"the minor league lifestyle"

Hey everybody! I'm finally figuring out how to get my pictures to come up in a slideshow, so I'm just including a whole bunch of pictures from California. Hope everyone enjoys them. They're quite random. Some of them are from when mom and dad visited and from carmen and casey's visit.
Anyway, just wanted to update everyone. Life is good in world of the minor leagues. Patrick and the team are in Oklahoma currently. However, I have some wonderful friends that are here to hang out with. My friends Missy and Steph are absolutely fabulous. They are also here because of there significant others. Missy's husband is the shortstop Cliff Pennington, and Steph's boyfriend is Anthony Recker, the catcher. I am truly blessed to have wonderful people to hang out with. Missy and I have had dinner together quite a few nights this week, and Steph got here on Thursday. It's so nice to know people that are in the same boat. It seems that God always gives me people that I can relate to. Like last year, I really got to know my friend Laura, who's husband plays for the Marlins organization. She continues to be such a wonderful support. Missy, Steph, and I are constantly joking about the "minor league life", especially as we're all standing around Missy's bar eating because we don't have a kitchen table, or when Steph had to drag her air mattress into the living room of their apt. because the only chairs they have to watch tv on are lawn chairs! It's not always glamourous, but we love and support our boys! Oh the things we will have to tell our children!
I'm very excited to be flying home in about a week and a half to do tons of wedding planning and get to see my family. It's gonna be a blast. Hopefully I'll have some new pics...and since I've figured this thing out, I'll actually post them! Hope to post again soon!
Holly

so I'm a slacker...

I know, I'm really really slacking. Wow, what a week! Well, I'm here in the Midland/Odessa area and loving it. It has been totally fabulous spending time with Patrick! Just wanted to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about the blog. I'm at work right now, so don't have much time, but planning on updating pictures tomorrow...and I mean it!

fighting the battle

I just want to ask all of you guys to pray for a good friend of our family. My mom's best friend since she was in second grade was diagnosed with breast cancer last week. Today she saw her surgeon, who informed her that they will not be doing surgery for the time being, but that she will be on 3 different types of chemotherapy for the next 6 months. Also, there is a possibility that 2 lymph nodes are involved. She will have a biopsy of one of her lymph nodes tomorrow in the hope that it is not involved. So, please keep her in your prayers, seeing that there is no other way to successfully get through this.
This has proved to be a very emotional time for me. For those of you who don't know, Patrick and I lost a very close friend to cancer on Dec. 14th, 2007. Katie Ball was a very close friend of ours from college who fought a very difficult battle against a very rare form of cancer. She was diagnosed at the end of the summer last year. Fortunately, I got to spend a lot of time with her during her battle and she will forever be the the strongest person that I have ever met and my personal hero. I have included a link to her caring bridge website on here so that you guys can see what a remarkable person Katie was. It just feels like cancer has really hit us from all sides, so please pray for Nancy in this new battle, and also for Katie's family as they continue to experience a great loss.
On a positive note, I'm leaving for Texas in just a few days and I'm really looking forward to it! Pictures are still on the way!

the final stretch

I know all of you are secretly yelling at me about how I have not updated my blog. I promise that I constantly think about updating, but never get around to it. My new goal is to update at least every few days! Hope that will help all of the blog stalkers out there (by the way...I'm one of those, too!)
So, you ask, what is going on in the lives of Holly and Patrick? Well, a lot! I have been in the process of packing so that I can move to Texas on Friday! It's a 1500 mile drive (with a cat)! As crazy as it sounds, I'm really looking forward to having the time in the car. I think it just gives you time to reflect and realize just how good life really is! I'll be making a pit stop in Phoenix to visit with my friend Steph! Her boyfriend also plays on the Midland Rockhounds...his name is Anthony Recker and he's a catcher. Thought I'd throw that in there just in case anyone is into following stats.
Life here in CA has been really great. I really wish that Patrick could've been here to share more of it, but we are ecstatic that he is where he is. We feel so blessed that his career has been going so well and we are both very thankful for everything that happens!
My grandmother just left this morning. She arrived last Wednesday, so we got to spend some good quality time together. We visited San Francisco, Monterey, and Carmel. A few baseball games got thrown in there as well! If she couldnt' get out here to see Patrick play..the next best thing is at least being able to see the field and meet the people. Speaking of the people, I've met some of the most fabulous people out here. There are a couple of host moms that just take the cake! If you aren't sure what host moms are...they are women (or families) that take in 1 or 2 players during the season. They house and feed the players and (of course) provide them with moral support. Judy, is by far, one of my favorite people these days. She is a host mom to one of the players on the Ports. In my opinion, Judy is just an amazing person, who has such a wonderful outlook on life. She is at all of the games and is such a fan. She has really taken me under her wing since even before Patrick left. Also, Terry is another host mom who is just a blast and a half! Martha Stewart would get a kick out of her. Every Sunday, when the guys are home, she makes a HUGE dinner and just about anyone is invited. She's a first grade teacher, and is just hilarious! I'm gonna miss them so much when I go to Texas because they have made my stay in California so wonderful!
So now that I've written the longest paragraph in the history of blogging...we'll move on to what's going on with Patrick. He is doing so well in Midland, and really enjoying himself. Currently the team is in Frisco, TX and from what he says, the field is just fabulous! I'm hoping that I'll get to go on some away trips to see it! There are two more games in the series and then it's off to San Antonio, once again. We are both getting so excited that I'm gonna be there on Saturday...just in time for his birthday, which is on Monday. To top it all off...Sunday is an off day!!!! We get to spend the whole day together...which is a huge deal in minor league baseball...because off days come few and far between!
I hope to update in a few days and put some pictures of the latest adventures up. Be ready for my squirrel friend's picture...just wait..you will laugh your head off!