Houston Times

Over the weekend, we spent time with my parents in Houston, Texas to attend an Astros game and visit the Houston Zoo.

We had so much fun at Brayden's last zoo experience in San Antonio and were looking forward to more fun at the Houston Zoo!

My oh my how he's grown! The daily image I see on my phone is from his very first Astros game when he was only 4 months old. Pardon me while I dry up the tears. I know some parents say they can't wait for this phase or that phase to be over, but I'm not there. I love having my child small. He might be our only one and I'm cherishing each and every moment because I know they will be gone far too soon.

Anyway, back to the weekend...we made it!

We actually arrived before the gates opened, so we joined the massive line of people waiting on their free duffel bags. Yes, there was a massive line. I didn't have my heart set on getting one because I wasn't planning on waiting out there all morning. Well, we were one of the first 10,000 in line and we got one anyway! YAY!

This right here is my kind of ball park food. These quesadillas are some of the best I've ever eaten!

It also wouldn't be an Astros game without a picture with Mickey! Brayden was so excited to see Mickey! It was precious!

I've mentioned this before in a previous post, but we LOVE sitting in the 200 level section at the game, especially with having Brayden.

This area is a little more quiet, the alcove isn't as busy, the view is perfect, and the seats are a bit roomier!

We won! YAY!

Our typical field post-game family portrait!

On Sunday morning, we visited the Houston Zoo. We arrived not long after they opened and they weren't very busy which was nice!

There are several play areas at this zoo (including a splash pad). I can't wait to return and spend a better portion of the day! We were only a time constraint because Jason had to go into work that evening.

Hands down, Brayden's favorite animal was the sea lion! He loved watching him swim around in his pool!

Our tickets also included a ride on the carousel which he enjoyed!

Of course our animal of choice was the "seal"...hah. See what we did there?

Not long after our carousel ride, the bottom decided to absolutely fall out of the sky. Thankfully, we were near a large employee umbrella and we were able to have sanctuary there for a little while. After checking the radar though, we realized the rain wasn't going to let up any time soon. That's when I remembered that I had a dollar poncho stashed away in Brayden's diaper bag, so I put it on and used it to trek around the zoo to purchase more ponchos for my family. 

The zoo floods pretty bad and there were sections where water was up to my ankles. After about half an hour, I returned with ponchos for everyone and we were able to make our grand escape.

No one was angry or mad, we were grateful we had the chance to see most of the zoo before the rain, and we looked at it as another adventure. These are just fun stories to share in the future!

It was a fantastic weekend and we made it home in time for everyone's everythings!

I can't wait to go back. We LOVE the Houston Zoo - it's spacious, roomy, we were up close and personal to the animals, it's super clean, super shaded, the staff is friendly, the list goes on and on. We definitely need a zoo-redo! :)

If you're ever in the Houston area, consider adding the Houston Zoo to your list of things to do! You won't regret it!

How was your weekend?

Astros World Series Trophy Tour

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend!

We had an amazing weekend to say the least and the highlight of our weekend was seeing the Commissioner's Trophy from the 2017 World Series (earned by the Astros, of course)!

A local business decided to add our town as a stop on the World Series trophy tour and the rest is history!

As a little back story - in January of this year, the Astros hosted a "fan fest" event in Houston which is a free event to enter, but there are several "extra" options you have to pay for (including a picture with the World Series trophy). Well, we obtained the entry passes but did not snag the "extra" options in time before they sold out. Also, fan fest was held on the weekend we returned from Dopey Challenge and an extra 2 hour drive "just because" didn't sound like much fun at the time, especially since all of the events I was interested in were sold out already. So, we missed out. I assumed I would see the trophy at some point during a game this season, but to have it up close and personal like this was an even better treat!

The local Toyota dealership went all out with this event including Cracker Jack, Popcorn, Sunflower seeds, hot dogs, and hamburgers!

A local news outlet was also at the event and they interviewed several fans (including us) which was fun!

Buy me some (popcorn) and cracker jack...

We arrived early and the line went pretty quick!

The Astros game was also playing on several tv's inside the show room floor!

Brayden LOVED his first taste of popcorn!

As a surprise, the Astros mascot (Orbit) was there, too! I told him that I loved his ring, so he had to show it off! 

No inappropriate pictures with the trophy, please. Seriously...it's sad they even have to tell people that.

This was seriously so cool to see in person!

It's so shiny! (Then I started singing that song from Moana...)

No trophy tour is complete without a selfie!

After we finished with our pictures, we sat for a minute to text people and post to social media. Orbit walked by and started "helping" Brayden with his game. I died.

Oh yes, and while waiting, they called a door prize number and guess what? It was mine! I won this orange Astros hat! YAY!

Sunday afternoon was SO much fun and I really appreciate the Tarver family for hosting this event! Seeing the World Series trophy in person with my little family was a pretty incredible experience, one I'll never forget!

DNS vs DNF

Good morning and happy Tuesday! It's almost a long weekend and I am so looking forward to a little extra time with my family!

As mentioned last week, my next planned race for the Spring is a 5K at the end of April. I am really looking forward to this one as it's going to be held at my high school and it will be fun to see everyone! Fun fact - I graduated with a class of 19! We attended a small private school where everyone knew everyone!

I also briefly mentioned that my knee has been giving me a few issues here lately. My physical therapist says my entire body is out of alignment and with some of the maneuvers she has me attempting to do, it's creating issues in other areas. So, it's back to the old faithful squats and lunges I know so well!

Speaking of physical therapy and injuries, today's Tuesdays on the Run topic is all about DNS vs DNF. This topic brought back a flood of memories from 2012 and my very first running injury.

The plan was to run the Houston Full Marathon with my running buddies. This also happened to be the race where the Olympic Trials were held the day before. Watching ladies such as Kara and Shalane and Deena complete the full the day before made my heart hurt so much. I knew I could do it but I knew it wasn't the wise choice. Instead, I made the decision to bump myself down to the half marathon and although I still ran as much as I could during the race, I still finished almost 45 minutes slower than my usual due to the the crazy knee pain.

Was it wise for me to run at all? Probably not. However, I'd already completed a few weeks of physical therapy due to my injury and my physical therapists encouraged me to run the half. Had I not sought the advice of professionals, I don't think I would have run any of the Houston races at all. Was I glad I ran a race anyway? (With their go ahead, of course.) Absolutely.

With that said, I'm an incredibly stubborn person and after finishing the half, I was so mad that I cried. I WANTED to run the full, that's what I'd been training for the entire season. For once, logic won out with stubbornness and I made the right decision to forgo the Houston Full Marathon that year.

You see, back when I played softball, we had a tendency to "ignore" injuries. It was easy to just tape up that thumb, finger, joint, whatever until it was so tight you couldn't feel it anymore and "shake it off" until the pain went away... Once you got home, you would ice the injury and be fine the following day. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm 100% Cajun and stubborn and so my daddy's child. I once broke my foot during a softball game (didn't know it was broken) and finished out the game anyway. I wondered why I couldn't "shake off" the pain...gee...no wonder. 

Stubbornness and dealing with injuries never go hand in hand, especially with me. It took a LOT of pep-talk on my part to reassure myself it would be ok to run the Houston half instead of the full. As I mentioned before, although I wasn't ok with it, I knew that I made the right choice.

Although I still cringe every time I see that Houston Half Marathon medal (yes, still), I know that I did my best and I am proud of the accomplishment, no matter the circumstance.

Have you ever experienced a DNS or DNF?

Please note: I am not giving out medical advice here. Although I am a healthcare professional, I am not a physical therapist and do not believe it is "ok" to run on an injury unless you are seeing medical advice and are given the go ahead. I was seeking professional help during the time of my injury and was given the go ahead to run. Please see the help of a licensed professional if you are experiencing an injury and are unsure what to do. 
 

It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty.  

World Series Champions

Source

When you reminisce about your childhood and the way you were raised, there are few things that have remained consistent through time. You could say that family, faith, and some friends have always been there, but as times change and children grow into teenagers and then adults, few hobbies/likes/dislikes stayed constant.
 
As far back as I can remember, baseball has always been a huge part of my family life. From April to October, you could almost always catch an afternoon or evening game on our television. If we weren't watching baseball on TV, we were playing baseball/softball at the ball fields or even better, we were attending a game at the Astrodome or Minute Maid Park.

Those rainbow seats, the giant scoreboard, Orbit running around on the field, Junction Jack, Tal's Hill, the roar of thousands and thousands of Houston fans...there's just not quite anything else like it in the world. 

Throughout my childhood, we took yearly summer vacations to Houston where we would spend a day at Astroworld (rest in peace) followed up with an Astros game the next day.

As a teen, my dad and I formed a bond over our love for this sport. One day, he showed me his box of baseball cards that dated back to the 1960's and I was instantly fascinated. During those teenage years when relationships can be strained between a kid and their parents, my dad and I spent HOURS at local card shops over the weekends, scouring through boxes and boxes of baseball cards. I was determined to find rookie cards of all of my favorite Astros and I almost succeeded. Those cards still remain in a box under my bed to this day and I pull them out on the random occasion to take a walk down memory lane.

It's funny how over time, those moments and memories come and go....even funnier how a smell or sound can bring us right back to that moment and all of those memories come flooding back. Baseball will do that to you. It's a sport where you can experience some really big highs and some really incredible lows. It's an unpredictable game and one that makes you truly believe that anything can happen.

Biggio, Bagwell, the Killer B's - the mid to late 1990's were perhaps one of my favorite times as an Astros fan, as my true love for this organization began to develop. I spent many a night cheering on my favorite boys of summer as they went through division wins to the playoffs, the World Series in 2005, and back to the rebuilding process to start over from scratch again. Watching Craig Biggio receive his Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown New York two summers ago was a pretty special moment, too.

Now that I'm a parent, I want to pass on the tradition of the love for this sport to my son - one that began back with my own grandfather and his son (my dad). I want to tell him stories of how I grew up watching baseball with my dad and how 9 innings of a World Series game on November 1, 2017 was added to the list as one of the best moments of my life.

I honestly never ever thought I would see the day when the Astros would win the World Series. Not at all because I didn't believe in them, but because luck never seemed to be on their side.

The. World. Series. Y'all. Somehow it still hasn't fully sunk it.

I finally understand how Saints fans felt back in 2010...and Cubbies fans felt last year. When your team, a team you've been following most of your life is able to accomplish what seems to be a near impossible feat, it's one of the most incredible feelings in the world. I'm pretty sure I'm still walking on cloud 9.

Thank you, Astros. Thank you for allowing the heart of a young girl and her dad form a bond over the love of a team and a sport. Thank you for showing people everywhere that anything is possible if you believe. Thank you for giving hope to the city of Houston after such devastation. Thank you for a lifetime of precious memories. You will never know how much it truly means to me.

Baseball Hall of Fame

In-case you haven't noticed from my social media accounts, today I'm traveling to Cooperstown New York for the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend!!

 

This has been a "dream" item for my dad and I for years and I'm excited to experience this weekend together! I seriously cannot believe this is actually happening!

Our favorite former Astro (Craig Biggio) is being inducted this weekend and we couldn't be more excited! When Biggio retired in 2007, we said we would attend his induction ceremony and...well...here we are! Aaah!

We plan to spend the weekend taking in all of the Hall of Fame activities including the Parade of Legends, the Induction Ceremony, and the Hall of Fame itself!

It's going to be an amazing weekend! Stay tuned to instagram and facebook for the latest and greatest! :)

Before leaving yesterday, I watched Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, and A League of Their Own. I might have also blubbered like an idiot during various parts of each movie, but that's ok! :) A League of Their Own ALWAYS gets me at the end!

I am excited to step foot in a place that honors so many legends of this great sport! It's. Going. To. Be. Epic.

This is one of my favorites from Minute Maid Park (although it IS superimposed)!

Hope you have an amazing weekend...I know I will!  :)