June 4th we packed all the kids up and drove to Cooperstown, New York, for Alec's baseball tournament. It was about a 12 hour drive..with 3 kids...it was interesting to say the least. Lots of breaks to let the kids move around. When we arrived, it was not at all what we had expected. The lakehouse we stayed in with the rest of the families on the team was pretty gross (to say the least). But, we made the best of it. We didn't have much of a choice.
Now on to the weather. Perfect word for that = YUK! Rainy and cold the entire time we were there. I kept thinking...'did we really leave Cincinnati's warm weather for THIS'!!! It was pretty miserable, especially with a baby. We ended up spending tons of money at the gift shop buying blankets and hoodies to keep warm.
Alec's team played well. They had a few rough games and Alec was playing with a broken hand. Yes, I said BROKEN! The doctor gave him the ok to play since it had healed up for the most part. He pithced and played in the outfield. Cooperstown was quite an experience for these boys. Beautiful park! I have a bunch of pictures from the trip that I haven't downloaded yet. Stay tuned for those.
We didn't win the tournament, but the boys had an experience they will never forget and that makes it all worth while.
The day we returned from our trip to Cooperstown, we got a call from Scott's step-mom in California. Scott's dad, Steve, had a stroke the night before and was critically ill in the ICU. Scott flew out to see his dad for the last time. The type of stroke that Steve had was unique in that he could still hear what people were saying, but he was completely paralyzed. He couldn't even open his eyes. Scott sat at Steve's bedside until the moment he passed away on June 15th. After talking to Scott that afternoon, it was clear that he wanted the kids and I there with him. So, the next morning Talan, Trista and I hopped on a plane and flew to California to be with Scott and the rest of the family.
Scott's step-mom, Brenda, and Scott's brothers (Ryan and Jason) had never met Talan & Trista, so it was really nice getting to bring them with me. Talan fit right in - they live out in the country. They have pigs & chickens and Talan loved feeding them all.
Jason's wife, Casey, and I worked on the Memorial for Steve. We made a poster board full of pictures along with posters of Steve. We had the Memorial at a park in Shandon and it was beautiful. Scott rode Steve's Harley in and we parked it outside where everyone sat. It was a constant reminder of Steve. Instead of a normal funeral, we made it more like a celebration of Steve's life. That's how he would have wanted it to be. We had lots and lots of amazing food and there were a bunch of people that showed up to celebrate Steve's life. Here are a few pictures of the Memorial.
While we were there, we went to Scott's families ranch and watched a cow branding (can't say I've ever experienced anything like that before!!) and took a ride through the cattle farms. We had to buy Talan a cowboy hat, cowboy belt and a rope after this trip. He wants to be a cowboy when he grows up.
Talan even rode a harvester...
We also went to a couple beaches with Jason, Casey & their baby boy Brody. It was COLD!!!
It certainly was a hard trip, but I'm glad we made it. Keep Scott and his family in California in your prayers. I cannot even imagine how I would feel if I lost my dad.
I have lots more pictures, but I'm getting tired. I will try to post more in a couple days. Have a good weekend!
That's just awful about his Dad. I'm like you, I just couldn't fathom the idea of losing my Daddy, I would be devastated. My prayers are with them. Glad you are back to blogging and I look forward to seeing more photos.
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