Proud Wifey, Good Friends, & Blue Day

I first must apologize for my MIA status....life, as expected, has gone complete nutty with the start of football.  But like me, I'm sure you all have craziness of your own.

As mentioned, football is in full swing (even though I've said this before, now it's real & true).  Two weekends ago we had our coaches BBQ, which was the first sign.  Then we moved straight in to doubles week...aka, don't see your husband week.  Thankfully enough I have some pretty wonderful friends who invite me to share in their evening routines.  Thursday night of last week was spent with some dear friends having dinner, watching flag football, and observing a very rowdy baby boy getting a hair cut...let's just say there was hair everywhere.  And again super blessed by good friends on Friday night when a sweet friend tagged along with me to make some Head Coach's Wife errands & deliveries.  Followed up by a good dinner & conversation.  A reminder, yet again, that friends are the family that you get to pick!

Which brings me to McNary High School's first ever "Blue Day" extravaganza held on Saturday.  Honey Isaac & a Rotarian in town have been working on hammering out details for this even for months.  Our local Rotary club sponsored the event & offered to host/cook for McNary's Football team & parents, the Pop Warner teams in our area, McNary's marching band, as well as our cheerleaders.  The booster club made it's presence known by having NEW McNary merchandise to outfit fans.  It was an absolutely wonderful day.  I showed up about 9:30 and there were already about 50 people putting things together, getting grills warmed up, setting up shirts and yard signs to sell.  So I spent my time in the Booster Club tent selling sweatshirts & t-shirts & more.  It was so fun!  Honey Isaac asked if I caught any of the scrimmage...to which I sheepishly answered no, I was too busy selling the new duds!  Our friends from the Rotary club shared that they fed nearly 1,000 people! Amazing! Blue Day was an incredible success - but the best part of all was seeing how our community banded together in support & how that day really has built some excitement for what's to come!  For this coach's wife I was more than honored to be able to field so many compliments from our new friends about what a wonderful job Isaac is doing (duh!), and how happy they are to have someone at the helm who is genuinely excited about growing a strong, successful, and well rounded program & community!  *insert puffed up chest here* Talk about extreme pride & joy spilling out from my heart.  Plus it was just plain cool to really get my first glimpse of Isaac in his role as the Head Coach of the program!

Here are two photos from the day taken by the gentleman who helped organize the whole event...

Honey Isaac & our mayor Lore Christopher...she was our MC for the day

Myself & the booster club presidents youngest daughter...selling our little hearts out!

 

 It was, again, such a fun day...and made me so thankful & happy to be starting this new journey with so many wonderful, new friends.  Blessings, blessings, blessings!

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morning workouts are a mother

Let's not  play games...getting to and completing morning workouts are a beast.  Pre-vacation I was on a pretty good routine.  Post-vacation....sucks-ville.  Can't seem to get my rear end out of bed when I intend to & get myself to the gym! Or heck, even my living room for a little Jillian Michaels session! 

My sweet friend Monique is such an encourager -- I sent her a text this morning (our morning ritual) bemoaning my lack of discipline to get to the gym, and her simple reply was to go at night & do what I can!  Yah...do what I can, when I can!  Sounds so good, so easy.  And yet, in the evenings it's so challenging (note I did not say impossible....).  The two of us are on a journey this fall -- we've got a larger goal, and are determined to celebrate small milestones too.  But I've got to do the work!

I suppose the best & only thing to do is to just keep doing what I can, when I can....and be disciplined to actually take advantage of the time that I have.  Frankly, with football here (our non-stop weekends kick off this weekend) now I've got plenty of time on my hands! Time to pull out the mini-Marine my parents instilled in me and get to work!

How do you muster up the energy/determination/discipline to get up for morning workouts?
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Fill In The Blank Friday

Man it's been a while since I've done this...but with such a quiet office this morning, might as well!

 Linking up with Lauren at the little things we do

1.  The age I will be on my upcoming birthday is 27...crazy to think about, but it doesn't really bother me.

2.  The best birthday present ever would be a new complete, wonderful, beautiful wardrobe that fit me perfectly! Oh, and a trip to Fiji :)

3.  My favorite birthday to date was My 21st birthday by far! Mom & I took a girls only trip to New York City...My birthday is 5 days before Christmas, so NYC was all decked out in its Christmas regalia, and it was awesome! We went to shows, shopped, had great meals, saw the city, & mastered the subway! It was fantastic!

4.  Birthdays make me feel  special & loved.  Simple as that 

5.  The worst birthday I ever had was Um, I can't really think of one -- maybe the only bad one was the year we were traveling on my actual birthday, but we were going to Hawaii so it wasn't too terrible.  I try not to make a huge deal about doing things on or for my birthday....a couple presents & cards, but most importantly dinner with my family.

6.  When I was born... apparently my dad took the most round about way to the hospital, my sweet mom was in labor with me for 22 hours, my darling grandparents waited patiently & my dad rubbed my moms back for hours while playing the sound track to the move "Somewhere in Time."  I was born at 10:05pm, 7lbs 40z & 19in long.  Was a little tuckered out & didn't quite want to breathe on my own so I spent a little time in the NICU.  But what that ultimately meant was that my parents brought me home on Christmas Eve in a giant red stocking...the best Christmas present they've ever gotten ;)  But my dad spent that night on the couch with me sleeping on his chest until Christmas morning.

7.  So far my favorite age has been I think maybe 22 -- I graduated from college, got engaged (a HUGE surprise planned by honey Isaac) in Palm Springs, had my first Christmas in Hawaii, spent Spring Break in Palm Springs with family, and got married! That was such a whirlwind & fun year!

*Side note on when I was born...that sound track to that movie is big in our family.  My parents watch it every year on Valentine's Day & have since they were married.  The music was playing when I was born.  And the theme song is the song my Dad walked me down the aisle to. It is by far some of the most beautiful music - if you're so inclined, look it up on iTunes. So pretty.
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Football Widow No More

Before you get all worked up...don't worry...Isaac is still coaching football. ;)

I have a few friends who are coach's wives, follow a few ladies on Blogger/Twitter who know the perils of the season, and am pretty familiar with the struggles that the fall can bring.  And of course I've seen images like this floating around Pinterest

There is definitely a common theme amongst football wives/girlfriends -- a common identifier of being a "football widow" once fall camp kicks off.  Sometimes, truthfully, that indentifier has been used a guilt trip tool on my behalf.  I've used it to bemoan my situation.  I've used it to justify bratty behavior, or simply to not do the dishes.  How silly & selfish of me.  Here my husband is being used by the Lord in a way that he is able to be excellent, in a way that allows him unprecedented access to kids & their hearts, and in a way that offers opportunities for him to coach up, encourage, and in specific ways share his faith.  How awesome is that?  And yet, there I am...at home...one of his few places of peace/safety...acting selfishly because I am a football widow.  Hello kick to the gut!

Rather this fall I want to encourage Isaac, cover him, the coaches, & players in prayer, & free Isaac from the burden of having to dance to all my little demands(though sometimes they're not little, in all honesty).  I am casting off that identifier -- and instead replacing it with something like "football encourager," or even just....football wife! Remove the negative & replace with positive!  If you're of the praying sort, would you be interested in joining me pray for the McNary football team & coaches? Just shoot me a message/comment & once I have the list I'll share it with you.

And just for good measure...I did find a few photos from the trusty ol' iPhone from vacation! 

At the awesome Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. during our Ale Trail!

Where I spent most of my days...Eagle Crest Resort Pool...aka heaven!

And just for fun & reminiscing purposes...

Hard to believe it's already been 3 years!

Many more to come....now if only I could get back in to pre-wedding shape! FALL GOAL! ;)

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The Hunger Games, Sunburns, & the Ale Trail

We have returned from our long awaited, and long over due, vacation.  Sadly...to be honest.  I always hate leaving Eagle Crest. It's definitely one of my most favorite, sacred places.

The first moment I stepped out of our car last week Saturday and caught my first sniff of those lovely juniper trees I was in heaven! The first weekend we spent time with my folks & boy did I kick the weekend off like a rookie! Mom & I spent a few hours at the pool while the guys golfed -- and dope that I am entirely forgot to have sunscreen be put on my back! Well...except for the parts I could reach with my own hands, rubbing in my spray sunscreen! A mere 3-4hours later in the Central OR sun and I was pretty toasty! So toasty in fact that mom & I had to spend the next day in sweet Sisters, OR just to avoid the pool.  How lame, the thing I love to do the most at Eagle Crest & I botched it for myself for like 2 days!

A nice weekend with my parents led straight in to a few days just Isaac & I -- which let me tell you....this time was much needed!  We haven't had quiet, alone time with no work or football distractions in some time.  Sure he took care of a few items but for the most part it was just us relaxing, watching the Olympics, and hanging out! Let's just say it was awesome :)

Highlight of my week was finishing about 5 books - and primarily the entire Hunger Games Trilogy.  I'm not one who jumps on band wagons much.  In fact, I tend to steer clear of all the "popular" things for a while. So with all the craziness dying down I tracked down a set & happily read thru them in 4 days.  It was great! Not as intense as I was expecting, but the 3rd book definitely was the best of all 3.  There were a few moments of "oh my goodness!" But it definitely makes me want to see the movie now & anticipate the upcoming movies!

And finally ended our week with wonderful friends joining us for the last few days.  Time filled with my best girl friend at the pool while the boys went on adventures (let me tell you friends...this is the BEST set up for traveling with friends!).  We'd laze around in the morning, make our way to the pool about 11am and stay there til mid afternoon.  Ahhh...it was awesome!  Highlight of this time was doing the Bend Ale Trail.  The Bend, OR visitors center has a designated a route to take to visit some of the best known & newer breweries in the area.  You go & taste, purchase some drinks & food and get a stamp!  Once you've visited all the breweries you take your little pamphlet back to the visitors center for a prize! It's definitely a fun way to spend some time with good friends.  It can be as cheap or as expensive as you want -- we spent some extra purchasing some beer pints at each spot & some yummy food.  Definitely something to check in to!
 
Though I promised photos....I can not deliver. I get too focused on who I'm with and what we're doing to stop & document (silly me...).  I think that's going to be one of my goals this fall while Isaac is off being a big time head coach & all.  I'll start documenting what happens so we can look back & enjoy.

SUUUUUUUPER side note....Honey Isaac & I bought a new small vacuum cleaner (our hardwood one bit the dust after 3 years...) & it's a lovely Elextrolux.  And sweetie Isaac said I could be just like Kelly Ripa now... Yah, not so sure about that. ;)
Happy to be home as always, but football is now in FULL swing with lineman camp this week, team camp next week, doubles the following week, & then practice before the first game.  Jealous yet??  I'm trying to squeeze out my last few projects from Isaac and then it'll be all hands on deck for me with the house/cleaning/cooking/etc.  Such is life!
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