Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Day 8!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Smokes! This has been a long week! I can honestly say that after spending 4 of the 8 days with my head buried in my books that Im grateful I had studying to do because these last 4 days have been the pits! With my 4 days of vacation I managed to get a mean sun burn! I went and laid out 2 days in a row and now Im itching to death because its pretty much a 3rd degree burn. (You know Im over exaggerating right?) But really it is pretty bad.

Anywho, I managed to finish one of my minimesters and I AM ELATED! My brain is dead but I am so happy to have gotten that done. Now I can enjoy my trip home and not worry about deadlines!

My week was pretty uneventful which I will not complain about at all because there for a while it was getting a little too eventful for me and Jess if you catch my drift!

Today Jess has a game at 12 noon and then they are headed home! Tomorrow is an off day and we are so excited! Its always nice to have an off day when you have been apart for 8 days! I can finally go back to sleeping in the bed (I sleep on the couch with the tv on because Im scared when Jess is gone) and I will have my husband back! Great beginning to a holiday weekend!

Tonight in celebration of the boys coming home the girls and I are having Taco Tuesday with Manicures! I cant wait!

I hope yall are enjoying yalls Tuesday!
Love,
E

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Another 8 day road trip!

As I sent my husband off at 4:30 this morning I got a hug and kiss along with an 8 day road trip good bye. Road trips dont really bother me like they do some of the girls. (ask me at the end of it lol) I think its because this road trip I have a ton to get done and hope I can finish it all before he gets back. I decided to pack it in this summer and take 1 full summer class along with 2 mini summer sessions (insert scream here). I know yall think I dont do much of anything with my days but I am a busy girl. I get up, hang out with Jess, we eat lunch, he goes to the field and I either go to the gym, run errands, wash clothes and study. Then before I know it its game time! I plan to get all my quizzes and discussions done in my first mini session before he gets back so I hope I can do it!

Today while I was at the gym I decided to take a picture of the view I look at while I run. I love this because there is so much to think about while I look at these views. It makes my run more enjoyable and sometimes I even can see Jess from where I am.




The field is so pretty and green! I just love running here and being able to reminisce over people walking downtown, the buildings and that beautiful painting on the side of that building. I hope yall are having a good week! Im going to hit the books now!
Love,
E

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day!

Today we want to wish our WONDERFUL Father's a very HAPPY Father's Day! We love you both very much and appreciate everything yall have done and do for us!
Love,
E & J

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Baby Shower!

Today the girls and I gave Brittney Walters and Casey Stavinoha a Baby Shower! This was a whole lot of fun because we got to decorate in both blue and pink because Brittney is having a boy and Casey is having a girl! Jess asked at the beginning of the week if we could have a suite for the 11:05 game we had today that way we had air condition for the hot day and be able to throw them a shower. The GM of the field politely obliged and gave us a really nice suite with food and drinks! Here are some pictures from our fun shower!

Brittney and Casey!

All the girls!

Yummy Cupcakes!

Opening gifts!

I love party planning! Its my new fave thing to do! Ive been trying to plan my friend Hannah's Baby Shower in August but after talking with my friends we have decided to just do a "Sip and See". Its a new way for you to give someone a baby shower. After the baby is born you have a party for the new parents and they bring the baby and you sit, sip on some drinks and see the baby. You can bring a gift if you want but no pressure. Its different and Ive never been to a shower like that but Im excited to do it!

School has started for me again so Ive been pretty busy getting back in the swing of things. Here are some pictures of Jess' last couple of outings! I know those are yalls favorite ones!

@ Home



in New Orleans!


Happy Friday tomorrow! 
Love,
E

Monday, June 13, 2011

NOLA!

New Orleans Louisiana is one of the most overlooked vacation spots in America. Most people think of the words "dirty" or "washed up" when New Orleans is brought up. In mine and my husbands cases we think of 3 things, good food, good drinks and gambling! We absolutely 110 percent love that city!

We left for New Orleans around midnight Tuesday. We had a pit stop in Mobile Alabama so we left on Tuesday so we could spend our off day Wednesday there. We did the road trip with another couple Brittney and PJ Walters. They are from there and are in the process of building their first house so they had to meet with the builder. They invited us to come along and we obliged since we love seeing how our "baseball friends" live during the off season. We spent the day at the pool with the boys and then went to dinner at the best seafood restaurant in their home town. It was right on the water and really good! Jess got fried oysters and they werent bad. I had never had one before and I thought it was chicken! Lol.

Thursday morning we got up and headed to New Orleans! We were all so excited to get there. I dont really know what appeals to us there but Brittney and PJ love it as much as we do! The first night after the game we hit up Harrah's. We just grabbed a quick bit to eat in the casino and then went and did work! We only stayed an hour but between Jess and I we won a total of 275 dollars! Uhhh yeahhh!!!! We were so happy! Jess could have stayed longer but we were both so tired and happy with our winnings we called it a night!

Friday Jess and I ventured off by ourselves and went and had crawfish! We both love crawfish so I asked the front desk where the best place to go was and we went! It was in walking distance and closer to Bourbon St.

2 1/2 pounds of delicious-ness!

Now in our tummies! 

 We had Seafood Gumbo as an appetizer.
 (Jess trying to act like he doesnt want his picture taken)

Lets just say it was ok :)

That night Jess threw in the game and did great! We celebrated by going to Port of Call. Its a restaurant that has 4 things on the menu, a hamburger, cheeseburger, mushroom burger and a steak. Each entree comes with a loaded baked potato not french fries. Their signature drink is a "Monsoon" and lets just say it hits you like a monsoon does too! You are only allowed to purchase two for yourself because they are so strong. To be honest if you can drink two you are one heavy heavy drinker! I didnt even get 1/3 of mine down and Jess didnt even finish his! That restaurant is what New Orleans is about, great food and good drinks and overall it was a nice end to a good day!

Saturday for lunch we hit up our usual seafood joint we go to called Crabby Jacks. Jess had the smoked boudin with red beans and rice while I had the grilled shrimp with fried green tomatoes! Jess says they werent as good as Granny's and I believe him because nothing is as good as Granny's food! Our friend PJ threw that night and his parents came to watch. After the game they took us out to eat at Chili's because PJ loves the chocolate molten there. After that we hit the casino up again. A lot of the team was there so we all gambled at tables near each other. At first we lost all our money we had brought to gamble with but then my husband saved the day! He won back the money we lost plus some! It was a very fun and eventful Saturday night at the casino!

Today marked the end of our trip in New Orleans. It was a nice little trip and I enjoyed our time there. Im so grateful we are able to do little trips like that and will always hold them dear in my heart. So dont count that city out when your looking for a little get away. It has all you need and more and Jess and I would love to be your tour guides if yall ever need one!

We love and miss yall! Its getting closer for us to see yall in Round Rock! Have a good week!
Love,
E

Monday, June 6, 2011

Reunited....

When I hear the word Reunited the song "Reunited and it feels so good" plays in my head. Im not kidding, every single time someone says it or I read it that song plays in my head. Our life has pretty much been that song since the Cardinals picked Jess up. We have been "reunited" with the people we "grew up"with in the baseball world. The people that were there first, the people who went through all of our "firsts" with and their "firsts" with.

These people and the relationships that go along with them are invaluable to Jess and I. After spending almost a 1 year and a half (to the date) miserable with really no intellectual, true friendships seeing their faces again has given us ease. Its like a day never went by since we have seen them and one of the girls here even said that to me. "It's so good to see you Erica!" followed by "Oh my gosh!, It doesnt even feel like a day has passed since Ive seen you last!" That right there to me is what I call friendship.

I can honestly tell you from the bottom of my heart that Jess and I are different people now. Just a month ago we were not truly content. Surface and face value wise we were but the things that laid deeper in us werent. Jess wasnt content playing baseball which caused him to be just plain down in the dumps. The fact that playing baseball didnt make him happy plagued me. I put on a happy face to try and bring him up but I was falling apart. I was so sad and my heart felt broken because I could not fix the situation. That kind of helpless feeling is one of the most terrible feelings I have ever felt. Its right up there with how I feel on Sundays knowing I cant eat Chick fil a if I want it because its closed. But, no really! Its awful! When I say the word plague I mean it! There was nothing I could do and knowing it was eating me alive.

In the baseball world its not common for you to go back to your original team once you have left them. God really knew the desires of mine and Jess' hearts by bringing us back here. He knew how bad we longed to be back with this organization. I will never forget that period of our lives that we spent with the Indians. I know I was at the lowest point in my life that I had experienced and yet now looking back on it I appreciate it so much. Its funny how God has a way of teaching you things. The lessons hurt like nothing in comparison but you learn a lot along the way.

Since being "Reunited" with all of my friends I have been so busy and Im loving it! The boys left friday on the road to Oklahoma City for 4 days. Since then I have been spending time with the girls. Saturday I went with 2 of the girls that are pregnant and spent the day shopping. They both just found out what they are having last week so that meant one thing for us! SHOPPING!!!! One is having a girl and the other is having a boy! So its the best of both worlds when we are shopping. Yesterday I went with another one of the girls and worked at a "Sisterhood" Convention that was in the Convention Center up the street. We worked from 10:30am to 5:00pm and I was pooped! We had to stand all day so I think thats what got to me the most. It was really easy and I made some extra money so that was even better.

Today I went to lunch and then went and saw "Something Borrowed". It was cute but Its definitely a one time watch. I dont think I will rent it when it comes out or buy it but it was cute. With me being so busy its made the time with Jess being gone go by fast. I miss him and am ready for him to come home. They have a day game at 11am tomorrow so if yall are bored tune in and watch! They will then head home and be here around 11pm. We are then getting in the car and going to Mobile Alabama! We are spending our off day there with some of our dear friends on the team then driving on to their next series in New Orleans! We are soooo excited for that!

We miss yall and are looking forward to seeing yall in July!
Love,
E

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Our Memorial Day!

Hello Everyone! I hope this Hump Day is treating you well! It seems to me like the week is flying by and on top of that I cannot believe that it is June 1st!

Our Memorial Day was pretty low key and normal for us. Jess had a game at 1:05 so that made for a nice evening. Jess came in for the starting pitcher and needed 2 outs to end the inning. He had 1 strike out and a fly out. He then came back out for the 7th inning and had 2 fly outs and a strike out. He did allow 2 hits and one of them did score. The center fielder lost the ball in the sun so that caused Jess to earn a run. Its ok though, it was just a little bad luck and he still pitched phenomenally!









After the game we went and saw the movie Hangover 2. I was slightly disappointed because I thought It would be funnier than the first but it wasnt. I wont spoil it for those of you who havent seen it yet but dont bank on it being better. After the movie we came home and I made pasta for dinner and we had some wine. Overall it was a nice little Holiday! I hope yalls Holiday was good as well! Until next time....
Love,
E