Wahoo Frenzy Champs

This was our third straight weekend on the road with our Clay travel team. The first weekend, we finished 3rd out of 22 teams. The second weekend, "Mother Nature" was declared the winner. This past weekend, we were in Wabash, Indiana for the Wahoo Frenzy tournament. There were 14 teams from all over the state. We swept through our Pool Play on Saturday with a perfect 3-0 record - which made it nice because we didn't have to play an early game on Sunday morning.

But, prior to those three wins we were up early and on the road at 5:45 a.m. for our two-hour drive to Wabash. 15-16-17 year old girls don't always function well for those early morning games. It takes an hour or so of warm-up just to get their eyes open, their arms throwing, and the bat connecting with the ball.

We played two games at 9 and 11 and then we had to figure out what we were going to do with them for the next 5 hours, until our evening game. We ended up at Pizza Hut and then checked into the hotel. While the girls napped, the parents sat around by the pool and refreshed ourselves with beverages. Then, it was back to the park for the 7 p.m. game, which we end up winning in 5 innings. As the game ended, I heard Kelli laughing and pointing out beyond her Center Field position. Looks like we had a unpaid guest.

We got back to the hotel in time for the girls to take a quick dip in the pool (before management locked the gate). The coaches ordered pizzas, the girls all escaped to ONE room and the parents sat outside and stayed as far away from girls as possible.

I dont' think any of the three players in my room budged until almost 10 o'clock on Sunday morning - and that was only because we had to check out by 11. We made a stop at McDonald's and then it was back to the park for our first game at 2 o'clock game. Of course, there always seems to be time to just lay around on a blanket until coach tells you that it's time to get going.

So, we won that first tournament game against Logansport, and then faced off against Elkhart Memorial at 4 o'clock and won that one, which brought us up against Mishawaka Marian for the championship game at 6 o'clock. It's kind of funny - to be that far away from home and do battle against a high school that's 15 minutes away from your high school back home. Most of the girls on both teams knew each other - either from Little League or from Travel Teams. Marian jumped on top 1-0, but we came back in the 4th inning with 2 runs to take the lead and never looked back. We won the championship game by the score of 4-2 and took home the trophy.

... and here's Kelli and Angela modeling their championship t-shirts.

Another Weekend - Another Softball Tournament

This makes three weekends in a row.

I need a break!

I'm tired of.....

1. Living out of a cooler.




2. Listening to Kelli's choice of music.




3. Spending my weekend driving all over the state of Indiana. (This weekend, I broke down and got us a hotel room).




4. Smelling softball player's feet - after playing a multitude of games - while they sleep in my car driving home.

Look at these beautiful, smiling faces! Who would ever think their feet could gag a maggot!!

Photographers.....

My head is swimming with wedding photographers, their websites, their package prices!! Some offer engagement sessions, some offer full day wedding coverage - other 8 hours, some offer Rights to the CD full of all the photos taken - others charge $500 for the CD, prices range from affordable to waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of our budget. I've forwarded three websites with galleries to Chrissie and two have grabbed her interest.

We are now scheduling appointments to check things out a little closer. Turns out one of them went to college with Brock at Bethel. Small world huh? I think he just moved to the top of the list!!

If we end up going with him, I'll post the link to his gallery here.

Less Than Fourteen Months.....

We have a DATE: August 22, 2009

We have a RECEPTION HALL: St. Hedwig Memorial Center

We have a CHURCH: St. Monica Catholic Church, Mishawaka

We have a CAKE and we have a DJ.

Next on the agenda - a PHOTOGRAPHER - and then we can sit back and relax for awhile.

Grandchild Number 6.....

This little person cooperated nicely this morning during mom's ultrasound. Spread the legs ever so wide and showed off what GOD gave him.

Yep, that's right - Baby Van Fleit is a BOY!!!!

Mom's first comment - "What did I do to deserve two boys??"

Dad's first comment - "This is going to save us a BUNCH of money!!"

The next decision they have to make - his birthday. Her C-Section will be on Friday, October 31st or Monday, November 3rd - it's her choice. I'm betting on a Halloween birthday baby boy!!

Another Road Trip

We were on the road early this morning - Kelli, Hannah and I - on our way to North Manchester, Indiana - about 75 miles. We get there - the sun is shining brightly - we start warming up and our game gets underway at 11:00 a.m. Five innings into the game, the skies start to darken, the wind begins to blow and the rain starts to fall. We headed for some shelter and withstood a five minute cloudburst. Things cleared up, the fields were made ready and our girls prepare to finish the game. The umpires looked at the skies, checking the clouds moving in from the west. They decided to postpone everything for an hour and sent us all to our cars. As we loaded everything in the back of the car and grabbed some snacks from the cooler, this was a shot of the threat coming our way.

Within just a few minutes, the wind was howling - people were scattering and the sky directly above our car looked like this.....

The skies opened up with torrential rain and hail and we sat in the car for 20 minutes, until our coach called on Kelli's cell phone and said that everything had been cancelled and we needed to be back at 8:30 a.m. tommorrow. Be prepared for a LONG day!

So, we drove 150 miles (at $4.07 a gallon) and played 5 innings.

Let's hope we get our money's worth tomorrow!

The Ring....

In case you didn't know this about Chrissie - she's vintage in her style. I think her and Kelli were both born in the wrong century. Anyway, she loves old, antique, vintage looks and she saw this ring over a year ago. Brock remembered and that's the one he went back for. I think he did good!

She Hasn't Stopped Smiling.....

Chrissie stopped by my office yesterday on her lunch hour to show off her ring.

I stopped at the veterinary clinic after work to see if she wanted to go for a margarita and discuss some plans. The office girls at the clinic said she hadn't stopped smiling all day. (When have you EVER known Chrissie not to have a big smile on her face?)

So, we sat on the patio at Hacienda and had a margarita and discussed colors and dates. I contacted the reception hall yesterday and they have three August weekends available in '09. Chrissie and Brock plan to make a decision in the next week and get the hall booked - then it's off to talk to Father Largent at St. Monica. Right now, it looks like they're leaning towards August 22, 2009.

She's had her heart set on black and pink for a color scheme - so that's what we're looking at. Black tea-length dresses with pale pink and dark rose, maybe a little orange and lots of green mixed in. Something like these....

I'm planning to contact the same cake lady that I used for Carrie's wedding. Her website has some beautiful ideas. I found a few photos online and have added them to my idea notebook to eventually discuss with her.

So, we sucked down our margaritas and she leaned across the table and said, "You wanna go to David's Bridal?" Why not?? The two ladies who helped us get registered were laughing because she'd only had her ring for 24 hours. That didn't matter one bit to Chrissie. She tried on probably eight dresses! Some were a definate "maybe". She ended up having three put into the computer under her account - all three were totally different in style. There are two more that she really wants to see, but both are new and have not arrived at the store yet. They will email me as soon as they come in and we'll schedule another session with all of her sisters there. She wants their input before she makes any decisions. (Like the four of them wouldn't want to give her some advice!!)

Revelations.....

I've known for a long time that this day would soon come - but even when we received the phone call last week, asking if he could meet with us - well, it came as a wonderful surprise. And then, having to keep quiet for five whole days! And you know me - I couldn't keep TOTALLY quiet. I shared with a few of my friends and of course my family - that is, all of my family but ONE. The one person who I knew was waiting and hoping.

That one person is our Chrissie.

...and last night, she got the surprise of her life.

I think a few tears were involved.

I KNOW a few tears were involved.

Bob and I were waiting, along with Junior and Addie at the LaSalle Grill. I had four missed phone calls from Chrissie on my cell phone - which I didn't answer on purpose. Carrie called me to tell me that she had received a phone call from Chrissie and that they were on their way and that Chrissie was expecting a quiet dinner for two - arranged by their friend Steve (Chef Steve).

My camera was ready.

Have you figured it out yet?

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Do You Wanna Know a Secret?

As the Beatles used to sing....

Listen (ooooh waaaah ooooh), do you wanna know a secret? (ooooh waaah ooooh)

Do you promise not to tell? (whoa whoooooo)

Closer (ooooh waaaah ooooh), let me whisper in your ear. (ooooh waaah ooooh)

OK - OK - so now that I've got your attention - you're gonna have to wait until tomorrow. SORRY!

Hang in there - it'll be worth it!

How to Survive a Softball Weekend....

How do 12 teenage girls survive six softball games in 32 hours?

....well, first of all - you laugh alot!

....and you share your IPod earphones with your bestest buddy between games - while you text your boyfriend and try to convince him to drive an hour (one way) to watch you play.

....you make goofy faces and pose for photos.





...and try to grab a quick nap in the shade before game number 3.






...you celebrate an exciting win in Game 4! (After committing an error early in the game - Kelli came through with a bases clearing double in the 5th inning).






...you try to find a spot in the shade to eat and rest during a four-hour break.






...and you work crossword puzzles in the latest PEOPLE magazine - with a little help from your team mates.

....then you come to the realization that you'll have to win 3 games - back to back to back to take the trophy. Between innings, you cheer on your team mates from your favorite perch.

The sun is beating down and you face off against a tough team from DeKalb - who you defeat in probably the best played game of the tournament - 3-1.

...you manage to make it all the way to the Final Four before being defeated 1-0 in the Semi Final Game. What a great weekend! We're so proud of each and every one of you!!! Let's do it again next weekend!

Couldn't Ask For More....

Our Clay girls made it to the Final Four in this weekend's Wahoo High School Tournament in Warsaw - losing the semi final game 1-0. We had a big win in the 8:00 a.m. game - with Kelli scoring our first run and then driving in two more with a double in the 5th inning. We beat a very good DeKalb team - 3-1 in the 2:00 game and then had to turn right around and play again at 4:00.

I'll post some photos tomorrow. Right now - it's off to a hot shower and a good night's sleep - more than 5 hours.

Next weekend - we do it all again!

Update.....

We're home from a long day of softball - just enough time to repack the coolers, wash out the uniform in the sink and throw it in the dryer and grab some sleep before we drive back to Warsaw early in the morning.

We went 2 and 1 today - winning our first two games 3-0 and 4-3 and losing our last game 4-1.

The second game was the most exciting - tied going into the bottom of the 7th - Kelli on 2nd base and little Katie Buchs coming through with a clutch hit. We were all holding our breath for the play at the plate and Kelli slid under the tag. The umpire signaled "SAFE" and we all went crazy!

The CCAC complex in Warsaw is a great site for softball tournaments and we're looking forward to a successful day tomorrow. I'll post fun photos of the girls on Monday - but here's where we're playing.

Check List.....

Lawn Chairs - check

Blankets - check

Sunscreen - check

Coolers and Ice - check

Gatorade - check

Snacks - check

Bat Bag (cleats, glove, uniform) - check

Money for Concession Stand - check

Money for Gas - check (OUCH!!!)

Looks like we're ready for a softball roadtrip weekend.

South Bend Cardinals

There's a baseball league here in South Bend - the Northern Indiana Adult Baseball League. Anyway, Bob has played on this team for years. I think he's one of the oldest guys on the team. Let me just start by saying that if you are a CARDINAL, you are part of a brotherhood. I really don't quite understand it all - but I know that beer drinking is a very major part. The team motto is "A Drinking Team With a Baseball Problem".

Over the past few years, the Cardinals have continued to age gracefully - but they found that they were no longer winning those championships and that the teams they were playing against were getting younger and younger. So a couple of years ago, the Cardinal "management" started bringing some younger players on board - you know, some "ringers". This season, our Kevin was asked to join the team. He really seems to be enjoying it, especially since he's hitting and scoring and running circles around the "old guys".

...and I think Bob really enjoys being in that dugout with his son. Have fun Kevin... you are now part of the Cardinal "brotherhood".

....and So it Begins

I've raised five daughters and they've all played softball - from Little League through college. I'm currently on the last daughter. I can see the light at the end of a very long tunnel - but I CAN see the light. Now granted, she has been playing ball since the end of March - but high school ball consists of practice after school and maybe three games a week with occasional Saturday games. Last night, SUMMER BALL began - four nights a week and all of them DOUBLE HEADERS. I leave the house at 6:30 in the morning and I go straight to a ball park somewhere in South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger or Elkhart every day after work - and I get home around 9:30 at night - just in time to take a shower and climb into bed and do it all again the next day. Now I know you must be asking - what about dad? Well here's the thing. He plays ball - softball (3 different teams - three nights a week) and baseball (on the weekends). He usually stops by her game for an inning or two on the way to his game.

And THEN, there's the weekends. For example, this weekend we're in a High School tournament in Warsaw, Indiana, beginning on Friday. First game - 6:45 Friday night. Saturday game times - 8:00 - noon - 4:00. Pending the outcome of these four games will determine our rank and game times for Sunday. You see that 8:00 a.m. game on Saturday? That means we have to be there at 7:00 a.m. That means we have to leave by 6:00 a.m. That means I'm up by 5:15 a.m. - which is earlier than I have to get up on a WORK day.

And next week - we do it all again. I don't even buy groceries anymore. We're never at home. We eat at a concession stand or a drive-through window.

OK - well this summer ball will all come to an end by mid-July. Then All-Stars begin. Last year, she made the Junior All-Star team (13-14-15 year olds) and made it to one game shy of the World Series - playing until two days before school started in August and dragging me to Akron, Ohio for the Midwest Regionals. This year, she's moved up to the Senior level (16-17-18 year olds).

Please God - don't let her make the All-Star team.

Hot and Muggy and Aching Muscles

We woke up early on Saturday morning with a mission on our minds - a landscaping mission. We made our way to Menard and Lowe's before a quick breakfast stop, and then it was home to begin our project. We pulled out all of the old black, plastic edging, and raked up the old wood chips, mulch, etc. from around our shrubs and landscaping. Thankfully, Bob's new wheelbarrow paid for itself very quickly.

We added more concrete block edging around the lamp pole and rose bushes and added new redwood mulch. By 5:00, we had over half of our project done and my allergies were in "red alert" mode. I took a hot shower, put on my pajamas and ordered Chinese Food.

Sunday morning, we decided to go to early Mass and then attempt to finish the other side. I tried to engage Kelli's help and that lasted about a half hour - too many bugs and too hot. I spent most of the afternoon burying the new concrete block edging and then a major thunderstorm came through and thankfully forced me inside to the shower. Once the storm cleared, the sun came out. The combination of the two made it more muggy than ever. We managed to dump four more bags of redwood mulch and now there's just a small amount left to finish and more concrete blocks to buy to finish the edging.

Why the rush? Because the next five weekends, we'll be on the road with Kelli and softball tournaments. At least now, I'll be able to come home after a long weekend in a lawnchair and appreciate my weekend of allergy and muscle misery. So, I may be hurting right now, but it was worth it!

The Proper Way to Eat an Oreo Cookie

Sometimes I think the ONLY reason Jack and Grace want to come to Grandma's house is for milk and Oreo cookies. Another thing I ponder - how does a 2-year old know that he's supposed to pull the two layers of cookie apart? Is it just something deep within the senses? I mean, no one taught him to pull the Oreo apart. He even dunks the Oreo in his milk. The kid's a genius!!!

Notice in this first photo - layer one is going into the mouth, while layer two (complete with the frosting) is waiting in his left hand.

In this photo, he's taking a bite of the "good stuff".

Now - he goes for the milk dunk.

...and finally, the cookies are gone, but there's a few crumbs left in the bottom of his milk glass. Yes sir - I think Jack has mastered the proper way to eat an Oreo cookie.