Spring Training! (week 480)

My dream finally came true: we made it to the Cactus League Spring Training in Goodyear, AZ.  It was actually a shorter drive than I thought it would be--about 5.5 hours--to get to Arizona, but it was worth the wait to finally see all the little stadiums and practice fields in the Phoenix area where the Dodgers, Angels, Reds, White Sox and a bunch of the other MLB teams prepare for the season.  

We were actually coming from Palm Springs where Dad had a conference, so the trip was even shorter on the way there, over the pass and into Arizona through the desert.  We went to the Reds and Rockies game on the first day and saw a bunch of home runs.  We got to stay with my cousins--the Hickmans and the Bossacks--so we were only about 10 minutes away from both the Reds and the Dodgers stadiums.  It was amazing that so many teams and players were in the same spot!  My cousin Benton taught me how to get balls by standing near the dugout rail and catching the guys as they came in between innings.  I wasn't as good as Benton at first, and poor Chris was disappointed that the players didn't see him for balls and autographs because he was shorter, but we ended up with 4 professional balls even after I gave one up to another kid that didn't get one of his own.

We saw the Angels on the second day and had great seats right down near 1st base, but the split squad had all the big guys--Trout, Pujols, Weaver--at their home field Diablo over in Phoenix.  We still saw Giovatella play and Joey Votto hit a home run for the Reds. It was lots of fun, and I can't wait to get back to the Cactus League next season!

We also had a lot of fun in Palm Springs with my friend Jordan and her family.  We came in Friday night after school and spent Saturday at the pool while dad had to work.  There was a water slide and a giant Hamster Ball that Chris and I got to run-in for 90 seconds.  Actually, they turned it on and we just got tossed around for a minute and a half, but it was enough to satisfy our desire to do it again (ever).  We had a great time going out for hamburgers, getting orange chicken at the hotel, and roasting marshmallows.  The grass and pools at the hotel were amazing.  What a great weekend together as a family!