Schultz Family

Schu-letz-tzu Update

2011-05-11T04:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday Funday

And....we're back in Japan with the Carp for our fourth year. I think I have failed to mention in the past that everything here in Japan is pronounced with 3 syllables, ALWAYS! So, what used to be Schultz, 1 syllable, is actually pronounced Schu-letz-tzu, with 3 syllables. This is not all, people, in order for our English to be understood here, you must also add an "o" sound at the end of everything. So, what used to be hamburger, is now hamburgo, city is now citeo, left is now lefto, and so forth. I have come to terms with the changes, but my kids are just utterly confused.

Now, English is definitely their first and most prominent language, however, they also know Spanish, Hebrew, and bits of Japanese. I am hoping this will all be a learning experience for them, but, the words are often mixed when speaking. Yesterday, Jordyn (who speaks with a Japanese accent by the way) asked me for a snacko, por favor and rambled on and on in what I think was Japanese. Jake who pronounces the Japanese baseball players' names better than they do, can count in all the languages, randomly choosing which one to count in: ichi, ni, tres, four, cinco, shesh, hach, eight, etc. Zoe is just learning to speak, so I am hoping I can keep her on the English track.

Jordy the goof ball!

So, here we are, same apartment, same school, and same Starbucks. Jake and Jordyn are now the eldest in their school, and love having their friends in Japan back. Zoe just started going to the YMCA a few days ago, and absolutely loves it. After the first day of school, the teachers' observation was that Zoe will be great in class and has no problem eating. That's my girl! We have some new American families here with us this year, and we love them. There are 10 kids between our 4 families, so we are always busy!

The weather just started getting warm, which means the frizz will make its debut soon, and the rain has made plenty of appearances. It is such a different mind set having to walk everywhere, but luckily for me, I can use this as my "exercise". Mike's team is doing well, which makes playing a lot more fun! We aren't expecting too many visitors this year, but if you're interested in coming, Zoe's got some room in her crib!

She is definitely up to something!

Dinner at our favorite Mexican joint

I had to document this!

This kid eats, breathes, and dreams, baseball!

Riding the streetcar with my angel

I know this has been more of a lesson on Japanese language and culture, but hey, you would have never known that 3 syllables is a must and the letter "o" has never been more important!

Sayonara, Shalom, Adios, and Goodbye....for now!

Off Season So Far

2010-11-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

Wow, I didn't realize it's been nearly 4 months since my last update. We've been having too much fun being parents of 3! Thanks to all of our parents' help, Mike and I escaped to Mexico for a nice, adults only, fun-filled, much-needed vacation. It was really nice to spend some time with Mike without stopping to wipe someone, change a diaper, or feed someone other than ourselves.

We have been keeping busy figuring out our lives, and of course, nothing has been figured out yet. However, Mike did receive another contract with the Hiroshima Carp and we will be going back to Japan for next season. Mike will be leaving at some point in January, and the kids and I will follow in March sometime. We are very blessed to be with the same team for nearly 4 seasons and hope this next year brings even more success!

The kids are doing amazing! Jordyn is loving her dance class and doing very well with school and her extra curricular activities. She has a puppet class on Mondays, a sports class on Wednesday, and cooks her heart away on Fridays. Jordyn has been working real hard on her writing and loves drawing pictures for everyone she knows.

Jake has been studly with his 2 sports this season. He plays basketball on Saturdays and baseball on Sundays. Unfortunately this is the last week for both, but we will find something to ease his sports addiction. Jake loves going to school, but loves practicing his math even more.

Zoe is growing like crazy and still in the 90th percentile for weight, and off the charts for height. I am pretty sure she doesn't take after me in the height department. She is singing constantly and rolling everywhere. She will occasionally scoot herself across the floor, but prefers to roll! She is so happy and truly lights up the room.

We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Oh Where, oh where can the Schultz's be?

2010-07-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I haven't written in forever....sorry, time has flown by! Well, by now most of you know we are in LA while Mike is rehabbing from his back surgery. He had it done almost 6 weeks ago, fixing a herniated disc, and removing a cyst from the same area. We are all so relieved that he is doing great, moving around, and seeing a physical therapist to get him back into his baseball regime. He is slated to return to Japan early September sometime, and will then come back home near the beginning of October. The kids and I are staying put for a while!

Jake and Jordyn are going into Pre-K this year, and will be graduating pre-school next June. We didn't want them to miss their pre-school graduation, so we won't be heading to Japan or wherever Mike is next season until June sometime. We will then come back to LA early September so that my sweet, almost, 5 year olds will be starting Kindergarten. Holy Moly! I honestly cannot express my adoration for those 2 kids. It is an honor to be their mom, and every day they surprise me with new things. They are always going on playdates, and I have to tell you, it is one thing for people to tell me how cute they are, but it is another thing, for people to tell me how well mannered they are. That means more to Mike and I than anything.

Jake is excited to play T-ball, basketball, soccer, and take karate in the fall. He tells everyone he meets what sports he will be doing. He is so unbelievably smart as well; the things that this kids comes up with just baffles me. The other day he asked me what was under the street. It took me a moment to think of an answer but waited for him to tell me what he thought instead. How on earth does he think of these things? Jake is also very aware of both his sisters. He just adores Zoe and loves to make her laugh. Jordyn is his best friend and it is just the sweetest thing to see. They rely on each other, warn each other about EVERYTHING, and love each other so much!

Jordyn is also doing wonderful. She is my Little Mermaid. She is swimming up a storm, and no pool is too deep for her to "dive" in and get her princess diving sticks. She is really into drawing and writing new words, so we are always playing the spelling game. Our walls are full of gorgeous artwork that Jordy has given us. :) In the fall, she will also be doing soccer, but enjoying ballet and dance as well. The girl is hilarious and makes Mike and I laugh on a daily/constant basis. She is loving being a big sister and is a humongous help with Zoe.

Zoe is fantastic. With the exception of her recent sleep habits, she is a wonderful baby. She will be 6 months old tomorrow and is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen. She is always smiling and can watch her big sis and big bro for hours on end. She is just about sitting up on her own and eating everything given to her. She is a big girl, and we just adore munching on her rolls and thunder thighs! It is amazing what pleasure she has brought into our lives. We have had one crazy and hectic year, and yet nothing seems terrible when we look at our little girl!

Well, that is one heck of a long update. We will be in LA for a while, so some stability is nice. I will definitely try and update a little more often! Take care!

The First Smile

2010-03-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

It truly melts your heart when your child smiles for the first time. I remember like it was yesterday when Jake and Jordyn did it, and now, this will forever be in my memory bank. The difference this time, is that Mike is not around to see it. So, for him, I posted this little video of Zoe smiling. I hope that my child continues to smile forever and follow in her sister and brother's footsteps, because they sure do have a lot to smile about!!!

We're Now 5!

2010-02-20T11:26:00.001-08:00

Zoe Brooklyn Schultz was born on January 26th, 2010 and we are so very happy to welcome her to our family. It has been one heck of a ride since her arrival, but thankfully everyone is healthy and that is the most important thing. Mike left about 2 weeks after she was born, and we are all missing him so very much. He is doing well in Japan and awaiting our arrival. We just booked our tickets and will be heading to Hiroshima on March 22nd. It seems like forever, but there is so very much to prepare for before leaving. I am obviously very overwhelmed and truly give credit to those raising kids on their own. I am so lucky to have the amazing 3 that I have, but I'm not going to lie, it's hard!

Zoe is nearly a month old and such a great baby. I think she is teaching me what it means to be calm and content, because she is like that all the time. She is long and lean at the moment, nearly the 80th percentile in height (wonder where she gets that from) and only the 35th percentile in weight. Jake and Jordyn love having a little sister and try to help in every possible way, except when she's crying!

Pajama & Crazy Hair Day at School

Both Jake and Jordyn are playing T-ball right now and absolutely love it. They are still swimming and Jordy still loves her ballet class. They have been so amazing during this transition and are such a pleasure to be around. Seems silly, but it was definitely easy with twin 4 year olds. Now, we have our work cut out for us!

It's almost time!

2010-01-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been quite a while since I last blogged our life, and to be honest, it might be a while that I do it again. SHE'S COMING! We have just about a week left before our sweet girl arrives into our lives. We are so excited and have been preparing for such a while now. The stinky part of it all is that Mike will be leaving on February 13th, just a couple weeks after the birth. The kids and I will be joining him when the baby is healthy enough to fly and I am feeling up to a long day of travel with 3 kids! 3 kids! I still can't believe I am going to be saying that! Anyway, we have had a couple of months of complete fun and chaos at the same time. There are lots of pictures, so enjoy!
37 Weeks

My Future Artists

My family has been dealing with the mental and physical decline of my ailing grandfather, who has recently been moved into the Alzheimer's and Dementia unit of his nursing home. It has been so very hard but we are keeping our spirits high and visiting him whenever we possibly can. Mike, Jake, Jordyn, my best friend Jenny, and I visited him last week, and we took lots of video of him. It was an amazing day and one that we will all remember. I appreciate all the prayers and love many of you have given my family.

Grandpa Al with Jake and Jordyn

We also celebrated Christmas, Channukah, our 6th anniversary, Jake & Jordyn's 4th birthday, my baby shower, and Mike's 30th birthday in the past 2 months. It was almost a constant celebration in our house and time we got to spend with all our family and friends. The offseason is so busy for us, but wonderful at the same time. I have included even more pictures from the past couple of months!

Auntie Jojo with the twins on their 4th birthday
J & J's 4th Birthday Party at My Gym

Celebrating Channukah with Safta at Chinese Food

At Mimi & P's for Christmas

In Oxnard for our 6th Anniversary

Celebrating Mike's 30th Birthday at Cafe Cordiale (surprise party)

My sister and I at my baby shower

Jake has been playing flag football with his "team" and will start T-ball in a couple of weeks. He has actually taken up a new sport that he absolutely loves. GOLF! Mike has taken him a few times to the "big boy" golf course and they actually played 18 holes on a par 3 course. He has his own lefty putter and a 9 iron. I think we might have another Tiger Woods (um, no, not in regards to anything but golf) on our hands and we couldn't be prouder. He has been building a lot at school and has been practicing his big brother role with some of Jordyn's dolls. All in all, he is just my boy's boy who couldn't be sweeter and more lovable.
Practicing at putt putt golf on his b-day

My little fish

Jordyn, my mom, Mike's mom, Mike's sister and I all visited the American Girl store a couple of weeks ago. OH NO! I think I was worse than Jordyn in the store. I wanted to buy everything! She has been really into her dolls and Barbie's lately and changes their clothes nearly 10 times a day. It's really cute when she has Mike doing it for her. Jordyn has also taken a big liking to her swimming lessons. She thinks she's a fish and absolutely loves being in the water. She can swim the length of a pool by herself and it's truly a joy to watch. Coloring is her other favorite thing to do and regardless of where she is, she is pretty creative with what is given to her. She never ceases to amaze us with her personality and sensitivity.

Jordyn with Ava, her American Girl doll

Eating lunch at the American Girl cafe....what fun!

The next month or so will be wonderful and a true blessing, and I am so lucky to have my friends surrounding me for the support of raising 3 kids without Mike around. Mike is gearing up for the season and ready to rock and roll. We can't wait to join him in Japan when the time is right. Until then, we will be in LA visiting with our friends and family, and adjusting to life as a family of 5 (well, kind of).

Present for the Big Brother to be

Every big sister needs a pair of wheels

I will definitely update the blog with some pictures of our expanded family. In the meantime, stay safe, healthy, and enjoy every minute of every day with your loved ones!

Sarah

Time sure flies!

2009-12-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

WOW! I can't believe it's already the beginning of December! Things have been nonstop around the Schultz household, from birthdays and traveling, to sickness and baseball negotiations. All in all, the busyness has been good and sweet. Mike and I traveled to Alabama a little less than 2 weeks ago for our good friend Bill's wedding. Mike was one of the groomsmen, and a handsome one if I might add! :)

I began feeling ill (coughing) right before the trip, but couldn't miss the wedding, so the day after the wedding, and after lots of dancing and a few too many contractions, we came home a day early. Since the trip, things have been great pregnancy wise. I feel great and the baby is as healthy as can be. I am now 30 weeks and Baby Girl Schultz is weighing in at about 3 lbs. 8 oz. We are getting super excited for her arrival and just trying to prepare before everything gets a bit too hectic.

The week after the wedding we celebrated Thanksgiving with Mike's family. It was very nice, but my coughing only got worse. I finally got some steroids to help calm down the cough. The doctor was a bit worried that I might cough my way into labor since it was nonstop. After 2 bruised ribs and a lovely side pain, I am just starting to feel a bit better. Perfect timing because we just celebrated Mike's 30th birthday this last weekend, and it was an amazing weekend. Thank you to all our friends and family who made it a perfect birthday.

This weekend we are having Jake and Jordyn's 4th Birthday party at a really cool indoor gym. Their birthday is not until December 15th, but due to some time complications, we are doing their party this weekend. My baby shower is the following weekend, and then Mike and I are celebrating our 6th Wedding Anniversary. All these celebrations, just in time for Chanukah and Christmas.

Jake has been playing soccer in a league, and absolutely loving it. Today he had his awards ceremony and just ate it up. He is really into golf right now and even got his own little set of golf clubs. He goes out every week on the golf course and actually does a pretty good job. Jordy is practicing real hard for ballet and even has a recital coming up in a couple of weeks. She loves dancing and loves performing. They are both taking swimming lessons again and are just about ready to swim on their own. We are taking advantage of all the sports that are being offered here in LA because once next season begins, the sports are pretty limited.

It is definitely a crazy month, but a blessed one at that. We have finally settled with the same team in Japan, and will be going back there for next baseball season. We feel very lucky and happy with our decision. Mike will be going back mid February, and the kids and I (all 3 of them at that time) will follow toward the end of March/beginning of April. We hope those of you who haven't visited us yet, will take the opportunity to come on down and see what Japan and the Schultz's have to offer!

We hope everyone is doing well and we will update again soon. I promise! Now that I am supposed to be resting and taking it easy, I will be able to update more often. We wish everyone a wonderful month of December regardless of what holiday you celebrate! Take care!

Mike, Sarah, Jake, Jordy, & Baby Schultz

We're Home!

2009-10-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Sitting at daddy's locker before leaving Japan for the offseason

Okay, so we've been home a couple of weeks, but who's counting? Things have been crazy to say the least, but at least we're eating some great food and visiting with our friends and family.

Jake and Jordyn started school again and absolutely love it. They are getting used to speaking only English to their friends, but still have their occasional Japanese accents when talking. It is truly one of the funniest things ever. Jordyn started her ballet class again and can't get enough of it. Her teacher is our good friend, Holly, which makes it even sweeter. She has also joined the 3-5 year old team and will be performing in holiday shows starting next month. She dances all over the house and sings songs from her favorite Barbie DVD.

Jake has taken a huge liking to golf and soccer. My uncle Alec, bought him some lefty golf clubs and he is loving every second of his "golf time". We are currently trying to find him an after school team that he can play either baseball, basketball, soccer, and get all his energy out. Both kids start swim lessons next week as well, so we are already keeping extremely busy.

Mike has been trying to lay low and catch up on some American TV time. He feels so guilty that he's not working, but then realizes the lack of days off throughout the season, and thus, continues to sit on the couch. I've kept him pretty busy the last couple of weeks, running errands, going to appointments, and of course, shopping! Oh how we've missed Target! I think I have been 10 times since we've been home and it has been rejuvenating. Yes, I said, rejuvenating.

I am feeling really good. I am now 25 weeks and our baby girl is keeping busy inside my tummy. Jake felt her kick for the first time today and nearly did laps around the house. They are both so excited for their new sister. I feel like I am getting a lot bigger, but people say I am still pretty small. I think everyone is just used to seeing me pregnant with the twins, so I guess, I am smaller than I was the 1st time.

This was taken when I was 22 weeks

Mike and I are leaving in a week for Las Vegas. We are taking our annual mini vacation ...AKA....time away from our sweet children. We decided to sway away from the longer, further vacation spots because, truthfully, how much can I do on a beach these days? So, we are heading to the Strip to do some house hunting, show watching, and a tiny bit of Blackjack. Okay, for those of you who know me real well, I am not a little, but a lot excited about Blackjack!

Other than that, not too much else is new. I will continue to post some updates and some pictures as our offseason continues. Before I had out to the market, I will answer the ongoing question.....where will the Schultz's be next season? Well, we still have about a month or so before things could get final, so I will only say this, we will either be in Japan, or back in the States with a team here. :) I know, I am so uninformative! Sorry! Take care and have a great week!

The Countdown Begins!

2009-09-29T04:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we are just about on our way home! YAY! We don't know the exact date until probably next week, but we know it will be relatively soon. We have been so lucky to have such a great year, but, it is time to go home. We are so excited to see our friends and family. I will be coming back looking a little different than when I left. I am 21 weeks and feeling great. Our sweet baby girl sure is active and is practicing her LA time by being up and kicking at night while I am trying to sleep. Jake and Jordyn are telling everyone that they are going to "America" soon and are already talking about all their friends at their LA school. We have quite the offseason planned, so we will be in and out of LA nearly the whole time. Mike has done great this year and we are so very proud of him. Who knows what's in store for next season? Whatever it is, we will enjoy our offseason first! Looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back on non-baseball time. We hope everyone is doing well and Happy New Year to all our Jewish friends! Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks. Enjoy!

Playing at the indoor play gym in Kobe

Where is Jordy?

Mommy & Jordyn having Mexican food in Kobe

My sweet boys!

Jake and Jordyn hanging on daddy's bus before they left for the field in Tokyo

Many have asked, so here I am at 19 weeks!

Schultz Family Update

2009-09-03T03:56:00.001-07:00

So, it's been a fun and exciting week since Auntie Kristy has been visiting and daddy joined the baseball team again. Over a week ago, Mike caught a ball barehanded and bruised his pitching hand which led him to go on the 10 day D.L. He rejoined the team today in Nagoya, so luckily things are better and he's ready to finish out the season. We have done some fun activities with Kristy and will be going to Tokyo on Monday. The weather has been amazing and actually enjoyable.

Playing Dora and Diego, feeding the turtles, at the Shukkein Gardens

My almost 4 year old...where has the time gone?

My silly goose entertaining even in the bathtub

Since I am always the one taking the pictures, Auntie Kristy took this one of me and my handsome fella!

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so hopefully our child will have his/her legs open and we can tell the gender. We tried this 2 weeks ago and already learned that our sweet child was very modest and didn't want us to know what "parts" he/she has. It's all in God's hands, so we'll see.

Jake and Jordyn started regular school again after having almost a 2 month hiatus. They went to camp during this time, but it's definitely not the same. Today they came home telling me how much they love their teachers and their friends. I guess they will have to love them up quickly because we will most likely be home in about 5 or so weeks. We are getting geared up for the offseason planning lots of fun trips before the next Schultzy arrives. We will probably live in the same condo as we did last offseason and we are really looking forward to seeing our friends and family.

So, that is our deal....for now! I will update as soon as something exciting happens, like perhaps the announcement of our tie breaker. One girl, one boy, what will it be?

Lastly, I wanted to post a video especially for my friend Heidi at home.....does this bring back any memories? This is Jordyn's favorite song to sing.....thanks to my sweet mom teaching it to her!

Thankful!

2009-08-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes your day goes unlike you expected. Sometimes your week goes unlike you expected. The only thing I expect in life now is to be the best mother I can be to my sweet twins and the new one on the way! I just want certain friends to know that I appreciate your kind words when I am down, and the ability to talk to you when I really need it. JC and JL you have been a blessing to me this week! I just wanted to post a couple pictures of the reason I strive to be the best! I love you Jake and Jordyn!

Fun times!

2009-08-11T17:58:00.001-07:00

Well, the visitors are starting to wind down. My dad and brother leave on Monday and then after 2 weeks, Mike's sister Kristy comes to visit. She is our last visitor! The season is inching closer to an end, which is a bittersweet feeling. We are super excited to come home and see all our friends and family. Here are some fun pictures from the last couple of weeks! Hope everyone is having a blessed week!

On our way to the A-Bomb Memorial with the whole fam!

Ummmm....yeah, that is where she gets the 'tude from!

The A-Bomb Memorial lantern ceremony...what an experience

Nothing like a night out with the whole family!

Saba with his sweet grandchildren

\
My dad, brother and I in Miyajima for the day

Our home away from home, the family pool! Thanks for playing Uncle Elan.

The famous/typical Japanese pose!

Hot but fun!

My dad and I eating Yakaniku for dinner. Yum Yum!

Rain, Pool, Sumo, and more Rain!

2009-07-25T22:39:00.001-07:00

We have had such an amazing time with Mike's parents visiting. Unfortunately, the weather didn't get my memo about sunny and clear skies, and gave us rain, rain, and some more rain! We made the best of it; swimming in the rain, sightseeing in the rain, and of course, watching baseball games in the rain. We went to Nagoya to play the Dragons this last weekend and went out to our friends' bar for dinner, and enjoyed watching the games inside their dome. The All-Star Break began after the Dragons series and we started off the break with some sumo time!

Outside, Shooters, our friends', Takako & Dennis' bar. Yummy food & great company!

On our way to Sumo, luckily Jordyn cooled herself off with her pink fan. Sumo begins at 8 am and lasts until 6 pm. The higher ranked wrestlers don't start until about 3 pm so we got there around 2:30 to make sure we saw the ceremonies. Mike, the kids, and I sat in a box, meaning we sat on the floor, on mats, without shoes, and had enough room to sit Indian style. Mike's parents had seats not far away from us. We were there until the last fight at 6 pm.

This was the opening ceremony for the higher ranked wrestlers, the Maegashira & Ozeki levels. Each patterned cloth they are wearing costs between $4000-$6000 each. These aprons are beautifully made of silk, richly embroidered with different designs and hemmed with gold fringe. These ceremonial aprons are called kesho-mawashi. Sorry about the history lesson, people I was just amazed by all of this.

This is Asasyoryu, one of our favorite wrestlers, he is in the Yokozuna level which is the highest there is. There were two Yokozuna's and they were amazing to watch. Their opening ceremony was incredible. They go through this traditional ceremony with their sword bearer or attendant nearby. The Yokozuna wears this massive braided hemp rope weighing from 25 to 35 lbs. tied in a bow at the back and ornamented in the front with strips of paper hanging in the zigzag pattern. This is a familiar religious symbol in Japan. On a side note, the people who tie their "diapers" as I like to call them, have a very important job. This is their only job and it is a disgrace if these cloth "diapers" come undone during their fight, so they are extra careful when tying them. None of our friends here have ever seen one come undone, until.....today! Yes, the referee had to stop one of the fights in the middle, because one of their cloths were coming undone. After he fixed it, he put the wrestlers back in the exact position they were in before stopping the fight. It was so incredible. Luckily, we did not see too much!

My Loobi and I loving every second of our Sumo experience. It was so awesome!

This was Asasyoru the Yokozuma (highest level) fighting against Kotomitsuki the Ozeki (2nd highest level). If Asasyoru were to have lost, the audience members chuck their seating mats at the Sumo ring, because the higher guy would have lost to the lower ranked guy. It does happen pretty often, but not today. Mike and I were ready to chuck our mats, but left them under our butts instead!

This was just about toward the end. Jake and Jordyn had no nap, but faired pretty well. What a day!
Back in Hiroshima at the Family Pool. It rained on us nearly the whole day, but who can tell when you are in the pool! Jordyn practicing her jumps to daddy!

3 Generations of Schultz's!

Mike and his parents in front of his jersey at Sam's. What fun it was for Janet and Gary to see our world here in Japan.

Well, today is Sunday for us, and we leave tomorrow for Tokyo. Mike's parents leave from Tokyo on Friday and my dad and brother come to visit on Tuesday night. We have a full house yet again. It has been awesome having them here and we are sure going to miss them. Other than that, not too much else is new! Have a great week!

Visitors!

2009-07-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

We have had some fun filled weeks so far, and it is about to get even better. Mike's mother, Janet and Mike's brother Joey have been here for about 2 weeks, and it has been a blast. For the first week we were on the road with Mike tooling around Tokyo and Yokohama. We went to a mini amusement park with the kids, went to baseball games, of course, and ate yummy food. For the 2nd week, all of us but Mike came back to Hiroshima. We hung out in our town for a few days, letting the kids get back on somewhat of a schedule, while Janet, Joey and I walked around the city. We had a little routine going too; we would drop the kids off at school and go to Starbucks for our morning coffee. We would then sit there for about an hour watching all the people walk/run/fall/bike by. There was one day that we actually saw a barking lady. I guess wherever you go in this world, there will always be entertainment if you wait for it. One of the days, we took the kids to the family pool that is just open for 2 months in the summer. It was so much fun!

On Thursday, Janet and Joey surprised me with a mini vacation with Mike. I met him in Nagoya and we both just got back tonight. It was so needed and so sweet! Our week is about to get better. Mike's dad, Gary comes tomorrow night, and we are just over the moon. Gary hasn't seen Mike pitch in years, so Mike is thrilled to have the man who taught him how to play, watching him. Joey leaves on Thursday, but Janet and Gary stay for another 2 weeks. We will be leaving next Monday for another road trip altogether, but then have 5 days off for the All-Star break. I have posted a few pictures from the last week. I will post more as I load them on the computer.

Mike has been doing awesome, and continues to amaze all of us. The kids are so great, and just make us feel like the luckiest parents in the world. Jordyn thinks she's 30 so it's like I have my best friend around. Jake only wants to play sports or do his puzzles. He is so happy Joey is here to play with him. Thanks again for the continued love, support and well wishes. We hope everyone is healthy and happy and doing well!

This is our mini pool on our balcony. It is too hot here for indoor play all the time!

Jake with his uncle Jojo watching daddy pitch at Tokyo Dome against the Giants

"Mimi" and Mike took J & J on one of the world's tallest Ferris Wheels....I waited at the bottom, thank you.

Beating daddy at air hockey, another one of Jake's favorites!

The fam walking along the bridge on the way to the Amusement park in Yokohama

Janet & I with the big Ferris Wheel in the background!

So excited to be at the Family pool and actually swimming!

"Momma, I have gum stuck on my lip"

Jordy and her many things. She is a collector, if you can't find something, check her backpack....thanks, Dora the Explorer!

Mike & I at Shooters, our friends' yummy bar in Nagoya

Oh so fun!

2009-06-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a fun week after both kids got over their high fevers. Father's Day was such a sweet day, with Jake, Jordy, and I preparing dinner for Mike for after the game. We watched the game on TV so we could stay home and cook all day, and little did we know, Mike won Player of the Game. It was such a sweet honor and especially on Father's Day. After he got home, we had a wonderful evening filled with good food, fun times, and a Pizza Cookie which is Mike's favorite.

The next two days Mike had completely off, so we took full advantage of being together and hanging with the kids. Jake and Jordyn had a swim class on Monday that was real fun to watch. Jordyn loved every second of it, while Jake cried nearly the entire time. There were a lot of people around, and he is very shy, so we are thinking that maybe he was embarrassed. Who knows? We loved watching anyway, and actually thought it was pretty funny.

The next couple of days we spent a good amount of time with some of our friends here. Jordy's little friend, Kennedy, is only here for a couple of weeks, so we spent a lot of time playing and entertaining each other. Jordyn is sure going to miss Kennedy when she goes back to Florida next week. We went out to dinner with Jen, Scott, and Kennedy, and with Colby, Jenny, and Cade. Both Jake and Jordy love playing with Cade, so it is nice to have him here all year with us. We ate at a new place that Jenny and Colby found called Graffity, which is a yummy Mexican food place. It was delicious and such a cute atmosphere.

After the 2 days off Mike had, he then only had practice for 2 days. Having no games for the week was a treat for all of us. Jake & Jordyn had their daddy home every night and that was definitely a change. We had interleague makeup games during that week and since we had no games to make up, we had them off!

On Friday night, it was back to the ballpark for the Schultz's. Mike pitched a great inning of relief and we ended the night ordering delicious pizza and a wonderful salad. The weekend is now here and the hot day games have begun. I am not sure how many we will actually make it too, since you spend the majority of the game fanning yourself and not really paying attention to the game.

Mike leaves on Monday for a quick day trip and then we all leave Wednesday for Tokyo. Janet and Joey come in on Tuesday and we are SO EXCITED! Having visitors is so much fun, especially when they have never been here before. Actually, Joey came last year, but he will have to endure all the stuff all over again since Janet has never been here. We are going to fill each day with sightseeing and swimming! We hope everyone has a wonderful week and we will update again soon.

"Fever" Pitch

2009-06-18T04:37:00.000-07:00

As much as I would love to simply say that things have been grand around here, they just haven't! When we were on the 2nd part of the road trip last week, Jordy came down with a pretty high fever. The fever lasted three days, and luckily went away the day we had to travel back to Hiroshima. We were so happy that everyone was healthy, until the day after our return, Jake came down with this fever. The weird thing is, that neither of them had any other symptoms. They were eating fine, acting fine, no cough, no runny nose, but hotter than furnaces. I am truly hoping that after today, Jake will be fine, since it will be the magic 3 days for him too! Please pray for healthy kids!

So, I know I haven't posted many pictures of the road trip nor of life recently, but I will today! Things have been good, aside from the fevers. Mike has pitched in 4 games since the last blog, and has done real well. He had a string of bad luck last night, with a few mishaps on the team, but he is ready to get right back out there! We are gearing up for our awesome visitors, starting a week from Tuesday. Mike's mom, Janet, and Mike's brother, Joey are coming for a while, and we are super excited to have them. We will be traveling a lot with them, so that should be fun.

One of the other foreigners, families' is visiting right now, and they have a 3 year old girl named, Kennedy. Jordyn has been in absolute heaven playing with her. This is the 2nd year that Jordy is the only girl, so it makes it so much more fun having someone to play dolls with, and dance with, and not only have to play baseball with. I am pretty sure that Jake would sleep with every piece of baseball equipment that he has, if we allowed him to. Jordyn enjoys it, but certainly not as much as our little man. The last blog, I attached a video of Jordy dancing on the dugout, well, I got so many e mails telling me what entertainment she was, that I have decided to post another one. This honestly was one of the funniest moments I have had with her. We went into The Gap the other day to do a little shopping, well, Jordyn found herself a standup mirror and started jamming to the music in the store. She didn't see me until toward the end, which is probably good, since if she did, she would have put on a bigger show. To say the least, it was so funny, and every person in the store stopped their shopping to watch the in-store entertainment.

We hope everyone is doing well and we appreciate all the well wishes and prayers for the remainder of our stay here. Have a great weekend!

Jordy at The Gap

Ezra, Jordy, Jake, and Gavin enjoying the hallways of our hotel

On our way back to Hiroshima, after a long week

J & J watching Dora on the portable DVD player while relaxing in the bath

Daddy & Jake dining at Mother's Italian Restaurant...the best iced tea, I've ever had!

The view from our room in Chiba. The stadium was right across the street, with the beach in front of it.

Festivities!

2009-06-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

We have had a pretty awesome weekend since Mike came back on Thursday. On Saturday night, Mike and I had date night where we started at The Shack, which is a bar that has lots of American food. I had a yummy salad bar and some great fajitas. After dinner we played darts where unfortunately, my husband, the pitcher, kicked my butt. I wonder if all pitchers are good at darts, since they know where they want their dart to go. Oh well, it was tons of fun. After darts, we went out to the main street in our town, where the Tokasan Festival was going on. It is a major 3 day party on the streets of Hiroshima, where people have booths of food, games, toys, and other things that we were unsure of. We walked around for a while, watched the street dancers, and got mobbed by people. We were having so much fun, but realized how much more fun it would be with the kids. So, our awesome babysitter brought the kids to the festival and we all walked around, had some treats, and made it a pretty late night. Here is a video of the festival. Enjoy!

We woke up this morning and took the kids to the field where Jake got to play ball with Mike, and Jordy and I watched. Jordyn was having so much fun watching the boys that she got up on the dugout and danced her little butt off (see mini video below....don't laugh too hard). We were there about 5 hours before the game, and seriously, people were already in the stadium watching batting practice and now, Jordyn dancing on the dugout. We had a game last night and lost and we won today. Mike pitched today and did great! 3 up and 3 down! We are leaving on a road trip starting Tuesday, to Chiba and Seibu. Both are outside Tokyo and the kids and I have never been there, so we are super excited. We will be there for about a week, so I will try and post pictures throughout the week. Enjoy your Sunday!
Jordy and I watching the boys!

Jake getting some hitting lessons from daddy!

My 2 favorite guys in the world!

Curving it up!

2009-06-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while since my last update. What's new in the Schultz family? Let's see, we played hookie from school the other day and took the kids to the zoo. They had a great time and loved being with Mike for the whole day. Both Jake & Jordyn played tug-of-war with a baboon, and sadly the baboon won. It was a nice, sunny day, so we brought an extra set of clothes for the kids and let them play in the water-play area. They both accidentally fell in a bit earlier than expected, but after the initial shock, they giggled.

We had an amazing time with my mom, and unfortunately she left today. It sucks having your best friend leave in a place where you get pretty lonely. I guess we have something to look forward to come October.

Mike has been doing pretty well. He had a little slip a few days ago, falling into a giant hole that came with the country town field they played at for one night. It was right in front of the mound, and as he threw his first pitch, he slipped and hurt his back. He is much better now, and has pitched twice since I last blogged and since the fall. The first game he came in with a runner on and one out and struck out both batters. The second game, he struck two out, gave up a run, gave up a few hits, and walked a couple. I guess it happens! He has blown our mind, and done so well, we cannot express how proud we are of him. He is on a road trip right now, and will be back on Thursday. We can't wait! From the looks of his schedule and all our visitors that start arriving the end of June, we will probably go with him on all the future road trips. It certainly gets tiring, so things might change.

As far as I am concerned, I have decided to stop sitting on my butt all day (okay, I don't really, but cleaning 10 hours in a day does not do much for me) and join Curves. One of the other wives, Jenny, that we hang out with daily, joined as well. Today was our first day, and to say the least, it was interesting. We knew how the system worked, similar to the states, and really just wanted to get in and work out. Apparently it was really funny to the other 7 Japanese women watching Jenny and I. I am NOT kidding when I tell you that they were all laughing at us. I am forgetting to mention that the instructors were as well. Now, don't get me wrong, I am no personal trainer, but surely I know how to use these machines. Jenny and I were a bit embarrassed and decided that they were laughing because some of them tried to communicate with us, and couldn't, and not because we looked like total idiots. We are going to go with this theory for the sake of wanting to shape up and lose weight!

We have been trying to keep busy here, so my mom and I took the kids to a big garden the other day, and played Dora's Garden Adventure. We let them guide us through the whole thing and even went on "slippery stairs" and "narrow bridges" to get to our destination, feeding the turtles. We brought a whole loaf of bread and fed every turtle in the garden. The kids absolutely loved the day. We have to get creative around here, since there isn't much to do.

It's also getting pretty hot here, so we bought a mini pool for our balcony. When I say mini, I mean mini. The kids just love getting wet, so that's really all that matters. I will post some pictures of our pool adventures once I take a few more.

So, that is about it for now. Mike's parents arrive at the end of the month, and we are looking forward to that. Until then, we will hang around and do our usual routines, baseball games, school, and shopping! We hope everyone has a great week.

2 more!

2009-05-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't seem to catch up on my blog, since every time I post something, Mike pitches again. So, I waited a couple days, and it's a good thing I did, because he pitched again. 2 days ago, he came in for the 7th inning, gave up a double right off the bat (no pun intended) and then got the next guy to ground out. So, we have guy on 3rd with 1 out. He struck out the next 2! Yesterday, he came in for the 8th inning, first guy flew out to center. Next guy got a single. Then, he struck out the next 2! Way to go Mike!

Anyway, Mike leaves for a week road trip on Friday, so today we kept the kids out of school and took them to the zoo! We had a great time.....more info and photos to follow. Hope you all had a great Memorial Weekend!

2009-05-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we just got back from a couple days in Fukuoka, and sadly we took no pictures while there. However, I have a few from last week from my big birthday and some random ones too. We have all been doing real well. Jake and Jordyn continue to amaze us with their new found words and sentences. Actually, Jordyn was being tickled by Mike last night and screamed out to me, "mommy, ayudame, ayudame". This actually means help me, help me, in Spanish. I think my kids have been watching a ton of Dora & Diego. They are now learning Japanese, Spanish, Hebrew, and continue to learn more English words. We are going to have to keep up with them somehow! Mike has continued to pitch well this week. He pitched in a game a few days ago, giving up 1 hit and then all ground ball outs. Yesterday he scared me a bit, having given up 3 hits in a row, having bases loaded with NO outs. Luckily, he had a ground ball out to the catcher, and then a double play! Whew, no runs scored, but I certainly had to towel myself off after that!

My mom is here for another week, and we are so sad as next Monday approaches. We have had a great time with her, and aren't ready for her to go yet. Mike's parents and brother come in at the end of June, so we are really excited about that. Lots of visitors this year, makes for a quicker season! We hope everyone is doing well, and thanks again for everyone's continued support!

J & J on their way to school in their new uniforms....so grown up!
My puzzle master. He finished all these by himself in about half an hour!
My sweet mom and I on our way to Starbucks on my 30th Birthday
The best family in the world! I am so lucky!

Inter-League begins

2009-05-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

Mike pitched yesterday, for the 3rd day in a row! First guy flew out to right field. Next guy got a hit between the 4-3 hole. Then, that guy got caught stealing. YAY! The next guy grounded out to 2nd. Starting tomorrow we begin inter league for about 5 weeks. We play each of the 6 teams four times, 2 at our stadium, and 2 at theirs. Mike heads out tonight for Osaka, where we just heard there are some cases of Swine Flu. So, we were supposed to go with him, but opted not to for obvious reasons. The team has taken control of what the players can wear (masks) and what they can do (not leave the hotel, other than for a game) to be on the cautious side. Hopefully, everyone will be just fine!

I just wanted to wish my sweet sister a Happy 21st Birthday. You mean the world to us and I miss you so very much. Hope you had tons of fun, and I can't wait until October for some real fun! Love you Jojo! Have a great week and I'll update again soon!

Baseball & A-Bomb

2009-05-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, so most of you are probably thinking what on earth do baseball and the A-Bomb have in common. Well, my answer is nothing except that they will both be talked about in this blog entry. Mike pitched last night giving up 1 hit and then got a fly ball out and then struck out the next 2 guys. Today he pitched and got 3 ground ball outs. Go Mike! The truth is that I wanted to talk about something other than baseball that happened to me yesterday while riding on the street car near our house.

Living in Hiroshima I never thought about how the Japanese people really feel toward the Americans. Surely, most of them don't hold grudges because not all Americans were involved in the war in 1945. However, something crazy happened to me yesterday and I am not sure if I made the whole story up in my head, or if my reasoning was truthful. A lady got on the train a stop after me. She must have been 80 to 85. She was clearly burned all over her face and most of her hands and neck area. She sat there right next to me, and turned to see who was on the train. When she saw me, I smiled at her and glanced away. Not 2 minutes later, the woman got up and moved to the other side of the train. Now, I know I showered yesterday and I know that I didn't do anything offensive, but the only thing that came to my mind was that she did not like Americans.

We had a visitor today, Bruce, my friend Kacie's father-in-law and one of the first things he asked me was, "do you think the Japanese have hard feelings toward the Americans that come to Hiroshima?" I really don't think about this too often and I told him the story about the lady on the train. It wasn't until yesterday that I really thought maybe the Japanese do. It is surreal being here and seeing the A-Bomb Dome daily, or hearing about all the tourists going to the A-Bomb Museum. I think I will pay more attention to my surroundings and see if I notice any other instances. I will tell you one thing, my friend Jenny and I went to the anniversary of the bombing last August, and listening to survivors' stories, really hit home and imagining what truly happened is unexplainable.

We are lucky to be living in such a historical place where plants still grow, and the city is free of radiation. Baseball sure takes us to some incredible and some not-so-incredible places.

Have a good weekend!

Mike Update

2009-05-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

We just finished the series against the Hanshin Tigers, losing 2 games and winning 1. Mike pitched last night in the bottom of the 8th inning. The first guy grounded out to the catcher and then Mike struck out the next 2. He is coming home for the weekend and then another week long road trip next week. This is going to be a long weekend! My 30th birthday is tomorrow, so we are going to celebrate with none else than a BASEBALL game! YAY! We are also having a special visitor this weekend! On Saturday, my longtime friend, Kacie, her father-in-law will be coming to visit, see Mike's game and have dinner with us. We are really excited and look forward to his company. Saturday is also my brother's 19th birthday, and Sunday is my sweet sister's 21st birthday. Our parents were busy in August! I wish I could be with them for these fun times. Adam and Jo, we are thinking of you and love you so very much. Happy Birthday! I will post pictures soon! Have a great weekend!

Mother's Day Surprises

2009-05-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an amazing day! We were a bit sad, because Mike was gone and unable to spend the day with all of us, but we decided to make the best of it. My sweet babies made me lovely gifts and my mom had a special keepsake box made for me with J & J's pictures on it. It was so nice and thoughtful. I surprised my mom, Jake, and Jordy by taking them to Central Park, and having a fun picnic. It was the perfect day for a picnic. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was even better. Our friends Jenny & Cade met us a bit later for some more fun in the park. The day consisted mostly of baseball, but hey, what else were we to expect? We then headed home and rested until Mike came home around 8:30 from his island road trip to Matsuyama. He didn't pitch in either game and had the day off today. It was so sweet, he had been gone all day and still managed to find a Tiffany's on the island and buy me the nicest bracelet. It was an amazing surprise and a wonderful day!

The surprises weren't over for Jake and Jordy though. Mike left for another road trip today to Kobe. We surprised Jake and let him go alone with Mike for the night and my mom, Jordy, and I will be going tomorrow morning. He got to hang out with the boys and had so much fun. He went to dinner with 2 of the other foreigners on the team, both named Scott, and with the translator. I spoke to him on the phone tonight and he told me he was "hanging with the boys" and with "the Scott's". We had a fun girls night planned for Jordy. Anyway, we are off to meet Mike and Jake tomorrow and will be coming home on Friday. I will post Mike's pitching updates and will probably post more pictures after the road trip. Have a great week!

Going back to Hiroshima

2009-05-06T23:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, I promise pictures will be up in the next 2 days. I am on the road with Mike, and I go home tomorrow, while he continues 2 more days to the island of Matsuyama. We have had such a great time together. He took me to this amazing teppan yaki restaurant at the top of the Westin Hotel last night and it was delicious. It had a view of Nagoya Castle, and was surely a treat. He pitched 2 nights ago against the Chunichi Dragons and did great. 2 strikeouts and one ground ball out. He has his last game tonight against the Dragons and I will post what happens if he pitches. Thank you again for all your support and prayers. We love you all and miss you tons!

Okay, quick post!

2009-05-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't even have a chance to do pictures yet, but Mike pitched again today. We ended up losing 3-2, but Mike did real well. He struck out the first two batters and then the last guy grounded out. We are off to Nagoya tomorrow, for some alone time. YAY! Pictures will follow soon, I promise!

New Visitor

2009-05-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

YAY! Mom comes today! She arrives real late tonight and then tomorrow, Mike and I head out for a 3 day road trip ALONE. I am so thankful for my mommy! I am the luckiest girl in the world. Anyway, Mike pitched last night and did great. 1 1/3 innings, 1 hit, and that's it! We won 9-2. Hope everyone is doing well and I will post some awesome pictures we took earlier this week. Have a good weekend. By the way there is a website that our friend found that has all of Japanese baseball's stats. It is great! It has everything you need to know! Enjoy! http://www.npb.or.jp/eng/

Fun Stuff

2009-04-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

Well, despite feeling a bit under the weather today, we all managed to go to the game and cheer just as loud for Mike. We won today with Mike pitching the 8th inning and doing great! 3 up 3 down! It was a gorgeous day today with even some hot sun shining down on us. My mom gets here on Sunday, so we are super excited about that. My stepfather Bruce has been here these past couple of weeks and that has been fun as well. I've attached some fun pictures and a few good laughs to go along with them!

Jordy got these "banaculus" from our friend Kyoko and even though we are about 10 rows up from the field, she is able to see everything that is going on in the game. Most of the time she uses them to see me or Jake, but occasionally she checks out the game.

Okay, so everyone has been telling me to get Jake and Jordy into acting and or modeling. Well, here is the first picture that I took that I might actually submit. I could seriously eat those cheeks!

As much fun as baseball games can be, Jake and Jordyn busy themselves for at least 2 innings a game with coloring in their little books. It appears that they have taken over the aisles as well. Good thing we don't understand what people tell us when it is time to move!

The sky in Hiroshima is ever changing and this was one of my favorite skies that I have seen in our town. It is hard to concentrate on a baseball game when you are staring at the background.

Okay, so this is pretty funny. Every time a new pitcher comes in to pitch, they put this large picture on the jumbo tron of the pitcher. Well, the first time Mike pitched at our new stadium, this came on and Jordyn freaked out and was balling her eyes out. It wasn't until she calmed down that I understood all the tears. She told me that "daddy is on fire" and no one is helping him. It took a couple of games for her to finally realize that it was only a picture! Honestly though, she still jokes about it and even refers to it as the "daddy on fire" picture. I just love kids and their honesty!

Quickie!

2009-04-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Mike pitched last night and today we are enjoying a nice off day. It was absolutely freezing yesterday and as soon as Mike was done in the 8th inning, the kids and I ran to the family room to wait. Brrrr....ready for some heat! I will post pictures from the game later because something is up with my camera. Anyway, Mike struck 1 guy out and the other 2 grounded to short. Hope you had a great weekend.

Louie Vuitton

2009-04-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

Watching daddy pitch at Mazda Stadium

I am still in the process of uploading pictures from the past couple of weeks, but things have been crazy around here between road trips, illnesses, and visitors. Anyway, I will do it soon, I promise. So, I have a funny story and a pitching update. Mike pitched tonight. He pitched the 9th inning, giving up one hit, and that's it. 2 ground ball outs and 1 pop fly. He continues to amaze us and we just thank all of you for your continued support and prayers.

Now for the funny story! So, we went out to dinner a couple of weeks ago with our friends the Lewis family. We were eating when a table of young men recognized Mike and Colby. Well, usually when fans see these guys they grab whatever they can get their hands on for an autograph. We have seen shirts, napkins, baseball cards (that they just happen to have in their pockets), and paper of course. Well, that night was unlike any other. Two of the guys went into their "murses" (man purses) and pulled out their Louie Vuitton wallets. They literally had Mike and Colby sign their Louie Vuitton wallets that probably cost about $1300. Mike made me swear that night that even if Brad Pitt was standing next to me, that I would NEVER have him sign anything remotely close to that. I told him not to worry; I think it would give me a panic attack before him anyway.

Have a great rest of your weekend and a fabulous upcoming week! We love and miss you all very much!

Mini Update

2009-04-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well, a friend of mine has requested some fun info/news about Japan that does not only consist of baseball. So, I will do that in the next few days. I am sick and I am tired and I am not a good writer when I am both of the above mentioned. So, I will make this quick. Mike pitched tonight after having a much needed 5 days of no pitching. The first 3 games we got swept and Mike didn't pitch and then there was an off day and then yesterday the game got rained out, which happened to be a very good thing, because Mike was very sick.

We are in Hiroshima while he is still in Tokyo and will be home Friday. Anyway, he pitched the 8th inning tonight. We were tied 4-4. He walked one guy and gave up a hit, but got one ground out and 2 strikeouts. I love when he ends the inning with a strike out and the guy just staring at the ball! We ended up winning and Mike got the win since we scored at the top of the 9th. Take care and I will post some very funny stories soon!

Unexpected Visitors

2009-04-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

We have been having some visitors that are not welcome on this blog. If you do not know our family, please leave us alone or I will make this blog private. Some unexpected people have caused this to be a concern. Thank you to my friends who brought this to our attention. Please do not copy any pictures from our site as well.

2 Nights of Pitching....

2009-04-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a rainy and cold night so the kids and I stayed home and watched the game on TV. Last night was beautiful and a bit chilly, but we had a great time anyway. I updated the blog on the 1st game of this series (2 days ago), and thought I would have a bit of time before another update, but, that isn't so. Mike pitched last night and tonight, making that the 2nd time this season so far that he has pitched the whole series. YAY Mike! Sorry for all you blog readers that don't care about all these pitching updates, but finding box scores for Japanese baseball is tough. I have had many requests to update every time he pitches. :)

Last Night:

First guy grounded to 3rd.

Next guy struck out swinging.

Next guy got a chopper over Mike's head.

Next guy struck out looking.

Tonight:

First guy grounded to 3rd.

Next guy grounded to 1st.

Next guy got a hit between 2nd and short.

Next guy grounded out to short.

We are so proud of him and are so lucky to be here with him for this adventure! We certainly are not taking any of this for granted. I thought it would be cool to see a picture from a year ago today, doing the same thing, about to go to daddy's game.

Oh what a difference a year makes! We hope everyone is doing well and just know we miss you all so much!

Mike pitching update

2009-04-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a few days since my last update, but we've had some great complete game shutouts the past 2 games and an off day after those. So, tonight was the first game in this 3 game series against the Yokohama Baystars, and Mike pitched great! 1st guy grounded to 1st. 2nd guy grounded to short but the shortstop fumbled the ball and it was ruled an error. 3rd guy grounded to 2nd for a double play but he fumbled the ball so only got the out at 2nd. Last guy grounded to 2nd to end the inning. The first 3 batters all did this on the first pitch that was thrown to them. YAY Mike! We ended up losing the game, but there's always tomorrow.

Ceremony before the Home Opener at the new

stadium (notice the tall baldy in the middle)

Gorgeous moon on Opening Night

My sweet blue eyed girl all happy and giggly

My sweet boy giving his mama some lovin'

Kobe & Hiroshima Home Opener

2009-04-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we finished our road trip in Kobe, with Mike pitching in the final game of the trip. He came in for the 7th inning, gave up one hit, and got 3 ground ball outs. We came back to Hiroshima on Thursday night and had our Season Home Opener at our new stadium last night (Friday). It was so much fun! The stadium is beautiful and they had a really nice ceremony for the guys on the field before the game. We had a day game today and our starter pitched a complete game shutout, so it gave our bullpen a much needed rest. Tomorrow is the final game before an off day on Monday. I will update you if Mike pitches tomorrow. Here are some pictures of the road trip and some of the new stadium. I will take more of the stadium tomorrow!
Up on the Kobe Mountain, after a nice gondola ride

Mike pitching in Kobe, it was packed!

Jordy liking our new seats at the Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium

Waiting to see if Daddy is coming in to pitch

Can you point Mike out? Of course, the tallest one!

3 days of games, 3 days of pitching!

2009-04-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't update last night because I was way too tired, but Mike pitched last night AS WELL as tonight. That makes 3 games so far, and Mike pitched in, let's see, 3 of them! Last night he gave up one hit and was taken out after 2 outs. The next pitcher gave up his run, but we still ended up winning. Tonight on the other hand, we were losing up until the 9th inning and then we tied the game. Well, Mike came in the bottom of the 9th and struck out the side! It was so loud in the Dome! It was awesome! We are so proud of Mike and his accomplishments. The kids cheered for their daddy and were so proud to see him out there and on the big screen. We are leaving Tokyo tomorrow morning and have an off day! YAY! We are heading to Kobe where we will be for a 3 game series. I will keep you all updated. Have a wonderful week.

Season Opener

2009-04-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

Let the games begin! Well, last night was the first night of the season, and not only did we get a WIN, but Mike pitched great. 3 up 3 down. His last out, he bear handed a come backer and threw the guy out. All 45,000 people in the dome, were ooohing and aaaghing, it was pretty amazing. Jake & Jordyn enjoyed themselves as usual, Jake waving his bats and cheering, while Jordyn colored in her book almost the whole time. We are in Tokyo and going to Kobe in a couple of days. I promised some people that I would update the blog as much as possible when Mike pitches. I will do my best! You can find the box scores at japanesebaseball.com every morning. Mike's team is called the Hiroshima Carp. I don't think they have started yet this season, but hopefully soon. Take care!

Mike Warming up for the 7th inning

Jake loving being at the ball games

Jordy attempting the peace sign, sweet girl!

I thought they had blue eyes!

2009-03-20T06:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I knew it was a matter of time, but the kids have officially gotten their 1st taste of sickness since being here in Japan. They both have pink eye! After quite a long day at the non-speaking English doctor and tons of stories to accompany that trip, we are home resting our eyes and keeping away from all people. This comes just 2 days after Jake and Jordyn's 1st graduation from their preschool class at the YMCA. They started in this classroom last year and came back just 2 weeks before the whole class was graduating. It was really fun to watch except that my shy boy, was hiding almost the entire time. Oh well, he will come out of his shell at some point. The new school year in Japan starts in April, so in just a couple of weeks they will be in a new class. In fact, the school has asked Mike and I to skip Jake and Jordyn ahead 2 classes because their English is obviously better than most of the other students attending. I think it will be a bit challenging but definitely rewarding for them this year.

J & J during Preschool Graduation

After a fun day at school, we went home and celebrated with our friends the Lewis' for Cade's 2nd birthday. It was so cute! Jake and Jordyn adore Cade, so they had so much fun. The new foreign family joined us, the Dohmann's, and they have 2 boys as well. Jordy is the only girl again, although something tells me she can probably hold her own with 4 boys!

Jordy, Cade, and Jake

Mike is gone on a road trip right now and pitched today. He threw one inning, giving up one hit, and striking out one guy. He will pitch again tomorrow, and then heads back home. The season starts in 2 weeks and we are really looking forward to it. The first series is in Tokyo, which I am really looking forward to since they have a California Pizza Kitchen at the stadium. Wow, the little things that make me happy these days. We will probably travel with Mike a lot this season since the kids really miss him when he is gone and it only makes sense to see all we can while here. We have lots of family visiting this year too, so traveling will happen inevitably! Well, I am off to sleep while the rest of you are just rising. Have a great weekend!

Family Picture

Cold Times

2009-03-14T17:17:00.001-07:00

Wow, I have never been to a baseball game in the absolute freezing cold, until now! The kids and I were troupers and went to Mike's game yesterday, in the 6th inning. We figured getting there a bit late would enhance our chances of missing most of the cold. WRONG! Jake's lips turned completely purple and we all could barely move our limbs.

We had a good time though, cheering on daddy. He pitched the 8th inning, 3 up 3 down. When we saw him after the game, he could barely move himself. He had little heating pads in his pockets, pants, and everything. He said he could not feel himself out there pitching. We are hoping for warmer weather soon, just not the crazy heat we have in the summer.

After the game, we walked to the nearby toy store to buy Jake and Jordyn a few goodies. We probably won't do that again, since, too many people recognized Mike and followed us all the way there. I had to take a picture for our parents of Mike's stardom, since it is so not like him, to want all this attention. Jake and Jordyn kept asking me why so many people were talking to daddy, and mommy had to put her foot down when all the people were touching Jake and Jordyn. That is where I draw the line!

We then ate dinner at this really cute Italian restaurant that is so good and so cheap. We got so much food and the bill was only $30 for all 4 of us. Remember the size of my husband too. We left with full bellies and headed home to just spend quality time together. We cuddled and wrestled and just had a sweet time. Here are some pictures of daddy with his babies!

We hope you have a great weekend! We miss our family and friends so very much. Please write us and send updates of yourselves. Love you!

ST Game Update

2009-03-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

   Daddy & the kids before leaving for his mini road trip
   Hanging out at home with mommy
   I think that is the wrong ball in your glove, Jake!

My sweet Jake & Jordyn before school today

I am so lucky for my life. We often take little things for granted, and honestly seeing my kids' smiling faces every morning, is something I truly cherish. Jake and Jordyn are only 3 and the things that they have been through already: the moving, the instability, the various schools, friends, time changes, and of course, environments, really shows me the kind of people they are. They just get into a new routine every where we go and don't complain about it at all.

They have sure taught me to be in the moment and just enjoy where we are no matter what part of the world we are in. They could be in LA with our family or on the streetcar in Japan where no one smiles, and they are still Jake and Jordyn. We appreciate all the support and love all of you have given us, it can definitely be challenging within our blessing.

Anyway, Mike pitched today in a country game. The idea of country games are really cool. 2 teams travel to a remote location where not many people have access to the bigger cities and they play on a field nearby so people all around Japan can participate in watching these games. Baseball is the #1 sport in Japan, so you can only imagine how exciting it is for these smaller cities to host a Big League game in their town.

1 inning

1st guy strikes out

2nd guy flies out to center

3rd guy grounds out to 3rd

We are so proud of Mike. He has worked so hard this offseason and ST to stay healthy and do the best that he can. Good things are in store this year for him on and off the field. We love you Mike!

Japan Deja Vu

2009-03-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems like we never left this place, but we did, for a bit. We are now back in Hiroshima playing for the same team Mike did last year, the Carp. We have 1 new foreign player but 4 returning players, including Mike. It is really nice having the Lewis family in our apartment building this year, it makes things easier for play dates and just having each other around. The kids started school on Monday and love it. It is as though they never left. They still talk about their friends from LA but they are reunited with some of their friends they left last year. Mike is busy working out and Spring Training games have began. He has pitched once and will pitch again tomorrow. He is doing well, so we hope that he continues down that path and stays healthy. I finally finished putting away all 19 bags/boxes/suitcases that we brought here, and instead of our place looking like an apt it looks like Target. I prepared thoroughly this time. We appreciate everyone who has been following Mike and our family, and I promise to post pictures soon. I forgot to bring the camera to the field the other day. Have a great week and I will update you with pictures and pitching this week.

We still exist!

2009-01-31T23:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it sure has been a while, but a lot has happened over the past month or so. Our holidays were bittersweet, with the kids loving the lights, family time, and of course presents, but with an unexpected death of my uncle. Our family is hanging in there, but it sure has been hard. Thank you to all our friends and family who have lent their support in more ways than one.

For those of you who don't know, we are spending another baseball season in Japan this year. Mike left last Monday and we will join him March 1st. We are blessed to have this job, but with any situation, hardships do occur. We hope more of our family and friends will visit this year, so you can have amazing opportunities, and we can have people around! We are really happy to be returning to the same apartment and kids' school. They are excited to see their old teachers and to play with some of their friends that they had to say goodbye to. They will certainly miss their new friends here though. The Carp, Mike's team, is getting a new stadium this year, so we are super stoked about that. Last years stadium was a bit run down, so this year will feel like a whole new ball game (no pun intended).

Other than that, we are just hanging in there without our daddy/hubby here and preparing for our upcoming journey. Packing the house up is never my favorite part of this lifestyle. Please keep your updates coming and once the season begins I will most definitely keep you all informed about Mike's games and stats. Have a wonderful week!

Hi Again!

2008-11-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, it sure has been a while since I have written last. Thanks Ash for reminding me I have a blog and haven't written on it for a while! Let's see, what is new in our lives? The Schultz's remain crazy as ever preparing for the holidays, Jake and Jordyn's 3rd birthdays, and preparing for our next adventure. Yes, that is right, another adventure. We are going back to Japan! We are leaving in February. Mike will leave a couple of weeks before the kids and I, but we will follow soon after. We are excited about the opportunity again, but are sad to leave all our friends and family again. I think it will be a bit easier this time around because I know what to expect as far as the town and our lifestyle, so I can be more prepared with what I bring. We are lucky enough to be in our same apartment and the kids will be going back to their same school. It sure has been a long year, but we have been very blessed.

Other than that, we have been busy hanging out together and traveling around. Mike and I just got back from our Anniversary trip to Jamaica and it was a blast. We are going to San Diego in the next couple of weeks to visit Mike's sister, Kristy, and we are going to Vegas the week after Thanksgiving with our friends, Amy and Scott. Mike is busy relaxing and getting ready to start working out and prepare for the season. He is thoroughly enjoying watching and going to the Lakers games and is pretty satisfied if that is what his offseason consists of.

Jake and Jordyn are doing great! We really are so lucky to have the two of them as our children. We receive compliments constantly on their great behavior and we just feel so happy and proud. We will be celebrating their 3rd birthday at Chuck E Cheeses this year. Woo hoo! No clean up for mom this year. They love their school and are enjoying making all new friends. Too bad we will have to say goodbye to them soon. Oh well, they are really looking forward to seeing their other friends in Japan.

As for me, I have been busy taking care of the brood. It is really nice to actually have time to hang out with my husband for a whole day without any baseball games involved. We have been doing a lot with the kids and with our families, since February will be right around the corner. That's about it in our lives. We truly hope we have the time to see everyone and spend some quality time before we jet off to the other side of the world again. Take care!

WOW! It's been a while!

2008-10-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back in LA and doing well. It has been crazy trying to get our lives back together after being in another country for 7 months. We are living in California and loving our rented condo. We will hopefully be finding out next month what is in store for us next season, and are patiently waiting that news. In the meantime, we are busy at the kids' new school, visiting our friends in Arizona, and will be taking a vacation. Yes, the time has come, Mike and I are leaving on Monday for our much needed 8 day vacation while my sweet, and might I add, very patient mother will be caring for our amazing kids. We want to thank everyone for praying for Mike's season and especially our safe return home. This offseason will be wonderful for us and we hope we are able to see many of you. Our home is always open for visitors! Have a great week!

Home!

2008-09-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the kids and I made it, and we are finally home in LA. Mike is still in Japan and we are unsure of when he will be coming back. It all depends on whether the team makes the playoffs or not. As of now, they are tied for 3rd place with the Chunichi Dragons. The top 3 teams make the playoffs, so things are a bit close right now. As for the kids and I, we just moved into our rented condo in Tarzana. Things have been more than hectic and not exactly up to par, but we are trying to get it all squared away. We have been home a week now and I am so sorry it has taken me forever to update everyone and call those of you back home. Between the kids starting a new school, getting sick, not sleeping, the car dying, the insurance expiring, I am a bit overwhelmed. With that said, things are going to get better, and we cannot wait to see Mike. So, we have a lot to look forward to. We hope things are well with you all! This is a family picture from before our departure from Japan!

Road Trip, etc!

2008-09-12T05:00:00.001-07:00

Well, I am sorry it has been days since I last updated, but things have literally been crazy. Throughout all the packing and shipping and tidying up, the blog got away from me. Anyway, Mike came off the D.L. on Tuesday and pitched in 3 straight games. They have a game tonight, but he has the night off so that is really nice. He has done real well, and is finishing the season out strong. We are currently in Kobe, will head to Tokyo next, and then the kids and I will be leaving straight from Tokyo to LA on Wednesday. We are so excited to go home and see everyone, but sad to leave Mike at the same time. Hopefully, he won't be more than 3 weeks later than us. I will still be updating the blog with his stats and whatnot, but this week has just flown by, so sorry!

This is a short little snip of Jake saying thank you in Japanese. He is saying Arigato Gozaimasta to someone who just gave him a treat at the game. Enjoy!

Schultz Update

2008-09-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a while, Mike has been on the D.L. for the past week and will come off on Tuesday, hopefully. He has a pinched nerve near his tricep, but is feeling a lot better. We will continue to update you when he starts playing. This is Jordy in the Babies R Us here in Hiroshima. She loves singing! Cade accompanies her in this lovely show. They were so cute, and I didn't even get the best part on tape. Oh well! Have a good week! More pictures will follow soon!

Nagoya

2008-08-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last night we played the Chunichi Dragons in Nagoya. Mike came in during the 7th inning with a tie game. Unfortunately he gave up a run to give them the lead, but luckily in the top of the 8th we scored to tie it back up. I guess it was just one of those games. Mike continues to make us proud everyday and we just love being with him on the road and everywhere. Hope everyone has a great weekend. I will post pictures when we return from the trip next week.

Stats: 7th inning

1 Hit

1 Strikeout

1 Walk

1 Run

Cast off! & Pitching!

2008-08-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday I got my lovely cast off my foot. To be honest, it still hurts like heck and I will have to have an MRI when I get home. I guess a cartilage tear does not heal so quickly. Oh well! The kids and I will be home in 2 weeks from today. We are so excited but will miss Mike so much! Hopefully it won't be too much longer for him. Anyway, he pitched last night as well.

Last night marked his 40th appearance in the 70 games he has been up in the Big Leagues. (Remember he started off the season on the D.L.)

8th inning: (1/3 inning)

3 Hits

1 Stikeout

No Runs

Carp Won 5-1

YAY Yokohama

2008-08-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I traveled with Mike to Yokohama alone for 2 days. It was an awesome time. The first night we got there and had time to go to dinner, hang out, and go to bed at a reasonable time. The next day, despite the rain, it was a great day. Mike's game ended up being rained out, so we had another nice dinner and went and saw Hancock with Alex. It was like a mini weekend off. I am now back in Hiroshima and watched Mike's game on TV. He did great!

7th inning (Carp winning 3-2)

1st guy struck out swinging

2nd guy struck out looking

3rd guy struck out swinging

YAY Mike! We are so proud of you and your accomplishments!

Pitching Update

2008-08-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Mike has pitched the last 2 nights!

1st night:

6th inning (1 guy on 1st base & 2 outs)

Guy struck out swinging

(They then had to pinch hit for him, so he was out)

Tonight:

7th inning (he got to start his own inning, YAY!)

1st guy grounded to shortstop

2nd guy got a hit

3rd guy bunted & catcher threw him out at first

4th guy flew out to center

2008-08-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

Sensoji Shrine/Temple

Well, we just returned from a fabulous road trip to Tokyo. It all started with a few days of traveling around with my best friend, Jenny. We had so much fun! The trip ended with a few days of alone time for Mike and I. My mom so thoughtfully watched the kids while we had this mini vacation.

Jenny & I at the Giants/Carp game

The Carp beat the Tokyo Giants 2 out of 3 games, and Mike did great the whole series. He was even MVP the 1st game. Go Mike!

Mike pitching at the Tokyo Dome

Here are his stats for the 2 games he pitched in Tokyo for those of you who asked:

1st game: Came in during the 5th inning with guys on 1st & 2nd, no outs

1st guy struck out

2nd guy popped up to 2nd

3rd guy grounded out to 1st

6th inning:

1st guy hit a single

2nd guy bunted him over & was out at 1st

3rd guy grounded out to 1st

4th guy struck out

3rd game: Came in during the 6th inning with a guy on 1st and 1 out

Guy on 1st tried to steal and catcher threw him out

Next guy grounded out to 2nd

7th inning:

1st guy lined out to 2nd

2nd guy grounded out to shortstop

3rd guy flew out to center

Mike & I home from a late dinner!

It's been a while!

2008-08-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

Well, the Japanese Baseball League gave the players a 4 day hiatus from playing any games for the sake of the Olympics. To make it fair to the teams here who sent players to the Japan team, none of the teams played. The guys still had practice and then resumed games about 4 nights ago. Mike pitched the first 2 of 3 games in the Chunichi Dragons series.

1st game:

8th inning-

1st guy grounded to 2nd

2nd guy grounded to 2nd

3rd guy struck out

2nd game:

6th inning (2 guys on, 2 outs)

Lee (hit 2 homeruns night before) struck out

7th inning

1st guy struck out

2nd guy bunted and got to 1st safely

3rd guy flew out to left and guy on 1st tried to steal and was out (double play)

Currently, we are in Tokyo. I have just joined Mike today (alone) while my mom is watching the kids for 3 days! YAY for us! Pictures will soon follow!

Not Great, but oh well!

2008-08-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

Mike pitched the 7th inning last night and had a bit of a rough time. It happens!

4 Hits

2 Runs

1 K

Carp win 11-10 (they scored 7 runs in the 8th inning)

All-Star Break, over and done!

2008-08-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, the All-Star break just ended and with only 2 days off, the team is back and running. The Carp lost their opener tonight, but Mike pitched a solid 8th inning.

1st guy grounded to 3rd base

2nd guy struck out

3rd guy grounded to 1st base

He leaves for a mini 3 day road trip on Tuesday, and my mom comes to visit on Saturday. We are getting real excited for our homecoming. Take care and have a great week!

Last 2 Nights!

2008-07-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Mike getting swarmed by fans! It was really fun to watch them all.

Mike pitched last night and tonight!

Last night: came in during the 8th inning with 1 out.

1st guy grounded to 2nd base

2nd guy flew out to left field

Tonight: came in for the 8th inning

1st guy popped up to the shortstop

2nd guy struck out swinging

3rd guy grounded out to 3rd

Quickie!

2008-07-26T04:44:00.001-07:00

We are so glad to be home and back in our own beds! The trip was fun and being with Mike was great. Last night was the first game back at our stadium, and Mike pitched a solid 2 innings.

2 innings (8th & 9th)

1st guy grounded to 1st base

2nd guy struck out

3rd guy struck out

1st guy struck out swinging

2nd guy grounded to shortstop

3rd guy struck out swinging

Carp lost 4-3 :(

2nd half almost over!

2008-07-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

Hi all, well tomorrow we are heading back to Hiroshima. YAY! Being on the road for 2 weeks is real hard, but fun to be with Mike. Mike has been doing better, he has pitched the last two nights.

1st night:

1 inning

1 hit

1 run

1 K

2nd night (last night):

1 Inning

1 Hit

1 Walk

1 K

No runs!

So, things are looking up and I will post pictures from the 2nd half of the trip in the next couple of days. This was Mike pitching in Yokohama. Have a good week!

We are all doing great!

2008-07-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

We are in Yokohama right now, leaving tonight for Tokyo. Just wanted to let you all know that the kids are feeling great, and Mike is back in his pitching groove. Will update you again soon on some details and photos! This little video clip is from a few days ago when Jake was sick and in the tub cooling off from a 103 degree temperature. He was so cute, reading Brown Bear, brown bear, what do you see? Enjoy!

2008-07-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie, things have not been too great regarding Mike and baseball. His last 3 games have been as follows:

1st game: 1/3 inning...got the guy to ground out

2nd game: gave up game winning homerun

3rd game: gave up leading double, closer came in and gave up Mike's run to tie the game, we ended up losing

So, with that said, we are all ready to turn things around. Things with the kids have not gotten better either. Jake is now sick again with the same thing Jordyn had last week. It is a vicious cycle that I am ready to get rid of. So, please keep all of us in your prayers. Thanks!

Quick Update

2008-07-08T05:51:00.001-07:00

Mike came in during the 7th inning with guys on base & two outs. He got the out that was needed and then they had to pinch hit for him! Way to go!

Jordy was real sick again today, with a 103 degree temp, so she had to go to the doctor again, and they said it is a "summer cold". Hopefully she will feel better before we leave on Friday!

Jake swam alone yesterday at the family pool! What fun that was! He is getting real good!

I am busy packing for our 2 week road trip and missing my sister who left this morning.

Hope everyone is well!

Sarah

Not a fun pitching update!

2008-07-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

Well, everyone has their days!

1 Inning

2 Hits

2 Walks

3 Runs

We are so proud of Mike and are so glad we are here to support everything he does!

Mike Pitching Update! 4 in a row!

2008-07-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Well, Mike pitched again tonight, that makes it 4 out of 4 games this week. It was another hot one today but I guess Mike plus the humidity make a good couple!

1 Inning (8th)

1 K

No hits, no walks, no runs!

Game ended in a tie after 12 innings, 5-5!

2008-07-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

GO DADDY, GO DADDY!

Well, I have to say tonight was a hot one! This is a picture from a game last week, but I will post the ones from tonight later. Mike did great tonight, despite the 90% humidity! Literally!

1 Inning (7th)

1 K

2 Hits

No Runs!

Carp WIN!

Hits are Errors too here!

2008-07-02T16:16:00.001-07:00

Sometimes watching this game irritates me to the extreme. They rarely call errors and it does not matter if the ball falls from a player's glove, it is still a hit. In that case, Mike did well last night. He had me on the edge of the couch a few times, but all's well when ends well! There is a website that you can check out all his box scores if you would like. Japanesebaseball.com

1 Inning (8th)

1 Hit (or error, whichever you prefer)

1 Walk

2 K's

No Runs!

Pitching Update

2008-07-01T04:46:00.001-07:00

Mike came in during the 7th inning, with a guy on 1st and 2 outs.

The batter grounded out to 2nd and the inning was over. They had to pinch hit for him, so that was his short but successful outing.

CARP WIN 3-2!

Pitching Update & Lovely Song!

2008-06-27T05:40:00.000-07:00

So, after a four day hiatus, the team played tonight against the Tokyo Giants. Not only did Mike pitch well, but the lady sitting next to us, gave us a beautiful rendition of what they call the "7th Inning Stretch". My sister just so happen to catch it all on tape, as she was only trying to capture the 1 million sperm like balloons in the middle of the 7th Inning.

Mike pitched the 8th Inning

1 Hit

1 K

No runs! CARP WIN!

4 Things!

2008-06-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

I usually write about everyone else, so I was tagged by my friend, Jamie, and thought this was cute!

4 Things I was doing 10 years ago:

a. I was finishing up my 2nd year of college and decided to take a break and move to Littleton, CO for a change.

b. Had knee surgery

c. Went to China with my parents for vacation

d. Got my first puppy, Snickers

4 Things I was doing 5 years ago:

a. I was marrying my love, Mike

b. Getting used to the heat of Tucson, AZ

c. Finally finishing my Communications degree after many short breaks

d. Helping my mom through her breast cancer

4 Things I did yesterday:

a. Cheering my hubby on at his long night game in Japan

b. Hanging out with my sister, AKA, my best friend

c. I was playing ball with my son, and dolls with my daughter

d. Falling asleep with both Mike and Johanna in my bed talking

4 Shows I like:

a. Grey's Anatomy

b. Dancing with the Stars

c. Desperate Housewives

d. Jon & Kate Plus 8

4 of my biggest joys at this moment:

a. Listening to Jake sing himself to sleep

b. Being able to take care of Mike even while he is sick

c. Sitting with my sister talking, laughing, and crying about everything

d. Being able to sit down and relax after a long day to Miyajima Island

4 Things you might not know about me:

a. I am addicted to Iced Chai Lattes from Starbucks, yes, even here in Japan, and get one almost every morning

b. I have been to 4 of the Worlds Continents ( I will conquer the last 3 eventually)

c. I had to break down and buy a $12 People magazine just to keep myself sane for a while

d. I am a certified Scuba Diver who loves swimming with sharks

Okay, I am tagging my other blog friends, get going, I will check your blogs: Jenny, Emily, Liz, Jess, Katie, Ashley, Jeff, & Caitlin!

Pitching Update

2008-06-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Despite the smoldering weather, Mike pitched yesterday in a lovely day game.

1 Inning

1 Hit

No walk, no runs!

Carp lost 3-1

Mike Pitching Update & Priceless Pictures

2008-06-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Mike pitched last night:

1Inning

1st guy got a hit past 2nd

2nd guy bunted to Mike & he threw him out

3rd guy popped up to 1st

4th guy grounded to 2nd

YAY Mike!

Mike Pitching Update: 1,2,3

2008-06-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

Mike pitched tonight and did awesome! I attempted to video the TV once again and my kids decided to have a fight during the outing. So, with that said, the video was often on the floor and tilted sideways. To say the least it was not a good showcase for Mike. There are still the videos of the kids down below if you missed them! They are pretty funny!

1 Inning

1st guy flew out to center field

2nd guy grounded out to 2nd base

3rd guy grounded out to 2nd base

Carp WIN AGAIN!

Mike Pitching Update & Kids' Videos

2008-06-12T19:33:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I videotaped the TV again in hopes that Mike would do well like last time, and he did. The only problem was that the video took almost 16 hours to load onto my computer and was still not done by the time I decided to give up. The video was 8 minutes long so I figured that was why. So, for those of you who asked to see him pitch again, it will have to be next time. Instead, though I put some hilarious videos of my children. They are learning so much and yet crack us up constantly. Enjoy at the expense of our kids!

Mike' s Stats:

1 Inning (8th)

1 Strikeout

No hits, no walks, no runs

Carp Win 8-5

Mike Pitching Update

2008-06-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

Mike threw 1/3 of an inning last night.

1 Hit

1 Walk

No runs

Carp Win 6-1

Mike Pitching Update

2008-06-06T05:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight was not a great game for the Carp. I think they used every pitcher in the bullpen. Mike came in for the 9th inning.

1 Inning

1 Hit

1 Walk

1 Strikeout

No Runs

Carp lose 12-2

Wow, baseball is different here!

2008-06-01T17:40:00.001-07:00

Well, Mike pitched yesterday and as much as I would like to think that the game is the same as in the states, it's not! Apparently when a fielder drops the ball or fumbles with a ball that is almost caught, it is not considered an error, it is a hit. So, with that said, here are the stats from yesterday.

2/3 inning pitched

2 hits

1 run

ERA 1.42

Carp Win 2-1

Well, no video, but good pitching!

2008-05-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

GO daddy GO! Well, we cheered daddy on at the stadium tonight before he leaves for a week. Mike has become the set up man for the closer and has been doing awesome! Tonight this is what happened:

1 Inning (8th)

First guy flew out to 2nd base

Second guy got a hit behind the 2nd baseman

3rd guy struck out and at the same time the catcher threw the guy out who was trying to steal 2nd.

So, a quick outing and a good one! The kids really enjoy watching Mike out there, even if it isn't him sometimes on the mound. I am trying to teach them that their daddy is about 10 times taller than any of the other guys!

WOO HOO!

2008-05-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight was awesome, not only did Mike pitch real well, but he was 1 of 2 MVP's of the game. There are 2 videos below (both pretty long), one of him pitching only 1 inning, even though he threw 2 innings (didn't want to make it too long), and one of his interview via a translator after the game. It is a bit blurry and has some lines going through it because I taped the TV, but you get the point. Many of you have asked to see him pitch, so I hope this is okay. Sorry if you can't hear real well, I was sitting at home while all of this happened and I just grabbed the video camera. For those of you who know Mike well (and know how shy he is,) the interview and cameras all over him is absolutely hilarious. The kids and I were at the game and left in the 5th inning because they were a bit tired. I guess I missed some good action. Here are Mike's stats for tonight:

2 Innings

No hits

1 Walk

No RUNS!

CARP Win 8-4

Mike Pitches & Jordy Dances

2008-05-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry, you have to watch this sideways, but I couldn't rotate it for some reason. Mike & I literally cried after watching this video of Jordyn like 100 times. She definitely has my rhythm; not much of any!

Mike pitched tonight! He did great!

1st guy struck out looking

2nd guy grounded out to the shortstop

3rd guy flew out to left field.

YAY MIKE!

2008-05-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Mike pitched last night and did great. He came in in the 7th inning and.....

1st guy grounded out to 3rd base

2nd guy struck out

3rd guy got a weak hit to the shortstop; he didn't get it to 1st on time (yuck)

4th guy grounded out to the shortstop

Mike feels good and is ready to go out again. His velocity neared 94 consistently! I have some photos that I will post tomorrow.

Nerves, nerves, nerves

2008-05-21T23:20:00.001-07:00

So, I am Mike's wife and I am just going to blame his first outing on NERVES. Mike came in during the 7th inning with 2 guys on, 1 out, and a tie game. Unfortunately, both of the runners scored, 2 outs occurred and then the inning was over. He threw great pitches, but was hit in the wrong spots. The positive side is that his velocity stayed consistently at 152 km which the reporters were really going crazy about. That is approximately 94-95 mph. He feels good and is glad his first outing is out of the way. I guess there is something about 40,000 people watching that might shock you at first. I have some cool pictures from the stadium and Mike's outing, but I will post them when we return from the road trip on Sunday. The coaches are really supportive and think highly of Mike, so hopefully the future holds better outings in store.

Quick Mike Update

2008-05-19T02:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a long 48 hours. Mike got called up to the Big Leagues and immediately had to leave for a road trip. We were going to go to the 2nd part of the road trip and at the last minute, literally, decided to go for the whole thing. With that said, the kids and I got on the shinkansen (bullet train) and headed to Fukuoka. We are here safely after a lot of sweat (me), bribes (me to the kids), and hand wipies (a lot of spillage!) Mike will go back to the bullpen while here in the Big Leagues. Thanks for all your prayers, please keep them going! I will update everyone as soon as he pitches.

2008-05-17T03:45:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome day at the zoo today with all our friends!

It was a great day and so much fun! We came home to find

out that daddy pitched really well!

3 Innings (on a pitch count for the first time starting the game)

1 Hit

1 Walk

1 Strikeout

NO RUNS!

He felt great and was really happy with how he did.

Mike will pitch again next week and will have a higher

pitch count. Unfortunately, we won't be able to

go to that game either, but the one following that

we will! Hope you have a great week!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2008-05-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is the day, Mike is starting his first game since...who knows? We won't be there, but we will be thinking of him, while at the Hiroshima zoo! We are so excited for him and know he will do great. I had a great Birthday yesterday and got lots of fun presents, even here in Japan! Mike and I don't take too many great photos together, but I loved this one! Hope everyone has a great weekend, and thanks to all of you who wrote me and called me for Birthday wishes!

"Starting a new chapter"

2008-05-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me a few days to write, but Mike has not pitched since the last time I updated. We just found out that the team is making Mike a starting pitcher. His first start will be on Saturday May 17th. We are looking forward to this new chapter in our lives and still ask for people's prayers and good wishes.

Not too much is going on around here. I got a new camera for my birthday and am really excited to take more pictures. I know that might be surprising, since I already take a lot! The kids have been super active lately which has made me super tired lately. Mother's Day was just okay, certainly not the same when family is not around, including my husband! We miss everyone and will hopefully give another update before Mike pitches next weekend. Take care and Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

Mike Pitching Update

2008-05-07T03:11:00.000-07:00

Today was not the best of days for Mike!

1 Inning

2 Hits

1 Walk

2 Strikeouts

2 Runs

Mike got the loss :(

2008-05-06T04:17:00.000-07:00

Mike is on the last leg of his road trip. He was in Kobe yesterday and Osaka today. Here is a view from the hotel room. Going to the different cities is so cool, but can be very tiring after a while.

Mike pitched the 6th & 7th innings today:

0 Hits

0 Runs

1 Walk

2 Strikeouts

YAY Mike! Please keep praying for his success!

Road Trips & 2 Little Monkeys...literally!

2008-05-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

This was so funny to me now that Jake and Jordyn are making sentences, singing songs, and saying the funniest things, I thought you would want to see their version of the 3 Little Monkey song! I didn't include Twinkle, Twinkle, or should I say, Tinkle Tinkle like they say, but we will have more coming once I learn how to use our new video camera. I should be taping their daily activities, because there are always funny things coming out of their mouths. I guess this is what 2 1/2 looks like.

Well, we had a great time on our road trip to Nagoya with Mike! It was fun to be in a new city, see Mike pitch for the first time this year, and stay in a hotel room the size of a shoe box! We came home a day before Mike because Bruce, my stepfather arrived! Mike came home the same day Bruce arrived and then the next day, we all unexpectedly left for another road trip to Fukuoka with Mike. We all got to see him pitch again today and we are so proud of all his accomplishments.

His stats for today were:

First guy grounded out to 3rd base!

The next guy struck out swinging!

Last guy struck out!

He got his 3rd save!

Please continue to pray for Mike's success. We are so happy that he is doing well and enjoying playing now that he's not hurt anymore. We are also so happy because Bruce brought a suitcase solely for us filled with lots of goodies. Between my mom, Mike's parents and Bruce, they filled the suitcase to the top; even more than that, Bruce had to pay $50 for the extra heaviness. We got awesome clothes for the kids, lots of fun food, Captain Crunch, yummy, and maple syrup and lots more. We also got all the seasons of 24 that Mike and I are watching like crazy. We just finished Season 3, so we are all set for the next 3 seasons. Watching Japanese TV every night is just not our cup of tea. Well, that is it for now. Mike is still on his road trip and comes home just to sleep tomorrow night and then leaves again the next morning. He will be back on Wednesday for a while, so that will be nice. Hope everyone is doing well and we miss you all!

Another outing for Mike

2008-04-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I will post pictures from the road trip a bit later, but just wanted to update you on Mike's outing.

1 Inning

1 K

1 Walk (not really, because the umpire was blind)

No runs!

He is doing great and feels great as well. Thanks for everyone's support all the time!

The latest!

2008-04-25T22:52:00.001-07:00

Here is a quick insight into our lives the past couple of weeks. We are heading out on Monday to go with Mike to Fukouka, so we are really excited. Mike is pitching today, so I will have a brief update on that when he returns home. Hope all is well and hope everyone is having a good week!

A Shave & a Save!

2008-04-23T04:58:00.000-07:00

Mike shaved his head the other day and it looks great! We love it and the kids love rubbing his head! It is too cute! Mike also pitched today:

1 Inning

2 Hits

2 Strikeouts

No runs

Got the Save!

We rode our bike to school today and managed not to fall down. We got the kids some cool looking helmets so they are stylin' now! Hopefully we will have some pictures soon! Have a great day!

Daddy's 2nd Outing

2008-04-20T01:48:00.000-07:00

Mike's Stats:

2 Innings

2 Hits

2 Strikeouts

1 Walk

1 Run (unearned....shortstop made an error that caused the runner to score)

Mike says he feels great and was even available to pitch the next day. However, because the coaches want to make sure he stays healthy, they are waiting until next series for him to pitch back to back days.

The kids and I had an interesting weekend. After a long Friday night, we stayed in our pj's all day on Saturday. We watched movies, played with their blocks, and just hung out. Thank goodness they both slept great last night so today we spent the day at the park and went to their favorite, McDonald's for lunch. They were more interested in the toys they give there, than their nuggets, so needless to say they didn't eat a lot. Mike comes home tonight, so we are very excited to see him. We are off to take a bath right now, so hope everyone's week goes well!

We love MUD!

2008-04-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun week. The tide from the river by our house was very low, so we went and played in all the fun, sticky, gooey, mud! The kids had a blast until they realized how cold the actual water was. Mike leaves today for a road trip and will be back Sunday night. We are so proud of him and happy that he has recovered from his injury and will now be pitching his butt off. We will miss him, but will be able to talk to him throughout the weekend. Mike and I went out to lunch yesterday with his translator, and the sushi restaurant owner recognized him and asked him for his autograph. This is not unusual here, but the funny thing was, he asked for mine too! Who the heck am I? My face went as red as could be, and Mike and Hero (our translator) were laughing their tails off. Anyway, things here are great and as always, we miss everyone! Have a great weekend!

2008-04-15T03:37:00.000-07:00

YAY for daddy! Mike pitched one inning today and did great. Although we were unable to go, we were so excited for him that he had his first day on the mound since last season. He walked the first guy, the second guy tried to bunt and when the first baseman tried to tag him, he missed, so the umpire called him safe. I mean really! After that, they were all goners! Two ground outs and a fly out! He feels good, looks good, and is on his way to the mean and lean pitching machine that he is! I crack myself up. Anyway, he will probably be pitching again on Thursday, so I will update you then.

The kids are doing great. They had such a good day at school today that they didn't want to come home. Until......I brought them their snack and they were out of there. For some reason, the seaweed they give them for snack does not bring on too many smiles. Thank goodness for good old peanut butter crackers.

Today was my first day out alone since my mom left, it was sad, and then I remembered I am 28 (almost 29) and could actually do things on my own. I miss her, but will use this time wisely, maybe to write a coffee table book like so many of you have said I should. Well, hope everyone has a great day tomorrow.

2008-04-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice weekend and unfortunately my mom is leaving tomorrow. We are all sad, but happy that she will be visiting again in July. Mike is supposed to pitch in his first game on Tuesday, so we are really happy about that. Jake and Jordyn have been exploring new words and creating sentences that sometimes they only understand. They crack us up all day long! We found an amazing babysitter here who works at one of the schools we checked out for the kids. Her name is Erin and she is from Canada. Mike and I feel real blessed that we have someone that we feel comfortable with while going out for date nights. We took the kids to the river the other day while the tide was real low. They had so much fun in the mud and even got stuck in it. Pictures will follow shortly! My mom and I took J & J to a new park today and we had so much fun until my allergies kicked in. I am going to the doctor tomorrow to get some allergy medicine. Other than that, nothing too much is new! We miss everyone and honestly feel so blessed to have this unbelievable opportunity!

2008-04-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Mike is officially off the injured list! YAY! He will now start pitching in some minor league games, and we will see what happens from there. They have said this is like his Spring Training since he did not have one this year. The kids and I are doing pretty good. We fell off the bike the other day and thankfully the kids are fine. I suffered a minor head injury, and a very sore back, but luckily we are doing well. Mom leaves on Monday, so it will be different without her here. More stories will follow shortly!

2008-04-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a few days since I have written, but I promise from here on out I will try and update almost everyday. Tomorrow is the beginning of the school year here so Jake and Jordyn will begin a new class. The YMCA has been a great thing for them and we will continue to tell you about all their new adventures. The cherry blossoms have bloomed here and are absolutely beautiful. Mike has an off day tomorrow so we are going to check out the gardens and will post pictures afterward. He is doing well with baseball. He will throw batting practice on Tuesday, and if all goes well, will hopefully begin games some time next week. We are so proud of him and his drive. We are lucky to have such a great daddy, husband and friend. We are starting to like Japan more and more everyday, we are so lucky to have this opportunity!

2008-03-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

2008-03-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

It was the kids' first day of school at the YMCA. This is us before the class and a picture of them in class. I will add some more tomorrow. They had a great time and loved every minute of it. They even have special uniforms for their Peewee Penguin class. Go school!

Getting Settled

2008-03-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

Well, we have managed to get back on our sleep schedule (thank goodness) and have visited one of the best malls in Hiroshima (of course) and are now trying to get the supermarket shopping under our belt. It is quite an adventure that we are experiencing. The kids are now sleeping in real beds and loving it. We are going to a few schools today to check out where the kids will be going a few days a week. They are talking up a storm and making us laugh with their pronunciations. We have been busy exploring all there is to do and eat, and are still finding our little niche. Mike starts throwing today so hopefully things will go smoothly with that! We sure miss our friends and family and hope you will continue to e mail us and skype us! Send us pictures too, we love seeing them. Miss you all!

2008-03-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

Today was the introduction of the new players to the city of Hiroshima. Mike is of course the tallest one on the team! There were so many people at the stadium chanting the players' names. It was really cool.