The Iron Men of soccer

So they've been dubbed by the local paper.  Due to injuries and grades ineligibility, the Snake River soccer team has exactly 11 players.  They have no subs.  They all play the entire game, with no breaks.  They're all beat up, but you can see their team spirit and determination grow with each game.  They're having a great season & as one of their #1 fans, I'm super proud of them & can't wait for STATES!!!

Seriously! Could they BE any cuter????

I seriously love these two girls.  Desiree & Ashley are some of my favorite people to e around.  It is completely impossible to be in a bad mood or sad when in their company. They're both as beautiful inside as they are outside and I just adore them!  Thanks for yesterday girls!  I so needed it!

Amazing Book

I find myself deeply buried in yet another book.  I can't put it down, which I realize is not really a big announcement for me when I'm buried in a book.  It is amazing to me to read of Elizabeth Gilbert's search for herself and the discoveries that she made.  I am able to see a lot of parallels between myself and Mrs. Gilbert.  I admire the courage and strength it took her to make the really hard decisions in her life that she has.  And I am awed by her commitment and willingness to truly look inside herself  to discover exactly who she was.  That's a scary thing.  It's really hard to look that deeply within yourself, because the answers aren't always pretty or flattering.  But from reading and sharing in her journey, I am finding that I'm a little more wiling than I was to start doing that digging and searching.  Even when the answers aren't pretty, I want to get to a point where I want them and am able to accept them and change them where I need to, to fully become the person that I want to be.

I needed this

Thanks to a wonderful friend, I woke up to this message this morning.  I don't think he had any idea just how much I really needed to hear this today.  I am trying really hard to find the good in the experiences I'm going through right now.  I'm not having a whole lot of luck right now, but I'm trying.  And I'm finding a way to get through each day.  I'm so thankful for the amazing friends I have.  I wouldn't be making it through each day without you.  And my family.  Josh always knows when I need a hug more than anything else.  I love you all very much & thank you for your love and support. 

GO JOSH!!

So I have to brag a little bit.  I got a text from Josh this morning that there was a good article in the local paper covering the soccer games yesterday & that there was a picture of him.  So I, of course, went and bought a paper.  And then bought 3 more.  There is a huge color picture of Josh heading the article, and a great article detailing the game and Josh's contributions to the win.  After a lost season last year due to injury, I know it's important to him to be a big part of the team this year and help them succeed, and it's great to see his hard work and effort rewarded!

And the article...


In the boys game the Panthers found themselves trailing at the half but a trio of second half goals by Cooper Peterson erased that deficit as the Panthers prevailed 5-4.
“It was a difficult day to play and I just tried to encourage the guys to have some fun, even though it wasn’t the best day to play soccer with all the wind.”  Snake River head man Trevor Peterson said.
Peterson got the scoring started in the first half of play, drilling his first of four goals on the day just 8 minutes into the contest.  The goal was assisted by Josh Dunkle, a refrain that was repeated on three occasions as Dunkle notched a trio of assists on the day.
North Fremont answered back with a pair of goals before Jonny Rodriguez tied the game at 2-2 on a corner kick by Dunkle.  That tie was short lived as North Fremont took advantage of the wind, getting behind the Panther defense for a late goal and a 3-2 half time advantage.
“In the first way we played the wrong style of game for the wind conditions,”  Coach Peterson said.  “At the half we changed up and went to a more simple style of ball which helped us.”
Indeed that simple switch did wonders as Cooper Peterson knotted the game at 3-3 to begin the second half.  North Fremont had one last gasp left in them, taking a 3-4 lead but another Peterson goal tied the game minutes later.
Peterson eventually headed in the game winner, out of the goal keepers hands when Dunkle played a long ball at the goal, sending the Panther side line into a frenzy.
“The team played hard and were able to come back in a game that was pretty even,”  Coach Peterson said. “It was a fun game and a great learning experience for us.”
Snake River (3-1) travels to Teton today for a showdown with the Redskins at 5:30 P.M.  

Expanding horizons

I have always been a huge bookworm!  I love to bury myself in a good book and put myself into another reality for a few hours.  I'm a big fan of mysteries and spy books and thrillers. I love a good scare!  Someone came into my life last year and became an important part of my life.  He opened my eyes to a world of books I'd never really explored before....non fiction.  While that individual has chosen to not be a part of my life anymore, one of the many things he's left with me is a new love of non fiction books.  The ones that we read together have become some of my favorites, and I've added some other great ones.  So, here are some non fiction books I highly, highly recommend!!

What a great book!  Simple, basic, important life lessons taught with love and kindness by a truly great man.

Talk about a book that makes you think!  Each section taught a better lesson than the one before it did.  

A beautiful story of two very different men, in very different walks of life, and the way that their faith leads and guides them, and saved their lives.  It reminded me of the importance of faith and having a belief system in my life.

Oh wow!  Talk about a book that made me cry.  Almost from start to finish.  Randy Pausch was an amazing man, husband, and father who wanted to leave a legacy of learning and love for his children, who lost him far, far too soon due to cancer.  The lessons he wanted to leave for them are beautifully shared in this book.  It hit very close to home for me, because  also was left the same type of legacy by a loving dad that I lost too soon.  I've read this book three times now & cried every time!

Such a cute book!  Brad Meltzer selected about 50 people from all walks of life who made a difference in the world.  The heroes range from everyone from the Wright brothers, who made the book not because they discovered flight, but because they KNEW they were going to fail and continued to persevere anyway, to Rosa Parks, who made history for taking a stand for what was right. 

My current read.  Such a good book!  And perfect for me at this point in my life, as I feel like I'm at a point where everything is changing for me.  One of the things this book is helping me to realize is that even though some of the changes are ones that I would never make on my own & am not particularly embracing, they can still be changes that have a powerful and positive effect on my life.  It's all in how I look at it and how I embrace it.  My life is no more and no less than what I make of it.  Change is always going to be a part of my life, so change is no more and no less than what I make of it.

Panther Soccer wins again!

They brought their season record thus far to 3-1, with a great 5-4 win over North Freemont tonight!  It was a great game and a win they earned by never giving up & fighting til the very end of the game.  I really love watching these guys play...they're a great team!  Go Panthers!!!