"O" Off season!

"O" yes, today was the Oprah day! I'm still on my "O" high! Isn't she just so fun! I love her! If we could just go around screaming like her, so happy and excited! I love it! It was so fun watching the Olympic moments, many of them for us for the first time. We were able to get live feeds of the events without commentating in the village, but nothing like on NBC... so fun!

Well not much going on here compared to what we've been through but a lot at the same time. Mainly we are enjoying each other and enjoying having a home! We are gearing up for our Sacramento camp. Making sure all is in order, paper work, Coach's, the set up. and etc. Lots of work goes into making it run and being the best possible! Its such a blessing to have Mrs. Daigle really step up to the plate and run our camps! So much for her retirement, she has been going just about 24/7 getting campers registered! This has been a dream of mine since after College to do this and do it the right way. Finally with her help and many others this dream is a reality. Registration, facility, coordinating with the host, and so much more! This has allowed us to have camps and make sure the campers are getting the most out of it. Olympians & Professional Coaches teaching what we believe in, I'm grateful to them for allowing this to happen too. We can be and give the most in this environment, I truly enjoy putting on these camps. Its kind of like a mini wedding day. You want it to be perfect! I have really really tried hard to believe in everything I endorse and the products/brands. I take a lot of pride in things that have my name involved. Having our families and friends run the camp, insures this. I believe this is the best camp possible! We do a lot of this, for my teammates and I this is a large part of how we make a living. I have done many camps ran by others, including helped Cal Ripken with some softball camps. I have taken the best from all the camps/clinics that I have done and have tried to incorporate it all, make it affordable, and to provide the most for our campers. Its an incredible experience for these girls, the future of our sport! I absolutely love getting to meet each camper and getting the opportunity to interact with them throughout the weekend. Even show them our medals! This is one of my favorite times! Not showing them off, but seeing young girls faces light up touching, holding, even wearing them! Its the best part about having these medals! (Weird saying these... quite fun!) Its crazy, girls walk up to us in tears so excited to be at camp. We usually have campers there at 6 am pitching in the parking lot anxiously awaiting camp! Both our families the Finch-Daigle's have so much invested in this and we take great pride in them! We are grateful for our sponsors that allow the kids to get so much out of the experience. Yes, swag bags, autographs, pictures, getting the game taught to them by the best, hanging with Olympians, but more importantly life skills that carry over way beyond the playing field. Its about inspiring young women to set goals, learn leadership skills, learn teamwork, learn discipline, self-esteem, have fun, and to "O"f course to "Dream & Believe!"

As you can tell I'm quite passionate about our camps and look forward to all four of them this fall! You can check out the locations and register on my website www.jenniefinch27.com if your interested.

Other than gearing up for camp we've been getting things straight around the house. A daily chore! Every single day. Don't know if I will ever accomplish this but I will continue to try! I don't hate many things, hate is just not good, but I hate junk mail! It takes an extra 15-30 minutes out of my day shredding and filtering through. Not that my time is that valuable its just one of those things that drives me crazy. My mom has had this chore of mine for the year, on top of her own, where would I be without her (scary to think). I wish I could still fwd all of my mail to her. Wouldn't that be dream!

Lately around the house for the boys its been lots of otter pops & ice cream bowls. I did make steak, rice, gravy, with smothered potatoes 2 nights ago! Not as good as mamaw's but it did put duplicate grins on Casey's face for the night! He said, he still might make a southern girl out of me. And I'm still soaking the pan! :) Maybe so cal girl my own mixed version! I'm trying. And I topped it off with Casey's favorite, yellow cake with chocolate icing! Look "O"ut! The kitchen is covered at least. Meanwhile my dryer is full of clean clothes, my floors are filthy, and my bags are still packed from Chicago... trying! Still adjusting to home life.

We knew our road ahead was going to be a tough one, us both being the youngest in our families. Now having a little one we are forced to be adults, somewhat. One of the greatest blessings from having a child is the youth it brings into our lives, our parents, and grandparents. Ace is keeping us all young, don't know if its a good thing for Casey and I but we are managing, managing quite well we think for the most part. It's so funny because yes at times we are forced to be adults and act like them but for the most part I feel like I'm still in college. It amazes me daily to look at Ace knowing he's our child that we created, with the hands of God. We are still young at heart, playing the game we love, living as so called adults/parents enjoying our beautiful journey. Its crazy to think I am still playing softball. Yes, I dreamed of playing forever... maybe even slow pitch one day as hard as that is to admit. But really to be still playing, having the opportunity that we have today is absolutely remarkable! I think its awesome, a true gift! To be able to say, I'm a wife, a mom, and a softball player. What a complete blessing! It's so fun as we run into friends from high school and college and see how we've grown. For as much as we've grown some things don't change, we remain somewhat the same, young or young at heart. So many old friends just laugh and tell me, I can't believe your a mom. I just reply, "me either!" And they say somewhat making fun, "and still playing softball." I laugh again, "yes, somethings don't change, at least not yet." Its been amazing, we love it!

Ace is talking up a storm keeping us busy. He asked Casey, "Why?" for the first time tonight. Here we go! It was about cutting the pineapple skin off, "O" my little boy! I just want to tackle him and squeeze him, a mother's love is indescribable. People often have said about the stages in which children grow, "oh that's my favorite stage". To be honest, it just keeps getting better. I think everyday it continues to get better. Yes, at times it can be quite difficult but this love is so unconditional, through tears, spills, running late, even in the tough times our love is unconditional.

As Ace is shouting, "mommy, have sucker please" at the top of his lungs. At least a please is in there. After some convincing he's eating dinner not a sucker, with not much of a battle! He just said, "wheels are circles!" ...Hold on have to go dance and shout hooray! We were talking about that yesterday, he remembered! He just sits there with a half grin watching me dance and shout, yes I'm a bit looney at times, I convince myself its being a fun mom. We'll see how long Ace agrees with this? See it does just gets better! To think God loves us and them even more is mind boggling, but true!

Ace loves spending time in the garage fixing things, anything. He loves his baths too. Its been so fun, bath time is for Ace and Daddy now. So cute. Bath time at night during the season is not the easiest getting home at 11pm on an early night. This off season has been such a blast. Yes, I miss my girls, I can't deny it but we are enjoying it. Here are some pictures from the other day. It started out on the lake fishing! So fun. Ace was soaking it all up with his daddy. My right arm was sore the next day, not the usual pitching sore, worse. I held an umbrella for just about the whole boat ride, the soreness was well worth it! My boys on the boat!

Our captain, literally!

Fishing with dad!

Below is a pictures of our new glitter headband colors, this is how are day ended! Not so climatic, but have to do some so called work. Yes, more glitter headbands! We had a mini photo shoot of the new colors. I love them! We added silver, purple, and lime green. Quite fun! Below is the purple. On the elastic on the back it reads "Dream & Believe" ! "O"f course!

Well thanks for hanging in there reading my madness. Its a bit difficult staying on track while running around the house. This took me just about half a day. Better go, Ace is dropping green beans in his mouth saying, "missed missed" as they are now all over the floor. "O" what a day!
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