Showing posts with label Marucci Elite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marucci Elite. Show all posts

Sunday, October 9, 2022

PCB... Where. To. Begin.- Day 6

Panama City Beach- Day 6
For the W 
Thursday, June 9, 2022 


Finally, a success at the ballpark! 

Morning
Our bracket play started on this day bright and early at 8am, so our alarm was going off at 5:45AM. For whatever reason, Luke did not feel well when he woke up and did not eat breakfast. We arrived by 7am and got the batting cages for warm-ups with the team but Luke was still not feeling well. We gave him some Pepto and he pressed through it like he always does! 

Our morning ritual of balcony time and a picture! 

Game 5 vs Navigators
This was the same team we faced the day before and got destroyed and lost 13-0. This team expected an easy game and their fans even made a few trash talking points to our boys: "Do you smell that? It smells like victory". That was pretty low... especially for 9-10U baseball. 

We had hoped Luke would be able to pitch in this game but with it being bracket play and not pool play, we were not going to hold our breath. Good thing... he was not called up to pitch. In fact, at this point he was literally the only one on his team that had not pitched. Luke is new to pitching and still has a LOT to learn but has been working hard (especially the last part of the season) to have the opportunity to pitch when possible. We have several really good up & coming pitchers on our team so they got a lot of mound time and Luke was an afterthought most of the season. But I still thought everyone would pitch at a World Series environment with 6-8 games being played. I guess I was naïve to think the coaches would put him in just to have the experience. It was a fairly emotional game for me as I just want what is best for my kid. We don't need the spotlight or special treatment but it does hurt when your kid gets overlooked. God was trying to teach me a lesson for sure! I held my head high knowing that He will provide. 

He floated around on this game but had an incredible tag out at third to hold this Navigator's team in the 2nd inning. He also played in Right Field and ended the game behind the plate catching. He had his last strike out of the tournament his first at bat. Only striking out twice against all of these 10 and 11 year old's, is a HUGE accomplishment in my book. During his 2nd at bat he hit a bomb RBI single to tie the game. Marucci heard those trash talking remarks and came to play. We walked away with a WIN. 
Marucci Won 5-3 and was headed to the semi-finals the next day! 


#LuketheDuke

Check out Luke's Game 5 at Ripken Experience 2022 
Way to go Luke... Getting Marucci back in the game! 

After the game and team meeting, we presented Luke and his team with Luke's birthday cupcakes and sang happy birthday to him. This was a special moment for Luke as he really does not like that much attention and never wants a "party". This was a perfect moment for him. TIP- The Publix cupcakes were GREAT for store bought cupcakes. Even the adult dads who took one mentioned how tasty they were. Luke was so happy FINALLY getting a win and then celebrating with his teammates.


Luke loved getting to celebrate his 10th birthday with his baseball buds! 
Thank you Traci for initiating the singing! I think if I would have started it, he would have been more embarrassed! 


Mom... Stop. Taking. Pictures! 

DISCLAIMER and Full Discloser- Since writing/publishing this post we have been told that since we were unhappy with Luke's playing status and wrote about it in this blog (very politically correct, I might add), we have now been removed from the Marucci team. 

Afternoon
We made our way back to the condo to eat Ramen noodles before heading to the beach right before noon. Chris and the kids ran straight to the water while I enjoyed the peace and serenity that the beach chairs and umbrella provided.  It is amazing how at peace I am when at the beach.  After a few hours I finally got in the water and traded off with Chris who was in and out of the water all afternoon. The water was not near as calm as our first few days and the waves were FIERCE! The waves would knock me over at some points and I am not a "small girl" by any means. Even after just 30 minutes, I felt like I ran a marathon and decided to get out. We all wore different swimwear this time around to help with sun burns and we applied sunscreen about every 50-60 minutes... But we still got BURNT! Mine and Natalie's legs were CRISPY to say the least! 


This brings me so much peace... doesn't matter the beach or destination! 
This truly is my happy place! 


Even Luke enjoyed some relaxation time in the beach chairs! 

The kids were also getting tired of the beach so they went to see how many people were at the pool and then came back and told us. TIP- This was a huge plus as we could literally see them go to the pool from our beach chairs in the sand. I LOVE the Pinnacle Port beach area. It is so nice and secluded but still family friendly. 


The waves and water were SO choppy on this day! 

We started to see clouds and a possible storm roll in so we opted to go to the pool for the remainder of the afternoon. Shortly after we moved to the pool, PCB sheriff came and changed the flags to DOUBLE RED which meant the ocean was "closed". We spotted lightning about 30 minutes into our pool time so called it quits and went and got changed in the condo. Unfortunately, Pinnacle Port was still dealing with water issues and we did not get much water pressure to take showers and by the time Chris got to the shower, the water had stopped. We notified the property manager but not response or reason was given. 


The Double RED flag at Pinnacle Port... We were so lucky to have been able to get in even for a little while! 


We saw this from our balcony... A sheriff having to turn on his siren to get people out of the water! 


And then we saw this message on a plane! 

Evening
We sat on the balcony for about 45 minutes watching the storm roll in and seeing the crazy waves of the ocean before heading back to Pier Park for Luke to do the Ropes Course again. He really wanted to be able to say he did EVERY station, including the zip line. We had another evening of him facing his fears as he did in fact do the zipline (2 times) as well as every single station. TIP- I was also able to use the Ripken Free Attraction bracelet again and only had to pay $15.99 for Natalie. So all in all, we only paid $16 for all that we did at SkyWheel over 2 nights! Thank you Ripken and the PCB SkyWheel for your generosity! 


He was bound and determined to DO IT ALL! 


He did it... HE ACTUALLY DID IT! 
I have never been more proud! It takes real GUTS to face your fears! 


And he did! Way to go Lukey! 


The conquered the SkyTrail Ropes Course! 
Way to go kiddos! 

Before we left the SkyWheel we all enjoyed the somewhat cooler weather and sat in the andorak chairs while the kids begged for a "fun drink" from the concession stand. Of course, I finally gave in and they got their $10 fun drink with a souvenir cup. What can I say... I figured this facing your fears moment deserved a prize! 

They earned it! 

After the kids got their feel with the Ropes Course, we made our way to a restaurant I had researched for Luke's steamed seafood and PCB's voted BEST mussels. This was The Sandbar. We arrived and there was a 40 minute wait but we got seated within 30 minutes. The menu was extensive and also offered many varieties of fresh oysters. We were all very excited for a night of fresh seafood at the beach, which is always a MUST DO and highlight of any beach trip for me. The service was atrocious and it took about 20 minutes just to get waters. In fact, I had to go to the bar and ask for 4 waters before "Edge", our waiter, finally showed up asking if we needed a drink. A refill was more like it. Another waitress came by and said they were short staffed but we would be taken care of real well and thanks for our patience. After about 30 minutes we finally got our appetizers ordered. Luke got his 1 pound of mussels while Chris, Natalie and I had the Cajun Oysters for appetizer. 



The Sandbar menu was extensive and offered something for EVERYONE! 


This boy was SO HAPPY! We finally found some FRESH MUSSELS !


The Cajun Oysters were baked perfectly and good! 

The oysters were excellent and Luke devoured his mussels, requesting another serving. While we continued to wait for our main course, all of the sudden Natalie screams "Daddy, daddy help me" and we all see a small roach crawl across the table. I get up out of the booth as Chris grabs a napkin and kills it in his hand and then goes to the bar to ask for the manager. We were all royally grossed out and Luke and I were holding back getting sick just thinking about it. We were waiting for a check of some sorts or the manager to come and talk to us about the situation as we had already eaten our appetizers and even with these circumstances, we didn't want to just leave. But let me tell you... in hindsight, we should have just left right then. 

Luke and I were so grossed out (in reality we ALL were but us two were not handling it very well) and we just waited for someone to come by and talk to us or give us the ticket so we could pay and leave. After about 5-7 minutes I told Chris that we would just put 2 $20s on the table and leave as I really just wanted to walk out. At that moment our tray of entrees arrived. As they arrived a young waitress came by and said she was the shift manager on duty. She explained that they were aware of the roaches and they had just sprayed for them that morning. I told her this was a health violation and I would call the county health department and she said "They already know". I was flabbergasted at how this restaurant could be open but the waitress explained it was fine. She said our meal was paid for and offered us drinks from the bar. Honey, there is not enough alcohol in that bar to get me to stay here. 


The Crab Cake platter at The Sandbar
I've had FROZEN crab cakes from H-E-B that were better than these! 

Our bill was going to be well over $200 with the fancy appetizers, fresh fish and tip when it was all said and done. Chris was hungry and so were the kids so we decided to at least try the main food we ordered. The kids didn't like their boiled shrimp and my crab cakes were edible at best. I was so grossed out after about 3 bites I was done. I was just trying to hold it all together when all of the sudden Luke says "OMG there's another one" and sure enough another roach was crawling on the bench above Natalie's head. I jumped out of that booth faster than Usain Bolt in the Olympics and the kids and I were in the car. Chris got Natalie out the booth and continued to eat some of his fish in the aisle while he waited to tell management. Luke and I literally ran out of there to the car and Natalie was not far behind. Chris waited a few minutes but they were so busy he just walked out... my left-over crab cake in a napkin in his hand. 

This was the most disgusting and cringle-worthy meal I have EVER had. I will never forget this night nor The Sandbar. We drove back towards the condo looking for something else to eat as we knew we would be hungry but we were all so grossed out we just went back to the condo to try and catch the sunset, which we did. These are the moments that nightmares are made of! It was awful and I just wanted to sleep it off and forget all about it! 


Beachin' not Teachin'
The beach heels "almost" everything! 


This sunset was absolutely GORGEOUS! 


My mini-me and I enjoying the gorgeous waters and sunset on the beach! 

This was a day laced in excitement... from finally getting a WIN on the field to the "prize" at the restaurant. But we sure did make some memories we will all never forget. 

Up next... our final day at Ripken and our last full day in Panama City Beach! 

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Monday, June 20, 2022

PCB... Where. To. Begin.- Day 3

 Panama City Beach- Day 3
Welcome to the Big Leagues, Kid
Monday, June 6, 2022 


It's the day we had been waiting for... And Luke was READY! 

Morning
The alarm went off bright and early at 5:45am and we were up and out the door by 6:30am. The drive to the PCB Sports Complex was a breeze and without traffic it was less than 20 minutes. We arrived at the complex by 7am but didn't even get to the batting cages where our team was meeting until 7:10am due to the length between the parking lot and the back fields. I measured the distance with my Fitbit and it was .47 from the parking lot to field 8 at PCB Sports Complex. We definitely got our steps in on this trip. 


The view from our balcony was INCREDIBLE... Even at 6AM! 


Our rental car Ford Escape! Thank you Hertz!


We are here and ready to cheer on Luke the Duke! 

Our first game of Pool Play was at 8AM and we were facing the Enterprise Diamond A's from Enterprise, Alabama. They were a 10U MAJORS team and we had our hands full from the get-go as we were a 9U AAA team. In fact, we were the only true 9U team in the tournament. This was a 9U-10U tournament and there were 2 teams that were mixed with 10U and 9U players but we were the only ones with a true 9U team. In fact, all of our players were 9 years old (Luke is the oldest on the team and was a week from being 10 at this point). Some of the players on other teams were already 11 or about to turn 11. Those 18 months difference between our guys and these guys became very apparent as the week progressed. 

Game 1- Luke Davis 
Luke sat out the first inning (as was the usual as the season progressed) to prepare to catch the second inning. One of the coaches explained that all 3 catchers would rotate all week to help avoid heat stroke. He caught for inning 2, played right-field for innings 3-4 and then caught the rest of the game. He did very well playing catcher during this game despite Marucci losing the game 11-3. Luke had a hard hit to left field for a pop-out his first at bat and then stuck out his second at bat. These pitchers were throwing well over 60 mph and we knew there was going to be an adjustment for all of our boys. 


It was already a hot one at 96* at 8:45am! 


Luke doing his thing... And LOVIN' it! 


Go out swinging! 


Day one was DONE! Way to go Luke the Duke! 


My heart was so happy... Because HE was happy! 

Check out #LuketheDuke's Game 1 @Ripken 2022

Afternoon
After the game we made our way back to our condo to eat an early lunch before going to the beach. We threw some frozen pizzas in the oven and we were on the beach before 11:30AM. We stayed there for the next 4-5 hours, reapplying sunscreen every hour. The kids loved being able to stand in the sandbars and ride the waves with their boogie boards. The kids had goggles they were wearing but Chris did not and got salt water in his eyes pretty bad. 


Hello gorgeous emerald waters... it was just what we needed! 

We spent some time in the pool as well but Chris went to check his phone to see if the car was ready and to our surprise, it was ready so we got out of the pool and changed quickly. Or so we tried... We were all sunburnt even though we put on sunscreen every hour. Poor Natalie's back was so red and it looked almost as if we didn't even spray her. Luke was ok except for his face and Chris was fine as well. The beach is one of our favorite places but it does not like us as much as we like it! I swear we ALWAYS get sunburnt! 

We got changed and made our way back to the east side of Panama City Beach to Pepboys to get our car with a stop at CVS for eye drops for Chris and "Sunburnt" after sun gel for the rest of us. TIP- Sunburnt is the absolute BEST after sun car on the market. It really helps pull the heat out of your skin as goes on smooth without a weird smell or texture feeling.  

$1,200 We'll Never See Again
Once at Pepboys, we got the bill and it was EXACTLY what they quoted us the previous day of $986. They even took off the original $99 diagnostic fee. This was a HUGE blessing! Thank you so much Joshua and Pepboys! May God bless you for your generosity! 

We then had to go and return the rental car to Hertz at the airport. We were so lucky because when we turned in the car, they prorated the cost and we walked away only paying $90 for the 26 hour rental. Once again, Hertz may have made a customer for life. 


The Buick was so low on gas when we turned it in to Pepboys to fix, the "Low Fuel" light came on. I have never let it get that low. I thought I had a 18 gallon tank! I was so close to $100... 


Hahaha... I love you Florida! 

Evening
As we made our way back towards the beach, the team notified us of dinner plans so we joined them at Under the Boardwalk restaurant at the Boardwalk resort in Panama City Beach. This was a very well laid out restaurant that allowed 5 large families to eat outdoors and the kids to play games near by. The food and service were great and we all had fun but we all got even more sun while dining outdoors. 


Under the Boardwalk Menu 

Under the Boardwalk- Boardwalk Resort PCB
Chris- Shrimp PoBoy 6/10
Kellie- Oyster Poboy 6/10
Natalie- Chicken Strips 6/10
Luke- Chicken Strips 6/10


We are SO grateful for Kate and Abby Claire (Two baseball sisters) who were in PCB to support their brothers too! Natalie had such a great time with Kate! 


Luke and his baseball bud, Connor! 

After dinner with the team, we ventured down to Mr. Puff's Ice Cream on Thomas Dr. This was a place that another team mom went to and raved about so we knew we had to try it! It was a "rolled ice cream" style of ice cream and we had never tried this. We really enjoyed watching the workers make our dessert! We all enjoyed this but we all agreed that the scoops style like Marble Slab is better. 


Mr. Puff's Ice Cream Menu


This was a HAPPY boy! 


Welcome to ROLLED ICE CREAM! 


This really is a neat experience for everyone to try at least once! 


You could leave a post it note on their main wall! 

After our ice cream we made our way to a Family Fun park where we had hoped to play putt-putt. By this time it was nearly 9PM and it was a 2 hour wait time so we opted to make this up on another day and go back to the condo. Once we got back to the condo we did a load of laundry in the full size laundry room and enjoyed the balcony and watched Deal or No Deal with the kids! TIP- I LOVED having the laundry in the condo. This may be the way to go when planning future vacations! Also, bring more than 3 pods of laundry detergent! We had to go and buy more! 

The AC was still not working at 100% and even after having it was set on 72* all day and not using the kitchen in the evening, it was still reading 75* at 9PM. Chris turned it off for about 15 minutes and turned it back on and it worked better. This became a nightly ritual to help the AC work better but it never really cooled to the level we would have hoped for as we like to sleep at 69-70*. We went to bed around 11PM and we were all wiped out. 

It was a much better day and despite the sunburns, we were feeling really good! 

Up Next... Day 2 of Pool Play and our DOUBLE HEADER at PCB Sports Complex.  

God is good... ALL THE TIME! 

 Check out ALL of our LAND travels:










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Saturday, June 18, 2022

PCB... Where. To. Begin.- Day 2

 Panama City Beach- Day 2
The Day From Hell 
Sunday, June 5, 2022 


It's show time and #LuketheDuke is READY! 

Morning
Despite the comfortable conditions, I did not have a very good night's sleep at all. I was so anxious and nervous about the car that I was up and down all night long. I was getting sick in the bathroom nearly every 30 minutes. So much so that I went to the 2nd bedroom as to not keep waking Chris up when I had to go to the bathroom. Thank God for this extra bedroom so I did not have to sleep on the couch. 

Chris woke up around 7AM to went and checked on the car and see about the anti-freeze he put in late the night before. As we expected, all of the coolant was not in the reservoir and we did not see a pool of fluid under the car so we were once again at a loss for words. I decided to go to the nearby Winn-Dixie and get some stomach medications as I was so nauseated I could not stand up. 

I was able to go to Winn-Dixie and get more sunscreen, water and Pepto to hold us over for a few more days with little to no issues with the car. Upon my return to the condo, Chris put more coolant in the car and we got ready for the Opening Ceremonies at the Ripken Experience.


What a GORGEOUS picture of my babies and the emerald waters of Sunnyside, FL. 


The start of our daily baseball picture from our balcony! 


A view towards the WEST Florida panhandle from our balcony. 
The FAR top left may (or may not) be Destin. 

Since we had not made our way out to the Panama City Beach Publix Sports Complex yet, we decided to leave the condo very early to get a feel for the traffic and scope out the complex prior to our weeklong tournament. We left the condo at 9:15am for a 10:30am call time. We were at the complex with nearly an hour to spare so we sat in the shade of one of the concession pavilions. 

TIP- The Panama City Beach Publix Sports Complex is a brand new state of the art baseball park that features 13 fields. The facilities are ALL turf and the dugouts are very nice and well kept. However, there is hardly any shade at all in this complex. There is a small bleacher section that is covered with awnings at each field but it is very limited seating and often times the shade is non-existent. Be sure to bring a canopy shade or at bare minimum umbrellas for sun  protection. Furthermore, this facility is so large that if you are playing at one of the back fields (7-8-9), you will be walking well over half a mile just to get to the field. Let's just say we got our steps in every day at the ballpark! There is no gate fee and nobody checks your bags so you can literally bring in whatever you want to the field, but no alcohol is allowed. This was a HUGE bonus compared to other ballparks that check for outside food and drinks. But at $355 ($420 team fee to pay for the coaches too) per player tournament entry fee, we definitely payed for this in the long run.


The entrance to PCB Publix Sports Complex. 


My #2 is ready for his Florida World Series debut


And big sister is ready to cheer him on... Loud and Proud! 

According to the schedule, we thought we had to be there at 10:30am for the Opening Ceremonies but in reality the Opening Ceremonies did not even begin until 11:30am. This meant we were at the ballfield for an extra 2 hours before we needed to and the Florida heat was a killer. It was almost as if we were sitting in a sauna. 

Once all the team arrived, the boys got lined up and ready to take the field for the Opening Ceremonies. This was a really special event where the boys took the field with 40+ other teams made up of 9U to 14U players from all over the southeast United States. Each team was announced on the field and the tournament manager explained many of the rules and procedures to the players, coaches and spectators. 


Marucci Elite North Houston- 9U Codrington

Then the Guest Speaker, Andruw Jones, came to the field and spoke to the boys about this tournament, baseball in general and how to be successful in life. This was SO COOL as I literally grew up watching him play for the Braves with Chipper Jones. This guy was a complete class act and I was highly impressed with him. He told the boys to keep practicing, keep giving more than 100%, stay in school and stay grounded. Keep your head high because you are on your way to success. 


I feel the only person who could understand my actual excitement at this point would be my dad or my sister. All three of us used to lay in the den of my parents house and watch him each and every single night! This was SO COOL! 

After he was done speaking I got up from the very front of the field where I was sitting and ran onto the field to try and get him to sign the Ripken Experience hat that was given to all the players. However, I did not have a pen for him to use so I shook his hand and told him how much I loved watching him instead. I was so upset I didn't get his autograph. I walked back to our team near the back and told them the story and a mom gave me a sharpie to get him to sign my hat. I took her son's hat too and literally ran back on the field with the other 100+ 13 year old's and got in line for him to sign out hats and he did! Thank You Andruw Jones... You truly are a CLASS ACT! 


Only Luke and 1 other teammate got their hat signed by Andruw Jones! 
I have news for Luke... This hat is now MINE!

After the Opening Ceremonies was the Skill Competitions. Our team started at the Home Run Derby and we cheered on one of Luke's friends Kyle before moving to the Infield and Outfield relays. Luke participated in the Outfield Relay as well as the Turn-2 relay as the catcher and he did exceptionally well. Unfortunately, Marucci Elite did not place in any of the competition events but the boys had fun! 


Luke during the Outfield Relay. 
He did so well! 


Marucci Elite North Houston Outfield Relay 2022 


Marucci Elite North Houston Turn Two Relay 2022 
OUR OPENING CEREMONY EXPERIENCE 


Afternoon
As soon as the Opening Ceremonies were over, we knew we had to get the car looked at but it was Sunday so our best chance was an AutoZone Store near the ball field. We found a worker who was an Ex-GM mechanic and he told us to take it to Pepboys Auto as they are open on Sundays. We drove a few miles to Pepboys and their mechanic was looking at our car within 20 minutes. The mechanic came and told us "I do not see anything wrong with it". The car had stayed at the 210* all morning and afternoon so we were at a loss as to what had happened. At first he was going to just send us on our way but I was adamant about him taking another look! GOOD THING... He dug deeper and found a leak in the water pump. 


An hour into our wait at Pepboys... Good Lord, will this day EVER END??? 

From there we quickly made a reservation with Enterprise Rental Car at the airport so we could get around the next few days. Pepboys estimated it would only take 1 day to fix the car but we reserved the car for 2 days just as a precaution. The drive from Pepboys to the Airport was nearly an hour but we had to feed the kids as Luke was already HANGRY! 

Once we got to the airport and got to the Enterprise Car Counter we were told they did not have any cars, even though I had reserved one nearly 2 hours prior to this. Chris was LIVID and nearly "lost it" (which he has NEVER done in all our years of being together so you know this was serious). He moved over a counter to Hertz and they were able to get us a small Ford Escape for 2 days at an even cheaper cost (Thank You God). Hertz... You just made a customer for LIFE! 

Evening
It rained hard for over an hour while we were traveling back and forth between Pepboys and the airport and back. By the time we got back to Pepboys to drop off the Buick, it was after 6PM and we had been dealing with this car since 1PM. The kids were DONE! Poor Luke was in tears just trying to get to the beach! But we MISSED THE RAIN! We finally got back to the condo at nearly 7PM and quickly got changed for the beach but we noticed the condo AC was set at 72* and it was 76* in the unit. We knew something was off so we sent a message to the property manager. 


Nooooooo... This is miserably hot! We need a BREAK today! 

We enjoyed the beach until sundown and then a little pool time before going back to the condo to make dinner. We made sloppy joes at 9PM in the condo and the AC was not working very well at all but it had got down to 74* so we called that a win after the day we had. The property manager finally answered my text around 10:30pm stating there was a large tower issue with all units ACs in the condo complex. But no help or fix was given.  Lucky us... 

FINALLY... We made to the crystal clear waters and all was well again! 


This is truly my happy place! 


The kids are happy again! 


Frisbee time


Frisbee at the beach! 


The kids tried to bury Chris... It was comical! 


We all had way too much fun with this!


Me and my boy... Be still my heart! 


At least our day ended at the beach! 

We stayed up a little while just to try and forget about this awful "vacation" day and hoped the AC got colder as the evening progress. Chris ended up turning the AC off for 20 minutes and then turning it back on and that worked wonders. By the time we went to bed, it was 71* indoors and we were satisfied with that. 


Luke found these MEGA stuff Oreos in Florida... This kid was hooked! 

It was a long, terrible, no good, very bad day but it was OVER! Now we are ready for the rest of this trip and for the real baseball fun to begin with Day 1 of Pool Play for Marucci! 

Stay tuned for Day 2 and POOL PLAY! 

God is good... ALL THE TIME! 

 Check out ALL of our LAND travels:










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