I can hardly believe that we are already nearing the middle of November! School started and we hit the ground running. Before the craziness of a new season sets in, I should probably catch up on what has been keeping us so busy over the last few months!
There is no doubt that sports are what keep us the busiest during the fall! Joel finished up his last season as a Viking runner. It is amazing to see how much he has improved after four years and we are so thankful for the friends and memories he's made through cross country. Leah had a great season of tennis. Her skills improved tremendously and she had an awesome season playing first doubles for the JV team. She also was honored to be named one of two team captains. Caleb finished up his final season of high school football. He came a long way in four years and, having never played tackle football until high school, he proved that hard work pays off by getting to start at every game this season. He earned that spot and it was great to see that his dedication paid off. We had a bit of a scare after the very first scrimmage night when he broke his thumb, but thankfully he was still able to continue to play with a special cast. The season was great and ended with a tough draw in the playoffs. Round one was a breeze and then they met one of the toughest teams in the second round. The game was a nailbiter and came down to a field goal in the last 20 seconds that broke the tie and gave the other team the victory. It was heartbreaking to watch and seeing all of the seniors walk off in tears was tough. Caleb was definitely upset, but he was reassured by a coach that he has so much else going for him besides being "just a football player". Those words were so very true and are a great reminder that Caleb still has so much more to look forward to as he continues on through his senior year!
The kids have also stayed busy with their musical talents in band. We had our last experience of having a marching Viking in the Fall Fest Parade. We had a gorgeous day for that! We also enjoyed watching Joel join the football band for one of the games. They got to play the national anthem and fight song at the beginning of the game. After that, they played on the sidelines until halftime. All three kids also had their first concerts of the year and those were enjoyable as well!
