Spring Training

I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since my parents and I went on a roadtrip to Arizona!  We drove over on a Saturday morning and made it just in time to watch the Mariners play the Rockies in a Spring Training game at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.  We met up with my new friend, Olivia, and her daddy.  We were supposed to sit on the lawn in outfield, but the sun was very strong and it was in the 90s.  My mommy was too paranoid that I might get a sun burn, so instead, we spent a lot of time standing behind the bleachers in the shade.  I enjoyed watching all of the people walking around.  As you can see by the picture, I didn’t really watch much of the game.

After the baseball game, I took my first dip into a pool at the hotel.  I thought it would be like taking a bath, but it wasn’t.  It was much colder.  I can’t really say whether I enjoyed it.  I really hope Mommy and Daddy will put me in swim classes soon so that I can enjoy my next visit to a hotel pool and not have to rely on someone holding me the whole time.

I also celebrated my first St. Patrick’s Day in Fountain Hills.  The city had a big art fair and lots of fun activities for little people like me.

Spring Training

I was never that into sports until I met Steve.  Sure, I occasionally watched a football game or enjoyed a baseball game in the summer, but ever since meeting Steve, I realized that being a sports fan is a year-round hobby.  For the most part, I have a good time, but there are a few points in the year when I have a GREAT time.  One such time is our trips to Spring Training in Arizona.  This past Saturday, we packed our bags and took a five-hour roadtrip with our friends Jenny & Brian (from San Diego) over to Phoenix to watch baseball.  We left at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and arrived in Phoenix just in time to grab a quick lunch at Cracker Barrel (so good!) before going to the Mariners v. White Sox game in Glendale.  We bought lawn seats and enjoyed the game stretched out in the sun on our blankets just past outfield.  It was so relaxing and fun!!  Since we were close to the bullpen, Steve and Brian spent half of the game trying to call to the various pitchers to throw them balls.  While Jenny and I caught some sun (just the perfect amount to get some color), Steve finally caught a ball.  Steve’s friends, Chris and Jean, joined us for the second half of the game and although the Mariners lost, we all had a great time hanging out.  (Chris was one of Steve’s ushers at our wedding.)  Chris and Jean also brought their daughter, Olivia, who is absolutely adorable and enjoyed being at the game.

Steve was able to get us a great deal at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix, so we stayed there for the night (super fancy!) and we had a terrific dinner at True Food Kitchen, a super healthy, trendy restaurant.  We’re pretty sure we spotted a bunch of baseball wives dressed to the nines enjoying their dinner at the same restaurant.

On Sunday, we went to a hipster part of Phoenix and had crepes at Jobot Coffee.  It felt like we were inside someone’s house (because the restaurant is in a house), but the food was top-notch.  The weather was a little cooler, but we made it out to Surprise for an Indians v. Royals game.  (Jenny & Brian are from Kansas City, so they are big Royals fans.)  This time, we had actual seats and sat three rows back from the first base line.  We were so close that when one of the players let go of a bat, it flew up into the stands and hit a man a few seats down for us.  Jenny and I were super scared (me more so than her), but the guys loved it.  I think Steve wishes that he would have been the one hit so that he could have taken the bat home as a souvenir.  Of course, we visited the bullpen area, where one of the pitchers threw Brian a ball.  (Now both guys have MLB balls…I guess that’s cool.)

Other than some ridiculous traffic on our way home (why was there traffic in the middle of the desert?!), it was a very relaxing and fun weekend!!  Hopefully we can go again next year!