2nd Place Overall!!! Feels like 1st!!

 

I could not be more proud of these kids!  After losing every game this season (and last) they went to the Halloween Classic tournament not expecting to do much better.  We had hopes that they could at least win one game.  Turns out...THEY WERE UNDEFEATED!!! 

 

They won their first game of the tournament 2-1.  Tied their second game. Won their third game 5-0 and tied their final game against the best team in their bracket.  Jayke played outstanding defense and prevented the final shot on goal by the oposing team from going in allowing them to tie.  They got second place in the tournament overall.  It felt like we won the whole thing though.  The kids were super excited but I think the parents and coach were more.  I can't even describe the difference in how they played this weekend from how they were in the regular season.  I was beyond impressed with Jaykeb's play.  He didn't score any goals but he had several assists and his work on defense was a definate key to their outcome.  Finally, all the hard work paid off for these kids!

 

They were given trophies for participation and when the coach passed them out he stopped to recognize Jaykeb and Mason.  They were the only two he recognized.  He said they were great players individually but together they were his "Dynamic Duo".  These two played defense most of the tournament and watching them was amazing.  They work so well together.  I think it helps that they are best friends off the field as well as on.  I often could hear them yelling to each other where to be. 

 

This tournament made up our minds for us that we will be staying with this soccer club for a while longer.  Bob even agreed to keep Mason there.  We can't break up the Dynamic Duo!  The team we beat 5-0 is the one that is trying to recruit Jayke and Mason.  There was a lot of emphasis put on this game for our team to win.  I think part of it was to keep Jayke and Mason there.  My friend who is on the board told me there has been a lot of discussion about keeping us.  They have even offered to hire Bobby to build a new website for the team.  LOL~  We are staying, not because of that but because of the friendships we have formed and because I don't want to give up on this team just when they are starting to come together.

 

 

After their first win all the parents stood on the side line to high five the kids.  We saw how excited they were and thought they were running to us to celebrate a win.  Turns out they were running to ME to show me that Mason had knocked out Jayke's tooth!  Both Mason and Jayke were standing there with blood all over their teeth.  Apparently Mason had gotten hit in the mouth during the game.  He didn't lose any teeth though.  The Dynamic Duo even BLEED together!  LOL~

 

 

 

Mason, Chase, and Jayke

 

 

 

Aidan and Jayke at the hotel after game 1

 

 

We spent the weekend in Fishers, staying at a hotel along with some of the other parents. Many of us got together for meals and other activities, including:

 

 

 

A pizza party at a local pizza restaurant which most of the team made it to.  A trip to Dave & Buster's followed that.

 

Jayke, Aidan, and Gabby

 

Swimming at the hotel later that evening after all the games were finished for the day. Dinner out with some of the team that night and a HUGE pillow fight in the hotel room (MY HOTEL ROOM). The next day there were more games and more celebrating. When the tournament was finally done some of us had to get together for one more meal at Famous Dave's BBQ.

 

Gabby, Mason, Aidan, Alec, and Jayke

It was a GREAT weekend.  Fun was had by all and we can't wait for Spring when we get to do it all over again!

Grouchy and Crazy

 

Cleaning out our pumpkins.  We had 5 this year.  I only got around to carving 2 though.  Think the cold wet weather put a damper on my Halloween mood.  Bobby baked the seeds and they were the best pumpkin seeds I've ever had. 

 

Friends on Facebook thought our pumpkins were a good representation of Bobby and me...I think i'm the one on the left cause that one on the right looks a little crazed!!

 

 

I Decorated the Dog

 

Zoey is going as a witch for Halloween.  Here she is in her tutu I made for her.  Didn't get a picture with her witch hat on....she wasn't too fond of it.  She did grow to like her tutu though.  Nothing funnier than seeing her peeing in the front yard wearing her skirt! 

3rd Grade

"I ALMOST PEED MY PANTS IN THERE!"

Took a couple of car loads of kids to the haunted houses last night.  As if going to Pendleton to two soccer games and out to eat with half the team wasn't enough.  We decided to haul kids to
Elwood to go to a haunted house.  I took the above picture while I was waiting at the back door for my child to come running out in tears and completely terrified.  

After we sent them in we realized there were a couple of guys at the backdoor waiting with chainsaws to chase them around the parking lot once they got out.  Bobby and I hung out with them while Bob and Gina took Mason, Jayke, Brody, and Matt through the haunted house. (all of the teens went to a different one that under 13s couldn't go in).  I decided it was probably a good idea to position myself where Jayke would be able to see me as soon as he hit that door.

Good thing I did!  He was the first one out.  Screaming and crying, running with his eyes closed.  I grabbed him and calmed him down.  His heart was beating so hard.  He calmed down quickly.  Once I explained that we had been hanging out with these guys talking to them the whole time he was okay with them and agreed to pose for a picture.

They were really good sports.  Mason doesn't look too sure about it.  I doubt Jayke will be wanting to go to another haunted house any time soon.  Come to find out, this one was scarier than the one they weren't permitted to go into.  Matt went through them both and confirmed that this one was way scarier.  I KNOW it was scarier than the one in Gatlinburg we did.

We only had about 5 minutes of protesting to go into his room when we got home.  He finally grabbed Nemo and headed to bed.  He only had to come out 4 times to make sure I was still here.  LOL

Sick of Soccer Pics? Don't care...Here's More

Jayke and Mason are enjoying, "The Villa" as Bob has dubbed it in between games this weekend.  Good thing we had the villa for Oma to sit in.  It was a little breezy.

Throwing in.

Even when they lose they are happy!  Good thing since that is all we have done for TWO SEASONS!

I've never seen him head the ball before...not sure I want to see it again!  LOL...I was lucky and caught this with the camera.  When I went through the camera roll later I cracked up at this...look at his face!  Not sure if this is before or after contact...

Last game before our end of season tournament.  We have yet to win but the team improves every single game.  These two games this weekend were fun to watch.  They were closer than most.  I actually thought we would win these but in the end we either lost focus or got tired and lost.  Hopefully we can win one of our tournament games in two weeks.

After the game several of us ended up going to a local restaurant.  It was kind of spontaneous.  Tony and his wife had invited us.  Bobby invited Luke's mom and I invited Bob.  We ended up with a table for 16.  LOL...not sure Tony and Jennifer were expecting this!  Bobby and I have sort of become the social directors for this team somehow.  I always have parents asking what we are going to do after the game.  I'm hoping we have the entire team together after our tournament game for pizza or something.  I so should have been the team parent.  I backed out at the last minute.  Maybe I will do it next year.  

Ghost in the Graveyard

Jayke took this picture of our ghost in the flower bed graveyard.  We added him this year as well as the skeleton below...

StoneyCreek

 We have been busy!  We have gotten Jayke's Halloween costume, we have gone to see two different Halloween movies.  ParaNorman and Hotel Transylvania (with friends from soccer) and now we have made a trip to the pumpkin patch.  This may have been the coolest pumpkin patch ever too.  It is in Noblesville near my Dad's house and I can't believe I've didn't know about it before now!  It is called  Stoney Creek Farm.

I only discovered it because I was looking for one near one of our soccer games.  I'm glad I did...I think we may have to go back to this one every year.

The pumpkin vines grow in through the Christmas trees and even up around them in places.  It was really almost eerie in places.

You had to take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch...here is Jayke with his blue slushie.  A little cold for slushies but he HAD to have one.  Bobby and I opted for the warm apple cider instead.  We really wanted an apple slushie but decided to go for warmth instead of yummy.  The cider was good too.  They had all kinds of food there, tenderloins, elephant ears, and all the wonderful artery clogging food you would normally find at a fair.  We passed on the eats.

You will notice a pattern in these pics.  This is only a select few but it you pay attention you will notice that almost every pic has Jayke with his slushie straw in his mouth...OR...showing his blue teeth from the slushie.

I had to make him take the straw out of his mouth for this picture.  He found his pumpkin and is guarding it well.

Straw in mouth...

Tons of activities for kids.  There was a corn cob cannon, which Jayke tried.  A hay stack maze, pony rides, pedal carts you could rid around a track.  A hay stack to climb, blow up, mazes, and even a zip line.

This was a big pipe built into the side of a hill that you could go down.  He was a little worried about this. Kept asking how fast it would go.  On the way down there were a couple of bumps.  He was very quiet but then I heard...ouch....ouch....before he came out the other end.  LOL...

There was a mini petting zoo with rabbits, donkeys, goats, ducks, and chickens.  Jayke was enjoying the animals until THIS goad sneezed in his face.  He was not impressed...at all.  I was thoroughly amused.

I can check this off my Halloween bucket list.  Only a couple more things left before the big day!  Pumpkin carving pics coming soon as well as Jayke's costume pictures.  I've already taken them but I'm not posting them until Halloween.  The graveyard is back up out front and we added some things this year.  Pics of that to come as well.  I'm also going to attempt to MAKE Zoey a Halloween costume.  THAT could be interesting!

The Future!!

Here is a look at Delta High School's future soccer team.  That is Kurt, the coach of Delta, with his son, Zion (in the red). Mason throwing the ball in and Jayke with his back to the camera.  Levi, Kurt's other son, was not close enough to get in the picture but he will be on the same team with these 3.  Today, we played against Levi's team.  Kurt is trying to get me and Bob to bring our boys over to his team so they can play together with the kids they will play with in high school.  I am seriously thinking about it.  It makes total sense to do it.  They can play together for years before they get to the high school level with the same coach who will be coaching them in high school.  I can only imagine this would be great for them as a team.  I just hate to leave all the other kids he has played with for the past 5 years....AND the parents we are becoming friends with.

Decisions.

Home Game

The excited spectators.  All four of his grandparents came to watch him play today.  I only got a picture of one though.  Oops.

Equipment Check!

For our next soccer game.  I highly recommend one of these to anyone who has kids who play an outdoor sport like soccer.  Such an easy set up and works really well!  We tried it out at our game and I can't believe I've gone all this time without one.  It helped so much by blocking the wind which made me feel so much warmer.  Bobby let another mom sit in it with me while he stood behind it freezing.  She had a little girl who was able to put a blanket down int he back and keep warm back there.  She loved it!  It didn't hurt that Bobby was feeding her pudding cups and other snacks the whole time as well.  This may be our best buy ever!.LOL  $54.00 at Meijer.  Will work in the heat to keep the sun off of us too!  I think we will get tons of use out of this.  Many of the parents wanted to know where we got it and how much it was.  I expect to see more tents popping up along the sidelines soon.

Bye Bye Buddy

It's like Animal Planet around here!  I receive pictures of spiders and bugs every day while at work.  Bobby loves his new phone and the camera that it has.  He has become friends with an Orb Weaver spider who has taken up residence in the front flower bed.  He takes pictures of her all the time.  As you can see...

Unfortunately, the other day tragedy struck...

THIS...came along and ate the poor little orb weaver.  Here she is eating a bee that was stuck in the spiders web...after she ate Miss Spider.  I think Bobby is really bummed about his little buddy being Mantis Munch. No more pics of his little spider.  We have ALL seen the pictures and heard the story so I thought I'd share it here too.  LOL  

Laynie...the Neighbor

A new girl moved in down the street.  Her name is Laynie.  Jayke played with her all weekend.  She picks on him non-stop which leads me to believe that she could end up becoming the first girlfriend!  She went home and put on this all black out fit so that they could sneak around the neighborhood and spy on people together.  Jayke seems disgusted with her most of the time...another thing that leads me to believe she could become the first girlfriend.  LOL

Time to Decorate

Halloween decorating in progress.  Nemo looks a little worried about that flock heading towards him!