Brian's First Ballgame

What a fun weekend we had, and kicked it off by taking Brian to his first pro baseball game. We watched the Traverse City Beach Bums take on the Southern Illinois Minors. I think Bums got beat in the end, but we had such a good time it didn't matter. We spread out some blankets in the outfield and watched the game from there. This was a lot more comfortable for Brian, and Lily and Trevor enjoyed the playground they had in the ballpark, too. It really is a fan and family oriented place to watch a game. There will be a lot more game in the future for the 'Four Amigos'.

Working It

Just trying to work Brian into the website a little more. Here he is getting ready for hockey season (toughening up), getting ready to crawl up top. And right, well, he's just being a Momma's boy. Nothing wrong with that I guess.
He should be crawling very soon. He's up on his hands and knees, but

doesn't really know what to do from there yet. He can still pretty much get anywhere he wants to go either by 'scooching' himself or rolling. He's over seven months old now, but a big boy wearing 12 mo. clothes.
He'll be going to his first baseball game this weekend, as we're taking him to Traverse City to watch the Beach Bums.
He's such a good baby, but soon we'll have our hands full when he starts crawling even walking around. Time to stock up on the baby gates again.

A Good Night For Racing

Friday night I decided to take Lily and Trevor to the races in Kinross. We'd never been there before, so we didn't know really what to expect. We ended up having a great time as it was 'Kids Night'. They got free ice cream and were able to take a couple of laps around the track in one of the race cars. Trevor was a little upset he didn't win a free bike in the raffle, but other than that, he loved watching the cars go around. I can't stand nascar, but it's fun to watch the local guys down there. Maybe taking them again next week, and this time I won't forget the camera. Lily and Trevor in a race car would have made a great pic. Here's the official website:

http://www.kinrossspeedpark.com/

Fishing Tourney A Bust

Lily and Trevor got shut out at this year's fishing tournament on Rotary Island, as did many other kids. We only saw about four fish being caught, and only two of those were really worth keeping. Don't know if the older division kids had any better luck. We did have wonderful weather, and had a good time. There were so many screaming kids, the fish probably swam as far away as they possibly could. Lily didn't go home empty handed, though, as she won a new fishing pole and tackle in one of the raffles. They also got a coupon for a free ice cream cone at Dairy Queen, which magically makes everything all right.

All Good Things.....

As the old adage goes...all good things must come to an end. As has our Little League baseball season. Lucky for us, the rain held off this week and we were able to get both games in.

On Tuesday both kids did better at the plate. We played two innings and they both hit well. Lily was able to play first base in the first inning, so she got a lot of action there. She does a good job of getting in front of the ball. Trevor did a good job of fielding the ball, too, when he's paying attention. He's too much like his daddy, though.

Thursday was a fun night, too, but sad because of the final game. Lily and Trevor did well hitting the ball again. We played three full innings, so lots of chances to do well. Lily is back to hitting left handed and Trevor feels more comfortable hitting lefty, too. Lily was a little vacuum in the field, scooping up everything hit to her. Trevor finally got some balls hit to him in the third innings and did a good job. All the other kids seemed to play some of their best ball, too. It seems that just when they start listening and getting used to doing things the right way, the season comes to and end.

This summer was a dream come true for me. Coaching my kids and all of the other was a great experience. I'm glad I could be a part of their lives for a bit. I hope I can coach some of them in the years to come.

Putting In Petoskey

On our way back up north from our little trip down to Cadillac and Grand Rapids, we decided to take some time for putt-putt golf. We passed the Pirates Cove Adventure Golf in Petoskey last time we were down this way, and knew we'd like to go there when we got the chance. The kids really enjoyed all of the Pirate props and the shark. It was the funnest time we've had golfing together yet. It also helped break up the long trip home for us.

Fun Weekend At The Ballpark

Despite the Whitecaps losing both games over the weekend, Lily, Trevor, and I had a great time. We kicked off Saturday with lunch at Chuck E. Cheese's in Grand Rapids. The kids loved playing there and getting the 'prizes' with the tickets they won. We then headed to 5/3 Ballpark and immediately got in line to meet the Peoria Chiefs manager, former Chicago Cub legend, and Hall of Famer, Ryne Sandberg. It seemed to take forever (over and hour of waiting), but Ryno finally came out to greet his fans. Luckily enough, we were able to get some autographs (top picture) and we were the LAST ones before the game started. Tough game to watch as the 'Caps were shut-out, but a beautiful night for baseball and we enjoyed fireworks after the game.

On Sunday, the kids an I were able to get on the field for autographs. We got a free team picture before the game, so the team signed that for the kids. Pictured at the bottom is Lily in front of the West Michigan dugout. It was a hot day, but we survived and the kids even found the energy to run the bases afterward. Middle pic is of Trevor 'rounding third. All around fun weekend, and I hope we get a chance to get to another game before the summer is over.