Back home

Hello all, we are back home. Pulled into the driveway around 11pm last night...the boys unpacked their hockey bags and put their "stinkies" into the washer before heading off to bed and I got the rest of the luggage unpacked ready for a large laundry day after I get back home from work. We had a wonderful time in St. Louis...

Our flight was suppose to have left California Thursday at 10:55am, however due to some weather around Colorado and Utah our plane didn't arrive into California until after 11 so we didn't take off until 11:45am...which made us all nervous about our connecting flight (they assured us, since there were several others going to St. Louis that they would hold the flight for us when we arrive in Denver...but how many would trust that bit of information?) So, while we waited to board, the boys found the nearest power station to "waste sometime". :)

Matthew (left) and Robert (right) playing some sort of game while waiting for the plane to board. Both boys have on their "travel attire" which includes: dress pants, dress shoes and the Jr. Shark polo shirt.

We did get into Denver 45 minutes later than scheduled - actually we landed when the connecting flight was scheduled to take off - but they did hold the plane for us and any other passenger who was on our flight going to St. Louis. So, once we all found seats (had to sit separately, but just grateful that they held the flight), we wiped our brow and settled in the for 60 minute flight into St. Louis. Once we landed, we headed over to the baggage claim to collect all of our things and then waiting for Robert's (older son) hockey team to arrive. I needed to accomplish my Team Manager requirements (make sure that all the players were accounted for - several were flying on different plans - and make sure that the chaperones received the team vans we had made reservations for) before handing Robert over to the coach and then heading out with Matthew and DH. By the time we got the team vans, all of the players had made it to the car rental place and were ready to load up and find food. DH and Matthew, who had gotten our car, were impatientally waiting for me to finish up so that we could head out, get Matthew some food, and meet up with his team.

Yes...both our boys were playing in the same tournament and we all were actually staying in the same hotel. So, even though Robert travelled on the plane with us, we handed him over to the team as soon as we got things organized so that he would be able to get the "team experience" as much as possible with us staying at the same place. Definitely a nice was to "cut the umbilical cord" slowly :)

Friday - both boys had 2 games each: both around 9:30am & 9:45am and then again in the afternoon at 3pm & 3:30pm...and both at the same arena (definitely the perfect situation!).  Both boys lost their first games - Matthew's team only lost 0-4, which we were very happy with...not the loss, obviously - but the way they had played; for they worked as a team. Robert's team's loss, we weren't so happy with because they have enough talent on the team to have won the game, but they just didn't play well. After the morning games were over - DH, Matthew and I headed back to the hotel so that he could eat and rest up before the afternoon game.

At the 3-3:30pm games, the boys had a cheering section. As mentioned in several posts last week I was expecting my mother's side of the family and my grandmother to be in St. Louis during the same weekend and attend the Friday afternoon games. Well they did and it was fun!

In the stands at Matthew's game (front to back): me, my mother, my grandmother who was reaching back and can't be seen very well, my uncle (my mother's brother), my other uncle (my mother's other brother) and DH.

In the stands of Matthew's game (front to back): my father, me, my mother, my grandmother (fyi...she is 92), my uncle and my DH. Other uncle was taking the picture.

Matthew's game started at 3pm, so we started out watching his game until Robert started (around 3:30pm).  This was one very exciting game! Matthew's team is the one I have been writing about, regarding the disgruntled parents due to the team's continue losses and its schedule to travel once a month all over the US. This is the team which wasn't "expected" to win many games throughout the year, but they were "expected" to develop throughout the year. Well, if my foreshadowing isn't working, then I will come out and tell you that Matthew's team won their first game on Friday afternoon with a score of 5-4...and Matthew scored the 2nd goal of the game. And it was witness by his 92 year old great-grandmother and all his family who sat in the stands during that game. It was wonderful to watch that time to come together and really, really play hockey!

Once Matthew's game was over, we all moved over to the other rink to watch the last half of Robert's game. They were winning their game too, but it was one of those blow out games where you win "a lot" to zero...and no one on your team is playing good hockey for they are all focused on scoring and increasing the amount of points they have. So, while we were somewhat happy they won, too, we knew in our hearts that it just wasn't a good game. But, with my family there - they were excited to watch Robert and his team play and were excited to be present for their win, too.

While we were waiting for Robert to come out of the locker room, we had some photo oportunities:

Matthew with his great-grandmother (on the left) and his grandmother (on the right)

Matthew posing with his great-uncles, his great-grandmother and his grandma

And when Robert finally came out of the locker room all dressed, we had more opportunities for family photos:

4 generations

We were able to get a photo of 4 generations (front to back): Robert, great-grandma (my grandmother), grandma (my mother), Matthew and me. How cool is that? To get a 4 generation photo taken at a hockey tournament !!!

We left the rink with both boys and headed out to dinner and a little "family reunion" so that the boys would have an opportunity to visit with all the greats and grands. After dinner we got in one more family photo of all of us at Joe's Crab Shack:

Family Reunion

It was so wonderful to see my parents and uncles...but amazing to see my grandmother!

Saturday and Sunday were filled with more hockey games for both boys. Matthew team continued to win - YAHOO! Their Saturday morning game they won 2-1 which qualified them for the 3rd place consolation game...how exciting is that? Well, not as exciting as the consolation game because they won that game 6-3 and Matthew scored a hat trick (3 goals in one game). The boys played so well the whole weekend winning 3 of their 4 games. It wasn't so much that they won their games - it was that they passed well, they skated hard and consistantly worked in every game...they did so well in fact, they got the thumbs up from their coach :)

Good Job Boys! Coach Derek Eisler giving Matthew and his line mates the "thumbs up".

Robert's team didn't do well...they lost their Saturday evening game to another team that they should have beat, which placed them also into 3rd place. Their 3rd place consolation game was Sunday @ 11am...which they won easily in another lopsided blow out. As excited we were for Matthew's team...we were definitely bummed for Robert's team. Hockey tournaments can definitely be compared to riding roller coasters :)

Well, back home now and back to reality and routine. Up and going this morning so that I can get the boys around for school and me off to work...and the hockey gear washed for practices tonight. I was able to get some stitching in over the weekend - I have been stitching the house some more, almost done with it. I will do a status post on that later in the week. In the meantime, it is time to catch up on some blog reading and facebook reading and emailing.

Take a deep breathe and remeber to:

Live, Love, Laugh

and Cross some X's.

Lisa