Connie Mack World Series 2008

Derek and Ron were coaching the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, NM and Beverly and I decided to go support the team for the weekend. We made the 7 1/2 hour drive by ourselves, and the boys took the "Big League" team bus. We drove through the desert, then the forest, then the desert again. We saw so many Hogans on the huge indian reservations. Bev had to educated me on what a Hogan was... they were everywhere. We also saw crazy rock formations once we got up around the Four Corners Past Gallup, NM.

This is Ship Rock. It is a national monument in Shiprock, NM. Either that or they are making it one. We read an article that said they are building a resort next to it.

The team and the coaches had a police escort from the city limits all of the way to the Connie Mack bbq welcoming all of the teams. It was so amazing. There were about 10-12 cops with the sirens on... you would think the president was in town. The town of Famington did a great job.

Once the guys got off of the bus they were greeted by family, their fans and of coarse the FHS cheerleaders. These girls danced and cheered welcoming the boys in style then walked them arm in arm to their orientation inside the Civic Center. It was quite an event. The guys had to feel important.

This is a picture of some of the teams during the Opening Game Ceremonies. You can see the Firebird coaches in the middle wearing white shirts. There were 8 teams total from all over the US and Puerto Rico. Florida, Connecticut, NY, 2 AZ teams, California, Puerto Rico and Farmington.

Father & Son... they did a great job. Ron was a head coach and Derek was the 1st base coach.
Beverly and her baby boy... look at those smiles!

The Firebirds ended up coming in at 3rd Place. They could have won the whole thing but we will never know. The score was 5-6 in the 5th inning and the Firebirds only had 1 out and were at bat. It started to rain, so they called the game final and gave the win to the NY team. That's normal in affiliated ball as long at you enter the 5th inning you don't have to continue the game the next day. That call shouldn't have been made for a World Series game. Everyone was sooooooooooooo mad. They played great ball, and really could have won the whole thing. Next year...
Beverly and I decided to take a trip up to Durango, CO while we were in Farmington. It was a 50 minute drive and beautiful the whole way. It felt like you could reach up and touch the clouds. I can't wait to go back and see the night sky.

This is Honeyville. We stopped there and saw anything and everything that you can make out of honey. It was so neat to see, and the people working there were so happy.

This was a live beehive inside Honeyville. The tube at the top followed the ceiling to a hole leading to the outside. The bees were free to gather food and help the enviornment then come back to the hive. We even saw he queen bee. She has a big red dot on her back. So cool.

The scenery was breathtaking... It was so green and the ridges on this mountain were so beautiful. It really makes you take a step back and appreciate the beauty around us. It was a day to count our blessings.

We drove up about 15 miles past Durango and stopped at this lodge. The views were spectacular. This subdivision is full of homes that go from $3-$5 million. I always like to see what the real estate goes for.
This is located in the center of Durango and the whole town seemed to be there. Beverly and I wanted to go tubing sooooooooo bad, so we are going to plan a trip up there again next summer. The water in this river was crystal clear, and there were all ages floating down it.

These pictures are of the "Old Main Street" shopping area. There were such colorful flowers everywhere. Every store front had flower boxes in the windows, hanging flowers and potted flowers. It was so pretty. We can't wait to visit again!