Morneau Wins, But Hamilton Shines

Justin Morneau was crowned the 2008 Home Run Derby Champion with a total of 22 homers. He hit 5 in the third round - the round that matters. I have to at least tip my hat to any member of the Minnesota Twins that can win my favorite slugging competition (as my earliest childhood baseball memories were cheering for the World Champs in the late 80s), however, nobody is talking about Justin Morneau.


A new hero emerged at the HRD with a phenomenal and record-breaking 28 home runs in the first round alone. That's right, he hit more HR's in round 1 than winner Morneau hit in all three rounds combined, and though 3 dingers in the third round declared that Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers walked away with second place, he was first in everyone's hearts. His power hitting was not the only thing that garnered him the respect of his peers, the admiration of the crowds and the talk of the town. Josh Hamilton had a much greater weapon in his arsenal than his bat: his story.


Certainly fans knew that Hamilton was not going to be the typical HRD slugger when his pitcher was introduced. We're used to BP coaches throwing for these things, or in the case of last year's outing by Matt Holliday, a friend or relative. Hamilton surprised many when his pitcher took the field - 71 year old Clay Council, Hamilton's high school coach. Not only was Council thrilled to be invited to the festivities and to pitch to Josh at Yankee Stadium, but the man threw 54 pitches in the first round - 28 of which were knocked out of the park! I was ensnared by Hamilton's excitement and charm when after his first slam the crowd went wild and he was heard to remark, "That was awesome, dude!"


Yet even this is not what earns Hamilton the all-too-rare status of role model. His story encompasses a much greater battle and includes a testimony that he openly shares about how he reached where he is today by hitting rock bottom and finding his way back to the top through a relationship with Jesus Christ. I can't even come near to describing his amazing life so I'll send you out to read it in his own words: "I'm proof that hope is never lost."
I loved how Hamilton unabashedly attributed his performance and his very life to the work of God and Jesus. It seems so rare and awkward when God can be worshiped and proclaimed outside of church but Josh Hamilton was able to share his testimony to a packed house at Yankee Stadium and an audience of millions. In that respect, there is nothing second-place about his finish and he will easily be remembered as the hero of the night. Thanks for the show, Josh, but even more, thanks for the story!

Baseball Tip For the Non-Fans

The Home Run Derby is on tonight and following my tradition (2006, 2007) I'm destined to blog about it. Tune in tomorrow - or sometime later this week - for my thoughts on the beloved HRD as well as the All Cubs... I mean All Star Game. For those of you tuning in to the competition tonight I thought I would help out the non-baseball-junkies a bit. As my random act of kindness for the day I'd like to clear something up....

This is Evan Longoria:

This is Eva Longoria:

Oh, what a difference a single letter can make.

Chasing Rainbows

Tony and I spent the last weekend in June on a mini-vacation to Galena, IL and Dubuque, IA. We visited a National Historic Park about an hour north of Dubuque called Effigy Mounds. Very cool place, by the way. We did some hiking but fortunately - yes, fortunately - we got caught in a massive rainstorm half way through a three mile hike. We were drenched from head to toe but on the drive back to Dubuque a look out the window revealed a beautiful rainbow arching over the Mississippi River. As we drove onward, I couldn't help snapping pictures because each view was more spectacular. The last is by far my favorite! In some of them you can even see the double rainbow too. Granted the pictures don't quite do it justice - I had goosebumps from the sheer beauty of it (or maybe they were from the drenching rainstorm....) - but keep in mind these are all taken through the car windows with no editing or retouching done.





My mom has always said that anytime she's going through a job transition or other change in her life that God has sent her a rainbow as a sign of His goodness and faithfulness. Tony and I have said that with our current circumstances we're on an adventure, not knowing where the road will lead. The last picture is my favorite because it really looks like we're driving directly into the rainbow. I think it's a good analogy that on a wet road, gray and slicked with puddles, we can see for sure that in the distance is God's promise and we are headed straight towards His goodness, His blessings, His rainbows. Sometimes, too, you just have to be sure to enjoy the chase.

Delicious Ambiguity

"Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity."

- Gilda Radner

"Boys" of Summer

Went to see the musical Jersey Boys earlier this week! For anyone unfamiliar, it's the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and their rise to stardom from humble beginnings in - you guessed it - New Jersey. (Or more accurately "Joisey".) It was a really fun show and along with having a toe-tapping time, I've had some of the songs stuck in my head for the past three days. On a silly whim the other day I serenaded Tony with one of the hits ("....At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive! You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you.") To which he responded with a laugh (my singing leaves something to be desired) and the question, "How do you know the words to so many of those songs?"

Good question. Granted I could explain away "Can't take my eyes off of you" as being present in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. And even "Let's Hang On" was covered by the a capella jazz group Manhattan Transfer on a CD that my sister and I listened to quite frequently as teens. But does that explain, "Walk Like a Man", "Sherrie", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Stay", "Dawn" or "Rag Doll"? I've always known that I had a good memory but I never quite realized how much song lyrics stay with me even more than obscure trivia or random memories. I know my parents - and even one of my coworkers - love listening to oldies radio, but I'm only just now coming to see how much I've enjoyed the old classics as well.

Neighbors

Our neighbor Howard passed away last night. When I say neighbor, I don't mean the people that you give a quick hi to when you're out walking the dog and otherwise know nothing about. We live in a condo, so aside from not being allowed a dog, it redefines neighbor as literally the person just across the hall from you. Someone that little by little you invite into your life, get to know, and just assume will always be there. Someone who is somehow, part of what you know as "home". That was Howard.

Everyone in our condo complex knew Howard. He turned 90 last December but his jovial nature and easy conversation reflected a much younger spirit. Summers in particular have always been marked by after-work patio conversations about current events, baseball, and sometimes even the nostalgic reflections of the good ol' days - Howard was a Navy man during WWII and pride always shone brightly in his eyes when he talked about his days on an Aircraft Carrier ("You wouldn't believe the size of that thing!"). And he used to grow tomatoes too. Even better than the farmer's market were Howard's patio grown tomatoes that he was always willing to share.

You get so used to someone that it's hard to stop and think that they're no longer in this world.

His wife is doing well and has the support of several children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren around her. She's assured us that Howard is in a better place now, and there is joy in knowing that, but he will be dearly missed.
Rest in peace, and thanks for being a part of our lives.

Learning

I think I've been a little too vague and obscure lately. Some of you have gotten the whole schpiel including some that probably didn't care to hear near as many details as they got. To explain, I think it's best just to say that God's had a lot of stuff to teach me lately and here's the lessons in a brief rundown:

1 - Pray. Anytime, anywhere. It does make a difference. It's good for you, good for others, and God really does like hearing from you. Doesn't have to be fancy. Even a string of expletives followed by "I really really need you right now, God" or "why, why, why" choked out through tears will count.

2 - Call on others to call on God with you. Whether it's praying in a group or just asking others to join in your petition, there really is strength in numbers. Thanks to those of you who are my numbers and my strength.

3 - Answers are nice but not necessary. Clarity is a beautiful thing but in terms of prayers being answered, life rarely solves itself as neatly and easily as we'd like. And then there's that oh so common issue of just when one thing seems to be settling down another heap of doo-doo hits the proverbial fan...

These might not seem like major things to learn. Probably some part of my brain learned them all a long time ago too. But I'm a woman of action. I like to solve my own problems and be a fixer whenever I can. It's a pretty big step for me to try to trust and believe that sometimes all God wants me to "do" is call on Him and seek His help, His love, His guidance and His comfort.

Listening

"All the things I want to say
All at once they wash away
As You walk by, out of mind
My thoughts fly away

All the things I long to hear
Suddenly they reappear
You say in that hour Your holy Power
Will wipe away my fears

I can hear You cry out loud
When You Answer Me
Once again I am revived
When You answer me You answer me with love

To know You are I Am
Confidence of lion lying with the lamb
In greener fields, with all my zeal,
Is hard to comprehend

I can hear You cry out loud
When You Answer Me
Once again I am revived
When You answer me You answer me with love
With love so understanding
I can hardly catch my breath
Seeing this I wonder how You have any love left
Left me not alone
When I did not believe
Through the darkness, through the darkness You answer me

I can hear You cry out loud
When You Answer Me
Once again I am revived
When You answer me You answer me with love"

-Jennifer Knapp

Waiting

"I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty,
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness.

Word of God speak."
-Mercy Me

Please.

Powerless

"Cause this life is too short to live it just for you,
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do?"
- Nelly Furtado

I think the only answer I can come up with right now is pray.
A lot.

St. Baldrick's (long story)

By order of the post title, this is going to be my full entry of the St. Baldrick's Event. For those that want the abbreviated version, it's in my last post (here). You've probably already heard by now that The BeeGeeS had a goal of raising $2000. At the start of the event, Dad and Tony were at about $2500 - a phenomenal total! - but the tally would rise even higher before the day was done. We invited all our family and friends to come witness the event and little did we know that it would turn into two new members for the team: Andrew and Dan! (We decided that we then had to capitalize the "S" in BeeGeeS to include all the represented last names.) These guys set day long goals of $150 and $250 to lose their locks and both pulled in their amounts in a few short hours at the event. Along with the extra $75 that Tony raised to shave his beard as well, and a few more donations online from coworkers, family and friends - Team BeeGeeS pulled in over $3000 for pediatric cancer research!! I haven't heard the official totals for how much the event raised - last announced was $22,000 - but it was wonderful to see so many people giving so generously to a cause that I have long been passionate about.

I know I've been saying this a lot, but I am overflowing with gratitude to all of our donors! Please see our "Donation Honor List" to recognize these individuals and families. And also, a huge thank you to those that have donated by check or cash (their names are not listed yet) - but especially to Tony's coworkers as well as our church family at CCC (DownTown campus - we love you!!!).

And now for some more fun pictures!

Those barbers have their work cut out for them....

But are they responsible for lost hair?

I really think the 80's rap star look could make a comeback this year!
A little mousse and he could be a part of a Kid 'N Play revival!

"You don't understand... I'm like Uncle Jesse from Full House - I LOVE my hair!"

Past the point of no return.... unless you want to be Dr. Phil...


A great look for a great cause!


Because razors aren't scary when you get a lollipop to go with them!

"Our husbands are bald AND we get funny glasses to wear!"

Congratulations BeeGeeS! You guys look great!

The Pictures (short story)

Okay a longer and more detailed post will be coming soon, but for now, here's the St. Baldrick's Report:

BEFORE:


DURING:


AFTER:


With further thanks to all of our sponsors! And yes, Team BeeGeeS gained two more members at the event, but all that will be in my next post (long story). Love, Blessings, and Thanks to all!!!

...And the Money Kept Rolling In!

Can I just say....WOW!
See our current progress (and add your own contribution!) here!

Nearing a Goal

So here's the latest St. Baldrick's Fundraising Report:



The Donate Online Link is included in my previous posts if anyone is still interested in giving!

Just so you know...

Blogger Arrow will not be converting to the new Google Weblogs. You'll have to find my best content all on your own, sorry. I was going to send out an email about it yesterday but my GMail Custom Time feature doesn't seem to be working right now. ;)

Happy April Fool's Day!


....And for something that's not a joke, The BeeGees are over halfway to their goal! Keep spreading the word and sharing the love! Donations can be done online here!