Air Force

The traditions at the Air Force Academy

This whole week before the Air Force game I have been so nervous.  Melissa, Alex, and Kylie all stayed home for work or Halloween festivities.  Tyler was on the travel squad for the team.  So Helen was again my favorite travel-buddy.  We have so much fun.  We went with the team to the movie 'Red' and pigged out on buttered popcorn.  It was a fun time.  The room we had was a nice big suite and so Helen stayed on the hide-a-bed in her own connecting room.  Then then next morning we went for about a 4 mile walk.  The hotel was on a golf course so we walked around the lake there.  The weather was beautiful.  The mountains remind me of Utah.  I will not miss having to play Air Force but it is always an experience to be in their stadium and see the traditions and the Cadets marching on the field (they do a sudden run to the seats before the game), the falcon doing its diving flight around the stadium and most of all I love the F-16's that fly over right before game time.  They come and go so fast you have to pay attention or you miss them.

 

Showing Respect after the game for school song

You take an already stressful game and add some more stress and you get this kind of game I don't enjoy sitting through.  I was so glad when it was over!  We won 28 to 23 but it should have been 35 to 10 for us if we had not made some costly errors.  Winning makes the bus ride, the flight, and the whole week better!!

College Game day coming next week for TCU game!

Radio Show Day/Pumpkin Carving

Every week goes by too fast! 

Kylie wrote this picture on the defensive meeting board while waiting for her dad.

I thought this was the cutest picture and so detailed, that Kylie drew.  The coaches will see it in the morning when they come to work before they go. Kylie always loves to draw on the big board when we go to the office any time.                                                                              

We headed down to Trolley Square for the Radio Show.  More family came this time.  Since Kylie was already with me she came and Brady brought some of the girl cousins and Cary and Jason came along with Grandma Nancy.  Then Alex showed up with a friend named Skye.     

Kylie with cousins at Radio Show

 Jason, Alex, Grandma Nancy and Skye

We came home from the Radio Show and since Kylie has no school tomorrow she did some pumpkin carving with Melissa and Dawson.  

                                                

First Snow

Just 10 days before the 1st snow

I don't think I was done enjoying the fall leaves before it snowed today.  That is a picture of the mountain behind our home.  There are still plenty of leaves on the trees to be weighed down by the weight of the snow.  The snow is so pretty when it first falls.

Picture from out the front door.

Flag Football

Kylie wanted to go and see Alex play in a Flag Football game up at the University, Inter-mural football I guess.  So we drove up and found the team he plays on. They have won most all their games.  He plays with his friends from Brighton High School.  It was a chilly fall day but so fun to watch him play. That is one of my favorite things to do anytime is to watch my kids play in a game.

Colorado State

I get so stressed for every game.  I kept hearing on the radio that this should be an easy win for Utah against Colorado State but I never think that.  It seems as soon as you think that then you get beaten.  Kyle is good at motivating the players.  But I can never stop myself from reminding him to not let them relax.  He just looks at me like-"Okay, I never thought of that". 

The weather for Saturday was rainy and cold.  The rain is the worst because it just seeps through any crack in you rain gear.  It rained starting 40 minutes before the game and continued until half time.  Like a dummy I ran to my chair as soon as it started to rain to get my gear on.  The smart thing to do would have been to stay in the Crimson Club room where it was warm and dry.

Kylie stayed home for a dress up Halloween party.  It was hard for her to decide but she chose her friends.  I just kept texting her the score.  

Alex wore his lucky shorts and a light jacket.  I gave him some plastic long pants and a jacket that were rain gear.  He put them on and looked funny.  But it kept him dry anyway.

Alex in the middle with rain gear.

We beat Colorado State 59 to 6.  Tyler plays on the kick off team so he had a lot of plays.  He was double teamed almost every time.

Melissa brought her friend Dawson.  And I sat by my usual game buddy-Helen.  She came in looking like an Eskimo. But at least she stayed warm.  

It was so wet and rainy that I did not even get my camera out.  So these are from online.  

Kyle Coaching on sidelines

Kyle Coaching in the rain

Rainbow during the gane

 

Wyoming

We headed to Cheyenne, Wyoming on Friday, Oct. 15, 2010.  Jackson, Kali, Kylie and Grandma Nancy joined us on the trip.

Jackson, Kali, Kylie

Breakfast

Kali and Kylie played chess and watched a movie in our room.  Jackson was with Kyle most the time.  And Grandma Nancy had a friend come over.
The team did the usual eat, meetings, eat, movie, eat, and then bed.  They get up and do a wake up walk then eat again.  Then relax until they eat and board the bus.  No wonder they are so big.  It is a lot of food.
We took buses from Cheyenne to Laramie on Saturday.

Wyoming

Kyle and Dave Christensen

Susie Christensen and I

Jackson, Kylie, and Kali

 Kyle and Tyler

Tyler and Jackson

It was so good to see my friend Susie Christensen.  Dave is now the head coach at Wyoming but we knew them when we were at Idaho State and Susie and I became good friends.  We beat Wyoming 30-6.

Utes Candy Bar Day/Radio Show

Every Thursday afternoon, when the game is on a Saturday, I bring the Players a large box of all different kinds of candy.  This is a  tradition that started when Shelly Meyer was here.  The players seem to look forward to it.

Post practice meeting

Candy

Players come running

Too much to choose from

Players love candy bar day

After candy bars are picked over the players leave to go to the tent by the office for dinner.  It is usually Ruby River food on Thursday.  You can't complain about that.

Kyle radio show outside @ Trolley Square

Faithful fans who come every week.  KALL 700 AM

7th Grade Choir

7th grade girls have to wear skirts to performances

Kylie front and center of picture.  Won't look at me.

When you have 4 children and you are lucky enough for them to grow up through the same schools through the majority of their lives, then it is really a blessing. Especially in the coaching profession it is not a too common thing.  So we have been fortunate.  So here I am with my last of our 4 children attending Butler Middle School.  Some of the same teachers are still there and they still do the same major performances for each class.  So I went to Kylie's in class concert today at 2:00 pm.  Some traditions I am glad to see come to an end for us and others we will never forget!
Kyle was unable to get away from work of course, which makes him sad.  Kylie looked so cute!!

Painting and Organizing

I am not an artist or creative in any sense of the word.  And have not painted anything but some touch up on the walls and a stool that I painted one color years ago.  But I decided I wanted to paint some of the walls in my house and so I started with one of the bathrooms since it was the smallest room in the house.  Not easiest of course.  My sister-in-law, Julie, helped me with all the taping-since that of course is the hardest part.  Two people painting in a small bathroom without a window for a few hours is probably not the safest for our brains.  Ceiling fans don't do a whole lot.

Very small bathroom, sink on the right, one coat paint down.

Julie dominated on the taping, covering the most area with the roller and painting around the toilet.  One coat is done.  For sure it will need another one.  I wonder if Kyle will notice anything different when he gets home........Surprise!
Julie and I also cleaned out the fridge and freezer.  I love the label maker and I love Julie to spend time with me because she loves to have things organized just as much as Kyle does.  Things have to be grouped together and in alphabetical order and under food groups.  My job is to try and keep it that way.  Some people have that gene-why don't I?   She keeps going back and looking at anything she has organized.  It makes her very "happy".

Emptied and steamed cleaned, label and organize.

Julie wants everything to be in its place.

Iowa State

I just went to Iowa for the first time in my life.  I expected a lot of corn fields and was not disappointed.  

Plowed Corn Field in Iowa

 The weather was just beautiful for October, the trees I saw were all starting to change colors.  All the people and football fans we met were so nice.

Beautiful fall in Iowa

I was nervous for the football game, but I am always nervous no matter who we play.  The hotel was a mile away from a nice mall so I went shopping with Helen.  We had a great time.  We also met the team at the theaters connected to the mall and saw the movie "Secretariat".  Kyle and I love to watch horse racing and have been to the Preakness in Maryland with Under Armour a few times, so we enjoyed it.
Saturday was just another great day!  I got some exercise and got ready to go to the game.  The buses all left at 3:00 to go to the stadium.

Iowa State Stadium

It is nice to get there early when the weather is that nice and just watch the players warming up and going through their routines.

Utes warming up, Iowa State student section gathering.

There was a lot of tailgating going on by the Iowa State fans.  You could smell the aroma of all the BBQ's and good food they had.  We went in the stadium and I had a really good Philly Cheese Steak sandwich.  When I thought about the game, I wondered what I was thinking..........how could I be eating at all?  It did not help my nervous stomach.
It was a good game after the first quarter.  We had two turnovers that Iowa State capitalized off of right away.  Then we calmed down and played well.  It was a nice, relaxing game to watch.  That does not happen too often.  We won 68 to 27.  It was a long way for fans to come but we had a good turn out.

Utah Ute fan section after the game.

The football team giving the fans "five" after the game.

We arrived home around 2 am.  It always makes for a better everything when you win!