Abby update - March 24/25

Okay, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or OJ around our house) and put your feet up, 'cause we've got quite a story to tell from this weekend...Just when I thought I was running out of things to write!

You probably remember the heart-touching tale of how the Aggie softball coach got involved with Abby and her friend Grace, sending a signed Aggie practice shirt to Abby and a ball signed by Cat Osterman to Grace. Well, Coach Evans had also invited Abby to attend an Aggie softball game, so this weekend we headed to College Station to catch a game between A&M and Iowa State. We thought it would be a nice treat, with Abby's birthday coming up, but we had little idea how amazing it would be.

First, our kids were just excited about the chance to visit my good friend (and TAMU roommate) Ruth. They love Ruth and her dog Erin, and, to make things even "sweeter," this weekend Ruth's Kiwanis Club was hosting a pancake breakfast, and there's nothing that Frank loves better than a big stack of pancakes with syrup. So the first stop Saturday was pancakes for brunch. They were great!

Then we headed to the game with Ruth. The Aggie softball team is great this year! They're currently ranked number 3 in the country, and I think they're the greatest secret on campus. We had passes for three of us (thanks to Coach Evans), but the remaining tickets were a bargain. In return, everyone got great seats, a fun environment, and some very good fastpitch softball. Early on the Aggies were playing well, enroute to a comfortable win, when everyone in the stands started standing up and applauding...

Then President George H.W. Bush walked in (with his dog and some men in suits)! We learned that he's a huge Aggie softball fan, and, with the playing field next door to his Presidential library, he often drops in for a game or practice. Ruth spoke to him, and he said he'd be happy to talk to the kids between innings, so Abby and Frank got to shake President Bush's hand and get his autograph!

Afterwards we were hoping to say thank you in person to Coach Evans for all she's done for Abby, when we ran into a TPWD colleague of mine and his wife. Their daughter, Jami Lobpries, usually starts for the Aggie softball team, but has been sidelined for a few games with an injury. (In fact, Jami, who brings a lot of hitting power to the Aggies, is now an answer to an official Trivial Pursuit sports question. Last year she hit a grand-slam home run off Cat Osterman in a TAMU-UT game--the only grand slam that has been hit off the gold medal Olympic pitcher in her entire softball career!). I actually knew Jami as a little girl, when we'd play lots of silly games together, and she's still as spunky and outgoing now. She took Abby under wing and showed her the Aggie dugout and locker room and gave her lots of inspiration for years to come!

We also did manage to meet Coach Evans, and now we know the reason for the Aggies' success. She is a very neat lady, who obviously has a huge heart. She expressed such genuine joy at meeting Abby and told of a player of hers in the past who had also had to fight to recover from a brain injury. I can't tell you how much we were impressed with her caring attitude, and, when she and Jami told us we should come back for the game on Sunday, we agreed that we needed to!

In between, however, we got to spend time with some more people that have been caring for us and Abby. We enjoyed dinner on Saturday night with Ruth's parents, two very special friends, and on Sunday morning, we had a very special visit to Ruth's church. We again met former strangers who said they had been praying for Abby, had her picture in their home, felt like they knew her...and we heard a wonderful sermon about the audacity and trepidation it takes to ask God to answer prayer. We felt we had truly experienced the emotions and the grace that result from being so vulnerable and yet so bold...

And then back to the game. The Aggies stomped Iowa State again, and at the end of the game Jami had a very special gift for Abby. She gave her her batting helmet from last year signed by all the girls on the team. What a wonderfully inspiring day. Even if Abby never plays softball at a level approaching these girls, I intend to help her remember what it means to pour out your heart in compassion. We saw it in these girls and in their coach and in so many others that touched us this special weekend.

And, if that wasn't enough--on the trip there and home we were treated to a glorious display of spring wildflowers. And I was reminded of a note from a co-worker last fall who wrote Abby that, even while the soil was dark and cold, the wildflowers of spring were there, underground, waiting to emerge again...thank you Dana...

With so much thankfulness,
Abby's family