Whatever, Mr. Referee, that's not the way I saw it....

Yesterday was a great day in Mendenhall Family Football history. David made his first touchdown!! It was so much fun to watch. He got the hand off from Zach and took off running. He made it through a line of defenders, thanks in part to a little "illegal" blocking by his teammates, darted all the way across the field to the end zone. The crowd (ok, mainly me and Mark) went nuts!
Apparently there was a flag thrown somewhere in the back field, but do we really care? No way!
I wish I had a picture, but I'm counting on the team photographer who said he got about about 40 shots of the play. I'll be getting those pictures for the season memory book.
Where does every football stud love to go after a victorious game? You got it, McDonald's. We went over to Mickey D's for lunch after the game. I was able to actually swallow my anxiety and let the kids play in the indoor play structure. Every one had a great time, especially us adults-seeing as we didn't have to eat the food since there was a Subway next door and I ran over there for sandwiches-thank goodness! (Don't worry, we did come home and all take sanitizing baths.)

Tackles and Pierces

Another Saturday, another game. James was on Black Defense, starting lineup for the Mighty Titans this week. He was very excited. He got to play a lot and he made some great stops. He had two men on him for almost every play he was in and he stood his ground. But, he was disappointed that he didn't get to sack the quarterback. Then, he was barely edged out in the after game Domino Pizza race, but we are very proud of his efforts. I am no good at action shots, but I did get a good shot of him hanging out with the coaches. Our team played a very hard game and we emerged victorious against Carlsbad. The final score was 28-18.

 

We headed to Pat and Oscar's for lunch at the mall afterwards. I have been thinking about getting Abby's ears pierced and seeing as we were there and Aunt Chris was there for moral support..... well, we just went for it.

 

She was so brave, even after watching the girl(victim) before her throw a tantrum for 20 minutes after getting just one ear pierced. She climbed up in the chair and waited patiently for the two girls to come do the piercing. (We were smart and took the two ears at one time option)

 

She didn't even shed a tear and made a comment that it didn't even hurt! I think she may have felt otherwise, but she totally had her game face on. I'm pretty sure either one of her brothers would have been 100 times more dramatic if they were in the chair. Which, by the way, will NEVER happen, according to both of them! (Thank goodness!)

 

(internal dialogue--I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry....)

 

I know most families have a certian age when they allow their daughters to get their ears pierced. For us, it just seemed like the right time so we did it. I did feel a twinge of sadness when I realized that was a rite of passage that is now over. She is growing so quickly! But, I am loving every minute of watching her grow. She is such a joy! Our reward was a trip to the Disney store and a ride on the carousel. Couldn't ask for much more!!

 

Laboring

James messed the wrong two dudes at the pool on Labor Day. Here they are delivering his punishment.

 

I know some may question the taste of this photo, but I think it's an awesome action shot. Plus, I know Josh thought it was pretty cool too~

 

Sam hung out with Mark at the grill for quite awhile. He's learning the fine manly art of outdoor cooking from a pro.

 

Jack found comfort from the little boy and duck statues. They truly are the only ones who understand his pain.

 

Good thing we wore out Natalie. There's nothing like an afternoon snooze in the shade after a good meal.

 

The boys went exploring in the back 40 and found this little guy. They called him a salamander, I'm not sure if that's what he is, but he's really cool with a colorful stripe down his back.

 

Everytime we all get together at Mom and Dad's place with all these kids, it breaks my heart to think that our time there may be coing to an end. I've got to find a way to keep this tradition going..... (no guilt intended, M&D :) )

Where'd Everybody Go?

No wonder I feel guilty, look at these puppy dog eyes. Oak is going through some withdrawal pains. School is back in session, Mom's back to work and football is in full swing. He's not getting quite the same attention he was getting this summer. (Honestly, look at those eyes!!)

 

David faced his opponent head on at the first season Chargers game against Penasquitos. He is #1 in the center. My favorite quote of the game came from the other team. One of the kids on their side was coaching one of our kids, telling him, "you're supposed to try and block me". What a good sport! We finally figured things out by the second half and finished up strong.

 

The line-up...

 

Over a James' game I took one picture. (Hey, at least I have proof I was there!) Juggling two players game schedules is challenging. I was so happy to have Aunt Chris and Uncle Bill there with me for support and entertainment! They are becoming huge Poway fans in the process too. (little inside joke)

 

Mark was up in Utah this weekend for Lyndsey and Ryan's wedding. I wish we could have all been there, but Mark represented us well!

Self Portraits

Thursday was back to school night at the boys' school. I got to visit David's classroom first. I really enjoy back to school night because the boys tend to be very closed lipped about their school experiences. This night is my first chance to get a glimpse into their school world.

 

David has a new uniform. It's the black shirt and jean pants uniform. Thankfully he has ditched the button-up shirt over a tshirt ensemble he wore daily last year. Now I just need to convince him that shorts might be a good idea since we've been hitting temperatures near 100 degrees lately.

 

The night before a big game is always exciting. Friday night was super fun because we had a flag football team kick-off swim party. I thought all the swimming and fun would wear the boys out, but they still had a fitful sleep that night. This was a peaceful moment I caught them in. David commented the other day that he just always needs a warm body to sleep next too. Lately, he's been rotating between James and Abby's beds. It's probably been over a year now since he has actually slept alone. I wonder how this will work out when he goes on a mission....

 

I guess it's a good thing he never sleeps in his own bed. Where else would we lay out the next day's uniform??