35 PM...

And did not end until MIDNIGHT. Yes, that 12:00 display in the bottom right hand corner of the photo is 12:00 AM, as in, the game took FIVE AND A HALF hours to complete. And what better timing to end a game? Exactly at midnight. On the dot. As if Cincerella's carriage was waiting outside the field to turn back into a pumpkin if the game went any longer. 

You see, it all started fine and dandy with mostly clear skies and Jose on the mound. Alejandra watched as her man made plays and struck dudes out. He pitched 5 innings, allowing only one run. A pretty good outing by our friend. 

But the second Jose left the game, the clouds rushed in. Oh no. Please, not the rain. The clouds did make for a neat photo though...

And then those same clouds...well, they just let us have it. The rain came in - literally - one minute. Like it always does. One second you're dry, the next, you're sprinting for cover, praying that your hands covered enough of your hair that you don't resemble a wet mutt by the time you reach safety. In no more than 20 minutes, the field was completely drenched...standing water covering the bullpen, batter's boxes, and dugouts. The game was delayed in the top of the sixth inning. It might have been 8:00 by then. The game didn't resume again until 10:45. 

And so, Alejandra and I hung out under the stadium, along with the rest of the 300 person fan base. Hamilton the Hammerhead spotted us girls and came over to flirt. At least, that's what I think his motives were. I asked him to pose for a picture with Ale, but instead, he took advantage of the moment and dipped her into a kiss! Hahhaha..sneaky little shark! 

Following Hamilton's childish antics, we found ourselves in the ladies room, away from the cold misty air and the shark's stinky costume. Ale had to wash the stench from her hands...and that turned into this. With music playing over the speakers, we had the bathroom to ourselves. A giant dance floor with no one but the empty stalls to entertain. And so...we started dancing. Alejandra took on the role of ballerina. She's very graceful, that girl. Ok, that's just a boldface lie. Ale can dance, that's for sure, but not delicately. This pose looks more like a move from taekwondo than ballet to me ;)

And then it was my turn. With all those years of gymnastics and pole vaulting under my belt, I guess I've still got something to show for it! Although, I'd be heavily deducted for those bent legs and flexed toes. Shame on me! 

In the end - rain, dancing, and delays aside - the Hammerheads came out victorious with a 3-1 win over the Mets. They scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th and held on to that lead. They play again tomorrow at 6:30 in Port St. Lucie. Adam will have the ball. And since it's 2:45 AM right now, he's asleep resting up for his start. I'm about to join him because being awake this late is just ridiculous. And as always...GO HAMMERHEADS! 

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Six

The Twelfth Start

In front of a small group of Hammerhead faithful, Adam pitched his very last regular season game tonight. WOW. I can't believe I just typed that! 

It's not yet sunk in that Adam's first year is ending. He could pitch during post season play, but it might work out that tonight was his last game of the entire year. I hope not though! I'd like to see him pitch a few more times because that would mean a championship is on the line! In order for that to happen, the Hammerheads have to keep on winning. SO, GO HAMMERHEADS! When the regular season ends on Sunday, the boys will have one day off and then begin a 3-game series against the Mets. The first team to win two of those games will go on to the championship series.

As the season does come to an end, Adam is seeing results that aren't exactly what he had envisioned for himself. Tonight, he came home frustrated. That was surprising to me. He never brings work home. I can always count on that. Whether good or bad, he's always the same, calm guy. So I knew something was awry. He explained to me that the wear and tear of the long season is beginning to take a toll on his arm....that the arm he's pitching with right now just doesn't feel like his. Because he's thrown so much, he's not able to throw his pitches with the velocity he's used to. And to him, that's a big deal. There's a difference between a fastball sitting 96 MPH and a fastball sitting 90 MPH. He's battling that difference right now. In the beginning, 96 was easy. Now, it's not. They say (whoever they are) that the first season of professional baseball is always a learning process. What's he's going through now is certainly frustrating, but he needs these experiences to grow. Adam recognizes this truth. And next season, he'll be better prepared because of it.

In any case, I'm proud of my husband's effort and hard work this season. He's a fighter. And he loves what he does. I know he'll bounce back. Especially if (better yet, when) the Marlins decide that actually, Adam pitches his very best as a closer. Haha :)

His line for the night:

4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.

He was limited to 70 pitches tonight. And, he did hit 96 MPH in the 5th!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Five

The Florida State COUGS!

Adam was just as perplexed as I was when he noticed the little gecko hanging out on our window this morning. As he got closer, he immediately recognized the problem. Rittle Riz (that's what we call ALL of the lizards down here) was stuck between the slider and the screen! Poor guy! How he got there, we're not sure. I made the joke that he probably hatched from the eggs in the window AC unit that's currently sitting on our living room floor! One of the survivors that Adam DIDN'T step on and squish! Haha :0

I finally cornered my uniformed man after the game and snatched our first Hammerhead jersey photo! I WILL get another one here soon...I forgot my camera at home, so I was forced to use my iPhone for this one. Can I just say this: Adam looks SOOOOO GOOD in his uniform. And that hair. The smile! Oh gosh, he kills me!

After the game, I was walking to the car and was almost murdered by a GIGANTIC angry and poisonous spider! Ok, not really. But he did start repelling down his enormous web when he noticed me photographing him. Rude. The "little" dude was about the size of the circle you make when you touch your index finger to your thumb. That's BIG. I was scared. And I ran away screaming. 

I decided to make Adam's favorite Taco Soup tonight for dinner since he's pitching tomorrow. And apparently, Adam bragged to his boys about how good it was...so they had to come over and give it a try. I think they liked it, but maybe they're just really polite. I'll stick with the former. But I may never truly know. Hey, Zach Neal (left) at least went back for seconds! Tyler Higgins (right) didn't (remember him?!). Hmmm. Maybe next time, I'll just let him cook instead! He did last time and it was great! 

When our friends left...it was time for some Cougar football! We didn't think we'd be able to see the game from Florida, but as it turned out, the boys in Crimson and Gray were playing on ESPN!

And so, we grabbed a few beers, sat down, and enjoyed some football. Did I mention that my man is SUPER gorgeous? Oh yeah, well, he is! GO COUGS!

PS, Adam pitches in his last game tomorrow at 6:35. It'll be his last game until playoffs start! Holy smokes, this season has flown by!

Day Three Hundred and Fifty-Four

The Beach Meet and Baseball Feat

Since our first hug in April, my sweet Alejandra from the country of Uruguay has become one of my dearest and closest friends. She's just...the best. An amazing woman with a quick mind and a gracious heart. I love her like a sister. And today, after four months of spending so much time with her, I finally got to meet the woman Ale calls "Mama." I felt like I was meeting a second Alejandra! They're so much alike...minus the fact that Mama doesn't speak much English. She's been in Uruguay for the past 2 months and is back and ready to tackle her English studies! She's going to start learning English and I'm going to start learning Spanish! I feel so lucky to have met Susana and can't wait to spend more time with her. Our day at the beach was a windy one...I've never seen the water so crazy here. I think it must has something to do with hurricane Isaac, but that's just a guess. And of course, since the sun hasn't been out for 3 weeks now, both Susana and I walked away with sunburns. Laaaaame. 

On to Adam's day.

The Hammerheads won tonight's game. They're in first place right now. Due to how the season is ending, after their win tonight, they only needed the second place team behind them to lose...in order to clinch their spot in post season play. And so, following their win, the boys packed into the clubhouse, turned on the computer, found the Bradenton game, and listened for their fate. Bradenton lost...and that means:

THE HAMMERHEADS MADE THE POST SEASON!

Just like the Grasshoppers in Greensboro, these boys will be playing for the Class A Championship at season's end! Get this: if Greensboro wins the championship and Jupiter does too...Adam and Jose will get BOTH championship rings! From both teams! How cool is that?! Bring home the hardware, boys!

Here, the boys are huddled around the computer, listening to the game...and preparing for their champagne shower...Notice the goggles and choice of clothing! Too funny.

The entire locker room was immediately covered in plastic wrap by the end of the Bradenton game...you can see the one table already wrapped up! The boys celebrated by pouring champagne all over each other and doing other "man things," I guess. Haha...I've never been a part of a celebration like that, so I can't really speak on their behalf. But Adam said it was really exciting and that they all had a really good time. Wahoo! 

Congratulations Jupiter Hammerheads!

And to keep the celebration going, Susana cooked us all dinner...a specialty of hers from Uruguay called, "Capeletis a la Salsa." Oh my gosh. I'm moving to Uruguay. Their food is SO GOOD! 

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Nine

"The Hurt and The Healer"

Would ya look at this guy?! With his new Jupiter Hammerhead hat donned, Dad left the confines of the Evergreen Hospital walls in style. And now, he's off enjoying the comfort and peace of HOME! He was discharged this afternoon, and very excited to return to a bit of normalcy. I don't blame him! Ellie is still in Seattle, helping out where it's needed and hopefully, the next few days will slow down so everyone can inhale a deep breath. So proud of you, Mays family (Weitman, D'Alessandro, and Schend families too!) 

Thank God for seeing us through this.

As you can clearly see, I am a body builder...and today was my first fitness show. I've been practicing my strength poses for about a year now, and I think I've finally got them down. I mean, really, smiles, grunts, and mean faces are all a part of the package, right?! And the flexing thing, well, that's overrated. Ok, I'm not a body builder. Not a fitness competitor either. Just a girl who tried doing a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout today, failed miserably, sweated like crazy, and decided to document the aftermath. I've not been working out as often as I'd like to lately, to tell the truth. With all the traveling, raining, and errand-running, I've managed to neglect my workouts and I don't wish to keep it that way. Hopefully, things will settle down and I can begin committing to some sort of routine. I'm thinking another round of P90X is on the radar.

I sort of felt like a Mom today, dealing with a son who forgot to pack his lunch for school. Only, I'm not a mom. Adam isn't my kid. And he didn't forget anything. But I liked the idea that he needed me while he was at work. The game was delayed tonight, and with a less than impressive buffet in the locker room, Adam called me and asked me to bring him a lunch! Homemade double meat "sammich," as Adam calls it, Baked Lays, and a Gatorade. Oh yeah, look at me go! I've got this whole "Mom Thing" figured out! Haha.

Hurricane Isaac is rapidly approaching. It'll be here on Monday. I don't know if it's because of the storm or just because God got really really creative, but the color of the sky this evening was outrageously beautiful. We rarely see sunsets like this here on the East Coast, and I was loving every moment of it. Adam told me later that when he saw the sky, he thought of me and wished that he had a camera. He wanted to take a picture just in case I didn't get the chance to see it! Aww. 

Alejandra is back in Jupiter after spending a few days in Tampa with her Mommy, who just returned from two months in their home country of Uruguay!! I was so excited to see her pretty face...and when Hamilton the Hammerhead came down to say hi, we got a picture with the sweaty, stinky shark!

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Eight

The Eleventh (and Final Away) Game

I don't think I could've ended this season's last away series with a better and more pure photograph. I arrived at Digital Domain Stadium, a 45 minute drive from Jupiter, to a crowd of five. There were f-i-v-e of us there, waiting on a delayed ball game. I was slightly annoyed and cursing myself for forgetting my jacket. But, happily cuddled amongst a sea of blue bleacher chairs, peacefully enjoying the rainfall, I found an example of love that rekindled my spirit and had me holding back tears. I want a photo like this with Adam one day. I'd like to dream that these two spent every year, for the last 50 years, sitting in those seats together, snuggling close and sharing a passion for a game that's taught them so much about life. 

With tears subsided and butterflies fluttering freely about in my tummy, and with all those ooey gooey, feel-good thoughts running through my mind, I was in a different state of mind than when I showed up. Happy, light, and mostly carefree, I was ready and more excited than ever to watch Adam take on his eleventh start. And when they finally pulled the tarp off the infield after an hour long delay, I was calm. That's weird. I'm never calm when Adam pitches. But I was. And I'd like to learn how to keep it that way. 

But my anxiety eventually found me, thankfully though, it wasn't as hyped up as it normally is. Adam needed to bounce back from his last outing, and I was a little nervous for him. When he made it out of the first inning without a blemish, I was good to go. And so was he. He cruised along, all the way until the third inning before giving up a hit. A measly hit, at that. He seems to get those a lot. 

Here's his line for the night...Grandma Colleen, pay attention!

In 5 innings pitched (5 IP), Adam gave up 3 hits (3 H), zero runs (0 R), zero earned runs (0 ER), 1 walk (1 BB), and 7 strikeouts (7 K). His earned run average (ERA) is 4.31 now. And get this, if he took away his last start, we figured out that his ERA would be 3.05. Darn you, last start!

Adam says that this isn't a typical "baseball picture." Ok, I like that. Different is good to me! But why not typical? Well, he says it makes the hitter look bad because this dude tried to bunt on a change up. (Dummy). And the position that Adam ended in was uncharacteristic of baseball photos...so, it's weird. And perfect for my blog.

Note: Adam's sexy hair.

If anyone has anything to say about it, it better be positive because I LOVE his locks!!! I'm really really trying to convince Adam to keep his hair. Hopefully this helps a little. He's been complaining about it sticking to his face, tickling his nose, and knotting in the comb. DEAL WITH IT, is what I tell him. Because it's so cute :)

And he really liked this one, so I wanted to add it too. I'm so proud of my husband. In his last away game of the year, he proved himself to be the dominant pitcher that everyone has come to know, love, respect, and depend on. That's a good man, right there. A very good man. The best I've ever known. And I'm so blessed to call his arms my home.

Daddy Update:

Remember how my dad was supposed to spend the next 5 days in the hospital for physical and speech therapy? Oh yeah, NOT HAPPENING!! He met with the PT today, as well as some other doctors, and they all concluded that he's in WAY too good of shape to be confined to the walls of the hospital...so he's going home tomorrow!!! He'll be doing 3 days per week of PT and has some speech homework that I know Ellie and Jake will be on him to complete. Wow. When I reflect on the events of this past week, I'm stunned over how fast and easy every transition has been. My family rocks. And I'm so proud of each of them for doing their part. I don't remember the last time we all worked together so closely like this and I absolutely can't get enough of the direction the Lord is taking us all. What an AWESOME day!