Family.  So many people view "family" in different ways.  For me family are people you can not picture your life without, people who are there for you threw out  the good and the bad, who support you and help you in your time of need, who give you advice, and share some in some of the most intimate moments of your life, giving and receiving grace, forgiving and letting go without looking back... loving unconditionally.  I have been blessed with the best family anyone could ask for.  I have been raised is a God fearing and loving home, with morals support and discipline.  Growing up I never would have dreamed those things would mean what they mean to me today.  I would never take any of it back and am thankful for the lessons I have learned.  We have been blessed by the time we were able to be in Washington, spending time with our close friends and family.  We went camping with the Hagen’s at West Port, and camping the the Jones’s at Dash Point.  We love you all! 

7 moves, 3 years

Stephen has been offered a job in Midland Texas. Praise the Lord!  We have now become professional movers.  We are looking forward to finally starting our life in a place we know we will be staying for a few years.  Stephen will be working for a company called Propetro.  I will be able to finally go back to school and slowly work on my nursing degree, hoping to start nursing school next year after we get settled.  God has blessed us with work, friends, and family to support us in this new chapter of our life.  There will be trials along the way but we know this is where God wants us right now and we are excited to see what he do with our lives, and how he will use us to serve him.

You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. ~Jim Bouton, Ball Four, 1970

Baseball has been our life for three and a half years.  It's been Stephen's life for as long as he can remember.  We are excited about this years baseball season, being able for the first time in awhile to focus on having fun and treating it like the game that it is.  There will be ups and downs, as always, but as Stephen's final year approaches we thank the Lord for the blessings he has given us throughout his baseball career .  It has paid for his school, gave him opportunity to travel all over the country, has taught us both valuable lessons and given us has some of the greatest friends we could ever ask for.  

Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.  ~Ted Williams

This statement is so true.  Stephen has worked his butt off to get where he today.  His hard work and dedication is inspiring to many, none more then me.  He deserves the best that this life has to offer, he has earned that.  Finding joy in a game based around failure takes a strong and confident person.  Being able to let go of something that has consumed your life for 20 years with a peace of mind knowing you are following God's plan for you life, well not many people can do something like that.  I couldn't be more proud of him then I am today.  God has big plans in store for our life and we are looking forward to following Him wherever he may lead us.  

Peninsula High School

Eastern Oklahoma Baseball 

Megan and Tory!

My parents 

Texas Tech first basemen 

Stephen's parents 

Texas Tech

Double! 

Last game

 Stephen's last game 

The Redmen's 

Kathy and I watching Stephen's last at bat

Megan and Jared 

Stephen and Mr. Altobelli 

3 of the 4 roommates 

Stephen, Bo and Nick

 Roomies!

 Stephen and his mom

 After Stephen's last game, with his dad

Playing in Alaska 

Ironmen, in Ohio

Texas Tech!

Proud girlfriends and sisters 

Mommas 

Tech playing the Bailer Bears

The best of friends!

  

Breckenridge CO

Stephen and I took a four day trip to Breck, CO.  We said our goodbyes to our families and flew four hours back to Dallas TX.  We drove straight from Dallas to Colorado (a 14 hour drive...Stephen drove.)  It was beautiful!  We stayed in a condo right up against the rocky mountains.  We walked around all the little shops, went to dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and took the lift up the mountain.  Our time together there was so relaxing, I read a whole book while we were there.  I love our trips together.  Im thankful to be able to spend quality alone time together.

Christmas 2011

We have been blessed to be able to spend the last three Christmases in our hometown, Gig Harbor.  This trip was the last long trip we will have for a while.  We enjoyed everyday we were able to spend with our family.  Our time with the Hagen's is always fun and relaxing.  One of my favorite things to do with them during the Christmas season is cutting the Christmas tree.  We spent our evenings by the fire just hanging out and watching movies after some of the best home cooking! This year we went to the place where Mike and Kathy grew up to look at Christmas lights, went to dinner and a movie and just spent quality time together.  The time we spent with my side (the Jones family) is a lot more fast paced.  My dad plays in a band (The Shy Boys) which keeps us busy on the weekends.  My brother Steven has a son, Kaden who is constantly keeping us running around!  I love spending time with that little boy.  I threw my little sister a baby shower, went to gigs, made dinners, and went on dates with my mom and sister.  We are so blessed to have healthy families be able to spend so much time with them.  We are looking forward to going back up for a couple weeks this summer.

 This is the view from Stephen's room

 Our beautiful mountain

 The Jones family

 Me and Stephen :)

 Mandy, baby Jack (still in the oven) and Spencer

 Baby Shower food!

 Mom, Mandy and I at her baby shower

 Stephen and I at my dad's new years gig.