Oregon in June

It sounds like the name of a novel: "Oregon in June".

 

And yes, I realize it's nearing the end of July. I'm just trying to get caught up here!

 

For the last three years, Alyssa & Darcie have played together ... on three different travelling softball teams -- for varying reasons. And for the last three years, each of those teams has travelled to Oregon for the same college exposure softball tournament. I told you about it HERE and HERE. Alyssa has participated in the exposure camp and all-star games prior to the actual tournament, and this year, it was Darcie who did that.

 

It also happens to fall on Father's Day weekend. So, Happy Father's Day -- to the amazing man who devotes so much of his life to the rest of us! For his present, he gets to drive for hours, sit in the cold (or heat) and watch his daughters throw, catch and hit a neon yellow ball, carry coolers & chairs, buy meals for the whole family, and then drive for hours to get back home again. Kinda doesn't seem quite fair, huh? That's just part of the reason why we love him!



 

 

So these photos are some of my top picks of the few hundred photos I snapped. Starting with these next two pictures that actually came before the weekend started:

 

 

 

We had gone to our local softball fields to get some batting practice in before heading out of town for the tournament. I had to smile, because lined up at the fence are the girls from the Little League All-Stars softball team, who were practicing on the next field. When they took a water break, they came to the fence to watch Alyssa and Darcie hitting the ball! It was cool for me to see youth softball come full circle. I remember our girls being the Little League All-Stars and looking up to the high school players in great awe...... and now our girls ARE the high school players that the little girls are watching!! So fun!!

 

So, we were off to Hillsboro, Oregon, where our weekend began with the morning "exposure camp" for Darcie. That evening was also the all-star game -- and the first time in a LONG time that Alyssa watched Darcie play softball, without being in uniform and playing along with her.

 

She looks like she's handling it ok!

 

(That's Darcie batting -- she hit one over the fence, too)

And these are her catching in the all-star game. She caught for 3 innings, which was pretty good, considering that there were several catchers that needed to be rotated through. Her first pitcher asked if Darcie would wear an armband, to give signs.

 

Miss Emma loved Alyssa's hat!

 

Moving on to tournament play....

 

Unlike the last two years of both high school and summer softball, Darcie actually got the opportunity to play different infield positions. She has been catching for so long, she has really learned that position well. It was odd for me to see her playing first base:

But I think she enjoyed getting moved around on the field.

So their sisters' high-fives were coming from a different direction, and without Darcie being covered in catching gear, too!

 

 

(One of the team chats after a game)

 

And, still a highlight for Emma ... is the hotel pool...

 

 

(Emma's not the only one to have fun there.)

 

If it kind of looks like we go the same place all the time ..... well, we can't help but stop at Multnomah Falls. It's truly right on the way -- the freeway exit dumps you right in the parking lot. And it's just a quarter-mile hike to get to the bridge between the upper and lower falls.

 

 

But the views that Todd and I see the most of ..... are these:

 

 

Oh, how I love those girls!!