They Won State!!!

My brothers, Brian and John, are on the 2009 Indiana 1A State Champions team! The final score was... (Ready?) 52-0! Our defense didn't let them get so much as a field goal! We are so excited for the whole team, but have such a special place for our boys!! Go John, #54! Go Brian, #60! I am so proud of you!



We made this sign for my brothers.. My Uncle Phil came up with it. We also had another one that read, "We drove all the way from Cleveland to witness CC's victory!" My cousin held that one and got on the jumbo-tron for, like 20 seconds! He tried to turn it over quickly so that they could read the other side, which said, "Go Brian! #60 Put the 'stangs out to pasture!" The other team was the Mustangs. Anyway, the camera men cut away from us before he could but we got some laughs from our array of posters! I screamed my head off at this game! It was one of the best days ever!! It means so much to Brian and John.. To our family. I just can't express how excited we are!!

On one of the IHSAA blogs, someone wrote that #60 (Brian) was impressive and that he consistently "disrupted" the game. He never let the other team get off easy. He kept coming at them play after play! He got two sacks and, even though his leg was injured, played almost the entire game. He has worked his butt off for so long, I am so proud of him! This was his last game, as a senior. Love you, Bri-guy!

Congrats, CC Knights!!!


Brian is #60, on the far right!

Here's my brother, Brian, being quoted in an article for our newspaper about winning the Football State Championship yesterday!

"After three years of terrible losses, heartbreaking losses, it's here now," said CC senior defensive end Brian Beardmore, who recorded a game-high 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks. "We've been looking at this since we came in as freshmen. I actually cried. I was crying like a baby. Everything I've been dreaming and waiting for, it finally came to us, and I'm so happy about it."

I love him!!


And there's Johnny Boy! On the far left of the.. JUMBO-TRON!! Whoo hoo! We kept screaming for John and he would do little dances for us! Love that kid!

7 Quick Takes

I know it's not Friday, but I felt like posting my quick takes..

1. I helped with a high school retreat this past weekend. It is called Search and it was really amazing! So many leaders shared their stories and it touched the hearts of a lot of kids. My brother, Brian (a senior and 18 years old), was the co-leader for the weekend and did a fantastic job! I am so proud of him! When Brian was little, my mom once found him crying in the garage. It was one of those someone-just-died kind of cries. When my mom finally convinced him to tell her what was wrong, Brian blubbered, "No one in our family has EVER made it to professional sports! Ever!" LOL Obviously he is a sports nut (see #2), but he has a deep side too! He gave his witness and I cried the whole time.. (Sigh) I love that kid! It was a great way to spend the Feast of Christ the King.. Bringing others to Jesus. What better way could you celebrate!? I think it was my favorite Christ the King ever! :)

2. Speaking of my brothers and sports, the boys have made it to the state championship in football! Both Brian and John (junior, age 17) are amazing players.. When we watch the games, the announcer is constantly saying, "Beardmore with the take down.." Or "Beardmore with the assist.." Okay, actually I have no idea what each of those mean, but we always "Whoop! Whoop!" when we hear their names. I love watching them play! The state game is this Friday and we're playing the #3 team (we're ranked #1) who are also undefeated. They have worked so hard! I am so proud of them! On a sad note, I lost my favorite ring at the last game.. I was glad they won and everything, but it was a really cute ring! Bummer!

3. Tonight I am taking the 12 year old that I babysit to see "New Moon" and then I'm seeing it again with Laura! Matt and Suzanne and I might see "The Blind Side" tomorrow afternoon and on Saturday, if I get all my work done, I'm going to take myself out to see "Precious". I am a movie fanatic. And I will say this.. In Indy you can go put butter on popcorn on your own. It's like fountain drinks for popcorn and you can keep the mother going all night long! It's both the best and worst thing that has happened to movie theaters and unfortunately, I usually get there about 30 minutes early so that I can get a continuous flow of fake buttery goodness on my popcorn. It's horrible.

4. Okay, I have to say that it's horrible because no one should ever love that much butter on their popcorn, but really, it's amazing.

5. The semester is almost over. I cannot wait! It has been a tough couple months! I'm ready to take some time off and I have some things planned for the break. Last year, over break, we went to Chicago and I got to see "Wicked" from front row, center seats for $25.. This year, I'm even more excited because I'll be seeing my brother, Tommy on stage! Tommy is doing his Christmas Show at Donny's Skybox at The Second City theater in Chicago. Yes, THE Second City theater! This is where Steve Carell, Chris Farley and Molly Shannon all got their start! He's doing sooo well! If you're around Chicago over the next few weeks, visit Second City's website and purchase tickets to the Friday night 9pm Holiday Show! Click here to see his standup video!

6. Can I tell you what I'm doing for my younger siblings for Christmas? I'm very excited! For Caroline (age 4) and Annie (age 6), I am recording myself reciting funny poems, singing songs, reading stories and putting a CD together so they can have story parties with me at bedtime or in the car even though I'm an hour away! I'm also making us "sister blankets".. I'm doing the tied fleece blanket thing and making us each a cozy blanket. I'm doing the same for my brother Michael. I'll be making him a CD of jokes and short stories for him to listen to at bedtime and a blanket as well (though his will not be as pink and delicious as the girls'). I don't know about the older boys yet. But we're pooling money together to get my parents a night's stay at a hotel in Indy which we will book for a day or two after Christmas. They're pretty fond of that one. :) I would tell you what I want but this is only a 7 Quick Takes.. I'll have to wait until the 137 Quick Takes edition.

7. I recently decided that I would tidy up my car whenever I was getting gas. So a couple weeks ago I was throwing away old receipts and water bottles and organizing the random things that end up in my car (on this particular day; hairspray, a pack of cards, 85% of my school books, a bag of erasers, one basket of folded laundry and 7 shoes). This took me a good 15 minutes and my gas had finished pumping. I began to leave and a woman stopped me. She pointed out that I hadn't closed my little gas door thing. I thanked her and as I merged into traffic, called my BFF Laura. When she answered, I got silent. "Caitie?" She said. "Uh oh.." I replied. "I think I might have left the gas pump without ever taking the actual pump out of my car.." Laura laughed, "No way!" I gulped, "Oh my gosh.. They probably got my license plate!! They're gonna chase me down and prosecute me!" "Oh Caitie!" said Laura. "They can't prosecute you for being stupid. Just turn around and go see if it's lying on the ground."

My mom had done something similar a few years before, only the gas had still been pumping.. Picture a continual flow of petrol being strewn about the gas station as the pump flails about in the air. They had to wait hours for the gas to be shut off, the owner to come, the damage to be figured out and a payment to be made. But I had just driven away! I was sure that the gas had stopped pumping, but how would I know if there was damage or not! Was I going to be arrested and get my license taken away? Laura convinced me to drive around the block and take a peek. Sure enough, the pump was lying on the ground, looking like a fallen comrade and begging to be put back in its home. "Should I go back and put it away?" I asked. "Just go," said Laura. "It's not that big of a deal."

You know, it's one thing to have friends who enjoy you. It's quite another to have friends who understand your quirks and can roll with their punches. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the people around me who get who I am, what I'm really about and who can laugh with me as I try not to take myself so seriously! :) I am thankful for all the laughs and joy in life. I am thankful for my faith and my family. Most of all, I am thankful for my life; "Caitie Moments" and all!

The Only Rx is More Cowbell!

Lately there's been some talk about doctors performing "unnecessary" procedures and their motives. This has merely been the most recent conversation, as I have been the quiet observer to countless of these in the past couple years. I've always remained silent and not spoken up, but I'm gonna make like Oprah and get awkward about it. :) I don't usually get too serious on this here blog of mine, but I feel strongly about this issue and, as my father is a pediatrician, it hits too close to home for me. I can't help but be a bit offended. I'm not addressing any recent topics of conversation, just a general perspective that I disagree with and at least this blog is a less confronting place to respond with my thoughts.. Please forgive an over-protective daughter who sees her dad work so hard and make so many sacrifices for his family. If you'd rather not hear my perspective on the issue, feel free to click here and enjoy the rest of your day! :)

First, I find it interesting that people who are not actually familiar with someone's medical history (nevermind not actually familiar with medical school -- online research doesn't count, my friend) can be so quick to identify what is or is not necessary in their medical treatment. Second, I find that people who think certain medical procedures are unnecessary are usually the ones who have not gone through an experience in which such a procedure would have been life-saving. You think it's a power-trip? You think it's a ploy to rake in the dough? You think it's about scare-tactics? Whew.. Well, you're blessed to have such a perspective. There are many people who would disagree because that extra ulrasound, for example, would have saved their child's life. Thanks be to God you are able to say such things, I guess.

Before I go any further, I want to point out that trusting that God will provide for you is not mutually exclusive from receiving medical attention. We've all heard the story about the man stranded in a flood who has faith that God will save him. When people try to rescue him, the man denies their efforts, ensuring them that God will protect him. In the end, God tells the man that He had, in fact, tried to save him; by sending other people to help. I have faith that God works similarly through physicians every hour of every day. Trusting in medicine does not mean you do not trust in God.

Physicians dedicate their lives to helping you live yours. I'm not saying that every doctor treats his or her patients with a mindfulness about God's will. I'm not saying they're all steller people with perfect histories or intentions. Plus, not every physician is going to be the one for you. One person's Dr. Evil may be another person's Patch Adams. :) I'm also not saying that their ONLY interest is your well-being and they just tear up their paychecks because, gosh darn it! They just live for those early morning rounds and flu shots! ;) What I AM saying is, I think it's unwise to make the generalization that doctors don't have a genuine interest in their patients' well-being and that ulterior motives drive their work. Do they have to make a living? Of course! But most physicians focus on exactly what you do; a happy, healthy life for you and your family.

Additionally, doctors deal with the ever-looming threat of malpractice suits, many times from situations that could not have been helped or foreseen. Do they have to be extra-vigilant nowadays? Yes, they do. Do procedures sometimes end up to be unnecessary? Sure. But how do you know an intervention is unnecessary until after it's complete? Are you willing to take the risk? Well, I'd thank God your doctor isn't! When you're responsible for the health of another, it seems like a good idea to ensure that you've done anything and everything to protect them. And yourself. It's hard for me to imagine why we would be resentful of having more care than necessary.. Only in America would such things be said. I can't imagine a discussion of the evils of superfluous health-care happening in a country in which they have none.

My dad has come home many nights with a very heavy heart. I have seen tears for those he could not save, I have heard him fight for those who he could and I have seen the patience and humility it takes for him to deal with people who think his profession is exploitative. When you have been called from your bed into the hospital at all hours of the night, leaving your family to go tend to the health of someone else's, you can comment on whose interest doctors have at heart. When you've lived through the experience of having to explain to someone that their child is dying, you can comment on the "bias" of their profession. Until then, I just can't help but find it ignorant and insulting.

Things I Love

Inspired by 50's Housewife's post, here's are a few of my favorite November things..

The beautiful colors of fall.. Bringing in rich tones to wardrobes and decor makes everything savory.
Tall boots and tights with skirts. It's such a fun look! Reminds me of Meg Ryan.. Always classy!

Finding a cozy place to cuddle with a book, a cup of coffee and a warm blanket. A beautiful couch doesn't hurt! Hello, gorgeous!


Please tell me you've listened to the Puppini Sisters.. They're amazing! I've had them in my car CD player for two weeks straight! My favorite song right now is their cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights". It's so fun! Makes me want to read the book again! (See above picture of couch)

Table decorations. Every Thanksgiving I get to tidy the dining room, iron the table clothes, shine all the silverware, wipe down the wine glasses and plates and set the table. We usually have over 20 people with us, so it takes most of the day. I usually bring a CD player out with me and the kids know to stay out! Later on, when I'm all done, I invite them back in to help me make place cards. Last year we made Pilgrim hats and Indian headpeices (I'm sure they were not historically or politically correct). It's my favorite part of getting ready for the holiday.

One of my old co-workers makes THE BEST pumpkin roll! If it had been appropriate, I would have asked her to bring it in daily. LOL! But it's wonderful this time of year!


Neighborhood streets turning colors. Seeing fall come through city streets makes me so happy! We see God in nature, but sometimes it's hard to see nature in the city. I think this kind of scene is so beautiful!

Blankets. I'm obsessed. I love a comfy, beautiful blanket and a closet full of them is Heaven! I think a closet like this, easily accessible to guests and movie watchers, is one of the most welcoming things you can have in a home!

Soup. My mom makes the BEST potato, ham and cheese soup. Somehow, it isn't heavy but is just a bowl full of comfort!

Scarves. Heck, I'd wear them in the summer (and actually, this year that was "in"). I love to wear them with a really basic outfit.. A white shell and jeans or a black blouse and skit. Scarves are the best accessory!

Papasan Chairs. I actually like the double ones because you can curl up and take a nap. I wish my room had room for one of these! But alas, I have to admire them from afar! :) Or get rid of my desk, which I don't use anyway.. Christmas list, meet Papasan chair!

What about you? What are the things that bring a smile to your face or inspiration to your November?

Happy Thanksgiving, if I don't see ya!