More Baseball 2021: Joseph, Dominic, Nathanael, and Isaiah's seasons

Michael wasn't the only one who had an incredible 2021 baseball season...all of our boys did in one way or another...

JOSEPH had his first season playing baseball at the college level for Franciscan University!  He had an fabulous season playing for Franciscan as a pitcher---his favorite position!  We were blessed to be able to watch most of his home games live-streamed.  It brought me so much joy to see my son with his crazy curly hair walking out onto the mound on our computer screen :)  Grandma Theresa and Grandpa Pat (my parents) were his BIGGEST fans though!  They didn't miss a game and my mom even took notes about all the amazing things the announcers said about her very own grandson :)

This first photo below is the only picture I have of Joseph playing for Franciscan University.  The other ones are from his last year on the Senators when he was a senior.  His senior year was a very rough year with an untimely knee injury right before baseball season. Even after he healed, the coach did not give him as much playing time as he deserved (there's the mama bear coming on in me), but Joseph kept an amazing attitude through it all. We were so proud of him, and we told him this baseball season is just a short chapter in his life and God has better chapters ahead for him.  That sure turned out to be true; his time so far at Franciscan has been blessed beyond what he could've ever imagined---not only with playing baseball, but with finding holy friends, experiencing top-notch teachers, adventuring abroad in Austria for a semester, and even dating his first girlfriend! :)  Maybe someday I'll post some pictures of Joseph and Bailey once I get his permission :)  But for now,  here are a few of my baseball favorites of Joseph.

I love this photo!
It truly captures Joseph's humble personality.

I picture him walking away from his high school baseball career,

and moving on to bigger and better things in college and beyond.

DOMINIC has not played baseball since the 3rd grade (it just wasn't his thing), but this year he decided to try being an umpire!  I guess he figured that he's always at the baseball fields anyway for his brothers' games, so he might as well get paid while being there! :)  H did an amazing job as an umpire!  He is our most analytical son and loves rules (and making other people follow the rules), so this was the perfect job for him :)  We were super proud of him.  Umpiring can be a very stressful job, with parents and coaches complaining and heckling, but Dominic handled it with confidence and didn't let anyone stress him out.  This was so amazing to me because this is our son who used to experience legitimate anxiety attacks a few years ago (sometimes a few panic attacks per week!)---so this job was a true testament of the miraculous healing power of God and how the struggles in our lives can be used to make us stronger and shape us into who we were meant to be!  Here are a couple of photos of our brave umpire...

NATHANAEL had a super exciting baseball season!  He was one of the team's star pitchers, and pitched 1 or 2 innings in nearly every game of the season.  Their team had the best record going into the final tournament and ended up winning the whole tournament!!!  A few of the games were real "nail biters" too!  The best part of all, though, was how much fun his team had.  These kids all got along so well, loved every minute on the field or in the dugout, and had super-positive and caring coaches.  It will certainly be a season that he won't forget!

A rare and special blessing to be the trophy-holders at the end of the season!

I love how this photo captures Nathanael's "chillax" personality

and the fact that he was always munching on sunflower seeds during the games :)

And last, but not at all least, our little ISAIAH also had a season worth talking about.  This kid LOVES the game of baseball, and it was so awesome watching how intense he was at every second of every game.  This quiet and sweet kid was "all business" when it came to baseball.  Even though he is small, I think he hit the biggest "dingers" into the outfield, and he also loved playing every position on the field.  No matter where the ball was hit, he wanted to go get it, so it took some training to teach him to only go for balls in his general area :)  He was super excited to be able to play the catcher position in one of the games, so we will see if he gravitates towards that position in the future, or if he is going to take the path of his older brothers, which has always been pitching and infielding.  He was super happy that his team color this year was "green," which is his favorite color (probably because it reminds him of his favorite game:  Minecraft) :)  The other awesome part about his season was that his daddy got to be one of the assistant coaches, which made Isaiah super proud.  

I am SO PROUD of ALL my boys this season!  I never dreamed that I'd be a baseball mom (after all, all of my brothers were wrestlers and I didn't even know anyone who played baseball growing up!), but it has truly become my favorite sport, and I can't imagine our summers without it anymore.  I pray that the virtues and life-lessons that my boys have learned in baseball will serve them well their entire lives.

Totus Tuus,

~Maria

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