November Already?

I can't believe it is already November!?!? Time is flying by and my days are getting busier. Basketball practice started on October 21st. It is going ok so far. We still have several girls in volleyball so it makes it hard to teach stuff when you don't have your whole team. I never realized how lucky I was and how nice it was to have your entire team from the first day of school until this year. We had a scrimmage on Saturday that I ended up not going to for a variety of reasons, but Coach Greeson said my girls worked hard and did well. They even ended up scrimmaging in one of the varsity scrimmages...so that gave them some extra playing time. We have another scrimmage this Thursday and then our first game the next week. I am so excited to be back coaching and am excited for the season to start. It's a little hectic with football and basketball going on, but I will make it all work.

Volleyball made the playoffs and has their first game against Dimmitt on Tuesday. You all know my feelings about Dimmitt, so honestly I hope we STOMP them!

Two weeks ago we played at Spearman for football. We came away with another shut out 23-0. We played the worst half of football we have played all year, but had a good 2nd half and came away with the win. That helped out our playoff run greatly. One of my football players also had his ACL surgery that week. He is doing amazing so far in his rehab. He went to the the doctor this week and found out he can start jogging in about 4 weeks. I am so excited. This week we played #2 Bushland. We lost 48-14, but the boys never gave up, so I am super proud of them for that. It was a tough loss because it is a huge rivalry, especially since several of the Bushland football players grew up in River Road and have moved to the Bushland district. No major injuries in either of those games, praise the Lord! We play Sanford-Fritch this Friday. A win puts us automatically in the playoffs. That's all we will talk about for now. Making the playoffs will be HUGE as the Road hasn't made the playoffs since 1999. I am soooo excited.

School is going good. Only a few weeks until Thanksgiving and I get to see my family. :) I wish I could see Emily & Kyle, but it will be Christmas before I get to see them again. I miss them so much!! Well I guess I should get ready to go to bed before to long. I have another long week ahead of me!

A Slower Week & Time With the Bestie!!!

Whew, thank goodness this week wasn't near as eventful as the last. Tuesday nothing too exciting happened. Wednesday we hosted FCA Fields of Faith. We had 67 kids show up. It was so great to see kids from River Road, Highland Park and Bushland all come and worship together. We had some great testimonies and several accept Christ which was awesome. We had 4 River Road coaches help with the event. I am so blessed to work with a staff that is grounded in their faith and willing to take time out of their life to help those students who we work with on a daily basis. Thursday I went to the JV game at Highland Park. We suffered a loss, but no injuries. Friday night we hosted Highland Park. We won big, 68-0, and are currently in a three way tie for 2nd place (and leading the tie-breaker--thank you Fritch for beating Panhandle by 14!!!). It was a good game and everyone got to play. We had two defensive touchdowns by defensive lineman. One read a pass and intercepted the ball and returned it 14 yards (that's a long way for a lineman!) and the other recovered a blocked punt in the endzone. We had 8 different people score so that was super exciting. I did have to spineboard a football player, but thankfully it wasn't mine this week. Their quarterback went down with some neck pain and the guy (I still don't know if he was an athletic trainer, PA or what) wanted to send him to the hospital so I said ok. I was the first one to him, so I was in charge of the head. I got word on Saturday morning that he was up and walking around Friday night, which I was so glad to hear. I also had an official strain his hamstring during a run. We got the ball on our own 3 yard line and Chris Perez scored a 97 yard rushing touchdown. He was just too fast for the official running down the sideline. Thankfully, we finished the night with no injuries. (Even though I still felt like I had run a marathon at the end of the game, because they had 2 others go down with ankle injuries and I was always the first one there.)

Saturday morning I had treatments and watched a little film with the boys. Around lunch Mom and I headed to OKC to see Tara. Mizzou soccer played Friday night at Baylor and were playing Sunday at OU so she was going to be in OKC for the night. It's only about 4 hours from Amarillo to OKC so I jumped at the opportunity to spend some time with Tara. I didn't get to see her when I went to Missouri in September so this was the first time I have seen her since I moved to Texas at the end of June. We went to dinner at Chileno's, a great Mexican food place in Bricktown. Afterwards we went back to the hotel to check on the girls before they had curfew. It was so good to see the soccer girls as well. There are a few who I felt like were some of my own athletes because they were in the training room so much and I spent quite a bit of time with them. We had planned on going back down to Bricktown to watch the Mizzou-OSU game, but we got comfy on the couch in the hotel and ended up staying in and watching the game there. It was a tough one to watch, as it's never fun to see my Tigers lose. The game wasn't over til nearly midnight and all of us were exhausted by then. So Mom and I headed back to our hotel. Miracuously neither Tara or I cried when I left the hotel. I think we were both so exhausted we couldn't even show any emotion. Even though my trip was quick and we didn't get to spend too much time together it was so good to just sit down and spend time with Tara. I hate living 11 1/2 hours from her. We've both been so busy we haven't talked much, but we are both determined to see each other again before 4 months go by. Hopefully we will get to see each other during Christmas break sometime. I'll be right in the middle of basketball season, but hopefully we can find sometime to get together.

Well I better get in bed. I've got another week ahead of me. I hope you have an amazing week!!!

When It Rains, It Pours

Ok let me get you up to speed....my weeks have been jam packed.

My football team started district this week. We were 4-1 going into our game on Friday. It is the Road's best start since 1994. Pretty impressive if you ask me. This week started out positive and Friday the bottom fell out (well my stress started Thursday night). My kid that lacerated his spleen had a CT scan on Monday, his 6 week check up, and praise the Lord he is COMPLETELY healed. I was sooo excited and amazed by God's work. We were not expected him to return to football this year, but he was fully released to return to all sports. He played with the JV team on Thursday and is playing with the varsity this upcoming Friday. He did very well and thankfully I didn't have any scary moments with him. With 3 minutes left in the JV game on Thursday night I had a kid get driven into the ground, get up, then I ended up spineboarding him with neck pain. After the game I headed to the hospital to check on him. I left after his CT scan around midnight and he got released about 2 am. Thankfully he only had a neck bruise and whiplash. He's still pretty sore, but I am so glad he is ok. (Oh and my Mizzou Tigers lost to Nebraska on Thursday--not good.) My boy with a shoulder injury--AC sprain after falling off the hood of a car :( was released to start moving and strengthening his shoulder and able to return to football this upcoming week.

Friday night we traveled to Panhandle for our first district game. It turned into a not so fun night rather quickly. First I had a kid go down in the 1st quarter right in front of me with a non-contact knee injury. My initial thought when he went down was ACL, but he popped up and seemed to be fine. He wasn't swelling, didn't have pain in the back of his knee, only seemed to be medial. I wasn't able to test his ligaments because he was in his football pants, it was cold, and I couldn't get him to relax very well. The more I talked to him at halftime the more worried I got about his ACL. I was very open with him and told him I was pretty sure he had a medial problem, but that I couldn't rule out ACL because I couldn't test it, and with his knee slipping that concerned me. Then in the 4th quarter I had a kid go down with a back injury. I spineboarded him as well. 2 spineboards in 24 hours, not fun. We finish the game and end up losing by 3. Not a good night AT ALL. As soon as we get back to Amarillo I head to the hospital. Not too long after I get there, the doctor came in and told us that my athlete has a cracked vertebrae in his back. The night just keeps getting worse, but thank goodness that was all that was wrong. They move him to a room around 2am so I head home. Of course I am WIRED and worried about my boys. I don't sleep at all and head to work Saturday morning for treatments. My boy with the knee injury goes to the doctor and they suspect torn ACL and a few other things. Not how I wanted to start my day. He was scheduled for an MRI on Monday. I had a few other injuries to work on and we are all still disappointed and mad about the loss the night before. My head coach was really just wanting me to give him good news, but I didn't have a lot for him. After treatments I head to Lubbock for the Tech-Kansas State Homecoming game. It was a great game and the Red Raiders got a big win. My back kid was up and moving around, doesn't have to wear a brace and was able to go home Saturday night. Praise the Lord!!!

Sunday I went to a baby shower for the girls' basketball coach in Tulia then Mom & I headed to Amarillo to catch a movie. It was so good to just relax and not do anything. Mom helped me clean my house and make it look liveable again. She ended up staying the night with me and we had a great time. This morning I headed to practice. It was so good to see my back kid there and walking around some. He is pretty sore and slow right now, but we are so lucky that he only has a crack. He has about 6-8 weeks of rehab and hopefully will be healed. My knee kid was there and in pretty good spirits for his teammates. He had his MRI at 12:30 and I just got word that he did a good job of tearing up his knee. Torn ACL, partial tear of PCL, meniscus tears and some other things too, can't remember them all. His knee is totally messed up and surgery is obviously necessary. Pre-surgery prep starts tomorrow.

Needless to say this weekend has been a very very emotional one. I hate for ANY athlete to suffer any time of injury, but these types of injuries really tear me up. I was so excited to have each of my varsity players back this upcoming week and I lost two to very major injuries. So, after you finish reading this say a little prayer for my boys and for me. We all have a long road ahead of us.

After school basketball practice starts next week. My workload doubles but I am so excited to get in the gym and back to coaching. I have missed it so much. Well I gotta get back to grading papers and trying to catch up on all my TV shows. I hope everyone has a great week.

Quick Update

This will just be a quick update about my football team. I have what seems like a bazillion things to do today and I really just want to lay around and do nothing--but that won't happen. Two weeks ago we played West Texas High School. We came away with a shutout 54-0. Our starters didn't even play in their positions during the 2nd half. Some still played, but they were in a different position than their "normal" one. It was so great for the boys to get a win like that. This week we hosted Friona. Friona was 2-0 coming in and riding high off a come behind win over Littlefied (who only had one loss last year, and that was to Muleshoe who won the state championship). Holy cow it was barn burner. It was back and forth all night. We missed a field goal once to go down by 1, but went for a 2 point conversion on our next touchdown and got it. We ended up prevailing 35-30. We got a safety at the end of the game because we had to run 5 seconds off the clock and we were on their end of the field so our guy ran around and then ended up running into their endzone scoring 2 points for them. That win was HUGE!!!! The guys were sooooo excited afterwards. This week we are open which is good becuase I had a key player go down with an ankle injury, so I have 2 full weeks to get him back. My goal is to keep him out of practice this week and hopefully he can go the next week. When we get back into action we go play at Dimmitt. Honestly I hope we kill them. Most of you know my hatred for Dimmitt---I grew up in Tulia. That hatred is just instilled in me!!!!

Anyways, just wanted to give a quick update. I gotta get busy on grading papers, planning lessons, running errands, laundry, and picking up my apartment--it's a MESS!!!

Yes...

I'm alive. Very busy & exhausted, but alive. I get up between 5-5:15 every morning, get ready and head out the door by 6:15 or 6:20. That puts me at work between 6:35-6:45 every morning. Varsity football starts at 7:15 (film, weights, light practice). I leave athletics about 8:35, teach 3 geometry classes, eat lunch, 2 more geometry classes, conference (which I run around half the time trying to get things caught up) and then Varsity girls athletics. As soon as the bell rings, I high-tail it back over to the field house and tape for football practice. Practice is over about 6:30 or so, I clean up, catch up on paperwork, help with laundry and leave between 8-9. So I'm a tired little girl by the time I get home. I eat something, shower, iron clothes for the next day and go to bed.

We played Canadian last Friday night and did really well. We came up a little short 35-25, but that's definitely not bad for playing 2 time state champions and a team ranked #7 in the state. They were picked to beat us by 40!! The boys did really amazing and if we just fix a couple of things, the game would have totally gone the other way. I'm so excited for our home opener on Friday night vs WT High. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Friday Night Football in Texas. I have truly missed it the past 2 years.

I'm really enjoying my job so far. I stay very busy and many days I am completely exhausted when I get home, but I love the kids I work with (well the majority of them anyways!) I've been blessed to have an amazing coaching staff to work with (both boys & girls staffs) as well as a great teaching staff. We all get along so well in athletics, and trust me, I'm fair game with any of the male coaches...nothing like being outnumbered 10-1. I hold my own though, and I can definitely get what I want most of the time ;)

Well I've got to get a quiz made up and get some papers graded. I'll try to update more often, but no promises!!1

I Survived...

This is going to be a quick post...as I am getting ready for new teacher inservice while doing this. I survived two-a-days (well actually three-a-days most days). After two weeks of at least 2 practices a day we are done!!! Today we have new teacher inservice, then three days of work days/campus meetings, then a district welcome back on Friday, so we have changed to one practice a day. We did very well in our scrimmage against Sunray on Saturday and it was so good to see quite a few of my old students. This week we travel to Wheeler on Thursday for a scrimmage and our 9th grade scrimmages Bushland on Friday.

I finally got into my classroom on Sunday. I've got a lot of work to do in there this week and I am definitely going to miss my whole wall of windows I had in Sunray. I am having to start from scratch on EVERYTHING becuase I can't find all my old files from Sunray. I have NO IDEA where they are. I know they should be on a cd or something somewhere, but neither my mom or I can find them anywhere. So I have a lot of work to do.

Well I better finish getting ready. Just thought I would give everyone a quick update!!!

Where did July go?

I can't believe it is already August!! I feel like all I did during July was travel. I did get to catch up with my friends and family so I can't complain about that at all. I started work last Monday. We had to get everything ready for two-a-days and we also had our volleyball/basketball camp Tuesday-Thursday. I spent many hours at work trying to get the training room ready. I finally got my bids done and hope to order all my supplies that I need on Monday (yeah I know it's late, but better late than never). I have most of the necessities but hopefully my shipment will get here fast! Two-a-days start tomorrow morning. We have both of our practices in the morning and are done at 1. Luckily, once I am done, I don't have to go back. They do have "special sessions" in the evening, but I don't have to attend these. We start taping at 7:15 so that means I am out the door between 6:15-6:30 to get there and get everything ready. This means I am going to bed early!!!! (Hopefully anyways). School starts the 24th. I can't believe it is already that time again! I still haven't seen my classroom, but I did meet the principal and got to see my schedule. I am teaching 4 sections of geometry and then a section of honors geometry. I have some long days ahead of me. I am ready to get back in a routine, but know I will be longing for time off as soon as it starts!

This weekend mom and I went to Dallas to Lindsay & Luke's wedding. She was a beautiful bride and it was so great to see my friends from Breck. I think Mom enjoyed seeing people more than I did. She had a mini-high school reunion with several of her good friends from high school. It was a quick trip but well worth it!