The off season flew by for us this year since we only had 4 months at home. This was the shortest time we have been home. We tried our best to unplug, and soak up our time at home. If you aren’t in this lifestyle you will never understand the smalls things, or just being home…then you add kids, and their schedules it makes it even crazier of a time. We cherished the memories we made, and ready for the next chapter that we get to do again pursuing Jake’s dream of playing. We will miss our family and friends a lot, and so grateful for our community around us who makes the off season amazing.
Our sweet son, Cope turned 1 a few days before we left, and loved getting to celebrate him with our closest family and friends. I didn’t plan his first birthday for 6 months like I did with Stella haha (second child problems.)
We packed up Jake for 10 months, and tried our best to bring one suitcase per person for the month in Arizona. The day before we flew out I was feeling sick, and went to urgent care and had a mild case of the flu… OF COURSE… we didn’t know what to do since I had no one to fly out with me, and the kids so I sucked it up and went. It was by far the worst flight ever, and I already hate flying. The pressure I experienced in my ears, and head I thought my face caved in it was hurting so bad. I don’t recommend flying sick, but I survived and glad to be here with Jake. I had to laugh since the team flies us business, and we went with the cheapest (they don’t pay for us coming to AZ) so we flew Southwest. Stella was asking when they would pass out the blankets, and pillows and when she could put her jammies on to turn her seat into the bed.. We laughed so hard, and is really funny since really her only flights have been international, and business. Its time to get her back to reality of flying coach!! We got to the hotel around 11:30 pm and completely exhausted! I really am concerned about our flight over Cope is such a good baby, but is very active now, and doesn’t want to sit…. He doesn't want to sleep on anyone either so was exhausted, and that was only a 5 hour flight compared to 14… I’m trying not to think about it! Day 1 Stella wakes up sick, and high fever icky feeling. I felt so bad for her, and thankfully only lasted about 2 days. Nothing worse than being sick in a hotel room with two kids hoping the other one does not catch it.
We are in Surprise, Arizona for about 18 days, then we move to Tucson for 2 weeks. The kids and I will fly home beginning of March, and Jake will fly over to Korea with the team. They have about a dozen teams in the KBO league (Korean Baseball Organization) and only 3 are in the USA for spring training. The rest are Taiwan, Australia, Japan..We are very very fortunate to have it in Az, and not only here, but a city where we played for 8 years with the Rangers. The team rents out the Ranger facility. Another side note this is where Jake first emailed me while rehabbing, and started dating 10 years ago in a few weeks. We think its so crazy we are here celebrating our 10 year anniversary! Never in a million years would we think we would be back in good ole Surprise where we spent so much time the first year of our relationship, and where we found out pregnant with Stella. It has been fun showing the kids all the places we have lived. It also is cool they have in the complex a wall of all the guys who played in extended (the lowest level, before you actually got assigned to a team) who made it to the big leagues who were drafted with the Rangers! Jake is on it! It might not seem like a big deal to most, but it really is to us. There was only about 30 guys if that on the wall in the history of the Rangers making it from that low of a level, and Jake was one of them! Proud moment for sure, and special getting to explain to Stella.
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| 2010 Spring training |
A few great questions I keep getting… We are on the same team as last year so Jake knows everyone here! The team flies over everyone! They arrived last Tuesday, and I want to say about 60 people or so! We are between two hotels, and it includes the entire team, coaches, media relations, video guys, front office etc.. Then they have all the media and reporters from Korea. I think its interesting the guys feel the way we feel in Korea… unknown, trapped, but at least they all have each other to talk to. We try taking them to Walmart, giving rides when we can to help out. They do scrimmage each other, and local teams. I don't think Jake will pitch in a real game until they get back to SK in march for pre season.
This time has been a healthy adjustment for my kids and I. I almost feel like I'm detoxing from my life focusing on the small things and slowing down.. We are living in a hotel room for starters which comes with so many challenges, then my kids have 3-5 toys mainly stuffed animals… We go, and sit in an open grass area to play. We are really just focusing on our family with no distractions! Jake is loving having us out here, and the quality time he is getting.. he is so happy and see a difference in him. In Orlando we are so busy.. we don't stop ever.. out here I have no choice, so the first few days were really challenging Stella asking non stop “where are we going, what are we doing today” It’s been good to slow it down, and its amazing how little the kids really need I want to go throw away half my house living with minimal items! I want to make the most of our time here since Jake and I will be apart for a very long time.
As of right now we wont go until May to Korea. If anyone knows this lifestyle you know the older your kids get, the harder it gets. We cannot put Stella in school over there. We found one international school, and the waiting list was 500 plus if not mistaken like $20k for the school year, and we want to travel with Jake — no thanks for a 4 year old! We have looked into other options, and decided to hold her back another year for kindergarten. We think its better for her to be with her dad than sitting in a school room plus we don't know how much longer Jake will have playing, so we want to soak up the time together!
When we first got here they had us in a studio apartment, and it was small!! We made the most of it, but the kids slept terrible as well as us. We were bursting at the seams with all of our stuff. The hotel is sold out at all times, and the lady who worked the front desk was amazing trying to find something for us and she did for about 10 days. She called me yesterday and said its moving day! You have never seen a determined mom pack up a months worth of stuff so fast with a screaming baby, and toddler. I got everything moved over in about an hour and half while Jake was at the field. We do have to move AGAIN in this hotel for about 3 days, but last night we all slept so good and grateful for the space since i’m here all day every day.
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