Heading to Costa Rica

Family Day Saturday August 1st.

Friday the 31st of July

We drew another early round game, we had lost on Thursday so we were in the losers bracket. If we lost again, we were going home! We played our 8 am game. The girls were hot, Peanut walked the first inning and proceeded to go 3 for 3 with base hits over the short stop every time.
The score finished 18-3. Our next game was at noon. The team we were to play was Snohomish, the team we had beat on Tuesday. We could do this and then play again at 4.
Those girls weren't ready to be beat again. They battled and the score remained close or tied throughout, then in the bottom of the 6th, we had a ball dropped in the outfield and they scored two runs. Then, that girl scored on a throwing error by the infield. We couldn't rattle the bats in the top of the 7th to tie them, so we were going home.

The girls felt a little defeated. Peanut was the last out and she so desperately wanted to win, but her ball flew into the glove of one of the players, no base hit this time. We took them back to the motel and they were eager to go to the river....*one more time*. ~M~ wasn't going to go, but the girls really wanted me to jump off the rock with them. I was game, but I didn't want ~M~ to be the only one packing the room. She said, "go for it". We got all our stuff together and put on our suits and headed to the river. That was the funnest jump I have ever done. Peanut went, then Abbs, then me! It was great. I really liked it. We hustled our buns out of the river and back to the motel to clear out. Only to be stopped on the I-205/I-5 connection for over an hour because of heavy traffic. We were going at a snails pace. The girl entertained themselves by drawing pictures and making signs with the car behind us for nearly 45 minutes. It was fun to hear them giggle and have fun.

We made it home around 8 ish, after leaving the motel at 3 ish, that tells ya what traffic was like!! We headed out to Papa's. It was his 69th Birthday. I don't have any pictures, but Bugg does, so hopefully she will post some. Sis and her hubby were down because of his reunion, so the grand kids were all with him on his birthday, *so were his daughters, but we know who matters the most*. We had some cake and some great family time then headed home.

Wednesday the 29th.../Thursday the 30th...

We played at noon against a team from Los Gatos, California. They had a really good pitcher and we fell a little short on the runs. We ended up losing this game.

Peanut up to bat....

She ended up getting hit by pitch, twice in this game.

climbing on the rock island

the lots of people on those rocks...

~M~ and I had decided to go swimming with the girls on Wednesday after the game. We went down the rapids and swam all over with them, but I got drug under by one of the rapids. When I opened my eyes under water, I couldn't see anything but water and I panicked and took a breath of river water. I made it out just fine of course, but needless to say, I had a bit of water I needed to remove from my head and chest. :~(

So, we didn't go with them on Thursday. We went to the river, but not in the river with them. We a bunch of grown up chickens!!

Peanut's leg, post "hit by pitch". The one in the bend has actual stitches from the ball in her leg. The one toward the front of that didn't quite seem so bad. Too bad my camera didn't capture it better.

Opening Ceremonies....

The girls had this plan to all look the same, their shirts were tye dyed, their flip flops were *stripped* with fabric, their heads with head bands, their necks with beads, they all wore black shorts....they were all to look alike. So that the crowd knew they were a team. This is our 3 headed there....

serious faces
We all got there a little early...it was 100 degrees and they all climbed into the back of the car, into the air conditioning....

again...a different angle...

~M~ found some hair on her chin...we thought we better pluck when we returned to the motel :~)

Dressed and ready to go exchanged team *pins* with the other girls....

B, Peanut, and little M

An older brother, J was forced into attire as well. He really didn't want his picture taken.

All of them....

~C~ and ~M~ clowning. We were wondering how C ended up with the necklace, he said, "oh, the girls put them on me!!"

Parading through the crowd, that is peanut holding the banner on the left.

They did some foot races after the extremely long wait for our barbecue dinner...the girls wanted Peanut to do it "because she's so fast". She told them, "I am not that fast, you guys are just lazy!!" But, she got beat by this lovely young lady. Peanut tried hard and made her hamstring sore. Not good!!!

The line for the barbecue was up at this building above the four fields. So we trotted up there and we were in line for what seemed like an eternity, it was an hour perhaps. We realized that several people, like whole teams, were passing us and getting fed!! What was that all about. So we finally go and investigate to see that there really is 4 lines, not 1! So we joined up in another line and got us some food! We will know better next time, if there is a next time. ;~)

The second half of Tuesday the 28th....

After the game, we had "no where" to be til opening ceremonies. It was hot and the girls were looking to cool off, so down to the river we went. *don't tell any one, OK*

Here are some pictures to enjoy....

Shelby and Peanut
Abbs

~M~

Peanut and Abbs

swimming to the "other side"

Abbs jumping off the rock....

Peanut going off the rock...

Mason going off the rock...

Shelby going off the rock....

Almost missed Abbs landing in the water...

Mason in a rock....

Abbs on a rock....

Peanut sitting in a rock....

Peanut and Shelby jumping together....

swimming in the currents....

It was so great down there. It was just a few steps away from the motel, the girls were able to go down and there was area to jump and area to just swim. The Lifeguards were out everyday. They told us that they can get up to 700!!! people down there in one day! Amazing! But, totally understandable.

We were out after about an hour and headed to get ready for some Opening Ceremonies.....

Tuesday, the 28th of July

Our first game was at 8 am, this was the one time we were all thrilled the game started early. It was supposed to be nearly 100 degrees and we were playing on the turf. So while we were letting the girls warm up...us mom's had a moment...

We thought it was fun!
Peanut running home. I never seem to get her on the way home, so finally I did!

After a bunt, she was running to 1st. Look at that stride! Well, right after I took this shot, the first base girl clothes lined Peanut and she ended up on the turf! I thought she had tripped, but she asked for ibuprofen for her headache, the front from the glove and the back from the turf!
So then I realized, she didn't just trip!!

At bat...the team we played was Snohomish.

She slides so hard she takes out the base, so the umpire has to replace it, each time she slides :~)

After, the game *we won* the girls exchanged "sportsmanship" gifts with the other team. This was our girls and the gifts they had received. We told them they looked like the hot dog on a stick girl from the mall.