The last day of June....

June is a big birthday month for our families, and the last day of June is no different.  Today, on the last day of June, we celebrated Baehr's nephew's first birthday!  Missy (Baehr's sister) went all out for her little boy, and we had fun even thru the rain.  The theme...giraffes.  (This is also the first time I got to try out my new camera!  YAHOO!)

Trace was one lucky boy and got presents galore!  He is going to need a play room just for all his NEW toys!  I was really suprised that there weren't any double presents, only one triple present... beach chairs.  :) 

There was a petting zoo, bounce house, and Pappasito's for lunch so there was plenty of fun for everyone.  Camryn and Chloe loved all the animals - goats, a pig, turtles, a pony, chickens, bunnies, chicks, and a sheep.

Camryn with a goat.

Chloe with a chick

Missy, Trace, and Jake with the pony

Jake and Missy just had their pool finished as well, and at one point, the kids were swimming in the rain!  Their pool has a huge waterfall, and in it is a slide.  So much fun for the kids.  Last week, both girls made me go on it, and I might say it's even fun for adults too!  :)

Slide time!

After we had a full day of family, food, and fun, the sun finally came out.  Just in time for us to get family pictures, and head out. 

Us with the birthday boy...

The Baehr Family

It was a good day for all involved.  Now it's time to hang out on the couch and watch the Olympic Trials.  :) 

Hope you are having a great weekend, and we will see you in July!

My Birth DAY...

Today was the big day... you know, my REAL birthday!  My mom came over at around 10 am so we could go to the pool for a little bit.  When we were done, we came home, got ready, and headed to lunch at La Madeline's with Baehr.  I promised CAL I would come get him early from school so he could hang out at the house a little bit, so I picked him up after lunch and took him with me to get a pedicure (he ate chikalay and played with the kids there...and now he thinks he needs an ipad! Goodness!), and then headed home for some Wii time.  Courtney came to get him around 3:30, and then Baehr and I headed off to TASTE OF TEXAS for dinner! DELICIOUS! 

Bacon wrapped quail, lobster, and filet

They take your picture and put it in this card.

I thought it was the best birthday day / month yet, and THEN we got home! I knew I had one more card coming. We almost always do cards ONLY for birthdays, valenversary, anniversary, etc because we have issues trying to outdo each other (haha)! Anyways, when we got home I got my card (which was a tear jerker!), and then out came a present...Hmmmm... 

A card with a memory card...

Then a lense ...

And THEN came my big present...

A NEW CAMERA!!! I have been wanting one forever because I love taking pictures of anything and everything. I cannot wait to get CAL back into soccer! We are going to have some AWESOME pictures! :)   Baehr is the besssssssssttttttt!

I had the best birthDAY ever thanks to my family and my HUSBAND!!!   I feel like I need to have a THANK YOU day next week... Maybe I'll put that on the calendar!  :)

My Birth Month...

In case you didn't know, I LOVE JUNE!  It's a fantastic month full of wonderful things like the beginning of summer, no more school, and well...my BIRTHDAY!  :)

The rules I created for birthdays are...Birthdays no longer last one day, but one week.  Birthdays ending in zero or five get birthday months.  All rules can be broken by me, the creator of the rules!  :)  So, since I can break the rules, I get birthday months all the time.  Yahoo for me, but not so much for my husband or family!  :)  

My sister, dad, and husband all think birthday months are quite ridiculous, but my mom is all about supporting my fantastical ideas!  THANKS MOM!  :)  This year my mom went all out and celebrated Week 1, 2, 3, and 4 of my birthday month. 

Week 1....

I also got a fancy Texas candle, plug in, good smelly thing.  :)

Week 2...

Beach Towels!  Somehow Baehr got in on this present...hmmmm....

Week 3... I sent my mom and sister a text a week or so ago saying... "They use this to serve tea!  I LOVE IT!"  This picture was attached ...

And this is what I got for week 3 along with dinner...

 I LOVEEEEEEEEEE THEM!!!!

Week 4... was funnels to use for week 3's present, magazines for out lay out day today, and lunch at La Madeline's!  :) 

You can add this to the million other reasons why my mommy is the best mommy in the whole world.  I hope your birthDAY, week, or month is as great as mine! 

Roomy for life...and Sheila :)

My roommate, T, and a fellow teammate from college, Sheila, both live in Tampa, Florida so while I was in Orlando I HAD to see them.  The original plan was for me to go to Tampa, but Florida roads are too confusing so I made them come to me!  :) 

Sheila, Tanishka, and Me

We met around 6:30 pm and we stayed at UNO until 9:30 pm.  We had so much fun just laughing and talking and eating.  It was like old times.

Just a little history on us ... there are 5 of us who have remained close over the years - Jenn, Jill, Me, Tanishka, and Sheila.  Here we are in our team photo from 2000.

(Back Row) Coach Caba, Jamie, Adrian, Amanada, Bonnie, Sheila, Julia, Coach Ruesch)
(Front Row - Jenn, Sarah, Tanishka, Jill, and Me)

Tanishka was my roommate, Jenn and Sheila were our neighbors, and Jill was across the hall from us.  We have some great memories of school, and can still double over in laughter at most of them.  Some of the stories we have, you wouldn't believe, but they all happened and we love being able to relive them together.  One of the best comments I have heard about us came from Jill... "God sent me to the Mount to find my bestie. The sacrifice: a single year of my life. The reward: AN AWESOME existence WITH COOL PEOPLE"  And this is so true!  :)
I cannot wait for the next time we can all get together.  Hopefully next April at Sheila's wedding.  :)

Florida for Work...

After our little beach weekend I had to come home, unpack, do laundry, and repack so that I could fly out Monday for Florida.  Every year several of our teams go to AAU Nationals in Orlando, Florida and this year we have 11 teams attending so I had to go to check in and coordinate everything.  

Xtreme rents houses for the coaches and I was paired up with (not by coincidence since I assign housing ... haha) Alison, Telia, Mona, Lindsey, Candy, and her niece Kelsey.  We decided that our house should be a reality TV show called Real World Xtreme in Orlando.  And I have to say we had some very entertaining moments.  :) 

Telia, Mona, me, and Alison

Alison, Lindsey, Mona, Me, and Telia

Our house was 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, with a pool.  The pool was very rarely used because of all the rain, and when it was used it was only our feet in it.  We probably didn't use it for more than 2 hours the whole week. 

On Tuesday, I had check in for the first 9 teams and opening ceremonies at Wide World of Sports.  It was quite overwhelming for me because it was my first time to be there.  Being the person who is supposed to be organizing everything and keeping everyone on track, I just had to walk away.  It was insanity!

There were at least 750 teams (X10 for players)....YIKES!

The tournament started on Wednesday and everyone was off and running.  We tried to meet up for at least one meal a day, but we always ended the night in the living room together.  Nights were the best because we had so much fun recapping the days events, and just relaxing.  I only went to bed before 2 am one night we were there, and was worn out by the time Friday night came around. 


For those of you who keep track of the weather like I do, you know that a tropical disturbance formed in the Gulf on Tuesday night.  They had no idea where it was going to go and we were worried it was going to come straight for us.  On Thursday we started talking about possibly driving home because of the weather...

So on Friday night we were already looking for rental cars and talking about who would go with us. We made the decision Saturday morning to do it, and we rented a van to make the 15 hour treck home. 

I will say that we did have some fun moments, but by the end of the trip we were all just ready to be in our own beds.  At 4 am, we had all been up for 24 hours and were worn out but we were HOME!  :)


It was nice to get to know some of the coaches on a more personal level and I will say that the nights made the trip worth it!  We'll see if I attend next year!  :)

Skunkle...

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about June...  One of the things I wrote about was the death of my Uncle.  I told you how cool he was and how special he was, but nothing says who he was like what my sister said at his funeral.  She just posted it on her blog so I MUST share it with you... 

Uncle Chris

I am...

I am ...

an emotional wreck....in a good kind of way.  Well, at least I think so.  :)

Growing up I don't remember ever crying.  When my grandmother passed away in 2002, all I did was cry for years.  At least that's what it felt like.  I am not really sure when things started to turn around, but now, I cry because I am happy. 

And I am happy because ...

I found my very best friend, my life, and this love that very few get to find.

My mom is the most amazing mother and person...my personal "everything".

My sister is more than my best friend.  She is my twin at heart.  She knows me and gets me and I love that.  I love that she is MY sister and I don't have to share her.  :)

My family unit is the definition of LOVE, HOME, JOY, HAPPINESS, etc, etc, etc.

My relationship with the Lord is ever changing and ever growing.

I have found that regardless of who comes and goes in my life, I have some very real, very genuine friends. 

I AM CONTENT.

I could really go on and on and on, but then you would just think I was bragging. :)  The truth is, I cry because I am in a place that very few people ever get to.  Content.

I am beyond thankful for what I have, my life, our lives.  I am thankful for where I have been, who I have come from, and what I have overcome.  I am thankful that at the end of the day there are 5 people that will love me regardless of my mistakes, my selfishness, and my "wreck of emotions".  I am just THANKFUL!

I found this saying on pinterest, and I thought it was so perfect so I added a picture of my family which made it even more awesome....

Thank you Lord, for allowing me to be an emotional wreck because if that means I'm happy, I'll take it.

“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”  Psalms 68:4 - 5

Our little beach weekend....

This weekend we headed down to Surfside Beach to see our friends Kayla and Omar.  They rented a beach house for Kayla's birthday week and invited us to come down for a few days.  We were so excited because Kayla and Omar are perfect vacation friends!  If you have those people in your life, you know what I am talking about.  We all rented a beach house several years ago and had a blast, and have been talking about doing it again since. 

Us in 2008 (Mark, Kayla, Omar, Shannon holding H, Me, and Baehr)

We finally got around to it (thanks to them)!  This weekend was the only time we could come so Baehr and I both got off work a little early on Friday so we could pack up and be there before 6 pm.  WE DID IT!  :)  It was a gorgeous evening, so we all gathered our chairs and sat on the beach. 

Don't judge our brown / seaweed covered beaches!  :)

It was a good night.  We ordered pizza and then sat on the porch and talked until midnight!  So relaxing to just be able to sit and listen to the ocean. 

On Saturday morning we got up around 8:30 am and started getting ready.  The Weather Channel had projected the weather as "0 to 1 foot surf, ankle high".  Well, the weather men were really on par this week (10% change of rain on Tuesday turned into a Tornado like storm) because when we got out there the waves were like 2 feet and getting worse throughout the day.  Their 20% also turned into "Funnel clouds possible"....

YIKES!

We were lucky and somehow it passed right over us (we claim a weather force field was around us) with only some sprinkles, which was good because my sister had brought CAL down for the day and she HATES the beach (Courtney and CAL's Trip).  It turned out to be a great, sunburn kind of day, and I already can't wait to go back. 

Omar and Kayla

Sand Castling

I love these two!

Cal and Courtney finding treasures

We got up this morning and headed home for Father's Day festivities.  It was a great weekend, and I am so glad we got to go.  Thank you Kayla and Omar for having us and for having Courtney and CAL too.  We are going to have to plan another trip next year. 

And last but not least, no trip is complete without a little SkipBo!  :) 

Here is the Runner Up... :)

Hope you all had a great Father's Day weekend!

From the couch on....

The Baehr Block

It's all a bit of a dream....

This year, Ray (my boss), decided it would be a good idea to attend the NCAA Championships in San Antonio.  Here at Xtreme ideas are typically just that....IDEAS.  This year, however, a parent got wind of this idea and forced it into reality.  The fun thing (this is my sarcasm) about ideas like this are that I (ME) am in charge to coordinate such things, and since our little club has turned into a 24 team monster, that meant that I was working to make transportation and ticket arrangements for 240 athletes, 24 coaches, Ray, and anyone else who wanted to attend.   WOOOOHOOOO!  (NOT!)  haha 

So after all was said and done, we sent 300 people to San Antonio on coach buses for the day.   The championship game was between UCLA and Illinois.  UCLA ended up winning, and here is where the story gets interesting.

Going to the Championship game then turned into a much bigger idea, that again was supposed to be just an idea.  Ray mentioned that he wanted to see if the "Final Four" coaches would be interested in coming to our gym for a camp, and then kept mentioning Penn State and Russ Rose.  

I was interested ....

I e-mailed all of the coaches, and got responses back from 4 out of the 5 immediately.  Honestly, I thought I was going to get NO response so this was so EXCITING!  I called Ray and was like "You won't believe who already emailed back!"  I talked to him about the details and then emailed the coaches right back with possible dates.  

My excitement turned into major brain frenzy.  Get Penn State and UCLA here and we can call it the Camp of Champions and it will kick off the Summer of Champions.  Penn State won championships from 2007 - 2010 and UCLA won in 2011...the last 5 years of Champions?! YES PLEASE!!!!

Everyone thought I was crazy because at this point I had convinced myself that I was going to do whatever it took to make this happen, and to say I was excited was an understatement!  :)

Within 24 hours I had 3 of the 5 responded to that...2 were yes and 1 was a maybe, and by the end we had Penn State and UCLA with a big YES by their name!  

Thank you Lord!  I KNOW this was an answer to prayer!!!! 

Well, this week was the week!  I was a nervous wreck making sure flights, rental cars, hotels, and food were all coordinated.  We need pictures for the website and for facebook (thank you John Owen), but it all went off without a hitch.... (another answer to prayer!)



UCLA Head Coach Mike Sealy

Penn State Head Coach Russ Rose



All the Athletes and Coaches

I will say that my favorite out of the two was Russ Rose.  He has done so much in his 32 years at Penn State, but shows complete humility in all things.  He is a student of the game and is always trying to improve himself.  He's also my new best friend....or "BFF" according to him!  haha  He is just a great person to learn from and be around.  I am definitely looking for the next opportunity to sit and listen to this volleyball icon!  :)

Me and my new best friend, Penn State Head Coach Russ Rose

Overall, it couldn't have gone better! These two men are not only great coaches, they are great people.  It was the chance of a lifetime, and even though I didn't get to sit in the gym a lot, I learned so much! 

When I woke up this morning, it was like waking up from a dream.  I mean, the top 2 coaches in the nation were at MY job for three days.  I ate lunch with them, chatted with them, and they were a part of my life for a brief moment in time.  They even chatted it up with my mom.   AWESOME!  

I cannot wait for next year! 

Psalm 9 : 1 - 2

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.  
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. 

June....

June is here!  That means summer has arrived...pool time, popsicles, and watermelon.  Just talking about it makes me happy.  :)  June also mean my birthday month so it's pretty much the best month of the year!  Right? 

Right?

June 4th - 8 years ago on this day one of my very good friends, Nikki, was killed by a drunk driver. 

Nikki

She was always happy, always smiling, and always ready to give a witty sarcastic come back so losing her in the blink of an eye was difficult (is that even the appropriate word to use?) I lived in Dubuque for a summer and Nikki was the RA for the entire dorm.  I had only known her for a few weeks, and it was my first (and last) summer to be away on my birthday.  That morning Nikki surprised me with a home made cake...candles and all!  She hardly knew me, but wanted me to have a great birthday.  That's just the kind of person she was.  I still miss seeing her name on AIM chat, and have her say the funniest things.  She had so much planned for her future, and it makes me sad to know that it was cut short. 

June 24 - 5 years ago on this day my Uncle Chris passed away.  His funeral....on my birthday.  To express the loss that I feel would be for me to come out of denial.  I have yet to deal with the fact that he is gone.   His viewing / funeral was in the same place as my Granny's, the preacher who spoke was the same, and his burial was next to her.  I still have a difficult time dealing with the fact that my Granny has passed away so to even think that he has left too....well, my brain has decided it's too much to handle.  My family and I rarely speak of his passing because I think it is just too hurtful for any of us to deal with so I will tell you about my ALIVE Uncle Chris.  :)  He's pretty cool!

My Uncle, Grump, and My Mom

Uncle Chris, or Skunkle, was the laughter in all things.  The stories he could tell would keep us in hysterics.  There was not a moment that you were with him that he wasn't telling his latest stories or ones from the past.  He always had a smile on his face and was ALWAYS there for you if you needed him.  He was a tell it like it is, mover and shaker.  He hated sitting still and always needed to be doing something.  Some days he would just get up and drive to Houston (4 hours) for no reason at all.  He would walk in the school and surprise my mom with a "When's lunch time?"  He always knew the best places to eat, and was always ready for the next meal.  He would drive to Alabama (7 hours) just to take Grump a sandwich from Sam's.  He would tell you "Don't put your mask up!" or grill your boyfriend on the first meeting.    

He's having a party with my Granny right now.  They are talking on the front porch with a sweet tea, and I know he is making fun of me for writing this and would have some sort of smart remark about being in denial.  He has my grandmother doubled over with laughter ... I can just hear them both.  And just so they both know....I am going to stay in denial for a while longer....so there!  :)

At the beginning of this blog I asked.... June is the best month of the year... right?

Well, yes.  I can definitely say that June is the best month of the year, but it also brings with it some very real memories.

June brings the anniversary of the bad memories, but then the good ones come too.  These two very special people were taken from me, but I still have some very REAL, very good  memories of when they were here.  I'll get to see them again....in my birthday month (which Skunkle would think was ridiculous) and I'll be able to hug and laugh with them again.  

June is the BEST month and don't YOU forget it!  :)