AVP "Hot Winter Nights" Tour 2009

Last October, Jason surprised me with tickets to the AVP tour for my birthday. Last night was the event and it was AMAZING! The women played in a "Queen of the Beach" tournament (each girl plays with every other girl and the one with the most wins wins the tournament), and the men played in a "King of the Beach" tournament. Between sets, Kerri Walsh signed autographs! I bought a small replica of the official AVP beach volleyball and scored 7 autographs on it in all! They include Kerri Walsh and Todd Rogers (Olympic gold medal winners), Casey Jennings (Kerri Walsh's husband), Elaine Youngs, Angie Akers (played at Notre Dame), Diane DeNecochea, and Brittany Hechovar. The only ones I didn't get were Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. Diane and Casey ended up winning the Queen and King of the Beach sets and both received checks for over $4,000! Wouldn't it be nice to play volleyball for a couple of hours and get that much money? Then, the men and women played one last game together. All of our friends from beach volleyball in the summers were there, so it was great to see everyone. What an awesome night?!

Delta's Catastrophe

Over my winter break, Delta and I were playing in the park. I threw a tennis ball for her to get and half way there she yelped. She hasn't put any weight on her back, right leg since! She had surgery to fix a torn ACL on Thursday, January 8th, in which they actually broke her leg and reset it to decrease the angle of her knee (lessening the weight is will bear in the future). So, there is NO running, playing, jumping, or stairs for the next 8 weeks! Right now she has to wear a head collar until the staples come out on Monday, January 19th. She has to be on a leash to go outside, which is GREAT in the sub-zero temps we are having! After 8 weeks she can be slowly re-introduced to physical activity. She is ready to play now, which is a little hard to explain to her! So, thanks for all the thoughts and prayers directed our way. She is definitely high maintenance right now and not exactly enjoying life as a Delta dog. Jason says she'll be ready for spring training!

Uncle Jason and Aunt Kristin

The first exciting event this year was the birth of our first nephew! Jeff and Tierney welcomed Jeven Reid Shirrell into the world on January 6, 2009. He was 7lbs. 10 oz. and 22 inches long. He is such a gorgeous little thing. We are so thrilled to watch him grow!

Happy New Year!

2009 is guaranteed to be a great year! We have so many exciting events we are looking forward to. Jason and I decided to start this blog as a form of communication for our family and friends, but to also journal the upcoming exciting events. Check back often for pictures and thoughts.