More Sioux Hockey!

We had another weekend of Sioux hockey in Grand Forks a week ago. We had two families of our friends up there and had a great time. We all stayed at the same motel so the kids could swim together all day Saturday. The kids were exhausted by the time the games were over and slept very well. Here is Declan after he scored a goal.
This area where Isaac is sitting under the cabinets is the goal. The kids use these little wooden hockey sticks and foam pucks to have their own little game in the suite. Yes, we have to remind them often to keep the pucks on the floor to protect breakables, but they do a great job. I am not so sure when Ralph designed the place he knew the opening for the garbage can and hot food tray would be used for kid hockey games. We never have the hot food tray things and the garbage gets moved out of the way almost as soon as we walk in the room.

Here are all the kids that were in our suite over the weekend. They all know each other and have played many times. Plus, Declan (second from left), Mason (green Sioux jersey), and Nycole (green stripes) were all in preschool together for 2 years. Declan and Nycole are also in the same 1st grade class this year.
I had to take a picture of the circle after the team won on Saturday. They only do this on the circle when they win both games of the weekend, which is called a "Sweep". This is the first weekend all season they have swept and it was exciting.
You gotta have a picture of your family every once in a while at Sioux hockey. The boys are holding their new pucks for the year. These are actually the official game pucks the players use, too. I buy them a new Sioux puck every year and they look forward to them so they can put them on their new puck holders a good friend made for us.

Selling Chick!

It was time to sell Chick, Isaac's steer. Here is Grandpa Denny, Isaac, and Chick to the side the day before he was taken to the sale barn. If you remember from the post when Chick was a calf, Isaac gets to watch him grow up and then go with Grandma and Grandpa to the sale barn for him to be sold. Then Isaac gets a check for whatever the steer sold for. Obviously, most of it went into his savings account, but he got some spending money
Isaac and Chick, black one.
Declan, Isaac, and Chick right behind them. We weren't able to get pictures of Chick selling at the sale barn this time. The sale barn was having a huge cattle sale and Chick didn't sell until we had to leave for Isaac to play in his game. It was a crappy deal because the kids waited all day to see him sell. Isaac handled it really well and I will just tell the story in his scrapbook.

Isaac Playing Hockey

Isaac's team played a few days after Declan's team at the high school boys game. His team didn't win, but we still enjoyed watching every mintue of the game. He did really well and had a great time. Here he is waiting to go out on the ice with his dad. He isn't tall enough to see over the boards yet, so Jeff held him so he could see the game.
Isaac is number 4.

I wasn't able to get his team after they were done playing. By the time, I got in the locker room half the kids were partly undressed.

Declan Playing Hockey

Declan's team, Westridge Dental, played the Sunmart team during the 1st period break of the boys high school game. They play for 5 minutes and get to have fans cheering them on. Declan's team won 2-0 and both goals were scored by Declan.
Declan is the kid on the left.
Of course, you will find him in the goal at some point during the game. He keeps telling me he wants to be a goalie. I keep telling him his mother will not be able to handle having her son as a goalie. It would be way too much pressure!
Here is the team, Declan is the 2nd from the right. Declan was so proud to score the only 2 goals of the game and was living it up. I told him to enjoy it, he played a great game. On his second goal, he lifted the puck over the goalie to score. I had a few parents tell me he shouldn't be able to do that at this age. This is a skill that comes later in most kids. I know he shouldn't be able to do it, but he taught himself and does it really well. I think hockey is in our future for many years and it will be fun watching him do well.

Another Otter Buddy

Declan got to be an Otter Buddy for a high school game with a couple of his friends. You can see Declan on the right side of this photo. If you didn't see the post when Isaac was an Otter Buddy, I will give a brief explanation. The kids get to skate with the players before their warm ups and then watch the players from their bench as they finish the warm ups. Then they go to the locker room with the players. They are also anounced before the players and get to wave to the fans.

The kids are on the bench and the high school coach is visiting with them. Declan was so excited he got to talk to the coach. He also knows a high school hockey player from his school that gave Declan a high 5 as he was skating by. I guess this player helps out at recess at Declan's school, so he enjoys having someone to look up to.

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

Jeff turned 42 on January 3rd. We went out to dinner that night and then had cake at our house. The kids help me pick out a cake for him because I don't do cakes or decorating them for that matter. This year he was so lucky as to have a snowboarding cake. He was thrilled! We thought it was better than last year's pirate cake. Hope you had an enjoyable day, Jeff.

New Years Eve

Happy New Year's Everyone! I hope 2008 will be a good year for everyone!
Isaac, Declan, and Mason posing for their photo. Mason and Declan are the same age and play hockey together. They became friends in pre-school.

We were invited to a friend's house for New Year's eve and they only live a block away from us. We didn't have to worry about driving too far. John and Terree thank you so much for having us over, we had a great time! Mason, thanks for keeping the boys occupied and letting them play with your toys.
I bought the game, Battle of the Sexes, for all of us to play that night. The women ask the guys female questions and the men ask the women male questions. Just for the record, the male questions are really hard and then the men had it pretty easy. I learned one thing from that night, men know too much about sports!

Sioux Hockey

A couple friends and their kids came up for a hockey game last weekend. Jamie's boys are pretty much the same age as my boys. There was a lot of hockey played in the suite with the 4 boys and then Chris's son, Patrick got in on some hockey,too. We had a great time with you guys and glad you could come up on such short notice.


Isaac has been carrying around stuffed animals no matter where we go. He set these up so they could watch the hockey players with him. How do you not take this picture?
Declan, Isaac and Patrick

Isaac and Reggie
I had to take this picture because Isaac is voluntarily sitting between 2 women at the counter. He is always shy around women he barely knows. He was talking to Chris and Kendra and goofing around. It was so odd, but also really nice to see him being outgoing.
Declan, Reggie, Weston having a snack and watching the game.