IT'S NOT FRIDAY

 BUT TODAY THE GAELS CAME FIRED UP TO PLAY, JUST THE SAME.

THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER FOUND THEM AHEAD BY
 20 to NOTHING,

AND STARTING TO PLAY UNDER THE LIGHTS.

A LITTLE PROBLEM HERE.  WE'RE ON THE THIRD YARD LINE, AND AFTER NUMEROUS OFF SIDE PENALTIES, THEY HAD TO TURN OVER THE BALL AND LISTEN TO THE COACH.  CAN'T SAY I'VE EVER SEEN HIM TAKE OFF HIS CAP BEFORE.  
 "WE'RE KILLING OURSELVES!"

CAP BACK ON, AND THE TEAM OBVIOUSLY LISTENED,

THE GAELS MADE ANOTHER TOUCHDOWN, AND THE EXTRA POINT,

WITH A FINAL WINNING SCORE OF 27 to 7.

ONE HAPPY TEAM

AND ONE HAPPY SISTER,

DOING 27 CARTWHEELS TO CELEBRATE THE 27 POINTS SCORED BY THE GAELS.

HOW DO YOU SPELL REBEL- - - -

 S  A  M  M  Y !!!

THAT'S THE EXACT TITLE JENNY GAVE THIS PICTURE SHE SENT ME  OF SAM GOING TO SCHOOL.  GOOD FOR YOU SAM, STANDING BEHIND YOUR TEAM, AND- - - -
 I HOPE YOU LIVE THROUGH TODAY.

HALLOWEENS OF YESTERYEAR

 HOW ABOUT THESE COSTUMES?

I HAVE THIS BAG OF COSTUMES STUFFED IN THE BACK OF THE HALL CLOSET.  IT'S FULL OF COSTUMES, CHEER LEADING OUTFITS, (GABE THOUGHT HE MIGHT WEAR ONE OF THOSE FOR HALLOWEEN ), DANA'S BAND VEST, AND EVEN A FEW  CAP AND GOWNS.

THIS MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE FIRST.  IT HAS TO BE 46 YEARS OLD.  I DON'T THINK THEY EVEN MAKE THESE KIND OF COSTUMES ANYMORE.  YOU COULD BUY THEM AT THE DRUGSTORE, WHERE THEY CAME IN A BOX, ALONG WITH A PLASTIC MASK.   IT BELONGED TO STEVE, AND HE WASN'T IN SCHOOL YET.  HE ALSO HAD A LITTLE RED PITCH FORK THAT I'M SURE HE PLAYED WITH AFTERWARDS, PROBABLY POKING HIS SISTER, UNTIL IT FELL APART.  

A FEW YEARS LATER,  ABOUT FIRST GRADE, HE WAS SUPERMAN IN THIS COSTUME.  THROUGH THE YEARS, THE BOTTOM GOT CUT OFF.  MORE THAN LIKELY IT GOT TOO SHORT AND HE STILL WANTED TO PLAY IN IT.
COSTUMES HAVE BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED,
BUT KIDS ARE STILL KIDS
AND HALLOWEEN IS STILL HALLOWEEN,
AND PARENTS WILL ALWAYS BE PARENTS, KEEPING THOSE COSTUMES FOR YEARS TO COME.

 

THAT'S OUR ABBEY,

TAKING HER DREAM TO THE NEXT STEP, SHE' WILL BE GOING TO THE POLICE ACADEMY FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, TO TRAIN FOR HER NEW JOB WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY, (AND AS CRAIG PUT IT, HER LANDLORDS AND ROOMMATE  ROXY), ATTENDED AN INTRODUCTION TO WHAT THE ACADEMY AND HER FOLLOWING JOB WILL HOLD FOR HER.  

THAT'S OUR ABBEY!

THE WHOLE FAMILY GATHERED LATER TO CELEBRATE, AND TO WISH HER THE BEST, IN HER NEXT CHALLENGING SIX MONTHS OF THE POLICE ACADEMY.

"THAT'S OUR ABBEY"

WHAT HAPPENS ON FRIDAY?

 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

UNDER THE LIGHTS!

THE GAELS GOT RIGHT TO SCORING,

AND WERE AHEAD AT HALFTIME WITH A SCORE OF
19 TO 0

JUST COULDN'T RESIST THIS PICTURE OF THE HALF TIME PEP TALK.

THE OTHER TEAM SCORED SECOND HALF

BUT SO DID WE , WINNING WITH A SCORE OF
31 TO 14

WAY TO GO GAELS!!!

SAD, BUT TRUE

 MY TOMATO SEASON IS OVER

BUT IN THE PROCESS OF TEARING THEM OUT,  LOOK WHAT I FOUND!  I'D SAY I HAVE ANOTHER SALAD OR TWO BEFORE I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THOSE ORANGE, POOR EXCUSE FOR TOMATOES THAT THE STORES SELL.

A WEEKEND OF SPORTS

 WHICH STARTED ON THURSDAY WITH  WATER POLO.

FRIDAY BROUGHT FOOTBALL.

COACH GIVES A LITTLE LAST MINUTE PEP TALK.

I'M STILL NURSING THE BRUISES FROM PAPA POKING ME IN THE ARM EVERY TIME GABE WAS ON THE FIELD, LIKE I'D MISS SEEING HIM OR SOMETHING!

HOW COULD I MISS THIS FANCY FOOTWORK,

OR THIS GREAT GUARDING?

THEY DIDN'T WIN THE GAME, BUT I ENJOYED WATCHING JUST THE SAME, ASIDE FROM THE POKING, THAT IS.

SATURDAY, AND IT WAS TIME FOR SOCCER.

IT CAN BE KIND OF LONELY WHEN YOU'RE GOALIE , AND YOUR TEAM IS THE ONE MAKING ALL THE GOALS.

SOPHIA WAS HAPPY SECOND HALF WHEN SHE PLAYED OUT ON THE FIELD.
SUN IN YOUR EYES, SOPHIA?

SHE HAD A GREAT GAME, MAKING ONE OF THE GOALS, AND SO DID THE REST OF THE TEAM, WINNING 7 TO 1.

 SUNDAY FOUND US HEADING OVER THE HILL TO THE THE ANNUAL SUPER KID TRIATHLON.

GORDAN WAS IN THE WATER EARLY

WITH A FAST SWIM,

OUT OF THE WATER ,

AND OFF ON HIS BIKE IN NO TIME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I MISSED  GETTING A PICTURE OF HIM COMING IN FROM THE RUN, HE'S JUST TOO FAST FOR ME AND MY SLOW CAMERA.

 LOOK AT THIS STRONG STROKE!

SYDNEY WAS FIRST OUT OF THE WATER IN HER DIVISION,

AND OFF TO A STRONG START ON HER BIKE.

OOPS,   LOOKS LIKE SHE TOOK A SPILL ON THE BIKE COURSE,
BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP SYD. 

SHE TOOK OFF ON A DETERMINED RUN,

AND SEE HER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FINISH LINE, COMING IN SECOND GIRL IN HER DIVISION.

THIS PICTURE OF FAMILY FRIEND DOMINIC IS A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE, WOW,  HE CAME IN FIRST OUT OF BOYS AND GIRLS IN  THE DIVISION.

I DON'T THINK SHE KNEW I WAS TAKING HER PICTURE, BUT DOESN'T HIS SISTER HANNAH LOOK LIKE SHE'S POSING FOR ME?

SHE WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE IT AS FAST AS SHE COULD OVER THE FINISH LINE, NOT REALLY CARING WHO WAS TAKING HER PICTURE.

AND THEN THERE'S ROXY,
DRESSED TO IMPRESS IN HER BRIGHT SUIT AND SWIM CAP

AND OF COURSE THE TUTU IS HER SIGNATURE LOOK 

 FOR THE BIKE,

AND THE RUN.

OH, AND THOSE BRIGHT GREEN SHOES, HOW COULD I MISS THEM COMING OVER THE FINISH LINE???

SHE'S THE FORGIVING KIND, ESPECIALLY SINCE - - -

 AT THE SAME TIME,

OLIVIA WAS COMING OUT OF THE WATER AND HEADING FOR HER BIKE.

 I MISSED THE BIKE PICTURES,

BUT PAPA GOT THESE

OF HER GREAT FINISH.

THE CRAZY GROUP AFTER THE RACE,

AND BACK AT THE  HOUSE TO CELEBRATE ELISE AND OLIVIA'S BIRTHDAYS.

EVERYONE ENJOYED THE BOUNCE HOUSE,

AND THIS GROUP OF GIRLS, HAD FUN WEARING SOME OF ABBEY'S HAND ME DOWN HIGH HEELS.  I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE COULD WALK IN THESE!

WE'RE READY FOR CAKE,
AND OLIVIA CAN HARDLY WAIT.

IT TOOK A VILLAGE TO LIGHT ALL THOSE CANDLES,

BUT LIV AND ELISE HAD NO PROBLEM BLOWING THEM OUT.
NOTE THE DOG WHO THINKS MAYBE HE SHOULD HAVE A PIECE OF THAT CAKE.

PRESENT TIME,

AND A LITTLE MORE FOOTBALL GAME WATCHING

 BEFORE WE ALL HEADED FOR HOME.

A WEEKEND LIKE

NO OTHER!!!