Schooling! ~ Brown

So!

We went on vacation a few weeks ago and got back almost a week ago. It was fun. We suprised my Gramma for her birthday. =] We brought the dog, too, which was ok at first.. but he ended up keeping us awake a lot towards the end. Also, my Dad was on the radio while we were there, which was cool. But this is not what I really wanted to blog about! =]

Tomorrow (technically today) I start school! And I'm actually pretty excited about it..and that's weird. I'm not usually, lol. But for some reason I'm feeling particularly motivated right now, which is a good thing.

I made a list of all of the books I want to read this school year. Once we get my curriculim straightened out tomorrow, I'll probably stick those on a list, too. But right now, this is what I have. =] I'm going to also add it to my side bar so you can keep track of my progress.. I have a feeling it'll help me stay accountable.

·         Do Hard Things A&B Harris
   [I still haven't read this yet! Horrible, I know]

·         Blame It On The Brain? E. Welch
   (I started this a while ago, but got delayed.)

·         What Your Counselor Never Told You W. Backus
   (My dad read this and really liked it. Since I want to become a Christian conuselor, I'm going to read it, also)

·         Telling Each Other The Truth W. Backus
   (Another one my Dad recommends..to a lot of people. It's not specific to counseling)

·         Don’t Waste Your Life J. Piper
   (My dad read this a few weeks ago and thinks EVERYONE should read it)

·         Competent to Counsel J. Adams
   (Jay Adams is a great man, Dad said I should read at least one of his books..as you can see, I hope to read more than one!)

·         Theology of Christian Counseling J. Adams

·         The Christian Counselors Manual J. Adams

·         The Biblical View of Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Self-Image J. Adams

·         Don’t Check Your Brain At The Door J. McDowell
    (I got this book a year or two ago, but I still haven't read it yet.)

·         Shadow of The Almighty E. Elliot
    (I got this about a year ago when I was on a real James Elliot kick, but obviously, haven't read it yet.)

·         Tramp For The Lord C. ten Boom
    (I've gotten about a third of the way into this book..it's very good)

·         A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart E. George
    (Another one I've had for a while, but haven't read)

·         Through The Shadowlands B. Sibley
    (I got this about a month ago, and I'm very eager to read it! My mom already has, since I bought it)

·         Being A Girl Who Serves S. K. Primicer
    (I was excited to get this book, but, being me, I left it on my shelf for a loonnng time and have yet to read it.)

·         Losers Club J. Kinley
    (Another one I've had for a while. It looks very interesting, and I'm hoping to use it someone while teaching the kids at church.)

·         Who Calls Me Beautiful R. Franklin
    (My mom found this book at the thrift store where she works and got it for me, She suggested I read it and give it away on my book blog...more on that later)

 I'll also want to read a book on speed-reading and SAT prep. =]

Now. My book blog! Oh, what fun we shall have! I've decided that I'm going to start reviewing books on it..finally. And some of them, I'll give away! Most will be brand new, a few might be used. But it'll be fun! You'll have to check it out now and then... I don't have anything right now, but SOON! http://homeschoolblogger.com/bethanysbooks

Well, it's late and I've got a full day tomorrow...tata!

The Last Day - I FINALLY DID IT!! :D

>CLICK ON THE PICS TO ENLARGE<

After sleeping in a bit and watching Hannah Montanna, we went to the park.

We ended up not doing the waterpark.

Here are the pics I have. I got a little frustrated while trying to post these, so I decided to go simple and put the same captioins I used on facebook. :)

This is Kutless. They were a little better this time 'round than the first.

They had different drummer.

Sadly, he was only temporary. The regular one was on his honeymoon.

Toon in to the next picture to hear Melissa's thoughts on THAT one.

 Melissa multi-tasking.

Right after shouting (rather loudly for my preference): "Maybe his new wife will teach him to keep his drawers covered!" and "She better buy him a belt!" and other things like that.

I just love everyone looking at us.

I adore attention.

Especially that kind.

What a joyous occasion.

 My nice bright yellow shoes.

I was wearing them since we were supposed to go to the waterpark... these my watershoes.

However, we didnt.

And I didn't bring my sneakers.

And I got a blister.

And it hurt!

And we had to go to the first-aid to get bandaids.

More happy attention.

Lovely.

After this pic, Mark Stuart of Audio Adrenalin came on the stage. He was the speaker for the night. I don't like AA, but I gotta tell ya, I was VERY impressed with this guy! He really does have a genuine heart for God. He's very funny.. one of his stories had Melissa and I laughing till we cried. Four hours later on the ride home.

After Mark we had a litlte interlude and I bought a CUTE Newsboys shirt, a pretzel and a drink. Melissa couldn't really decided what she wanted, but I waited for her.. :P

 And so, without further ado, The Newsboys. (That's Duncan Phillips up there. I'm not obssessed..I just love my newsboys! :P)

We missed the first part of their first song, so that was as I was walking in.

Peter Furler, lead singer.

Peter and Paul Coleman, the newest member, who replaced Phil Joel.

The guy on the far right is Jeff Frankenstien. And yes, that's his real name.

Halfway through they walked up to the thing in the middle of the crowd, just like at their regular concerts.

Very cool.

 Duncan, Peter and Jeff.

 Back on the stage.

 Mr. Cool-Guy Coleman

Fun people!

There are so many more AMAZING pictures! I hope you'll look at them..I'm too tired and lazy and out of time to put them on here, but if you click here or watch the slideshow below, you can see them. Please look! There will be...

-another Kutless pic
-a lot more pics of the newsboys
-the pics from the Duncan-Peter Drum Duel!

Please check it out!

Like I said, if I were more awake..and had more time..I'd add them, but I'm ttiirreeddd!!

After the concert we made it back to the hotel and went to sleep..and got up VERY early and drove back home to get to church just in time for Sunday school..which I teach. I fell asleep a few times on the way, lol....but, thankfully, Melissa didn't. But she came close..yikes! Anyway, I better go.

Goodnight! Don't forget to comment!

Thoughts About Music

This evening the discussion came up about music, specifically secular vs. Christian. I believe very strongly in listening only to Christian music. I decided to share on my blog some of my thoughts on the subject.

Edification. Why should we listen to something that's just plan bad for our minds? Now, I don't mean to say that all non-Christian music is bad for our minds...some of it is just silly, fun for kids and adults alike. But what about the ones that aren't the fun, silly ones?

It sticks. Music has a way of getting into our minds and, even if you only hear a song once, it gets stuck in some cranny in your brain and stays. The tunes are catchy, the lyrics easy, and the ideas rub off. Like I said, I only listen to Christian music. But I can recognize some secular songs, from only hearing them while I'm in the grocery store.

It has a huge influence. Music is a powerful device, and influences us more than we realize. The songs stick after hearing once or twice and never leave... before too long you get one stuck in your head. Perhaps it has a cuss word in it, or it promotes something not very Christ-like. If it's the former, it begins to wear you down to become more tolerant to cuss words, which is not a good thing. If the latter, again, it wears you down and those things seem not so bad anymore.

What about God's glory? We exist for the sole purpose of bringing glory to our God. If we are listening to music that doesn't glorify Him, how are we glorifying Him? Not listening to songs that contain profanity or promote sinful things isn't enough. I believe we should be listening to things that are glorifying to God, not just the things that aren't glorifying but aren't disrespectful, either. Not the middle-ground. There shouldn't be any middle-ground.

Is what God has not good enough? God has given us some amazing music! There are so many different genres within the Christian music world to fit everyone's tastes. Rock/alternative. Pop. Contemporary. Worship. Southern gospel. Black gospel. Country. Hymns/classical. There's the upbeat and the slow moving. All of these that bring glory to God. My question is, is what God has given us to listen to, the music that glorifies Him, not good enough? Why do we feel the need to neglect Christian music to listen to the world's music? I believe that what God has for me is better than what the world has...and this includes his plans for my schooling, my love life, my family, what I read, and what I listen to. Why go to the world for mediocre entertainment when God has the best entertainment?

When "Christian" isn't Christian. My beliefs about music are radical to some! It's not enough for me to only listen to the "Christian" genre. I will only listen to the Christian music that proves it is Christian. There are many so-called "Christian" groups who are, simply put, secular. They are "the middle-ground" I mentioned earlier. They try to get the best of both worlds. Sadly, these type of groups are very popular right now. People are eager to listen to music that's not too confrontational about their relationship with God and would rather listen to the music that, simply put, makes them feel good. The "middle-ground" artists. I'd like to give a few examples of what I consider a "middle-ground" artist.

       -TobyMac. He's widely popular, I know, but I will not listen to his music, for several reasons. One, his music is very secular, and I don't like listening to "Christian" music that sounds like the world's music. God's brand should be different. He was at a few festivals I attended and so I saw him in concert, and was very unimpressed. I felt that he was acting immature and...well, like a secular artist. His music appalled me! For instance, the song about the teenage girl who has been immoral and got pregnant. He was so proud of her because she didn't have an abortion. And that was his story for the song. While I'm glad she didn't get an abortion, she still needed to be brought to repentance and to God. It's not enough to not do the wrong thing, and I felt that this was the message he was sending out with that song.

       -Hawk Nelson. Another popular artist, this is a group of guys. I also saw them in concert at a festival, and was struck by their immaturity and how the concert was all about them. Their songs had nothing much about God.

       -Kutless. I have mixed feelings about Kutless. Sometimes they hit the nail on the head, other times they miss by a mile. I'm very careful before I buy any of their CDs for this very reason. I love their worship album! But after seeing them in concert, I was so upset by their appearance and behavior that I couldn't even bring myself to listen to any of their music for at least a month.

Here are a few artists that I am particularly impressed with, and why I feel they are truly Christian artists.

       -The Newsboys. A group that has been around forever! I have seen them in concert on several occasions and have been impressed by their humility, and most importantly, their focus on God. Their music reflects their relationship with Him. They are not afraid to sing the truth, despite how others might react. For instance, their song "Lost the plot" talks about how comfortable we've gotten here on earth...so much that we'd rather Jesus not come back quite yet. And it's true! I could go on for hours...

       -MercyMe. I saw them in concert for the first time at the beginning of the year. What an amazing group! With songs encouraging us to live for God, their humility is inspiring. You can tell by watching them how much they love God and their only desire is to be used by Him.

       -BarlowGirl. This group of young ladies is on fire for God! Unashamed and unafraid, they are the one of the most confrontational and in-your-face groups out right now. Their newest CD has songs about standing up for what you believe in...in spite of what others may think. While misguided on a few things, they are strong for the Lord and are sharing the fire.

I could go on...Casting Crowns, Steven Curits Chapman, Tenth Avenue North, the list goes on. There are so many groups and artists who just want to serve God! And I'm proud of them, for the stand they take daily to live for Christ, no matter what any one else says or thinks. There are also many, many more artists who I consider "middle-ground." My purpose in pointing these artists out is to, perhaps, be able to portray my thought process, and my way of choosing what I should listen to.

The Bottom line. I feel that everything I do, including what I listen to, should bring glory to God. If it doesn't why bother? I feel it is very important to be careful what I listen to, because what goes in eventually comes out. We constantly read in His word that we are to memorize his truth, to be pure of heart, etc. Shouldn’t the music we listen to also be pure, be His truth?

Things to consider. What is the artists’ testimony? What do they believe? What do their songs express? Do they bring glory to God? Would listening to this music bring glory to God?

Please remember that these are my personal thoughts and feelings, and what I have written is not meant to offend or hurt anyone. I look forward to reading your thoughts as well!

The Second Day O' The Trip

Sorry so slow! I'm vacation now, and thought I'd try to catch up a bit so that I won't have to do as much as when I get home.

So, the second day of our trip, a Friday, we slept in because we got back to the hotel soooo late the night before! Around ten, I think (it's been over a month, so I'm not sure...) we hoped in her car and drove to the Metro station. We paid, and got on the metro to Arlington National Cemetary. I haven't really done much with the pictures. I've only edited two, but there's a lot of potentional! I'm sticking a few favorites on here, then a slideshow of all of them.

It was amazing to be at Arlington National Cemetary (ANC) but it was so horribly HOT that day! I thought I was going to melt into a pile of sweat when we were on our way to see the changing of the guards.

But I felt even more so standing there, watching.

At the begining of the ceremony, this guy asked us all to remain silent and standing during the ceremony out of reverence and respect.

It was about this point in the ceremony that "the guy" stopped it. He said "Young man, stand up." Apparently, a pre-teen kid had decided to sit down. Big trouble. I was impressed, though, that he stopped the ceremony to make him stand. It was awe-some.

I'm going to go ahead and stop with these for now...
check out the slideshow below for the rest.

I felt even MORE hot and sweaty when we made our way up to Arlington House. And I do mean "up" --it was uphill the whole way...so many steps! If I were more like my mother, I'd tell you exactly how many. But alas, I am quite the opposite of my mamma.

There was a nice garden at the house. But there was also construction. So not a whole lot of pics there.

Arlington House, the former home of Robert E. Lee and his family is located atop a hill, providing one of the best views of Washington, DC. George Washington Parke Custis, Lee’s father-in-law, originally built the house as his own home as well as a memorial to George Washington, his step-grandfather. Arlington House is now preserved as a memorial to Robert E. Lee, who helped heal the nation following the Civil War.

There was an amazing view.

And here we are. :)

I was so releived to be heading back to the metro.

The rest of the pics from ANC:

After ANC, we got back on the metro and went to the Old Post Office Building. On the way we passed Starbucks..and Melissa requested a picture.

I have some memories of that particular Starbucks, and I'm not sure that I'd call them fond. Or happy. Or pleasant. See, last time we went to DC we went to this Starbucks.. (Melissa's gonna kill me, lol) she ordered her drink...who knows that it is, it's too complicated for me ;) ...and we waited a while and they finally gave it to her..and it wasn't right, so she sent it back..and she still didn't like it but we were running late to see the Washington Monument at 1, so we left..and on the way we passed a barnes and noble...with a Starbucks in it. So we went up and she doctored it some more. It was crazy. And a wee bit embarrassing..for me at least. :D I don't think ANYTHING embarrasses Melsisa.

 The Old Post Office Building. We ate lunch there. We also went up in the tower... :)

The view from the tower.

Downstairs of the building, where we ate lunch.

After lunch, we decided to try to make it to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. We got about as far as to the Washington Monument before hitting a few "road blocks:" -heat, confusion, etc... we weren't able to tell exactly how to get to the monument. We were also tired.

So we went ahead and took the metro to Union Station for a while. We decided to go see "Meet Dave." It was funny. Aftewards we grabbed some ice cream, which we ate while walking around the huge..foyer? building?

Then we decided to try again for the Jefferson Memorial. It was late afternoon at that point.

We wandered around a bit, coming oh so close! But we ended up just hailing a taxi to take us. It turned out to be the perfect time of day to go, though! It was amazing. God really worked it out.

He was TALL! ;)

Amazing view!

Great quotes on the walls. 

A personal favorite...more amazing view.

 I don't know if you can see it very well, but it was awesome...
the sunset..the plans taking off infront of the sunset..totally beautiful. :)

Here I am. :) HUGE pillars!!!
(which, consequently, make me look small. pretty cool. ha.)

Here are the rest of the pics. I hope you enjoy!

Keep your eye out for more posts coming soon! :)

Tata for now!

Happy Anniversary Mamma and Daddy!!

(taken September of 2007)

Today, August 3rd, marks my parents' 23rd anniversary! It's very exciting :)

Let me tell you a story that I know only parts of...

The first thing I remember my Mom telling me about first "meeeting" my dad was when she was on her way to an all-day sporting event sponsored by Word of Life. It was a group from her church, and they were short a few players. My dad, at this point, was unsaved, but was excellent at sports...all of them. So they went by, early one Saturday morning, to his house, throwing rocks at the window (I believe), to get him and his brother, Steve, to come with them to make up the rest of the team. My mom didn't know anything about my Dad at this point, but she knew Steve, since they were the same age and in the same grade at school. My Dad was about 18 and my Mom was about 15 or 16. So out come my Dad and uncle Steve. My Mom said her first thought was, "Uh oh" because Steve, the one my Mom knew a little, was a bit of a trouble maker. So naturally, she expected my Dad to be the same. But, she told me, she ended up thinking to herself, "I better watch it --I may end up marrying that guy!" 

When my Dad was growing up, his Mom sent him to Sunday School at a Methodist church not far from their house. My Dad's main motivation for being so faithful to it was the attendance record -he wanted to win the prize. So when, one week, he was too sick to go, he just decided to not go back. When he was in 6th grade, he was outside shooting hoops in the grade-school playground when he told God something. He said, "If You show me a way that I can know for sure that I'll get eternal life and go to heaven, I'll do whatever you want me to." At this point he's thinking he may end up having to shave his head and pass out tracts at an airport; but if that meant eternal life, he was willing. That Word of Life event that I mentioned earlier? That was the first time my Dad heard the Gospel. The same group of kids got my Dad to come to several other Word of Life programs that year. Finally, sitting in the Salem Devil's Gym (with the words "DEVIL'S DOMAIN" painted on one wall), listening to the speaker, he felt God speaking to him, telling him that if he didn't surrender now, go foward now, accept Christ now, he might never have another chance. So he did it. Right there, in the "Devil's Domain" my Dad gave his life to Christ.

My Mom grew up in a Christian family and got saved when she was young. Her family was very active in the church, her dad being an organist and both parents talented in instruments and in singing. They went to the only baptist church in the small New Englad town. When my Dad got saved, he started going to the baptist church. He learned so many things! For one, that Jesus did not chose a crown of thorns like he was taught at the Methodist church. In fact, he didn't even find out till much later that Jesus was coming back --boy, was he excited! He also found out that his lab partner, someone who he had sat next to since 6th grade, had been a Christian..and gone to that church. Not only him, but others! And they had never told him about Christ.

I believe that it was around this point that my Dad asked my Mom out...and she was so excited! She ran downstairs and asked her parents..and they said yes! She was so happy! So they had their first date... :)

My Dad was eager to learn all that he could, so often, after he would bring my Mom home, he'd stay up late talking with her Dad about spiritual things, learning all sorts of stuff.

That autumn my Dad went off to the state school for college. My Mom was still in high school. Sometimes on Fridays my Dad would come back early and meet her at her locker after school...she would look foward to it so much. He'd stay all weekend and they'd spend time together. Dad would also talk with my Granddad a lot, still learning as much as he could. Dad began to feel God leading him to become a pastor. My grandparents both went to Bob Jones University and suggested it to my Dad. After one semester at the state school, he transfered to BJU...hours and hours away.

Finally the time came that my Mom went to Bob Jones University... majoring in French, minoring in art. An exciting time :) My Mom was so head-over-heels that she (by her own admission) didn't focus on her school work like she should have. As a matter of fact, she can hardly speak French now. (don't tell her I told you!)

And my Dad proposed. They were at home in New Hampshire. They went to see the play of Little Orphan Annie, then took a walk along the beach, where he proposed. Obviously, my Mom said yes. They ate a late dinner at a small restaurant in the coastal town which is no longer there, sadly.

So my parents started asking my Grandfather for permission to go ahead and get married....but he would tell them to wait a little while... at least until after my Mom finished college. Finally they wore him down...and the date was set: August 3rd, 1985. My Dad had graduated that spring, and my Mom would be graduating in 86.

My Gramma made the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses. They were beautiful... (I'll post a picture when I can scan it in) The ceremony was at what's now called The Ridge Church...

They honeymooned at Cape Cod...and the seashell sand was atrocious!

Returning for my Mom to go to school, they rented a little apartment in a house in Greenville. 5 Years later, I was born. At that point, my Dad was working for the local rescue mission, had interned at a local church, and many other things. When I was only a year and half old, we moved to VA for my Dad to pastor his first church...and the new adventures began. :)

Over the past 23 years it's clear that God has blessed their marriage. I may only have witnessed 17 of the 23 years, but I've seen enough to know that God is in it. I've seen that when God is put first in a marriage, the marriage blossoms. Marriage is not easy work...I know this. But God brought them together, held them together, and will keep them together, because they are His.

Happy Anniversary Mamma and Daddy!!

The Trip - Day 1

I was going to edit and fix all the pics of my trip for ya'll, but my editor isn't cooperating, so I'll give ya the basics for now.. :)

Well.. we went to... King's Fest! King's Fest is at King's Dominion, it's a Christian concert festival with lots of artists...for three days, July 10-12. It was the first time I'd ever been to King's Dominion. Melissa is the one who took me..it was just her and me. We stayed about forty minutes north of Doswell, where King's Dominion is. I'll explain why later.. for now.. the first day...

First day, Thursday, we drove to the hotel, then ate lunch at a mexican restaurant, and then went to LifeWay, where we spent wayyy too much time..like an hour. lol. Then we took off for King's Dominion. We walked around some... did a few things... and I rode on my VERY FIRST ROLLER COASTER!!! That's a huge thing. I don't like roller coasters. Still not sure how I feel about them. But I rode the Rebel Yell.

And afterwards, we couldn't resist the funnel cake...with a diet coke. What a thought!

It was good, but I was spoiled by fried dough at the Rochester Fair last year. :D Melissa sure loved her funnel cake, though. Good thing we did, too, cuz it was EXPENSIVE!

So then the concerts... BarlowGirl was first. They were awesome!

I just think this is cool!

This guy was totally rocking out with ALL the BarlowGirl songs.. even "Average Girl!"

After the BarlowGirl concert we waited a little while to see them as they signed and such. Then I bought a bag of theirs, and we ended up standing in line for QUITE a while for them to sign it. We were able to get a picture together, too...very cool!

We had some time to kill before the Casting Crowns concert (we didn't go to all of the concerts) so we did the swings...

and the carousels...

Then on our way back to the concert at 10pm, which was to start at 10:15pm, but it had already started! EARLY! We were a little lost at first, but finally started in the right direction...and we started running! Made it right before they ended the first song.

Unfortunately, I didn't use flash for the pictures because I thought I wasn't allowed to... but I was. So not many pictures came out.

 They have an awesome drummer guy.

Day two coming soon.

Musings ~ Blue

Hey! Sorry that it's been so long.. I took my little trip! But I don't have the pictures ready yet..so I'll post about later.

I've only got a few minutes before my computer battery goes out on me, so this will be brief.

For one, I wanted to let you know that I updated the templates for my other two blogs, http://homeschoolblogger.com/joyfulnoize and http://homeschoolblogger.com/bethanysbooks. Hopefully I'll start updating them regularly... :D

I was talking with several different people today and something struck me, not for the first time. In our society today, the way kids are growing up, once they hit the teen years, they just have to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. It's just a fact of life for them..like that they get a job when they're 16. Or that they go to college after graduation..only more definite. It's sad...becuase they don't even see it. Instead they get hurt over and over again, thinking that each new boyfriend (or girlfriend) is "the one." It's really sad to see it on a first-hand basis like I have been. But it makes me feel even more sure about my commitment to not date....and to not even THINK about marriage until GOD does something..not me.

Well, I better go..battery signal's bad. :) Tata for now!

America: Baseball, Wal-Mart & Apple Pie! ~ Purple

Re-Reading "Match Point" (by Erynn Mangum) today for the third (fourth? I don't even remember!) time today I read this:

"You don't know anything about baseball, do you?" Ryan laughs.

"I do too," I say, hands on hips.

He raises his eyebrows mockingly. "Really. Tell me something."

"The Yankees are a baseball team," I say proudly.

"Who is their manager?"

I squirm and say the first name that pops into my head. "Gary Cooper?"

Ryan closes his eyes. "I'm feeling the need for serious prayer...So who made you watch Pride of the Yankees?"

"Is that where Gary Cooper came from?"

He grins. "And I repeat. You know nothing about baseball."

"You can't know everything."

He shakes his head. "Yeah, but baseball, Laur. That's up there with apple pie and Wal-Mart. It's un-American to not know anything about baseball."

Well, I have to say, I'm not sure if I qualify.

I mean, sure, I know some basball team names, a few player names, but I only follow when the Red Sox are winning, usually just in the world series.

And I re-learn every year. It's crazy. But fun, because Dad loves telling me allll about it.

He's a huge Red Sox fan, but I must say, he's not as big of a fan as my Auntie Jen. WOW. She's VERY proud of her New England background. She does NOT enjoy the south nearly as much, and the worst thing you can do to her is call her "Jenny" --trust me, I know this!

However, she lives in the heart of the south, and has for more than half of her life.. but she will not admit that she's officially a "southerner" now. Don't get me wrong, she likes the area, the nice house she has, etc. She just prefers New Hampshire.

One thing that she is loving about Greenville right now is the new "Fluor Field" (and no, I did not mis-spell it) in the West End. Why would she be this excited about this you ask? Or perhaps you're asking what this has to do with anything. Well, let me explain. ;)

Fluor Field used to be called "West End Park" until several years ago, when the city decided to completely tear it down and start from scratch. They then fashioned the new field (Fluor Field) as a miniature Fenway Park. For those who are not into baseball at all and resemble Laurie, that's the Boston Red Sox's field... in Boston.

What sets apart Fenway from others is the Green Monster. When Fenway Park was built in 1912 in the city of Boston, there was no "Green Monster." Without it, people kept hitting home runs onto the street. In 1936 they built a 37 foot wall and all that changed. When it was painted green in 1947, the Green Monster was born.  NO home runs have ever been hit over the Green Monster. Pretty cool if you ask me. ;)

So, back to the subject... The Greenville Drive (the team that plays at Fluor Field) is the lower-A affiliate of the Red Sox. Once again, pretty cool.

My Aunt works for a company that shares a suite with some other companys and form time to time they get tickets...so, on Monday, the day we went down for Dad's treatment, she had two extra tickets!

So we rushed home, changed, and hopped back in the car, driving to downtown for the game. It was fantastic! Suite seats! Awesome view! A mini-fenway! And that's not all..

My Uncle Jay is a graphic artist for a major company in Greenville and designed some of the signs at Fluor Field. Here they are:

The Fluor Field Sign

BMW Sign

I had so much fun! It was great. Here's a slide show I put together of the evening. Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures of my aunt.. she was sporting a Red Sox shirt and hat. Very cute. ;)

I must tell... she saw someone with a Yankee's shirt. Yep. She pointed him out and said, "I better go trip him." I must say, I agreed. ;)

P.S. About the other "American Things" --I like Wal-Mart good 'nuf. In fact, I was there this evening buying some things for my trip ;). Apple Pie is just down right amazing, if you ask me. So, even if I don't qualify on the baseball level, I've got the other two going for me. :D