Game Four - Rox vs. Sox

Our excellent adventure began at 9:30am as we headed out of Alamosa, driving to Denver. We were still giddy that we actually had tickets to a World Series game. We arrived in Denver at 1:00pm (yeah...we made good time) and dropped our stuff off at Mason's (Bill's cousin) apartment. The three of us had lunch at Applebee's. It took forever for us to get our meals which were just soup, salads & sandwiches. Bill was getting anxious enough to take ours "to go" but we managed to get our food and eat by 2:30. We drove half a mile to the Light Rail station and the E line to Union Station was there when we arrived. No waiting for a train. The train was not crowded but the people who were on, were all going to the game. We arrived at Coor's Field by 3:15 and just walked around the outside of the stadium, soaking it ALL in. The gates opened at 4:00 and we quickly found our seats so that we could watch batting practice. We had good seats for batting practice so we had LOTS of company in our section before the game started. We had lots of balls either hit or thrown up our way but always someone else to jump in front and catch it.
Oh well!


Gate E (Left field)...just a short walk from the Light Rail station

The gate at home plate...20 minutes before the gates opened.

The Jumbo-tron with World Series logo

We arrived early enough to watch both teams take batting practice. When Boston was on the field, Kurt Schilling was in right field and played catch with, who we assumed was, his son. They looked like they were having the time of their lives! How cool would it be to play a little catch with your dad on the field before a World Series game?

Here we are in our Rockies gear...proof that we were actually at the game!
This was our view of the field from our seats.

Hank Aaron was on hand to honor Prince Fielder (Milwaukee Brewers) with the NL Hank Aaron award.

Trisha Yearwood sang the National Anthem. (I'm not a C & W fan so I apologize if I don't have the correct name.) **Thanks Amy for giving me the correct name - I was getting Trisha Yearwood and Carrie Underwood mixed up!

The unfurling of the outfield flag

The flyover

The fireworks and balloons

The stands full of fans with white towels


Brad Hawpe in right field


Part of the fun was looking at all of the different signs people had made...

View of the field by Rockies dugout

View of the field from third level

View of right field box seats from third level. This is where we sat.
The yellow circle is Bill.
The homerun by Brad Hawpe in the 7th inning landed 5 rows behind us!

Boston Red Sox storming the mound after the final out in the ninth inning. The Red Sox are the 2007 World Series Champions. It would have been nice if the Rockies could've won at least one game in the Series...make us feel more respectable, but alas, it was not to be.
At least we didn't lose to the Yankees.

The outcome of the game wasn't what we had hoped but we still had a great time. Well, except for the extremely obnoxious Boston fan sitting next to me. If she understood the game of baseball I think I could've tolerated her better. But, there is nothing worse than an ignorant, obnoxious fan. I wanted to rip her red eye lashes out one by one! I did manage to accidentally (hee! hee!) snap her with my Rockies towel a couple of times.

We love our Rockies and look forward to next year!!!
Only five months until spring training!

World Series...Here We Come!

I was able to score four tickets to Game Four of the World Series at Coors Field. I am so excited...I truly can't believe it!!! Woo-Hoo!!!!
The Rockies won 21 of their last 22 games to earn the wild card berth into the National League play-offs, sweep the Phillies in the Division Series and then sweep the Diamondbacks in the League Series. The Rockies organization fumbled, though, when it came to selling World Series tickets and there are a lot of things that should've happened that didn't. Instead, they waited until this past Monday to put tickets for games three, four and five on sale through their web-site. Complete craziness and madness ensued and well, the Rockies web-site crashed after an hour and a half and less than 500 tickets sold.
Holding to their philosophy of on-line sales, they tried it again on Tuesday and I still can't believe I actually got on to the web-site and got four tickets. I know lots of people who were trying to get tickets and I feel very lucky to have been one of the few to actually do it.
With dial-up internet, no less.
So, we're splitting the tickets with our friends, Pat & Kathy. We thought about taking Jamie but figured that he wouldn't really grasp the awesome-ness of going to a World Series game and $125 is a lot to pay for a 5 year-old to run back and forth to the concession stand or bathroom. Grandma is coming up to stay with Jamie while Bill & I go to Denver on Sunday. We'll have a great time and bring home gifts to appease the parental guilt.
GO ROCKIES!!!!!

Shiprock First UMC Jubilee Celebration

Another early morning but it was a good one. We left Alamosa at 5:30am and drove four hours to Shiprock, NM. Bill's dad started the Methodist Church in Shiprock in October 1957 and they were celebrating their 50th anniversary. There were several church members who remembered Bill's family from either the Shiprock Church or the Mission School in Farmington. It was amazing to see the love for the Brooks' family as they shared their memories with us and I think they were happy to meet Bill and make that connection. They had photo boards set up for each decade of church history and it was cool to see early photos of Bill's family in the very beginning. The church and the parsonage are in the same location and they have since added a Hogan and the Covenant Education Center.

Adrianne Coleman is the current pastor, the tenth to serve since Bill's dad. The message was given by Bishop D. Max Whitfield. I was overcome with emotion at the communion rail...I had chills as I thought about Dad standing in that exact spot and serving communion.
Lunch was served in the Fellowship Hall following the service and we were able to meet many wonderful people. I'm glad that we were able to attend and share in this celebration.

Shiprock First UMC sanctuary

children's sermon

Bishop D. Max Whitfield

Assoc. pastor Fred Yazzie & Pastor Adrianne Coleman

"Hall of Fame" with photos of all the pastors

who have served at First UMC Shiprock.

back of sanctuary from pulpit

celebration lunch in Fellowship Hall

Jamie & Bill with Eva Stokely & Rosalie Atso Yazzie

1958-1967


1968-1977


1978-1987

1988-1997

1998-2007


Cub Scouts


Covenant Education Center

Other Church Life

Bill standing in front of church

the parsonage

the Hogan

Shiprock

Gotcha Day

Every year we celebrate the day (October 21) that Jamie's adoption was finalized. We call it "Gotcha Day" because it is the day that the judge officially made us a forever family.

This year Jamie decided that he wanted to go bowling. We had a great afternoon celebrating our family.

Balloons...full of hot air

Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a morning person…AT ALL! Only two things can get me out of bed before dawn…Jesus (Easter Sunrise Service) and the International Balloon Fiesta held in Albuquerque, NM every October.

We arrived early to watch the “Dawn Patrol” but because the winds were blowing north and the few landing areas in that direction are difficult to find in the dark, they remained tethered, did a mini “glow” show and then finally lifted off right before dawn.

We ate breakfast burritos as the sun rose over the mountain and the field exploded with inflating balloons. It was amazing when they all filled the sky!

This was a fun year to go to the Balloon Fiesta. Jamie was old enough to appreciate the colors and shapes of the different balloons. We also met up with some Alamosa friends which gave Jamie some little people to hang out with. (We each knew that the other was going to the Balloon Fiesta but figured there would be too many people to try to meet at a specific time & place. So, we walked in the south gate and they walked in at the park and ride gate and we walked right into each other! We truly could NOT have planned it any better!)