NOLA Recap: GAME DAY

Yes, you read the title correctly,

I'm STILL recapping my NOLA trip. 

Better late then never right?!

RIGHT?!?!?! Ok, moving on.....

The day had finally arrived, GAME DAY!

We were ready.

We were excited.

It was time to win a Championship!

Morning of GAMEDAY

SO EXCITED FOR CC

Sissys and Teamies

We were at the fields bright and early to get warmed up.

The tournament consisted of 4 pool play games

 followed by lunch then elimination games.

Since we had 25ish people travel to the tournamnet, playing time was very limited.

WE HAD 9 GIRLS participating on Saturday......NINE!

Teams MUST have four girls on the field/in the batting order at all times.

More than four girls can be on the field at one time,
 but teams VERY rarely play five girls.
Something to do with genetics or what not [curse you aquascum].

As most teams, the girls were very competitive [but good natured] 

about playing time

and everyone wanted to play as much as possible.

I did not envy the captians and the decisions they had to make

in the least.

We were all told, boys and girls respectivlye, that during pool play

people would be given equal playing time,

but once elims started

the best players would be on the field.

So, girls played two games in pool play.

Yup, just two and the boys probably

had two or three.

I was kind of bummed it never worked
for the three sisters to play on the
field together, but
it was nice knowing we had
a true cheerleader on the sidelines
whenever we were playing.

My two favorite sideline faces 

What up SportySpice?!?!

Bunt it

First at bat

RUUUUUUNNNNN

Pool play came and went and despite a few hiccups as a team
we were sitting pretty well over all.

We had JUST lost to one team
and found out we had to play them
first round of elims so we were pretty geeked up.

As many people know, the winning team

usually has a hard time beating a team twice in a row.

We also had our best player back after being out

all but one game in pool play.

Yup, MVP C hurt his Achilles again and looked

to be OUT for the rest of the day.

Y'all this kid has the pain tolerance of a pro athlete.

He plays no matter what, 

so when he sits out because he's hurt

you KNOW something is wrong.

I felt so badly for him, because he looked like

a wounded deer walking. 

He could barely put pressure on his leg

so running was out of the equation.

First he loses his voice in Vegas and now this?!?!

I knew he was pissed, but really didn't

know what I could really do for him.

And then, I remember my stash of pain killers

and basically FORCED them down his throat.

LUCKILY, they worked and he

was feeling better by elims time.

I am 100% convinced we would have been OUT

by the second game of elims without him.

C = ROCKSTAR!

That's my super star man

Now, I don't know if you've picked up on the scale

of my competitiveness,

but y'all it's a BIIIIIIIIGGGGG DEAL!

I had a whole post dedicated to my bruised ego

and my competitiveness

pertaining to kickball,

but felt way to prima-donnaesque

so I never posted it.

Basically, at other tournaments this year

I was NOT one of the top 4 girls

and was NOT picked to play in 

the elimination games. 

I was livid each and every time.

NOT at the captain or because

I felt there was favoritism.

But because I HAD NOT shown

that I WAS the girl that needed to be on field.

I WANTED to be
 the girl that would help the team win.

So, I worked my tail off with C

all year, trying to become better

at reading plays,

making catches

and bunting. 

The entire month of November I worried

and analyzed whether I would

be one of the four to play in elims.

I played in the last game of pool play

but didn't know if that meant anything 

special regarding elims.

Then, the moment I was hoping for happened
and I was named to the elimination team.

And y'all, I played lights out on defense.

I caught everything that came my way
and I was where I needed to be
every play.

I wish my offense had been better,
but I don't know a single girl that
was able to get on base once eliminations started.

Both BabySpice and I were on the elimination team
and we were so lucky
to have this wonderful sissy
as our 'get ready' gal
and number one cheerleader.
I can't WAIT till she isn't a newbie anymore!

BEST middle sissy and cheerer EVER

We rolled through the Sweet 16 

and Elite 8 games. 

Wouldn't you know the team we met in 

the Final Four 

was the team we beat in Vegas. 

They had a major chip on their shoulder

and we knew they REALLY

wanted to knock us out

this time. 

Once again, our whole team played

lights out

and we were able to win

and move on into the finals...

....against the defending champs,

whom we as a team had never beaten.

But, we were ready.

We knew we could do it,

we believed.

Finals

So, after 8 games

with the Final being 12 innings

[ 5 of them over time]

we came out.....

2nd.

That's right, we lost.

By ONE RUN!

ONE MOTHER EFFING RUN!

After we had C on third with one out

as the go ahead run.

WE couldn't score.

They did and they won.

IT HURT.

A LOT!

And it still does,

2 months later.

 There were a few times on our cruise where 

C & I turned to one another and said

"this would be perfect if we had won"

or 

"I can't believe we lost"!

But we did 

and it was a tough pill 

to swallow.

Are there worst things out there?

HELL YES!

But, winning the tournament was

one of my goals this year

and it didn't happen. 

As you can imagine, people were pretty upset

but we were happy there wasn't

a SINGLE play that led to the loss.

The team that won

had nothing but praise towards 

our team

and that made it .1% better.

If we weren't in New Orleans

and if my sisters 

hadn't have been on the team

I would have holed up in 

the hotel room,

cried and pouted

and not gone out.

But luckily for me, they were there

and so we all got dressed up

and headed out to the 

after party.

All of us, except C.

His leg was in NO shape 

to stand after all the playing

he did injured. 

He was asleep before we 

left the hotel, poor kid.

I wasn't expecting to have fun

after the loss,

but it's hard to pout for long

when you're lucky enough

to have these pretty faces around.

They don't look alike....NOPE!?!

Fun memories with my two favorites 

 Only a few teammates made it out, 

but we all enjoyed some drinks,

memories

and fun times in NOLA.

I mean, could they be any more beautiful?

I enjoyed the evening 

despite the loss.

We stayed till about midnight

then decided to head 

back to the hotel.

Word to the wise...

not the best idea for three ladies

to walk alone on bourbon street

or around it alone.

We were fine, but there

were some very interesting characters

that caused the MAMA BEAR in 

me to rear her head ;)!

Even though we didn't win,

this year was an amazing year

for me as a kickballer.

I earned my A team position

and was able to share a favorite 

pastime with three of my 

most favorite people in the world.

Having my boyfriend and two sisters

on the field with me was pretty darn special.

No matter what,

OSC = BEST TEAM EVER!

We'll get em next year OSC!

MY TEAM

NYE and Weekend recap

I'm recapping New Years and my weekend in one post. 

Mmmmkay?!?!

A bunch of kickball friends had rented out a bar in DC for the evening.

So the sissys, Le Beau and a few other friends got dressed up

and headed into the DC for a fun evening. 

Yes, you are seeing me wear the SAME dress I wore for Christmas.

But, I loved the way it looked and knew few people

would be wearing red on NYE!

WIN WIN WIN!

Sissys pregaming in a DC hotel

The bar was full of a bunch of our kickball friends and it was a blast. 

I indulged in a lot of fun drinks and had almost too much fun, almost!

Great example of the evening

My third New Years with C couldn't have been better. 

NYE kiss for the WIN!

The only glitch in the evening was securing a cab at the end of the night

which turned into a major ordeal. 

Thankfully, God was looking out and sent us 

the kindest most understanding cab driving in the world. 

We were all mega tired the next day, 

but the partying was worth it :)!

************************************

Moving on to this weekend now.

One of my cousins had a wedding down in SC this weekend and so 

the whole Brady Bunch jumped into the mini van and drove down on Friday. 

We had to make a quick stop at the Replacements store 

so I could pick out my china pattern.

Hahaha, just kidding. 

Mama B had to replace some of her broken china so the sisters

walked around and played silly kid games. 

A few hours later we were in Grenville and ready to rock.

We were invited to drinks after the rehearsal dinner

which was a lot of fun. 

Me with the parentals

Me and BabySpice

We were able to see family we normally don't see very often

which was so wonderful

MOB, BabySpice, Cousin, Mama B, Cousin, Me, Aunt, SportySpice

SportySpice, Beautiful Bride, BabySpice, and Me

The drinks were flowing pretty heavy, but we didn't 

party too hard thankfully. 

Saturday morning came way too early because we 

participated in the Bridal brunch. 

The food was delicious and the concept was pretty cool.

We were able to visit with family and the bride,

who was coooool as a cucumber I might add. 

After brunch the family walked around downtown, 

visited our great aunt who was in the hospital

[She is doing well, but please send up some prayers if possible]

and watched some football, napped

and then began getting ready for the wedding.

Y'all the church was PACKED!

I'm not kidding.

The balcony was FULL!

Luckily, we were family and had front row seats to the action.

Vows

The bride wore her mother's dress, which also was my
mother's dress too. How cool is that?

 Once the beautiful ceremony was over, we headed over to the reception.

The club was beautiful and the food was delicious. 

We had a great time celebrating a fabulous couple.

Me and Daddy
[like my dress, the lovely JennJenn let me borrow it,
thanks girlie!]

First Dance

Grand-daughters with our grandfather [left]
and his good friend.

 We all were able to dance a song or two with our 83 year old grandfather.

He's got moves I tell you!

Funny story about my family, we like to use the SAME name. 

Below are the four ladies that share the same name in our family. 

My mother and the MOB are first cousins and
 named their daughters after themselves. 

MOB, Bride, SportySpice and Mama B

Fun family shot with Mama B and her dad 

Brady Bunch Family picture

Sissy picture, of COURSE!

The wedding was so much fun,

we danced our feet off. 

There was a fun moment when the band was taking a break.

The DJ played "The Wobble"

and wouldn't you know, the three Brady ladies

were leading the dance group on the floor.

Check out the video ;)

We sent off the couple in style,

but they moved so fast we only could get

a back shot. 

"What are they Kenyan?!"

Sunday morning was a lil rough and the drive back to DC was

just a bit too long. 

However, the tiredness and drive was totally worth it. 

We had a wonderful time with family,

and I wouldn't have it any other way.

LINK.IT.UP.NOW

Christmas Fun Recap

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

But really, who doesn't?!?!

Yes we are in January and yes I'm recapping Christmas.

As you know, my Christmas celebration was a lil sad the next day.

But, I still want to have documentation of my family Christmas.

Because y'all, it was a great one.

A truly truly wonderfully amazing one.

I had to work on Christmas Eve but luckily my boss was awesome
and let us out early.

I skedaddled home for our new tradition of
Christmas Eve Pizza
[thanks to C's family for the idea]
before heading to Christmas Eve service.

The night before Christmas is one of my
all time favorite services.

I love seeing all of the congregation dressed up,
the church all decorated
and the happy faces throughout the church.

My favorite part is sing Silent Night at the end of service
with candles lit and lights off.

So peaceful and so beautiful,
I can just imagine a tiny baby
in a lil manger,
born to save our world.
Thank you gracious Savior.

After service, the family gathered for
the traditional Christmas Eve photo shoot
and we had some gems this year of course.

Below are my two favorites!

Happy Family of Five

3 Crazy Sisters!

Once pictures were done, we popped in a Muppet Christmas Carol

while prepping food for the next day. 

If you haven't seen AMCC, do yourself a favor

and check it out, amazing.

SportySpice and I are part of our church's Communion committee,

and since we are the only people in the group without kids

we volunteered to clean up the Communion stations 

after the midnight service. 

Clean up this year was a breeze and we were 

in and out within 15 minutes

and home and sleeping within 30. 

Christmas morning we were up around 9am 

and dug into the stockings while breakfast warmed

in the ovens. 

Once we ate, it was time for the tree. 

My dad was funny this year and set up his 

Ipad to video everything,

hilarious.

Man, Santa and family spoiled the heck out of me this year. 

I loved everything I received,

and the sentiments behind every gift.

I'm a lucky lucky girl :)!

Once all the presents were done, 

the wine was opened,

thank you notes started

and the ROAST was prepared. 

I wasn't in blogger mode at all

Christmas day,

but you know what, 

I'm good with that. 

I have so many mental pictures in my mind

of a truly wonderfully fabulous day 

with my family.

Dinner was amazing as usual,

I love Christmas dinner so much more

than Thanksgiving. 

There was no rush on Christmas and 

for that I was so thankful. 

The Brady Bunch enjoyed a wonderful day

of fun, love, happiness and joy. 

 We were graced with some pretty snow the day after Christmas.

The snow added something special to Mama B's birthday

and provided something to smile about too.

As you read previously, our happy Christmas season

took a turn for some sadness,

but we were able to rally for Mama B's special day.

We saw Les Miserables as a family

and while there were some awesome performances

I am NOT on the AMAZEFEST train for this movie.

Guess I'm not theatre geekette huh?

[Sportyspice and I may have played rock paper scissors

during one of the slow songs....it's a gift I tell ya].

Dinner after the movie was a great time

and super delicious.

I think I gained 23043048 pounds over 

the Christmas holiday. 

I know you've read it 230483084 times already

but I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.

God is so good and I am so blessed.

How was your celebration?

Christmas Celebration with Le Beau

This Christmas was the THIRD Christmas spent with Le Beau

 and as usual, it was an amazing one.

Well, to be honest, we have never spent an ACTUAL CHRISTMAS day together,

he always goes home and I always stay with my family.

But, of course we have our celebration either

before or after the 25th of December.

This year we chose to celebrate before Christmas and

instead of dressing up and going out,

we decided to cook a decadent meal at home

and celebrate in sweat pants. :)

Similar to years past, we also visited the National Christmas tree.

Usually we visit during the week, to cut down on craziness

dealing with other people [scrooge right?],

but for some reason we thought going the Saturday

 before Christmas would be fun.

The Ellipse was super crowded, but fun at the same time.

BabySpice and the parentals were there too,

so we were able to take some fun pictures.

This year I was not disappointed in the decor as I have been in years past.

Everything was festive and beautiful,

not lame, woohoo.

We didn't stay very long to look at all the State trees,

but I heard there were love dolls place around the Connecticut tree,

which warmed my heart.

When we arrived home after Christmas treeing,

we both immediately changed into sweats [ahhhhh]

and started cooking our delicious Christmas dinner.

I procured an $80 bottle of wine half off earlier this year

and thought CHRISTMAS DINNER was the perfect evening

to open and enjoy.

PRIME Steak, peppers, onion & mushroom chutney, red wine mushroom sauce,
green beans, fresh farmers market bread and VINO!
DIVINE!

Once the food coma subsided, we dug into opened our presents!

ME: Vintage apron and dress I wanted from NOLA, Phase 10, New NB Minimus kicks and Nike+ Sports band
HIM: Whiskey Stones w/sipping glasses, Handle of Gentleman's Jack, WW2 book, Tender Grass fed Meat cookbook, Itouch gloves, new hat.

He LOVED everything I bought for him

and I LOVED everything he bought for me!

Christmas gift mission accomplished :)!

The rest of the evening was spent drinking more wine,

watching Christmas movies

and just enjoying our 'Christmas time' together.

Sunday afternoon C and I cooked a 'Christmas lunchdinner'

for my family, including my Uncle who flew in unexpectedly.

The Linner menu was:

Farmer's market Pork Chops

Farmer's market sweet potato chips

Farmer' market bread

Farmer's market mushroom, onion and pepper chutney,

and store bought asparagus [wompwomp haha]

Everything was DELICIOUS and the family time was wonderful.

We played Phase 10 and of course, C won.

EVEN when the sisters teamed up against him, drat.

He was leaving Monday morning so the rest of Sunday

was spent with him packing and me just chilling.

There was a moment when packing was done

and we were watching a football game on tv

that had me wishing to stop time.

I wanted to just capture everything fun that had happened

over the weekend with my family

and my love

and bottle it up forever. 

I'm such a blessed girl, < 3

Hey 2013...Imma OWN YOU!

SPARKLES, it's 2013!

Source: thefancy.com via Pinky on Pinterest

Instead of writing resolutions, that I've been really poor at keeping,
I'm linking up with Janna this year and
 DEFINING MY OWN PERCEPTION for 2013.

Hey 2013, I hope you're listening

because here are my expecations

and WHAT you're going to bring!

Wishing you and yours the best

2013 ever!

Two Thousand Thirteen

[source]

Today begins:

a new year

a new chapter

a new start

a new page

a clean slate

a fresh perspective

another day of blessings!

Make the most out of each and every day you have.

CHEERS to 2013!

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