Christmas has come and gone...

It amazes me that all the anticipation that leads up to Christmas day can come and go so fast. I think Christmas should be celebrated all year around. Yeah, it's nice we have a designated day to be with family and friends to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but Jesus is worth a celebration all year long! And then as soon as Christmas ends, we start anticipating for the next event coming; New Years! It's still hard for me to believe that we are already approaching 2010. It feels like it was just the other day we were counting down to 2009. Like I've said many times before; time just seems to fly by so fast and it's so easy to get caught up in the 'hectiness' and fast pace to life. That is why I think it is important to just slow down sometimes and really appreciate the moments.

Anyways, Daniel and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at his parents house with all of his family. There were about 32 people there. We had a great time. The next day (Christmas day), we spent with my family. My mom made a delicious brunch, then we all went to see the movie Sherlock Holmes. It was a pretty good movie, but definitely has it's slow moments. And to be honest, I actually even dozed off for about 10 minutes. First time ever doing that in my life in a movie theater. The ending was good though. Speaking of movies, have any of you seen the movie Avator yet? It is Daniel's new favorite movie and he can't stop talking about it, haha. Anyways, later that day, Daniel and I drove up to Big Bear Mountain to spend the weekend with his family, cousins, aunt and uncles and one of his aunt's cabins. It's a gorgeous cabin! And the snow was beautiful! We went sledding on Saturday, which was so much fun! Just getting the chance to spend time with family is a huge blessing and I've learned you can't take it forgranted.
Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas! :)
Here's some pics from Christmas:

It's Almost Christmas...

Good morning, it's Saturday and as I laid here in bed, it struck me that I am probably the worst 'blogger' possible. When I started this blog, I really thought to myself that it would be an easy daily task to get on here and update you all. But I realize I have probably left many of you with sheer disappointment after checking to 'keep up with the Carrolls' and realizing there hasn't been too much to keep up with. Who knows, maybe no one even reads this thing besides our parents and a few of our close friends. So for whoever may be reading this; I apologize, yet once again, for my lack of commitment to this blog.

I realize I have yet to bring this blog to life. But like I have said before, I am going to try to do a better job of 'blogging'... this I promise you. This needs to be somewhat of my journal, it's so easy to go through our daily routines and forget about the experiences we have faced that day or just the works God has been doing in our lives. A blog; or a journal; is definitely a keepsake we all should strive to have. And it's always fun to read back on them and sort of re live the moment in a sense.

Anyways enough of that; so what has been happening since my last entry of 'forever ago'. Well, Daniel and I are still home in Cali. The weather has been gorgeous, sandals and a tank top in December; only in California. We have really just been enjoying our time here with family and friends. But as usual around this time of the year; Decemberish; Daniel and I start craving the baseball season again. We are both just so excited for this next baseball season. We've had a couple of rough last 2 seasons (with injuries, slumps, moving around...) but even though it is hard to say- I honestly don't think I would have traded it for anything. During a time, there would have been no way I would have even been able to utter those words from my mouth. I mean, yeah, it would have been nice to just have had healthy easy seasons and just enjoyed the ride; but we would have missed out on the lessons the Lord has showed us and taught us and the way He's worked in our hearts through these situations. It's been rough and was definitely a huge struggle at times. But I realized how big the God we serve is! And I've only seen a glimpse of it; WOW!

Daniel and I were recently blessed to be able to go the PAO (Pro Athletes Outreach) Conference held in Texas. It is sort of like a 'retreat setting' where major league and minor league players, as well as their spouses come together and are able to have just awesome fellowship and hear amazing studies. We even got to meet Josh Hamilton and his wife (which I'm not going to lie; Daniel and I were kinda star struck at first), but they were so down to earth as well as so many other of the 'well known' players there. I have so much admiration to see these players using the pedestal they have through baseball to make a stand for the Lord. There are no words to describe the impact that ministry is having on so many people who are able to be apart of it. We were beyond blessed. And each and every one of the teachings we heard was impacting and moving and definitely touched our hearts deeply. It definitely left us with a refreshing feeling going into the next baseball season.

I think the biggest lesson we've learned through baseball throughout these last couple years that Daniel and I have been striding on together is that; ultimately God is in control. And His kingdom needs to always be our ultimate goal. It's so easy to get caught up in the 'baseball scene' and let our sole focus be only on 'moving up' in the minor league system and making it to the big leagues. But the reality of it is that it can all be taken away in an instant and what matters in the end is the impact we make for Christ. I feel so refreshed having that mindset going into this next baseball season; it gives me so much peace and I praise God for the hard lessons it took for us to learn that. So that's my heart and I'm excited for the journey the Lord has ahead of us.

Thank you so much for the constant prayers I know many of you have had for us, we truly covet them beyond words.Anyways, I am most likely not going to get on here before Christmas, so I want to conclude this by wishing you all a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

I want to leave you with a quote from Max Lucado's book 'A Love Worth Giving To You',
I know it's kind of long; but it's so REAL and such a huge reminder to be thankful for the true meaning of Christmas. Its says:

"Consider the gift for a moment, what Jesus really did. He swapped a spotless castle for a grimy stable. He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. He could hold the universe in His palm but gave it up to float in the womb of a maiden. If you were God, would you sleep on straw, nurse from a breast, and be clothed in a diaper? Christ did. If you knew that only a few would care that you came, would you still come? If you knew that those you loved would laugh in your face, would you still care? If you knew that the tounges you made would mock you, the mouths you made would spit at you, the hands you made would crucify you, would you still make them? Christ did. Would you regard the immobile and invalid more important than yourself? Jesus did. He humbled Himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping on straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary's finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier. Why? Because that's what LOVE does. It puts the beloved before itself. Your soul was more important than His blood. Your eternal life was more important than His earthly life. Your place in heaven was more important to Him than His place in heaven, so He gave up HIS so you could have YOURS."

Life is Good

I know... I know... there has been another pretty big gap between my last posting and now. I am not very good at keeping up with this blog, as I am sure many of you have concluded. Anyways, Daniel and I have really been enjoying our 'off season'. It's refreshing to be able to spend time with family and friends again. And boy, has time flew? Sometimes I look back and am not even quite sure what our days have consisted of, but time sure does seem to be going by fast. We have already been home for a little over 2 months now and only have about 2 1/2 months left. Whew! Well like I said, we have been keeping busy. Daniel recently got a part time job at Staples and has also been doing private hitting lessons as well as coaching a little league team. As for me, I am currently working for my dad's business, Dove Glass & Mirror, doing receptionist type work for him. It's been nice.
Taking a break from our busy schedules, we were able to visit our good friends Stacie & Jared in Summerland this past weekend. And we also got to see Daniel's brother, Ryan and cousin Jordan this weekend in Santa Barbara. We had such a blast with them! Stacie is a wonderful hostess! I've known Stacie now for probably a little over 4 years and she is such a joy to be around. She was also one of my bridesmaid. She is a dear friend and we were so blessed to spend time with her and her husband. They have the cutest apartment in Summerland with an ocean view! It was such a treat! And it is always so good to see Ryan and Jordan too! We had such a wonderful time!
Well I better wrap this up.. I have some things I need to get done. Oh, the joys of being an adult and having responsibilities. Ha ha. Just kidding. Life is good and the Lord is so great and always faithful, I have so much to be happy about and praising Him for! :)

Be blessed!

Brangelina

This past Saturday, Daniel and I went as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to Daniel's uncle's costume party. We bought the little kids clothes from the goodwill store. My mom helped me stuff the clothes and sew them up and we printed out the real faces of Brad and Angelina's kids and glued them on. It was a hit at the costume party and we even took home the award for Best Costume :) We had alot fun.

Twenty-One!

I am now 21! My birthday was October 8th and my husband really is so amazing and gave me the best birthday ever! So I have to share: Well on my birthday, I was awoken to breakfast in bed. Then Daniel told me he had the day planned out and to get ready because we were going to DISNEYLAND! He knows I love Disneyland and it had been awhile since we had gone, so it was perfect. We spent pretty much the entire day there, then had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in downtown Disney. That night, he told me my birthday would continue tomorrow, but I had to wait because it was a surprise. So the next day, Daniel said he had to leave the house at 11 to get some things done for my birthday. I really had no idea what he was up to. He just told me that his sister would come to pick me up at 1 and that I would need to be ready. So his sister, Meagan, arrived right at 1:00 and greeted me with a rolled up paper tied with a bow. Little did I know, this would be my 'first clue' to a very elaborate scavenger hunt that Daniel made up for me. Each clue had a very creative riddle, and this first one directed me to go to the 'store of the age I am'. The answer being Forever 21 (my favorite store). There I was told I would need to speak the people at the register in order to get my next clue. I did, then received my next clue that told me I had to come up with the craziest outfit I could, try it on, and take a picture before the girls at the register could give me the next clue. So I did, I found a fur vest with a leopard dress and red hat and took a picture. Ha ha. I was then able to receive my next clue. The girl at the register handed me another rolled up paper and also a little Victoria Secret's bag. The clue instructed me to open the bag, where I would find a gift card and I had to take it to VS and purchase something Daniel had already picked out before being handed over the next clue. Once I did that, the next clue directed me to leave the mall to go get a massage at Massage Envy (the massage was a gift from my parents- so thank you Mom & Dad). His sister then dropped me off to get my hour massage, which was amazing! After the massage, the guy at the receptionist desk at Massage Envy handed me my next clue. I was told I would be picked up by a 'surprise person' and that we had to go to a place where they have 'Pazookies'. Answer being: BJs Brewery. So as I was waiting to get picked up, I looked out the window and saw that Daniel had arranged for my friend Ashley to pick me up! I hadn't seen her in awhile so it was so good to see her! We then carried on our way to BJs where Daniel instructed us that we had to go to the bar in order to get the next clue. Once seated at the bar, the bartender handed me a shot of tequila (which Daniel had already ordered and bought for me) that I had to take before getting the next clue. I was very hesitant to take it.. but was told that I would not receive the next clue until I did it. Ha ha. Daniel is crazy. So I took it, but not in a shot. It took about 3 'not very enjoyable' sips before I could finish it. But I did, and then got my clue that had a crossword puzzle on it that Daniel made up that I had to complete before it revealed the next clue. The next clue instructed that I had to go buy a pack of starburst candy from somewhere and bring 21 startburst to his parents house in exchange for my next clue. Once at his parents and after handing them the starburst, his mom handed me a clue and then carried out this big bowl of whip cream, ice cream, sprinkles and I'm not even sure what else, but the clue told me I had to dig through that bowl in order to find my next clue. So I did and pulled out the next clue, which was in a zip lock bag, and that clue directed me to go to his old bedroom to find the next clue. In there, I found my last and final clue, which included a gift card, that told Ashley nd I to go get pedicures and to meet him at the house afterwards. So around 7:50ish at night, we headed back to the house where I was greeted by a SURPRISE PARTY that Daniel had thrown for me! He even had a fog machine and strobe light and party streamers everywhere. It was amazing! And it was so wonderful to see everyone there! It was such a wonderful day and Daniel went above and beyond then I could have ever imagined. I am so grateful for him! I love him so much!! So I had to share with all of you how wonderful, creative, and amazing he is. I am blessed :)

Cali Bound

WOW, I can't believe its been over a month since my last entry!! I apologize once again :(

So lets see.... alot has happened since my last entry: For one, we are now back in California! Our road trip back here from Iowa was alot of fun for us. Even with our car being packed to it's full capacity. Our first day we drove about 7 hours and stopped in Lincoln, Nebraska for the night. It was very relieving to get out the jammed packed car and take a rest that night. We had dinner at a 'mid-west' favorite, Cracker Barrel. And even took time to relax in the hotel jacuzzi before calling it a night. The next morning we slept in a little, then went on our way. We decided our next stop would be in Colorado (which is pretty much the halfway point from Iowa to Cali). My cousin Abby and her husband live out there, so we were able to stay with them and spend alot of time we them. Daniel and I even got to catch a Rockies game while we there. Colorado is absolutely beautiful! I loved it there! Heading out the next day was the most beautiful drive of all. We went through the Rockie mountains and listened to worship music and spent time praying and thanking God for His amazing creation! I'm so guilty of taking it forgranted. It was really eye opening and a very refreshing reminder of His beauty. That night we stayed near the border of Utah and Nevada. Finally, the next day we neared our destination of sweet ol' Moreno Valley, California. We made it home around 4 in the afternoon and felt a sense of relief after that long drive. It was a very memorable experience and drive for the both of us. And fortunately, we were able to make it all the way cross country without a single speeding ticket or car problems (thank you Lord). I must admit, Daniel did most of the driving. Hey, I had done plenty of driving following the bus during the baseball season, this was my time to relax and kick back Ha ha. Anyways, so we've been home for about a month now and have really been enjoying all the time we've been able to spend with family and friends. Job wise: I am currently working for my dad's business and Daniel has been helping coach little league games and has been giving private hitting lessons to some of the young boys. So we've been keeping busy. It's nice to be home :)

End of the Season

So I've officially come to the terms that I am not a great blogger. I apologize for all the gaps between postings. Anyways, to bring you up to date- Today was the last baseball game of the season. A very eventful one for us, I might add. Well I actually wrapped up enough nerves and was able to sing the National Anthem for Daniel's last game. I was very nervous to the time adding up to the big event for me, but as soon as I got out there on that field, I can say that I completely lost all nerves and just went for it. I was so happy I pushed myself to do it because singing has always been a big part of my life since I was a little girl and something I've always enjoyed and I just felt so privileged to be able to incorporate that with what my husband loves too:baseball! It was exciting and very memorable for me. This day also ended up addingmore memorable moments to it, and unfortunately, ones we would rather live without. Daniel was leading off in the lineup for this last game and during his first at bat, he got hit by the pitch right in the head!! It was a 95 MPH fastball!!Daniel hit the floor immediately and I was left sitting in the stands with just my fears and my prayers. Daniel eventually got up and was able to walk and run, but the trainer decided it'd be best to pull him from the game and get checked out by a doctor for precautionary reasons. So we ended up in the hospital today and Daniel ended up having to get a CT scan. The results came out good and there seemed to be no damage or injury to the head. So Praise the Lord! He's taken care of us once again! Daniel does have a headache still, but we're just praising God that it wasn't anything too serious. Because it was a pretty hard hit to the head. So yes, this is unfortunately the way we had to end our 2009 baseball season. But Daniel had an awesome game yesterday, going 2 for 4 with a double! So in conclusion, this baseball season may have in no way gone the way we intended, but Daniel and I both feel we are walking away as stronger people because of the things we have gone through this season. We head out tomorrow morning for our drive back to Cali.

Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention we went to Chicago on Daniel's last off-day! We had an amazing time. We went to Shedd Aquarium, which was so breathtaking and really makes you realize how we put God in a box sometimes.. He has just made countless beautiful and creatively crafted creatures! What a big God we have! We also went to Sears Tower and even stepped out on the clear glass they have up there. Pretty crazy, but awesome experience! We also got to check out and walk around Navy Pier. We were blessed with a beautiful day that day and I will cherish those memories forever! I'll try to post some pics soon :)

Hope you all are doing amazing!

Wisconsin Cheese

We're in Wisconsin!

Hey everyone, Daniel here!

Chelsea and I just had a pretty eventful day yesterday. We went off exploring the wonderful town of Beloit, Wisconsin. We set our course down the main street and took off. A few minutes later we ended up at a little park with a playground that had a stream running beside it and a cobblestone bride. We slid down the slides and swung on the swings. It was a temporary lapse of immaturity and was thoroughly enjoyable. Its really important to get out and do little things like that no matter how stupid they sound. Especially when our lives really revolve around baseball everyday. These little adventures we go on are always so fun and memorable. This life is hard at times, but we make the best of it and it sure does have its rewards.

"Carroll's Clutch Hit Lifts Kings"

Check it out:
http://clinton.lumberkings.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090812&content_id=6400278&vkey=news_t500&fext=.jsp&sid=t500

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

"Take me out to the ballgame....Take me out the crowd... Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks.. I don't care if I ever get back for it's root, root, root for the home team.. If they don't win, it's a shame.. for it's 1..2..3 strikes you're out at the old ballgame."

What a classic! I hear that song, along with the National Anthem, almost everyday of my life of the late. I have heard it sung countless times and many different ways. I've have recieved countless ticket stubs from many different baseball stadiums... I have seen strikeouts, home runs, pick-offs, walk-offs... I've seen grown men and woman stand to their feet to do the chicken dance between innings. What a great game baseball is! It can bring out the best in the people watching-or the worst. It really is 'America's best past time'.
I really do enjoy watching baseball. I can't even imagine what life would be like if Daniel would have been a football player. I'm sure I would have learned to know and like the game, but not the way I love baseball :) Well, I greet you from Michigan today! I've been meaning to get on here sooner and post, but just haven't got the chance yet until now. We left early Tuesday morning for the 6.5 hour drive to Lansing, Michigan. The hitting coach's wife and sons are here until the end of the season.. so she came along with me on this road trip. It was so nice to have her on that long drive. She is from Venezuela and doesn't speak too much English, but she is awesome and I've really been enjoying spending time with her. She has been helping me with my Spanish too, so that's been great! Anyways, things have been going pretty good lately. We are now in Midland, Michigan. Daniel's team is playing the Great Lake Loons- an affiliate of the LA Dodgers until tomorrow. The stadium is awesome and the weather has been perfect! Daniel has been doing pretty well so far on this away-series. First night in Lansing, he went 2 for 4 with a double! :) and has been getting a hit every game. I've really been enjoying my time with him this season. It's been such a blessing to be able to travel with him. It's really neat to see places and meet people I never would have without baseball. It's been a total experience. The "baseball life" is pretty interesting. I know many people may think it is all 'glamorous', but it definitely gets challenging at times. The mental and physical toll that the players go through for 7 months out of the year can definitely get tough and I just feel so fortunate to be able to be here with Daniel after every game to greet him with a smile and a kiss. He is such an amazing man. I really do see the passion God has given him for baseball, but am so thankful and so proud of him that his first passion is Jesus. Baseball is an interesting thing in the fact that it can be taken from you any day and at any moment, whether it be due to an injury or a release. You really have to take it day by day. And I'm so blessed and happy that through the constant changes baseball can bring... that we have an unchanging God! A God who loves us the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Praise God we can find stability in Him!

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Homeruns..Lighting bolts and Sirens

Exciting news...Daniel hit his first HOME RUN of the season last night!! He went 2 for 4 with an RBI! We ended up winning the game 11 to 3 against the South Bend Silverhawks. So it was a super exciting night! Praise God!

On the other hand, tonight was a very unusual night for us. The game only went 3 innings before a huge lighting bolt lit the sky and rain started pouring down! The umpires called a delay after the lighting was spotted and soon after the manager of the baseball stadium came out to the field and told everyone we were under "severe weather watch and to seek shelter immediately." The stadium was cleared and the players were free to go home in order to seek shelter there. The town's sirens were going off and the thunder, lighting and wind began to intensify as Daniel and I drove back to the house we are staying at. (Which I haven't mentioned yet: Daniel and I are living with a host family right now in Clinton. It is actually the Lumberking's baseball chaplain and wife that we are living with and they have been such a blessing! The Lord truly does always provide. We have a nice little setup in the basement with our own shower and bathroom, so it's been great!) Anyways, back to the freaky weather..... which may I add-is definitely not something 'us native Californians' are used to. A girlfriend of mine from Wisconsin heard about the eye of the storm and the tornado warnings hitting Clinton and sent me a text saying "Welcome to the Midwest". Ha ha. It has definitely been a new experience for Daniel and I. It felt good to pull up to the house and know we are safe here from the crazy weather outside. The storm has since calmed down and I believe the worst of it has passed through. We ended up getting to spend some good quality time with our host family and Daniel and I cuddled up in the basement and watched the movie Roman Holiday. So overall, it ended up being a good night. We made it through the storm and fortunately didn't have to experience our first tornado.

Besides the unpredictable Iowa weather... things have been really great. I am working at the baseball stadium right now doing group ticket sales and selling tickets at the window. So that's been fun. It's been something nice I could do before the games and I am off by the time the game starts.

Anyways I hope you all are doing wonderful :)

Psalm 18:1-2 "I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety."

Indiana Greetings

Greetings from Indiana here!

Yesterday morning began for us with the sound of an alarm at 4:30 AM! We met with the team at the stadium around 5 in the morning to head out on our journey to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Another wife and I followed the bus on the 6 hour trip to Fort Wayne. It was a pretty easy/nice drive. It's always wonderful to have the company of another wife and made the drive completely fly by alot faster. We arrived in Fort Wayne around 12 in the afternoon (Indiana is an hour ahead of Iowa). The baseball stadium out here is absolutely gorgeous. They are playing the Fort Wayne Tincaps-an affiliate of the SD Padres in a 3 day series. The ballpark is brand new and is really nice. I'll try to post some pictures. Anyways, Daniel went 1 for 3;with a walk last night in the game. But we ended up losing 3 to 1. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back tonight.

Anyways, sorry this is kind of a short posting, but I need to get ready to head out to the game. I'll post soon. (Again, sorry about the gaps between postings, I will try to post more often)

Blessings!



Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Happy 4rth of July!

Hello Everyone,
Chelsea here. I saw Daniel took over the last post (and it was so sweet). He's amazing :) Anyways, things have been going great lately. I've been in Cali since Saturday and have been able to spend alot of quality time with friends and family, so it's been really nice. I am missing Daniel though and am ready to get back to him. I leave TOMORROW back to Iowa and am really excited! Daniel has been on a road trip in Wisconsin the past 4 days with the Clinton Lumberkings. Wisconsin is where we were last season, so we've built some great friendships with some people over there. And Daniel was able to spend some time with them while in Wisconsin, which was really nice. Last night Daniel went 3 for 4 with 2 stolen bases! He even hit an in the park HOMER! (Praise God!) Well it ended up counting as a triple and then making it home on an error. But he hit a triple and made it home!! So pretty much like an "in-the-parker"! He was really pumped up about that! So thank you so so much to all of you who have been those prayer warriors for us! I can not begin to thank you enough! I know Daniel is excited to be back in the game again and all the glory be to God.

I'll be sure to post from Iowa! :)

HAPPY 4RTH OF JULY!

Back To Clinton

Hey everyone, Daniel here.
I'm sitting in Phil Jackson International airport in Atlanta right now with heavy eyes. Its so funny how baseball will just move you sooooo quick. I mean I woke up yesterday to a warm smile and kiss in bed from my beautiful wife and this morning I woke up to two middle aged men on both sides of me in the middle seat of a red eye flight! The Mariners informed me yesterday around 3:30ish that I would be leaving that night on a red eye flight at 11:35 that will eventually end up in Clinton, Iowa to rejoin the Lumberkings. When I told Chelsea the news we were both a little bit flustered, but Chelsea really stepped up and got things done. She packed up all our clothing and belongings within one hour and was ready to drive home to California by 4:30. She then drove over to the Mariners complex where I was.... gave me my baggage, then we ran a few last minute errands... said our goodbyes and she was off, driving home by 5:30. I can't believe it!!! She is so amazing , she didn't complain once, just got everything done and was gone within two hours of first hearing the news. I am so blessed to have such an understanding wife when it comes to this crazy lifestyle I dragged her into. I love her so much and I don't think I can thank God enough for her constant love and support. Anyways she will hopefully be rejoining me in Clinton in about a week. I'm excited to get things going again and to get back into the game again. Thank you to everyone for all the prayers!

Great Game!

Hey Everyone!
So Daniel started playing in the Rookie Ball games out here in Arizona. Yesterday they had a game against the AZL Padres and Daniel went 3 for 6! With 3 RBIs- Praise God! The game ended up going into extra innings and in the bottom of the 12th with bases loaded... Daniel drove the perfect bunt down the first base line and the runner on 3rd scored, breaking the 2-2 tie and allowing the AZL Mariners to win!! So that was an exciting game, so just wanted to share it! We still do not know for sure when we will be leaving for Iowa.. Daniel was told maybe sometime within the week. So I'll be sure to post. Hope you all are doing wonderful!

Thumb Update

Hey everyone,
Sorry I didn't get a chance to get on yesterday and post, but great news- Daniel's thumb is all healed up!!! He's going to start playing in games out here in AZ this week and then we should hopefully be back on our way playing in the season again! Thank you for all the prayers, I'll be sure to keep you all posted on here.
Anyways, Daniel wrote an awesome devotional today so I thought I would share it on here (he said it was okay)... So I hope you all are blessed by it, I know I was. Enjoy:

Being a Letter of Christ, Don’t let You’re Ink Fade

II Corinthians 3:4-6
“ Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This letter is written not with pen and ink, but with the spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone but on human hearts.”

As Christians, we are messengers of Christ. So if you will, imagine with me for just a moment that you are a giant envelope that is addressed “To: Everyone…From: God.” And that is the way you had to go about your everyday life, with arms, legs, a face and a giant envelope for a body with a beautiful letter inside of you. Can you imagine how many normal people would stare and wonder and ask what is wrong with you. I mean people would freak out and say.. “Hey what is going on ..you have a paper envelope for a body”. Then that is when you would say,“Here, I have a letter from Jesus for you.” That is the way we need to live our lives. As if we were that giant letter unto everyone else in this world mailed by Jesus. Every where we go we have a message to deliver for everyone we meet. It a message of love, that Jesus died on the cross and was risen from the dead for our sins. The Bible says that ‘out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks‘. Christ needs to be that abundance in our hearts everyday so that, the letter of His love and forgiveness in our own lives...written in our hearts… may be told. But ,I myself, have of lately found my letter to be almost non existent, which I’m sure is the case with most Christians. We let the ink of our beautiful letters fade and become a plain piece of paper. How can we as Christians ever let this happen? We are the messengers of the gospel. Now what good is a messenger with no letter? We must ask God everyday to forgive and forget our sins and make the ink of our letter even brighter then the shining sun. So why cant we live like a big envelope with a letter inside? Because we get too distracted! Here is the key; We need to lay everything of this world that doesn’t matter to the wayside and be those blatant unconcealed big letters from Christ in this world…with words that burn like fire through the spirit of the living God. We can never ever let our ink weaken and fade away ever again, we have a job to do. A message to be delivered!


Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are mighty and You are magnificent! You are righteous and unwavering, faithful and just. And for that I give you praise because you solely deserve it. Please Lord, forgive me of my unfaithfulness. I know you sacrificed so much on the cross so that I may live. Please awaken my heart and fill me with Your holy spirit. Please teach me to let my letter of your love in my life be shown unto others. Teach me to be a good messenger and give me boldness. May you rewrite my letter this day, make it fresh and brighter than ever. Start a fire in my heart that no one can put out. Amen.

God's Hands

Hello faithful followers! I can't believe it has been almost nearly 2 weeks since my last entry..

But here I am finally getting it going again....

So it's a little after 7 in the morning here and I'm all curled up in bed still. I was laying here just gazing out the window and am in awe of God's beautiful creation. I can hear the birds singing and see the leaves on the tress moving in the wind... I can feel the warmth beam of the sun hitting our room... I can see the clouds in all its different formations and shapes. How often do we just 'hold still' and look around us and praise God for the unfathomable creator He is? I know I'm guilty of doing it too little. Psalm 95:1‑7 "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care."

Praise God!

Well we've actually been having a really great time out here in Arizona. I know were here under 'bummer' circumstances, but the Lord has just been showing us more and more that He is in control and we need to let Him be in control and trust in His plans for our lives. It's been a big learning experience; and I'm sure one we will never be able to fully master. Our flesh can be weak and it's so easy to 'doubt' God's plans for our lives, but it's been a huge reminder that our ultimate goal in life needs to always be JESUS. Our lives are in the hands of the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE... The same one who made all the beautiful things I see around me with just the command of His voice. How come we forget how BIG and how GREAT our God truly is? I know I put Him in a 'box' way too often, but I am so thankful to know that my life is in His hands, the Creator's Hands. Even if that means His hands are taking us places out of our comfort zone and out of our own plans. I wouldn't want to be in any other hands.

Well we've been loving our time with Will and Lauren. They are so much fun and we've really been blessed by them. Our days have been pretty ritual lately, Daniel and Will leave for the baseball field around 6 every morning and come home around 12 every day. Daniel and I bought an inflatable pool to keep cool in this Arizona heat so we've been in that a few times. Will and Lauren are big 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' fans and we've officially been hooked! They have all the season DVDs, so we've been watching those. And I've been able to cook alot since we've actually been stable at a house. (during the baseball season, we're always in and out and getting home from games by 11 at night or are on road trips, so it's always hard to cook meals). So it's been fun to have some 'stability' these last few weeks, but I am getting excited to get things going again with the season. I think it will be a bitter-sweet feeling though because I am going to miss being here in AZ, but I am also just so excited to see what God has in store for Daniel and I. Daniel goes in for an X-ray today and we'll be able to find out more of the game plan and when Daniel should be back playing again (& I'll be sure to post the results).

Well I hope you all are doing wonderful and having a great day!!
I'll be back to post later after Daniel's Dr. appointment.

Memorial Day

The American Hero
by Roger Robicheau

The American Hero always comes through

To capture our hearts with a spirit so true
Some proudly are soldiers who march in harm’s way

Insuring our freedom, courageous they stay
While others come forth as civilians so brave

Determined in purpose, so steadfast to save
We should always keep clear a place in our heart

For each has a value beyond precious art
Their duty to country will not be surpassed

Please honor their courage, for some it’s their last
We live in a world which can be hard to bear

Thank God for these people, how greatly they care
Do ponder new heroes and what they will face

And pray for their safety no matter their place
Our heritage brings out the best, we all know

Our great book of heroes is destined to grow

I would like to honor the men and women who with bravery and sacrifice have fought/or who are currently fighting for this country... Thank You!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So it's been about a week since my last entry.... We are still in Arizona and Daniel is continuing to go to the field everyday. The trainer told him yesterday that he should be out of AZ sometime between June 23rd thru the 26th. So that's exciting! We are currently living with our dear friends Will and Lauren, which has been a total blessing and alot of fun! Last week we were unsure of where we would stay and the Lord totally opened up the door for us to live with them while were here in AZ. (He always Provides). Anyways Will is with the SD Padres and is currently rehabbing himself. They are an awesome couple and we are just so happy it worked out for us to stay with them! Will and Lauren have the cutest French Bulldog named Piper and they've also been taking care of another minor league couple's Lab, Freddy. Plus our little Pixie is here too, so we have all 3 dogs of all different sizes. It's been fun to see them interact. Anyways I'll be sure to keep you all posted and updated on Daniel's recovery process. Thank you again for all the prayers :]

Back in Arizona

So I realized today that I have been to 6 states in the past 7 days... Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Washington, California and now Arizona. Pretty crazy. But Seattle was absolutely amazing! We both loved it there! Our last night there we went to the Mariners/Red Sox game and it was such a blast! Great game for sure! Ichiro hit 2 homers, Elsbury almost hit the cycle.... so exciting! M's ended up winning! Such a neat experience!

Were still praising God that Daniel didn't end up needing surgery, that was such a surprise to us because he was already scheduled for surgery. He also didn't end up needing a cast either like we had thought. They ended up just giving him this cool looking sprint to wear on his thumb. Daniel refers to it as a 'transformers' looking thing. Thank you all for the prayers, this is truly an answer to prayer! The doctor said Daniel should be back playing in 4 to 5 weeks! :)

Well were here in Arizona now and I almost didn't make it here...

I flew into Cali on Saturday while Daniel flew straight to Phoenix. My parents are allowing us to borrow one of their cars while were out here in Arizona so we can get around while were here. So my plan was to fly to Cali and drive the car out here Sunday. I left around 10 in the morning yesterday, accompanied by our little puppy Pixie, and had a pretty smooth drive until I was about 15 minutes away from Peoria where I was meeting Daniel. I was driving on the highway and was about to switch lanes, but noticed last minute that there was another car in my blind spot that had been switching lanes at the same time at a very fast speed. I quickly tried to move back into my lane, but ended up losing complete control of the car. It was moving uncontrollably between lanes and my car ended up spinning completely around in a 180 degree circle until it came to a stop. And when it finally stopped, I was facing the on coming traffic. I am seriously praising God because they was no damage to my car or any other cars. The cars behind me were able to stop in time without hitting my car. It was seriously one of the scariest things I've ever experienced, but I know God had His angels around me. My car was in complete lock down when it stopped, but I was finally able to re start it and pull off to the side of the road. A very kind lady witnessed it all and pulled over to make sure I was okay and called the cops for me (she even said that "God must be with me".) Of course, I was very shaken up, I was very close to hitting the center divider. But was unharmed! Thank you Jesus! This lady stayed with me and comforted me until the police officer arrived and once the officer got there, I was fine enough to talk to him and let him know that there was no damage done or anything. I was able to drive off completely unharmed with no damage and I really believe that to be a miracle!

So in the midst of the tough times Daniel and I have been facing lately, there sure is a lot to be praising God about! Its amazing to think your life could end in any instant and at any moment. We all need to make sure that we are ready to stand before the face of God at anytime. I know it's easy to live in the moment and think death is only something in our future, but it is sure true that death can face us at any moment. Would you be ready to meet Jesus today?

No Surgery

So the results are in....

No Surgery is necessary!! Praise GOD!!

The Dr called this morning and told Daniel that they looked over the CT scan and have determined that surgery will not be necessary! We know the Lord has been hearing all those prayers and has been healing Daniel!! He said Daniel was very 'lucky' that the break didn't happen closer to his joints. But we know that God was watching over him and that it was not just a chance of 'luck'. Daniel will be getting a cast put on his thumb tomorrow and the recovery process should take about 4-5 weeks. He will be rehabbing in Arizona. We realized it will actually be a lot better for Daniel to rehab there because he won't have to worry about getting his treatment around game schedules and road trips. And he will really be able to rest and heal. So he should be back playing in no time. Keep the prayers coming please. We know Jesus is hearing them and answering them. He truly is FAITHFUL!!

Anyways, I love it here in Seattle! It is absolutely beautiful here! Daniel and I took a walk around Safeco Field today and it was so exciting! Were hoping to catch a game tomorrow night when the M's get in town. They're gonna be playing the Red Sox too!! Should be a good game!

SEATTLE

(View from our room: Safeco is RIGHT THERE!)

Seattle, baby!

Bzzzz Bzzzzz Bzzzzz.....
is the sound that woke us up this morning only 10 minutes before we were suppose to leave for the airport! Daniel set the alarm clock last night to wake us up at 4:30 this morning, but accidentally forgot to turn the volume on, so the mode was still on vibrate. We ended up not hearing it until 5:41 am this morning! And in a panic, we got ready so fast and headed out the door. We had to meet the shuttle at the stadium at 6 am that was going to be taking us on our 45 minute drive to Moline, IL in order to catch our flight to our layover in Denver, CO.
Praise God, we made it! And even with my overweight bag trying to cause another problem in our already hectic morning, the lady checking us in was so kind to 'let it slide'.
We had about a 2 hour layover in Denver and then continued on our journey to Seattle, WA.
As soon as we landed, we had to hurry and catch a taxi in order to check into the hotel and leave promptly from there to head to Daniel's DR appointment at 3:30. We made it right on time and as expected had to wait around for about 45 minutes in the Dr's office.
But anyways now on to the good news: (Oh by the way, Did I mention I LOVE Seattle already! It was so exciting to see Safeco Stadium! Our hotel room is actually right across the street from Safeco. We can even see a little bit of left field from our room, so exciting! I'll be sure to post a pic soon)But like I said onto the good news....
Daniel may not be needing surgery like we expected!! The DR said that the 2nd xrays taken today look so much better then the first ones he had originally taken! Thank You Jesus! Daniel took a CT scan today in order to check the joints, but the DR said by looking at the xrays that the break looks far enough from his joints that it may have not affected it, but they still want to make sure and we will find out those results tomorrow. So once we know those results, they will determine whether surgery will be needed or not. But so far, so good. We were expecting Daniel to have to get surgery for sure and are even surprised by the result that he may not need at all. It was even already scheduled, but I know the Lord is hearing all those prayers (Thank you to everyone). I will be sure to post once we find out tomorrow.

Let Your Mercy Rain

Let Your Mercy Rain by Chris Tomlin

_____________________________

God, You have done great things

God, You give grace to the weak

And bless the brokenhearted

With a song of praise to sing

You reached down and lifted us up

You came running, looking for us

And now there's nothing

And no one beyond Your love

You're the overflow

You're the fountain of my haeart

Let Your mercy rain Let Your mercy rain on us

You're the faithful one

When the world's falling apart

Let Your mercy rain Let Your mercy rain on us

How deep, how wide, how long, how high is Your love ... is Your love

How deep, how wide, how long, how high is Your love ... is Your love

Oh, God. Let it rain

How true is that? That God is the faithful one when the world is falling apart. He never leaves us. He always listens. He promises comfort in our mourning. (Matt 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted) He allows us to mourn, but we can find hope in knowing that the joy will be coming. (John 16:22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy)

He is FAITHFUL. Let His mercy rain.

As I sit here now, writing this new blog. It is a new day and I write with a comforted heart. Although the past few days have been very hard, I have truly found comfort in Jesus, the faithful one who never fails me.

For the first time since I've started this blog, I am writing from Clinton, Iowa. And am now with my sweet hubby after spending 6 veryyyy long days apart! It feels so great to be with him again!

I left my grandmas around 12 in the afternoon yesterday and got into Clinton around 3. Those three hours in the car driving back to Clinton left me with alot of time to think...and to cry...but also to pray. It is still so hard for me to believe that Robert is no longer here, but God has truly been comforting me in this trial. I am so thankful to all you for the prayers and encouragement. You have all been instruments of the Lord and I am extremely grateful.

Anyways Daniel and I will be leaving for Seattle this Wednesday. I am very happy that it worked out for me to go with him.

I will be sure to post from Seattle and keep you all updated on Daniel's surgery.

Thank you for the prayers & please keep them coming :)

Sweet Memories

Well it's almost 3 in the morning here in Illinois and I can't stop thinking about Robert. I've been laying here trying to fall asleep, but just cant...

So I thought I'd share some memories with all of you of my cousin Robert:

Where do I begin...

It's so hard to compile them all up, but I'll share a few...

-One time when we were younger...we were playing in the fort him and Chris had built in their backyard and we found a snake. Well Chris, Jake and Robert decided to be-head this little snake we had found. I still remember telling them not to do it, but they did. And then Robert was teasing me like he was going to touch me with the snake head. I still remember screaming so loud.

-My Aunt Ellie has some lime trees in her backyard and when we were younger, we would pick up the limes that had fallen off the tree and just 'chug' them at each other. I still remember having the smell of limes on my hands afterwards.

-I remember us all sitting in Chris and Robert's room and playing the video game Mortal Kombat for hours.

-I remember going camping for my 9th birthday at Lake Perris and Aunt Ellie, Chris, and Robert came too. I just remember us having so much fun.

-Robert was always 'over protective' of me. I knew he would always be there for me if I ever needed anything. I remember him telling me that his friends thought' I was cute', but he had told them that he made sure they knew that they would never have a chance with me, 'his little cousin'.

-I remember telling him about Daniel before Robert met him. Robert would always say that "no one is good enough for his cousin" and was trying to be all 'tough man' when he met Daniel. But later that night after they met he told me that he actually really liked Daniel and gave me his 'ok' on him.

-I still remember staying up for hours chatting on AIM with him about the most random things when we were in high school.

-My brother, sister and I would always pronounce Robert's name like "Wabert" and every time we'd say it to him, he's always repeat it back in an echo. It always made me laugh.

-He would always call me "Pimpsta" and he was my "Gangster". I think I was in like Jr High when we came up with that. We thought we were so cool. My last conversation with him on the phone, I still remember him saying "What's up pimpsta"...It was just our thing I guess.

- One time when I was with Robert, I was really upset about something and was crying so hard and I remember him he just trying to comfort me. I knew it really upset him to see me sad. He really had a kind compassionate heart.


Wow... I have so many memories and I will truly cherish them forever..

Hard Times

I'm not even sure how to begin this blog.... today has honestly been one of the hardest days of my life. I feel that I'm at a loss for words. I honestly just sit here numb to the reality of the present.

Today around 1:00 in the afternoon, I got a call from my dad. He was hesitant to tell me what had happened.. just that something "bad" had happened, but after pushing him to tell me, he finally uttered the words....."Robert committed suicide last night".

So many thoughts raced through my head...

My cousin Robert? The one I had just talked to for almost an hour the other day? The one that I was laughing with and joking with over the phone just 2 days ago? He's gone? He can't be...

Gosh, if only I knew this was going to happen... If only I could tell him more how much I love him and how much Jesus loves him. Robert and I have had countless conversations about the Lord before...but had any of it really stuck? Had it not been enough? So many questions still continue to race through my head at this very moment-----I'm at a loss for words---- It breaks my heart that people can get to the point where they feel so low and hopeless, but I know we live in a world where the deceit of the devil is so real and so powerful.

I sit here asking myself the question, WHY? Why him, Lord? Why now? Why ever?...

It amazes me how someone can be in your life and be gone in an instant. Just the other day we were joking and reminiscing of past times. He was telling me stories of his trips to Illinois when he would visit our grandma and grandpa. He was telling me about a time him and my brother,Jake,were in the car with our grandparents. There had been tornado warnings all day. And my brother and him were convinced that their car was going up into a tornado. We were laughing about it. Gosh, I still feel in shock that he's gone. It's been hitting me here and there throughout the day, but as much as my heart aches.. it just feels so hard for me to believe its real. But it is.

I am so grateful for the many fond memories I have with him and he will be greatly missed by so many! He had been struggling with an alcohol addiction and had been drinking last night. I know that the alcohol definitely had an effect on this outcome....

But in my heartache and with my many questions.. I will still continue to praise my Jesus!
I'd like to share a devotional by Max Lucado that really touched my heart and I feel completely relates to what is going on (just not in my life, but im sure in so many others)

____________________________________________________________________
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”

God Knows What He’s Doing.Surely I spoke of things I did not understand; I talked of things too wonderful for me to know. Job 42:3

(NCV)It's easy to thank God when he does what we want. But God doesn't always do what we want. Ask Job.His empire collapsed, his children were killed, and what was a healthy body became a rage of boils. From whence came this torrent? From whence will come any help?Job goes straight to God and pleads his case. His head hurts. His body hurts. His heart hurts. And God answers. Not with answers but with questions. An ocean of questions. . . . After several dozen questions ... Job has gotten the point.

What is it?

The point is this: God owes no one anything. No reasons. No explanations. Nothing. If he gave them, we couldn't understand them.God is God. He knows what he is doing. When you can't trace his hand, trust his heart.

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers. Especially my Aunt Ellie, Uncle Butch, my cousin Christopher, Robert's daughter Sadie and so many of the other people that are mourning this loss.

Robert Henson- You will be missed!!

*Take time out today to tell your friends/family how much you love them, you never know when they'll be gone.

A Test of Trust

Hey Friends and Family..

Well here I am... sitting on a bed at my grandma's house in sweet ol' Riverton, Illinois and I have finally decided to get a blog going!... It's been on my mind to get one started for quite sometime now. I realize it's a perfect way to keep you all posted on what is going on in mine and Daniel's life (since it is constantly always moving in different directions).

I'll start off by saying that this '09 baseball season has in no way started out the way we 'planned' it would. Although Daniel had a really great spring training and even got called up to 7 big league games, the Mariners minor-league is pretty stacked and Daniel wasn't able to secure a spot on the California High Desert team that we were hoping for. Starting back in Low-A (Clinton,Iowa) was upsetting for Daniel, but he stayed positive and remained hopeful that this would be the season for him to 'tear it up' and get going again. It started off rough when just after Daniel's first game, he ended up on the 7 day DL due to a strained groin. Then not too long after returning from the DL... he's back on it again as of this past Wednesday night after breaking his thumb on his right hand after he was hit by a pitch at the plate. (In case you're wondering: last year it was his left hand that he broke).

Unfortunately I haven't been able to see him yet since the break. He left with his team this past Monday for a 6 day road trip to Ohio and Michigan (which is a 7.5 hour drive from Clinton,IA) so we decided I would visit my grandma here in Illinois during this trip (which is only a 3 hour drive). But I can say that through our conversations on the phone, he is really remaining strong and trusting in the Lord. I am so proud of him! Of course it's still really hard for him (and me) and even discouraging at times. But it is truly a test of our faith and trust in God. I know this might make our journey a little harder and probably a little longer, but it is all for the Glory of God. And I'm so happy I can find HOPE in that! The Lord has already just been teaching and showing us so much through this.

How are we ever suppose to grow in our faith unless

we go through the tests and hardships?

2 Corinthians 12:9-10- "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am WEAK, then I am STRONG.

We still do not know what exactly is going to happen or where we'll end up. His xrays have been sent to the Mariner's head DR in Seattle, so we should find out the verdict soon. And I'll be sure to post it on here once I know. But how great is it to know that we can find our hope in Jesus! And I know Daniel and I will only be stronger from this somehow.

And even though things haven't gone the way we 'planned' for it to go, we know God has a greater plan for us then we could have ever imagined.

Psalm 37:5- "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it."