eight

 

Our first real date was in 2000.

Here is a similar pose this summer in 2010.

The day it all began.
A proposal on home plate at Busch Stadium.

October 12, 2002.

One of my favorite pictures from the night.
Not taken by a photographer, but one of my college softball teammates.

Today we still laugh.
And dance.

It’s just altered a bit to include an extra three pair of bare feet.

Thank you, Steve, for all the JOY you have brought to my life.
Eight years later we have more smiles and laughter than we could have ever imagined.

Happy Anniversary to my best friend.
I know that eight will be great.

a case of the Mondays

Because of our crazy fun-filled weekend of pink streaking, shopping, guessing the sex of my sister Adie’s baby bonfire party at my parent’s on Saturday night, followed by a wine filled Sunday in Augusta at our family’s annual Sausage Supper winery trip, I have a severe case of the Mondays.

I am a sloth and too lazy to post anything today.

So please head over to my sister Haley’s blog now to see what our Saturday night looked like and to hear what my sister Adie is having!!!

Here’s a sneak peek…..

Boo for Mondays, but YAY for lots o’pics coming your way tomorrow from our weekend of fall fun!

He’s thirty-three

Today.
Happy Birthday to my husband Steve.
Someone who, in thirty-three years has accomplished so many tremendous things.
Like college scholarships, a college degree, TWO masters, and winning a District Championships as a high school baseball coach.

But I think, after thirty-three years, you and I both know what you feel your greatest accomplishments are.….

these three little blondies. 
Who, I might add, are absolutely crazy about you.
Crazy is an understatement.  It’s more like enamored with you.

When you are not home, they wonder what you are doing, where you are, who you’re with, and when you’ll return home to play, run, laugh and have fun with them.
They miss you so much when you are gone.
They are unable to understand that you dedicate your life to your family and work three jobs to provide for us.

Without you we’d be lost.
(And I’d have to do the dishes. Scary.)

And one thing I know for sure, no matter what happens in the next thirty-three years of your life, you will always have four blonde babes that support you, love you, and thank God everyday that we can journey through life right by your side.

How to Make a Halloween Bunting

Last Sunday it was rainy and yucky outside so I decided to make the most of our day stuck inside and create something fun to add to our Halloween decor.
 

Using random scraps I already had lying around the house,  I whipped up a Halloween bunting for our front door.
Nothing fancy. 
Just simple and cute.

Our black front door makes for the perfect backdrop for some spooktacular orange fun and I’m sure yours would too.

Take advantage of your next rainy day and make one for yourself.
Here’s what you do.

Grab two different fabrics. One for the “flags” and one for the letters.

Measure out your three triangles for the flags.
I made mine approximately 6 inches across and 7 inches long.
(I am not precise. Ever. I eyeball everything and it always works out fine. Perfection is not the goal, but more of the act of creating!)

Cut out three flags.

Iron them and re-cut any parts that look crazy.

While ironing, glance up at your fave family picture from last year and ponder when you can get them taken again this year.

Next, take your letter fabric and cut out a little bit smaller size of strong heat and bond.

Iron the heat and bond onto the wrong side of your letter fabric.
Easy peasy.

Next, trace your letters.
You can easily do this by printing off your choice of letters, cutting them out and using that as a template.
Trace the letters BACKWARDS onto your heat and bond paper that you ironed onto the fabric.

Cut out your letters.

Then you should have something spooktacular like this.
Boo!

 

Lay the letters down onto your flags where you want them.

Then iron.
Remember, I’m all about simplicity. 

End result.
No sewing required!

Finally, I pinned the flags reversed and upside down on top of a striped ribbon. I found it worked well to line the flags up with the bottom stripe.
I’m all about finding tricks to make sure I sew in a straight line.

Here it is pinned ready to be sewn.

Start on your first letter, mine was the “b,” and sew your way down towards the last “o” until all three flags are sewn on.

(If you don’t sew, just hot glue the flags on! Even easier!)

String your fabulousness across your front door welcoming Halloween with a hint of homemade creativity.

Spooky!

Halloween countdown: 26 days.
Crazy.

Even crazier….
*My hubby Steve’s birthday countdown: 2 days.
*My family’s annual second Sunday in October Sausage Supper Winery Extravaganza (this year also knows as the weekend my sister Maggie comes home!) countdown: 5 days.
*Our 8 year anniversary countdown: 7 days.

Look out October!
We’re coming to get you.
Quite possibly the best. month. ever.

All-American Girl

Out of the thousands of Division I college softball players throughout the United States, my sister Maggie was selected as one of the best.
She is an All-American college athlete. 

Maggie poses for a photo with the legendary Coach Hutch after receiving her 2010 All-American award.


She will forever be in the record books at the University of Michigan, but more importantly, she will forever hold a special place in so many people lives that she has touched and influenced through the game of softball.

We are so proud of you Maggie!

Fall Flashback Week: I’ve Given My Life to Sports

 

“And In Return, Sports Have Given Me A Life. A Beautiful Life."

I wanted to share a video about softball star Jennie Finch, as it truly hit home with me.
I felt it could have been me talking.
She reminds me so much of myself (minus the Olympic Gold Medals) in so many ways, when she describes her life growing up with a life filled with sports.

A lot of what she says reminds me so much of my entire family.

For my parents, sisters and I, softball tournaments were OUR summer vacations.

Me with my sisters from the left: Adie, Haley, me and Maggie.

My sisters and I knew that we had to work hard to be the BEST we could at softball if we wanted to go to college.
For free.
Our parents were unable to pay for four girls to go to college.
We knew this and worked hard everyday from age 8 until 21 playing the game we loved.

My dad played professional baseball and we wanted to follow in his footsteps and be great at whatever we chose to do.

Me and my sisters all went to college for free.

And my twin sisters even played professionally for the Chicago Bandits with the girl in this video, Jennie Finch. 

Look who they got to hang out with because they were celebrity softball players. Can you say DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES?

Our youngest sister Maggie played for the University of Michigan and on the USA Junior Olympic Team.

This is my favorite picture ever.
Taken as Maggie is just about to cross home plate after a homerun.

I hope that you will watch the video below and see what kind of life sports can give people and what it gave to our family.

*Please hit PAUSE on the music so you can hear the video.
Also, it's much better full screen if you want to enlarge it and watch.  ENJOY!