I'll never be too old for this:

 Remember how I told you about the busy chaotic times Spring brings because of baseball? Remember how I told you that I am a converted baseball fan now? I'm definitely ready for the sound of the crack of the bat now. Let me tell you about my weekend. Better yet, let me show you....

Date: Friday, February 10th 2012
Location: The Motherland, Missouri.
Activity: Dinner
We eat dinner with my parents most Friday nights; and usually, we stare at each other for 40 minutes saying: "I dunno where do YOU want to eat?" but Friday we had a plan: SUSHI. So there I was minding my own business watching my dad tell a crazy story......

I've totally forgotten what this story was about...He might even be saying: "So I lifted it up....

....pushed down, watched it swirl around...

....called my mom...

.....and that's the first time I used the toilet!" 

My mom obviously enjoyed whatever this story was.

So, my dear reader, I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I was playing the BEST game ever, Apples to Apples, and Chris said: "I think I want to go."

This happened right as my mom was saying: "Stop taking pictures and pick a card already!!!"

Chris was talking about a banquet honoring past and present baseball players for a team called "Midwest Nationals." He was on the very first team and he waaaasss pretty awesome! We THOUGHT it was just a simple dinner, nope. There were about 600 people there and Chris was even asked to sign autographs.

Date: February 11th, 2012
Location: Springfield, MO
Activity: Autograph signing/banquet.

This little boy walked up with his ball and said: "Can I please have your autograph?" and Chris said: "Really? You don't want my autograph" at that point I put down the camera and yelled: "HE DOES TO WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH!"

Here is Chris, getting in the autograph flow with our friend, Matt:

It was at this point Chris and Matt, the seasoned autograph giving pros, realized the newbies at the start of the line were signing the ball incorrectly. After Matt explained to the novices how to properly sign a baseball, things went smoothly.

And they even served us dinner:

But all Matt really cared about was cake (you know I wouldn't give him mine!), he was resourceful and used his name plate to get the server's attention:

Don't worry, he was successful! He might even like cake as much as me...Nah..

You may think that the cake signaled the end of the night. You thought wrong.

Date: Later that night

Location: Hammons Field (more specifically the indoor batting cages)
Activity: "Meet the Bears" fundraiser and Silent Auction.

This was a lot of fun. It's cool because the indoor batting cage facility is HUGE and has artificial turf, so I totally felt like we were at a picnic!

Looks real, right?! It's not. But those feet are and they belong to some of our favorite people:

Oh look! Here's one now!

Hi Brayden! You are also our neighbor back in The Motherland; and I love your wife!

Going to the "Meet the Bears" fundraiser was really cool because we saw a lot of our old friends and made a ton of new friends:

Tyler played for Chris last year, and might be the best pitcher...EVER. Hi Tyler! And the guy on the right is one of Chris' college coaches: hi Lump! Your hair is feathered and lethal, good sir!

 This is Pat. He was a freshman when Chris was a senior, he's all grown up now.

Hi Pat! Good luck this season!

I took this picture because I thought it was cute, all the boys sitting together looking so young, we didn't look that young when we were that age; did we!?

 HEY! Wait just a second! I see something in this picture... Is that? Could it be? It is! Someone is wearing Chris' old number:

If you know me, you know it wasn't out of character for me to say: "Hey you! That is my husband's number! Let me take a picture of you wearing it!" You would know it wouldn't be out of character for me follow that by saying: "You've got some big shoes to fill wearing that number....don't mess it up!" 

Looks like fun, huh!?

You would THINK our night would be over after all this excitement, you would be wrong- again.

Date: Later Later that night....

Location: Local restaurant
Activity: catching up

This was a fun part of the night because we all got to hang out, swap stories and throw a few cold ones back:

This is the head athletic trainer at Missouri State, and one of Chris' favorites. He actually helped Chris come up with the idea of how to propose! Hi Jim!

You can't write a blog about Missouri State baseball without mentioning Curt:

Sorry for the blurry photo, you know about my iphone photo skills....

And here's one of my favorite people of all time, Stefanie:

Hi Stef! You sure are pretty!

You would think that after all that reminiscing our night would be over- you would finally be right!


Even though we were tired from our exciting weekend. We still had one more celebration on Sunday: our niece's 7th birthday party!

Date: February 12, 2012
Location: Party Central, Motherland USA
Activity: Birthday extravaganza....

"I said: Oh no...I don't need any cake, I already had some yesterday, it is beautiful though!" 

That's a lie, I really said: "uhh the piece with the most frosting please!"

My birthday is in May, I'm thinking a Barbie theme is where it's at:

If Barbie is so popular, why do we have to buy all her friends!?

Even though we had a whirl-wind weekend, I can say this: 

I still know how to party!