New member

I am sure most of you may already know if your friends with us on social media! We have some very exciting news we have been keeping in that feels like FOREVER!!!! On our 5 year anniversary (OF DATING) we got the best news ever! We are expecting our first child in late October! Most of you know our mom's history, and I have always been nervous that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. I didn't have endometriosis, but had signs at a very young age. We had only been trying for 3 months before we got pregnant! Let me stop and just say.. GOD IS SO GOOD!! I was completely shocked when I took the first test! That felt like the longest day ever waiting for Jake to get back from the field! When I told him it took him a good 15 minutes to realize what I just said.. I had 4 tests to prove it, but he still made me take another one in front of him! haha boys..We live with 2 boys, so not the easiest to talk about right away. It took Jake weeks to finally get excited and now he is so excited!!

Our families of course are thrilled! We ended up telling them over facetime since they wouldn't be coming out for a while. I have been feeling okay! Week 4-8 was really hard, I caught two viruses, one trip to ER and then got some meds that has helped a lot! Now I am feeling great! We are due October 25ish. This is PERFECT timing with baseball!! Any of my baseball girls reading this is thinking OHH YEAAA!! The season ends in September, unless we go to the world series and if that happened I will be having the baby alone.. joking...sort of.. haha 4 girls on our team are pregnant right now too we are all weeks apart so that has been so much fun! I know 12 girls that are pregnant (something is in the water!!)

I can't wait to get home and turn our guest bedroom into a nursery! Some questions Ive been asked multiple times...

1. We will find out what we are having
2. we do have names picked out
3. my child will be very fashionable boy or girl every day.
4. Jake wants a boy, I just want a healthy baby.
5. I am reading two books, and have 3 apps
6. We will be home for the birth in Orlando
7. I plan on traveling next season with Jake
8. we still dont know where we are going for the season and will be leaving Thursday-Friday


I think thats it! :) We are so excited and thank God daily

March

I am glad to see March! That means one month closer to getting to Texas! It has been a very slowww time out here! I am getting antsy and ready to get to our next location. My family came out last week, so that really helped break the time up! Mom and dad were supposed to leave Monday, but extended their stay until Thursday (today.) Lynsay, Matt, and Kyler stopped by for a couple days before traveling to North Carolina. It was so nice having family in town, and made my week fly by!

 Jake is still in big league camp and has pitched a few times! He has done very well overall! We don't know where we will be going, or what will happen in the next few weeks. I try to plan on two cities and go from there. I have met lots of new girls, and really enjoy them! Other than that...nothing is really new with us! I will update when we know what team/city we will be with in April! :) My parents will fly back out at the beginning of April to help us get settled, opening series, and for my 25th birthday (wow that sounds weird!) The Brighams will be out 2 weeks later! Im so excited, and that will make April fly by having family in and out all month!

Fans

We made it.

Last week was an exhausting week for us! We were very busy packing up, cleaning, getting our car shipped filled with what we need for 7 months, and spending the last few days with our families.

Luckily we got a non stop and arrived in Phoenix around 9 pm, then had to take a shuttle to Surprise about 45 minutes away. We rented an all inclusive place and we are so glad we did! Arriving to a nice clean place was so nice! We are living with two other roommates because they can charge 5x the normal monthly amount with everyone coming in for spring training. Tufts arrived Saturday night, and Bleier will arrive sometime next week.

Jake and I both were exhausted over the weekend, I have been sleeping a ton from the transition and move across the country. Jake is going into the field for a few hours each day warming up, and throwing. Report date for the majors is February 12, the first games will start February 22. He is in big league camp again this year, which is exciting. We really enjoy spring training because the schedule is completely opposite than the regular season. Jake gets done really early everyday so we get to spend the rest of the day together. He is really excited for the season and coming into spring. His arm is feeling great! He is 100% healthy, and ready to pitch. He has thrown a handful of bullpens and all have gone really well. He has a new appreciation being back with the Rangers, and we are excited to see what God has in store for us this year.

Leaving our families back home was very hard! Jake is used to it every year, but that doesn't mean it's easy! Leaving our new home was really hard too! Jake wont be back until October, I'll come home off and on when I feel like it. My parents are flying out February 28. This is the first time my mom has been out for spring training! It will be fun for her to see what its like out here, and the games. Lynsay, Matt, & Kyler are meeting us over here when my parents get here too before they make their way to NC.

Thank you for all your prayers, and please continue to keep praying for us, Jake's arm, and career! We will keep you updated on how spring goes! We won't know where we are going until the end of March.

Spring training here we come

I hope everyone had a great christmas and new year! 2013..It's hard to believe! We had an amazing 2012..some downs but mainly ups! I cannot believe how fast our off season has flown! The time we have had with our families and in our new home is priceless! I get very emotional when I think we are leaving soon!

Jake got invited to a camp in Arlington next week! This will be a good opportunity to put a good taste back with the Rangers. I will not be going, I have way too much to do here! We are not bringing our trailer that means I have to pack up what I want for 7 months in our mid size suv.....this will be very interesting!! With the trade last year it was too hard on me to pack everything up and get back to the east coast. If Jake gets moved or traded he is gone within 12 hours so it makes it pretty hard on me. We are starting to pack, and prepare. Our car will have to be shipped out the week before in order to get there on time. We will be flying out February 1. We rented a house very close to the field with two other players. I cannot believe we are already about to leave! Jake was invited to big league camp which will start around the 12th of February. We will be in Arizona for two months, and will be assigned to where we are going the end of March. More than likely I would assume Round Rock, but don't know anything yet just have to see how Jake pitches!

We couldn't be happier to be back with the Rangers!

Texas

I just want to thank you all so much for the emails, texts, and phone calls over this past week. A little story that I believe is one of those God things...My Uncle and Aunt were out to dinner the night we got traded, and all of a sudden a guy walks in with a Cubs shirt on..Joe turns to Claire and says I just want to pray for Jake right now. He prayed that God will put Jake wherever he needs to be to get to the big leagues this year, and if it isn't with the Cubs that he would put Jake where he needs to be. That was 10 minutes before we got traded back to the Rangers. When my mom told me that story, we got the goosebumps!

I know God was watching out for us over this past week and a half. It was a very hard week for Jake and I. We go to a conference every year called PAO. It is a christian baseball conference that helps with marriage, finances, relationship, etc. We have set aside money all season long to be able to go. It is a time that Jake and I always grow in our marriage, and help out for the seasons to come. It was last week, and unfortunately we had to cancel the day before because the Rangers wanted Jake to fly out to have an MRI on Wednesday. Obviously going to Texas was more important, and something that needed to be done for the future and decisions. Jake MRI came back 100% strong, and very healthy!

We weren't sure what was going to happen last week. I was very emotional all weekend long, and couldn't have gotten through the weekend without my parents (both sets) really talked with me, and told me to give it to God, and for the first time I did that. Jake flew into Texas Wednesday late night, and our agent got a call we got taken off the 40-man. We felt at peace with this decision. On the major league roster are 25 guys but they extend that to 15 additional players that are either on disabled list (hurt), or in minors but chances are better of being called up, plus you make more money than minor league pay. Texas turned around and offered us a very good minor league contract. We could have declined and gone into rule 5 and get traded or hope to be put on a 40-man roster elsewhere, but we love Texas, we know the organization, friends, love the state etc!! We agreed to sign back with them with a few requests and got granted all of them.

Jake will still go to big league camp, and we will leave at the end of January for Arizona. We have a place booked with two other guys, and are working on renting out place out for spring training only to help with our bills. Thank you all for the support, and prayers! We are very happy with what happened, and looking forward to a new season!

wait..what?!

BASEBALL STRIKES AGAIN..I'm sure most of you know from social media, or articles..but we are BACK with the Rangers!!!

Yesterday was the last day for all the 40-man guys to get protected before the rule 5 draft in December. We honestly haven't thought anything about it, and Jake gets a phone call from the Cubs that we went back to Texas... Jake and I both were in complete shock..Shaking, confused, excited, scared not sure what to think at that exact moment..and pretty scared we may have gotten designated (taken off 40-man, back to making nothing) We started to call our parents, and the Brighams all decided to come over (funny Robin thought we were lying and we were about to tell them we were pregnant when she saw my dad's truck at the house..so for a good 3 minutes she is like yea right ya'll are pregnant..... haha!)

This is unusual..We are still pretty shocked, we just sent a $1,000 check in for our place in Mesa, AZ which now we gotta get that back and start from scratch with searching for a new place in Surprise (can you believe we are late in the game??) We already have guys lined up to live with, huge positive going back to all our friends!

We thought that God closed that door for us, however it is back open and we are excited to see what is in store for us in 2013 season! We can wait to see all of our friends, and being with an amazing organization again!

Go Rangers!

Home Sweet Home

Hi Everyone!!!

A lot has happened since Jake got home! In the last month we have enjoyed being back with our families, went to the Bahamas to visit Justin and Debbie (we had a blast!!) and became Homeowners!!

We had a very rocky time with our mortgage because of our contract being year to year, and we learned A LOT...but in the end it all worked out and we closed on October 31!! We had our trailers packed and ready to go on Wednesday! That Monday my mom came down with a stomach bug and started throwing up, then Jake an hour later, then my dad the next day!! It was a terrible start to our week and so much to do! Thankfully I did not get sick, if a booger touches me I get sick (my vitamins must be working-thanks mom!) Everyone started to feel okay for our move on wednesday and we appreciate all the help we got all weekend long to make our home perfect!! We are so thankful

Here are some pictures of our place!! We don't mean maybe when we move in (you would think by my 13th move I got it down now!) We have been in for a week now, and are so happy!! We feel so blessed to finally have a home!

Before

My draped I sewed! I am very happy with them, and the chairs I redid below!

After

Before

after

after

CHAIR & SIGN I MADE

Front Before

After

Half bath Before

Half bath After

We (I) wanted to have an area with Jake's baseball stuff, so we thought the den would be the perfect spot! 

Den before

Den After

Guest bathroom

I am obsessed with this wallpaper!!

after

Guest room (as of right now junk room!) 

And NOW MY FAVORITE ROOM OF ALL!!! MY CLOSET!! We were going to rent out our place, but we decided not to that way I would have somewhere to come home during the season. This also will be nice because we don't have to pack up and this below!!!

BEFORE

AFTER!

Jake is such a good husband to let me do this!! The ottoman and chair I made came in handy too! :) I will be finishing up this room tomorrow!

Master before

master after

Before

After

gallery wall

We still have some work to do as you can see in some of the rooms, and artwork up but we are pretty much moved in!! We love it!!