Wordless Wednesday - Introducing Princess Abby

Something Good - Family Time

I have so many photos I want to edit and share with y'all, but I just don't have the energy to do that this afternoon while Abby naps. So I'm linking up with LeeAnn today instead! Head on over to The Life of Rylie and Bryce too to read about her "something good!"

My something good is real simple today. Time spent together as a family. We've had a lot of "together time" the last few days and it has been awesome! Sunday was a day game so we were able to spend the evening together. A family meal at home (take out still counts?) and a movie together once Abby went to bed. Perfect. Then yesterday was the hubs birthday (much more to come on that later) and an off day. Can't beat that!

It means a lot to me that my husband wants to spend and share his day with us on an off day. That sounds like it should be a given, right? But really when you think about it.... he usually works seven days a week and spends a lot of time traveling from city to city. So an off day is his day to rest and recover, both physically and mentally. Instead of playing golf (he will finally get a round in during the All-Star break) or catching up on sleep, he spends the day doing whatever we want to do. Whether it's a Target run, a trip to the mall, or checking out a museum, we do it as a family.

And I treasure every minute we spend together. It's these moments that will make memories for years to come.

Wordless Wednesday - Full of Wonder

"A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful,

full of wonder and excitement."

~ Rachel Carson

Sometimes you just have to improvise.

Just like any other family with busy schedules and young children, sometimes in this crazy baseball lifestyle you just have to improvise. And be okay with it. The hubs left last Monday for a three city roadtrip, one that would take him first to Toronto, then to D.C., and lastly to Pittsburgh. We figured since D.C. was closest to Baltimore and it happened to fall on Father's Day weekend, that Abby and I would make the trip. Well part of the trip anyways.

Abby and I left for D.C. on Saturday, after a busy morning at the park. The plan was to wear her out, have a quick lunch at home, and then get on the road for the hour (or more) drive into D.C. About ten minutes into the drive Abby fell asleep. Success! As you moms know ... a short nap is better than nothing at all! We arrived in D.C. after a mostly smooth ride ... we only encountered traffic with about fifteen minutes left. A major accident redirected us, giving us an up close view of a not so nice neighborhood, gifting me with another reminder of just how blessed we are.

Once settled at the game Abby and I met up with one of my college friends. In fact, he was also friends with Jim and that's how I met my future husband. :) We sat in the stands taking in a few innings of baseball and catching up with old friends, until I just couldn't take it anymore. It was HOT, really HOT, and our seats were directly in the sun. Abby's face was red and flushed, my hair was frizzy and damp and sweat trickled down my back. Greattttt... glad I really took the time to curl my hair and partially dress up. I guess wearing wedge heels counts as dressing up for me these days. :)

So instead of sweating, Abby and I joined Kathleen and Jacob in the visiting family room and waited for the rest of the game to play out. Kathleen and I gabbed a bit, while our kiddos shared and fought over toys, enjoyed endless snacks, and most importantly were able to cool down from the heat. Our kiddos are two of the same and sometimes it's just easier to let them play downstairs rather than confine them to the stands.

After the game ended, we met up with Jim and headed to dinner for an early Father's Day celebration. Nothing better than some yummy Italian food, the best company, and a slice of five layer chocolate cake to go. Despite the quick meal, lack of adult conversation, and a bit of throwing food ... it was the perfect dinner with my favorite people. :)

Before heading back to our room, Jim raced with Abby up and down the hallway of the hotel. She laughed so hard her little belly must have hurt! Daddy let her play the piano (probably a big hotel no-no) and we snapped a few photos on his cell phone. Of course I had my camera with me on this mini trip, but the battery died before I could even snap one photo. Ugh! So excuse the quality of the photos, I'm just happy to have a few.

The rest of the night was spent in our hotel room, our really small room. It was a very nice, upscale hotel with a lot of history, but unfortunately it was a tight space for us. We thought about putting Abby's crib in the closet or bathroom, but both were too small for a crib to fit. So we improvised. I wish we took a picture of Jim's contraption because it was hilarious. He put Abby's crib in the corner of the room, between the closet and the armoire, and hung a sheet from both giving her space of her own. Sometimes you gotta be creative! Once she finally fell asleep, Jim and I were able to indulge in that five layer chocolate cake (which we may or may not have used a small children's fork that also fell on the floor at the restaurant) and catch the beginning of a movie.

The next morning Abby and I had breakfast in bed while Jim packed his things and got ready to head into the ballpark. We got on the road early to head back to Baltimore, where we are patiently waiting for Jim to come home tomorrow from Pittsburgh.

It was such a whirlwind of a trip, but worth it in the end. Sometimes it may take more work or be quite exhausting to travel, but being together as a family is important. Many smiles and laughs were shared and memories were made.

Hope you had a fun Father's Day babe. We love you!

Happy 40 :)

Last week my oldest sister celebrated her 40th birthday. Heather and I are ten years apart, but despite the age difference, we've always been close. I've never thrown a surprise party in my life and let me be the first to say, I may not be the best event coordinator out there. Nonetheless, my middle sister Jen and I decided to give the whole party planning thing a whirl.

We rented out a local hall, decorated it in Heather's favorites ... bright colors and items from the beach. I wish I would have taken closer pics of the details, like the chips in the beach pails or the cocktail candy centerpieces. The pink, green, yellow, and orange colors made the whole place a cheery environment, not quite the usual 40th over the hill party. It looked so nice.

Heather's sister-in-law made this awesome flip flop cake, which unfortunately was cut before I could snap a picture.

Me & The Birthday Girl

We had a DJ playing a mix of music ... a random collection of Kenny Chesney, Justin Bieber, Black Eyed Peas, Journey, and more. The kids loved the music more than anyone and spent all night on the dance floor. Abby showed off her moves and wore herself out. Before long, she was dragging her blankie all over the place and trying to "sleep" in the middle of everyone dancing.

Not only did the kids have a great time, but the adults had their share of fun too. Wine and jello shots for me! YUM. :)

So now that you know that the party was a success, let me tell you a little about my week before the party. When we scheduled the party over a month ago, we knew it would be a busy time of the year. June is full of graduations, birthdays, end of school parties, baseball/softball games, and vacations. Heather's children are quite active with sports and Emily had a softball game last Monday night. Her team won that night, advancing them to the League Championships that Thursday night. If they were to win that game (which they did) they were to play for County Championships Saturday night at 6. The same date and time of Heather's surprise party. Greeeeeeat.

I told everyone to pray for rain ... rain would be the only way we could keep everything scheduled according to plan. Rain it did, for a little bit Saturday afternoon, but it was really just a light sprinkle. Clouds darkened and Emily and I did crazy rain dances inside the hall while we were decorating the place. With no avail, the time came for Heather's family to leave for Emily's game and Jen and I had no choice but to surprise Heather a bit early.

Needless to say it wasn't the way we had planned it, but she still was surprised and excited for her party. And go figure ... the game was rained out thirty minutes later. Ugh ...

So surprise or no surprise, everyone still had a great time. It was great catching up with family members we hadn't seen in awhile. Thanks to everyone who helped out with organizing, decorating, making phone calls, and even our clean up crew. :)

Happy 40th Heather! We love you :)

Wordless Wednesday - Cruisin'

Cozy Coupe ... A classic toy.

Always a favorite.

Isn't it supposed to get easier?

Road trips take on a whole new meaning these days. You would think that with each new baseball season, the separation during road trips would get easier. Right? That's what I thought would happen and I think it was starting to get easier ... until this year.

In earlier baseball days, I would go on road trips with the hubs, only worrying about where the dog would stay while we were gone. Obviously now there is a lot more to worry about than just Max. Sometimes with an energetic toddler it's just easier to stay behind than to worry about how the flight will go, plan activities in an unknown city, and wonder how much time will actually be "family time" while we are there. Since Abby isn't on baseball schedule (go to bed late, get up late), it doesn't quite make sense to make a whole lot of road trips, although we will make a few later on in the season.

This season Abby and I are having to say "byebyes" more than usual. And it's getting harder. each. time. Abby is at the age where she notices when Daddy isn't around. She misses him and doesn't understand where he is or when he'll be back. Luckily she is also at that age where she gets over it quickly and then only certain moments remind her he's not here.

Today before Jim left, it was almost like Abby knew he was leaving for a road trip. She repeatedly said "up please" and wanted to spend each second being held by her Daddy. We walked him out, gave each other kisses, had a big family squeeze and he took off. For nine days. Abby whined a bit, but did okay. Me on the other hand ... I lowered my sunglasses and teared up a bit. It's not getting easier.

Even though Abby wanted Daddy to play with her tonight and wasn't happy with the way I was pushing her on the swing, she went to bed laughing and with a smile on her face. I know it's nothing personal and she loves her Mama. But there is no doubt she misses her Daddy. And I'm right there with her. We miss you babe. :)

Wordless Wednesday - Just Because

Because I miss the baby days.

Because I miss watching my sweet newborn sleep.

Especially in my arms.

Because I miss those fleeting moments.

Something Good - Birthday Party

Who doesn't love a birthday party? Especially little kids that can run around from bounce house to bounce house, go down inflatable slides, and eat sugary birthday cake. Or maybe the adults have more fun ... I loved that slide, but Abby wasn't feeling it. And the guys had a full court basketball game going on inside one of the bounce houses. It was quite a scene!

A few weeks ago, we helped celebrate a special birthday. The birthday boy (below) turned ONE with a smile on his face the whole time. He truly is such a laid back, sweet boy!

Then there is his adorable brother who took a break from playing just long enough for me to snap a picture of him.

It was so nice to have our baseball families together on an off day, celebrating a special day and enjoying time with the kiddos. After all, it's all about the kids :)

Now it's time to start planning Abby's birthday party. I can't believe my little baby will turn TWO in just a few short months. It's unbelievable to think that she is turning into such a little girl.

If you want to share your something good, link up with LeeAnn today!

P.S. A huge shout out to my sister Heather who is turning 40 years old today! Happy Birthday! :)

Thankful Thursday :)

Today I'm thankful for ....

1. This beautiful weather. The last three days have been unbearably hot ... I'm talking Florida HOT and we aren't even there! It's been in the mid 90's with a heat index of 105. Today it's still warm, but with a refreshing breeze. Absolutely perfect!

2. The hubs got home late last night (or early this morning however you wanna look at it) from a West Coast road trip. It's so nice having him home and Abby is just over the top happy to have her Daddy here to play!

3. Patience. I'm getting better. For my ladies bible study group, I've memorized a verse this week to help me get through times when I become impatient with Abby, the dog, or stressful situations. Hooray for memorization - having this verse in my head is a huge help!

"Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act. " Psalm 37

4. Emily's (my niece) dance recital tonight. I haven't been able to make one of her recitals in a reallllllly long time and I'm so looking forward to see her get her groove on!! Go Em!! :)

5. Neighbors here in Baltimore. Meeting people while we are at our home away from home. It makes us feel welcome and happy to be where we are!

6. Zac Brown Band and Kenny Chesney concert this weekend to celebrate my sister's 40th birthday! What better way to celebrate with great music, cutie Zac Brown, and backstage passes. Happy Birthday Heather! Thankful for Gramma & Grandad for babysitting :)

What are you thankful for today? Take a minute to thank God for what He has done in your life. :)