The Sunday After

Megan finished her last away game this weekend.  Her last game will be on Tuesday.  While it's time for soccer to be done, we are sad to see it end.  What a great season.



I wasn't able to go to the game this weekend (these pics are from last week).  I asked "did you win?"  Her answer, "Duhhhhh, 5-0."  She scored 2 goals out of the 5.

 
I have said it before, I love watching this kid play.

On to Anthony.  This Friday nights game was his last home game and yes I did get teared up when I thought about it. Since he isn't playing in college, these last few games will end 12 years of football.  Holy Cow, and 16 years of playing some kind of organized sport.

 
Friday night started at 4:30pm with the homecoming parade.



I like that this year they did the parade during the day. Much easier to take pictures.  The little creep wouldn't smile for me.



Then it was off to pick Megan up from practice then home so she could get ready to go to the game. I miss the days of her just changing and being ready in 5 minutes. Now it takes at least an hour. We dropped of Jason at Kids Night Out. The best thing ever. The college girls basketball team puts it on and the Jason has a blast. It was great because Jason hung out there and we didn't have to worry about him at all.

On top of homecoming, Friday nights game was senior night. They call the senior football players out on the field and they escort their parents. The boys give us a flower and we give them a gift. Our gift to him was a collage I put together of pictures from the last 12 years of football. I plan on doing a much bigger one after wrestling season is over of his high school sports.



While the boys are walking us onto the field the announcer tells the crowd the boy and parents names, his favorite football memory (beating Roosevelt last year), plans after high school (college) and the most insperational person in his life (his father).  This all typically happens during halftime but this year they had to do it before the game.  My dear friends (I love you guys) got there early, grabbed my camera and headed to the field.  Poor things, I never showed them how to use my camera.  "A" doesn't mean auto.  Steve ran off the field helped them set it up and they did the best they could.  I never showed Steve how to use my camera either.  Poor Jason (not my son) put my lens cap in my bag and it somehow fell out.  My Jason loves (but not allowed to) crawl under the bleachers.  After the game he was thrilled to be able to climb down there and found it.

Thank you Jodi, Jessie and Jason.  You guys have made this season so much fun.  Next weekend will be a blast.  Even though I won't have a kid playing next year I plan on hitting all the home games to cheer on Micheal and the band.  And keeping an eye on my daughter.

We also made banners for our sons.  They lined the walk way.






It was a great game and a great way to end our home games.



Anthony edited the picture above.



He made some great plays.



At the end of the game, the boys line up in front of the crowd and do a small cheer while doing jumping jacks. After they lost their first home game and they lined up (first time they had done this) we joked that it looked like a public exacution. Now that they won, it looks very cool.





The final score was 42-21, a great game.

HomeComing Weekend

It's homecoming weekend here.  So there is lots going on.  Just a quick picture of Megan, take a guess at which one she is.  I was playing around the other night with my photo editing program, she liked it and asked me to do one of her.  So here it is Meg.


 
I will post more this weekend.  Have a great day.

Homecoming

Anthony's girlfriend goes to a different school, so this is her homecoming.  Anthony and Megan's homecoming will be in a couple of weeks.



Aren't they cute.

 

Happy Friday

It's football Friday again.  I love these nights.  Tonight however, I will be home listening to the game on the radio.  Another thing I love about small towns, high school football on the radio.  It's not that I don't want to go.  This will be the only game I miss this year.  The game is in a town over 3 hours away.  I am not making that trip in one night.  We would have to be back for Megans soccer game tomorrow morning. 

Since it's been a week since my last post, I didn't tell you about last weeks games.  Let's start with Megan, she scored a goal and they won the game 11 -1.  I think, I stopped keeping track.  I chatted with some friends and didn't take a lot of pictures.  As I explained to my wonderful daughter, I have over 500 pics from summer and already a couple of hundred from this season so far.  I have you covered.

I had been struggling a little bit with getting good, clear, action shots at night of the football games.  I practiced at last Friday nights game and I think I fixed the issue.  The really good shots won't be posted here.  The best shots of the night where of Anthony running with his guy, Anthony reaching to tackle him and then sliding down and the guy making a touch down. 

Other then that play, Anthony had a good night.  However, they lost.  In Anthonys words the score was, "a lot to a little."  His coach was kicked out of the game in the first half and has to sit out this weekend.  The boys could really use a win this weekend to get back on track.  After tonight they have next weekend off, then on to league play.

The next few days here will be interesting.  We are waiting for news of a strike.  The rail road and union have been in contract negotiations for over two years. The strike vote ends this weekend, so in the next few days we will hear whats happening.  It's been crazy here trying to help Steve get ready. 

The last couple of days have brought back many memories of being a kid.  I have memories of my Dad being on strike as a firefighter. I also remember walking to some store and seeing the picketers.  My Dad stopped and talked to the guys and then we turned around and left.  All he said was we don't cross the picket lines.  My Mom would drive, what seemed like forever, to get to a grocery store that employees where not on strike.

Remember the song from the early 80's "Look for the Union Label?"  I have been singing it for the last week.  I had to go online to find the words because I could only remember the first line.  I have also been quoting Norma Rae as well.  Steve really really wishes I would just stop. 

We have friends on both sides of this and I really hope all of this ends quickly and peacefully. 

This Weekends Game

It did not go well for the Tigers this weekend.  However, it did go very well for #80, my son.  It didn't get tiring hearing "runner brought down by #80 Anthony Baldwin."  Or seeing #80 out there roughing up the the other teams receivers.



 

They lost the game 49 - 0.  Again, this team is one from Idaho and not a league game.  Every team in our league lost to this team by about the same point spread.  So we are thinking that the league games should be really good.



 

For some reason I had some struggles with my camera.  Need to figure that out this week before next weekends game.

Have a great Sunday.

High School Soccer

Megan's first soccer  game as a Lady Tiger. These two make a great team.  Gabby #14 scored 3 goals and Megan 1.  They won their first game 4-1.  This year Megan is playing both forward and keeper.

A missed goal gets a reaction from the side lines.  Megan is #8 and she is wearing a ribbon in her hair.  Oh my, she never does that.  What has this world come to.

The next practice Tiger (her coach) decided the keepers needed some diving on the ball practice.  I guess the field was muddy.  It took 3 washings to get this stuff clean.

   

It worked.  The first picture is a little blurry of her, but you get the idea. 

 

   
   

 This last picture is of Gabby congratulating Megan on her goal.  Megan took 6 shoots before scoring this one.  Her old coach came up to her and said, "I knew you wouldn't leave that field until you got your goal."  No pictures of her scoring.  As I explained to both her and Anthony, (I missed taking a picture of a killer tackle that Anthony made) I get so excited and start cheer that I forget about the pictures. 



 

They too are not playing any league games yet.  These teams they are playing right now are from towns a lot closer to us.  However, these two teams are serious rival teams.  They are both really good and make for very good games.  The Lady Tigers won  both the first on 4-1 and second 5-1.  I can't wait to see these girls playing on the varsity team.  Watch out!!!!

Football Season Is Here

There he is #80.




They started off with a bang.  They won their first game 25-19.  This made them #6 in the state.  But last Friday not did not go as well.  49-7.  I haven't look up the state stats this week.


   
The games they are playing right now are not league games.  They actually don't start playing those until October.  Right now they are playing teams from Idaho.  Last weeks game and this Friday's game are played against teams that have won state titles in their divisions for the last couple of years.




The good news is that, the teams in Anthony's league have been losing.  So it does look good for the Tigers and the playoffs this year.  Keeping our fingers crossed.

Why this picture you ask??


 

I bet you think it's because of the lens.  Well....... sort of.  This is Anthony's orthopedic surgeon.  I can't help but think Anthony had something to do with paying for this lens.