NASCAR--It's FAN-tastic!

Confession time....
My name is Melanie and I'm a NASCAR fan! It's true, I like it, I like it a lot! When Darren & I got married nearly 19 years ago, I also gained a speedy stepchild....I knew that part of my role as a dutiful wife, I would be expected to update my working husband with running positions, pit-stop times, wrecks, bang-ups and other details such as who took on 2 tires vs 4 tires, gas n' go's and drafting partners. Lost yet? If not, you must be a fan too.

I will never forget my very first NASCAR race. It was the year that Richard Petty was on his farewell tour. We drove from Logan, Utah to Phoenix, Arizona with our friend, Tarlton. We spent our first night in Las Vegas after driving through a blinding snowstorm in Cedar City. The morning we got up and drove to Phoenix. Having no idea when we booked the hotel, we inadvertantly ended up in a scary part of town. Tarlton & his silver barrelled side-kick were there to protect though! The morning of the race, we were SO EXCITED! None of us had ever been to a "real live" race before. When we got to the track I was amazed at the sheer size of it all. It was HUGE! The warm Arizona sun felt so nice in October. We put our feet up and basked in the sun....until.....ROAR!!! As soon as the announcer commanded "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines"....something magical happened inside of me. This gruntal adrenaline was released deep within me. I had never experienced something like it before, and I liked it. I liked it a lot! Everytime those cars raced by us down in turn 4 the wind off of those cars widened the grin on my face. I had found my sport! I was HOOKED!


The next 4 years found us at the track and we loved every minute of it. It was something that most of our friends didn't understand and we were ok with it. It was "OUR THING". But then, as sometimes happens, things changed when we had a baby. We moved soon after Karlee was born and we couldn't afford the long distance travel. About 8 years later we were given the opportunity to go to the race in Las Vegas. We were thrilled! We went with Darren's brother, Mark and his wife Debbie! Now this was cool....we were back to Racin' and spending time with family! We were back on track.

After a few years of kinks it became an issue with farmin' out the kids and still having our time. One year we got a call: "You'd better come home, Carson's got the chicken pox". One year it was "Hey Mel, maybe I'll just go with the guys" and one year the CHF symptoms made me rethink all of the walking and I decided it was maybe time for Darren just to go with the guys. It was such a mixed up emotional decision. Last March I decided to regain control of "Our Thing". It was the only thing that Darren & I did that nobody else really understood. The previous year we had met some great friends there and while I hung out with the wife, the guys did their thing. I LOVED spending time with my sweet friend, but I also just really wanted to be with my hubby. I missed it. I realized that I wanted my cake and I wanted to eat it too. I beat myself up for months trying to decide what to do. I wanted to spend time with my friend but longed to be side by side with my husband at the track. Darren let me make the decision. So when I found myself next to him in Vegas this year it felt RIGHT!


So now here we are in October. The NASCAR race is in Phoenix this weekend. We are leaving in the morning for Phoenix. But I'm not going to the race. Darren decided this was an opportunity for him to go with some friends. I'm trying to be ok with it. I am looking forward to spending some great scrapbooking/stamping time with my sweet friend. But that ol' green monster is roaring to life and I keep remembering how it felt to walk up to the fence and be within feet of Richard "The King" Petty or how it felt to shake the strong and weathered hand of "Handsome Harry" Gant or brush by Darrell "D.W." Waltrip and feel that rush of excitement. I'm hoping Darren has a great time with his friends, and I know that I will have a BLAST with my friend. I just hope the time will come when we can also return to PIR (Phoenix International Raceway) together, just the two of us.

Trick FORE Treat

WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS BELOW! (BLOODY TYPE GRAPHIC)
Happy Halloween!

We have had so much fun this past week! Our friends, the Talbots, invited us to a party and we went. It was so much fun playing games, tasting yummy treats and hanging out with adult friends!

Darren is NOT a costume guy. Convincing him to wear a costume was like trying to convince him to pull his own eye teeth. After costume shopping for 4 hours and having NO LUCK, out of desperation I huffed "Fine, go as a guy that got smacked in the head with a golf ball!" Much to my surprise, he liked the idea! I was genuinly shocked! Why? Well, because I thought it might cause some flashbacks!

Three years ago, he was hit in the head with a golfball. The golfer was teeing off 25 FEET away from where Darren was. It hit him smack dab in the middle of the forehead! The injuries were significant: Fractured skull, hundreds of stitches, and the headache from hades that lasted a few weeks. To look at him today you really wouldn't have any idea. Although there is a SLIGHT dent in the skin, and a SLIGHT scar, there is little evidence of the massive wound that once was there.

I am going to post the pictures, but I will warn you again, the real one is extremely graphic.







Here is the "Real One" taken a week after the accident. Most of the bruising and swelling had gone down.




Today it's one of those "It happened to me" stories. There is a sense of humor associated with it, and we joke often. But there is also a great sense of gratitude as well. It could've been so much worse, but it wasn't. There are no lasting effects other than the ones listed above....oh, and if you look closely, you will see "Titlist" written backwards on his head. No, not really, but that's what he tells people and it's funny to see who believes it.

Anyway, here's my "Injured Golfer" and me as a scrub nurse. Darren still golfs and loves it. I decided I could live in fear and have him sit home in resentment, or I could encourage him to pursue a hobby that he really enjoys while he does the same with me. Life's meant to be enjoyed so that's what we do!

Just Making Things Clear

I have had a few emails and such asking me how I am connected to this team, the short answer is simply this: neigbhor, Young Women Leader at Church (4 of them), community member, friend of family, fellow soccer mom, BIG FAN! I'm sorry I didn't make that clearer.

This is one of "my" girls. She's so much fun to watch....her kicks are amazing....with the goals set up in the endzone of the football field, her kicks zoon past the 50 yard line EASY....EVERY TIME! And on a day with a slight tailwind....she can kick it the length of the field....goal to goal! I told her she better get herself some pads and a jersey in case our football team needs a kicker for this weekends state playoff game! She's AWESOME!

This feisty lookin' little bug is another one of my girls! This picture totally cracks me up because she looks so mean! She's absolutely NOT! She's very tiny (5'2ish?), but she is SOOOOOOO....fast and such an athlete. I always laugh that she runs with her hands clenched like this. I once saw her take a HARD hit to the chest and she didn't even show any reaction that resembled pain. She's just a delightful gal, very smart, very friendly. She's also the captain of the drillteam! Funny huh?

Every single one of these girls is just AMAZING, I just luv 'em all!
I'm sorry for the mix up! Hope that clears things up for ya!

Hey Mom, where's my clean clothes?

What a week, I feel like I've been racing all week......and you know it's been a CRAZY week when the laundry that still needs to be folded doesn't contain any clean clothes for the kids to wear to school tomorrow! UGH! I suggested to the kids a few options to consider:

Go in the same clothes they wore today. (Met with looks of horror!)

Go in their underwear....there are clean ones available. (INCREASED looks of horror, followed by gasps, groans and other disgusted sounds)

Go in their bathing suits (This one was met with 100% jubliation from Carson as long as he got to wear flip flops too!)

Wear last years fashions, "everyone's forgotten about them, it'll be seem like a whole new wardrobe to your friends!" (BIG thumbs down from my fashion guru, Karlee)

Other options did include acts of diving, tunneling and frantic digging/throwing/casting aside that may be described as "desperate sorting". I think they both came up with "SOMETHING". I guess they'll survive another day....no one will die of embarrassment tomorrow afterall!

Dang, I was hoping for some more "creative thinking choices"......I really wanted to see what they'd do if they really were out of options! (Not that I'd honestly encourage the underwear scenario!)

So Close and Yet So Far...

The last few months I have been witness to something absolutely MAGNIFICENT, perfection in the making. This group of girls is absolutely amazing. A few years ago they decided they wanted to have a High School Girls Soccer Team. There wasn't one in place so they started one from scratch. Last year they made it to the semi-final game in the state play-offs. This year was the first year I have watched them. I was hooked from the first game, taken in by their smoothness, the "ebb and flow" of a perfectly oiled machine. There was something missing from this team that seems to always penetrate into HS sports....competition fueled envy and negativity. There was none of it! They were so positive with each other, a phenomenon I find hard to describe. They would play their games relaxed, smiling, happy and yet determined with "heads in the game". They refused to badmouth other teams, choosing instead to focus on the job at hand, 1 game at a time. The end result was outstanding: They outscored their opponents with a whopping 165-9!!!!


This year hasn't been without hardship. Partway into the season, the father of one of the seniors was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The have loved and supported her and her parents. In talking to the mom last night she conveyed her gratitude for something wonderful to focus on and cheer for. Also, during last weeks semi-finals playoff game, the lead scorer (in the STATE!) was injured after getting hit in the face with a ball. She had a hole in her retina and we weren't sure if she'd play.

Fridays Semi-final game was AWESOME! Final score: 4-0! We were headed to the state playoff game!!!! Hopes were high and hearts were set! We just knew this would happen! Our injured player played for just 8 minutes, she was extremely dizzy and had limited focus, but she was able to score a goal for us!


Saturday was a stark contrast to the day prior, instead of sun and blue skies, we were faced with fresh snow, pouring rain and freezing winds. Both teams were evenly matched. At the end of regulation play the score displayed 0-0. Two "Sudden death" rounds resulted in only more frayed nerves and higher blood pressures! We were headed for kick-off's. Each team was given 5 shots, the one with the higher score at the end would be declared the winner. At the end of round 1 the score was tied again 2-2. What came next was confusion and devastation: our girls missed their kick, RH made theirs...score 2-3. Most people thought we were repeating the "5 kicks for each team", but that was not the case. RH had won! Our girls were so devastated and yet, through it all, held their heads up and acted with grace and class. We were so proud of them.


So here's to the MHS Girls Soccer Team! You may not hold the championship trophy, but you have earned every right to hold your heads up high. You have shown the state that you have earned the right to play in "the big leagues". You played your game, you are the winners in all that matters. A trophy sits on shelves, waiting to be dusted off and polished. But the victors crown you wear, only few have earned. It's worn by those who earn the badge of courage, the ribbon of respect, the merits of leadership, teamwork and sportsmanship and the crown of kindness. You girls will take with you, all of these victors spoils as you go forward in your lives. You have more than an earthly statue of pride, you have so much more. You are the Eagles, the mighty mighty Eagles! Soar High!

Hope Springs Eternal....Even in Autumn!!!

This might seem like a funny card to post in late October when winter is on it's way IN and not on its way OUT. But there is something you should know about me....I'm an optimist by nature. I get down, and things go wrong sometimes, but inside I just *KNOW* that it is just a season. I always have to giggle when things get tough because I always remember a quote I read somewhere once upon a time. I couldn't even tell you who said it, but here it is: "Remember that the Lord said, "It came to PASS, He didn't say that it came to STAY."

So today, on this cold and "dreary" day, I find myself excited for the chill in the air, the changing leaves on my apricot tree and the fresh snow in the mountains because it reminds me of this princible. Today was "Soup Day", there will be several of those in the coming months, but I know the time WILL come when it's "Chicken Croissants and FRUIT" day!

Ya Gotta Have HOPE! One day those boots will be covered in mud and snow, but the next day, they may spring up some blossoms!

~Melanie

Card Recipe:
Stamps:Soft Swirls, Flower Filled
CS: Bazzill
Other: Mini brads, Dimensionals, Silver Cording (SU-retired)

Dancing---it's for the Birds!

You've got to check this out! Your kids will LOVE it too!

May I Have This Dance?