Ever since leaving the Marine Corps and moving back to CT, I have spent summers watching American Legion baseball. In the early 2000′s (my days at the newspaper) I would see close to 50 games every summer…travelling from town to town…sometimes watching  four games in a day…in those days it was always with friends.

Now, almost a decade later I have a business and a family and I don’t get to near as many games. Luckily, I have passed the addiction along to my entire family.

It began in 2005…the year of Branford’s first state championship.

My girlfriend (Andrea) and her daughter (Brittney)…now my wife and step daughter… came with me to a few games that year. When they made the state tournament we went to almost every game together.

After winning the State Championship Branford travelled to Warwick, Rhode Island for the Northeast Regional tournament. Every day for a week, I drove to Warwick to watch the games. Every day for a week, Brittney came with me.  Andrea made a few games when her work schedule allowed. The addiction was growing.

Since then we have travelled to Vermont, Rhode Island and all over CT to watch American Legion tournament games. This year is no different. I have been to three state tournament games this week…my family has been to five! They went without me twice because I had to work.

Last night we were all there as Branford won for the sixth straight time and forced a one game championship at 11 a.m. this morning. The entire family is going….even grandma.

If Branford wins today…they head to the Northeast Regional in Orchard Beach, Maine. It would be the first Northeast Regional we have missed.  Let me rephrase that…it will be the first Northeast Regional I have missed.

 It wouldn’t shock me at all if someone from my family finds a way to get to Maine next week.

Believe me I tried… I poured over my calendar trying to find a way to make it work, but it just won’t happen.

At least I get to catch one more game today…off to the State Championship at Muzzy Field in Bristol….with the entire family…the addiction had definitely caught on!!!

We had a few people over on Monday and I decided to take the camera out for some pet photos. The white lab, Riley, is our cousin’s, all the others are ours.

Riley doesn’t visit much, so our cat Gatsby spent a good chunk of the afternoon scared in the tree…it made for some good pictures.

We are hoping to set up a fundraiser with Pet Photos around Christmas time…so you will see plenty more pet photos coming soon.

I will start out with my nephew Andrew…I finally went through some of my personal pictures the other day and found some fun shots of Andrew who just turned one in August.

I am a diehard Red Sox fan, but even if you are not (like Andrea)…sitting atop the Green Monster is definitely a treat. It is an entirely different experience that sitting in the stands at Fenway. Of course, no trip to Fenway is complete without a few Italian Sausages (usually three or four!!).

Rumor has  it that he will be posting an engagement shoot from inside Fenway Park very soon…can’t wait to see it!!!

Here are a few of our favorites from the engagement session down at Yale.