Checking In

Here's a little glimpse of life for us since last I surfaced. Life moves pretty fast around here.

After their glorious victory, Noble and his team got to visit a local sports radio station, where they were interviewed about their killer season. A few days later we all had a fantastic time at his team banquet. 

The coach initially handed out these little trophies (as a joke)...

...and then brought out the goods...these nearly life-sized trophies for the champions.

trophy from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

 Afterward, with some of his football spoils.

And with that, the season was officially OVER. We've come a long way. What a pleasure it was.

Thanksgiving (this year it was "Hanksgiving" again -  coinciding with my nephew's birthday.)

We gathered at our house again this year. And started a new tradition. My mom comes up with the coolest stunts. She read the story of the "Discontented Pumpkin" (everyone kept misspeaking, calling it the "dis-CONNECTED pumpkin" ha ha) about a pumpkin with a bad attitude that meets a bad end.

We re-enacted the conclusion of the story:


the discontented pumpkin drop from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

Mom gathered (and cleaned) the remnants to make into pumpkin pie filling, for next Thanksgiving. Ha ha ha. Not sure if the kids grasped the intended lesson from this dramatization, but it was super fun. Let's do it again next year. Smashing pumpkins. (Digression, just because this quote came up repeatedly over the holiday:  "Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins. Homer Simpson, Smiling politely." -one of the best lines in TV history. From the Lallapalooza episode of The Simpson's.)

What else?
Noble's Court of Honor. (Receiving his First Class)

Christmas prep. 

The last few years Mike has given in and let us get our tree as soon as Thanksgiving was over. We've had pretty good luck with the trees staying fresh. This year may be our last with a REAL tree. (I know. Sacrilege.) It is just so hard to justify shelling out $50-$80 a year. So I was determined to get the kind of tree I wanted this year (usually I defer to the majority on stuff like this)...just in case I never get the chance again. Years ago Mike's Dad converted me to the open / candlestick variety of Noble Fir. I think some people think they look like Charlie Brown trees. I think they are lovely, with their natural, unshaven branches. They look real. We found a perfect, not-too-fat 8 footer. It's my favorite ever.

This year I picked up this advent calendar at IKEA and filled it with treats and good deeds for the kids to do for each day. We'll see how it works out. 

I love the way it looks on the landing shelf.

One more random snap shot. We came home from shopping on Saturday to find this note posted in the butter. Rather than just throw it out, Grace devised this method to warn us all of the danger. Ha ha ha.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

A Vote for No Change, Followed by A Change in the Weather, and the Making of Champions

**Disclaimer - before you start reading - this is a mega-post, and all over the map. But it's good stuff!**

Mike worked hard this past Election Day as a poll manager. Ahead of the election he had several training sessions, spent hours prepping the voting roles, and set-up the night before. On election day he was at the poling place from 6 AM until 9 PM.   Everyone should have the experience of working an election. It is such a fundamental and important way of serving in a free society where we all have a moral duty to help carry the load of governance, helping people to exercise their agency.  We take so much for granted.

The night before Election Day. More prep work.

 Speaking of Election Day...I know I am not the only one who found it hard to sleep Tuesday night. The presidential election was a big disappointment for approximately half of the country (at least among those who bothered to vote), myself included. Not the kind of disappointment that goes away the next day. The kind that fills you with foreboding. Life goes on...but down a path I hoped it wouldn't go. Still, I am an optimist. I believe all things work together for the (eventual) best. So, onward (not so much "Forward") - remembering to pray for our leaders.

Bringing us to Thursday...when the weather looked like this...

70-ish degrees. One last mowing.

Only to wake up Friday to this...

30-ish degrees. The first snowmen of the season.

And then on to Saturday, which looked like this...

Holy smokes, what a day! Noble's team played their championship game in whiteout conditions with over a foot of fresh snow on the ground.  

I am telling you, this was the best day of football ever! 

Sidelines lined with huddled die-hard fans trying to stay warm, dads working to shovel the yard lines before the game just so the players and refs would know where they were (Mike was soaked with sweat after that), hot chocolate,  players slogging through deep snow every play (sometimes the snow did the tackling), fumbles, face-masks packed with snow after a tackle, warming the game ball over propane heaters to try to keep it flexible, cold feet, and a championship shut-out to show for it at the end of the 4th. 

Bingham - 19.  Bountiful -0.

Chillin' on the sidelines. (Beth was awesome! 8 months pregnant - in a snow storm...to watch a football game. Love her.)

Noble on a tackle.

White-washing.

Noble - gunner on kick-off team.

Super fans - Cousin Hal and Grandma Sullivan. Casey and Helen and their posse were troopers!

Celebrating another touchdown.

Noble in pursuit.

Post game with Coach.

More dedicated fans - some from out of town. Thanks to everybody who came! We had a blast!

CHAMPIONS

Brothers

Time to bring it down...

***Now, I know when we started down this road I was hesitant about football. I worried, and wondered about the wisdom of Noble's choice. In retrospect, would we do this football thing again? Was it worth it to let Noble fulfill this dream? Absolutely. Everything about this season and this experience was meant to be. Amazing things happen when you let kids choose and grow. I am just glad I was along for the ride. (It has been So much FUN!)

Thank you, Noble. You are a champion.