30 Days of a Thankful Heart {Day 24} Boomer, Baptisms, and Blessings

The past few days have been a fantastic blur of family, friends, and some awesome bedlam football.  I am so incredibly grateful to be able to be close to family.

Our sweet baby boy, Kasen, has also been sick the past couple days and that has made for a very tired mommy and daddy.

I think we kinda look like the walking dead a bit, but The Hubs looks wayyy better on less sleep than me.  Life is so unfair sometimes.  Eh, whatcha gonna do?

I guess I am going to attempt to get some beauty rest before the wee one wakes, which should be in less than 3 hrs if sick patterns hold.

So, in order to get my tired behind to bed and keep up with the thankful posts, here is a quick list of what I am grateful for today.

30 Days of a Thankful Heart {Day 17} Roller Derby

I think I am in love…with roller derby and the awesomeness that are roller girls!

Photo courtesy of True Grit Roller Derby
http://londontips.ca/true-grit-roller-derby

A little over two years ago I was catching up on my Netflix movie list and I received Whip It in the mail.  I’d heard of roller derby before, but this movie put a whole new spin on it. Plus I ❤ me some Ellen Page (of Juno fame.) I was so intrigued!

I spent hours Googling roller derby and checking to see if there were any local teams.  There were! I asked The Hubs what he thought of the idea of me as a roller derby girl were.  He smiled and kind of laughed, and said, “You’d be good.  What about softball?”

Hmmm.  Was that a compliment or a diversion?

The idea and fascination remained just a lovely, awesome dream.  We were busy living life, getting adjusted to a new place, first ministry appointment, and our rapidly growing 9 month old.

But oh how dreams cling to the soul…

Career Change in Store for Peyton? Day 13: Lent Journey

 

 

¹” Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Breaking News: On the heels of the recent news conference, announcing his release from the Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Peyton Manning decided to go for broke and announced he will be turning down the numerous offers pouring in as the most coveted free agent, and instead will be pursuing a second career in the NBA.  Through his agent, Manning released a statement:

“I have fulfilled my dreams these past 14 years as Quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.  As much as football will always be my first love, I feel I have other talents that I need to share with my fans.  I’ve always admired professional basketball players and feel that I have numerous skills to offer.  I hope my football fans will fully support me and the NBA team I join.  I’ve always said, “I wanna be like Mike!” Thank you.”

Picking My NCAA Tournament Bracket: From the Heart Take Two

Here we are again and it’s time to get down to business.  My taxes are filed and I’m getting money from the gov’t and giving some to the state, so if not that madness, it must be  March Madness.  Now a reminder, I am not an expert on college basketball, although sometimes I’m pretty sure if I screamed my advice like Dukey V, no one would know the difference.   I know the game of basketball and I can hold a decent conversation about who’s who in college basketball (much more than the average woman), but I don’t follow it like I do college football; now that’s a topic I could get passionate about, although I am still licking my wounds from the National Championship letdown, but I’m Sooner born and Sooner bred, and when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead!    The loss caused me to lose some desire to follow the basketball season closely, even as OU has had an incredible season, led by Blake Griffin.  I blame it on being in KY, surrounded by crazed SEC fans who think no other conference is worthy.   However, as I have my own personal sportscaster living with me, whose own blog on the bracket is skyrocketing, I can’t pass through March bracket free.  I went to the living room this morning where  Aaron, the sports Fanatic, had lovingly placed a blank bracket on my computer.  I caught Sportscenter and I’m sure I’ll get an update via AaronCenter later.  His phone is on overdrive beeping and vibrating at least 5-10 times an hour for some sports-related update, from the 49ers to the OSU Cowboys.  I think he got a personal alert when Kurt Warner had a meeting with Mike Singletary last month.   I’m pretty sure Aaron has renewed his subscription to Courts of Gold to supplement his sports updates he’ll receive in heaven; I bet God is one heck of an announcer, and if we think Reiley knows how to write a closing sentence, imagine what God can do with sentences 1-7.

After reading Aaron’s latest NCAA post update, I once again was inspired and challenged to pick my bracket, post it, and do it all in my own style, from the heart.  And, since I am a mother-to-be this year, I am sure hormones and a growing maternal instinct will play a role, at least a little.  Aaron suggests in his bracket tips to balance head and heart when picking, which while wise and safe, just seemed to shout, ‘Challenge!’  I like heart, passion, stubbornness, ridiculous reasoning, and I wanted to have some fun.  My decision: Pick my bracket using heart reasoning and women’s intuition only.  I believe in miracles, and Scripture does say that the greatest is Love, followed by faith and hope.  Seems like a good package to me.  As the Angels in the Outfield mantra goes, “It could happen.” So here we go; won’t it be sweet if my lovely bracket outlasts Aaron’s sensible, researched, scrutinized one?!  Again, I stress, “It Could Happen!”  I’ve included a copy of my bracket with reasoning for each region’s opening round, followed by select highlights all the way to: One Shining Moment.  Enjoy.

Texas Turmoil: A Boomer Sooner Take

Yes, I am a Sooner.  No, I do not like Texas.  However, due to the impending hurricane, which I hope causes minimal havoc and damage, and to the emotional uncertainty of a certain Texas football player, I cannot turn ESPN or the news on without Texas on the tips of tongues.  Most of the time this would not bother me quite as much, but it is college football season, and this is not a time for tea and cake. 

For those of you reading this and wondering why Texas would upset me so much as a Sooner, well….Oklahoma, which is located above Texas, is the home to The University of Oklahoma, home of the OU Sooners, Bob Stoops, 7 National Championships,Barry Switzer, #28 Adrian Peterson, and a rich football tradition and legacy that defines the Boomer Sooner spirit.  For more stats and facts, check here, and understand why so many sing, “I’m Sooner born and Sooner bred, and when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead.”

Now that we are all caught up and bleeding crimson and cream, we can get back to the rant at hand. 

Some Things Never Change

So Aaron and I just got back from our first softball game in the co-ed league for Asbury Seminary.  I think we barely qualify for a co-ed league considering that there are only 2 females on each of the four teams.  We are the token minority.  It’s okay though, and for at least the first few games, I can use it to my advantage.  You see, no one at the seminary really knows about my history; softball and I are old pals.  So, when I get up to bat, at least the first time, the guys creep in, thinking I’ll swing, pardon the phrase, like a girl.  Burning them gives me great joy!  Then, if I get the ball in the outfield, the guys usually think that means extra base, not realizing that I am about to nail them with the perfect throw.  Ahh, sweet satisfaction.

I played fast-pitch softball the majority of my life; competitively for 14 years, two in college.  I have since played about 4 seasons of slow-pitch, but it had been about a year since I had played.  Needless to say, it felt great to get back out on the field.  It’s still strange for me to get to a game without having practiced everyday for at least 3 hours, and I have to admit, it shows sometimes!  I’m glad I can rely on natural ability right now, because I need a few games to shake the rust off. 

I’d tell you our team name, but we don’t really have an official or even semi-official one; the closest has been either Dan’s team, or Team Mostad, which is our coach and fellow seminarian.  Tonight we played Team (enter name of coach here), and we lost 11-9, which I didn’t even realize until we got home, and I asked Aaron; the game was pretty relaxed, no scoreboards, and I’m not sure if there was a scorekeeper, other than the ump.  Did I mention I was the only girl on my team tonight?  Amy, the other token, wasn’t feeling well.  If I already didn’t put enough pressure on myself to prove to the guys that I was one of them, just prettier, I now had the lucky position of odd-“man” out.  Well, I wasn’t left out, as I played the whole game, but it felt strange to look around and see no one that shared the same chromosome as me.  By the end of the game however, I claimed my spot, and I even found myself amused at some parts of both my game and the game in general that have not changed.

Straight From the Heart: Picking My NCAA Tournament Bracket

(2009 NCAA Bracket Blog Here)

It’s that time of year again, and I don’t mean spring or taxes; I’m talking about the madness, March Madness.  Now, I must admit something.  I am not an expert on college basketball.  I know, you are shocked, but close your mouth and let me finish.  I know the game of basketball and I can hold a decent conversation about who’s who in college basketball (much more than the average woman), but I don’t follow it like I do college football; now that’s a topic I could get passionate about (Boomer Sooner!)  Actually, this is the first year in several that I haven’t followed the basketball season closely.  I blame it on moving to KY and starting life from scratch.  However, I have my own personal sportscaster living with me.  Aaron is a sports Fanatic, and I mean that, so even if I don’t catch SportsCenter, which isn’t often, I’ll get an update via AaronCenter.  I mean his phone beeps or vibrates at least 5-10 times an hour for some sports-related update, from the 49ers to the OSU Cowboys.  I think it alerted him when his cousin Jordan’s basketball team won their game the other day in Indonesia.  I’m not sure, but I think Aaron has signed up to receive sports updates in heaven; I bet God is one heck of an announcer.

Needless to say, Aaron is pumped and has already blogged twice about the tournament, and has plans for more. (Read about his bracket tips here.)  He has logged an incredible number of hits with his NCAA posts (over 300 in a day), and frankly I am a little jealous; I am supposed to be the writer in the family.  It also hasn’t helped that he has reminded me of the number of hits on a regular basis, about as often as SportsCenter airs; probably more. 

After reading his latest posts, and they are good reads, I became inspired and challenged to pick my bracket a little differently.  Aaron suggests in his bracket tips to balance head and heart when picking, which while wise and safe, just seemed to shout, ‘Challenge!’  I like heart, passion, stubbornness, ridiculous reasoning, and I wanted to have some fun.  My decision: Pick my bracket using heart reasoning and women’s intuition only.  I believe in miracles, and Scripture does say that the greatest is Love, followed by faith and hope.  Seems like a good package to me.  As the Angels in the Outfield mantra goes, “It could happen.” So here we go; won’t it be sweet if my lovely bracket outlasts Aaron’s sensible, researched, scrutinized one?!  Again, I stress, “It Could Happen!”  I’ve included a copy of my bracket with reasoning for each region’s opening round, followed by select highlights all the way to: One Shining Moment.  Enjoy.