Land of the Free and the Brave

The annual Veterans Day program at the elementary school was held tonight. Keagan had a speaking part and narrated an introduction to the song "Blessed Peace." He nailed his lines.

When the invitation came home two weeks ago, Keagan tried his best to hide it. He didn't want to have anything to do with the program. Then a week prior to the performance the music teacher told him he had a nice singing voice, and she had a few lines for him to speak. At that point, I think he might have been happy to participate, but the teacher had a song that required them to perform a handkerchief routine. He was not happy about that.

He was one relieved boy at the end of the program - no more lines to worry with and no more jokes from his big brother about performing routines with colored streamers.

As for me, I saw it as another last. The last elementary school program.

Bringing Home the Trophy

Last night was the middle school football championships. The Hawks made it to the finals and played the team we had already lost to on two different occasions. None of us expected to win, but because the other team fully expected to win, they didn't and we did. The Hawks brought home first place! It was an exciting game and would have been even more exciting if Evan had played. However, he was benched after missing practices to attend his state league soccer game and his first middle school basketball game. Oh, the hardships of a true athlete!

Court Side

Tonight was the home opener for the middle school basketball season. I have to admit that last week's Jamboree was a teaser and had me more than ready to get back into the gym and basketball season (it might have had something to do with Evan's finger roll shot and our last minute come back), but about ten minutes into tonight's game, I was burning up, annoyed by the loud fans, and wishing I had my stadium seat. Let's just say I was quickly over basketball in the middle of game one of the season. Did I mention we lost? Yeah, we lost 28 to a lot.

However, my number 41 scored 12 points, blocked a shot, and had a few rebounds.  

He looked good, and I made sure everyone knew he was mine!

 

The more I think of spin moves, driving through the paint, and making Dirk shots,  the closer I get to welcoming the winter sport season and saying good-bye to the pitch. 

Ending on a High Note

My parents have watched my boys play soccer in more states than I can count. Saturday they watched Keagan play in Kentucky, and on Sunday they drove an hour out of their way to watch Evan play.

While waiting for Keagan's championship game on Sunday afternoon we had a couple of hours to kill, so we hiked the nature trails around Freeman Lake

and skipped rocks on the water. 

We ended our day with a championship. It was the perfect ending to our fall season. 

Old Kentucky Home

See? We do more than just play sports on the weekend! The teacher in me couldn't pass up a chance to tour a historical site; the brown highway sign was calling my name. 

So when we had free time between soccer games in this weekend's tournament, we took a short detour from the hotel and toured Abe Lincoln's birthplace. 

Keagan wanted to know how anyone, especially a president, could live in such a small place. Then, having enough of his history lesson and unable to resist running through the fall leaves on the wooded trails, he left the monument in a sprint, stopping only to roll down hills and kick up leaves. 

All of that after playing two soccer games. Now he's in the hotel pool. 

And I'm the one looking to take a nap. 

The Teen Years are Upon Us

I'm officially old today because I'm now the mother of a teenager. This is how I remember defining old about thirteen years ago, anyway, but I will take old any day for a chance to be a mother to this guy. He might be six feet tall and I might have to stand on tip-toe to kiss his cheek, but in my mind, he's still my baby boy, my amazingly talented baby boy. I have no idea how he's able to juggle playing three sports at one time, often working out four hours a day, all while taking advanced classes and maintaining straight As. But he does. He's more comfortable away from crowds, he loves to win an argument, he can throw out one-liners that leave us in stitches, and he loves the outdoors. He's a boy of few words, unless you want to debate anything related to sports. He can eat his weight in ice cream, swim like a fish, and shoot like a sharp-shooter.  Most importantly, I am incredibly lucky to call him mine!

Happy birthday, Evan! May you continue to grow into the godly young man He has chosen you to be.

Spooktacular Soccer

We spent the better part of the weekend on the pitch playing soccer. It was cold and rainy and miserable, but I suffered through it all in the name of fun. Keagan's team wore batman shirts, glow in the dark batman shirts no less, in honor of the holiday. 

Our Halloween turned real scary, though, when Keagan was put in goal. He can play a mean game as a wing or stryker, but a keeper he is not. 

He said he couldn't get the song lyrics "Got a real good feeling something bad about to happen" out of his head. He had no more stepped on the field when I heard him yell to the defenders "no shots, Guys, no shots." The defenders must have been just as worried because they didn't leave the back of the field the entire half. 

Luckily, the one shot on goal was soft and easily stopped. We left for home more relieved that he didn't have to dive, jump, or sacrifice his body to stop a shot than we were happy with the big win.