Weekends

There's been a nice balance of short bursts of obligation and fun moments in the last few weekends. My sister and her kiddies came to visit, which included dinner out with them, Corey and my parents (which really only happens on holidays), in addition to Sunday brunch at my parents'. In honor of our togetherness I broke down and bought my absolute favorite sparkling wine that I profiled on my other site. Then last Friday, Corey and I had dinner with some friends and still made it home early. Saturday we had brunch (I'm a big fan if you didn't notice), went to the new and gargantuan Menard's, made a mental list of some house items/summer projects, and each got a new hat to boot. Fun and even some productivity. Plus it makes you forget how much you can dread Monday mornings.

Lil' Owen

Last week I cruised down south to meet Owen Charles Pershing--what a little peanut. Now I have 2 families to visit there--excellent. My camera is not very cooperative, so this is the only picture I have of him. But Liz is doing a good job with the pictures. The teeny diapers just kill me! Kat down to visit on Saturday, so we managed to get the new mommy some sustenance and she went out for a facial. Hopefully I was some shred of help while I was there! Your family is beautiful, mom & dad.

Sunshine and sore legs

I coerced Anne into registering again for this with me, and we got in...oops. I should have known that would happen. At least it's warming up out there and when I ventured out Monday afternoon I was actually HOT--too many layers. The sunshine was glorious! You'll never have to accuse a Yankee of not appreciating warm weather. However, my body is reminding me about all those muscles I haven't been using. Mind you, I'm a social runner, so if anyone out there who's local needs a running buddy, let me know.

A good few days

This week snuck up really fast. Friday some of my co-workers and I went out to lunch here--I highly recommend the veggie curry. In absence of Corey and I going out, Kim & Anne were great sports to hang out with me yesterday for my birthday. We got pedicures that afternoon and then ate a very filling and delicious dinner at a fabulous location. A great topic of conversation: our husbands' fashion choices--who knew. Thanks, ladies--I had a great time! Tonight my mom had Beth & I over for homemade teriakyi steak and flourless chocolate cake. It was a good weekend.

Rest in Peace, Coach

I can say with complete certainty that the amount of people I have met and grown to love was directly impacted by knowing Coach John Baggs. When Corey and I first started dating, I never predicted how his baseball life would eventually carve out a big part of my life as well. Not that I had ever gone out on the field, never traveled to Florida to watch the team play during Spring Break, and oftentimes, when I went to games, I would start chatting and realize that I hadn't yet looked at the scoreboard. But more than just the team, the Family, is ever-present, ever-expanding, and unbelievably important. Every time I attended their alumni banquet, I was blown away by the love, admiration and support that these men had for the game, for their coaches and for one another. Our wedding list included almost 90 people that are directly linked to baseball and/or our alma mater. Some of my favorite "action" shots from that day are of Corey and I being hoisted up (rather dangerously) by some of the guys. No matter which couple was being celebrated, you knew that at the end of the night, everyone there would be standing around in a circle, arms linked, swaying to "Piano Man." I also think of the lovely women that I never would have otherwise known that are so close to my heart--how lucky I am to have them, those who understand what this whole "baseball thing" is really about, because in reality, it's about so much more than just baseball. It's about the things that matter--family, commitment, tradition, support and love. And as the family expands--either with new alumni, or with children, we all come to understand the weight of house that Baggs built. It's a foundation that extends to his own family, too. I remember when he and Colleen asked Corey to be Josie's Godfather. She said, assuredly, that Corey was family, and that he would always be there to support Josie. Thank you to the Baggs for being a part of our family, too. You've instilled in so many of us incredibly valuable and treasured gifts. We'll miss you, Coach.

Day of hearts

Yesterday I spent most of the afternoon with Tiffany and Kade--it was a nice surprise. She called on her way into MN, so I was really glad to hear she'd be in town. Kade let me hold him and I got a few giggles out of him, too. I didn't take any pictures, sadly, but we had a good time and some excellent conversation. Corey & I went out for dinner at one of my favorite local places hoping to convert him. It worked. He had the 3-cheese penne and I had the Thai turkey chili and the salmon with raspberries and peaches. It was delicious.

A romantic gift

For my Valentine's gift, I asked for these running shoes. I know, it's really sexy. Not that it's even about the gift, and actually we had a quasi-agreement that we wouldn't buy gifts for one another, instead, to buy items for the house (case in point: for Christmas, we bought another one of these chairs for the LR). However, I want these before March, considering March is the absolute latest I can begin training for the half. And if I receive them tomorrow, I can start training tomorrow. Corey's getting a Shutterfly calendar and a photo card. Planned in advance, however, ordered barely in the nick of time.