Who's your Tiger?

The Tiger game was AWESOME! I have never been much of a sports fan. I think in the two and a half years I attended WMU, I went to maybe three football games and no other sporting contests whatsoever. So it is not a stretch that in my forty years on this Earth I have never attended a major league baseball game, or ever really cared that I haven't. Now after having being there, I can't wait to go back!

The atmosphere is intoxicating. Comerica Park sits in downtown Detroit next to Ford Field, across the street from the beautiful Fox theatre and minutes away from Greek Town. Big cities are so amazing! The giant statues around the park are incredible. The tiger heads that have a baseball in their mouths - their eyes light up at night.

Inside the ball park they have a carousel with all tigers to ride on. They have a ferris wheel where the seats are giant baseballs. The whole place is just super cool!

My Uncle Norm on the field getting ready to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

We were all so proud of him. My Uncle Norm is the kind of uncle that always joins in the kickball or baseball with the kids. He was the one who started the spanking machines on our birthdays and we loved it. He is the one that gets his great nephews and nieces riled up with games where they can push him down a giant slide even though I am sure his muscles are feeling it the next day. He is an amazing person with a huge heart - just an all around great guy. I am so glad he was chosen to do this.

My frozen "Tiger blood". Charlie Sheen would be so proud. I don't think they really called it that, but I did.

Part of our bus group of fifty seven! That is a lot of Tiger fans!

Evan's favorite part of the game was when they played Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" over the loudspeaker and the eyes of the tigers on the scoreboard lit up green.

His second favorite part was when the Tigers won the game in overtime with a home run and they started the fountain.

It was a magical night. I got my "Motor City" shirt in the mail and am ready to go back anytime and wear it! World Series anyone?

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks...

Tomorrow we are headed to Detroit to watch my uncle throw out the first pitch at the Tiger game. It is going to be a family adventure as a lot of my extended family has rented a bus to drive us there and back for the game. I have never been to a major league baseball game before or even in a major league ball park so I am pretty excited.

I realized the other day as pictures were streaming across my screen saver that I never posted any pictures of Evan or Hailey during their baseball seasons. Now is as good a time as any I figure, so here they are! I just found some of my favorites of each of them.

Evan in the outfield.

Trying to adjust the batting helmet.

I love how intent he looks in this shot and I also love how shooting through the fence gives it a sort of vignette.

Again in the outfield. He hated being in the outfield but he doesn't have the catching and throwing skills to spend much time in the action.

He enjoyed playing this year and I loved watching him. It was so different from when Spencer played. To be honest when his season started I was totally dreading it, but when your kid actually hits the ball and gets on base, the game can be pretty exciting!

Number six at bat! I love how in this shot he looks like he is looking over at the camera. Maybe he was, but most likely he was listening to a coach or someone.

Getting some coaching from Daddy at first base.

Ready to run to third!

Waiting on third with a little bit of style!

Their team had a great season. They ended the season being fifth out of sixth teams but in the playoffs came back and made it to the finals. They ultimately lost in the finals but not by a landslide. Evan was very excited about his big trophy.

Hailey played tee ball this year through community services. When the boys played tee ball the teams had fifteen or sixteen kids on them. She started off with seven and usually only had four show up for the games. I was disappointed. It doesn't seem like the program is very popular anymore. I don't know if she will want to play next summer or decide to do something else.

Catching the ball!

Throwing the ball.

Filling her glove with dirt.

Waiting for some grounders.

Hitting the ball. BT Dub - another lefty.

Hydrating on the bench out of a princess water bottle.

Accepting a trophy for a season well played.

And what could be better than a trophy? A trophy and a popsicle!

In the city

On Monday we spent the day in the city.

Not the big city, but a bigger city than our own. I had an ulterior motive to spend a little time downtown and we couldn't let the summer of 2011 end without our annual summer visit to the Meijer gardens.

I didn't take a lot of pictures. Not for lack of subject matter or anything. It is just that we have been there often enough that the pictures look like the same thing except the subject has on a different outfit and is maybe a little taller. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that I had a senior photo shoot later that night and I needed to have space on my memory card.

Or maybe it had a little to do with that.

This Doovy of ours is getting so grown up looking.

Baby girl splashing in the fountain. As I sat and watched her doing this I remembered back to what seems like yesterday but was in fact three years ago when we were at the gardens and she wouldn't stop crying. It turned out that one of her poor little toes was mashed in her shoe. Once we got her bare foot she was ecstatic to play in this fountain.

We went on a kids tram tour of the sculptures for the first time. It was fun for the kids and gave them a chance to interact with the art. Evan really got into it. He was answering questions and working out ideas. Some girl next to him kept hearing what he was saying then would scream it out and get the credit for the thought. She was really irritating me.

Evan and Justin Beaver. I'm here all week folks.

My three kids cannot get enough of this old fashioned water pump. I think we should install one in our yard. It would keep them constantly occupied.

Evan loves the cacti room. He wanted to pretend he was going to sit on it. Hailey almost really knocked him into it after I got this shot. Luckily quick foot shifting and disaster was averted.

My motive for being in downtown Grand Rapids was to take some picture to submit to the Grand Rapids Photo Project. It is a project (obviously) that two women are working on for Art Prize. Basically there are six venues in the city that you need to photograph while standing on these bright orange footprints. I had heard about a couple other families that walked around downtown with their kids looking for footprints like it was a treasure hunt and having a fabulous time.

My kids were into it only until the first set of footprints was discovered. At that point they were over it. They wanted to go back to the car. Their legs were tired. Their toes were hurting. But Trent and I were on a quest. A quest to see a moose. Vacation reference.

Second shot. Grand Rapids Art Museum. Kids sitting pretending they are eating dinner.

Evan wanted to be the one to find the footprints, but would drag along behind with his tired legs. Then he would be furious when someone else found them.

Don't they look so happy to be walking around the city on a beautiful day? I mean what would they be doing at home besides watching TV or playing games on the computer. Mean parents trying to give them a little exercise and culture.

Fifth shot. Calder sculpture. Almost done kids. One more to go!

Little sister decided she would emulate the homeless and take up residence in Calder Plaza.

A painted wall as we walked toward the final shot. Big cities are so awesome.

My three footprint hunters after they found the final. It was a long and whiny road back to our vehicle.

And when we got to our vehicle - look what we found! It took us a bit longer than we anticipated. I hope that when we go back for Art Prize the kids are a little more excited about walking around. Maybe if we get them out of school for the afternoon like we did last year. Even tired feet are better than sitting in class! In hindsight, we could have planned it out much better. We ended up back tracking a lot and could have streamlined our route. It was an adventure in the city - someday we will look back and have a good laugh.