The Big Guy

10 Things I'm Loving About Him Right Now.

1) His continual attention to my personal interests and activities even though he has lots going on in his own career - asking and genuinely listening to what I've been up to or thinking - how my day went - how I'm feeling in my 60 days of Bikram Yoga - how my energy levels are ... its incredible how much better I always feel just knowing that he is always interested in how I am.

2) His laugh - the one thats so perfect and true - the one that brings tears to his eyes from so much uninterrupted joy - the one with an unmistakeable sound that is all his own ... I've been hearing it a lot lately and just listening to him laugh gets me going and makes me feel insanely happy.

3) His growing character - the way he continually allows himself to be open to new experiences in order to grow into this beautiful, fun-loving, relaxed, open-minded individual - the way he uses his experiences to form a strong persona with such integrity ... I discover more to love about him each day.

4) His love for Lucy and Gus - the way he'll lay on the floor and wrestle with them until they're tired - the way he makes sure they're comfortable at night (even though they're just dogs) - the love in his eyes as he watches them playing outside enjoying themselves ... its such a pure selfless love he has for them and truly heartwarming to witness giving me a small glimpse of what kind of father he will be.

5)  His attitude about life which he translates to ball, relationships, and change - staying positive through each situation he is presented with - his ability to figure out how he can make his life good no matter what is thrown his way and his faith in the idea that when you can relax and keep moving forward, good things will come to you ... I am never more impressed than when I see how he handles himself during rough spots in our life.

6) His integrity - the way he carries himself with confidence but not cockiness - the way he puts everything he has into anything he does, stays true to his own abilities and gives 100% genuine effort all the time - the way he remains honest and wholesome in a lifestyle that turns many people greedy and deceitful ... I feel so blessed to have a man that I can learn so much from and lean on whenever I need.


7) His courage to try new things and be himself in any situation - the way he said for months that he would come with me to yoga and finally has begun his own journey into yoga (and is actually really enjoying it) - the way he fearlessly and confidently steps up to any challenge and truly trusts his body, mind, and talent to help him follow through ... I couldn't be happier to have a husband who not only recognizes the importance of continual development, learning, and growing as a human being, but creates and takes opportunities to make these things happen. 


8) His inner calm through absolutely everything - the way he accepts changes in his world and looks at them not as hardships but as different opportunities - the way he does not let anything steal his inner peace, always so collected and focused in his personal life and his career - the way he channels any anger he may be feeling to this beautiful proactive energy to help him in his circumstance whatever it may be ... I am envious and completely inspired by this characteristic in him.


9) His appreciation for the little things - the way he comes up right behind me when I'm cooking dinner to kiss my cheek and tell me thank you - the smile that spreads across his face when I pick him up from the field every now and then - the glaze over his eyes as he watches the dogs playing, laughing to himself, just happy that they're having fun - the sound he makes when he bites into a really good steak, so appreciating just the delicious melting in his mouth ... His gratitude reminds me of all the small blessings we have to be grateful for every day.


10) His tall, athletic build - the way I fit perfectly into his arms and can nuzzle my head right into his chest and neck - the feeling I get just sitting next to him on the couch: safe, warm, loved - the way he liberally hugs me throughout the day, really squeezing tight to make sure I know he means every one - the way he lets me sprawl out in bed at night even though I'm half his size and taking up way more of the bed than he ... I sometimes wonder what it would be like if he weren't 6'3", 215 lbs, and I instantly recognize my immense appreciation for his size -- he's my big guy and I absolutely love that.

The Happenings

Here is about a month's worth of some of the random, lovely happenings taking place in our lives while here in Goodyear:

WALKS.
Every day Lucy, Gus, and I venture out into the sunshine for an hour-long power walk through the parks, sidewalks, and playgrounds of our neighborhood here in Goodyear.  The pups are always plowing ahead, workin' those hammies, so enthusiastic and grateful to be able to enjoy the great outdoors so often.  After our walks, Lucy and Gus find the spot on the carpet where the sun is shining in through the window and take themselves a long afternoon nap together.  Its glorious. Here are a few shots of the scenery we are able to enjoy and their afternoon siesta...

FAMILY.

Its been awesome to spend time with my grandparents- Fred and Barb- and my cousin and her fiance- Sam and Luke.  We have been getting together at least once a week for a variety of different things including: dinner, drinks, dance shows, cook-outs, ball games, wedding-dress shopping... It is so nice to be able to spend time with the "roots" while we are out west far from our immediate families.  We always have a good time and its wonderful to be around people that share the same interests and values.  It makes for good conversations and a loving atmosphere.  We are enjoying every minute.  Here are a few shots from our dinner at Organ Stop- a pizza place with one of the largest organs of all time that plays instruments that are on the wall around the restaurant. It was a hoot! 

DOWN TIME.

We have been spending a lot of time with friends on the team, including but not limited to- Jared Burton and his girlfriend Audrey, Justin and Guia Lehr, Sam LeCure, Chris Valaika, Nick and Jennah Masset, D-Ray (obviously) doing activities such as dinners at a string of local restaurants and bars about a mile from our house, cook-outs on the weekends, movies at the theater, and an occasional game night at our place. 

The boys had a little Super Bowl party a while back which included way too much food, way too much beer (a keg... yes! a keg!), football and beer pong in the garage before, during halftime, and after the game.  It was a good time no doubt. 

Mo and I drove up to Chandler a couple weekends ago to spend some time with Justin and Guia and check out their home (they live in Chandler, AZ in the off-season).  We had some good Mexican food, played with their beautiful and hilarious children- Reed and Avery, and relaxed in front of their fire pit on the back porch watching the sun set.  It was so nice to spend time with a couple that has a similar mindset and lifestyle to us.  They are both very relaxed and put off the go-with-the-flow vibe which we love.  

We got to check out the big golf tournament in Scottsdale- well, we didn't watch any golf but we did get hooked up with media passes to the O.A.R. concert that Saturday night.  Mo, D-Ray, and I drove up to Scottsdale for the night to enjoy some music and a very large crowd.  We had a few drinks and met up with a few other teammates and friends.  

Our newly started baseball wives book club got together for the first time about a week ago.  It was great to meet and get to know some of the girls I had never met before and so nice to converse about things other than baseball.  We chatted and had some snacks and enjoyed the female company.  Our next book is The Namesake and I've found a few more girls that want to come as well so it should be a very interesting and dynamic discussion about this book- as well as a great reason to get together and socialize.

Of course, I've been chugging along strong at my 60 day Bikram Yoga challenge.  I hit my half-way mark this past Friday and am feeling completely drained but completely invigorated at the same time.  I caught a little bug late last week and was thinking it was most likely all the negative energy and emotion being released from my body due to all this yoga.  I was reminded that I need to slow down and take care of myself every now and then... Every day is different.  It is still challenging and sometimes I feel like I just can't get my head on straight but I just keep going.  I keep going because I know I am on this incredible journey and I trust that the process is a beautiful and complete way to heal everything (physical and psychological) in me.  

I just actually had the opportunity to take a posture clinic with a senior yoga teacher, Michael Harris, this past Saturday through the studio where I practice.  It was an all day event- 9am-3:30pm and it was wonderfully enlightening!  I got to connect with fellow yogis and learn a lot about the specific postures in the Bikram series and the mentality behind the practice.  I also learned a lot about myself and my own practice.  I am so grateful that I got to have this experience.  It reaffirmed that I am right where I need to be.

We just saw Alice in Wonderland with D-Ray, Nick, and Jennah last night at the IMAX in 3D- it was a great flick with some awesome colors and characters.

Here are a couple photos from a Friday night game night at our place with a few friends- we played Cranium and Balderdash and were rolling around laughing all night... it was too much fun!

 

And a few shots from the O.A.R. show

BALL GAME.

Last but not least my first ball game of 2010.  I went to a bit of the Spring Training opener last Friday- Reds vs. Indians- to watch Mo do some work and get a peek of this new field.  It really was beautiful and the weather completely cooperated with warm temperatures and sunny, blue skies.  I went with Audrey and my cousin, Sam.  Mo looked pretty sharp in his uniform-- besides that his pants might be a tad too big now...