Yak Attack

Let me start this post with a warning. I posted 36 pictures. What can I say, I am a proud Mom with a new camera.

A couple of weekends ago, Megan and I headed to Yakima, Wa. for a huge soccer tournament. We set off on Friday, just the two of us. We stopped in the Tri cities and did a little shopping on our way down. We also stopped there on our way back home to hit Costco.

What a great time we had. First off, it was HOT!!! We have only been seeing temperatures in the 60's so we where not ready for the upper 80's that weekend.

Megan was supposed to be on the U14 team, but the team didn't end up getting to go. So the U15 team took what girls they could fit. All of our girls are 14 and younger, Megan being the youngest. It was great experience for them. We joked that our girls where so small compared to the other teams.

This tournament is run a lot differently then any other we have been a part of. It is a 5 vs 5, goalies can not kick the ball, no time outs or offsides and 12 minute halves. A horn blows and the ball is dropped on the field. If your team isn't on the field when the horn blows, you lose. There are 15 games going on at the same time and there where no delays. It was fast paced and a lot of fun to watch.

These pictures are of their first game. They did not win but were very close. And yes, she caught this one behind her head.


The level of game play is much higher then the girls are used to. A lot of these teams are club teams that have had the time to prepare for this tournament. Our girls have had to deal with rain and snow and have not being able to practice a lot. They did better then we had expected.




The sign really says it all. Megan was very excited and totally unprepared for this event.


It started 30minutes after her first game. Remember it is hot hot hot. Here she is giving the thumbs up. She is on one end and the other girl on the other. They run to the center to grab the ball and the first one who scores 5 or the highest in 5 minutes wins. The score was 5 to 3 Megan lost. I was so proud of her, the girl she competed against was 16 years old. My baby is 12.


Here she is getting ready to take her shot with her team cheering her on.


I just love the look on her face in this one.


Game #2 of the day and just 45 minutes after goalie wars.

She played both goalie and forward. See her and Avery setting this one up. The girls were both hot and tired. However, they pulled this one out and won. They played together great.










Look at that jump. This is why this short kid can play goalie.

We had a 3 hour break between games. Some of the girls went back to their hotel rooms to cool off but we decided to stay. Megan and a couple of the other girls kept it pretty mellow and laid around. A breeze was starting to come up and it was very relaxing. I spent most of the time giggling at the girls.


Game 3 starts at 5pm and everyone is getting tired. We had been at the fields since 8am that morning. The girls are starting to think about dinner and the pool.



Half time and the other team is starting to pull ahead. The girls are tired and holy cow the other team is huge. How old are these girls? One girl has arms like Anthony.








The girls didn't end up winning. It was a big loss but they were done for the night.


Time for showers, dinner and the swimming pool for Megan.


Everyone is in a much better mood. We all met at one of the hotels for some swimming. The pool was packed but it really was what everyone needed.




Back to the fields by 10:30am Sunday.


Out of 16 teams, the girls were ranked 12th. Today they played the 5th ranked team. Needless to say, they didn't win.




They tried their hardest.






There was some tears, none of them were ready to go home. Megan and I hung around for a little bit so Megan could get an elephant ear and a slushy. She had been really good and watching what she was eating so she didn't get sick. The tournament was over and she was going to get some junk to eat. There is talk of another tournament at the end of June and I really hope they go. It was so much fun. The best part of the whole thing was spending one on one time with Megan. It's not something we get to do often and I will always value the time we got to spend together. I have over 300 pictures to prove it.

As Promised

Well.........I promised baseball pictures a while ago.

Anthony started catching this year. Normally he is on third base or left field so this is new. I have to admit (because I am totally unbiased) he is really good.



Doesn't he look cute.
Here he is stealing home.

and of course one of him hitting.

The picture quality will start improving in the next few weeks. Shhhhhh...I got a really cool mothers day gift. Post will follow.

I had to travel to Portland two weeks ago for a MOMS Club Board Workshop. For those who don't know, MOMS Club is a support group for stay at home moms. I joined the club when I lived in Sacramento and Anthony was 16 months old. When we moved to Richland Wa I became the Vice President of the brand new club starting there and later helped start another chapter in Pasco Wa. We moved here and there wasn't a chapter and I tried to get one going. It just didn't pan out. So instead I became a volunteer for MOMS Club International. So after 15 years I have become an Oregon State Area Coordinator. That is way we found ourselves in Portland doing a workshop. Steve and the kids came with me. We left home at 5am, he dropped me off at the workshop and headed to OMSI with the kids. Later that night we went to see Cirque Du Soleil, Kooza. I have to say that it was an awesome experience. Jason laughed and Anthony was in awe. It was Megan that the show made the biggest impact. She is ready to pack her bags and head off the the show. Her whole wall now has Kooza pictures. We have already tracked the next place we want to go see the show. If you ever have the chance to see go, it is well worth the price of the tickets.

Here is a picture I took at the hotel while we where relaxing before heading out to the show.

We left the next morning at 6am to be back home in time for the last day of Sunday school party. The kids and Steve were such great sports about the weekend. We were tired by Sunday night.

This up coming weekend Megan and I are off to Yakima Wa for Yak Attack. It's a huge soccer tournament. I will have lots of pictures and stories, I am sure.

That is it for me, have a great weekend.

Our Weekend

My big computer went down last week. So I have only been able to upload a few pictures. So today it is soccer pic's and tomorrow will be baseball pics. We are keeping our fingers crossed the the other peter will be up and running later this week.

We spent both Friday and Saturday out of town watch baseball and soccer games. Lucky for us Steve was home so he got to go as well. First with Soccer, They won one and lost one. I saw something that I have never seen Megan do. The ball went between her legs for a goal. I do have pictures but I promised not to post them.

Easter Pics

Not much to post about today. The weather here is yukky. So here are some pictures from Easter.






So there you go. I hope your weather is nicer then here.

Andrew's Visit

I am going backward in time a little bit. Andrew was here for his spring break the week before Easter. We where really looking forward to seeing him and had a great time. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate so we could not do much outside. Both of Anthony's game's had been canceled so he didn't even get to see him play.

We had a good visit however. Steve took a day off so we could drive to Idaho and watch one of Anthony's baseball games.

This was what we encountered.

Spring time in Eastern Oregon. Andrew was fine with the snow until the car started sliding. He said "should we put chains on?" Steve's typical answer, "Naaaa, it's not that bad." We ended up turning around and going back home. It didn't matter anyway, the game had been canceled.

Andrew we miss, come back soon.

Soccer

Spring Select soccer has started. Megan is happy to be back on the field again. I am glad too, Steve and I love to watch her play.

This year is off with a bang. First off, they beat a team that they have never beaten. Second, Megan earned her first "yellow card" and the teams first. This means that she was warned that she did something really bad.

Let me explain, she was playing forward and getting really aggressive. She ran to the goal to score and the goalie put her hands on the ball. After the goalie has her hands on the ball you are not allowed to kick it. Megan says, that the goalie then dropped the ball and Megan kick it in. Well, the balled bounced off the goalies face then went in. This earned her a yellow card and they tied the game instead of winning.

The next practice, the coach talked about how bad calls do happen. Several people did see the goalie drop the ball including the coach from the other team. Megan then received MVP for the game and will be the team captain for the next game.

Let me say, Megan herself being a goalie, never intended to hurt this girl. She did apologize and make sure she was ok. However, she is the first to get a yellow card on her team and is enjoying the notoriety. My only regret, I was not there to get a picture.

It's been almost a month

I know that it's been all most a month, but lots of things are going on here.

Ok, I have been busy but that's not really the reason I haven't been posting. It's really that rotten friend of Megan's. His name is Michael, and it's all his fault. It started with Facebook. Michael sent me a link to a new game called "Kingdom of Camalot". I really don't need another game to play on Facebook. Believe, I am hooked on a couple of them.

But this game is different. You build a kingdoms, join alliances and talk to other crazy people just like me. You use words like M'lady and M'lord. My favorite part: you build your might and destroy kingdoms that have crossed my path. Ha Ha Ha Ha (evil laugh). I have will have to admit, I love the battle. The upside, Megan plays with me and we are having a blast. The downside, I haven't cooked a decent meal in two weeks. I don't consider grilled cheese sandwiches a good meal, however the kids do.

So I must go, I have already spent to much time away from my kingdom. I have a barbarian camp near me that must be destroyed and I am preparing for war with another alliance. I am not sure when I will post again. Please take my advice, If you value your time, DON'T GO NEAR THIS GAME.