The time has arrived

Today is the day.  The one that I've thought about since Opening Day.  The one that Joe Maddon has been preparing for all season long.  Forget the curses, the goat, Bartman and the Tribe.  It took hard work, determination and a belief that it was not only possible, but realistic!  More on Joe Maddon later in the week.

Here we are.

World Series.  Game one.

Take a group of young players, an experienced Manager, an enthusiastic owner and a data-driven, don't-doubt-the-strategy General Manager - and put them in a city that believes in their team.  The Chicago Cubs.  Now the world is watching.  Baseball loves to rout for the underdog.  After 71 years without a World Series title, the Cubs qualify as the underdog.

The enthusiasm, the determined attitude and the leadership allowing them to thrive have become the cornerstone of their success.  Who says baseball is just a game?  Perhaps it is.  Yet we are in dire need of this kind of Cinderella story.  One that makes us smile, laugh, relate and cry tears of belief and joy.

Play ball.

Joe Maddon, Miracles and a trip to the World Series

Since Opening Day of baseball 2016, I've been routing for the Cubs.  And it wasn't until after they won last night to secure their spot in the World Series that I realized exactly why.

It isn't because they haven't been there since 1945, or better still won a World Series since 1908.  It isn't because the city of Chicago is known for the most loyal fans in baseball, and it isn't because I've jumped on the bandwagon to be part of something bigger than myself.

The Cubs started knocking on the door of my heart in the second half of LAST season.  Each time Jake Arrieta pitched it seemed like it was headed for a no-hitter or a record setting game.  At season's end he won the NL Cy Young Award as a reward for all his achievements.  Then there was that rookie with the wide smile and the amazing bat, Kris Bryant.  He seemed to be everywhere in the field and hit the ball like a veteran. All of this earned him the NL Rookie of the Year.  Last but not least, there was Joe Maddon.  His strategies and calm presence led him to NL Manager of the Year.  All of this happened during the 2015 season.

With great anticipation I awaited opening day to cheer for the Cubs.  It didn't really feel like I was routing against the Yankees since they were in different leagues and didn't even play one another this season.  For the most part I justified it because I appreciated Joe Maddon's leadership style as Manager - why couldn't everyone lead this way?

By mid-season even Ellie was hooked.  She loved her KB (Kris Bryant to the rest of the world), and even though he is 24 years old, she's insisted she's going to marry him.  When I suggested that the age difference wouldn't work she justified it by saying that Derek Jeter married someone 16 years younger - so this marriage with KB was the real deal!

She grew to love these players they way I did - Addy Russell, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez, Dexter Fowler and Grampa David Ross.  She'd cheer for them as we watched the games.  And boy, did we watch games this season.  Lots and lots of them.  The highlight of the season was when the Cubs were on a west coast trip and a Saturday afternoon they played the Dodgers.  When we sat down to watch it Ellie said to me, "Mommy isn't it the Dodgers that Vin Scully does the games for?"  So we switched to the Dodgers broadcast instead of WGN's coverage and enjoyed one last game called by Vin Scully before he retired!

So as the Cubs secured their spot at the World Series last night - for the first time in 71 years, I realized why this meant so much to me.  Its the way this team came together.  Its youth and experience working together.  Its wanting the accolades more for one another then for themselves.  That's team work.  With great leadership.  Although I can say I'm happy for the people of Chicago, that's not why I feel so aligned to this team.  They are underdogs who never gave into that label.  They believed in themselves.

And as Joe continued to remind them to do.  They never gave up.

As this t-shirt above says, 'Be Present, Not Perfect."  That's been my mantra this year - far outside of the baseball field.  In the end though, doesn't it all come down to that?  Life and baseball are a lot alike.  You have to be part of something greater than yourself.  You have to believe that it is possible.  With good leadership and a little luck you could end up at the World Series too!

Soccer Saturday

We'd promised Ellie we'd have a burger together over the weekend when she'd asked during the week.  Hard to fit everything this in during the week with practice, after school activities, homework, dinner, shower and bedtime!

So after her soccer game on Saturday we headed off to Liberty Burger for her special treat.  Although they lost the game to a team that out-matched them, the lunch was fitting as she'd earned it!  Her running, blocking, team work and leadership on the field have grown her into a force to be reckoned with!

That's a big burger for a little girl!

Note from a friend

"miss you (heart) Monica"

My friend from Atlanta, Monica was visiting this week.  We didn't get to spend much time together - but we were able to chat quickly, exchange hugs and when I returned to my desk she had left me this note!  It reminds me what matters -

Sunrise, Sunset

Every since we moved to Texas, I've claimed to have seen the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  And I've shared many of them here.  I can't seem to stop taking photos of them, as they tell a different story each day.

The gorgeous sky is a true metaphor for life.  The colors, the changes, the timing and the beauty are all part of the process.  Those skies also remind me that there is so much out of our control - its really how we manage it that matters.

So here's to celebrating the beauty of a Texas sky!

Zin Zen Wine Bar

Mom and I had the day to ourselves on Tuesday and decided to run a couple of errands, find a nice place for lunch and pick up Ellie from school.  Since one of the stops was in McKinney - we found a nice little place to stop!

Zin Zen Wine Bar was an adorable spot with friendly staff, delicious food and flights of wine for us to try!  What a treat!

Who knew we could do a nice little wine tasting in our own backyard?  Well, now we know!

Happy Columbus Day!

Three generations sharing the same smile

Ellie's gorgeous new earrings!
And sparkly facial adornment

Happy the hard part is over, off to find more earrings to wear!

Grammy's in town!

Grammy and Ellie before dinner

Grammy arrived on Saturday, October 8th before lunch into DFW.  We had a pretty full day planned so we headed to our house and had a variety of fruits, cheese, crackers and veggies before heading to Ellie's soccer game. It was a sunny day, not at hot as it had been - although warm nonetheless.  Ellie played hard, stood proudly in front of Hannah - helping her 'sweep' the ball away before it reached the goal.

After our fun afternoon in the sun, we rested before meeting Jeanine and Michael for dinner at Uncle Julios!  We enjoyed the table side guacamole and lots of delicious Mexican dishes - before Ellie got to order her special dessert.

The Chocolate Piñata!  A gorgeous chocolate globe filled with fruit and surrounded by whipped cream piles and pots of caramel and chocolate on the side.  What a treat!

Ellie and Bill sharing a hug!

Happy face after smashing her piñata !!

Happy couple with margaritas!

Maya's Wise Words

I recall being a fifth grade girl many years ago.  My teacher was Mrs. Hill and I attended St. Peter's Elementary School with many of the students I'd known for years.  It was a small-classroom  environment focused on the basics of mathematics, social studies, language arts and religion.  Honestly, I don't recall the school work being hard.  It was the social game that grew more complicated as the years went on.  Particularly 10 and 11-year old girl friendships.

Truth be told, I don't know that much has changed.  Girls are still girls.  Boys are still boys.  Throw in more electronics, activities and competitive parents and likely the experience has only intensified.

Ellie is also in 5th grade.  I'm happy to say she is adjusting to much more homework, changing classes every 40 minutes and has a core group of friends she has lunch with each day.  This includes Grace, the star from the soccer team, Erma, a new friend this year at Draper and Grace from Whitt last year.  I love how she talks about her lunch with them, as I picture four girls who look nothing alike giggling and trying to finish their lunches in the short 20 minutes allotted.

Here's the hitch.  One of the 'friends' who in a couple classes with her is Aubrey.  We knew Aubrey last year.  She's sort of a mean girl.  When Ellie starts describing what she has said to her that day at school in brings me all the way back to those days of figuring out how to navigate a 'friend' who was very hard to read.  They wanted to be friends one day, and not the next.

Here's the beauty of age - now I realize why certain days she wanted to be friends and other days she didn't depended on who else was available to her.  Fickle, one might call her.  Aubrey has older sisters - which I have decided must be mean to her because she's learned that being mean is an accepted practice.  She makes fun of Ellie - something she'll wear, her legs, the way Ellie will do something.

We've sat and talked about it.  Aubrey doesn't get to decide who you are and what you do.  She isn't the judge and jury of your life.  Only you can decide.  We've talked about the fact that Aubrey may not be very happy inside and this bubbles over and hurts other people.  I asked Ellie if she would say or do to people what Aubrey does, and of course she said, "NO!"  Because we both know what that feels like and we wouldn't want to do that to a .... friend.

So fast forward a couple weeks.  Aubrey is being nice to Ellie again.  Following her around school for a couple of days, asking to sit with her.  I asked Ellie how that made her feel.  "That Aubrey likes me again."  So I asked her, "do you want to wonder from one day to the next if she is going to be your friend, or would you rather focus your energy on people who are there for you day in and day out - being your friend - not deciding if they are going to friendly to you?"

She understands.  And yet she says, 'but she's being nice to me ...."

Which is when I launched into, 'the first time someone shows you who they are, believe them."  I helped her see that actions are very powerful.  That we should surround ourselves with people who make us feel good about who we are, not wonder the next time they will say something mean to us.

I'm not sure how this will play out.  What I am sure of is that the pain of a mean girl, an on-again, off-again friend doesn't go away.  I still recall particular girls from these early days - and the pain that friendship causes.  As I've matured I've chosen wisely.  That's where I'll help Ellie focus.

Keep looking for the sun ...

Some days you have to just keep looking for the sun.  Even when there are clouds in the sky.  You have to believe that the sun will shine again.  And when that sun shines - drink it in!  Let it warm you knowing that the universe has you.

I captured this shot on Thursday morning.  The sun was streaming in and it just lit up the sunflowers not the table.  They were so bright and warm, so willing to light up the whole room.  That was their purpose.  I couldn't resist capturing an image so simple.

While I was getting settle in the car, while still in the driveway, arranging my bag, my sunglasses, book on CD into the player, I sent a good friend a text.

I asked for a prayer of courage and strength.  As you can see it didn't matter what it was for, she dropped her head and prayed for me.  I felt the warmth of the sunshine in her prayer.  Her love for me as she does her children and husband.  I asked for help.  I asked for someone else to help lighten the load I was carrying.

We often underestimate the power of asking for help.  With the laundry, putting gas in the car, clearing dishes from the table are the small ones - the big ones are heavier, and likely need the most assistance.  I'm learning to ask.  As I bow my own head in prayer, and in the asking of others.  

For the record she called me later that evening to check on me.  She said, "you don't need to tell me any details, I just need to know if you're okay."  That's a friend.  A true friend.  I told her, "yes, I was okay and the enormity of the time she took to say a prayer for me lifted the burden from me."  A day at a time, that's what I told her.  We can only do this one day at a time, one prayer at a time.

14 years

During most of our time dating Bill called me Sunshine.  I find this image fitting as we remain the sunshine in one another's life ensuring each other grow along the way.

Bill and I were married 14 years ago today.  A beautiful fall day in a church that remains a special and sacred place to us.  A building that holds many memories.  We've mourned and celebrated over the years there.

Today is a celebration of those years together.  Our celebration is far from Saratoga Springs where we grew up and were married.  That's the great thing about love.  It travels.  Without TSA and patience of getting through security.

You set up your own stops along the journey.  Boarding passes are the intentions that you make to one another and the unity of your marriage.  Sometimes you get re-routed, sometimes you're faced with delays.  In the end you arrive exactly where you are supposed to be on God's timeline.

Bill and I have been blessed in many, many ways.  We have families that love and support us.  We share an amazing daughter that we're grateful to be raising.  We've been fortunate with our careers that have led us to new and unchartered territory.  Most of all we've been blessed with patience and a strong sense of loyalty and forgiveness for one another.

What I truly appreciate is the stages of a marriage.  And believe me the wedding isn't one of them.  And the photos over the years don't do it justice either.

A marriage shows it's worth when you make a big decision together.  Both fearful of the future, yet believing with the strength of one another we'll make it work.

A marriage shows it's worth when you stand at the hospital bedside of a loved one together, with a shared pain searing your heart knowing you can't fix the cracks in the other's heart.

A marriage shows it's worth when you hold hands and tell one another this will all work out as you watch your newborn baby be wheeled away from your hospital room because she's having trouble breathing.

A marriage shows it's worth when you move to different states without other family in hopes of making new friends, and you are still excited that you are sharing that scary experience together!

We like to think of all the celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, holidays - where the photos are taken as the view inside a marriage.  But after 14 years I know differently.

A good marriage takes hard work.  A willingness to be patience through the ebbs and flows of job stress, illness, insecurity and even boredom.

A good marriage at the end of day looks like two exhausted, working parents who take the time to acknowledge that although some days are harder than others, it is the very best feeling to just hold hands and smile as we meet on the couch to enjoy the quiet together.  At that point I  close my eyes and ask God to continue to bless us, our family and our marriage.  I thank him for all the blessings he has given us - and without being shy about it, I ask for many, many more years of the same darned thing!

2002

Wedding day - Saratoga Springs, NY

2012

Fall foliage - Bloomington, IL

 2016

Wine tour - Palma de Mallorca, Spain