Mud, rain, more mud, more rain, sloshing, slipping, splashing, mud, rain, spotted white socks and white jerseys, Dalmatian soccer players, mud, rain, cold, runny noses, spotted glasses, umbrellas, everything messy, mud, rain, girls playing hard, having a blast, teamwork, cheers, mud, rain, Arby’s, trying not to get the car dirty, wet socks, change to dry socks, wet sock again, slip and fall in two inches of water on field, mud, rain, leave red muddy deposits on Jenny and Chad’s street, 4-wheeling, don’t dare to stop, 4-10 inch deep mud, don’t want to get stuck, almost get stuck, wheels spinning, mud flying everywhere, finally find a way out, mud covering the sides and bottom of the car, car wash, leave about 10 gallons of mud in the car wash stall, get on freeway to head home, still so much mud it causes the car to vibrate funny above 65 mph, Walmart tire center to check balance, everything ok, just lots of mud, drive home, snow on the car, pull into garage, snow melts, mud drops, mud covering garage floor, squeegee garage floor, thin coat of mud remains and dries, two days later snows again, garage floor gets wet again, squeegee again, mud gone from garage, mud now on driveway along with snow, shovel mud onto grass and side of driveway, wash some of the mud into gutter, snow is now gone, mud remains scattered around different spots of driveway and yard, some mud still on car, wash off cleats, wash white socks and white jersey, red clay mud stains remain, spots still on jacket from splattering mud when washing the car, good memories, great team, great sport, great experience, oh and did I mention there was a bit of mud and rain?
Natalie’s soccer tournament in St. George was a lot of fun, but I now find myself wishing the Cat in the Hat would stop by with all his other cats and his buddy Vroom and get all the red mud spots out of my yard.
Of course the soccer tournament wasn’t the only thing that happened that weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time at Jenny and Chad’s home and getting to see Mom and Dad too. Nicole was so sweet on her blessing day. It was a privilege to be in the circle for that special priesthood ordinance. Jenny was kind enough to invite my sister, Marianne, and her family over for dinner a couple of times so it was great to see them as well. The kids had a blast with each other and we felt so at home. The whole experience was made even better by the fact that I finally beat Chad at HORSE on his home court! Another memorable moment was when Mom made a comment as we were getting ready to play a game late one night. I can’t even remember what she said but I think there was a little good natured sarcasm or teasing in it that caught me off guard, and when she saw my reaction she said, “I can get mean late at night.” So just a fair warning to all of you to watch out for Grandma when you’re playing games late at night. You never know when she’ll strike. ☺
Isaac, Enoch, and Natalie finished up basketball season. Auriana, Isaac, and Natalie participated in a bluegrass recital. Enoch started piano lessons with a real piano teacher. Natalie, Miriam, and Ellie participated in an Irish Dance competition and each took home first place medals. And Ellie’s preschool teacher told me she’s the smartest kid in the class, even if she does spontaneously break into Irish prancing whenever there’s a lull in the activities.
Becky and I are doing well, though Becky may argue that point after being asked a couple hours ago to speak in Church on Sunday. I’m really looking forward to it. I don’t know why she isn’t. ☺
Isaac and I were the recipients of Brenda’s kindness in sharing basketball tickets to Jimmer’s last game in the Marriott Center. We had a blast watching their convincing 102-78 victory over Wyoming. Now let’s just hope they can make a respectable showing in the MWC and NCAA tournaments.
