Scoreboard Dedication

Last Friday night we attended the first home game of the season for the Wildcats.  It wasn't a very eventful game - ended in a tie.  During halftime they held a special dedication of the new scoreboard - in honor of my dad.  It was so perfect to have our dear friend Shelby (who is the new AD this year) say a few words about my parents, and introduce my mom.

This was my mom's first time back to the field without my dad.  Earlier in the day we joked about driving my dad's high top van to the game, and parking on the field...behind the endzone....where my dad always was!  Shelby had placed a long team bench behind the endzone for us to hang out on.  It was perfect.

The dedication was simple and sweet.  The band was behind us, and the team was gathered right in front of us.  My mom put a lot of thought into what she wanted to say, as she always does.  I asked her if she was going to talk about all the memories we have had on that football field.  She smiled and shook her head, "That would be too hard!"

When we got home, my mom asked me what I thought about what she'd said.  I didn't really 'hear 'what she had said.  My mind was thinking about all those memories.......Being little and coming to the games with my mom and my brother - we'd sit in the stands and mom brought hot cocoa in an airpot.  We'd go to the Cattolicos' after every game and I'd listen to the coaches re-hash every play.  When I was older, I brought friends to the games (usually Karen) and we'd stand on the sidelines thinking we were so cool because we had 'field passes.'

All those years...my dad went from assistant coach, to head coach, to a wheelchair, to my mom needing to be with my dad on the field, to a golf cart on the field, to helping coach junior varsity, to being relegated to watching/coaching in his chair from his van (on the extended lift.)

And there I stood on the field.....with my mom.......and my husband..... and my kids....and all those memories.....

.....but without my dad.

It is hard for me.  I can't begin to imagine how incredibly hard it is for my mom.

My mom is amazing.  As was my dad.

This link will take you to some photos that were taken that night.

http://www.lghssports.com/concealed/wedemeyer/13921213_R7YBH#1021905964_oZRfM. 


Go Wildcats!

Got another one!

So five days later, the kids are playing outside... when they make quite a discovery!  They come across a mound of dirt....and a little guy - hard at work – digging – with his behind in the air – and none the wiser that he was now surrounded by some curious onlookers.

The kids ran in to tell us.  Keith went out with a shovel, but the kids begged him not to take the life of this new little guy.  “Dad, this is one of God’s creatures!”  To quiet all the hub-bub, Keith used the shovel to dig the little guy out (he dove for cover at the sound of all the ruckus!)  

 

 

 

 

The kids put him in a box, and I have to say, what a cute little guy!  We called Steve, the Trapper.  The kids hung out on the front porch with the little guy, waiting.  Steve, the Trapper said the little guy did seem to be unusually friendly.  It was tempting to keep him, but we sent him off with Steve, the Trapper.  

 

The kids were sad...for the moment....and then they were off to new adventures....

Got 'em!

We’ve had some gopher problems.  They’d been destroying our garden and lawn.  Keith finally called in Steve, the Trapper.

Steve, the Trapper, was great.  He explained to the kids all about the traps he uses and how they work.  

The next day – we got ‘em!  We were all very surprised at how little he was. 

  
For a little guy, he has huge teeth! 

Steve, the Trapper traps everything from gophers to raccoons to coyotes. He had a conference call to do later with folks in Southern California who were having trouble catching a coyote.  

This is a skill I'd love the boys to have.  Not alot of that kind of thing happening in our neighborhood.