Softball is Over

Our softball season has finally come to a close after kicking off in May. This was our 11th season as a team. We won the championship for our division, as well as first place for the regular season. Its a fun way to spend our summers...the kids love to dig in the dirt and occasionally run around the bases after a game and I keep score and take a few pictures.

Last weekend was our annual after-season picnic and tonight was the league awards banquet. Shaun was voted Coach of the Year for our division and I was so proud! No one can know the heart that he puts into the team each season. Formulating line-ups and addressing problem areas in the defense are things that he thinks about throughout the day.

A win or a loss, depending on the circumstances, will have him up at 3:00 in the morning. He keeps tedious stats on each player and knows the league rule book inside and out. He deeply cares about his players and wants to help build character in them and show Christ.

He is also highly competitive and wants to win and guys like playing for a winning team. I love to watch him in his element, passionate and wanting to have excellence in everything he does.

Congrats, Shaun on Coach of The Year! Very well deserved...thank you for always desiring to live life with excellence.

Remembering...

I had the luxury of waking up today without a weigh in my heart and a dreaded realization of what the date was. I was deeply affected by the attacks on 9/11 like every other American, but not directly.


My prayers today are with the families who are left behind. We are thrown so many numbers and statistics that it is hard to remember that behind each number is a family left behind. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and children. Oh, so many little children.


Its important that we remember. Today, I remember. And I know with more assurance than ever that the God I serve is still on the throne.


Today, with my tears of remembrance, comes a deep thankfulness for my family, for my country and for my God.


God bless America!

Take A Picture, Mom!

My budding photographer often calls me in to a situation that she deems "picture worthy". This morning was one such time and who am I to argue that there is a "need" to take a picture. Amanda, sensing she may be getting into a situation requiring her cooperation, starts to throw a little fit for good measure.

Another such time. They are so squeezable first thing in the morning! Here they are chewing on a vitamin and watching their latest favorite "kid show", as Avery calls it, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Memory

Avery got a Memory game for her birthday and she loves to play. We've played several times in the past two months and she knows all the rules now. And she's been getting better and better.

This morning she beat me straight-up...16 matches to 8 matches. What?! I demanded a recount but it came out the same.

Later, I was telling Shaun about it. I could tell he was not convinced because a) he beats me at every game and b) I'm her mother, for goodness sake!

So, he challenged her to a game and they tied. He was dumb-founded. How is this possible, we both wondered? When we are playing with her she is chatty, wiggly and giggly and gives the appearance that she is paying attention only half the time.

Chalk it up to our first time with a three-year old, but we are both amazed at her capacity for information.

Side notes: the blue on her hand and face is from a face painting of Cinderella that she got at the dance studio's open house and her lower lip is still healing from when her tooth went through a couple weeks ago. The bruise on her head? Also healing nicely. Isn't it grand to be three??

A Heart Filled By God's Love

Last night I attended a Titus 2 bible study through my sisters' church. The idea of the study is based on the verse found in Titus 2:3-5 which states, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."

It was a small group so we were able to have a good discussion and cover many topics. Several things that were said stuck with me and I'll mull them over more as I review my notes.

One woman was sharing that she has found that when she maintains her focus on God, she doesn't have time to look at or worry about the shortcomings of her husband. She went on to say that this life is really not about us. Its not about me, and I love to be reminded of that (somedays an hourly reminder of that would be helpful!).

Then today, I came across this and it just reiterated what I heard last night and know to be true:

Personal worship is an absolute necessity for a strong marriage. It comes down to this: If I stop receiving from God, I start demanding from others. Instead of appreciating and loving and serving others, I become disappointed in them. Instead of cherishing my wife, I become aware of her shortcomings. I take out my frustrations with a less-than-perfect life and somehow blame her for my lack of fulfillment.

But when my heart gets filled by God's love and acceptance, I'm set free to love instead of worrying about being loved. I'm motivated to serve instead of becoming obsessed about whether I'm being served. I'm moved to cherish instead of feeling unappreciated.
(Devotions for a Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. From "A Soul Filled with God" on p. 9)

Livin' Large

Guess where we were today? Yes...taking in another comped Red Sox game. Last night an email went out from one of our telecomm providers that there were tickets available for today's game. My boss jumped on it and got us two tickets!

As you can see from the ticket, we watched the game from one of the luxury boxes. To get to our seats we went through several security check-points and had to show our tickets. It was complete with all-you-can-eat catered lunch, leather couches and flat screen TV.

We chose to watch it sitting in the stadium seats right in front of the suite and oh, what a view! As an added bonus, the actual game was great. They came back to win it in the bottom of the 9th, with a dugout clearing celebration.

It was an experience that I'm afraid has ruined me forever. Never will I be able to sit with the common folk in the bleachers and not think longingly to my day in the sky. :)

I'm grateful I was Shaun's first choice for a buddy. He really wanted to go with me to the game, and I think that's pretty cool. We had a fun day hanging out together and I know it will be one of his life's highlights. All these special game opportunities makes me feel like I should dig in and become a real fan, not one of those "pink hats" my husband and his sports-talk radio guys talk about. (BTW, thanks Mom, for taking the girls for a very long, very last-minute day!)

Lobster Fest

We just spent an incredible weekend enjoying family, the weather and no work. My aunt, uncle and two cousins came from NY and PA and we did our best to take full advantage of their company.

Some of our fun included the 4th Annual Lobster Fest. This year my sister Bethany hosted at her new home and we took full advantage of their beautiful yard playing volleyball, football, jungle gym. Shaun conducted Avery's first volleyball lesson...co-ed doubles in 15 years??

Today was golf for some of the guys and then we headed to my mom's house on the lake for a full lunch spread and swimming and boating fun. Avery didn't think the boat was too fun though, at least when Shaun was out on the wakeboard. Apparently she cried when he crashed because she was worried about him. :(

Shaun grabbed the camera and took several pictures of me trying to get corn on the cob out of my teeth, but as I was getting ready to put the picture up, I realized there actually was corn in my teeth and, as I've stated before, this is my blog so...no food-in-teeth pictures. Sorry.

Family...what a blessing!