Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Bible Study has started again!

It was so good to be at my
Monday night Bible study
again last night.  I have missed
these friends and sisters in
Christ who strengthen and
encourage me to become
more like Jesus.  I love this
group of girls who are so
real and open.  We spend
time in prayer together and
we discuss what we are
learning together through the
study.

For this next study, we are
doing Beth Moore's study
on John: Beloved Disciple


I am so excited to start this new
study.  I loved the first video
with Beth teaching and reminding
us that God has something wonderful
for us. He asks us just like he asked
John: "What do you want?"  And it
was in a way that was loving and
kind.  God wants us to ask and
wants us to expect for Him to
answer us. 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Getting back in shape!

I had a lot of fun this summer, but
now it's time to get focused on
losing that extra weight I put on
during all that travel and all those
meals at 11pm after our games!

I always have good intentions, but
I needed to do something more.
So, I got an app on my phone to
keep track of what I'm eating-
I'm hoping that if I see how much
I'm consuming, it will be a visual
reminder to make better choices!
I also lose my self-control when
I get really hungry so I'm excited
to use my blendtec blender more
often with protein shakes and
green smoothies.  I'm going to
try to start taking more vitamins
and be more consistent with
exercising. 

This morning my boys started
the 100 mile club at school and
it was a lot of fun to run with
them.  Drew ran 1.75 miles and
Luke and Jake ran 1.5 miles!
I came home and jumped on
my treadmill to get more work
in the books and then started
an ab workout.  I realized how
week I am at all these different
exercises until I start doing it
more often!  It can be frustrating
but then I also remind myself
that it hasn't been a priority.
As I start to put the work in,
I will eventually see results.
The work must come first!

I leave for Jennie Finch
Softball Camp in Virginia
in the morning and I need
to make good choices on
the road too!  That is
something I need to work
on.  I just have to want it
bad enough, and at this
point, I do want to make
a change in my exercise
routine and eating habits.

New school year

The 2012-2013 school year has
begun!


Jake is a big 5th grader
 Drew is in 1st Grade
 Luke is in Kindergarten
 All my boys are officiallly in
school!  They are going to school
3 days a week this year and I am
teaching them at home the other
2 days.  They all really like their
teachers and have already made
new friends in their classes. 

Last week after I got back from
traveling we went to my sister's
house to celebrate my oldest
nephew's 17th Birthday.  Justin
was born when I was in college
at Arizona and he was only 1 year
old when I went to the 1996
Olympics.  He was so cute cheering
for me as a baby!  And now he's
a senior and so handsome!
 All the cousins were excited to
play together and they all love
Justin so much!
 I was also so happy to see
the youngest niece, Brooklyn.
She turns 1 in 9 days!
 We already took a trip to
the library.  The boys are
enjoying school so far. 
I'm crossing my fingers it
stays that way.
 I was also so excited to see
my puppy, Grover, but he
is attached to Tommy now.
I guess if he left me for 3
months, I might hold it against
him too :).  Hopefully I can
win his love back. haha

How the Pride Season Ended

I have been home for a week and a half
now.  It was so great to come back home
to CA after 12 weeks on the road.  I
think it's funny that the first few days
home all I wanted to do was clean.
The first day home I emptied out the
entire refrigerator and pulled out every
piece inside so I could clean it.  I also
went through each room and started
getting rid of stuff we don't use and
began reorganizing. 

Being away and living without so
much stuff made me realize how much
stuff I have that I really don't need.
Staying in a rental house that was
completely cleaned out made me
want to deep clean my own house.

That lasted a few days and I will
get back to it, but it wasn't long
before my schedule got back to
it's super busy stage.  I did want
to give an update on the way
the season ended for the USSSA
Pride. 

We went to Chicago and we
played the Akron Racers in the
best of 3 series.  We won the
first game, they came from a
4 run deficit to go ahead and
beat us in game 2.  In game
three, the Racers scored 5
runs in the first inning and
we had our backs against a
wall.  It was an unbelievable
comeback with Jessica
Mendoza coming up clutch
with a grand slam and another
3-run home run in the 6th inning
when they were trying to walk her!
We ended up winning 9-7 in
that game.

That put us in the Championship game
against the Chicago Bandits who
were 2-0.  We played a very tough
game on Sat night and lost 2-1.
Cat Osterman pitched for us and
gave a great performance.  She
only allowed 4 hits, but one was a
homerun and there was a runner on
who walked prior to that hit.  We
also had a home run and 4 hits, along
with 4 walks against 2008 Olympian
Monica Abbott.  We just couldn't
get that key hit but we felt good that
we had another shot with the best of
3 series. 

Then came the rain!  It rained almost
the entire day on Sunday.  We had a
TV slot for 6pm, and even took our
pre-game batting practice in the rain.
We tried to start the game, but after
one hitter, the umpire called a rain
delay because puddles were beginning
to get bigger on the infield and it was
not safe to play.  There was going to
be no let up with the weather and
we didn't have many options because
both teams had flights out (some girls
were flying to Japan) the next morning.
Our team said we would do whatever
it took to play the game.  The Bandits
said they would not have enough
players.  After a final decision was
made to announce that there would
be NO named champion for the 2012
NPF season, the Bandits players were
upset that they were not asked if they
would have stayed.  All players on
both teams wanted to play, no matter
what it took.  It was almost midnight
when we realized that in a few short
hours we would be heading to the
airport, going back to all our "other"
lives and the season was over.

I was excited to get home and
be with my family, but there was
an empty feeling about how it all
ended. We were the regular season
Champions, but the real prize is
playing for the Ring at the end of
the season.  It is a losing situation
for everyone involved: for the
players, the owners, for the league,
for the fans and for the sport to
some extent.  This will be a learning
experience and the league will
only get better and stronger
because of it. 

Here is a picture of our staff:

And the team:


On Tuesday prior to the Championships,
we went to a White Sox game
and they announced the 2004, 2008
Olympians on the field