Held Against His Will!

When we went to the Rangers game in July and toured Cowboy Stadium, Taylor and I were desperately trying to see where our seats would be come December 24.  You see, I bought Cowboy tickets the same time I bought the Taylor Swift concert tickets (Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles).  This would be a great surprise for Carey for Christmas!  I have been planning since that time how the kidnapping would go down.  We couldn't tell Brooklyn because, well she's not a good secret keeper, until the night before and then she was threatened with everything - most of all with the wrath of my anger if she spoiled it! 

In the beginning, we were planning on going to the Hudman's (dear family friend, Phillip), for Christmas Eve again this year.  Carey had been fretting about what "white elephant" gift he would take (I already had mine picked out - hehe!)  I was taking the best macaroni and cheese (Stouffer's frozen - yum!) as our contribution to the meal.  Phillip had already told Carey what time we should be there - good team player that Phillip!  So we are all set, minus the "white elephant" gift for Carey.  I casually mentioned to Carey Friday night that we should go eat breakfast as Cracker Barrel.  I said that B wanted to go there anyway because of Poppy - (Poppy, Carey's dad, always gave us Cracker Barrel gift certificates for Christmas.  We didn't have the heart to tell him that we had to drive an hour to eat at a Cracker Barrel.)  We then decided to sponge roll B's hair so it will be curly for the "Hudman's."  My thought behind this was one less person to get ready in the morning.  And then I proceed to threaten Taylor with "if you don't get up and get ready to go eat breakfast in the morning, I'm going to have a fit." (all part of the act.)  Whew!  Almost there!

We are all shined and polished, the girl's pillow pets and blankets are in the back of Big Silver, his Cowboys hat and hoodie are wrapped and in the back as well.  After "waiting on Taylor" (the norm) we are off to Cracker Barrel!  Keeping my cool, eating my bacon and grits, drinking my water (trust me, I already had a Dr. Pepper), staying calm.  CHECK PLEASE!  Carey's paying and I'm giggling like crazy in Big Silver and Taylor's right there with me!  And we're off - in the turn lane, laughing.  Carey says, "Where are you going?  Sonic??"  Ha!!  Onto the interstate!  "Where are we going?  Take me home!  Now!  Where are we going?"  It was almost like that 'ol "are we there yet?"  I proceed to tell him that he has been kidnapped and he can now open his first clue or set of instructions.  It's a picture of an eye.  He says "eye?  Eye 20?"  Nope!  Let me go ahead and give the instructions (these were all given in red envelopes):

Picture of an eye
Words "4 the"
Piece of red card stock
Picture of an envelope
Words "in the"
Picture of a glove
Picture of a box

Simple?  Not so much!  He is driving me crazy and even though I had them spaced out to give him one every 20 minutes or so, I had to go ahead and give him the first 3.  I told him when we got to Duke's on the other side of Canton, he could have another clue.  Would you believe there are 3 Highway Patrol cars parked outside of Duke's?  Carey is not shy, so in he goes with his clues, lays them down on the table and tells the officers that he was eating at Cracker Barrel and the next thing he knew he had been kidnapped and doesn't know where he is going.  The officers probably thought this shift is going to be a nightmare if it's starting off like this, but they were helpful and tried to help him figure it out.  They even suggested that he might be getting a new red truck!  Now this next part is embarrassing and very out of character for me.  It was one of those things that it happened before I knew it happened.  After we shew Carey on into the restroom I tell the officers "Cowboys game" (they all in unison lean back and say "Ooohh!."  I then proceed to lift my hoodie to prove to them that is where we're going.  Why else would I have on a Dallas Cowboys t-shirt on??  Awkward, that I halfway flashed 3 Highway Patrols!  (sorry you had to see that Taylor.)

And we're off again.  By this time, he is laughing and trying to be serious all at the same time.  He's threatening us with "I'm going to be really mad," "Taylor, our relationship will never be the same," "I hope all of ya'lls Christmas gifts break (ouch!)"  He even "phoned a friend" (Phillip).  Too much already and open all of your clues, PLEASE!   Once he found the red envelope in the glove box, he was all smiles and couldn't believe we tricked him!!

Yes, my dear, we got you!  Merry Christmas!

B and Carey with their freebie hats!

We were in the nose bleed section!

Just before they came out!

Halftime performance

The dancing Santa's!

Spent:  $60 on parking, and $55 on 4 burgers, 2 sodas and 2 waters.  And wouldn't you know they lost (20-7), but we had a blast any way!

End of the Road

We started off on a weird note this trip.  Carey and I chaperoned again and before we even left the school grounds, one of the buses brakes locked up and another one's windshield wipers weren't working.  We waited about 40 minutes for two smaller buses to come and take us.  On the way, one of the windshield wipers completely fell off on the bus we were riding on (driver side - eek!)  But we made it safely!  But the whole day was just off.  Everything felt strange - the fans weren't their usual selves, the wind (oh, the wind), the cold.  It just wasn't a good combination.  Of course everyone was sad when we lost the game and I'm sure it was a long ride back to Longview for the players.

But hey, there's always next year!  And an 11-2 season is not too shabby!!  Pretty good if you ask me!

Go Lobos!

Viewette of the Week

On November 12, we played Temple High School in Corsicana - absolutely the windiest football stadium EVER!  The wind was blowing so hard we seriously lost our balance several times.  Trash was flying all through the air and if we didn't hold onto our Subway sandwiches, they would have sailed away!  Taylor has been named "Spirit Girl of the Week" before, and this week she was named "Viewette of the Week!"  All of the other drill team members vote for a new girl for each of these categories, each week.  They make the announcement right after the girls perform at halftime!  So it's a surprise for everyone!  I love this time in our lives!

When you're named Spirit Girl or Viewette of the Week, you get to walk with the officers to the opposing team's drill team and present them with a gift.

Carey and I chaperoned on the bus this trip.  And I might add the chartered bus!  The only time the Lobos ride "Big Yella" is when we play Marshall or a team in Tyler.  All of the other district and playoff games are chartered.  Three buses for the football team, 3 for the band, majorettes and cheerleaders and 1 for the Viewettes!  This is on the way home.  Pooped out!

FS Southwest!

At first it was ESPN and ended up being FS Southwest (Fox), to air the Lobo / Deosoto game.  We had a pretty good crowd even though people could have stayed home and watched it on television.  And it was the first really cold game of the season.  Yes it can get colder, but we were freezing!  I know there are many sports that can take "time outs," but I didn't know that TV could!  Every time the ball changed over they would announce "TV time out."  Guessing this was for commercials?!

Close!  But way to go District Champs!!  Now to the Play Offs!

PawPaw

We finally talked my dad into coming to a football game on 10/21/11.  We knew he would only stay through half time, but that's okay!

North Mesquite Stallions

It was a beautiful night for football!

Cousins at Halftime - MeMe the Next Game!

This past Friday, October 7, 2011, we played the Mesquite Skeeters.  Luckily, the cousins were able to come to the game!  Poor MeMe had a very difficult time getting to this game and in the end wasn't able to make it, but she made it on October 14, when we played the Mesquite Jaguars!

Some fun jumps before the game!

Jeni Scoggin, Sophie Tibiletti, Andrea Roark, Lexie Jones, Korynn Johnson,

Taylor,  Brittany Lee, Sydni Barnhart

We are SERIOUS about this!

Two more down, with no idea how many to go!

Fall Dance Clinic & Homecoming 2011

The LHS Viewettes offer a dance clinic each fall and spring.  There were around 100 dancers this year at the fall clinic.  And they would be able to perform at homecoming!  The Booster Club was a little stressed about this performance because, 1) it was homecoming and 2) we were playing Lufkin, which tends to draw a big crowd.  But thankfully, everything went just fine - even the last minute walk ALL THE WAY UP THE BLEACHERS potty breaks!

Taylor's favorite in her group - Lexie!  (at the mini camp the weekend before game)

Getting ready for the boys to run out!

Making some noise!



Performance time!

It's hard to see in these pictures, but a lot of the girls had on older Viewette uniforms (some from when I was in school - gasp!)  One of our moms, Lisa, thought it would be a good idea to sell these uniforms so the girls could perform in them.  They were a hit and the booster club made some money!  Not to mention the girls were so CUTE!

"Lo" with her mum!

Homecoming was a success!

Green Out 2011

"Hey Lobos are you ready?"

"YEAH, yeah!" (at least that's what they're supposed to say!)

Green Out fell on September 9, this year.  And we played Allen.  Allen as in the team that has really big players.  Allen as in the team that has enough players that everyone gets to play maybe twice!  I don't really know how many times these boys are sent onto the field, but there were a ton of players.  Not to mention the band!  They stretch from one end zone to the other.  HUGE!  As I was walking in for the game, I counted 22 chartered buses.  Later in the game, one of the bus drivers told me that 18 of those buses were for the band and drill team.  Amazing!

Getting ready to carry the heavy steps out!

Cheering on the band and majorettes!

Video of the pep rally performance!

And game performance:

The Eagles got us :(

Spirit Girl of the Week

On September 3, we played John Tyler at Rose Stadium in Tyler.  And this week Taylor was chosen as the "Spirit Girl of the Week" for the drill team!  Of course she got a t-shirt, and got to walk to John Tyler's side to do their little gift exchange.  She could have had a better experience with this - apparently her escorts weren't the friendliest......boo!  Nonetheless, I was proud!

And each week the girls trade spirit items with their "Big" and/or "Lil" Sister.  This year there are 3 girls in Taylor's group:  Taylor (duh!), Angel Reed and Sophie Tibiletti.  Sophie did an excellent job of decorating Taylor's plunger.  And here's the cheer that goes with it:

Around the bowl,

Down the hole,

FLUSH THAT JOHN!

Kathryn Van Meter loves having her picture taken too!

What a beautiful sky!  The radar was showing that rain was on the way, but it never made it :(  And boy, do we need the rain.

Sophie, Alexa and Brooklyn enjoying the game!

We won 38-22!!

Hard Hits

I like football, but don't "know" football.  I really need a Football for Dummies book, but probably wouldn't read it.  That's why I have Carey!  The only bad thing about that is that he gets tired of explaining things to me over and over, week after week!

Last night was the first game of the season and I was kind of nervous.  Last year when we played Marshall a horrible fight took place on the field.  I know boys will be boys and talk smack, but this fight really took it too far.  This year we played at Lobo Stadium and I was really hoping everyone would be nice....or as nice as you can be playing football. 

Our season tickets are pretty good.  The couple next to me are quiet, the lady in front of us is obnoxious and I think she has a strange relationship with her son and his friends, and this year to the left of us we have an "in the stands" coach (maybe she's not a season ticket holder!)  And then there's me.  I have noise makers and I yell and get excited, so I hope I'm not too obnoxious either!  And wouldn't you know it - this year Taylor kicks on the OTHER 40 yrd. line - way over there! 

Well, last night, I think the "in the stands" coach soaked in perfume before she came to the game and between the smell and the heat, Carey got sick at half time.  I'm just thankful he didn't barf in Section K, Row 8, Seat 6!  We were all so hot!  But back to my part about not "knowing" football.  There was a really good play where a Lobo danced around with the ball.  I mean he was stopping, stooping, jumping, twirling, spinning, leaping, and of course running ALL - THE - WAY (isn't that how they say it?!)  It made me think that is the way I would act if I just found out that Sonic was going out of business and they only had one Dr. Pepper left.  I would be trucking it!  Anyway......TOUCHDOWN!!!!  I'm jumping up and down, screaming, scaring Brooklyn's little friend Alexa, only to learn that in fact it wasn't a touchdown.  WHY?!!  He pushed his way through the masses, held onto the ball, made it look so pretty, but one of the striped referee's threw his yellow hankie.  Crap!  Carey's puking in the parking lot, I can't ask my quiet neighbor what happened, and obnoxious mom......well, no way!  So I text Carey.  He says "penalty."  That's the only answer I got, so I still don't know what really happened.  How do they see this stuff?  It all happens so fast.  I guess I wouldn't know a penalty if it sat down beside me.  And what is the deal with the players after the ball has been kicked and lands on the field?  They dance around with their arms out like they want to hug it.  It's like they want to touch it, but are afraid to.  And then sometimes they do - I'm so confused by this.  I'm assuming if you don't catch it before it lands, you can't just scoop it up?  Carey has explained this to me before, but it just hasn't stuck!

And then poor number 7 (Justin Faggans I think you are), took a really hard hit.  I personally think they're all hard hits and I "oooooohhh" and "awwwwhhh" with just about every one of them, but this one was different.  I will pray for you number 7, because you didn't look too good being escorted on the track, walking all slow and dazed to the awaiting ambulance.  His poor mama had to be worried sick.

Here are some pics from the pep rally and game:

Lexie Jones and Taylor

Not the best video, but....

 Angel Reed, Sophie Tibiletti and Taylor

Kathryn Van Meter, Taylor, Andrea Roark and Angel Reed

"Lo" and "Bo" (Lo's on the right!)

Lining up to perform!

Taylor's the 5th one from the left.  And yes, I do believe I taught her that....or maybe I paid someone to!

Taylor, Korynn Johnson, Parris Kane, Lexie Jones and Andrea Roark

Even with my limited football knowledge, the scoreboard tells the story well! 

And something else - did you know that at the end of each home game Lee Greenwood's, "I'm Proud to Be an American" is played on the loud speakers!  And after that, "God Bless America."  Here are a few of the girls belting it out!

Go Lobos and God Bless the USA!!