This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Iron Sharpens Iron conference with Dad and Ryan. Dad offered to take us and we gladly accepted. ISI is a mens christian conference that is an all day event involving two keynote speakers mixed with two seperate break out workshops. The entire day was filled with inspirational speeches and I think I can honestly say all of us left there in a much better place than we arrived! Each speaker had great stories and lessons to share but my favorite hands down was the morning workshop that I attended. It was by Matt Potratz, a proffesional snowmobiler who triggered a huge avalanche that nearly took his life. He survived the avalanche but has been left with many extremely dabilitating injuries to cope with. His message of how he has drawn on his faith to remain posotive and live each day as a blessing hit home with me. Not all of us may be able to relate to his story but every one of us could take soemthing from his message and put it to use in our own lives!
Sunday we took our refreshed spirits and joined the rest of our families at the Susan G Komen race for the cure in downtown Spokane. We ran this event last year for the first time as after what mother went through it means so much more to us. It was great to see how many people showed up in support of a loved one or a friend! Each survivor is given a pink baloon to release just before the start of the race and as Mother released hers it gave me great joy to see the hundreds of other baloons sailing away! After we finished the race Action treated us all to a great breakfast and we all went our seperate ways to relax a little before our weekend was over.
All in all it was truly a great weekend filled with tons of fun! With the temperatures supposed to be in the low 70's this coming weekend I can already see similar results in the future:)
Remember, time spent with your family is never time wasted!!:)
Monday, April 22, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Opening Day!
Opening day for the Spokane south little league t-ball has come and gone and there was certainly not a shortage of excitement! Game one was a cross country battle as our beloved LA Dodgers played host to the Washington Nationals. The weather was a balmy 50 degrees, however the gusty spring winds made it feel more like 30! Many of the spectators were layered up with so many clothes they could hardly move their hands to react to a good play. Pre game warm ups rose some suspicion amongst the Dodgers fans as the Nationals appeared to be at a much higher physical level, I'm sure no rules were violated but they have some of the biggest, most athletic 5 year olds I have ever seen!
The Nationals were up to bat first and they very quickly put 9 runs on the board, finding holes in the Dodgers defense early. As the home team came to bat in the bottom of the first they responded to the early deficit well, pleasing the home crowd with 9 quick runs of their own! The two teams traded at bats for three innings, each time running through the order with efficiency, and each time putting 9 more runs up! In the bottom of the third inning, with each team moving slower by the minute form the bitter cold temps, someone form the home team needed to step up and break the tie. It should be noted here that in t-ball each team bats through the order three times with no outs then the games over, so technically every game will end in a tie. So I've decided to break these ties by giving the victory to the team who has the kid who says or does the funniest thing during the game. Last night, with his team eagerly wanting to start the season with a victory, it was Sonny form the Dodgers who won the game for his team. He did so by getting a base hit and while standing on first base, I was coaching first base, and I told him nice hit and asked him where he was going next adn before he could tell me second base he said, "do you want to know something cool?" I said of course and he told me, "1+1 is 2!" As he did this he showed me the 2 on his hand by holding up three fingers!:) All I could do was smile and tell him, "yeah Sonny, that is pretty cool!" With excitement like this on opening day I cant wait to see what the rest of the season will bring!
Remember, it truly is the little things in life that make us happy!
The Nationals were up to bat first and they very quickly put 9 runs on the board, finding holes in the Dodgers defense early. As the home team came to bat in the bottom of the first they responded to the early deficit well, pleasing the home crowd with 9 quick runs of their own! The two teams traded at bats for three innings, each time running through the order with efficiency, and each time putting 9 more runs up! In the bottom of the third inning, with each team moving slower by the minute form the bitter cold temps, someone form the home team needed to step up and break the tie. It should be noted here that in t-ball each team bats through the order three times with no outs then the games over, so technically every game will end in a tie. So I've decided to break these ties by giving the victory to the team who has the kid who says or does the funniest thing during the game. Last night, with his team eagerly wanting to start the season with a victory, it was Sonny form the Dodgers who won the game for his team. He did so by getting a base hit and while standing on first base, I was coaching first base, and I told him nice hit and asked him where he was going next adn before he could tell me second base he said, "do you want to know something cool?" I said of course and he told me, "1+1 is 2!" As he did this he showed me the 2 on his hand by holding up three fingers!:) All I could do was smile and tell him, "yeah Sonny, that is pretty cool!" With excitement like this on opening day I cant wait to see what the rest of the season will bring!
Remember, it truly is the little things in life that make us happy!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Play ball!!
Well if you watched the Masters last weekend you saw one of the best finishes ever! History was made as Adam Scott won in a playoff making him the first Australian to win the Masters. Our little game came down to the wire also as Action won because he had Adam on his team, had Scott not won, I would have won our game by a point! As is always the case the week was eventful and I could bore you with paragraphs of nonsense, instead I will tell you about the best kept secret in the sporting world, the Spokane T-ball league Dodgers!
Jill and Ryan signed Tatum up for 4-5 year old t-ball recently and let me tell you, it's been entertaining! The Dodgers, and yes they're a spin off of those Dodgers, have had three practices now and are scheduled to take the field for their first game of the season tomorrow night at 6. If the practices are any indication of how the game will go we could see anything from the center fielder opting to sit down because he hasn't seen a lot of action, to every infielder turning their attention to a passing kite:) One thing is for sure, if watching t-ball doesn't make you smile you may need to seek medical attention!
We all remember what the most important part of an organized sport was when we were younger, the uniforms! Last night the Dodgers got theirs and I was utterly impressed with Spokane's little league association! Not only did they get hat's and shirts, they got pants and socks too! Once suited up they will look exactly like a mini version of the real LA Dodgers! All of the kids were smiling ear to ear as they gathered up their gear and checked out to see which numbers they drew. Only thing left to do is suit up and play ball!!
Remember, don't forget to play ball yourself, just because we grow up doesn't mean we have to stop having fun:)
Jill and Ryan signed Tatum up for 4-5 year old t-ball recently and let me tell you, it's been entertaining! The Dodgers, and yes they're a spin off of those Dodgers, have had three practices now and are scheduled to take the field for their first game of the season tomorrow night at 6. If the practices are any indication of how the game will go we could see anything from the center fielder opting to sit down because he hasn't seen a lot of action, to every infielder turning their attention to a passing kite:) One thing is for sure, if watching t-ball doesn't make you smile you may need to seek medical attention!
We all remember what the most important part of an organized sport was when we were younger, the uniforms! Last night the Dodgers got theirs and I was utterly impressed with Spokane's little league association! Not only did they get hat's and shirts, they got pants and socks too! Once suited up they will look exactly like a mini version of the real LA Dodgers! All of the kids were smiling ear to ear as they gathered up their gear and checked out to see which numbers they drew. Only thing left to do is suit up and play ball!!
Remember, don't forget to play ball yourself, just because we grow up doesn't mean we have to stop having fun:)
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Masters time!
Alright golf fans, it's officially spring again! In case you live in Glendive and your recent winter blast has you second guessing my proclamation, on my calendar the official first day of spring revolves around the second Thursday in April, also known as the first round of the Masters! Every golf fan is different but for me the Masters is my favorite major championship of the year! I love all four of them in their own way but the Masters has a special kind of luster!
So it is only inevitable that my family and I have started a little competition. Last year was our first ever Gannon Masters Challenge and it was a blast! The game is we each pick 10 players and we are awarded points for each player for where they place in the tourney. $20 buy in and he who has the most points come Sunday night gets the pot! Last year we split it up and payed three places but this year it was decided winner takes all which makes us think about our picks a little more, such as Curtis doesn't have Bo Van Pelt on his team this year:)
So consider this an open invite, if you want to join us just email me your list of 10 players and ill reply with a points breakdown and come Sunday everyone gets a group email showing the big winner so you know where to send your $20, or just how much you should be expecting:). Wether you want to play or not I hope all of you look at Masters week with the same joy that I do and even if your not a golfer turn on CBS this weekend and take in the beauty of the most perfectly manicured golf course in the world!
Remember, as my buddy Jim Nantz says, "it's a tradition unlike any other!"
So it is only inevitable that my family and I have started a little competition. Last year was our first ever Gannon Masters Challenge and it was a blast! The game is we each pick 10 players and we are awarded points for each player for where they place in the tourney. $20 buy in and he who has the most points come Sunday night gets the pot! Last year we split it up and payed three places but this year it was decided winner takes all which makes us think about our picks a little more, such as Curtis doesn't have Bo Van Pelt on his team this year:)
So consider this an open invite, if you want to join us just email me your list of 10 players and ill reply with a points breakdown and come Sunday everyone gets a group email showing the big winner so you know where to send your $20, or just how much you should be expecting:). Wether you want to play or not I hope all of you look at Masters week with the same joy that I do and even if your not a golfer turn on CBS this weekend and take in the beauty of the most perfectly manicured golf course in the world!
Remember, as my buddy Jim Nantz says, "it's a tradition unlike any other!"
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Home at last!
Finally!! After what seemed like forever, Kelli and I closed on our new home and moved in over Easter weekend! As has been proven many times in the past, we could not have done it without the help of our family. In what was surely the most chaotic day we've had in quite a while, we signed our papers at noon on Thursday, then we went back to the rental to load up the trailer while we patiently waited for keys to the new house. We were told the only way we would get the keys is if the closing processed in time so when we left for Spokane with a full load and no phone call from our realtor we were kind of sweating! Once again we had nothing to worry about as he got the keys just in time and we were ready to move in! This was the closest thing to an in-town move we've ever done and with two loads and much help from the Dobson's, Gannon's, and Nagle's, we had everything in the new house in no time at all! Leaving us plenty of time to get somewhat settled in before Easter:)
We've lived here for only a week but we already have fallen completely in love with everything this place has to offer! The neighborhood is fantastic, we've met many of our neighbors and they are all great, and there are three different parks all within walking distance! Every time we go for a walk we take a different route and we are always in awe of the character and charm this place offers! We were raking up the pine needles out of the front yard on Tuesday when a neighbor stopped on her walk by and told us her friend tells her living up here is like living in a Norman Rockwell painting, this picture of Cannon Hill park taken on one of our walks makes it difficult to argue that statement.
Once we get all settled in I will put pictures of the house on here, I just have to let my in house designer finish getting it set up to her liking:) We couldn't be happier with our purchase, every day we're here we find something else we love about this place! I know the luster of a new house will eventually wear off, but I don't know if we'll ever get tired of this neighborhood! Especially if I can watch these guys pass through the front yard every day!
Remember, patience is definitely a virtue!!:)
We've lived here for only a week but we already have fallen completely in love with everything this place has to offer! The neighborhood is fantastic, we've met many of our neighbors and they are all great, and there are three different parks all within walking distance! Every time we go for a walk we take a different route and we are always in awe of the character and charm this place offers! We were raking up the pine needles out of the front yard on Tuesday when a neighbor stopped on her walk by and told us her friend tells her living up here is like living in a Norman Rockwell painting, this picture of Cannon Hill park taken on one of our walks makes it difficult to argue that statement.
Remember, patience is definitely a virtue!!:)
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