A Very Patient Man

In order for you to get a good understanding of this story you will need some background information. I belong to a pretty athletic family and I am the black sheep. Instead of playing outside with the fam as a child I would read a book in bed with a Hershey's Cookies 'n' Mint candy bar. These candy bars aren't sold anywhere any more. A few years ago Hastings carried the king size ones at Christmas time. My stocking was full of them. If you ever see them anywhere--buy them all and send them to me. I would love you forever! But my story is not about this candy bar...

So fast forward to college...

My best friend, Laura, had a very light load her senior year. One of her classes was racquetball/tennis. We would go play at the workout facility. She taught me how to do it all and was extremely patient with me. I had played racquetball with my family at the YMCA, but I'm pretty sure it ended with me getting hit in the face with the ball or me hitting someone in the face with the ball. Whatever it was it ended badly.

Summer break came around and I convinced my Mom to buy tennis racquets and play with me. My Mom and sister were very impressed that I could hit the ball and we had a lot of fun playing. Although it wasn't really playing--just hitting the ball back and forth w/no rules. Probably the first time in my life that playing sports with the fam ended well. {side note, my parents are very encouraging people; I just sucked and knew it.}

Ty and I played racquetball a few times together in college and there were always scary moments where Ty would get tired of going easy and hit the ball HARD and I would be scared of the ball for the rest of the playing time. Ball bounce around like crazy in those enclosed rooms.

Enough background information, I think you guys get the point that I am unathletic and uncoordinated. Oh and I am scared of the ball.

We discovered tennis courts right by our neighborhood. I was really excited! We went Sunday night and played. We were the only ones there and I was SO happy! I hate trying new, athletic things in front of people. Ty is so incredibly patient with me and it was going okay. Then, two guys show up and decide to play right beside us. This might not be a big deal to those of you who are good at tennis, but this was a HUGE deal for me.

I'm excited when I hit the ball. I don't care where it goes as long as I hit it. Well, this usually means it goes over the fence or bounces onto the court beside us. So, when these guys showed up and decided to pick the court right beside me and not any of the other 5 courts I was pretty upset. We continued to play for a little while, but I was pretty discouraged so we left. {so discouraged that I might have cried when we got home. I said might have...}

I didn't give up completely. We went back the next day and I improved quite a bit. Ty wasn't having to chase the ball quite as much. He made me get the ones that went over the fence. haha! I can tell he really wants to zing one past me, but he holds back and barely lobs it over to me so that I can hit it back. Such a sweet, patient husband.

Then tonight it was a huge improvement! I smiled the whole time that we played. I was actually hitting the ball inside the lines, Ty wasn't having to run all over the court(s) as much as last time, and I was having fun!

My sweet, patient husband isn't always so patient when it comes to my picture taking.

Everytime we have gone we always play a short game. Last night I scored for the first time!! I scored 7 or 8 times! Ty won, of course, but I scored and that's all that matters!

I keep telling Ty that I will probably be an amazing player

once he buys me a tennis skirt!

{That got pretty lengthy; you guys still here??}

I don't want to give you all the wrong impression about last night. I'm still an awful tennis player, but I was so bad to begin with, that last night I felt like Anna whatsherface.