Chasing Dreams.

Everyone always asks me how I deal with letting Jeremy follow his dream & how they admire me for allowing him to go for it. I appreciate the compliment with all sincerity, however, sometimes I think people just misunderstand. 

We both have dreams & we both are chasing our dreams... together. 

Jeremy cheers me on everyday. He encourages me to follow my dreams as a mother/runner/trainer. He compliments me on the things God is doing in my life. He makes sacrifices behind the scenes... like letting me go do my thing in the off season months. Keeping Jace while I go for my long runs. Standing out in the freezing cold to watch me run. Holding me accountable for my goals. Just as much as I sit in the stands & cheer for him he is doing the same for me. My dreams might not be as noticeable or obvious but trust me they are there. I think as a baseball player's wife we can let our own dreams get put on the back burner & by no means does anyone mean for that to happen... it just does. I am so thankful for a husband who encourages me to chase after my dreams. Together we are working to put our dreams together as a family & chase after them, even if that means we make sacrifices for one another.

*I pray that we are examples to Jace & that the passion God lays on his heart is one he will chase after... we will be cheering for him!

I pray I am the encourager & cheerleader Jeremy needs me to be everyday... not just in baseball, but in all the dreams we have for our family even if someday those dreams change. 

Who is your cheerleader in your life? Who are you encouraging?

Memorial Day Weekend

Watching Fireworks after the game.

First of all, I want to say Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all the men & women who have, currently do, & who will serve willing for our country. You are appreciated greatly!

Our Memorial Day weekend consisted of, well you guessed it, baseball :) Friday night Jace & I got to enjoy our first (that could actually watch) fireworks show after the game. Jace wasn't sure if he liked them or not. He wasn't frightened or thrilled, just completely focused. It was fun!

Saturday we enjoyed a normal baseball routine day! Jace met a new little friend, sweet 9 month old Brooklynn at the field. Her parents are the Munters & we hope to spend some time with her & her mommy this year! It's always great to meet another family!!

Sunday was a day I can look back on have a good laugh. Jeremy pitched on Sunday. Our usual gameday consists of us dropping Jeremy off at the field, going to Target, & grabbing Chick-fil-A before the game. Well, we did just that... somewhat :) We dropped Jeremy off at the field, went to Target for some much needed diapers, then attempted to go to Chick-fil-A & realized it was Sunday...ugh, Chick-fil-A such a dirty little trick to play (Tim Hawkins line- I like how they are closed for Sundays but love that place!)! So, we found us somewhere to drive through for Jacer & headed to the park. The wind was CrAzY & if anyone would have seen me trying to open doors & get our things together they would have thought I was nuts. Once I had everything loaded to go inside & about to pick Jace up I realized he only had one shoe on.... He had taken it off in the cart at Target & this mother forgot to grab it! Awesome. Windy, Jeremy's pitching, & my poor son doesn't have shoes. I decided it was too late to go back bc we would miss Jeremy's outing. We attempted to walk inside & then there it went... Jace's hat... We chased it all the way down to the clubhouse. Now someone really would be laughing. Got the hat & inside we went! The nice Eegee man (amazing slushy stand) brought me my favorite Pina calada eegee w/2 spoons for Jace & I. At this point I was praying Jace would fall asleep on my lap... who am I kidding? This is his highlight of the day: baseball & not to mention it was bark in the park night so he was thrilled to see all the dogs. No way was I going to keep this boy on my lap for 9 innings. We spilt the slushy on my shorts & decided that this just wasn't going to work... I think the lady sitting behind us a few rows felt sorry for me... she doesn't know this isn't near as bad as other days... it was just funny I'm sure. I finally decided to go search for Chrissy & see if she had a blanket in the office we could borrow & about that time Teresa showed up with a big blanket. It was perfect. Jace loved being barefoot on the blanket. He stood there all night, no problems. He also spent about 3 innings just laying on my lap. I was so thankful for Teresa, that blanket, & for an awesome little boy who behaves so well so that I could watch Jeremy pitch. 

With all of that said, Jeremy pitched great! He went 6.1 innings & got his first win! So proud of my husband! Loved being apart of it.... even with all the chaos! :) 

Here are some more photos!

Momma & Jace

Jace with his serious face.

He likes looking at himself on the Iphone camera.

Can't get over how much this looks like Jeremy.

Family Lunch.

Jace loves him some spaghetti!

Family Lunch: 

Instead of having a family dinner we have what you would call a family lunch. This is the one time of the day we have together as a family, sit around the table, & enjoy quality time. Whether we have sandwiches, spaghetti, or decide to go out to eat we take full advantage of this time together. Breakfast is usually whatever each of us grab (Jace likes eggs & fruit) & dinner is split up between here & the ballpark depending on the day. I enjoy our family time & hope to broaden our menu for lunch! 

Take advantage of your family time! It's precious & priceless.

Baby fever?

(Photo taken by Aunt Megan)

So, I have to admit... I think I am coming down with something. What is it you ask? Baby fever. Yes, it's a little early for us to be thinking about baby #2 or is it? 

The other day it seemed like everywhere Jace & I went we saw little newborn babies. I never knew how bad I would want multiple kids. Seriously, I always thought I would only want a few but the more I get older the more babies I want. (don't worry Jeremy knows this, lol) I know having one is nothing like having 2 or 3 but oh I sure hope God blesses us with the opportunity to find out! We don't plan on having another baby quite yet... However, I hope at this time next year I am big & pregnant... well, maybe not the big part? ;) I can't wait to see Jace as a big brother! He definitely already has the personality of a big brother & I hope that sticks. 

The cure to my baby fever is to run this marathon in December & really put my heart into it for the next 7 months then we can start talking babies again... until then I will hold my baby niece tightly every chance I get, along with any other babies we are around & enjoy my quality time with Jace before the Hefner's become a family of 4. 

Thank you Lord for the blessings of children! 

For my husband.

My husband's favorite cookies: No Bake Cookies.

*Made them for Jeremy to welcome him home from his trip! Jeremy's mom, Darla has made these for him as long as he can remember & I just hope to make them half as good as her! :) I hope Jace likes my cooking as much as we like both our momma's cooking! (I love baking like my mom does!)

This blog goes out to my husband! We have been together almost 5 years now & I love him more today then I did 5 years ago. I love him more today than I did yesterday. Lately my blogs have been about our experiences with Jace & I sure don't want to let the fact that I have an amazing man I share a last name with go unnoticed. 

As I mentioned before, Jeremy has been gone for an 8 day trip. He comes home today! The one good thing about having a partial (longer sometimes than others) long distance relationship is that fact that the butterflies are always there when you meet back up! I remember in college when we were both playing ball at different colleges & I would get butterflies knowing he was going to show up at my game or that I get to see him after working long hours at OSU football games. Then when I would fly out to visit him in Fort Wayne I remember sitting on that little bitty plane from Chicago to Fort Wayne getting anxious in my seat to get there & see him waiting for me. I couldn't wait for those baseball games to be over & was always so thankful he was the first one out of the locker room so we could go to Chili's & catch up. We were best friends & still are but for some reason I still get all shy when I first see him... silly I know.  I have to say that the butterflies today are much more than the ones 5 years ago. God has truly blessed me with a loving, caring, grateful for every little thing I do, sweet, manly, Godly, baseball player, best friend, awesome daddy, of a man! 

Thanks for letting me brag a little bit about my husband today. He deserves it. 

Love you Jeremy!

My struggle to be superwoman.

The things my morning has consisted of: filling up juice cups, cleaning, making grocery list & finding recipes,... Oh & can't forget my "power" drink!

So today as I have been getting ready for Jeremy to come home I have spent my time doing the things listed above while praying & spending some time with God. I figured since these things are heavy on my heart & mind now I better share them while the Jacer is "resting". I want to share with you something I have struggled with & something God is really, I mean really showing me lately: My worth. His love for me. His purpose for me.

I have such a passion for fitness & helping other women. It has been something that has grown more & more over the years & I know God has big plans for that area of my life... in His time. I have developed a passion to stay away from mediocrity. So why am I here changing diapers? Doing laundry? Cleaning up poop out of the bathtub (yes, that is something that is reoccurring at our house. Taking volunteers to anyone who wants to come clean the bathtub?? lol) Fixing breakfast, lunch, dinner, & snacks? Why God if that is a passion you have laid on my heart am I not doing it right now? Should I of moved out here? Am I really glorifying you in picking up messes 24/7?? Honestly, am I? Last night after Jace went to bed I went into his room & sat next to his pack n play just to watch him sleep... I began praying for him & this is what God told me (not verbally of course)

"Sarah, you are right where I want you. You are raising a human being. They need you & I have big plans for you." 

I felt an overwhelming peace of comfort come over me... and this morning? Well, I have been thanking God I am able to be here with my husband & son. I am thankful I get to sit in the stands almost every night & cheer for Jeremy. I will cheer the best way I know how.  I am thankful I can meet new people & I pray to impact a life this season. I am going to change diapers the best way possible. I will support my husband with all that I have. I will play with my son & use my imagination with the best of my ability. I will stay fit & focused the best I can without putting it before my family. Sometimes, its the little things like changing diapers & just being you that glorifies God. 

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

Colossians 3:23-24

What superhero are you trying to be today?

-Be the person God wants you to be today. Don't try to be superwoman. It's ok if you don't have it all together. I sure don't & I am thankful I don't because then why would I need Jesus? Maybe thats my mess in a message?

God's light shines greater through "cracked pots" than through those who have it all together."- Joyce Meyer (always inspired by her)

Daddy's schedule.

(Jace napping w/his dog)

During baseball season we adjust from our schedule to daddy's schedule: baseball time. 

During the off-season bedtime for all 3 of us is usually around 8:30 (getting old? na! just early wake up calls!) but during the season our bedtime is usually midnight. I remember sitting through a wives luncheon listening to a wife talk about her boys schedules & all I could think about was how crazy everyone would think I was if I let my son stay up that late. Well, here we are over a year later & guess what? Jace's bedtime is midnight. It didn't take long for us to adjust to his schedule & while he has been on the road we have tried to keep the same sleeping schedule as if he were home so we don't have to adjust again. Honestly, I think it was harder for me adjust to this schedule than it was for Jace. I still seem to wake up too early & start yawning at games. Don't worry, Jace still gets his naps, play time, & at least 9 hours of sleep each night... and PLENTY to eat :) it's just at different times than most. 

We eat breakfast at 10:00, lunch at 1:00, play, nap from about 3:30-6ish, dinner, then off to the baseball games we go & if Jeremy isn't playing we usually just make an appearance & take our time getting there, bedtime when we get home (sometimes starts in the truck on the way home). We have condensed our naps into one long nap as of right now until further needed (morning power naps do still happen). 

*Hoping to get my training in sometime in the mornings!

We might not be normal, but as I always say, "what's normal anyway?" 

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

wearing Jace out before nap time to stay on daddy's time. He was getting sleepy by this point!

****Go follow my marathon training at my new fitness blog!!! 

http://themarathonmommy.blogspot.com/

Mess.

Let God turn your mess into a message. -Joyce Meyer

Here is just a glimpse of what the Hefner house looks like majority of the time.

(notice the 2 baseballs in Jace's hands)

I am going to let you in on a little secret of mine.... sometimes you gotta let the messes go. 

Before having any kids I use to have a lot of time & energy that I could put into keeping up the house & honestly I really didn't mind it. I enjoyed having a "picked up" house, however, my room didn't always portray that. I had the time so why not? Turn on some good music & spend my days while Jeremy is gone cleaning up for when he gets back. Well, things have certainly changed. Don't get me wrong I still pick up & enjoy the moments I get to clean the house but I have come to learn I love the messy moments way more than the clean moments. 

Let me explain. I love hearing Jace play & talk with his toys in the other room. I love peaking around the corner & watching him look through his not just one, but 6 books. I love watching my son playing with every kind of ball there is & bringing it to me to play catch.... in the kitchen :) I love sitting him on the bathroom counter & letting him brush his own teeth & get water,... everywhere. I love letting him learn how to use a spoon & getting yogurt all over both of us. I love seeing him play in a box in the middle of the living room & for a split second look up at me with his priceless grin. I love being able to stop whatever I am doing & being able to just leave it there to hold my son. I love looking in the kitchen & seeing a pile of dishes that need to be done because that means we are all here together & Jeremy has fixed us homemade waffles. I love curling up on the couch w/my blanket & hot tea while Jace does inventory on every single toy he brought with him out here.

These messes aren't huge messes & I am sure it will only get more interesting the more children we have, but I have fallen in love with these kind of messes way more than I love having a clean house. By far. God has shown me that I need to slow down & enjoy these type of messes. I need to slow down so I can hear his voice instead of being wrapped up in the busyness of life. God teaches us through the messy moments not just through the messes in our home but through the messes in our life. Maybe your house isn't as messy or maybe you don't even have kids to make that kind of mess, BUT do you have something messy going on in your life? What is God teaching you through your mess? He wants to use your mess to teach you something so you can bless others by your experience.

Seek God in your messes today!!!

Here are a few more pictures of our messes!

eating yogurt.

reading.

turned his shirt into a hat. 

eating cheerios watching some bball before bed.

(most of the cheerios I found this morning.)

playing with his box.

Cherished moments.

The one piece of advice every mother has told me is to cherish each moment. They grow so fast.

They are so right! Jace has already grown out of the snuggling age & into the wrestling stage. He is a loving boy but always on the go! He plays well by himself, super independent, & constantly holding a ball (or dog) in his hand from the moment he wakes up. He is what you call "all boy".

However, this morning I was able to cherish a moment (30 minutes or so) of snuggling in the chair with my son. Usually after breakfast he is ready to go. Ready to go play that is... not today. I had fixed eggs for breakfast & was trying to clean up the mess but had a little boy pulling on my shorts to hold him. Then he began pointing to the chair, grabbed the blanket, & he was content. It was so sweet. We watched 5 different episodes of Max & Ruby while he laid his head on me. I began to get tears in my eyes just thinking how fast he is growing. I never knew motherhood could mean so much. I guess you don't ever really know until you are a mother yourself. (your own or adoptive-all a mothers love) He likes to blow kisses so he blew probably 100 to me in the chair... I think thats when the tears came. It wasn't long before he wanted back down on the floor with his basketball. I cherished it while it lasted.

A friend told me the other day how she was reading Steven Curtis Chapman's wife's book about their little girl & how special being able to hold your baby is to a momma, especially, after you have lost them. I can't imagine how that must feel. I am so thankful for everyday I get to hold my baby boy. I am so thankful I can carry his whole 25 pounds around with me, even if sometimes it's a lot of work.

Cherish the moments you are given with the ones you love.

Fingerpainting & Manners.

First off I want to talk to you about the thing I am giving my 100% effort into this week: Manners. 

Jeremy & I have both said that is one of our goals with Jace & I am stinking to it! (Jeremy is too but he is gone this week) Before Jace really understood I would just say it for him then proceed to go on just so that he would be familiar with it. Now it's getting to the point where he is proving to us that he knows because he will sign & say it when he wants to just not everytime. So, this week has been a week of patience for me. Yes, we even made a song about patience to interrupt fit throwing at our house so I even have to sing it to myself sometimes. (patience, patience, we need more patience.) Cheesy I know but it SO works with him! Anyway, yesterday we spent probably 15 minutes sitting in our high chair after dinner because we wouldn't say please. Finally, he gave in & did it. No turning back now! :) 

On another note, here are some pictures of us fingerpainting this morning. I thought this would be fun for Jace to get his hands dirty in something else besides dirt. It's good for this age to feel different textures & explore so this was fun! 

He wasn't too happy with me drawing on his picture.

We made this one for daddy :)

We also made handprints for our grandma's & aunts! Picture on top will go on fridge.. it was all Jace on that one!

Pretty sure bathtime was his favorite part of the whole thing!

We had fun fingerpainting & now he is down for a nap. I am enjoying my time out here on the patio... enjoying the fresh air until I hear a little one start yelling for me. Ready for Jeremy to be back in just a few days!

Inspiration.

My beautiful niece, Alivia.

This is a picture that represents my sister-in-law, Megan's blog. Today I wanted to share with you where I got my inspiration to really dig into this blogging thing. Megan shares something almost everyday about what is going on in their world to inspire you. Go check out her blog! :)

http://megarmstrong.blogspot.com/

I have enjoyed being able to express myself in words & photos! Thank you to all who read my blog! If you haven't yet go click on the follow button on the bottom left of this page to follow my blog! Have a wonderful day!

Friends.

Today Jace & I got to spend the day with our sweet friends, the Schmidt's.

We are so thankful for wonderful friends. The ones that you feel like you are so much alike you can be yourself with them & they just "get" you. The ones who treat your kids like their own. The friends that no matter how much time you have spent apart when you see one another you pick up right where you left off. We are blessed to have several friends like this, however, today I was so glad to see our friends... Nick, Jill, Mason, & Drake.

We took the boys to Chick-fil-a, to the park, then just hung out & was able to catch up with each other! It was so nice to be around familiar faces & feel comfortable with friends. Jill & I are the kind of friends that are so much alike its weird... I love that we don't have to explain ourselves but just know exactly where the other one is coming from. 

Just a few years ago we were roommates with them in California during the baseball season & at that time Jill & I both were pregnant with our boys... Drake & Jace... Mason was just 2 at the time. Today our boys were playing in the next room while we were able to catch up & Mason was on prayer patrol at dinner ;) Oh how time flies! It feels like just yesterday we were 2 pregnant girls eating & napping alot :)

These past few months as a family they have been rehabbing in Peoria, AZ after Nick's 2nd surgery on his arm. He is a left handed pitcher with the Padres organization & just has a few more weeks until he can hopefully get back to the game. I have been so inspired by their faith during this time. As we all can imagine rehabbing can be a frustrating time especially for them as it is their 2nd time to go through it, however, God has been doing some amazing things through them during this time. I am excited to see where God takes them! They are so special to us! Thank you Schimdt family for being an inspiration to us!

Please be praying for Nick, Jill, Mason, & Drake as they finish up with their time in AZ & on to play this game called baseball! 

Therapy.

Not my typical therapy today.

Usually my therapy is waking up before the sun rises, lacing up my shoes, turning my headphones on to something up beat like the Black Eyed Peas or if I'm in more of a calm mood... Hillsong United. Then its off on the pavement I go for a nice morning run. That my friends is my kind of therapy. 

As an athlete growing up I use to hate running, I mean hate it. Then as I got into college I realized it was a stress reliever for me & it just kind of stuck. I had no idea how much it would affect me once I became a momma. It is true therapy. It is my one chance to get a breath of fresh air & enjoy me time. I love the way I feel after a long run & it makes my days filled with energy otherwise I wouldn't have! Yes, you can say it... I am a running junky. lol ;)

Sad thing is that today my therapy was not my usual... It consisted of icing my knee & relaxing in the recliner. No ipod. No fresh air. No me time. Just on the couch icing while Jace plays in the floor & I read my book. I still have not fully recovered from the past half marathon like I thought I had... looking more & more like I have runner's knee (whatever that is) so I am taking this WHOLE week off from running to give it a rest one more time. The pain isn't anything I can't handle but pushing it might make it even worse. Hoping to get it looked at soon & back to my old self! :) Until then my therapy is on the couch. 

A light pilates workout is on my agenda for tomorrow.... followed by appointment w/the ice & recliner. 

What is your favorite kind of self therapy??? 

Road Trip.

Probably one of the things I dislike most about my husbands career are the road trips.

After spending the off day together at the zoo & hanging out at home we dropped Jeremy off at the airport this evening for his 7 day road trip. Before we had Jace I would spend these days a little bored & finding myself catching up on too much rest. This year being out here with Jeremy will be much different for the road trips. I will get to spend this time hanging out with our sweet little boy & getting some time for us to bond. We will miss Jeremy so much this week, however, we have a fun filled next few days together! Staying busy is key! We are going to make the most out of the one thing I dislike but have come to deal with.... road trips. 

Here is a summarized agenda for the next 7 days :)

-Petting Zoo

-Apartment pool

- Tucson Rec Pool (has a beach area for little kids!)

-Feed Giraffe's

-Storytime at Dosenberry Library

-Visiting an outdoor mall followed by lunch date w/Jace :)

-Taking a day to visit our friends in Phoenix, the Schmidts

-Possibly clean daddy's truck??? ;)

-And lots of time just "hanging out" 

*Better believe we also will be cheering for daddy at home on the nights he pitches! 

We may or may not get all of these things in on this road trip but we have plenty to do to keep us busy until daddy gets home! Looking forward to this time here with my son! 

Technology.

Thankful for technology.

Yes, that's right. I am thankful for my Macbook. I am thankful for my Iphone. I am thankful for Facebook & Skype. Without these things it would be much harder to be away from the people we love.

Yesterday I got to join in on my bible study back home with some amazing girls! I sat on my porch with the mountains behind me but felt like I was right there with them & was able to join in on the discussions. What a blessing techonology can be!

I am so thankful we can call, text, send photos, skype, & hear the voices of the people we love! It makes being here in Arizona so much easier & allows everyone to follow how fast Jace is growing! I also love the fact that we can have "facetime" with Daddy when he is on the road & see his face! Love that Jace & I can sit on the couch not only just listen but WATCH daddy pitch... 

Some say technology is bad but this baseball family says it is much appreciated! :)

A Momma's Dress.

Yesterday we decided to go out for a nice lunch to PF Chang's & to walk around the mall before taking Jeremy to the field. One thing I have noticed everytime we go out to eat is that I never leave the restaurant in clean clothes, ever. Either I have spilt something on myself or Jace has kindly left something on my shirt. Well, today it was my dress. Not just a spot but a HUGE spot, lol!

Jace loves the fried rice w/chicken at PF Chang's probably just as much as we do. He is such a great kid! I feel so blessed to have a child that I can take to restaurants & not feel a huge bother to everyone else there, however, it is still much for work me. :) He is so independent already! He wants to use the spoon yet makes an obvious mess but doesn't like for me to "help" him. I guess its good his personality is more independent than dependent?? I like to think so. Anyway, because he is so independent he usually leaves a nice mess for the waiter/waitress to clean up. Yesterday, he left me a nice mess to clean up... on my dress! Jeremy & I just looked at each other & laughed.

As we were getting in the car Jeremy was talking to Jace about getting my dress dirty & turns to me to say, "Its a momma's dress". This made me smile. This is so true. When we went to the mall I didn't care I had PF Chang's all over my dress or that anyone else saw it. I had such a great lunch with my boys & thats all that really matters. Jace got to enjoy a big boy lunch with momma & daddy. Some may sweat the little things like having a huge stain on their dress but this momma is just glad she has a sweet little boy to put stains on her dress! I think it becomes natural not to care as much when you become a momma!

I am sure this won't be my last "momma's dress" & I am ok with that :) I just become good friends with the Spray & Wash at home! 

Influence.

Today I have been thinking about the influence we have on Jace. God has given us a precious gift & also given such a big responsibility. The responsibility I am talking about isn't to feed, clothe, bath, play, teach, & protect Jace...but HOW we feed, clothe, bath, play, & protect Jace. The little things each day make a huge impact on his tomorrow. 

Beth Moore says that women are the most influential because "when momma's having a bad day ain't nobody having a good day" lol... isn't that so true though? Our kids feed off of our personality. 

Here are 2 cute stories:

One of my past mentor's told me her son brought home her Mother's Day card last year & all the questions about her were answered about her helping others & her loving Jesus... this year they were about working out... She said she prays that she is more influential about Christ than working out but both are important. I thought to myself... If Jace could talk what would he say? What will he say in a few years?? What will he say about Jeremy? Do we focus more on health & fitness or Christ? 

This same friend of mine is on a trip to take her oldest son (mentioned above & I think 7 or 8 yr old) to Haiti to serve. I CANNOT wait to be able to take Jace on a mission trip that he will be able to remember!!!!!!

My older sister, Stephanie told me that each morning on the way to drop off her 5 yr old (at the time)daughter Anna to school they spend their time having "girl talk" & each day they pray together while driving in the car. Not too long ago this was their convo:

Anna- "Mom, did GG (grandma) pray with you this much?" Steph- "No, but I wish we would have. We do more so now." Anna- "I wish we wouldn't have to pray about everything all the time...(with a big sigh)"

She is so honest sometimes but this just shows the kind of impact they are making on her... a positive one even though she thinks its all the time now she will look back & remember how her parents influenced her.

I am anxious to see my son's point of view but a little nervous too... I pray daily we are influencing our son & future children the way God desires us to. I hope that when Jace makes a Mother's Day card he thinks of me & sees Jesus (working out is ok too but not #1). I hope we pray so much with him he questions why we do it so much so we can explain it to him. I pray when he goes to college & is learning to be on his own he remembers the things we have taught him about faith. I pray on his wedding day he takes his wife off to pray when they walk out of the church like his daddy did with me. I pray he influences his children the way he hope to have influenced him.

I know these things are many years from now but influencing him starts today.

Fun Cooking.

Daddy & Jace cooked momma her favorite meal for breakfast: 

Homemade Waffles!!

On Mother's Day we were apart but woke up to a "late but yummy" Mother's Day breakfast & card with my 2 favorite boys! :) Not sure who had more fun? Them or me?? lol!

Here are some pics I took during the fun! 

Jace screaming with excitement!

ROAR!!!!

Copying Daddy.

Well hello Jace!

Dad's turn!

My Mother's Day might not have been on the actual holiday, however, it was by far sweet & my favorite! Thanks boys! 

I am proud to be your wife & momma!

Some things never change.

Having a 14 month old son has really changed my role on gameday, for the most part. 

Instead of:

-sleeping in

-going to the gym & napping on my time

-getting ready slowy & getting "fixed" up

-dropping Jeremy off & reading in the truck until game time

-sitting on the edge of my seat in total focus while Jeremy is pitching

I am:

-waking up to a little boy saying "momma!" in the next room

-fixing breakfast

-GIVING baths

-laying down a handsome little boy for his nap

-packing snacks, juice, milk, tylenol(we are teething still), blankets, toys, & hats

-setting in the Target parking lot for 30 minutes letting my son finish his nap before we attempt a baseball game

-driving through Chick-fil-A for dinner

-change diaper, wipe snotty nose, throw away trash, double check for toys, put my "backpack" diaper bag on & walk w/Jace into stadium

-juggling Jace & his toys during games while trying to keep up with the game

-limiting my bathroom breaks to one per game

However, some things never change.

I still:

-pray all day for Jeremy's game

-am the proudest wife in the stands

-love going to the games

-enjoy our "new" gameday routine

-get a knot in my stomach before the game bc I am excited to watch Jeremy pitch

-want to jump up in joy when he strikes someone out but instead sit quietly with pure confidence in my husband & expect him to get the job done.

-send him an "I love you..way to go" text when he finishes

-& I still love my role on gameday.

My routine may have changed & maybe even my role a little... but I don't feel like Jace has taken away anything from the game... just added a little bit more joy to it :) I am enjoying gameday so far this year no matter what the scoreboard says... good or bad. We know God has a divine purpose for our family in those stands & on that baseball field. May all the Glory go to Him in all we do.... even on gameday.

Cheering for Daddy!

Jace's new hat

Momma & Jace

Keeping a close eye on the mascot, Kino.

The little things...

Enjoy the little things in life... 

for one day you will look back & realize they were big things.

As a family we have made some big decisions the past few weeks. We have been praying for a long time now about what direction to go with traveling during the season. After flying back & forth severals times every few weeks trying to adjust to 2 different schedules & A LOT of praying we found that being together was number 1.

Nothing beats watching Jace look up into his daddy's eyes & watch them play together. We flew in yesterday & Jeremy was at the airport to pick us up. When we walked out to where he was standing Jace immediately started kicking his feet & squealing with joy. I loved it! That right there reassured our answer to coming out here. We want to be together to share the little things that happen daily.

Yes, I still have my own business as a personal trainer, however, I will be keeping my schedule like a teacher's. I will work during the school year & take off in the summer's to travel with Jeremy. I will be offering a few different alternatives during the summer but will be back in time to begin personal & fit camp sessions! I feel so blessed to be able to choose my schedule AND have so many great clients who support us being with Jeremy! :)

I am thankful today for the little things in life! What are you thankful for????

Tough love.

I have loved being able to watch Jace & Benjamin interact lately. They have became pretty good buds... most of the time anyway! ;)

Yesterday we spent the evening at Anna's softball game & I spent the whole time playing with these two. Benjamin is FULL of energy & now that Jace is walking he loves to chase Ben around. 

Benjamin kept wanting to "wrestle" with Jace & at times I would find him holding Jace in a head lock. Jace would wimper & then get right back up to chase him again. Ben would go after me as well & say "Go Down!" while trying to push me down... lol... So I would pretend to fall & he would wrestle me. Jace did not care too much for this. He rushed over to his momma & started patting me with hugs & kisses really worried Ben had hurt me. 

Each day Jace is learning something new & growing so fast! Saying new words & beginning to run & not walk.... soaking up each moment as they pass by!

Rollercoasters

Life's Rollercoasters

Do you ever feel like your life reflects this picture? 

Here is my perspective of a rollercoaster:

-Jumbled mess

-Looks scary at times

-High & lows

-surprising turns

-seat belts are a must

This picture represents what our life can feel like at times. So thankful we have a God who loves us so much that Jesus Christ can be our seat belt & safety through the rollercoaster rides, that He is already in our tomorrow's turns, in the ups AND the downs, even when it gets a little scary. I am thankful He will walk with me no matter what kind of rollercoaster ride I am on.

I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. ~ Psalm 73:23