Happy 44th!

We celebrated Matt's birthday over the past two days.  While the girls were at school, Matt and I took Kaia to the park and out to Starbucks for breakfast.  Then the two of us went to lunch at Yard House.  Our friend Katy was also celebrating a birthday so we met up with a big group for dinner and a comedy show Friday night.  It was nice to see everyone and share a lot of laughs.

 We gave Matt a new Fit Bit and 4 tickets to tonight's Aztecs basketball game.  We drove down to SD early for lunch at Casa De Pico (one of our favorites from college).

 Then we spent some time touring the campus and checking out all of the new architecture and buildings.

 Taylor was so impressed by the Athletic Facilities…volleyball at Peterson Gym, baseball at Tony Gwynn Stadium and we even watched a little of the UCLA vs SDSU women's lacrosse game.

Then it was on to Viejas Arena for the game against Boise State.  Unfortunately, the Aztecs struggled and suffered their first loss at home this season, but it was still a fun weekend of birthday celebration.

So Long Bull Dogs

We had one final soccer goodbye this week as Allison's middle school season came to an end.  Again, their record wasn't very good, but they played great soccer and Allison really had fun!  She played a half of each game in goal and got a little bit of playing time on the field.  I think she had more fun being around her teammates and adjusting to the dynamic of a co-ed game.  Next year, Maddie (the other keeper and our neighbor) will go off to high school, so Allison looks forward to taking over the starting goalkeeper role. Great job Bulldogs!

Goodbye GU13 Hawks

Another soccer season has come to an end for Allison.  Her Hawks team didn't advance past this weekend's State Cup, although the played some amazing soccer.  This season's end-of-the-year party was a lot different than previous years though.  Next year will be our first season without Charlie as coach since 2007!

 The team put together this fun gift basket for him

 and the girls and families enjoyed a nice dinner together.  A big thank you to Hank and Leslie for hosting! Charlie asked each of them to talk about their favorite memory of the season and about what they learned.

We watched the traditional team DVD and Charlie presented each girl with a soccer ball and copy of the DVD.  He had very nice things to say about each of them and struggled through the tears to express his gratitude and love for the girls.  He and I have worked together for some long and it is tough to say goodbye…not to our friendship, but our time on the field.  Here is the speech I shared with the players and families about Charlie:

In 2007, our older daughter was placed on Charlie’s Rec U8 team.  Since then, he has coached her in multiple seasons of rec, 2 seasons of Allstars and 3 years of Hawks…including a State Cup Championship.  After a little pressuring from our family and several others, we convinced him to start coaching Allison’s age group as well and she has enjoyed 3 fantastic seasons with him. 

I have been up here standing next to Charlie giving this speech many times before as a Team Mom, Asst Coach and Team Manager.  Every time is emotional as we say goodbye to a great season and an outstanding group of girls, but this year is eerily different because there isn’t a next season with Charlie.  Our family hasn’t had a season without him in 8 years!

He has been more than a coach!  He and Mary have become some of our closest friends.  We have vacationed together, created several annual traditions and spent many hours across the dinner table discussing soccer and so much more.  From our family to yours, we are truly grateful for the friendship and the countless memories.

I think I can also speak for the girls and their families in saying you are truly one of a kind.  We have yet to encounter a coach and probably never will, who puts as much time, passion and commitment into his teams.  You love the girls like your daughters and teach them much more than soccer.  You help build their character and create memories that will last a lifetime.  They will all go on and do great things, but they will never forget the time on your team.  I know our friendship will continue off of the soccer field and you won’t be a stranger to any of these girls.  I hope you understand the impact you have made and I wish you the best of luck as you go off to do the same for all of the future soccer players who will be lucky to have you.

JV Season Ends

Today was the final GOHS league game of the season for Taylor and her teammates.  She was actually happy to have it come to an end.  The team started off strong with a lot of goals and wins in the pre-season, but league was a much different story.  She struggled to understand the coach's logic about game strategy and playing time and the team struggled to score goals and win games.  I think they only won 1 or 2.  Then the coach was removed for personal reasons with 3 games left in the season.  It was quite a roller coaster and she is happy to have a week or two off before returning to her club team.  I'm proud of her for working hard through her frustrations and for being a vocal team leader!

Shopping in Solana Beach

 For the first time in quite a while, we actually all had a free weekend day.  The weather was beautiful and we were all up for visiting somewhere new.  Taylor suggested a farmer's market and I found one in Solana Beach…connected to the Cedros Avenue Design District.  We had a fun time sampling fruits, teas, pastries and hummus.  We ate lunch at the vendor stands and then walked around the design shops.  From vintage knick knacks to succulents to dog accessories, they had a little bit of everything and it was nice to walk around at a leisurely pace.

 We took a short drive up the coast and stopped at Cardiff State Beach.  

 While the midwest and east coast are suffering through bitter cold, we cherish our So Cal winter weather!

And So It Begins...

Taylor took the PSAT this fall and registered on the College Board website to start the process of finding schools she may be interested in.  Ever since, my email and mailbox are overloaded with recruiting letters for Taylor to visit their schools.

It was flattering at first, but is more of a waste of paper at this point and it seems most of her friends are getting the same letters.  It has been nice to learn of schools we have never heard of and it may help spark an interest.  I can't believe how soon she will actually have to start making decisions!