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| Shiloh, Choice, Juliann, Tate, Ryder, and Robert |
SURPRISE!! That's how we met Robert today on our way through Williamsburg Iowa. He and his wife, Mindy, made a thoughtful donation to the families of the 19 GM hotshots and we wished to pay them a visit. I had been unable to connect with them prior to our stopping by so it was completely unannounced. For this reason, we weren't able to catch Mindy as she was at work without any knowledge we were stopping by.
Robert welcomed us to his beautiful oasis. He and Mindy live on over 100 acres in the pastures of Williamsburg where they grow corn and beans.
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| Shiloh, Choice, Juliann, Tate, Ryder, and Robert |
Robert shared with us that Mindy has family just a few miles outside of Prescott. When they learned of the Yarnell Hill fire and the fatalities that occurred in that blaze, they were deeply impacted knowing that their family was near the tragedy. That moved them to action and they reached out to serve the surviving family members in any way they were able.
I was grateful to be able to embrace Robert today and to express my sincerest thanks for the assistance he provided us in our time of need. He now has the knowledge that the service he rendered, anonymously, made a lasting impact on the lives of real people. God bless you Robert and Mindy for letting us stop by and for all you have done to better this world.
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| Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Ryder |
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| Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Ryder |
After leaving Robert and Mindy's home in Williamsburg we made the trek to Dyersville Iowa. Stopping at this site, to me, was worth any necessary detour. We made our way to the Field of Dreams. You may remember this infamous baseball field from the classic movie, Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner. For a synopsis of the film, click on the link below:
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| Juliann, Choice, Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Jason |
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| Juliann, Choice, Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Jason |
The residence that appears in the film and is located next to the baseball field, is currently used as a private family residence. Because of the large crowd that this attraction pulls each year, they've allowed their land to be open to the public during specified hours of the day. I was so glad they afforded us this opportunity to experience a piece of my childhood memories.
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| Tate, Choice, Shiloh, Rusty, Ryder, and Juliann |
The field and surrounding yard were immaculately manicured. It was a breathtaking view in all directions.
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| Choice, Juliann, Ryder, Tate, and Shiloh |
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| Juliann, Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, Choice, and Jason |
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| Shiloh, Ryder, Jason, Juliann, Tate, and Choice |
We each took our turn stepping up to the mound and throwing a heater right down the middle. (or something like that) :-)
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| Ryder, Choice, Tate, Shiloh, and Jason (pitching) |
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| Ryder, Choice, Juliann (pitching), Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Choice, Ryder (pitching), Shiloh, Juliann, and Tate |
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| Choice, Shiloh (pitching), Juliann, Ryder, and Tate |
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| Choice, Tate (pitching), Shiloh, Juliann, and Ryder |
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| Choice |
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| Shiloh, Juliann, and Tate |
Choice won the prize for best form.
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| Choice |
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| Shiloh |
As I meandered throughout the grounds, the greatest line from the film kept running through my head...IF YOU BUILD IT, HE WILL COME. My curse of an analytical mind put me into a tailspin of thought. If you look at that from the perspective of how each one of us lives our lives, there is much to draw from it in the form of empowerment and inspiration.
Time and time again I have recognized what I consider a disheartening issue in our society. In my opinion, it boils down to our fear to succeed and as a result, we stand in our own way. Perhaps this is a subconscious act. Possibly our upbringing sets parameters which program us to reach certain achievements in life while putting a cap on our dreams. We're told to be realistic. We proclaim, "If I had a million dollars I would..." Or how about this idea of a bucket list that gets tucked away in a sock drawer never to be seen or taken seriously? Our society lives in a cycle of a systematic grind. Grade school until 18, college until 22, work until 65, then retirement. It is only after retirement that we allow ourselves to focus on the joys associated with play, travel, hobbies, and food for the soul. There is certainly nothing wrong with that path if it feels right in your heart. The trouble is found in those who spend 40 hours of their week being full-time miserable. We only have one life to live...we owe it to ourselves to make the most of our time here. Are we considered successful if we die with a million dollars in the bank and no memories? Are we a good mother or father if we leave our children an inheritance but they are raised by the TV and babysitter? Do we fall subject to living the life we really want only in a virtual world? Do we airbrush our lives on social media to appeal to others when really we are going to bed dissatisfied ourselves? Where do we find value? In what do we place our time? Are we maximizing our potential? I promise...IF YOU BUILD IT, HE WILL COME. Or in other words, if you take a chance on your dreams, you will find the satisfaction that this life has to offer.
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| Jason, Ryder, Choice, Tate, Juliann, and Shiloh |
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| Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, Jason, Choice, and Juliann |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
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| Jason, Juliann, Choice, Ryder, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Choice, and Tate |
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| Ryder, Choice, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Choice, and Tate |
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| Jason and Juliann |
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Tate, Ryder, Choice, Shiloh, and Jason
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| Juliann |
Speaking of grown ups who understand the value of a living out your dreams...I took the kiddos to Wrigley Field today to see the Cubs play the Diamondbacks. We have a special connection with both of these organizations. Shortly after Andrew's passing, the Diamondbacks organization reached out to our family and extended the offer for Ryder and Shiloh to throw out the first pitch at their game.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/julianne-ashcraft-wife-to-fallen-firefighter-andrew-news-photo/173157275
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/529665606145982862/
http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/los-angeles-dodgers-v-arizona-20130709-035206-458.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/08/sports/la-sp-plaschke-dodgers-20130709
It was such a beautiful distraction from the heartache that had been looming in our home. Shiloh threw it right down the middle impressing the crowd with her small but mighty arm. Ryder threw it as hard as he could which resulted in a high one over the catcher's head. He told me, "Mom, I'll throw a strike next time I throw out the first pitch." Kids are so awesome with the way they think. He didn't quite grasp at the time that this was an amazing and quite rare opportunity he'd been given by an exceptional organization. They touched our hearts so deeply that even our family members who are true Dodger's fans, dyed blue through and through, were moved by the Diamondbacks that day.
A few months later, I too was given the wonderful, once in a lifetime opportunity to throw out a first pitch in an MLB game. This was an invitation extended to me by the Cubs organization.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/03/14/granite-mountain-widow-throws-cubs-first-pitch/6435027/
When I discovered that we would be in the Chicago area the day that the Cubs played the Diamondbacks, I got busy planning our attendance to that game.
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| Choice, Juliann, Ryder, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Wrigley Field |
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| Choice, Juliann, Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
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| Choice, Juliann, Ryder, Shiloh, and Tate |
As luck would have it, I am friends with one of the Cubs coaches. I was able to contact him and get tickets to the game. He was even gracious enough to meet us prior to the game and let us go on the field during bullpen and batting practice. Thank you Bos, you are an unbelievably thoughtful guy.
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| Ryder, Chris, Shiloh, Choice, Juliann, and Tate |
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| Ryder, Chis, Shiloh, Choice, Juliann, and Tate |
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| Cubs v. Diamondbacks @ Wrigley Field |
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| Cubs v. Diamondbacks @ Wrigley Field |
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| Choice, Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Chris |
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| Chris, Shiloh, Tate, Ryder, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Choice, Juliann, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Wrigley Field |
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| Ryder, Choice, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Ryder, Choice, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Tate, Ryder, Choice, and Shiloh from Cubs dugout |
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| Tate, Ryder, Choice, and Shiloh from Cubs dugout |
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| On Wrigley Field |
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| Choice, Juliann, Tate, Shiloh, and Ryder |
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| Ryder and Juliann |
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| Tate |
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| Choice |
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice, Juliann, and Shiloh |
We got our cracker jacks and found our seats, ready to cheer for, well, both teams. I dressed them all in Dodgers gear just to be safe. :-)
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| Choice, Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
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| Choice, Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
Early in the game I was pleasantly surprised when a gentleman named Charlie introduced himself to me. He is a retired first responder who has kept up on the ins and outs of the Granite Mountain Hotshot families. He recognized the kids and I and came over to extend his support and encouragement to us. In fact, Charlie demonstrated the purity of heart that we have become familiar with in meeting so many fabulous people across the country. He offered to have us sit with him so he could offer a helping hand with the kids. Charlie, my dear, it was such a pleasure meeting you today. Continue spreading the better my friend.
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| Choice, Charlie, Juliann, Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
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| Choice, Charlie, Juliann, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
Another treat in watching this game was witnessing the up and coming superstar, Jake Arrieta. He recently threw a no hitter against the Dodgers, and ended up throwing a shut out at this game. Hanging around my friend Chris, the pitching coach, was fun as people were congratulating him left and right for how he's coaching the pitchers this season. Perhaps Ryder, Shiloh and I should have asked for some pointers before we threw out our first pitches.
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| Jake Arrieta pictching |
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| Jake Arrieta pitching |
We left the game a tad early to avoid the rush of the crowd at the end of the game. I am not the brightest crayon in the box. You see, in my attempt to avoid the Wrigley Field crowd, I opted to go directly to the Chicago Bean. The crowd there was unprecedented. I was fearful I would lose a child or two so we didn't stay long. Labor day weekend was bananas in this city.
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| Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Tate |
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| Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Tate |
There was also a huge art festival taking place at Cloud Gate, Millennium Park.
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| Tate, Ryder, Choice, and Shiloh |
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice |
We thoroughly enjoyed our time getting to see so many awesome sites, but I was anxious to get out of the big city. For now, I prefer to have the crowd chaos in my rear view. Stay tuned for what's to come, and as always...keep spreading the better. Love to all.
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| Bye bye Chicago |
How fun we were just there last week - I was shooting a wedding. Love the Cubs and the bean! 😊😊
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