Season Finale

Hayden played for a homeschool baseball team this season, and it's been a great experience.  School ball is more competitive than the rec teams we have been on in the past, but the intensity proved to be a great learning experience and a chance to progress in the game.

Last night was the last game of the season, and it was a perfect night for baseball!  We played my old high school, so I teased Hayden about having divided loyalties.  :-)  

The weather was gorgeous and the boys played fabulously.  They won, and it was a grand feeling to end the season on a high note.

For all the driving and practicing and scheduling (and uniform washing!) involved, this activity was quite an undertaking.  But now I can't believe it's over.  The season went by in a flash, and I hardly know what to do with myself now that me and my blue camp chair don't need to be on a certain field in a certain city by a certain time for the rest of the week.  All this freedom feels like a stranger.

But something tells me there's enough still going on around here to easily account for all the minutes of the remaining days of spring.  And then some.

I will miss my pistachio nuts.  That was my favorite ballgame snack.  I never knew I liked pistachio nuts, but they go hand in hand with watching baseball.

But I won't miss spot treating grass stains.  Green nuts are better than green stains.

I sure am grateful for the opportunity to participate on this team.  I didn't grow up playing sports, so this was a new thing for me.  The impact of coaches on the lives of young men is not an insignificant thing.  I'm super proud of my boy and his buddies.

Way to go, #25.  Love you bunches!

Champions and Chains

The countdown is officially ON.  Seven more days until Hannah comes home.  Emma is super excited, and mentioned it first thing this morning.  A week is a hard concept for a three year old, so we made a Sissy Chain.

One link per day, and each link has a "Go to......" activity for that day.

This will give us a few things to keep us busy while we wait.

The last one is the BEST!!!

Tomorrow we get to start ripping!

In other recent news.....Fall ball has officially ended.  This handsome crew won all their play off games and advanced to the city championship on Saturday.  These are outstanding young men; good buddies on the field AND off.

The temperature was lovely, but the wind was fierce.

I've never been very athletic, so the sports thing is new to me.

I'm thankful for the lessons it has taught us about teamwork and sportsmanship.  There is something very healthy and beneficial about competition, and I'm starting to catch on to that.  

Preparing, practicing, and pushing to do your best.....these are all part of growing a good boy.

I count it as blessing to have strong mentors in my son's life; people who invest out of a sincere devotion to fostering a sense of community among young boys.  That inspires me.  These men spend time, effort, and a whole lot of patience.  It inspires me to make a difference in some body's life the way these men make a difference in ours.

These sluggers clenched second place and played a clean, top notch game.

They done did us way proud.

You should see that number five.  He's really something behind the plate.  He's my favorite player.

I'm totally allowed to have a favorite.  :-)

Now the countdown is on for spring training.

Maybe I should make a paper chain for that.

Seeing Stars

Yesterday we toured the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium on a homeschool field trip. It was well worth it...this coming from a self-declared non-sports fan. The boys were elated that Opa (my Dad) came to town to go with us. I have lots of pictures to post, and I'll share snippets of trivia that I learned too.

We started our tour in the pro shop, which is more like a pro mall. We window shopped only.

Price for a Romo jersey? $270.00! Yikes! Some jerseys of older players went for even more. (Am I missing something? Did Georgio Armani design these?? Ha!)

It brings all new meaning to "watching the big screen".

Seriously, y'all. Here's the scoop....

*It's the largest flat screen TV in the world.

*Know where the second largest flat screen in the world is located? On the other side!!!

*Total cost of TV console...$40 million

*Made by Mitsubishi

*2,000 of my living room TV screens could fit inside the parameters of this big screen.

*A 747 could fit on it.

*There is an LED star on top of the TV, directly above the star in the center of the field. It can be seen from five miles above the stadium!

*Before a recent concert, the Jonas Brothers asked Jerry Jones if they could play video games on it, so they spent two hours before their show playing Halo 3 together.

*It's really big. Really.

*The seats in the stadium are cushioned, and are made from recycled materials imported from Australia.

*Each seat is 19 inches, and pretty comfy! However, they will all be replaced with 17" chairs for the Super Bowl to accommodate a total of 125,000 fans.

View from a luxury box. Each luxury box is custom designed and available on a 30 year contract. Fancy.

Again, from the lap of luxury.

The end zone!

Our family was somewhere the players haven't managed to be yet this season. :(

The field was immaculate, and very soft! I was surprised by how long and furry the turf was. Although, I'm sure it doesn't feel too soft when getting sacked by an NFL player!

The "ring of honor" was brought over from the old Texas stadium. Here, the triplets...Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Emmitt Smith.

Dad called the plays...

...Opa was benched...

...and the boys split things up 50/50!

Any part of the stadium can be rented out for special events. You can even be married on the field or have a reception in the dining area! The locker room was rented out twice recently; once for a 21 year old's birthday party, and another time for a fantasy football draft party.

We each chose a favorite player and had our picture made by their locker. Dad chose Felix Jones because he played for Arkansas.

See this cute kid in the press room? He isn't mine. I had to settle for a picture of someone else's kid, because mine were...

...already running down the tunnel! Only Dallas Cowboys are allowed to run down this tunnel. Visiting teams and college players come out separate entrances for their games. At the end of the tunnel, on either side, there is a Miller Light bar. You don't really get a feel for that from these photos, but the fans can be right up next to the players as they come out. Of course, you have to be quite a VIP to have access to the Miller Light bar. On the visitor's side, which is across the stadium, there is plexi-glass to separate the players from the over exuberant fans.

Honestly, the huge highlight for my boys was getting to play on the field for as long as they wanted. They were in heaven. Cowboy heaven.

Until they got dragged here, completely against their will. :) They are probably a few good years away from fully appreciating this place, which is fine by me!

It really was a thrill to wander the field and know what a big deal this place is to many sports fans!

We were totally spent by the end of the day, and all agreed it was really something special!

Other fun facts to share...

*There are 1600 potties in the stadium; 60% of them for women.

*There are a total of 3,000 flat screen TVs stationed around the stadium.

*There are 700 points of sale for concessions, so if you want a hot dog during half time, you have 700 lines you can choose to stand in!!

*There are 6,500 employees working on game day, and they will employ 10,000 on Super Bowl Sunday.

*The stadium is TALLER than the Statue of Liberty and LONGER than the Empire State Building.

*It is 3 million square feet and covers 73 acres

*It is the world's largest dome structure, the world's largest arched structure, and the largest stadium in the NFL.

*The steel in the arches was imported from Luxembourg. (It is said that Jerry Jones didn't want any part of Philadelphia in his stadium!!)

*Each of the speaker components, which are suspended from the arches, is the size of an 18 wheeler flat bed.

*It's a fun place to visit when an Opa comes to town. :)

GO Cowboys!!!

The New Orleans Saints are undefeated NO MORE. This I know because I had a roaring crowd of sports fans cheering the Dallas Cowboys to victory in my living room tonight. Old Buzzard was in heaven, surrounded by people who really got into the game. Poor guy doesn't get that on a regular basis, although I would like to go on the record as saying I do indeed try, for his benefit, to look up from my embroidery and make a cheerful comment when the Cowboys score touchdowns. But that method of celebrating pales in comparison to the display made by our friends, the S Family and the Y Family. They are genuine fans. Crazy fans. The kind who wear Dallas Cowboy gear and stocking caps, and holler and jump, and transform my family room into the most fun place on earth.

Look at this cute face. This is Gracie. When she gets excited her hair turns bright red. :)

She gets excited when the Cowboys play.

Miss Emma took a shine to Mr. Y, and cozied on up to him to steal his hat.

These fans qualify as crazy. Certifiable. And I can hardly wait to have them back to cheer with us again. GO COWBOYS!

I had a screaming (literally!) good time!