Last week one of my softball coaches tagged me in a post celebrating our “Friend-iversary” of being connected on Facebook.

As we drove to Great Falls last weekend to play in the Electric City Heat Classic I kept thinking about that post. It may seem so silly to most, to me I was feeling so grateful for the fact that he took the time to celebrate our social media connection but most importantly that someone who was there in my early years of life still plays a part in my world today, he’s a special man and so is his family… I hope that our little mighty team of Emerald’s have the same experience in the time they spend on the fields with the coaches who they get to play with.

Last weekend, we took our 10U team to Great Falls without our fearless leader. Coach Beau stayed behind to be with family and friends to celebrate his God Daughters wedding. He had a tribe to rally in his absence, but I know sending his team of girls off without him was hard.

Starting off Saturday morning against the Billings Bombers, this mighty little team pulled ahead in the first inning by 7 runs and ended up winning out of the box 13-3. They would go on to win the next game against the Great Falls Select team and losing the 3rd game of the day to Cody’s Pride out of Wyoming.

Shaking off the loss to Cody, the girls headed to the pool for pizza & giggles. They spent some time together just being girls and bonding, it was the eve of Mackenzie’s double digit birthday and Saturday’s performance seeded the girls #3 into the Gold Bracket for Sunday play.

Sunday morning’s game was tough, the Great Falls team we faced came away with the win but it wasn’t without a lot of try and heart from our girls.

What I love the most about this team is their resilience… they are gamers and they seem to rally and shake things off faster than most. It’s a really special combination, and I feel like its one of the things I love about watching them play together.

Shoutouts to EVERY girl in the batters box last weekend. Madison brought in a double Saturday to seal a win, Ellie dropping a beautiful hit to the outfield to start off our game Sunday, Addison digging in and hitting away, girl you’ve got big things ahead! Taylor, Nakia, Kiera, Olivia, Kyleigh, Charolette and Mackenzie were hungry for the right ball and batted with heart. Seriously, I was SO SO SO proud of them… and I know everyone cheering from the sidelines were too!

Jaidyn in the circle. She lead the team and battled like a rock star, I love her determination the most… when she smiles she is most dangerous, I don’t think her batters know that that smile means business. We should keep it a secret…

Rylee took at hard hit to her wrist playing 2nd base, she powered through by standing in the box to bat for her team and I know it took a lot of courage to do it. We were happiest to know she didn’t break anything during the play.

Electric City Tournament

These girls have GRIT. It’s hard to explain until you watch them come together and play. They have fun together, they compliment each other and like I said about Jaidyn, when they smile together they are unstoppable.

Special thanks to Coach Dan for taking the lead in Beau’s absence. You did an amazing job with the girls and I am so very glad we had you to take charge. It was fun to watch you work with them and see your passion, I will never let Mack forget the “dance” on 2nd base when she should have been running to 3rd. It wasn’t funny at the time, but we will have that to laugh about for years to come! To Mike, Doc & Matt, thank you for helping Dan, it is fun to watch how each of you worked so differently with the girls. It takes a village and I really think we have a good one.

To the parent’s, families (Siblings and Aunties included!!!) who were up at 5:30 am to get to the fields and cheer the girls on you are the special part in helping make the best memories for our team. I still feel so very lucky to be part of such a good group of people and giving our girls this opportunity to play together.

The funniest thing about the weekend was the Gophers. Yes, Gophers. You haven’t played ball until you have been told that if a ball lands in a gopher hole do not touch it, it’s a dead ball. I thought they were joking until the gophers were looking for their homes Sunday am and running for their lives while we were doing our pre-game warm-ups.

As we head off to our next tournament I’m so excited to watch them play. I love watching our team of mighty girls grow, and am grateful for the people who are making an impact on their lives each and every inning from the friendships being made in the dugout to the coaches I hope they have a lifetime of friendship made this summer.

Softball. I love the game, growing up playing, I know gained more than just the love of the sport along the way. Some of my very best friends are girls I shared a dugout with or played against more than 35 years ago.

Both our girls have played, Mady enjoyed a year with the Bruisers (loved that season & team of girls!) but horses are her first true love. She has now officially taken on the role of “Most Supportive Sister” to Mackenzie (aka Big Mack or Mack Attack, depending on who you ask) who is all about softball. 

Big Mack made the Kalispell Emeralds 10U Travel Softball Team and we kicked off our first summer tournament this past weekend at the Zootown Fastpitch Softball Classic. 

Saturday was tough, the girls lost all 3 games they played but learned a lot. It was their first time playing together as a team, and knew going in they would need to take each play, each inning & learn how to work together & give their best. The most important thing about Saturday was the hard fought battles did not take the spirit out of our girls, they truly grew together.

Sunday’s first game had us paired up against a team out of Spokane, and our girls showed up with all heart. They rallied to win the game! 

First Win as a team!

We went on to beat Electric City Heat from Great Falls for the Silver Bracket Title. It was a tough battle but the girls rallied to beat them and bring home the win having the fans on their feet. 

Heart. They played with all of heart coming together in a way that I didn’t anticipate.

Shout outs to Jaidyn in the circle. She lead the team pitching her heart out. I loved the way her eyes smiled through her face mask, she was having fun and it made it so fun to watch! Ellie squeezed more pitches behind the plate then I could count, she worked with Jayden pitch after pitch, protecting her turf and working hard for her team. 

Kyleigh and Charlotte for battling through, Charlotte took a ball to the eye and walked away with the best black eye of the weekend. It didn’t stop her from catching a fly ball and making a double play.

Kyleigh had an excellent play Saturday against a Columbia Falls team, with bases loaded, batter hit foul ball to 1st base dugout, Ky caught it, tagged 1st base and then threw to 2nd getting runners out who didn’t tag up. She went on to have a collision at home plate that left her with a fracture to the tibia but she stood in the box to start off our last inning hitting rally to win Sunday. 

Taylor and Rylee had great pop fly catches. I love Taylors job at the plate, that girl is gonna send one for a long ride before this season is over.
Rylee, Addison & Madison for starting the weekend shy in the batters box and swinging away to all have hits in Sunday’s games.  
Kiera truly embraced her fielding position, making key stops and her beautiful hit Sunday sparked the fire that spread throughout the inning & leading the team through the batting order.  

Nakiah worked so hard in the field and at the plate, she shows up and she is ready to play something you just can’t teach.

Addison is a true joy, she really shows her heart the most, she cares for her team and her sweet spirit is contagious to be around.

As for Big Mack, she did a solid job in the field and was aggressive at the plate. We joked about “no high cheese” until she has two strikes on her.  I have feeling we will see some power hits from her too.

Special thanks to Coach Beau, he took on the role of coach for our girls out of pure love for the sport. What impressed me most this weekend watching him with our girls, was excitement and fire that came out once the game started. When first meeting him, he seemed so quiet and shy, but when the girls hit the field he didn’t stop, he used many moments to teach the girls while encouraging them in such a positive way. And to Assistant Coach Dan, for giving the same positive and encouraging attitude with our girls. I enjoyed how well you and Beau worked together to bring out the best in all of our girls, and I know I’m not alone when I say that I am really looking forward to watching you continue to work with our girls in the coming weeks. 
To all the “fans”, the parents, families and friends who cheered the girls along each step of the way, your love and support made the weekend the best. I think we are all pretty lucky to have such a great group of girls. Mack was lucky to have an extra big group of fans with her Papa & Mina, Aunt Renee & cousin, Tyler, and Uncle Jason, Aunt Holly & cousins, Bo & Bellamy cheering her on. Kalispell’s Emeralds Softball Teams were well represented. 

Winning the Silver Bracket for the weekend wasn’t the sweetest part though… yes, there’s more! The icing on the cake to finish off Sunday was our other 10U Kalispell Emeralds Team won the Gold Bracket, beating out the hometown favorite, Bitterroot Sparks, and making it a sweep for the Kalispell girls. I know that their is a lot of pride in the hearts of many coming home on Sunday!!

Silver Bracket Winners

As for this mighty team of girls, they have three more big tournaments ahead, I’ll keep you posted on their progress in the weeks to come, I know in my heart we will see them continue to flourish. 

#beYOUtiful #campbrandt #bigmack8

Mackenzie was officially promoted to 1st grade today…sniff, sniff, sniff…

Her teacher had a small graduation celebration in her classroom this afternoon. It started with the playing of “Pomp & Circumstance” and as the kids started to file in to the classroom with their little caps on I had a lump in my throat the size of an apple. Their program was sweet & adorable as they sang to us the “Kindergarten Class” and the “Special Family Song”.  I think back to the first day of school, and how they all have grown so much since then.

Kindergarten Graduation

Madison made Mackenzie a bouquet of paper flowers and presented them to her following the program, a kind and loving gesture by big sis!

Both Mackenzie’s teacher, Mrs. Brandeberry, and student teacher, Ms. Hazen, have praised her more than once throughout the year. To hear again today how much they enjoyed Mackenzie melted my heart and makes me proud to know that I have such a kind hearted, smart, and friendly little girl.

It has been an incredibly sentimental week as I have tried to prepare myself for the kindergarten graduation celebration, and that tomorrow will be Madison’s last day at Edgerton Elementary… Middle School… WOW! I can’t even wrap my brain around that yet… sniff, sniff, sniff…

At this point, all I think I can do is continue to be incredibly PROUD of the two beautiful and amazing young girls who bless my life everyday!