We've had a great couple of weeks, lots of fun stuff! We landed in OKC for the World Cup so excited to see Casey! He joined us for his All Star break! It was such a fun couple of days together, Ace was in heaven having his daddy there!
Here are a few shots from a team appearance/picnic we had in OKC. As you can see Casey is thrilled to be there in the first one, this is upon arrival! And he still looks handsome! :)
This next is both my Aces cuddled! Thanks to my lil' Ace he got Casey to smile! So very cute! I am one blessed mama!
Here are a few shots of Ace climbing all over the USA team bus! He couldn't wait to hop on after every game! He loves team buses! He's a road dog! Monica Abbott sat behind and often entertained him! Dre (Andrea Duran) ended up putting him up in the overhead compartment, which he almost fell out of getting down! :) The Bandits Bus has sleepers in the back and I think Ace thought thats what these overhead compartments were too, his sleeper!
Grinning so excited to be with the girls on the bus, post game!
Ace and I after the pink game! Even Ace represented! This game was close to my heart as is the many women I knew, know, and do not know battling the horrible disease of cancer. Many of my loved ones were extra close to my heart this game. USA Softball will be auctioning off our jerseys and game used equip from the game for Susan G. Komen. 
Ace and I after the final game at World Cup! What an amazing week we had! I CANNOT thank the fans enough! They created the atmosphere you dream about as a player! We had such a blast playing in front of you all, whether it was in person or in your living rooms! Thank you for all your support! What a magical week! I've been getting many comments on me playing first base and hitting. Thank you... Many never knew I played another position. Its letting me know how old I am and how long I've been out of college! :) At Arizona I was blessed to be in the line up and play first when I wasn't pitching. I still with USA always practiced at first and took BP in the past but this summer I've had the opportunity to play the field! I CANNOT tell you how MUCH FUN its been! Thanks to the Bandits I was able to get some AB's in this season and in the past. To be honest I forgot how much fun it was... I feel like I am 8 years old again. Loving every second. Yes, I love pitching but its only 1 out of every 4 or 5 games... It almost brings tears to my eyes to have this opportunity. To be able to contribute to our team in this way, I can't even put words to describe the thrill its been!
After the World Cup, thanks to the Daigle's we were able to hop in the truck right after the game and head down to Round Rock asap to get to Casey! Our families are our rocks along this journey! We are so blessed and grateful. I think we pulled in the drive way at 6 am! This gave us a couple days to visit with him and we enjoyed every second! Here is a shot of our time with Casey and the Express. Casey is now closing for them out of the pen and loving it! We have so much fun cheering him on, its relaxing watching going to ball park cheering him on and the Express!
Ace and I hit the road on Friday heading up to Diamond Nation in Flemington, New Jersey. We had our first softball tournament on the complex. It was so much fun to see the action and meeting the players! The Academy is coming along! Lots of exciting stuff going on over on the east coast! From there we headed south to Orlando (Disney) for the USSSA Nationals. There were over 150 teams there. What an event, I had fun! It was great to catch up with Stacey Nuveman, Lisa Fernandez, my USA mommies! We signed for about 4 hours, through the rain and all. It was great to be around them and visit, good times! I sure miss them! The NPF Pride and Force had a great crowd to play in front of too! And next time we go to Orlando, we ARE going to Disney World! :)
I am supposed to be packing up for Japan as I type! I better get to it and the eliptical, before I have to head out to the airport. This is our last USA event for the summer. I am looking forward to the trip, not saying bye to Ace but anxious to get back on the field again. Leaving is NEVER easy and does NOT ever get any easier. By this time of the year/summer every good bye is a teary one... I know off season is coming. Its always the anticipation of leaving that is the worst. Once I am on the trip atleast I know its began and there is an end. Luckily I have the Worlds Greatest Teammates! Looking forward to a great week overseas!
I will try to post from Japan! Better get to that eliptical before this long flight!
Dreaming it, Believing It, & Living it!
#27
14 comments:
First of all, WELCOME BACK to the BLOGOSHPERE!! ;0)
Second, I love reading your feelings about your Hubby and beautiful Lil' Ace. What a blessing they have in YOU!
Lastly, thanks for keeping us up to date on your tourneys and games. It was fun watching you on ESPN last weekend (or the weekend before?) and telling my son "That's the lady who's blog I follow!" (He thinks it's pretty cool that I "know" you! LOL)
Congratulations on the wins in OKC (and Canada too)! Wish I could've seen you play in person again like I did in China... hopefully again soon! Good luck in Japan too! Hope to catch those games on TV!
You have a beautiful family! I got to see Casey pitch in June and it was a great time! :)
First I just wanted to say you have always been my hero. I have played competitive softball since I was 6 years old and it has always been a huge part of my life. Though I was never a pitcher, I always looked up to you and aspired to be like you. Now that I just graduated from high school, my softball career is over because I decided not to play in college. I am going to Mississippi State, and was excited to find out that the head coach of the USA team is also the softball coach there so I'm going to have to watch some games. But I just wanted to say thank you for always being a wonderful role model for a little girl with big dreams!! -Katie Foster Gulfport, MS
SO proud of you!!! Hopefully we can chat before Japan :) If not, jaa mata!
Eat some udon for me!
wow, i hope one day i could play usa softball. i have been watching you and the reast of your team play and just by watching i learn so much!(:
hey and yes welcome back to the blogoshpere. what a beautiful family you have, i love reading what you have to say and looking at the pictures, you are really blessed to have such an amazing son and husband!
thanks for taken the time to blog its fun for me to read them and to read whats going on i enjoy it, it was so fun watchen you and your team play in the KFC world cup, i even skiped going to the movies with my family, and doing family things, to watch the games on tv i was soo excited that softball was on, i LOVE watchen USA softball, my family knows it, when there is USA softball on i don't do anything with them or anything, i sit and watch. a lot of times i'll hear my sisters say " o man USA softball is on Khia's not going ANYWHERE for a while" ( and its true)
i like to imagine that will be me someday on that field playen the sport i love
We totally enjoyed the World Cup. You did an outstanding job. Fall season ball excitement is in full swing. I can't wait until my daughter gets home from summer camp to start shopping and practicing. Have fun in Japan.
Hey! No need to appologize; we all know how very busy you are and when you do get the time to write we are blessed to be able to read about your life and to see how much joy you have with everything that you do. You have an awesome family all the way around and glad that you get to spend time with them and enjoy being together. World cup games where awesome and the atmosphere was great being there. I loved the pics of you and Ace and the all pink game was a great one. I have lost several family members to that awful disease.
HAHA that was pretty funny about Andrea putting Ace up there. I can so see her doing that.
Good luck in Japan! I know you will do well. And you are NOT old. 28 isn't old and if it is then I am catching up to ya (I'm 24) =)
Keep dreaming, believing, and doing! Keep your HEART OF GOLD.
Tiffany
Wow Jennie! So amazing! You have so much going on. I'm so proud of you girl. Don't know how you keep up with all of it. Have a safe trip to Japan! I got tears in my eyes just thinking about you having to say goodbye to Ace. It must be hard. I know that Ace is in good hands though. We miss you guys! Take care and God bless!
I traveled from upstate NY to OKC to see the USA play in person for the first time. It was fantastic. I enjoyed the entire tournament not missing any of the games played.
Jennie, as a mother and a grandmother I admire a woman who passionately speaks from deep within her heart and soul. It is refreshing to hear someone so young and successful express her love of the game, team and fans. Most of all you always stress what your family means to you; you never loose sight of their importance and always count your blessings.
You are loved by many.
Jennie,
Great to read your blog and keep up with your outstanding career as well as your family. As a husband and a father, I know how you feel saying goodbye to ACE (my wife has the same issue every morning). There are so many reasons to like you as a person and not because your a celebrity. You seem to truly have a heart of gold. Anyway, with that in mind, I am writing because I have a player on a softball team that I coach in Muskego, Wisconsin who idolizes you. Kind of like you, she is one of the best players I've seen, 15 years old and a pretty good pitcher already, she has control of her pitches location and she throws hard (not sure how hard but I've heard she was clocked at over 60 mph). Just a nice young lady. The reason I tell you this is partially due to the part of your post about cancer. Her mother is dying from this horrible disease (brain cancer) and it is awful. Please continue to support the Susan G Komen cause, you have such power to get people to donate to a cure. Someday, researchers will find a cure to this horrible disease.
I know this comment is kind of a bummer. If you could reply when you get back from Japan, it would be great to tell you about this young lady. I'd like to try and find something good for her to focus on, at a time in her life which is just so wrong in ways that are unimaginable.
Keep livin the dream Jennie, so many young ladies look up to you!
Coach Megna
Muskego, WI
i think its so cute how you fell like your 8 years old out there playing...to me i always feel that way when i play softball...just to know that i can go out there and compete...but at the same time have fun with what im doing..you and the whole usa team has inspired many girls out there...in your blogs talking about playing more than one position is great knowing that girls that read your blog will know you can make it father if you can play the field hit and be an all around player...
thank you from inspiring me as a little girl..and still to this day you and the usa always make me feel proud to play softball!
So I hope it's okay for me to comment...I'm not a stalker, but kinda, I guess. ;) I have always been such a huge fan of yours. I love that you're beautiful and such a great athlete too. It's inspiring to all us girly girls out there that also love the sports world. Now to see you as a mom is amazing as well. Thanks for sharing through your blog.
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