Victory

This past week the Junior soccer team I coach posted their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory.  The one head butted the ball into our own goal in the previous game decided to score 2 goals for us this time.  In the Senior game, the seniors also scored 3 goals but unfortunately they scored them in the wrong net and lost 0-4.  It was exhilarating to have the kids win and tiring by the time we got home.  The weather was perfect for the game as well.

Jack Pine Retreat 2011

     The Jack Pine Retreat for 2011 has now come and gone.  The theme this year was "Input, Output" and the massages were broke down to cover:

• Why does it matter
• Keeping out the Trash
• Think on these things
• Making the change

      Early in the week we had temps down to 25 but for the retreat it warmed up.  The first night was around 42 and the second night was about 54 With the highs Saturday and Sunday close to the mid 60's.  As for rain - it held off till Sunday morning about the time we were bringing things to a close. I'm not sure how many attended but it was somewhere between 50 and 60 with several new people.  Due to high fire danger we did not have the big bonfire and met around some small campfires in the area where the Williams' family camps for the first three gatherings and under the shelter for the final meeting.

     As for out family - getting there was an adventure. Friday afternoon as many people were arriving we were getting ready not only for the retreat but for a couple of soccer games and the arrival of the cookie dough my daughter sold for the swim team.  Well, after the games, we hit the Dairy Queen for a bunch of $5.00 specials that included a 1/4 burger, fries, pop and a mini blizzard.  From the DQ we headed home to finish loading up and head out to the camp ground only to find that the keys for the topper in which we had put all our sleeping bags had disappeared and we had to go digging through the house for more blankets.  It made for a cool night of sleeping but we survived.

     What was really crazy was Saturday night.  My 9 year old daughter join 4 other girls about the same age and slept not in a tent but in a make shift fort out in the woods, while the teenage boys went to bed early.

     Sunday when all was done we loaded up our car, big van and trailer with kids and stuff in the rain and headed home - now the oldest two are off to youth group and the house is trashed, hopefully it will be back to normal (crazy) soon as we have another week of soccer and swimming ahead of us. Oh, yeah, it felt good to get a showere once we got unpacked.

Crazy week - weekend

     This past week has been crazy around our house and this weekend is planning to continue the tradition. during the past week we had...

• Monday - Soccer practice, music lessons,  swimming practice
• Tuesday - Soccer game, swimming practice - keys locked in a car with a sleeping almost 2 year old.
• Wednesday - Swimming practice, Awana meeting
• Thursday - Soccer practice, swim meet
• Friday (today) - getting ready for camping at the Jack Pine retreat, soccer game, swim team cookie dough arrives. Jack Pine Retreat (our family host's it)
• Saturday - Jack Pine Retreat
• Sunday - Jack Pine Retreat and clean up.

      Of course this doesn't include school or many other things I'm sure I missed out on while I was at work.

     During the past week, those of us in Northern Mn have experienced over a 60 degree temperature change from the upper 80's to the mid 20's on the Fahrenheit scale if you go by Celsius it was still a big change from about 30 above to 5 below.

Another Game

On Tuesday the Warroad Panthers played their second soccer game of the season.  Jv team lost 0-3 and the Sr team lost 0 - I can't count that high.  It was about 40 degrees cooler than our first game with a strong wind. Our next game will be Friday and it should be a little warmer - we're going to try and split the difference on the temps.  In the mean time we're trying to put the finishing touches on getting ready for the Jack Pine Retreat, plus getting ready for AWANA club to start plus swimming plus.........

Not Enough

     As if yesterday's exploits were not enough I spent the day chaperoning kids from 8 to 13 in age for 7 hours and finished the sunburn on top of my head.

Soccer

     Here's something crazy - playing soccer in Northern Minnesota in September when the temp is near 90 in the shade and there is none.  Today was are first official soccer game of the season and I think we did all right.  We scored first and held that 1 goal lead till close to the end of the game when TRF (the team we played against) tied it up and that was how the game ended 1-1.  The senior team didn't fair as well as they lost 0-2

     Standing on the side line coaching the kids went pretty well other than a little sun burn on the top of the head.  I must say my defense shocked me.  They were playing the way I've been trying to get them to play for years and it made a difference.

     Our next game will be next Friday - same time, same place, different team and it should be about 25 degrees cooler.  If anybody is coming up early for Jack Pine they are welcome to come watch the kids play at 3:00 and 4:30 Just give us a heads up if you need directions to the field

Full Swing

     Summer is about over and it's been busy (or should I say crazy) at our house.  Soccer season is in full swing and our first game is coming up on the 9th.  In the mean time swimming has gotten under way for my daughter and she has already had her first meet.

     Soon it will be time for our annual Jack Pine Retreat which we are busy preparing for and than - who knows what crazy things we'll be doing.

     On top of this - an opportunity opened up at work for a straight day position that I've applied for am hoping to get.  Time will tell if I get it or not.