Whoa!

My goodness, I don't think I've ever gone this long without posting an entry on the blog! My apologies to all my faithful readers. My excuses are as follows:

When we got back from Mexico we had no computer (because it was stolen in Mexico as most of you know)
We spent a few days at home with my parents, but had to find an apartment in Charlotte pretty quickly
Once we found an available apt, we had to move in
I started my job, and Brian has started his as well
I've been trying to get all my Christmas shopping done!

With all those things to do I just haven't found the time to update the blog! Now that we are more settled, and we've purchased our new Apple laptop, I can get back to being a regular blog writer.

Although they are long overdue, here are some of the pictures we took while in Mexico:

Brian and I at Thanksgiving Dinner



My two English speaking friends, Carla and Kenya



The taco stand where we ate almost EVERY night! It was right across the street from our hotel



Our friend, and hotel bellboy, Edgar



A view from the workout room in the hotel



I took this picture of the landscape while I was on a bus going from Navajoa to Culiacan



The next few pictures were all taken at our Thanksgiving dinner

Homecoming

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Brian and I had fun even though we missed being with our families. One of the players on Brian´s team hosted a Thanksgiving lunch at a local restaurant here in Culiacan. It was complete with turkey, the mexican version of mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and ham. We also had a few untraditional dishes like shrimp, scallops, octopus, and chips and salsa! Only in Mexico :)

Brian was the starting pitcher on Thanksgiving Day and did a great job! He pitched almost 6 innings, struck out 3, and only allowed one run. The Tomateros ended up winnig the game 4 to 2. However, as soon as Brian came out of the game, team officials informed him that they were releasing him due to the fact that they just signed/added some major league players to the roster. One or more of these major league players are foreign and since you can only have so many foreigners on the team, Brian had to go. Brian said they felt really bad about releasing him. We, however, are totally ok with it. We know that God is in complete control, and our time in Mexico is up. My only disappointment is that we didn´t get to go to Mazatlan, a resort city right on the beach. I´ve heard it´s gorgeous, crystal blue water, white sand, etc. The team went there the day after Brian was released. Oh well!

We finally got reimbursed for our stolen computer and I am so thankful for that! As soon as we get back to Charlotte, we´ll be purchasing a new ¨addition¨ to the family. We fly back to the U.S. tomorrow, Monday. We leave Culiacan at 7 am and get into Columbia at 9:15 pm. I can´t wait to eat something other than tacos, Chinese food, and Burger King (those were all the options within walking distance of our hotel). I´d hate to know what my cholesterol is right now.

What´s Wrong With Me

About a week or two ago I had an experience that allowed me to see a very disturbing side of myself. A side of myself that I´m not proud to reveal. I still feel guilty about what I saw and refused to act upon . . .

It was late one night, after Brian´s baseball game, probably around midnight. Brian and I walked back to our hotel, but decided to go a few blocks further to buy some food at a local convenience store called the Oxxo (ox-oh). It was very dark, and very few people were out. As we approached the store I noticed a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk. I didn´t see his face. I didn´t need to. I could tell he was homeless just from looking at his feet. They were so dirty they were black. He wasn´t begging for money, he was just sitting there, head down.

Being careful not to stare, I quickly glanced away. When we stepped into the Oxxo Brian said in shock, ¨Did you see that person?¨ I replied affirmitively, but was surprised by my husband´s intense concern and shock and asked, ¨Yes, why?¨ Brian preceded to tell me that he´d never seen someone in such bad shape. In my haste to look away I missed the fact that this man´s skin was covered in boils. I could tell by the look on my husband´s face that it was a horrifying sight. Brian mentioned something about buying him some food while we were in the store, but we didn´t. I don´t know why. We should have. Unfortunately, that´s not the most disturbing part of this story. As we walked out of the store, I again, was careful not to stare. Brian couldn´t help it. He was too burdened for this person.

Once we crossed the street Brian stopped and said something to the effect of, ¨I feel like I should go back and give him some money.¨ Something deep within me exclaimed, ¨Yes! Yes! That poor man needs help. Show him generosity.¨ But I began to rationalize. It felt dangerous, it was so dark out. I was scared. What if he was a madman, went crazy on us, or passed his disease along to us? (If you want to puke at my selfishness right now I wouldn´t blame you). Brian probably saw my hesitation because he began to walk in the direction of the hotel. As we were walking back I prayed, ¨Lord, if you want us to help that man, please let us run into him again. Preferrably in daylight.¨ And a very gentle, yet convicting voice said, ¨but he´s here now.¨

I still didn´t turn around.

As I laid in bed that night, I was riddled with guilt. I bought food at the store when I wasn´t even hungry, I ignored a most likely very hungry individual, and now I´m laying in my warm bed while he´s probably trying to sleep on a concrete sidewalk. In America there are homeless shelters and places that feed hungry people, but I have no idea if they have things like that in Mexico.

I asked myself as I laid in there, ¨What stopped me from helping that man tonight?¨ The answer came quickly. ¨Fear.¨ Fear of all the selfish things I described earlier: what if he goes crazy on us, follows us back to our hotel, touches us and gives us his disease? I think I even feared what I would see if I looked at him. The Bible says I am supposed to be an imitator of Christ. Jesus would have demonstrated His love for that man. Jesus was never afraid of a leper, but I was.

I wish I would have turned around. I wish I would have bent down and placed some food and money at his feet. And even though I can´t speak his language, I wish I just would´ve looked into his eyes and held his gaze so that he might see the love that God has for him. I believe that God would have communicated this to him, had I only turned around. It would have been worth it. Even if he scared me or did something weird.

It´s people like that homeless man that I believe God is referring to when He says, ¨But many who are first will be last, and the last first.¨ If I see that man in heaven, I will rejoice to see him in front of me.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good -

Our hot water is back! For about 2 weeks our hotel didn´t have any hot water. We were taking cold showers, which I absolutely despise doing. We got back from a six day road trip yesterday, and the hot water was working again!

Brian has also been ¨reactivated¨ which is good. He pitched last Friday and will start again on Thursday. His outing on Friday was ok (5 and 1/3 innings, 3 runs). His arm is still very tired from pitching so much this summer so we´re hoping it gets a second wind soon!

Brian and I were talking other day about how nice all of his teammates are! They always speak to me, ask us how we´re doing, if we need a ride anywhere, etc. Many of them have spent years in the major leagues, but none of them act ¨too good¨ or have ¨big league attitudes¨ towards other people. They all seem to be down to earth. This is not always the case in the U.S., but it has been quite a pleasant surprise down here.

We went to a city called Los Mochis last week. We got to stay in a hotel that was much nicer than the one in Culiacan. The beds were so comfortable (our´s in Culiacan are hard as rocks). We also went to a restaurant that speacializes in shrimp. I am not a shrimp fan, so admittedly, I was not looking forward to trying this place. But our friend suggested we get the shrimp tacos and they were outstanding! The shrimp was fried and served with a thousand island-type sauce. I think I liked them so much because you couldn´t really taste the shrimp!


The Bad -

We still haven´t gotten reimbursed for our stolen computer. The hotel supposedly filed it under their insurance, but today the hotel manager said he wasn´t sure if the insurance company would pay for it. We´re supposed to check back with him tomorrow, but I´m worried about what we will do if he says they´re not going to cover it. It´s extremely difficult to communicate with him because he doesn´t speak much English so that adds to the problem.


The Ugly -

I can´t believe how fast the turnover rate is down here. Just last week three managers were fired, and they were only four weeks into the season! One of the managers won the league last year and was apparently fired because his team lost five games in a row. Five games is not that much! I´d call that a little slump, but certainly not cause to fire the manager! As a result, a lot of people are stressed. No one seems to have any job security around here.

Baseball Update

I haven`t been reporting about Brian`s outings lately because there haven`t been any. Ten days ago they placed him on the ¨inactive list.¨ The team is only allowed to have a certain number of foreign players on the roster. Since they weren`t hitting well, they wanted to add a foreign hitter to the line-up. Therefore, Brian was temporarily put on the inactive list. He still gets paid, and he didn`t have to go on the last road trip which was nice! The coaches originally said he would be reactivated and pitch tomorrow, but now they`ve decided to delay it even longer. They are thinking about either releasing him, or reactivating him so he can be the starting pitcher this Saturday. They´ll be making that decision between now and then. I`m not sure what they are basing their decision on, but Brian is itching to pitch so I hope they give him another shot. We´ll just have to wait and see what happens!

Things you might like to know . . .

1. Culiacan has a population of 1.5 million people. And believe me, if you could see the dirt and smell the pollution down here, you´d think there were 3.5 million.

2. Liver does not taste good. One day we went to the restaurant located in the lobby of our not-so-great hotel (more on that later). Of course the menu is in Spanish and Brian bravely ordered something he could not read. Unfortunately, it was liver. Poor thing choked down as much of it as he could, but it was awful.

3. The bus systems are actually very nice. Of course, there are different levels and some are nicer than others. But for the most part you can travel in comfort. I will probably try to buy a ride on one of these bus lines so I can go to some of the out of town games.

4. At our hotel the maid(s) come in our room, sometimes without knocking, between 2 and 4 times a day! Once to make up your bed, take your dirty towels and bring you bottled water, another time to bring you clean towels, and the rest of the time I have no idea why they barge in. It´s quite puzzling and a little disturbing because as I said before, they don´t always knock. The other day a maid decided to come in while Brian was using the restroom.

5. I get to catch up on all the old episodes of Grey´s Anatomy, What About Brian, ER, Seinfeld, Friends, Cold Case, etc. And actually it helps me improve my Spanish because they speak in English, but have Spanish subtitles.

6. I was told before we came down here that I would get a lot of stares. In fact, one friend, who studied abroad in Mexico, told me that the Mexican people would love my blond hair and fair skin and would want to have a picture taken with me. However, I have not found that to be the case. I do get A LOT of stares, but they are suspicious stares. Like, ¨What are you doing here,¨ kind of stares. When I smile at strangers they rarely smile back. Every time I go somewhere I feel like all eyes are on me, and not in a good way. Hopefully I´ll get used to it, but for now I really just want to blend in!

7. My main concern coming down here was getting sick. But we haven´t gotten sick at all! Purified water and ice are everywhere down here. We´ve even eaten lettuce, tomato, etc. (things they tell you not to eat unless they´re cooked because they rinse them off with unpurified tap water). I am so thankful that we haven´t gotten ¨Montezuma´s Revenge!¨

My First Few Days in Mexico

Well, my first few days in Mexico have been quite overwhelming. I foolishly assumed more people would speak English, so it has been difficult to communicate given my limited Spanish vocabulary. One of the coaches wives is down here. She is from Texas, but speaks Spanish so I have been learning a lot from her. She has taught me how to catch a taxi, which is extremely helpful because that is the only way to get to the baseball field unless I walk. I am not sure how safe it is to walk there yet, but I think I might try it tomorrow since the game is early (5 pm) and it will still be daylight. It is definitely very hot here, so I guess I need to be prepared to break a sweat if I end up walking!

We had quite a rude awakening two days ago when we got back to our hotel room after the game and realized that our laptop and some money had been stolen! The hotel records show that someone entered our room 4 times while we were gone. That has upset me a little, and made me feel less safe, but the team and the hotel are trying to figure out who did it. In the meantime, I will not be able to post any pictures since I cannot download them onto our computer. I hope it is returned to us, or that we are reimbursed.

Brian also got sick yesterday, which was the day he was scheduled to pitch. I think he has a sinus infection. Thankfully we brought antibiotics with us in case something like this happened. He pitched last night despite his illness and did a pretty good job. The first 5 innings he only allowed 2 hits, and no runs. However, during the 6th inning they got 3 hits and a run off of him and the coach took him out.

Friday night was the first game here in Culiacan, and the opening ceremonies were magnificent. It was like the big show they have for the opening ceremonies at the Olympics or the Super Bowl! It must have lasted and hour and a half, because they did not start the game until about 9:00 pm! I am guessing there were about 15,000 people there too. Obviously, baseball is a big deal down here. Some guy stopped Brian on the street today and said, hey you are the pitcher from the other night . . . good job! I was shocked he spoke English, but it was music to my ears.

What's Been Going On . . .

Well, it's been too long since I updated the blog. Sorry about that! As most of you know, Brian and I have been busy traveling for the past week and a half. We tried to squeeze in as much time with family as we could before Brian left for Mexico last Wednesday. We also celebrated his 30th birthday, which was on October 2nd. I can't believe Brian is 30! Here are a few pictures from the different parties we had for him.


At my parents' house the whole family gathered for a Mexican theme party

















My family likes to take a "crazy hat" picture every year and decided to do so at Brian's party

















The birthday boys. (They don't look very happy to be 30 do they?) We celebrated with the Adams family at Maggiano's.































Now that Brian is in Culiacan, he's working with the team officials to get me down there. It's in his contract that they will fly me down, but we've heard that you really have to stay on them or they won't get it done. We're hoping I will be there by the end of next week so I can see Brian's first start! In the meantime, I'm hanging out with Mom and Dad in Columbia trying to help them organize their house before they put it on the market. (For those of you that don't know, they are building a house on Spring Island, SC and will probably move down there permanantly in a few years).

Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year . . . . Brian Adams!

The regular season is over and the Patriots are in the midst of the Atlantic League Championship series against the Newark Bears. Brian finished the regular season with 15 wins, a 3.68 ERA, and 117 strikeouts which apparently earned him the honor of Pitcher of the Year!

To top it off, he pitched a great game in the first round of the playoffs (against the Camden Riversharks), allowing only 1 run in 8 innings. In the second round of the playoffs the Patriots lost the first game to the Newark Bears. Even though Brian didn't have his usual 4 days of rest he decided he really wanted to pitch the second game of the series (on 3 days rest). Once again he only allowed 1 run in 7 innings to get the win!

I'm so thankful the Lord has allowed Brian to have such a great season. It's been a fun and rewarding time. Let's hope he keeps up the good work in Mexico!

Playoff Bound

The Patriots are playoff bound! A few days ago they clinched the second half championship. Therefore, we'll be here a little longer than expected. They have three regular season games left, an off day on Monday, and then the first round of the playoffs start on Tuesday. It's a best of 3 series and the coaches have told Brian that he will start the first game. If they win the first round, the second (and final) round will be a best of 5 series. So we may not be home until September 28th! Of course I want them to win the whole thing, but that won't give us much time at home before we leave for Mexcio on Oct. 3!

By the way, it's only Sept. 14, and it has really cooled off up here! I'm not used to 60 degree weather this early. In the South it doesn't cool off until October! I'm not complaining because I love it! Fall is my favorite time of year. I hope we get to see some leaves change before we leave for Mexcio cause I don't think I'll be seeing any of that down there.

Go Tigers! / My favorite hotel

Brian and I were in Camden, NJ yesterday when our Clemson Tigers played their home opener against Florida State. Needless to say, we were disappointed that we weren't in Death Valley to see it! Brian's game was at 5:05 pm in Camden so we got back to Somerset just in time to catch the second half! We're so excited that they won the "Bowden Bowl" for the fourth time! Let's hope they can keep up the good work for the rest of the season.

On different note, today our travels took us to Bridgeport, CT where we get to stay in my favorite hotel (out of all the hotels we've stayed in during this baseball season.). It's the Doubletree Hotel. When you check in they give you free, hot out of the oven, chocolate chip cookies! They certainly know how to make me feel welcome! The beds are so comfortable too. The decorative pillow says, "Sweet Dreams." Cheesy, I know. But I like it.

Into the Day

I love the fact that God chooses different methods/ways to speak to us. One day it might be a verse, the next it might be a person, or song, or place. I also love the fact that when I hear His voice, there's no doubt that it's Him. God is so good to be so clear to us at just the right time, isn't He?

One way that He frequently speaks to me (as I'm sure He does with many of you) is through music. Many times God uses a song to confirm in my heart what He's already told me. How good of Him to realize that I need confirmation, and sometimes need to be told more than once or in a different way.

The song God has most recently been using and therefore is my favorite song of late is "Into the Day" by Bebo Norman. I thought you might enjoy reading the lyrics.

You could turn a hundred years and never empty all your fears
They’re pouring out like broken words and broken bones
They could fill a thousand pages, be the cry for all the ages
And the song for every soul who stands alone

The ache of life is more than you are able

Hold on love, don’t give up
Don’t close your eyes
The light is breaking through the night

Step out into the day, all the clouds and all the rain are gone
It’s over now
Step out into the sun, for you have only begun to know
What it’s all about
As the hungering dark gives way to the dawn, my love
It’s over now

Time will let the story told grow and grow ‘til it unfolds
In a way that even you cannot ignore
You can say the seasons change but never if you just remain
In a place where the freeze is at your door

What you don’t know is the signs are right for the turning tide

Hold on love, don’t give up
Don’t close your eyes
The light is breaking through the night

Step out into the day, all the clouds and all the rain are gone
It’s over now
Step out into the sun, for you have only begun to know
What it’s all about
As the hungering dark gives way to the dawn, my love
It’s over now

Hold on, hold on
It won’t be long
So hold on

Mexico

I just got back last Saturday from a beach vacation on Oak Island, NC with my family. I had a great time as always, but of course I missed Brian and was happy to see him again! I didn't take many pictures this year but here are a few from our time at the beach.

Mom and Dad on the swing


Colter, Caleb, Bridger, and Tucker playing in the sand


The face we made


We also have big news about this fall! Brian has been given the opportunity to play in the Mexican major leagues! We're very excited about it because he will be paid well, and it will be a good opportunity for American major league teams to see him pitch. I'm very excited about experiencing a different culture for a couple of months too! We will be living in Culiacan, Mexico which looks like a wonderful city from what I can gather off of the internet. It's only a few miles from the western coast. Brian will be flying out on October 3rd, and I will join him shortly thereafter. It's unknown how long the team will keep him there, but at the latest we should be home by mid December. I hate that I'll be missing my favorite time of year, Autumn, but this is such a great opportunity that we couldn't pass it up!

Record Breaker

I gotta brag on my hubby! In the past couple of weeks he has set two new Patriots records. The first was for consecutive wins without a loss (9), and the other was for wins in a season (12). He set that one tonight! Since the season isn't over yet hopefully he'll get the opportunity to improve his record even more!

Some new pics

My friends, Tara and Anne, at a game


Marcy, me and Megan


See! There really are a lot of deer in NJ! I finally got some pictures of the ones we frequently see right outside our door.

Excitement

Although I don't have much to write about, it's been a while since I've updated this blog so I feel like I should write something today.

We've been in Long Island for the past 3 days. Brian didn't pitch so I was just going for the fun of it. He did pitch last night in Somerset and did a great job! He went 8 innings, only allowed one run, had six strike outs, and got the win. I'd say it was a good night! Today's game is at 11 am and I think I'll pass on going to it. It's just not much fun sitting in the heat and humidity for 3 hours with screaming kids. (On day games a lot of kids' camps come to the game, but I don't think any of them actually watch it.)

My friend, Jennifer, came to see me last week! She's doing an internship at Sesame Street in New York City this summer. Since it's just a train ride over to Somerset, she came to the game last Friday! It was so good to see her. We were good friends in college, but had not seen each other in a few years.



I'm struggling to find things to write about so I'll just fill you in on what else has been exciting for us lately. As for Brian, he's really pumped about one of his teammates, Jeff, giving him a bow to hunt with this off season. Apparently Jeff was given some really nice bows by bow-making companies when he was in the major leagues. Since Jeff is left handed he said he'd give Brian one!! Brian's always hunted with guns, but he's really thrilled about trying it with a bow. Someone's going to have to teach him though!

As for me, I'm getting really excited about the beach vacation with my family. It's coming up on August 11th! I've already begun to pack in my head. I may attempt to get everything in two carry-on bags so that I don't have to check any baggage. I fly out of the Philadelphia airport and I've heard that it's not only chaotic but that frequently your baggage doesn't get on your flight. Anyway, I'm glad it's a direct flight to Durham, NC and I get to ride with my cousins from the airport to the beach! Family traditions like our annual trip to the beach are great aren't they?

Well, that's about it for now. I'm off to finish our laundry!

All-Star Game Results

Brian and I had a good, but busy all-star break. It wasn't much of a break since he played in the all-star game, but that was fine with us! He pitched one inning and did very well: one strike out, two fly outs. The day before the game, there was a "gala" for the players and their families. There we got to meet Brooks Robinson, Gene Garber, and Tommy John (all famous baseball players). After the all-star game there was a reception that I was really looking forward to because I knew the food would be delicious! Among other things they served us beef tenderloin, crab cakes, and lobster ravioli. It was sooooooooo good! On Thursday we had an off day so Brian and I went to New York City. We didn't have much time, but we got to walk around Times Square, shop on Canal Street, and eat dinner at the ESPN Zone. As you can imagine, that's where Brian wanted to eat. Here are a few pictures from the all-star festivities and our short trip to NY.

The poor pig that was cooked for the gala:



Brian and Tommy John:



Opening ceremonies:



Brian takes the mound:



The "Rolex" Brian bought on Canal Street. He calls it his Frolex (combination of fake Rolex):



My new Coach purse, which Brian calls my "assistant coach" since it's also fake:

All-Star!

I'm so proud of Brian. For the second year in a row he has made the All-Star Team!!!! This is the picture that was in the newspaper:

A Great Article!

There was a very flattering article written about Brian in today's local paper. Here's the link if you'd like to read it.

Traveling

Sorry it's been a while since I've written anything. Brian and I have been traveling so much that I just haven't had time to sit down and "blog." A week ago we were in Long Island, NY with Brian's mom, Marilyn, and her best friend, Mary Wade. The Patriots were playing a three game series against the Long Island Ducks, so Marilyn thought it would be a good opportunity to see Brian pitch, see Long Island, and take a day trip to New York City as well. The first day we were in Long Island we went to the Hamptons and Fire Island. Here are a couple of pictures I took that day (the first was taken at a boat slip near the Hamptons, the other at the beach on Fire Island):






The next day we went to New York City. We had to drop off a baseball signed by Brian for the Vice President of Bloomingdale's! This needs a little explanation, I know. Apparently, Marilyn and Mary Wade looked pretty lost and desperate when trying to find their way around NY Penn Station the day before. This nice gentlemen took mercy on them, gave them his map of the train system, showed them how to buy a ticket, and helped them get on the right train to Long Island. In the course of conversation, he learned why they were traveling to Long Island and asked if they would bring a signed baseball to Bloomingdale's for him. I guess he's a fan. Of course they felt like it was the least they could do after all he had done to help!

So after our trip to Bloomingdale's we hopped on the subway and did some illegal shopping on Canal Street where all the "knock-offs" are sold. Most shops along Canal Street are permanent and therefore, I guess, legitimate? But then there are the people who stand on the street and ask you to come with them to see a certain designer's purse or watch, etc. I have no idea why Mary Wade thought it would be a good idea to go with one of these people, but she did. So we followed an oriental lady down a dark alley to an old high rise and climb 5 flights of stairs. (At this point I was extremely nervous and thought we might be in danger, but as we passed other women going down the stairs, they assured us it was worth the trip.) We got to the top and walked into what looked like a Chinese sweat shop. No joke. The girl took us to the back and opened the door of a walk-in closet where there were "designer purses" lining the walls. I couldn't help but laugh.

Mary Wade bought so much stuff along Canal Street that she had to buy this extra luggage bag just to get it all home!





Marilyn and Mary Wade went home after spending three days in Long Island. Brian and I headed to York, Pennsylvania where the Patriots played another 3 game series against the York Revolution. Originally I wasn't going to go to York, but Brian decided he'd like me to come see him pitch, and he also thought I'd like the historic town. We definitely stayed in a historic hotel! The rooms were pretty small, but had a lot of character. Here is a picture of our hotel, and the view from our hotel room:

Good thing it wasn't a buck in rut!

I had heard, before we moved to NJ, that the deer population was quite high. After several close encounters with some, I believe it!

One example . . .

Yesterday Brian had an off day. We slept in, visited the mall, and ate lunch at Chick-fil-A (after assuming they didn't have any up here, we found one about 20 minutes away!). Brian had to go to the baseball field and throw a little bit, so afterwards we decided to go to the local park and take a walk. By this time it was about 6:30pm. The park is really nice and has paved walkways as well as trails through the woods. Brian and I were walking along the well traveled paved sidewalk when Brian suddenly stopped and began to walk backwards. I couldn't figure out what he was doing but I followed anyway. He pointed to the thin patch of woods beside us and said, "Look! There's a deer right there!" I was looking through the trees to the field just beyond and didn't see anything. But then I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and low and behold the deer was standing 7 yards in front of us!!!! I have never in my life been so close to a deer! I could see the veins in her ears! The funny thing was, the doe didn't run. She starred at us for a bit, but then resumed her evening meal. Brian and I stood there talking and looking at her for probably 2 or 3 minutes and she acted like we were no threat at all.

Every time we have a close encounter with a deer I wish I had my camara with me. Of course I never do, so I guess for now you'll just have to take my word for it. I'm determined to get a good picture of a deer before we leave NJ because I'm convinced I may never come as close to one as I have while being up here.

Our goings on

Just a few new items:

1.) Darren came to visit us and just left this morning. It was great having him here. Sadly, it was a very short visit. We got to hang out a little bit and he got to watch Brian pitch last night too.

2.) Our roommate's wife came into town a few days ago as well. She is super sweet! I like her a lot and almost wish she were here for the whole season. Unfortunately, she'll be leaving in a week or so. As you can imagine, we've had a packed apartment for the last two nights with Darren sleeping on the pull out couch!

3.) We went to a church last week that was about 10 minutes from our hotel. We probably won't go back to it though because it just wasn't a good fit for us. I've found another one I'd like to try, so maybe we'll go there this week. I heard the pastor speak on the radio and really liked him.

4.) I have to take back my comment about NJ gas being expensive. Apparently, over Memorial Day weekend NJ was the only state who's gas was under $3.00/gallon!

5.) Three new observations about NJ: there are no country music stations, a lot of people smoke, and a lot of roadkill. We counted four dead deer and two dead otters (or beavers) on the side of the road today.

Brian is famous

Not really. He just got his picture in the paper the other day. That's all! Below is the picture I took of the front of the local sports page. Although it doesn't say much about Brian, here's the link to the actual article if anyone is interested.

NJ

I have to say, I thought I wouldn't like someone else pumping my gas all the time. It's probably the control freak in me. I've learned to really appreciate the fact that all of New Jersey's gas stations are full service. The attendants are always friendly and if I want to pay with cash I don't have to go all the way inside to do so because you just pay the attendant. The best part about someone else pumping your gas is that you don't have to smell gasoline on your hands for the rest of the day! I don't feel obligated to tip either because I heard that gas prices are higher here because the stations are full service. I have no idea if that's true though.

Unfortunately, everything else up here is more expensive too. Groceries, houses, perscription drugs, baseball tickets, everything I can possibly imagine is cheaper down south. I'm hoping that means they'll pay me more, wherever I end up working. I applied at Ann Taylor the other day. I figured they might have flexible hours for their employees. We'll see!

This part of New Jersey is full of italian restaurants. There is a local pizza/pasta place on every corner! I bet Dominos and Pizza Hut struggle to do well in these parts. I've only gone to one italian restaurant so far, Alfonso's. It seemed authentic and I thought it was pretty good. I love the NY style pizza they have up here. It's so greasy and good! I'm anxious to try a little place just down the street, but since Brian's already sick of italian food I guess I'll have to wait until he's out of town to try it.

It's rainy and pretty chilly up here today. I'm hoping it either stops raining, or they cancel tonight's game. I don't enjoy watching a ball game in the cold and rain. If there's a suite available (unrented), and the weather's bad, they'll let the wives go up there and watch the game. It's so nice! There's comfy leather couches and chairs , a flat screen tv, and a great view of the field. Not sure we'll get that lucky tonight since it's Saturday and the game is likely to be highly attended.

Brian has pitched in four games and has made two starts so far. His record is 2-1 so he's done pretty well. His last start wasn't as good as his first one and he ended up getting the loss. That's ok though. You win some, you lose some. I'm just thankful that his arm feels good and he's enjoying playing the game!

A Few New Pics. All of Brian!

This is Brian sitting at the autograph table signing stuff for season ticket holders.










The team had to walk in the parade in downtown Somerville.








This is Brian giving his beauty queen wave!








The players are all announced on opening night.








Brian is number 27.

Sorry!!

I apologize that it's been such a long time since I've updated this blog! Brian and I are in New Jersey for the summmer, living in a hotel suite that's brand new! The only problem is that the internet isn't working! I'm fortunate to find internet access where I can. Hopefully it will be up and running soon and I can post some pictures.

On our way up here over a week ago, we still had no idea where we were going to live. No host family turned up, but we found a great roommate with whom we share a two bedroom suite. His name is Andy and he's another pitcher on Brian's baseball team. He has a wife, but he's not sure yet if she's going to come up for the whole summer, or just visit from time to time.

The hotel is nice because (as I said before)it's brand new and it provides a free breakfast every day, free dinner 3 nights a week, free laundry facilities, and maid service! I have to say, it's pretty nice to have some one else make up your bed every day!

Brian's games have already started, but unfortunately his team has lost 2 out of the first 3. Brian is supposed to pitch tonight, so lets hope they win!

The first week we were up here, Mom and Dad were here as well. Dad was running in a marathon on April 29th near the coast of NJ, so they just decided to stay a while longer and visit us in Somerset. Dad ran such a good time that he qualified for the Boston Marathon! Way to go Dad!!!!!

Well, it's probably time to go change out my laundry so I better run! I'll try not to let it be 3 weeks before I update the blog again!

Head um up, Move um out!

I have no idea if that's the actual saying, or if it's, "Headin' up, movin' out," or something like that. Anyhow, we're getting ready to move again! Monday is my last day of work in Charlotte - woo hoo! Then we'll be moving out of our apartment later in the week. I'm excited about living somewhere different for the summer (NJ - the garden state), but I'm not excited about the actual "moving" part. It's just a pain in the rear, but good excercise I must say. We haven't found a place to live yet, so if anyone knows people that live near Somerset, NJ, and would be willing (and have the space) to host a couple for the summer, let me know! The other option is to live in a hotel. I don't think it would be awful, but eating out for at least one meal a day would probably get old very fast.


Somerset isn't too far away from New York City, so if anyone wants to take a trip this summer and come see us we'd have lots of fun things to do!

Cured by Coke

Brian finally stopped hiccupping after drinking a coke! Hallelujah!

So there's a tip for any of you that get chronic hiccups . . . drink something carbonated. However, I read on the internet that soda can cause hiccups. I guess if you already have them, it has the reverse effect?

Chronic Hiccups

Today has been very out of the ordinary for Brian. He has had the hiccups ALL DAY! It reminds me of that girl on the news a few weeks ago who had the hiccups for something like 51 days straight!! I think she said she finally got rid of them through a combination of going to the chiropractor and something else.

Brian says he thinks he's only had the hiccpus 6 or 7 times in his whole life, and yet today he cannot get rid of them. The only way he's gotten them to stop temporarily is if he puts a teaspoon of sugar under his tongue and lets it dissolve. But they come back after a few minutes. He says they start back when he sneezes or clears his throat. That's just really weird to me. Holding his breath hasn't helped at all either.

Bless his heart, he is so frustrated! Everything he tried to do today was difficult. When we were in church he said he was so embarrassed because he was shaking the pew with every hiccup! He called them "violent." Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions or knows of a sure-fire way to get rid of hiccups, please let us know! I'm hoping we will both be able to get some sleep tonight!

We have direction!

After much prayer, encouragement from friends and family, and advice from a trusted mentor, Brian has decided to play another year of baseball! He verbally committed to play for an independent team in Somerset, NJ. You can check it out at www.somersetpatriots.com. Our plans are not finalized. Brian still has to sign the contract, but we're pretty sure this is the direction the Lord is leading us. We have no idea yet what our living arrangements will be either. We've heard of a good host family that may be willing to have us. They live in Lakewood, NJ which is about 40 minutes away from the baseball field. The other option is to live in a hotel for the summer! I'm kind of hoping that the host family situation will work out. One of our good friends (former teammate of Brian) lived with this family a few years ago, and he said they are wonderful.

Brian will leave for a short spring training (10 days) in Florida around April 22. Then the season starts on May 4th!

Good Birthday

My birthday was almost a week ago (March 9th), and I'm finally getting around to "blogging" about it. It was a good one! Brian made me feel special by dragging out the birthday celebrations over the course of 2 days. We went and ate at a really great sushi place in Charlotte called Nikko. It's definitely my new favorite! (Does anyone else find it funny that I dislike shrimp, but love sushi?) Anyway, my day was also flooded with calls/messages from friends and family. I love it when my family calls and sings happy birthday on my voicemail. It's just hilarious - inevitably someone is giggling as they sing, or singing much louder than everyone else, or in my little nephew's case - making up thier own version of song. I kept the "happy birthday" voicemails on my phone for a few days after March 9th, just so I could listen and laugh again!

Birthdays were always extremely exciting for me until this year. All of the sudden when this 27th birthday arrived I became distinctly more aware of my biological clock. For the first time in my life, I wasn't happy about being a year older. I guess that's how it will be from here on out! I truly thought I wouldn't hit that wall until I was 30 or 40, but I guess I hit it a little early! Not to say I don't enjoy life, or am afraid of getting older - that's not the case. I'm just not excited about the wrinkles forming under my eyes!

The Desert is Hot

The past couple of weeks have been somewhat of a rough ride for Brian and I. As most of you know, he went down to Florida to tryout for the Phillies. He pitched very well, but was not offered a contract. (I'll spare you the details for now, but suffice it to say it was definitely NOT God's will for Brian to be with the Phillies). He stayed down there a few extra days and also threw for the Dodgers. They seemed far more impressed than the Phillies did, and expressed a lot of interest in Brian. But after evaluating their teams, they discovered they had no room to add another player to the roster. Then the Mainers said they wanted to see him pitch too, but have never called to follow up. So we're back at square one . . . frustrated that we're still stuck in Charlotte when spring training has already started, and we have no job for the upcoming season. We go back and forth: should Brian keep playing, should he not, is God telling us it's time to do something else, is he not? We have no idea.

Because Brian pitched so well during both of his tryouts (and the Dodgers were so encouraging and complimentary), it makes it hard for him to say, "well, I'm just not good enough, maybe I should try a different career." And so we're at a point where we believe he is good enough, but the opportunities are not there. So is God calling us to wait in faith for an opportunity, or take the hint and move on to a different career? I lean towards the waiting in faith, but I'm still not sure it's the right decision. And it's hard. Waiting is hard. Having faith is hard too sometimes. Over the past two weeks I've experienced humility, frustration, confusion, and disappointment like never before. And while I have no idea what God is doing with our lives, I'm certain that He is using the journey to sanctify us. I am confident that at some point I will truly be thankful, and appreciate God taking us through this hard time. It is forcing/teaching me to trust Him, depend on Him, and have faith in Him. But for now, the desert is hot, and I'm hoping there's an oasis in sight soon - just feeling like I need a little break for water if you know what I mean.

FYI

Brian is heading to Clearwater, Florida on Thursday for his tryout with the Phillies. If you think about it, please say a prayer for him. His tryout is on Saturday and Sunday. Thank you!!

Attention American Idol watchers!

(If you don't watch American Idol, you'll probably find this post of little interest.)

I am an avid watcher of American Idol, especially now that it's gotten down to all the really good singers! I love listening to people sing! The only problem with this year's show (so far), is that they aren't letting viewers hear the singers that they are selecting to go through to the next round. They give all the air time to the contestants that don't make it. I've picked my top three favorites, but I feel my selection is a little unfair given the fact that I haven't heard most of the final 24 contestants sing- and I rarely miss an episode! Nonetheless, my 3 favorite contestants for now are:

1.) Chris Sligh - because he's hilarious, I like his voice, he said Jesus is one of his heros, and he's from South Carolina!

2.) Sundance Head - how can you not like someone with that name? He's also got a great, unique singing voice!

3.) Melinda Doolittle - like the other two contestants this girl can sing, but the real reason I like her is because she's incredibly humble.

Anybody else have a favorite I didn't mention here? I missed the last episode, so I'm not completely up to date.

Girls Weekend in Blowing Rock

This past weekend my family had what we call, "Girls' Weekend." Every year the women in my family get together for a long weekend just to hang out . . . and there are absolutely NO BOYS ALLOWED! (After all, we can't talk about them if they're there!)

I've come to cherish this time with my family. We don't always "do" something. In fact, this past weekend we literally sat around and talked, the ENTIRE time. We had big plans to take a hike since we were in the mountains, but that plan was quickly dropped when we realized the temperature would not get above 25, and it was windy. So instead we did like we always do . . . we simply enjoyed one another's company. Girl's weekend is about reconnecting. We laugh, we cry, we make fun of one another, we share our struggles and our victories, and we learn from one another. This year it was about a few other things too. In 2007 Girls' weekend included:

1.) Eating M&Ms and brownies for lunch.

2.) Staying up until 2am.

3.) Sleeping in.

4.) Talking about bizarre subjects I'm sure we've never covered before like mountain lions and heating systems.

5.) Stopping our conversation only to eat and take showers, and even then it didn't necessarily stop.

6.) Watching the snow fall in the mountains of Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

7.) Bringing more food than we could possibly eat in one weekend, just in case we got snowed in (or at least that was our excuse.)

I'm so thankful for these women in my life. Thanks for a fun weekend as always ladies!!

Sunday Afternoons

3 Things I love about Sunday afternoons:

1.) I can take a nap and not feel guilty (it is after all, supposed to be a day of rest).

2.) There's no hectic schedule to follow (it is after all, supposed to be a day of rest)

3.) I don't feel guilty for not excercising, probably because (you guessed it) it's a day of rest.

There's just something about a Sunday afternoon that's relaxing. It's about the only time I will sit down and watch football with Brian, and it usually puts me to sleep, but I like that - especially when it's cold and rainy outside like last Sunday.

Unusually Warm

I tell ya, all this unseasonably warm weather has gotten me in the mood for one thing . . . baseball. Every year when the new year rolls around, I get the "itch." I start thinking about spring training, when we should start moving all of our stuff out, etc. And of course I start to get excited about the unknown adventures and fun this season has in store for us.

Of course this baseball season seems to be so uncertain compared to seasons past. We've never been this far into the off-season without knowing what team Brian will play for. This is new ground, and as I've said before, it's requiring more faith and trust in the Lord. We still have no idea where Brian is going to play, or if he will play. But we feel led by God to keep playing baseball, and believe He will pave a way for us if that is indeed His plan. In the meantime Brian is working out faithfully. In fact, today we're going to walk over to the high school next door so Brian can run sprints on their track while I bust out the old stop watch on him.

On a different note, we officially joined the church today that we've been visiting regularly since last off-season. And I sang on the praise team for the first time this morning too. I really enjoyed it. The people are so nice and welcoming, and seem so appreciative to have me singing with them. That makes me feel welcome, and I'm so thankful! Our director already has me lined up to sing a solo next week. Yikes! Better get those vocal chords back in shape asap!

Anniversary

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Obviously our's was so busy I haven't had time to write on the blog! Brian and I celebrated our 4th anniversary a few days ago (January 4th). We went out to a nice restaurant in Charlotte called Sullivans. It was outstanding! The steak I had was probably the best I've ever tasted. Brian and I both gave it two thumbs up for sure! Here are a few pictures: