"We're gonna win Twins!"

May 2010

The Twins got a new stadium this year and we were all very excited to go to our first game there. It was a great game ... the Twins beat the Orioles! ... and the boys were in heaven!!

Target Field is really beautiful.

Enjoying the game ... smiles all around!

Connor really enjoyed the gummi worms. As long as you kept the sugar coming, he was happy!

While we were walking around the stadium we ran into TC the bear and got to take a quick picture. Sorry it's blurry, it's the best I have. It was really a "quick" picture.

This is "Minnie" and "Paul" (Minneapolis/St. Paul) -- every time there is a Twins home run or when the Twins win, they shake hands.

The boys were a little bummed when we got to the game and found out that Joe Mauer still wouldn't be playing (he had been out for an injury for the last 10 days). Then in the 8th inning with the bases loaded, Mauer came out to pinch hit. The boys were ecstatic! The whole stadium went crazy! So much fun!

Here's the gang on our way back to our car. Yes it was a little chilly, even though it was early May, but we threw on a few layers, added some blankets and it was great! That's outdoor baseball in Minnesota! And just look at those faces ... they say it all!

Great Night! Great Memories!

Let's Play Ball!

When you have a family with 4 boys ("5 including Dad" -- that's what Grayson is always telling people) you can imagine that sports is kindof a big thing in our house. And baseball is a HUGE favorite come spring. This year we were lucky to only have 1 Little League team (the Diamond Backs) for the 2 older boys and 1 Tball team which started as Little League was finishing. (Next year will be a lot crazier so I was sure to enjoy this schedule.)

This was Bryant's 2nd year playing Little League and Benjamin's 1st. They both had a great year and were voted onto the All-Star Team by their teammates. Unfortunately, the game was while we were on vacation so they couldn't attend, but they still got to know they were voted in and then 2 of their friends were able to play in their place. And they handled it very well -- disappointed but no pouting or complaining -- I was very proud of them.

Here are a few of the highlights from the season.

Bryant loves to play catcher. This was their first game and he's already behind the plate. This year Bry was #7 which happens to be the same as Joe Mauer, the Twins catcher, who is Bry's favorite player. And while he was playing catcher, one of the dad's realized this and yelled out "Hey! We've got Mauer behind the plate!" So for the rest of the season every time Bry got up to bat, the rest of the team broke out into a "Mauer! Mauer!" chant. Bry loved every minute of it!!

Bry at bat, about to send the ball flying for a base hit.

Benjamin running the bases. I had to add the second picture because his face was so funny! (If you click on the picture you should be able to see it better.) He became quite the power hitter this season. Once he had a few hits, he gained his confidence and there was no stopping him. It was great to watch him and see how happy he was with his progress.

Sunny days and Sandcastles

We have been fortunate to have some great weather this week. Honestly several days were really humid and those weren't much fun, but by Tuesday the humidity had left and we were able to enjoy the sunshine and warmth. We met at a nearby lake for playgroup this week and after everyone else left, we decided to stay and play for several more hours. I had to go to the boys' school that afternoon and it seemed silly to drive home just to come back the same way when we could stay and build sand castles instead. So that's what we did! (Grayson, Connor and I -- Bryant and Benjamin were in school. And they were quite bummed to hear they had missed out on an afternoon at the beach.) Connor didn't want to go into the water at first, but he quickly got over that. They had a great time digging and splashing. Here are some pictures of them hard at work.

It was hard to get a shot of Connor's face because he was so focused on what he was doing.

After the castle was built they worked on making a river from the castle doors to the the lake.

Grayson digging the trench.

Connor stopping for a moment to say "cheese!" for the camera.

The finished product

It was a lot of fun building this together. Definitely a great way to spend the afternoon with my boys. I can't wait to enjoy the whole summer with all of my boys.

One last parting smile!

And We're Back!

I think after taking a year off, it's about time I get back to this blog, don't you think?! Naturally a lot has happened in the last year, but for now I'm going to stick with the current happenings and hopefully throw in some catch up posts from time to time. I really have missed keeping everyone up to date via our blog and I hope to keep it up.

Right now, baseball is our life! At least that's the way it seems. Both Bryant and Benjamin are playing Little League this year and they are on the same team, the Diamond Backs. I'll have to post some shots of them playing later. They are both REALLY into the game this year. Not just playing, but also watching the MLB. And of course they love the Twins! We've even made it to a game at the new Target Field (once again, another post). Well, this week the Twins centerfielder, Denard Span, made a special visit to talk with our Little League. During the question and answer, Bryant was the one chosen from their team to ask a question. He asked "Who was your favorite player growing up?" The answer was Ken Griffey, Jr.


They originally told us we wouldn't be able to do photos or autographs, but he stayed and did that anyway.

Here is Bryant with the signed baseball. Luckily Grayson had brought one to play with while we were waiting. After getting the baseball signed, they decided to get their hats signed. By now the crowd was small so it didn't take long. And we also mangaed to get a photo. Here are the 3 boys along with one of their teammates. After the photo, they got their mitts signed too, even Grayson. They were all pretty thrilled to come home and tell their dad all about it. And I think this will be good motivation to take good care of their mitts! It's already made for great show and tell at school this week.