FANFEST

This past Saturday, Dave, Alex, and I went to the 2012 Mariner’s Fanfest! This is a fun event at Safeco Field where hundreds of baseball fans come to meet the players, walk around the field, hit some balls, and enjoy some cold beers at the stadium. It is essentially a big event to get people excited about the upcoming season; based upon Dave and Alex’s behavior, I think the event was pretty successful!

One of the first things we did at the event was test out our arms at the speed pitch. While waiting in line, the boys made a bet. Whoever threw the fastest would enjoy a beer on the other’s dime.

Alex threw at 74 MPH; we then went to the beer garden where Alex enjoyed his prize beer. Dave came in a close second. Despite both of them having shoulder surgeries, they still throw faster than me…

While Alex enjoyed his beer, we listened to the “Boeing Dugout Dialogue.”  It was pretty cool listening about the history of the Mariners and famous baseball moments from the GM himself!

pure joy

We also participated in the 710 ESPN Seattle Home Run Challenge. While Dave and Alex swung for the fences, I just tried not to look too clueless while hitting off the T. We got to go onto the field and attempt to hit the ball over the centerfield wall. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the guys get excited about being in the field and aiming for the homerun; they basically reverted back to teenagers.

 WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO BEGIN!

SIDENOTE – Emily and Kyle visited!!

I got to spend a long weekend with Kyle and Emily, it was amazing! Luckily they came to Seattle on a Thursday night; we spent Friday walking around the market and enjoying the sun! On Saturday, we woke up to SNOW. The majority of the weekend consisted of playing cards, drinking champagne, and watching movies. Being snowed in is always fun when you have great company!

*Thanks for my parents for hosting me, Alex, Emily, and Kyle for two days!!

Christmas 2011

This was a wonderful holiday season; I am very blessed to have so many loving people in my life. Although enjoyable, this season was extremely busy! For Christmas Eve, Alex and I went to church with the Crawketts. I hadn’t seen the Nativity Scene in a very long time; it was so fun seeing the kids dress up and sing.

The Crawketts

Heading to Church

We spent Christmas with my family. We cooked apple crisps and watched James Bond during the day with my wonderful parents, clearly a very traditional day. Around 5, after Bobby, Amy, Lee, and Beth joined us, we had a blind tasting of four nice bottles of whiskey. We tried Four Roses, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Booker’s, and Blanton’s; Jack Daniel’s and Four Roses were my favorites. Jack was actually the most popular overall, thanks to Alex for bringing it!

Bobby and Amy

Mom and Dad on Christmas 2012

Olicer's 3d Christmas

The morning after Christmas, Alex and I headed into Seattle and hopped onto a ferry. This was my first time taking this ferry! We headed over to Port Townsend to spend three days with the Crawketts; I was so happy to spend the time with Alex, Deb, Phil, Lauren, Dan, Tim, Mike, Sam, Whitney, and Hannah!  

This was my first time in Port Townsend, so Alex and I spent the day exploring the town before heading to the fort. We enjoyed lunch at the Silverwater Café; they serve a delightful Bloody Mary! After window shopping and enjoying the antique stores, we headed to the Port Townsend Brewery and met up with Tim and Lauren. Although I don’t drink beer, I did try a few which were on tap. The beer was great! As souvenirs, we bought a few fun glasses which serve as perfect whiskey tumblers.

Once we got to Fort Warden, I immediately understood why coming here became a tradition for the Crawketts. The historic buildings and houses sit on the 19^th century fort, right next to the ocean. While staying at the fort, we threw around the football, ate delicious meals, drank a significant amount of wine, played games, hiked, and enjoyed each other’s company.  The games were probably my favorite part of the trip, luckily everyone was equally as competitive as I am (believe it or not)! I also really enjoyed the hike. For over three hours, we explored the fort and learned about the history. For those you may know what I’m talking about, I survived the Pit of Despair!  

Album Cover

Lauren and I are the same height...

The Newbies

NOTE: For all those Twilight fans, Port Townsend is located not too far from where the movies were filmed. It is as beautiful and lush as it appears in the movies!