The Future of Yellow Cheese Softball

Seven season ago, a group of rag-tag misfits from the University of Minnesota got together and formed a softball team.  It was about the love of the game, small ball, and fun.  In true inside-joke fashion, the team was coined "Yellow Cheese."  Our opponents are consistently perplexed by the name and that fact that our jersey's are never yellow, which only adds to our mistique and ability to intimidate.

Here's a picture from the early days.  Courtesy of team captain Missy Benson (then Luk), the first team was named "Omalicia"--a blend of Alicia and Omarosa from the tv show "The Apprentice."  (Thankfully, the name didn't stick and I don't have three t-shirts that say Omarosa in my closet.)

This was before the days of matching uniforms (and good cameras), but the seeds of something beautiful were being planted.

Circa 2004.  Still no uniforms.  After we made an early exit from the playoffs.  (Too many smiles in my opinion.)

After a couple of years at the University of Minnesota, it was time to move from A to AA ball.  We played in North St. Paul against some pretty good competition and came into our own as a team.

This is a picture after Yellow Cheese won it's first ever championship.  Unfortunately, there were no playoffs so we did not have the thrill of an elimination championship game.  We wore our championship t-shirts proudly. 

After winning it all in North St. Paul it was time to move to AAA ball in Roseville, and we got uniforms too.

This is a picture after winning our first championship in Roseville.  The trophy has been displayed proudly in our entryway, of all places, since we brought it home many years ago.

Yellow Cheese with our favorite (now-retired) umpire. 

  After 7 seasons, and all of this history, the next generation of Yellow Cheese has arrived.

Future slugger and first baseman Josie Kopp.  (It's not clear how the orange tutu became part of the uniform.)  Hopefully, she'll be a lefty like her Dad.

Future center fielder Elijah Benson has already grown out of his uniform (this picture is many months old).  He's going to hit the long ball like his Mom (and hopefully all that weight isn't going to keep him from running like his speedy father).  I think he's modeling his game after Kirby.

Future shortstop/outfielder Anika Freeman with her proud coaches.  Anika is already basing her swing on Joe Mauer's and modeling her fielding skills off of Ozzie Smith's.

Future left fielder and run-producing extraordinaire Evangeline (what's-my-Dad-going-to-do-if-I-end-up-a-Cubs-fan) Wilsford.

While the rest of junior Yellow Cheese is training hard in Minneapolis, future big bopper Callan Johnson is galavanting around Arizona, worrying about his hair and driving fast cars.

Future smoke-throwing pitcher Claire Tainter and future slugger and player-coach Austin Tainter round out the future Yellow Cheesers.

Yellow Cheese started off the season Friday night with a convincing 13-7 win.  No team picture due to the weather.  Next week!

Spring Retreat, Lawn Maintenance, and Eva Time

A lot has happened in the life of a three-month old since I last wrote: Anika went to her first Hope Community Church Spring Retreat; she learned about gardening and lawn maintenance from Grandma Kim; and she got in some good play time with her best friend, Eva.

Every year, the better portion of our church heads out of town for our annual Spring Retreat.  We learn about God (this year's theme was "Story"), study the Bible, take in gospel community on steroids, and play lots of games.  Our first year with a baby made things quite different (lots of long naps and earlier bed times), but we still had a great time.  Spring Retreat is hands down one of my favorite weekends of the year.

Anika looking flabbergasted by all of the people at Spring Retreat 2012!

Our good friend Tiffany soaking up time with her favorite Hope baby girl (who is not named Kaia or Elsa).

Anika with our new friend Tom, who we loved getting to know better in our awesome Spring Retreat small group.

Anika and I got to catch up on some lost time and had lots of QT over the weekend.

But after a long weekend away, it was time to get back to business at home.  Part of this involved taking care of the monstrosity that has become our backyard.  I'm not one for yard work (hence the monster of a yard three years in the making), but the beautiful and high-maintenance plants and bushes that the previous sellers so kindly bestowed upon us in an effort to sell had grown to disastrous proportions.

There was only one solution.

Grandma Kim and her chainsaw!

Baby-sitting, chainsaw-wielding Grandma Kim admiring her beautiful work.  The large, unsightly dogwood bushes were reduced to a pile of smoldering wreckage in minutes.

Anika watched her Grandma from the deck deep in thought, pondering whether she's been blessed with genes that will allow her to make scrumptious meals and deftly handle power tools.

Luckily, Eva came over to interrupt Anika's deep thinking about her future.

Anika and Eva enjoying the outdoors and learning chainsaw skills by osmosis.

The dynamic duo enjoying Eva's play mat (and Anika wondering where Ms. Owl has gone to).

Stay tuned.  Next up is Anika's first trip to a Yellow Cheese softball game.  She can hardly sleep, thinking about Yellow Cheese making another championship run this summer! 

Saturday Morning with Dad Take Two

Mom is out helping friends buy a house, which meant Anika was all mine this morning.  We started early, by reminiscing in bed about our fun night last night.

We made sure to whisper so we didn't wake up Mom

I told Anika about Target Field Plaza and all of the cool hall of fame statues she missed because she was trying to store up energy for the game.

We talked about her first look at the field (breathtaking) and first stroll around the concourse (very stimulating for a three-month old).

We talked about how fun it was for Anika to be snuggled up to Mom all night.  The Moby wrap worked wonders (and if anything she got warm).

In the end, Anika was sad the Twins lost and bummed not to have made it up on the big screen, but optimistic that once she doesn't have to be snuggled up to Mom all night, she'll get circled by Bert for sure.

Next it was off to the changing table for a diaper change, ritual neck cleaning, and new set of clothes (Anika insisted on wearing her Twins shirt to sleep last night).  The early morning is a great time for Anika.  She's very happy, usually very smiley, and full of energy.

Inspired by Joe Mauer's swing, Anika wanted to know what she could do to train for softball season.  I told her core muscles were pretty important, and we settled on some early morning leg lifts.  She's surprisingly good at this.

Before getting dressed, it was neck cleaning time.  As you can tell by the way she clamps her chin down to her chest, this is now a multiple-day event that Anika loathes.  But it's essential to keeping milk from growing in her neck folds (yes, it really does and it is disgusting).

Next, it's time to put clothes on, and I pick out what I think are some pretty snazzy pants--and they even fit.  Anika is happy with my unique selection.  But then I remember that just because I put my pants on first in the morning doesn't mean that works for Anika (onesies go underneath pants).

We start over, I learn my lesson about the timing of the onesie, and I decide I have nothing that fits that matches the snazzy pants anyway.

Next we accessorize, which is the most important part of the dress routine--make sure Anika looks like a girl.  Anika rejects the big gaudy flowers that Mom likes and picks the smallest and simplest pink bow (minimalism is her theme).  I think she's been reading Proverbs 31.

By 9 a.m., we have had our first of three morning spit-ups (hence the ritual neck cleaning).  At least the pattern on her shirt is sort of artsy.  The blob pattern Anika left on the floor . . . not so much.

Finally, after a lot of work, we settle in for some morning brain growing--reading Dr. Seuss's A B C's.  (Sadly, this picture is further confirmation that Anika may have my hair genes.)

In the Cool of the Day

Genesis says that in the beginning, before the fall, God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day.  What a great picture of God's relationship with his people!  Easter is about God making a way to restore us to that perfect relationship with him.  We are blessed to get small tastes of what that restoration will be like in this life--in delicious food, in the beauty of God's creation, and in the joy of loving relationships.  All of these good things point to God--the ultimate thing.  Anika, Alicia, and I got a wonderful helping of these great tastes of restoration on Anika's first Easter.

Anika's Easter dress was a dress that Alicia wore when she was Anika's age, and it still looks good (does this mean that 80's baby fashion is coming back around?)

Anika was excited for her first Easter (and excited about how thrifty she is--keep it up babe!)

Our day out started with a trip to French Meadow Bakery for breakfast; Anika is becoming quite the breakfast connoisseur (her favorite is still OPH, and she still thinks it's unfair that all she gets to eat is milk)

Next was Easter service at Hope Community Church--He is risen indeed!

Logging a little bit of play-mat time while Mom made her great strawberry salad (Anika's favorite hanging creature is still wise Ms. Owl)

Anika got lots of good time with Grandma Kim at Aunt Jen's house

And fun time with Grandpa Kim too (it's all physics all the time with Grandpa)

When it was all said and done, Anika was stuffed and happy (and slightly intimidated by the amazing cooking skills of the Kim family women)