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!