Minor League Team.....Major League Fun!

Last night was the Frisco Baseball Association's team night at the Frisco RoughRiders minor league game. We have been looking forward to this for a couple of months. You get a ticket, a coupon for a hat, and all the brats, hot dogs, nachos, and sodas you can eat and drink for $15 dollars. What a deal. We got to the park about 6:30pm yesterday evening, and immediately got our 4 free hats. Pretty stinking nice hats too!

 

 After we got our hats, we hit the food line. Since it was so early, we walked right up to the front, and got all we wanted without any wait. Mmmmm....brats.....yummy. We took our seats a few minutes later, and waited for the game to begin. Aidan, was just about to tear into his first dog, when I snapped this pick of him with his teammates.


 

 I love baseball. If you have been reading this blog very long, you already knew that. For me, being at the ballpark with your family or with your boys is just about as good as it gets. The sound of the crowd, the smells, the ice cold beer, the sound of the ball as it cracks off the bat, and the fascination from the kids. It's just really fun, and it's easy to just lose yourself.




To have Christopher sitting right next to me wearing a baseball glove, telling me that he is going to protect me in case of a foul ball is irreplaceable. I just never forget incredible moments like that. They are worth more to me than anything else in this world. It reminds me of being an "Astro Buddy" when I was his age, and going to baseball games with my dad. I know he was up in heaven last night, smiling ear to ear. Me too dad...me too...

William

Field Of Dreams

You might have to bear with me for awhile.  I have always considered my family my muse, so if my writing seems somehow different and less than you are used to or expect, please forgive me.  It is going to take me a while to ween myself from the thoughts of "Happily Ever After", and focus on the boys and living day by day.  I will do my best.

Yesterday was sports day for Thornton Boys.  Yep, three glorious games.  Normally, we only have two, but this weekend they decided to add a second baseball game, and I have to be honest, it couldn't have come at a better time.  Nothing can take your mind off your troubles faster than watching your children laugh, focus, and compete in sports. 

The morning started with Aidan's 9:00am baseball game.  We were playing the Pirates, and they were tied with us at the time for third place in the league.  It was rather chilly in the morning, and I don't consider 49 degrees "baseball weather".   The team didn't seem to mind the cold, and their bats got hot early. 

In Aidan's first at bat, he hit an absolute screaming line drive to mid left field.  Lucky for the pirates, the left fielder didn't have to move a step in order to field the ball.  It was hit so hard, if it would have been two feet to the left or right of their fielder, it would have been past them and to the fence in a flash.  Aidan was held to a single.  In his next at bat, he hit a blooper to the short stop that he miss handled, and Aidan got on with the error.  The game was never really close, and we won 9-1.

After the game, we went home and got some rest before Christopher's 2:00pm soccer game.  I stopped by Kroger on the way home to purchase some ground Chicken to make "Chicken Burgers" for lunch.  I fired up the charcoal, and 40 minutes later we were stuffing our faces with tasty burgers. 

It was an absolutely beautiful day yesterday.  A little windy, but sunny and about 70 degrees.  Christopher's game started on time, and he was supposed to play the second and forth quarters.  Just as he was beginning his shift, he and another child collided, and Christopher had his hand stepped on with another player's cleat.  Needless to say, he was in a whole bunch of pain, and had to be taken out of the game.  By the time the third quarter rolled around, he was ready to play again.  He played well, and his defense prevented a couple of opposing goals.  All in all, his team rallied in the forth quarter to pull out the win by 1 goal.  I don't know who was more excited....the kids or the parents.  Here is a picture of my little soccer player from the game yesterday.

The final game of the day started at 6:00pm last night.  Aidan's team, The Express, were taking on the Dodgers.  Aidan was the starting pitcher for the game, and he was on fire.  We were the visiting team, and quickly scored 5 runs in the first.  The final three came from Aidan, as he hit a monster shot to deep center that made it's way to the fence on a few hops.  Aidan scooted around the bases, and had his third "in the park" home run of the season.  Aidan then went to the mound in the bottom of the first, and walked one and struck out three to end the inning.  In the top of the second, our team scored another 5 runs, and gave Aidan a 10-0 score to work with.  Again, he struck out the side in the bottom of the second.  As a matter of fact, every out recorded for our team was made by Aidan.  Yep, he pitched all three innings and had three strike outs per inning.  His final stats:  3 innings pitched, 9 strike outs, three walks, and most importantly........A NO-HITTER!  His team won 14-0 and I could not have been any more proud of the job he did.  How did he look to opposing players you ask?  Well...

Intimidating of course!

Three wins, no losses, lots of excitement and fun.  Thanks for taking my mind off things for a while.  I love these boys!

William

Sadly, A Different Direction

Well, I lied. Hope did not return, but I have.

With this blog, I have been sharing the ups and downs of this family for a few years now. The vast majority have almost always been uplifting antidotes about our family, and I really enjoyed writing them.  The reason that they were almost always uplifting was a direct reflection of our lives, and the wonderful marriage Lori and I shared.

As you might have guessed from my last post, some fairy tale marriages do not last forever. Sometimes you hit a bump in the road, and you do your best to try and fix things and keep moving forward. Sometimes that bump ends up being a wall.  Well, let me tell you, that wall came on with a vengeance.

Lori decided that she no longer wants to be married to me, and has officially filed for divorce.  I tried with all my heart and effort to make things right with her, but my efforts failed.  I hoped with every fiber of my being that we could get things fixed, and start traveling back down that road to happiness, but she obviously had other plans.   I am still deeply in love with Lori, who I will always consider my soul-mate. So as you might have guessed, I am extremely devastated.  Married for 15years and together for 17years.....now DONE.  Painful and Surreal.

If you would have asked me at the beginning of last year if there was even a remote possibility of writing this type of blog, I would have straight up laughed at you. I felt like the relationship that Lori and I had was impervious to any failings.  We just loved and cared for each other too much to let that happen.  I have, through the years, blogged exactly how I felt and feel about Lori.   I just thought that kind of stuff happened to other people. I mean hell, we'd made it 16 years without the slightest problems, why would it change? What could possible go wrong?  I still don't understand the "why", but I can tell you without a doubt, it's the worst feeling in the world to realized you are no longer loved.

I don't know what the future holds.  I'm scared, and very apprehensive about trusting anyone anymore.  That I know.  Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.  What this has made me realize is;  I am a beautiful, naive, big-hearted 47 year old man, that still has a whole lot to learn about people. 

I know that I have two wonderful, handsome, healthy, outstanding boys that are here, and they need me.  I need them just a much. My devotion to them will never waiver.  They are my life, and as always, the reason for my existence.

Because of my love for them, and my need for attention, I've decided to keep this blog alive to share the wonderful experiences that I have with Aidan and Christopher.  I need the release, and I want to have all of our adventures chronicled so we can enjoy the emotions of the times for the rest of our lives.  

I am looking forward to being able to start writing uplifting stories again and posting pictures about the wonderful things that are happening with me and the boys.  It really won't be the same without the inclusion of Lori in our adventures, but it is what it is, and we'll make the best of it.

She will be truly missed.  

William

Into The Sunset

This is more than likely my final blog.  If hope ever returns, so will I.

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts and feelings with you all these years.  It's been a wonderful release for me, and I hope I was able to convey to you, just how joyous my life and my family have been to me.  When you are constantly in a state of bliss, the words just write themselves. 

I wish I would have starting writing this blog 15 years earlier.  I would give anything to have all of those wonderful times chronicled.  I know those memories will be all but forgotten, and it would have been nice to be able to go back and feel the emotion of the moment during those times.

Thank you again for all of the great, supportive comments you have made through the years.  They always made me feel special and motivated.  They will be missed.

Time to ride off.  Take care, and God Bless

William