Tigers Opening Day!

As most of you know I am a huge Detroit Tiger fan. I’ve been counting down the days until the 2008 baseball season begins and I believe when I added the counter to my page it began at 168 days. I can now say only two more days to that first pitch! I have very high hopes for this season. I think hands down we have the most powerful lineup in baseball but our pitching could give us a little trouble. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dombrowski doesn’t pull an 11th hour deal for a relief pitcher this weekend. Our starters look pretty solid. I am worried about the spring training season that Dontrelle Willis is coming off of. It was a gamble to go after him this off season because of his past injuries but Dombrowski felt confident that the D-Train would bounce back as a Tiger this season. Let’s hope that’s the case. Our starting rotation looks like this: Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis. For the Tiger’s to win their division this year Bonderman and Robertson have to have great seasons. They both have enjoyed a great spring training season this year, let’s hope it continues into regular season play. Our starting lineup this opening day is going to be missing one of our best players: Curtis Granderson. Grandy fractured his finger during this spring and was put on the 15 day disable list. Hopefully he will be back in the middle of April. Here’s the projected starting lineup for opening day. Jim Leyland did say he would have Rodriguez hitting in the number 1 spot from time to time but as far as I can tell he is going with this line-up for opening day:



1. SS Edgar Renteria

2. 2B Placido Polanco

3. DH Gary Sheffield

4. RF Magglio Ordonez

5. 3B Miguel Cabrera

6. 1B Carlos Guillen

7. C Ivan Rodriguez

8. LF Jacque Jones

9. CF Brandon Inge



First pitch will be thrown out by Miss America, Kirsten Haglund, who hails from Farmington Hills, Michigan. Thank goodness the Tigers did not ask Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to do the duties! For all of you who are not familiar with the scandal that has hit our city of Detroit, the Mayor has been arrested and charged with 8 felonies.

The game starts @ 1:00pm so the kids will still be in school. I'll tape it for them and they can watch it as soon as they get home. I'm making a "ballpark" dinner tomorrow to watch with the game. We will be eating: hot dogs, french fries, nachos, popcorn, and roasted peanuts! Here's to a championship season! Go Tigers!!

He's Alive!

Happy Easter! Today we remember that Jesus loved us enough to make the most ultimate sacrifice. He died for our sins so we can live for eternity with Him. There is no greater gift than that! I know for many people (me included) Easter is a day of hiding Easter eggs, Easter baskets filled with candy, and a celebration with a big family dinner but we must not forget what the miracle of that empty tomb on that one Sunday morning meant for us. The resurrection of Jesus enables us to be victorious in our Christian walk. Below is an awesome video that I hope you will take time to watch. The song in this video is sung by Brad Paisley and Sara Evans. Listen to the words of this song, it is amazing!

May God bless you with His love and grace this Easter Sunday!

To My Husband.....

To My Husband....

Words can not express the love that we share. You are my best friend and soul mate. I thank God everyday for bringing you into my life. You are that one person I can always depend on. When things go wrong, you make them right. I can tell you anything and know that I will not be criticized or judged, you accept me for who I am. Your protectiveness always makes me feel so safe and secure. Your sense of humor makes me laugh. I cherish the fact you love me unconditionally and you let me know that the bond of love we have could never be broken. I thank you for the three beautiful children our love has created and the father that you are to them. You have set an example to our daughters of what they should look for in a future husband and an example to our son of what kind of man he should strive to be when he grows up.

You've made my dreams come true! Happy Valentine's Day Walt, I love you with all my heart!

Fasting and Feasting Prayer

Fast from judging others....

Feast on finding Christ in them.

Fast from harsh or mean words...

Feast on words that encourage and support others.

Fast from anger....

Feast on patience.

Fast from worry....

Feast on God's love and care.

Fast from complaining....

Feast on appreciation.

Fast from bitterness, resentment or jealousy....

Feast on forgiveness and acceptance.

Fast from self-centeredness....

Feast on compassion for others.

Fast from discouragement....

Feast on hope.

1. What is your "signature" dish?

I don't think I actually have one. I get compliments on my spaghetti sauce and I have a taco dip that is really popular.

2. What is your favorite spice?

Garlic and cajun spices

3. How many nights a week do you cook?

Usually 5 nights. Friday we usually eat left-overs and Saturday we get pizza or go out to a restaurant.

4. What is the most difficult recipe you have ever made?

Pad Thai

5. How often do you fry food?

Not very often. When I do fry it's for breakfast. I make bacon, hash browns, eggs, and sausage...it's one big fry fest on Saturday mornings..LOL.

6. Is your kitchen well organized?

Not as good as I wish it was. I really need to go through and get rid of stuff I never use. We are planning on adding a wall pantry this summer, I'm hoping that will help.

7. What is your favorite kitchen tool or gadget?

I use my Pamper Chef chopper more than anything else. I also love my skillet that can also be put in the oven.

8. What is dinner time like at your house?

It's great now that the kids are not currently in sports and Walt is home. We used to eat in "shifts" but now we have a very normal dinner. I usually start cooking dinner @ 4:00 and we are eating by 5:30. We turn the TV off and we talk about our day.

9. Do you have an old family recipe that has been handed down over the years?

Banana Pudding, Macaroni Salad, and my late mother in-law's Wimpy recipe.

10. On a scale from 1 - 10 (1 being awful and 10 being excellent) how would you rate your cooking skills?

I love cooking but I would only give myself a 6 or 7. I think I am too safe of a cook. I make dishes that I know I make well and stay away from ones that intimidate me. I need to change that:-)

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. My family will attend Mass this evening to receive ashes on our foreheads. I've been asked a few times why do some Christians do this symbolic act of distribution of ashes? The best explanation I found is from CatholicOnline.com:

Why we receive the ashes following the example of the Nine vites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth. We remember this when we are told "Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."

Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins -- just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days' penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.

Lent gives us an opportunity to draw closer to God. Our Lord calls out to us, "Come back to me, with all of your heart". How will you answer Him? I've chosen to embrace a closer and more personal relationship with our Lord. For myself I want this Lent to be a time of disciplined self-examination and a reflection of what my faith means to me. If you thought about taking stock in where you stand with your relationship with God, you might find these questions helpful:

Am I sharing gladly what I have with others, especially the stranger and the poor?

Do I have a gracious and patient attitude with others, especially those who irritate me?

Do I feel the power of connection to God and the church in corporate worship?

How is my devotional and prayer life progressing?

Am I listening to God more and complaining less?

Is it time for a change or a growth in my Bible study and prayer life?

What are the lurking sin problems, which still plague me?

Am I as thoughtful and forgiving of family as others, or do I take my frustrations out on them?

Do I speak up for the maligned and oppressed, or do I remain silent in order to remain popular?

May God's peace and grace be with you and your family during this Lenten season!

Our Super Bowl Party

We had our first annual Super Bowl party this year and I don't think we could have picked a better game to start this tradition. All season I have been rooting for the New York Giants. I know the Patriots have had a magical season but my heart has been with the Giants. I think Eli Manning is not only a great quarterback but just a great guy off the field as well. He is the biggest reason I was rooting for the Giants. And let me tell you, I was in the minority at the party. Out of 25 people there was only 6 of us Giants fan. The biggest reason every one wanted to see the Patriots win was to watch history in the making. A team has not gone undefeated since the Miami Dolphins in 1972.

My dad was feeling well enough to come to the party which just made the evening even better. I did take a lot of heat from him because I was rooting for the Giants. There for a minute (and only a minute..LOL) it looked like the Giants were going to lose and boy did my dad take the opportunity to put his little digs in...LOL! All I could tell him was that it wasn't over and 2 minutes in a football game is a long time. Sure enough Eli and the Giants didn't give up and you should have seen my dad's face when Manning was able to break away from about four Patriots trying to bring him down. I was jumping up and down and screaming at this miracle pass that Manning was able to throw and my dad had to concede that it was one of the best moments in Super Bowl history.

It was a fun day. My team won, the food was good, the company even better...here's to next year's party!!

My Dad Is Home!

I am so happy to say that my dad is now home and resting in his own bed! We don't have any clear answers as to why he has internal bleeding but the doctors are assuming that it is his medication (Coumadin, Plavix and aspirin). Each one of these drugs can cause bleeding but when you are taking all three at high dosages you run an even greater chance of this happening. They have taken him off Plavix but are continuing with the other two. He had 4 blood transfusions and his last hemoglobin level came back normal. His blood pressure is also in the normal range. My dad takes 15 different medications so I guess we are lucky that this was the first time he has experienced a bad side effect from one or more of them.

I've had so many friends and family tell me that they are praying for my dad. I can't thank you enough! What a blessing you all have been to my dad and to our entire family.

May God bless you!

Prayers Needed

My dad is in need of prayers. He was taken to the hospital after we thought he was having a possible stroke. I spent yesterday afternoon with him and he was complaining that he was not feeling well. He asked me to help him shop for a new car so we went to the dealership and afterwards he told me he felt really weak and he was having problems with his vision. By the time we got back to my house he said he was feeling much better but he wanted to go home and take a nap. My sister called me a few hours later and said she was worried about dad because his speech was slurred and he was a little disorientated. We decided to take him to the hospital, and it was a good thing he went. He wasn't having a stroke like we first had thought but his blood pressure was so low: 79 over 48. Also his blood count was extremely low. The hospital was packed and there were no beds available in the hospital so he is staying in the emergency ward. They are giving him two blood transfusions over an eight hour period. He has been through so much in the past. He has battled so many health problems and has always fought back. He is a survivor of bladder cancer, he has had a heart attack, congestive heart failure, diabetes and a blood clot. I think the power of prayer has been the reason my dad is still with us today. Please say a prayer that he will be able to get through this latest health scare. Thanks so much. Your friendship and your prayers mean so much to me.

Our Weekend

What a great weekend Walt and I had! We pulled into the RV resort at 6:00pm and were surprised at how many more trailers were there compared to the last time we were there. We turned the heat on in the camper and went out to dinner while the camper got warm. Dinner was great and we ended up staying afterwards for a couple of beers.

The trailer was nice and warm by the time we got back. We played cards and I'm happy to say I retained my title as the rummy champion!! Walt had me laughing all weekend. Not too many people know just how funny he is. He has this dry sense of humor that most people don't get to see. Later we joined our friends (who also have a campground site) around their campfire.

Saturday morning we got up early and went out for breakfast and took a long drive around the "thumb" area of Michigan. The wildlife in northern Michigan is beautiful. During our drive we saw beautiful horses, deer, and a gorgeous snowy owl. By the end of our drive we ended up at the casino where we won $200! That hardly ever happens so you can imagine how happy we were! On the way back to our trailer from the casino, a deer ran out in front of our Jeep. Thank goodness Walt was able to stop and we didn't hit him.

It's back to the real world now. We're home and I have a ton of laundry that I am working on, school lunches to be made for tomorrow, homework that needs to be checked, permission slips that need signing, and the kids are asking, "what's for dinner"?...ahhh..let the craziness begin!

Below are pictures from the drive we took. The first is of an old farmhouse that I thought was really pretty. The second picture is of a group of lazy cows that were along the roadside and the last picture is of the wonderful casino that gave us $200...LOL!

Detroit Tiger Caravan

Even though the temperature in our truck showed 37 degrees and the calender would want us to believe that we are in the middle of winter, in my mind we were ushering America's favorite summer pastime...baseball! Even though the season doesn't officially start until March 31, today was the beginning, a kickoff if you will, to the Detroit Tiger 2008 season. The Tiger caravan rolled into the the Breslin Center at Michigan State University. Today was a day of opportunities - a day for the Tiger's to showcase their talented players, and on a personal note, a day for online friends to meet in person. That was the case for Bill, Pat and myself. This was the first time I have ever met an "online friend" in person. Bill and Pat were so easy to talk to and it truly felt like we had known each other for years. It was such a joy to meet this wonderful couple in person. I'm looking so forward to seeing them again this summer when we go to a Tiger game. Here are some pictures from today!

This is us standing outside the Breslin Center (freezing). We stood out there for an hour before the doors opened...brrr.

Look at this cute couple!! (still freezing..LOL)

The caravan is pulling in! Little did we know that Magglio Ordonez, who was supposed to be on this bus, did not make it to MSU.

This is a picture of Bill's reaction when he was told Maggilio was not on the bus....LOL...gottcha Bill!

Lindsay and Lauren with Carlos Guillen

Lindsay and Matthew with Tiger's mascot Paws

Vance Wilson is my daughter's favorite player. When she told him that he was her favorite he gave her a big hug and then asked her, "Do you really know who I am?" She said said, "you are the catcher!!" He then took off his American League Championship ring and told her she could try it on! Here's a picture of her wearing his ring!!

Lindsay and Alex with Vance Wilson

Rick Porcello (highest paid high school draft pick in history) Alex, Lindsay and Jordan Tata

Lauren and MSU mascot Sparty

Lindsay and Sparty

Matthew and Sparty

Breslin Center - MSU

It was a great day spent with wonderful friends, thanks Bill and Pat! Here's to a Championship season!! Go Tigers!!

The George Foreman Grill Scores a Knockout With Me!

If someone would have told me 35 years ago that the fighter/boxer that I used to watch with my Dad was going to make a cooking gadget that I would fall in love with I would have probably thought they were crazy. This wasn't love at first sight. I had owned the original George Foreman grill years ago and wasn't impressed with it at all. 13 years later and with many improvements I am singing the praises of the George Foreman Grill. I love the removable and dishwasher safe grill plates, the large grilling area, and being able to set the temperature (I don't remember the original GFG being able to do that). I cooked three large chicken breasts last night and I was amazed how tender and juicy they turned out. What amazes me is the empire George Foreman has built on this cooking machine. He has 14 different grilling products with prices ranging from: $20 - $150. I have my eye on the Grill and Griddle/side-by-side: http://igrillwithgeorge.com/GF64G.html. This would be perfect for our big Saturday breakfast.

Healthy Changes For 2008

The arrival of 2008 has me wanting to take some healthy changes in my life. I hesitate to call these changes "new year resolutions" because as soon as I do I set myself up for failure. I honestly can not recall ever keeping a new year resolution for more than a couple of months. It's not as though I haven't been successful in making necessary changes in my life, but I as soon as I call them "new year resolutions" I'm certain to fail. With that being said, here is a list of goals/changes that I have set for myself in 2008:

I want to get more involved with my church. This is probably the most important change I will make to in 2008. I don't feel like I am giving enough of myself to this part of my life. We recently changed parishes and I see such a wonderful opportunity to get involved, not only to volunteer my time, but also many oppurtunities to embrace my Catholic faith. I've taken the first step by signing up for weekly scripture study on Tuesday nights. This session will be an examination of St. Paul's letter to the Romans. I'm really excited about doing this.

I want to be in a size 6 by June. I started a weight loss program in August and I had loss 30 pounds. The holidays came around and I'm sad to say I gained 4 pounds. What's different this time around is the fact that I stepped on the scale and did not let this set back become a huge downfall. I went to Curves this morning and worked my butt off. I think if I lose about 8-10 pounds I will be in a size 6 comfortably.

I have stopped drinking Diet Pepsi and have increased my water intake. Every nutrition expert I've listen to has said to eliminate carbonated soft drinks from your diet. Also, I've heard success stories of people who have lost a lot of weight and 9 out of 10 times they will say they no longer drink Pepsi/Coke products. I am done ignoring this information.
I will exercise 5 times a week. I have never felt better than I do when I am exercising on a regular basis. Not only physically but my mood is lifted when I am following a regular exercise routine.

I want to get organized! This is a big one for me. To be honest with you, I'm really not the problem as much as Walt is. He can not part with nothing. He always thinks we will some day use that 8-track cassette player (ok, he's not that bad but pretty darn close..LOL). I want to do a complete overhaul to our garage, storage room in the basement, and filing cabinets in our office. My closets need a good cleaning out also.

Well there you have the changes/goals I have set for myself for 2008. I love the feeling of determination and hope the new year always brings me. I what to take these feelings and put them to good use. How about you? Do you have any (dare I say) resolutions for 2008?

Happy New Year!

Michigan welcomed 2008 with a winter storm. The national weather service had issued a winter storm warning for our area late yesterday afternoon. Because of the warnings my parents decided to stay home this New Year's eve. Our little celebration with the kids and my sister and brother in-law was fun but we sure did miss having dad and mom with us. I honestly can't remember ever not ushering the new year in without my mom and dad. At two minutes to midnight we got on the phone with my parents and we did the countdown together as we watch the ball drop on tv.

Today we will have a relaxing day of watching football (Michigan vs. Florida), playing board games and watching movies. I love days like today. Happy New Year!

A New Year Prayer

Holy Father,

God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows.
We praise You for Your unequaled greatness.

Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead.

Help us in Your new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more.
To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them.
To teach others to love by loving them.

Knowing, when Love came to the stable in Bethlehem, He came for us.
So that Love could be with us, and we could know You.
That we could share Love with others.

Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise,
in the chriping of sparrows in our backyards,
in the stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children.

Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs,
so that we may know You better and better.
We rejoice in the world You loved into being.

Thank You for another new year and for new chances every day.
We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others.
Forgive us for falling short this past year.
We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown new year knowing You will go with us.

We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what's ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want..
I say it again, we rejoice!

In Jesus name,
Amen.