My Goal & Football Season Is Here!

On Friday August 14th I met...no exceeded my goal of running for 35 minutes straight before my 35th birthday. First I ran for 37 minutes, second I ran the furthest I've ever ran....3 miles straight and third I don't turn 35 for more than a month! This was definitely something I NEVER ever thought I would do. It's so exciting to see how hard work really pays off and mentally overcoming that voice in my head that says you can stop running now. Nope...not listening! 

One of the things I thought about when I first posted my goal in regards to running is that I've read there's a statistic that says only a certain amount of people actually make it to their goal if they speak it out loud to people. I guess because you've spoken it now your brain thinks you've done it...not sure. Anyways I knew that I would not be that statistic...I was going to make it to my goal! 

After telling the kids I made my goal Owen was all excited and said..."Now we don't have to come to the track anymore!" Nope...sorry Mama's still going to run buddy! 

After getting all showered and ready the kids and I took a group shot wearing our Seahawks shirts. They all got Seahawk tattoos as well! I'm SO SO SO excited football season is finally here! 6 months is way too long! 

I had the kids hold up 5 fingers on one hand and make a 0 with the other. That's because we're headed to Superbowl 50 baby!!! 

Months and months ago my cousin Bill had asked me if I would be interested in going to the first preseason game against the Broncos. I told him yeah!!! Money ended up being a little tight and we weren't going to be able to go, but Bill blessed us by paying for our tickets! Such a blessing. So I dropped the kids off at Ga-Ga & Pa's for the night, picked up Michael and we headed for the stadium. We were actually at our hotel in Missoula when I got the news that Bill had purchased the tickets. I wrote on a piece of paper...Section 307 - Row MM - Seats 6-8. I showed Michael the paper and asked him what he thought that was. He looked at the paper and said, "It looks like seats for the Seahawks!"...that's when I told him we were going to the game. I had kept it a secret for months. It was so much fun! 

Walking towards the gate! 

We met Bill outside the Northwest entrance and then headed into the stadium. 

Of course we have had one of the hottest summers on record....so many days over 90 degrees and on the first day of football it POURS rain. I was all for it after all football is meant to be played in bad weather! Michael thought it was funny because here Seattle is going to be on National TV and of course it's raining. People always think that Seattle is under constant rain and we really aren't. 

We found our section! Since it was raining I broke out a poncho that I had bought for our trip to Disneyland and it came in handy for sure. I would have been a drown rat if I hadn't had that thing! 

We were literally 3 rows from the furthest seats, but that was fine by me. We were under the covered area so we weren't getting rained on and seriously the view was amazing. Plus it seemed like the whole time the action was right in front of us. They would switch sides after each quarter and that would bring the action back to the side of the field we were on. It was terrific! 

We were there 90 minutes prior to game time so we got to watch some of the guys practicing on both teams. 

It was fun looking across the stadium at all the titles the Seahawks have achieved over the years. 

There's our boys!!! 

Seahawks selfie!!! 

Blue Thunder performed quite a few times for the crowd. The funniest thing about the game is that when there is a commercial break on TV the plays stop. It's like they get all these mini timeouts because of it. They've got to make that money from all those commercials! 

My favorite part was when our guys came out onto the field! I had so much fun yelling and cheering at the game. It was really a great game even though we did lose! We got to see some of the new guys step up...it will be interesting to see who gets cut in the next few weeks. I'm so excited for this season! 

Thank you Bill for making this possible!!! 

SuperBowl....AKA A Day Of Devastation!!!

The Superbowl is simultaneously the best and the worst day of the year. I LOVE football!!! I blame my husband for this....about 4 years ago I decided I would like to actually hang out with him on Sundays so I had to start watching football to be with him. And lo and behold....I fell in love with the game. I remember thinking this game is so stupid you just catch the ball and run....where is the strategy in that. Oh how wrong I was. Once you understand the game it's so clearly a strategic game and it's super fun. I like action and in football there is LOTS. Baseball.....I'm sorry....BORING!!!! 

After the win against the Green Bay Packers Ga-Ga and Pa decided they'd host again for the Superbowl like they did last year. This year I would say I was definitely more nervous about the Patriots! I didn't sleep that good on Saturday night. I knew it was going to be a hard fought CLOSE game. 

Everyone got there about an hour before kick-off so we had some time to chat and munch on food. Aunt Stephie went and got Zeke up from his nap, but he was so grumpy! He wanted to be held all the time!!! Of course you won't catch Aunt Stephie arguing with that! 

Stephie's Mom and Dad Kent and Sherry came to enjoy the festivities with us. Kent used to work at Safeco field so my remark about baseball probably wouldn't go over too well with him! :) 

Ga-Ga & Pa were sporting their new Superbowl 49 shirts. We actually got to talking about next year how the Roman Numeral for 50 is just an L. The symbol is going to look so funny! Michael said he heard that they might not use Roman Numerals because the L would look like LOSER!!

Took a few takes, but Mom finally got a good picture of us after videotaping us instead! Mom and electronics do not mix! Love you Mom!!! 

Jim and Norean came over as well. So nice to hang out with them since they missed Christmas due to the flu. Sadly this the last Superbowl we will get to enjoy with them as soon they are heading to the Midwest to build there dream home on a lake! We will sure miss them! 

And this was the closest I could get of a decent picture of Ryan! 

Watching the action! 

One time while we were watching the game I had to go to the bathroom really bad, but I didn't want to miss anything. Finally there was a point I could actual get up and go. While I was in there Ryan and Michael started hooting and hollering I just knew they were faking it trying to make me pull my pants up fast so I wouldn't miss anything. I was already washing my hands when I heard them so I sauntered out and peaked around the corner and called them on their BS! Stinkers!!! 

Sadly there was supposed to be 5 others joining us The Kuch Klan....Bill, Christina and their 3 kiddoes, Caleb, Anna & Addison. Poor Anna got the flu a few days before and we were hoping it was just her, but then Christina got sick. 

Even though the Kuch's couldn't make it I think we still planned for their presence in regards to food! 

We did not go hungry in the least!!! 

The best part of too much food is....LEFTOVERS!!! Mom sent us home with 3 bags and 1 box of food! 

Here we are...during halftime! 

During the second half I spent most of the time walking around. I can't sit and watch...I get too nervous. Last year was so different because by halftime we had already squashed the Broncos so my nerves we never frayed. This game was the absolutely opposite! It was a great hard fought game don't get me wrong and I'm sure the NFL was super happy with how close it was. Last years game wasn't necessarily a good Superbowl game by NFL standards since it was such a blow out. I think our guys played great...they were tough...they never gave up. Hello that catch by Jermaine Kearse was A-MAZING!! He never gave up on that ball. The look on Paul Allen's face after they said he completed the catch will forever be stuck in my mind....PRICELESS!!!

Now for that last play I seriously feel like I'm living in an alternate universe and somehow I'm on the wrong path and Lynch really did running it in and we won the Superbowl. If only right!!! I'm sad that it will forever go down in NFL history as the stupidest play call ever. I'm sad that Wilson didn't audible on the line and change the play, I'm sad that Pete is taking all the blame when we know that's not the case, I'm sad that it gives the media even more fuel for their true hate for the Seahawks, I'm sad that Russell Wilson didn't get to be on the podium proclaiming the name of Jesus. BUT.....he still did get to proclaim Jesus' name even in defeat! He is still trusting in God and His goodness and I think that's speaks volumes about his character! He is a STUD! If one thing came come from that game it's that Russell and all the other players can band together and support each other even in the tough times. They can show the world that one loss doesn't define a team. One play doesn't tarnish a legacy! 

Our guys will be back...there is NO DOUBT! Most of our team is already locked in for years. Bobby Wagner needs to accept a deal so the LOB can stay intact. Even if he doesn't stay with us Pete and John are so good at finding raw talent. Players that no one else gave a second look at and they turn them into star athletes! They are an amazing pair! 

In the end I'm so proud of our guys, I'm thankful that I chose to spend Sundays with my hubby and in turn fell in love with the game of football, I'm happy that this sport brings so many people together to celebrate and I'm hopeful that next year we'll do it all over again....but this time Lynch will run it in for the win!!! 

SEA------HAWKS!!!!

Unless you've been living under a rock you know that the Seattle Seahawks are Superbowl Champions!!!!! 

The last time the Seahawks went to the Superbowl I would have definitely called myself a fair weather fan. I didn't know anything about football except maybe the term touchdown. I remember watching the game at our church and being super bummed about the game, but then it was over and life went back to normal. 

Fast forward a few years and Michael started really watching the games on a regular basis. Then 3 years ago I decided if you can't beat 'em...join 'em! I knew that I wasn't going to get to spend half of my Sunday with my husband if I wasn't watching the game. So I started watching...not understand half of it, but then the more I watched the more I started to get it. Then I started liking it and caring about the players. The last 2 years I have really actually looked forward to the games. I've even started listening to sports radio!!! 

This year we knew was different. We were going all the way! You could just feel it! 

I'm so happy that this time around I understand the game and I'm not a fair weather fan......I'M A 12!!!!!

My mom said if we went to the Superbowl she would have a party. It was such an awesome time with family and technically friends, but I feel like Bill & Christina are family! Eating lots of yummy food, talking sports, jumping up and down and screaming our heads off!!! 

Sports can bring people together unlike anything else. Everywhere you go there are fellow 12's! We are LOUD & PROUD! I love that the hard work of our boys has paid off. I told my Dad to describe the Superbowl in one word would be.....VALIDATION!!! Seattle has always been looking down upon and cast off as not being a worthy opponent. I think we've silenced those voices now!!! 

The sad part.....the off season starts now! I'm gonna miss see my Hawks on Sundays. The draft and preseason can't get here fast enough! 

GO HAWKS!!!