Football is Over!

Football is officially Done. It was a great year. The boys (all 3 ) learned lots about themselves and their abilities. We had a winning season and in my opinion, 3 winning boys. I love them all!

Practicing Punting

Again during conference the kids were out playing. This time they were practicing their punting skills. Steve would hike them the ball they would catch it and the kick. Here's my camera doing the fast picture taking capturing the moments. Enjoy your kicks boys!

While the boys play

I took the camera the other day when they were doing pictures for football, so I could get them of the kids. I won't pay $20 for pictures when I can take a cute one of them. But then I had the camera and the game hadn't started yet so I proceeded to take a few pictures of my cute girls. They love going to the games and playing with their friends and even watching the boys in their spare time.

Yeah I had to get a huddle shot. I love how intense they are in these huddles all of the boys half the time are all wiggly trying to contain themselves until they get to go run the play they were just conniving.

I do have to tell you about this past weekend. We were playing "the green team." We have noticed them the past few weeks warming up while we were playing. We were anxious to see how well the boys would do against them. They looked great. They have this whole routine down to warm up--high knees, lunges, jumping jacks repeat. All the kids have these arm bands with the plays written on them (think college quarterback), but they are on both arms. They all have numbers on their backs. Normally you wouldn't think this would be a big deal but considering the fact that the shirts don't come with numbers and the coaches went had someone do it, it's a big deal. We laughed when we saw all of this but thought they must be some team, either that or the coaches had mucho mula.

Let me just say this. On their very first play of the game, Seth intercepted the ball and ran it back probably 10 yard, and then we went and scored. We proceeded to score 2 more times and held them until the last minute of the game when they scored (at that point we were cheering for the other team--like I said I know what it's like to have a husband that has lost a game). Oh I was so proud of our boys and especially their coach for winning this game for me.

Now back to our cute pictures of our girls while the boys played. These were at a soccer game that had a park next to it. I didn't see much of the game because I was constantly chasing Kenna and trying to keep her off of climbing those rainbow ladders.

No the boys aren't stretching, though we aren't against it. They are showing the ref that they all have shin guards on. Luckily more boys showed up after this picture.

It has been fun to have our Saturdays filled with games and fun. This week we have to cram an extra football game in on Thursday, to play the only team that has beat us. There has been some big talk at our house the past week since Steve found out he gets to have a rematch. Lets just say, will everyone please pray for our kids to win. Oh I know God doesn't care who wins but will you do it anyway because it sure will make for a happy husband and two happy boys. I do know God cares about that.

Flag Football

We are so busy this year coaching sports. Well maybe I should rephrase that. Steve is busy coaching I just send all the emails out to parents. But either way it has definitely taken up some time. We have soccer on Thursdays and football on Tuesdays and both on Saturdays. So far we've only had one rotten Saturday--granted it was the first.

So I've said it before and I will continue to say it I'm afraid. Damen has a passion for football, he gets it from his Dad (well maybe not, Steve loves football and loves to play it but doesn't care to watch it every second of every day like Damen). Anyway Damen plays quarterback or receiver. He's learned a lot about trying to be a leader of the team and encourage everyone to do their best but so far he's also scored in 2/3 of the games a couple touch downs each game. I love how excited he is for every second of the game as well as how excited he is for his team mates. Often I will look over and when kids are out on the sideline they are picking the dandelions or are off messing around or wrestling the other kids that are out. Not Damen he is running up and down the field with the team yelling and cheering as loud as he can. He's so fun to watch.

Seth plays both defense and offense and does so well at blocking. One time he blocked so well that the kid just gave up and went down another time he had his arms a little high and actually got the kids neck (we had a little talk on that one). He continues to get more and more excited about the game as the weeks go on.

On our first game everyone was extremely confident that we were going to will, that we were going to score on the first drive of the game and be super amazing. Well we were all humbled that week. So much so that Steve was upset and stayed awake all night coming up with new plays and reevaluating the game plan. Damen came home saying "why doesn't my team trust me I kept telling them what was going to happen and they just didn't trust me." Then as he got in the shower the tears started to flow and though the water was loud and he thought we couldn't hear him, he was just a sobbing, (I told you he was passionate). Seth walked around for a minute with his head down because he thought he was supposed to and then gave up on that and went out to play.

I guess the game plan worked because they have just dominated the other teams since then. Their plays work their defense has been amazing and it has just been fun to watch and pleasant to live with. I was wondering after that first game why I had signed Steve up to be their coach, but ya know he gets frustrated if they aren't coached right so I would rather have him coach and be in control of that than get mad at the other parents, but now he feels so much pressure to perform. He does well though and the kids love all the high fives they get!

Here's Damen in the middle passing off to Seth whose behind him

Here's Damen trying to make some forward progress. Looks like I need to get some pictures of Seth. I know I have some from this last week. We'll get more up soon or at least of soccer

Damens Bronco Game

So after a week of planning out their trip Steve and Damen took off for Denver on Saturday afternoon (had to get all the ball games out of the way). They left in rainy weather, so they decided to take I-80 instead of 70, which ended up getting 2 ft of snow that night, nice choice. After driving till almost 11 they reached Cheyenne and stayed the night there. They called the next morning while I was trying to get the kids to ready for church and told me that they were eating breakfast. Damen said "I am eating pancakes, scrambled eggs, hot cocoa and bacon but it's the gross kind" (we eat turkey bacon at our house so he thinks real bacon is gross, what have we done to our kids, at least they're healthy-er). Come to find out later, the motel was supposed to have continental breakfast but when they went down to eat there were 2 loaves of bread and a toaster with butter sitting next to it. That was it and Damen was not about to settle for that!

They had about an hour and half to drive into Denver and they left shortly after breakfast. They got to the game 4 hrs early. They wandered the whole tail gate party and saw this decked out limo painted orange (Go Broncos!) That's some serious tailgaters there

We got home from church at 12:30 and got a phone call from Steve and Damen. They were already inside the Stadium sitting in their seats with 2 hrs before kickoff! I think they were a little excited

Can't you just see the excitement on his face!

They had great seats as you can see, and it looks like not too many people show up that early at least not in the stadium.

But being there that early you get to see everyone warming up and that part excited Damen

They watched the kickers and the quarterbacks

In fact here is Tim Tebow warming up, Damen was stoked about that!

During half time a pee-wee football team got to play a bunch of mascots they thought that was pretty fun to watch a lot better than the game itself.

See in the first 5 minutes of the game the Raiders scored 21 points. The final score 59-14 for the Raiders. They were sitting amongst a bunch of Raiders so finally started cheering for them! They left the game and drove on to Laramie and then the rest of the way home on Monday. There sure was a lot of driving involved but both of them had a great time. And a little boys dream was fulfilled. Thanks Nate and Andrea for not being able to go so we could get the tickets! Now how do you top birthdays like that? It looks like it's all down hill from here on out!

Flag Football

Damen has been playing flag football this fall. He loves it. He hates loosing (so does his dad), but he loves playing. One thing about Damen is he is very knowledgeable about football. He knows A LOT. He loves watching NFL football and knows all the rules and all the players and all their stats. It's been fun to see him so passionate about something! So we signed him up to play and Steve up to coach. It would have been better had Steve been the main coach. He would get frustrated being the assistant and wanting to do things a little different than the coach but such is life. Damen would play receiver and quarterback. He did well at both. I think these pics are all of him being QB and Steve is even coaching because the main coach would get so frustrated "herding cats" that he would send Steve out to coach (he's a little more patient with kids).

But can I just say I am so glad the last game is on Sat. I hate being a "coaches wife." I hear about the game all week long and their frustration with the refs (they are only high school students). But it has been fun to watch and Damen has done really well. I have loved watching the parents as well. What is it about football that brings out the "best" in men. We are on the same team as some kids we play basketball with and the parents don't get as animated with other sports not like football. What is it about Football? Is this one of "the mysteries?"


In the huddle

Here Steve is "herding a cat". Damen is right next to him getting ready to receive the ball

He's about to throw

Yes it was caught! Down field I don't take pictures of other kids, even if it means a good play!