Renaissance

I am happy to say that Vail Ranch is finally doing something to honor students who work hard in school and do well on their report card. Today, Taylor gets to celebrate with an event called Renaissance for earning her 4.0 GPA first semester. Instead of spending the day in classes, they get to participate in different activities and be served lunch.

In all of her school years, she has yet to bring home anything but A's on her report cards and I am so very proud of her hard work, self motivation and dedication. Way to go Taylor!

The Birthday Boy

Unfortunately, Matt had to work on his 41st Birthday, but we still wanted to make it special for him. Last night, we hung banners and streamers and decorated windows and mirrors so he would have something to see when he came home this morning.
While he slept, lots of friends and family left comments regarding this lovely photo I put on Facebook this morning. Luckily, he was a good sport and got a good laugh out of it too!
I picked up his favorite burrito from Aztek for him to take to work, along with some cheesecake and strawberries. After school, the girls and I gave him his gifts when he woke up.
He loved the new Vans that Taylor and I picked out and can't wait to spend all of the gift cards he found in his new wallet.
Although we only got to see him for an hour, I think we made him feel special today and at least we got to celebrate over the weekend. Happy Birthday...we love you!!

I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!

The SDSU Aztecs have another great basketball team this year and we have been eager to see them play, but with our schedule and many of the games being sold out, it has been tough.We finally were able to make it to Viejas Arena for their last home game of the season against the Colorado State Rams. It was the first time the girls and I have been to the arena and it was amazing!
We got there early to tour the campus a little and then walk around the arena and watch warmups.
Tonight's giveaway was an Aztec sweatband and Allison was sure to sport hers!
"The Show" as the Student Section is referred to put on quite a show...they are the top ranked Student Section in the country! They had cheers, chants, and annoying distractions for the other team throughout the game and kept us very entertained.

Allison quickly got into the action, following the crowd as she cheered on the players making free throws.
She even got a High Five from Monty himself!
It was a sold out crowd and we had a blast. It was a great way to kickoff Matt's early birthday celebration and the Aztec's 74-66 win puts them tied for 1st place in the Mountain West!

A Few More Pics

I still can't believe that we are State Cup Champs and I don't ever want to forget what that moment felt like between Taylor and me. Mary sent me a few pics that she captured from our celebration and I just love them!
Taylor has been playing for Charlie since 2007 and it has been so fun to watch her grow!
Now that's a TROPHY!
I guess I better find another wall to get ready for next year...

A Season We Will Never Forget

Tonight we celebrated, shared memories and said goodbye to a team we will never forget. This group of girls accomplished more than we could have ever asked for and it was fun to see them off of the field and enjoying Trampoline Cageball.Lauren, Maylie, Taylor and Bella have all been together since All-Stars and will stay together next year too!
The girls and their families had a great time playing Cageball, as well as mastering the balance beam...
climbing the rock wall...
being monkeys on the rope swing...
and reaching new heights on the warp wall.
We all stopped for a few minutes to watch the amazing DVD that recapped the season (Thanks Mary!).
Then it was time to present each girl with their League Champions trophy, team ball and DVD.
I was overwhelmed with all of the goodies the parents and Schreck family gave to me. Each of the girls contributed a page in an awesome scrapbook and I can't wait to eat at some of my favorite restaurants. I love the frame the Schreck's made with all of our championship photos from the season and the laundry detergent they bought me will surely replenish what I used during the season, washing all of the jerseys!
We ended the night with this yummy cake and will enjoy a few weeks off before starting all over again...

Hitting the Slopes

We would never normally hit the slopes on a holiday weekend, but lucky for us, our school also had Friday off. We figured we could spend a day at Snow Summit and beat the weekend crowd. Although more crowded than normal weekdays, it was a perfect ski day!We didn't even need jackets or gloves and the fresh powder from Wednesday's storm was awesome.We did several runs down Summit Run and Miracle Mile and then I saved a lunch table while Matt and the girls went to the Family Fun Park for a while.

We got a nice spot outside for burgers and pizza and a little time to rest our legs. After lunch, they convinced me to try a new run. I was way out of my comfort zone, but made it down safely. Matt jokes that I will never progress if I don't try harder runs, but honestly, I have no interest in progressing. I am happy on my Green hills while watching the girls get better with Matt as their guide.

It was nice to have a family day together and hope we get a few more storms so we can get up to Big Bear a few more times this season.

BE MY VALENTINE

Last night I set out a few sweet treats on the kitchen counter so everyone would have something in the morning.Matt is on graveyards so he saw his treat before going to bed this morning and we can enjoy our La Cocina lunch date on Thursday when he is off!
The girls wore their cute socks to school today and have their candies waiting in the freezer!
The girls and I loved our donut surprise that Matt left for us...fresh from a bakery in San Marcos!
Allison has been busy making these adorable paint sample bookmarks for her class and Taylor was ready to pass out FunDips to her friends.
I packed them heart-shaped sandwiches and all things red and festive for their lunch today
and hope Matt's deputies enjoy cupcakes during briefing tonight.
The girls got creative with the window markers and decorated our bathroom mirror for Matt when he gets ready for work this afternoon.

I feel blessed to be loved by so many and love all of the wonderful family and friends in my life!!

2012 STATE CUP CHAMPIONS!!!

The girls were thrilled to be part of the Final Four teams battling for State Cup champion this weekend in Pomona. Saturday's game was against Carlsbad Wave Black and the winner would advance to Sunday's championship. Loose as always and ready to take the field, our team amazed us again with a 3-2 victory over Carlsbad!!

TOP TWO!!

On a very cold and rainy Sunday morning, we were back in Pomona for our final game of the tournament. Our Hawks community was so supportive on Facebook and several parents and players made the early morning drive to cheer us on, along with lots of our teams' family and friends.

Before the game, Exiles White and our Hawks entered the field in a special ceremony that got me all choked up! This was a battle like nothing else we have ever been a part of...a once in a lifetime opportunity for most of us.

Exiles scored first, but we responded quickly to tie and then scored another to take the 2-1 lead going into half time. We started the 2nd half right where we wanted to, but couldn't hold the lead and they tied it up 2-2.

When the whistle blew still tied, it was on to 2 10 minute overtime halves, but still no score.

Now, penalty kicks!!

When I told Taylor she would take the first kick, her face turned white. I just told her and the rest of the girls to do it just like they practice, but you can never practice for this kind of pressure. Coach prepped Bella for her job as keeper. She was one nervous kid, but she was amazing!

Taylor was up first and nailed her kick...PHEEEWW!!

It was a back and forth battle of missed shots, blocked shots and a few pretty ones, but on the 6th kicker, Xandria put her kick in and their team did not. We won on PK's 3-2 and took the title of STATE CUP CHAMPIONS!!!

The team and sideline stormed the field...sharing hugs, tears, stories and every emotion possible.
We made our way to the sideline and graciously thanked our opponents and our wonderful group of players, parents and the most amazing coach!We were presented with the biggest trophy I have ever seen and awarded all of the girls really nice medals for their amazing achievement.This kid has played so hard all season and had a fantastic tournament. She has proven to be such a consistent asset to this team and Coach can rely on her to get any job done. I will never forget the hugs and tears we shed on the field after the victory, but sure wish I could bottle it up!!!
This is the highest award you can win at this level. After 3 weekends, hundreds of miles on the road and 64 teams trying to make it to the top, there was only one winner...HAWKS GU12 White are STATE CUP CHAMPS!The icing on the cake was the really sweet sign on our garage when we arrived home made by my sweet friend Wendy. It brought an even bigger smile to my face and it will be a long time before this feeling goes away...

State Cup President's Division

Allison was honored to be invited by the GU10 Black team to play in the first round of State Cup. Unfortunately, Taylor was playing in her 3rd weekend in Pomona, so Matt and I split duties. He took Allison to Saturday's games down in Coronado and texted me the play by play.

The first game was a tough one against a very strong Carlsbad Lightning team. Allison sat on the bench for the first half and played in goal for the 2nd...a tough duty as they lost 8-0.

These two didn't seem to care much about the loss as they picnicked and played around the beautiful grounds of the Coronado Cays between games.

Game #2 was a much better showing, but they still lost 3-1.

Again, all smiles on the drive home since Matt promised them Vanilla Bean Frappachinos and cookies from Starbucks!

Luckily, I was able to see Sunday's game against South Bay Force and the team looked great. Allison didn't play goalie at all, but instead got quite a bit of playing time as right defender. They lost 3-2 but finished strong and it was a great experience for Allison. She is excited to join this team in the Spring and make some strong friendships and memories with this group of girls. A special thank you to Coach Hugo for letting her play!