For the love of baseball

I love baseball.
I love everything about the game.
I don't quite know when my love affair with baseball started.  I played softball for about 2 years in middle school before finding my true love (volleyball) so I had a pretty good understanding of the basic concept.  My middle school BFF was a huge Atlanta Braves fan and she rubbed off on me.  My dad's good buddy just happened to be the son of a MLB player/St Louis Cardinals coach, so we were exposed to baseball for as long as I can remember.  It was just a part of who I am.  This love just grew even more as I got older.

I followed the Braves forever. When Tampa got an MLB team, I went to the second game (which happened to be the team's first win....and a kinda date with my then "love of my life."  When I met the Hubs, he shared my love of baseball, the Rays, and the Braves.  I even impressed his dad (the biggest sports fan in history) with my ability to read a box score and that I was a wealth of baseball knowledge!  So it was something that we all bonded over.  The Hubs and I spent many nights at the Trop, watching our team lose all the time but enjoying being at the ballpark all the same.  We always have a game on TV every night (until I say I can't take another inning of baseball anymore).  I'm trying to plan trips to the Trop every chance I get.  And now that my boys are good, it makes it even better!  We've been the the first playoff game in Rays history, the first World Series game in Rays history, and we're looking forward to many more firsts for our team.  Eventually when we retire (if we ever retire) I want to have season tickets and go to every single home game.  Number one thing on my bucket list is to catch a game at every MLB stadium...yeah I'm not your typical girl.  I just can't get enough. Oh yeah, did I mention I take Fantasy Baseball very seriously???  Yeah that's me!

I'm so glad I've found someone who shares my love of the game.  It makes for so many great memories and many opportunities to share the love with our kiddos.  It's nice to be able to talk ERA and batting averages with!!!

This weekend, before I was struck down by the wicked wicked stomach bug that's wrecking our house, we caught a game against none other than the Atlanta Braves!!!  I was torn over what team to support.  The last time Atlanta was in town (years ago) I sported my ATL gear but I now have a strong loyalty to our boys here in Tampa so of course I sported my Rays gear.  But in the back of my mind, I knew no matter who won, I was coming out a winner because I just love both teams!!!  I didn't take a lot of pictures but I did get a few of the amazing Chipper Jones.  Baseball will never be the same without him in a Braves uniform!

ATL pitchers....who doesn't love boys in baseball pants?!?!?!?!

The Hubs and I taking in Atlanta's BP....I will catch a HR ball one of these days!!!

Chipper Jones....a huge reason I'm a baseball fan

He signed autographs for at least 30 minutes

I love my Atlanta boys!!!

But not as much as my Rays!!!

First pitch

I wish I could be standing in that batter's box, taking a pitch from an MLB pitcher

Hendrick is fired up about something!

I waited all afternoon for this!!! Fernando Rodney is a BEAST!!!!

I can't get enough of my baseball loving boy!!!!

Here's to a great season and a great life filled with numerous nights at the ballpark!!!!   

A Day with the Rays

Have I ever mentioned that I love baseball?  No.  Well I do.  Opening Day is my favorite day of the year (behind my birthday and Christmas).  There's nothing like spending the day at the ball park, watching cute boys in baseball pants play ball!  The Rays have become quite the team in the last few years and the Hubs and I are trying to instill our love of the game in our kiddos.  We have been planning to go see the Braves when they come to Tampa in a few weeks and on a whim, we bought tix for us to take the kids this past Sunday.  I was nervous because Em has never been to a game.  She doesn't have the greatest attention span so I had it in my mind that she was going to be a big pain in the rear.  All week she kept saying how much she didn't want to go (she was going to stay home with the dog and cat) but surprised us on Sunday when she woke up, raring to go.  We got the kids dressed and headed down to the Trop.

To say the kids did a good job would be a complete understatement.  They were AMAZING!  They sat in our seats really well, didn't whine too much, and had a good time.  The game started out great (we jumped to a 4-0 lead) but then it went downhill.  The game was dragging and by the 5th inning, Noah was ready to go home.  So we packed it up and headed home.  All in all, I love that we had a great time and that my kiddos loved it!  I can't wait to take them back to the Trop!!!

Heading up to the Trop

Yes she brought a purse

Love my little baseball lovers!!!

Me and the Hubs

She loves her Daddy

The loves of my life

Keeping themselves entertained...thank god for Androids

Rocking her Joe Maddon glasses and silly bands

And I just have to share a few sweet pics from Sunday night.  Emmy dressed up in her Rapunzel costume and wanted to dance with her Daddy.  I am so glad I caught a few pics of this special moment.

She was so happy!  She was twirling and everything!!!

  

Happier Times are Here

Thanks for all the love and support over the past week with the loss of my grandpa.  His service was on Saturday and it was so much harder than I thought it would be.  But it was a great showering of love for an amazing man.  My family is kinda a big deal in Largo, like one of the first families of the town, so there were a handful of old time Largo people there.  It was also nice to see the outpouring of love from Orange Blossom (where he used to work) and from the rest of the family.  It's also been awesome having my aunt in town for so long.  We don't get to see Aunt Robin that much so it was nice to see her almost every day.  Hopefully she'll move her family back home and be closer!!!

But with all of the saddness going on, I'm ready for some happiness.  I'm ready to move on.  I think that sounded wrong but I hope you get what I'm trying to say. 

Although my Rays are making me sad.  We're down 2-1 in the series.  After an amazing Game 1, we've now handed the Rangers the last 2 games.  Tomorrow's a huge game.  It better be good.  Oh something cool about tonight's game.....if you watched the game during the 7th inning (I think), TBS showed a great image of my brother!  There he was, close up on Justin, for a good 4-5 seconds.  He's kinda famous now I guess.  I'll have to get the picture (my other bro took a picture of Justin on the TV) and post it because his face is priceless!!!

This week we're gearing up for the big Fun Fair at St Pats.  Noah's going to be performing.  I'm sure we'll end up with at least 3 goldfish per kiddo, who of course will die within 3 days and we'll be heading to WalMart for replacement fish.  We also have a Disney weekend planned in 2 weeks.  So a lot of good things coming!!!

Oh I almost forgot....I scored the best deal ever.  I just love Target's sales.  I find the most obscure things in their clearance sections.  I scored big time a few weeks ago in the school supplies section on Transformers stuff....coloring books, folders, book covers, etc all for about $0.30/item.  On Friday, I stumbled into the 75% off section and found picture frames for $1.48!!!  I am now the proud owner of very nice picture frames (of all sizes) for less than $10.  And I now proudly display this picture:

The best picture of my Grandpa...ever! 

Hope everyone has a great week!!!

Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge #1

Well let me tell you how exhausted I am.  I went back to work today (finally) after a long 3 weeks of being useless.  I thought going back for a 10 hour shift wouldn't be too hard but boy am I beat!  My feet hurt, my body hurts, oh and I got kicked right in the stomach.  Yep.  Right at the belly button where my fabulous surgeon so nicely pulled my gallbladder out.  It's one of the few times I hate working with kids....their flailing extremities hitting and kicking you.  But those instances are few and far between.  But I survived and I'm so happy that I have tomorrow off to recover.  Hopefully my next 3 days will be a little easier.

But on a more fun note....I'm linking up with Amber and Neely for the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge! 



I think these girls are geniuses for coming up with this!  I'm more of a spring/summer girl (I think living in FL all my life contributes to this) but as I get older, I'm starting to appreciate fall more and more.  So this 2 week blog challenge is going to be so much fun!!!  I love the idea of a different fall topic each day.  So for the first day, our topic is Fall Traditions.

1.  College Football! 

I'm a sports girl.  Always have been.  It's one of the reasons the Hubs fell madly in love with me ;)  College football is huge in our house.  I'm a big supporter of my USF Bulls....yay for being ranked #18 this week!!!  I'm so proud of how far the team has come from the first college game of my college career (way back in 2000....man I'm old!)  I love donning my green and gold!!!!  Every Saturday in the fall you can find me watching the Bulls (while the Hubs watches the Gators)

2. Baseball Playoffs

Again, I'm a huge sports fan.  I live for baseball season.  We're lucky to have a MLB team in our own backyard.  The Tampa Bay Rays have turned into quite the team.  The Hubs and I loved them when they were the Devil Rays and, for lack of a better word, sucked.  It's nice that they're playing well again.  And it's even better that they have made a miraculous turnaround and might actually make the playoffs this season!  If they get into the playoffs, maybe we'll go to one of the games.  We've been to at least one game in every playoff series the Rays have been to over the years.  We were even lucky enough to go to Game 1 of the World Series in 2008!  Hopefully going to a Rays playoff game this fall will be on our agenda this year too!!!

I've realized that I really don't have too many traditions that don't revolve around sports....some fall girl I am ;)

3.  Trick or Treating with the Kids
Having kids makes Halloween that much better!  There's something so adorable about little kids dressing up in costumes, looking so cute!  This year, I'm looking forward to having my very own Captain Hook and Little Mermaid walking around the neighborhood! Here's some of our pics from Halloween's past....

Noah's first Halloween as a Turtle. 2007



2nd Halloween. 2008....dinosaur



Halloween 2009.  Thomas the Train and a Pumpkin

Halloween 2010. A firefighter and Tinkerbelle

I hope everyone has better fall traditions than I do!  I guess since we don't exactly have a fall season in Florida, I don't have great fall traditions.  Oh well. Can't wait for the rest of this challenge!!!

Now it's off to get some much needed sleep after my first day back at work!!!
 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I just adore baseball.  I don't know if I've shared this before but I live for baseball season.  I don't really know when it started.  Opening Day is one of my favorite days of the year.  Knowing that there will be homeruns, strike outs, and boys in baseball pants on my TV every night makes my day!  (yes I'm a sucker for a man in uniform...military or baseball...doesn't matter to me either way). I even impressed the Hubs (and his dad) when we first met because I could hold my own in their baseball talk and I can read a box score.  It's one of his favorite things about me!

We are fortunate enough to have a team right here in our own backyard.  I was lucky enough to go the the second game ever...the first win in Rays history (but I wasn't lucky enough to go to the inagural game...the Hubs was though).  The Hubs and I love the Rays!  We even loved them when they were the Devil Rays and when they were HORRIBLE.  Yes, we watched them every night and got frustrated every night.  But then came the uniform change and it sparked a whole new life into the team.  We started to win, made it to the playoffs and eventually made it to the World Series.  And every year, we're actually contenders in the American League East.  Who would have thought?!!?

Last night, I was lucky enough to go to the game with my boss.  She's got season tix and took me.  It was a great time and a great game...minus it being a LONG game. Plus we beat the Red Sox!  It's always a great feeling beating them!  Just being in the Trop reminded me of how much I love baseball and being there in the stands.  There's nothing like it. My new bucket list items are to go to every MLB stadium for a game and to be able to have season tix to the Rays and actually go to every game.  Yes, I want to spend  my retirement days in a stadium, cheering for the team! 

Here is photo overload from our days at the Trop:

Opening Day 2008

American League Division Series Game 1...John's sporting the RayHawk

American League Championship Series Game 1

World Series 2008 Game 1...Can't believe we were there!!!!

The American League Champion trophy

Opening Day 2009 with Nicole (and I'm not fat...I'm preggers with Emmy)

Opening Day 2010

I finally got a pic with Raymond!!!

Random game in 2010

Noah's first Rays game

My future slugger

He was a serious fan and took his cowbell seriously

It was a great game!!!

American League Division Series 2010 Game 2

Rays game with Tori and Nicole 2011

I just can't get enough!!!