Baseball 2021: Michael's Most Memorable Moments

Here's my attempt to recap Michael's incredible baseball season without using too many words (that's hard for a recovering English major to do, but I'll try) :)  

I could truly write a mini novel (or an entertaining short story at least) about the sensational season the Senators had this year.  There were so many quality players on the team that the coach certainly had high hopes for winning State this year, but they still were very much the underdogs in the tournament, and they knew they would have to beat the virtually undefeated Billings Royals, who seriously obliterated the Senators in every game of the regular season.  The Senators finished the regular season with a record of 53 wins 21 losses and were ranked 3rd going into the State tournament.  The Billings Royals only had 1 loss and were ranked number 1.  The Senators sure had a great regular season, but they knew winning State would be a long shot...but in baseball, anything can happen, and with God, all things are possible! :)

The State tournament was an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows.  The Senators won the first two games; they were on a roll and really started to believe they could win this thing.  However, game three was a nail-biting loss, along with a collision injury, which caused us to lose our team captain (Matt Burton) for all remaining games. The boys somehow turned that devastation into motivation and won every game after that---beating the top-ranked Billings team for the Championship AA Title!  The Helena Senators have not won State since 2003, so this was a REALLY BIG DEAL!  And to top it all off, Michael was awarded the "Batting Champion" of the tournament!  I think winning State was the happiest day of Michael's life so far...and one of the proudest moments in his parents' lives too.  At the end of the season, he was also awarded the "All State Utility Player"---a huge testament to his tenacity and ability to play EVERY infield position---which the coaches around the state noticed because they are the ones who voted for Michael to receive that award.  To God be the glory!  Our family will certainly never forget the 2021 baseball season. 

Lastly, I want to share what Coach Burnett said about Michael on Senior Night because I think it says a lot about who Michael is:

"Mike is tenacious and he likes to win.  He has worked hard this season and has seen a lot of success on the field.  A true utility player, he can play any position well and competes at everything he does.  My memories of Mike will be the dive and hustle plays that he makes on a routine basis.  He is one of those players that will go all out regardless of the impact it may have on his body.  He works his tail off on the field and we all appreciate the effort he has given to this program."

Now I'll try to let the photos do the rest of the talking...

Senators winning the Bozeman Tournament

Senators winning the Helena Keith Sell Tournament

Senators winning the Missoula Tournament...

Yes, that's right, they won the Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, AND State tournaments!

These boys were BEASTS!!!  :)

The Senators winning the State AA Tournament!!!

By the way, I forgot to mention that they went on to get 2nd place at the Regional Tournament in Wyoming!  And the team that won Regionals (the Idaho Falls Bandits) ended up winning the National World Series...our boys should certainly be proud!!!

Michael being named the "Batting Champion" at the State Tournament

Michael proudly holding his "Batting Champion" award.

He grew a mustache and a mullet for this tournament...they must have helped :)

Michael did not pitch very much this season, but when he did, he did great.

The Senators had many great pitchers this year, so the coach mostly played Michael in the infield.

Michael is a fearless vacuum in the infield!  So fun to watch!

The coach liked to call him "tenacious" and a "spider monkey" :)

He was awesome at bat this year too...always finding a way to get on base.

The comradery of these boys was beautiful beyond words.

Love this look of intensity.

Also love this look of confidence.

Bunting was definitely one of Michael's specialties,

and he was usually speedy enough to get safely to first base on a bunt.

Chillin' at 1st base.  On any baseball field is his favorite place to be.

Michael makes fielding hard-hit grounders look so easy.

Pure joy!

This picture makes my heart glad every time I see it.

This is one of my favorite pictures.

I love seeing my son so happy.

His glove is like a magnet!

A foiled pick-off attempt.

Another highlight of Michael's season was being the closing pitcher for an intense game against Yakima, Washington.  In a previous inning, one of the Yakima players got ejected for throwing a punch at our catcher, which certainly amped up the emotions (as you can clearly see). 

 I would say this photo captures Michael's "LET'S GO" personality to the tee. :)

Our family at our second home:  Kindrick Legion Field.

So many memories.

So proud of my baseball boys.

Totus Tuus,

~Maria

Recalling some St. Therese miracles on my trip to Medjugorje

"God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new. . . .  It is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven!  And so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less."   

St. Therese, the Little Flower

St. Therese is so humble that I'm sure she would not wish to be honored on a feast day, but she would want God to be honored and for others to find a way to grow closer to the God she loved so very much---and that is what her feast day is all about.  Her feast day points people to her "Little Way"--a way that everyone can use to become a saint!  I am so grateful that she taught us this way to holiness, because lately I feel so small, so little, so sinful, so insecure, and so incapable of succeeding at all the things I wished I would be great at:  marriage, motherhood, holiness, leading others to holiness...  But, Therese's words remind me that God loves my littleness; His mercy covers my sins; He will carry me to heaven because He knows I am too weak to get there myself.   What a relief!  :)  Thank you, God.  St. Therese, pray for us to walk confidently in your Little Way!

It also seems fitting to share some St. Therese "miracles" that happened to me in Medjugorje back in June of 2015.  Like many other Catholics, I have a tender devotion to Therese and often ask for her intercession when I have an important prayer request.  So, when Paul and I went to Medjugorje, I wanted to pray a novena to St. Therese and ask her to pray for us on our pilgrimage.  Specifically, I asked for her to pray that our pilgrimage would help Paul and I receive the graces we needed to grow in holiness and to find healing and joy in our marriage.  

The day Paul and I arrived in Medjugorje, we found out that we would be staying at a little hotel called "The Two Hearts" (referring to the two Hearts of Jesus and Mary).  I was slightly disappointed, because we had been told there was a chance that we would be staying at the visionary Marjana's house, but I tried to offer up my disappointment and embrace what God had given me :}  We were handed our room key, but when we unlocked the door to our room, we saw that someone else already had their luggage in that room, so we headed back to get a different room key.  When we walked into the second room that was given to us, a huge smile spread across my face, because the only thing in the room, aside from 2 single beds and a crucifix, was a picture of St. Therese.  I was sure this was a little gift from God, and that He was assuring me at the start of our pilgrimage that Therese would be with us, interceding for us during our stay in Medjugorje.  It was my first little Medjugorje miracle!  :)

The second little St. Therese miracle occurred 6 days into our pilgrimage.  We were told that we would have to leave the Two Hearts Hotel to make room for a larger pilgrimage group that was arriving. The up-side, however, was that we were given the honor of moving to the visionary Jakov's house to stay for the remainder of our pilgrimage!!!  I was thrilled!  But there was a part of my heart that was sad to leave our old room because I really liked the consolation of St. Therese's picture and the reminder that she was praying for us.  But again, I tried to offer up my disappointment and embrace what God had given me.  So we headed to Jakov's house and were given our new room key.  We walk in the door, and again, a smile spread across my face.  This time, there was no picture of St. Therese on the wall, but I clearly felt her presence when I saw what was in the room:  2 single beds, a crucifix, and a rose-covered chair with Carmelite brown curtains behind it :)  God is so good to me!  :)

Aside from "being showered with roses" in our two hotel rooms, I felt the Little Flower's presence everywhere I went in Medjugorje.  Paul and I prayed our Therese novena every day, and the words to the novena guided our hearts towards her "Little Way," teaching us to offer up our littleness, our weaknesses, our sins, our sufferings, our disappointments to God with joy (that's the hard part), trusting with Therese-like confidence that He will transform those offerings into something fruitful.  I constantly felt St. Therese whispering in my heart:  "Maria, it is OK to be little and not accomplish the great things you had hoped to do for God...your little acts of love and small sacrifices are just as pleasing to God as great big deeds for His glory."  "It is OK to be a big failure because God's mercy is bigger than your mistakes (oh and by the way, God's mercy is big enough to cover your husband's mistakes too!) :}" And throughout the entire pilgrimage, Therese kept guiding my eyes to find the littlest flowers on the paths that we tread, beautiful, hidden weeds that no one else would notice, to remind me to embrace my littleness.  One tiny flowering weed offered to God with a heart full of love is worth more than an offering of grand, gorgeous roses.   All around me I saw pilgrims placing huge expensive bouquets of flowers at the feet of the statues of Mary, but all I had to offer Our Lady was a small handful of tiny, beautiful weeds.  And Therese whispered to me, "It is a beautiful offering--YOU are a beautiful offering, because you are filled love."  God gave me so many opportunities to offer up little flowers of love and sacrifice to Him on our pilgrimage.  Some of the opportunities I embraced, others I did not, but I was at least learning to see them as opportunities.  Even the failed opportunities I could offer to God!  The Little Flower was gently teaching me her Little Way every day that I was there. 

And then my third St. Therese miracle happened when I got home from Medjugorje.  At the end of a St. Therese novena, it is not uncommon for Therese to send a rose from heaven to reassure you that she heard your prayers and interceded for you.  In fact, right before she died, she told her fellow nuns that "she would spend her heaven doing good upon the earth and let fall a shower of roses."  So, on the last day our novena, I went to the adoration chapel in my parents' town to pray for an hour.  I walked into the chapel and immediately saw a statue of St. Therese, and on the floor beneath her, someone had placed a beautiful red rose in a simple glass bowl.  I felt it was my rose sent from heaven.  Therese had heard my prayers, and God had certainly granted the graces that Paul and I needed during our pilgrimage to help us grow in holiness and find healing and joy in my marriage again.  God is so good. St. Therese is so faithful.  I am so grateful!

Paul and I in Medjugorje in 2015---

working on growing closer to each other and to God,

through the intercession of Mary and St. Therese :)

I'm happy to report that 5 years later our marriage has never been better!

(and that's another miracle to be sure!) :)

My family and I wish you a happy Feast of St. Therese!

May we all learn to walk the way of "littleness"!!!

St. Therese, pray for us!

Totus Tuus,

~Maria

September...the month of Our Lady of Sorrows

Hi everyone who still checks in on this blog from time to time!  If you are reading this, I give you extra credit points for being faithful :)  I'm so sorry for my long absence.  It is one of my goals to start blogging more regularly again, so don't give up on my quite yet :)  But before I spend some time updating this blog with our busy summer of 2021, I wanted to take the time to share an important Catholic tradition for the month of September.   September honors Our Lady's Seven Sorrows, and there is a beautiful devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows that dates back to the 13th century, and then became re-introduced in the 1980s during the approved apparitions of Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda.  Our Lady asked one of the 8 visionaries to spread this devotion to the world (so I'm sharing it with you to try to help out) :)  It is a beautiful devotion, and one that I think is powerful during our troubled times.  All of us have sorrows that we can unite with Our Lady's to bring extra graces to ourselves, those we love, and to our world that is in dire need of graces.  So, if you have time, try to do this devotion at least once during this month.  The Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows is September 15th...but any day you do this devotion will console Our Lady's heart!!!  Plus, there are some pretty powerful promises attributed to this devotion, so you will be consoled too! :)

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!!!

Promises

St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) reported that Our Lady promised to grant seven graces to those who honor her and draw near to her and her Son every day by praying seven Hail Marys while meditating on her tears and sorrows:

1. I will grant peace to their families.
2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.
3. I will console them in their pains and will accompany them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death; they will see the face of their mother.
7. I have obtained this grace from my divine Son: that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and sorrows will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven, and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary

1. The Prophecy of Simeon
2. The Flight into Egypt
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross
5. The Crucifixion–Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross
6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus
7. The Burial of Jesus and Closing of the Tomb

To pray the Chaplet, start with an Act of Contrition.  Then pray one Our Father and seven Hail Marys for each Sorrow.  At the very end, pray three Hail Marys in honor of Our Lady's tears and these optional responses:

V. Pray for us, Virgin most sorrowful.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. 

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, thy Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of Thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death, whose most holy soul was transfixed with the sword of sorrow in the hour of Thine own Passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Totus Tuus,

~Maria

For a beautiful print-out of the devotion to share with others, go to:

https://littlesistersofthepoor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/How-to-7-sorrows-roasry_compressed.pdf

To order a beautiful 7 Sorrows Rosary booklet with reflections from Immaculee, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and a national Catholic speaker who promotes devotion to Our Lady, go to:

https://www.immaculee.com/collections/prayer-cards-booklets/products/10-seven-sorrows-rosary-booklet-with-immaculee

Other sources used:

https://www.knightsoftheholyeucharist.com/seven-sorrows-of-mary-prayer-download/

Another Graduate!

Michael graduated from Jefferson High School this week and we are SO PROUD of him!  This young man is both smart and resilient.  He finished his high school career at a new school, which is no small feat.  He finished with great grades and a few new friends...and now he's ready to fish and play ball the rest of the summer until heading to NSU (where he will do more fishing and playing ball)! :)

A week before graduation, Grandma Jean came for a visit to congratulate Michael and spend time with the family as she was driving from Arizona to Minnesota.  We had a wonderful time with her, and here are some of the highlights:

Grandma Jean and her handsome grandsons

Our family so blessed to be living in beautiful Montana,

and blessed to have another son graduating and ready to shine the light of Christ in the world!

The boys playing badminton on Joseph's first day back from college.

Grandma Jean hugging Joseph and saying goodbye because she was going to leave early the next morning before the kids would be awake.  Joseph came home from college a day or two after Grandma Jean arrived, so she was very happy to be able to see him on this trip.

Grandma Jean saying goodbye Michael.

Grandma Jean giving Dominic a big hug.

Two days after Grandma Jean left, my parents came to attend Michael's graduation and help me get ready for the post-graduation party.  My oldest brother Mike and his family also came for the big event.  It was SOOO wonderful to have a few extra helping hands!  I can't thank them enough, and it really meant the world to Michael to have them here for his special day---especially considering they had to drive through a snow storm to get here!  Yes, you read that right...a snow storm!  The weather for the graduation took everyone by surprise.  It snowed for three days straight!  How crazy for the month of MAY!  We were hoping for an outdoor graduation ceremony and post-graduation party, but we had 12 inches of snow around our house, so we definitely had to go with plan B.  But it all turned out fine.  JHS had the graduation inside the school building, and our party was also indoors.  About 50 people showed up, and there was plenty of space in the house for everyone to visit.  I think Michael felt very loved!  Our family is so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family to support us.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't get very many pictures of all the graduation events.  In fact, I didn't get any pictures of Michael with my brother Mike's family, which I'm totally bummed about.  I guess I was too busy and stressed out about getting ready for the party and entertaining guests that I forgot to pull out my camera.  But, I'm grateful that I at least got a few pictures to help us remember this very special day:

Diploma in hand...he's officially graduated!

Michael looks good in purple :)

We had to take our pictures indoors this year because it was raining and snowing outside.

We are so proud of this kid!

(Even though he drove us crazy sometimes!) :)

Grandpa Pat and Grandma Theresa giving their last hugs before driving back to South Dakota.

May God bless and keep our latest graduate always close to His Sacred Heart.

Totus Tuus,

~Maria

Oops, Easter's over, but here are my Easter photos :)

One thing I've learned about God is that His blessings always outweigh the crosses that He allows in our lives. This Easter season reminded me that the difficult season of Lent that we all encounter through fasting, extra penances, and added prayer to our busy days is always worth it and overshadowed by the joys of the Easter season!  In fact, even the length of Lent vs Easter is a sign of God's love and mercy for us!  Lent is only 40 days (which often feels like 40 months!) and Easter is 50 days (which is the LONGEST liturgical season in the Church calendar!)  How awesome is that!  

I'm not sure about you, but I've had some tough Lenten seasons that I thought would never end and made me question God's love a little bit.  Like the Lent when our son Dominic ended up in the hospital with a knee infection that resulted in a three year rollercoaster of PTSD-induced panic attacks for him that we didn't think would ever end.  Or last year's Lent...that was a doosey.  Joseph had a skiing accident that tore up his knee, resulting in months of crutches and a brace, which crushed his baseball season and certainly put a damper on his senior year.  Oh, and how could I forget, that was the Lent that Covid hit too, so we got to experience the cross of being locked in our homes, a bit fearful of this unknown virus, doing remote learning for school, and wearing masks once we were finally able to leave our homes!  The Lent of 2020 will certainly be remember by all :}

  

But somehow Easter---the real meaning of Easter---always pulls us through those long seasons of Lent with HOPE and JOY that we didn't even know was possible.  I feel like that happens every year---sometimes in small ways, sometimes in dramatic ways.  And this year was no exception.   This year, with the prolonged pandemic, the very probable stolen election, the mask mandates, the political and racial divisions, the downward spiral our country seems to be taking...it made Lent feel extra long and  a heavy cross to carry.  But then Easter came...  It didn't take all those crosses away, but it reminded me of Jesus's gift of salvation that He won for us on the cross.   He already won the victory.  Those who love Him and live their lives in His service will be with Him in Heaven someday.  Easter reminds me of that huge and hopeful truth.  The reminders of new life are all around me...in the budding trees, our new chicks, the frequent rain, the greenness of the grass.  I love the season of Easter.  It gives me hope after every long Lent.  I hope you are filled with hope too.  God is good, all the time.  Just look at the proof all around you.  Here's some of my proofs...

The JOY of finding early morning Easter presents never gets old!

We love spending Easter with the Cronk family!

Michael being best buddies with little Joseph Cronk

Isaiah showing off some of his Easter candy

The kids eating an Easter appetizer before our big dinner

(maybe we should have done the egg hunt AFTER dinner--oops)

Don't ever loose hope...

HE HAS RISEN!  ALLELUIAH!!!

Totus Tuus,

~Maria

P.S. Michael's graduation photos coming soon...

Isaiah's BIG April highlights

Isaiah had a VERY special month of April.  Not only was it his 8th birthday, but also his 1st Holy Communion!!!  It was so beautiful to see our youngest son finally old enough to receive Jesus!  He has been looking forward to this day for soooooo long.  These past few years he would keep asking me at Mass, "How long until I can receive Jesus?"  And now he can!  His 1st Communion was absolutely grace-filled.  Bishop Anthony Vetter was the celebrant and homilist, and he really made the 1st Communicants feel so special and let them know that receiving the Eucharist is one of the greatest gifts they will ever receive on this side of Heaven.  When he noticed that there were 2 girl 1st Communicants and 2 boys, he said, "PERFECT---2 nuns and 2 priests!"  And then he looked right at Isaiah and said, "Or perhaps a bishop?!"  Isaiah was just beaming inside :)  

As Isaiah was preparing for his 1st Holy Communion, we discussed whether he would like to receive Jesus on the hand or on the tongue.  I was happy that our church still gave the kids the option of receiving on the tongue even though we are still in "Covid times."  I thought Isaiah would probably want to receive on the hand because that's what most of the kids were going to do, and that's even what our family started doing during Covid, but nope---he insisted that he wanted to receive Jesus on his tongue.  He is such a pious little soul...a true traditionalist even at the age of 8! :)  Taylor Marshall (the famous traditional Catholic podcaster) would be proud :)  

A week or two after his 1st Communion was Isaiah's birthday.  He invited his whole class to celebrate with him at a fun indoor trampoline park in town.  We normally don't do big birthday parties like this for our kids, but Paul and I really wanted to get to know some of the families at the kids' new school, so we decided to splurge.  The kids all had fun (well, everyone except Grant who ended up with a black eye when one of his classmates landed on his face in the foam pit--ouch) :(  But other than that, it went smooth and awesome.  Isaiah felt very special and loved all month long---and he is!  

Here are photo highlights of his special events in April:

Here are some of his 1st Communion gifts:

The Bible is from Grandma Theresa and Grandpa Pat

The green rosary is from his Irish Grandma, Grandma Jean

The books are from mom and dad :)

And now the birthday pics...

Happy Birthday sweet Isaiah!

I love you more than the number of jumps

you and your classmates jumped at Flippin Family Fun! :)

My heart is bursting with joy that you are 8

and that you can receive Jesus now!

I'm so proud of how pious and kind you are,

how sweet and helpful you are,

how handsome and holy you are,

how smart and humble you are!

You are JOY and BLESSING to our family!

Keep being YOU

and keep close to Jesus and Mary

always!

Love,

Mom