In mourning.

Yesterday, in Relief Society, we talked about sacrifice. One of the things we talked about sacrificing is our pride.

check.

Growing up, I didn't care about sports. I still don't care about most sports. But I LOVE football. I really do. I love watching the game, I love hard hits, I love amazing plays... it's not even about the guys in tight pants anymore (which was the best part about going to high school football games back before I cared about the actual game). ;)
I especially love Patriots football. I really, really, do. I think we've got great players. I think Belichick is a genius and Brady is brilliant. I love that we don't have one or two guys that we always go to for great plays. We have so many great guys, we use them all. Our defense is young, but they are learning and growing and doing pretty dang good in the meantime. The Patriots are a really good, solid team.

Except for yesterday. There was no fire, no excitement, they were going through the motions but no one brought their heart. It wasn't just one person - I don't even think it was all Brady's fault this time. Balls were dropped, defenders were let through the line, stupid violations were made... it was a mess. I hate it when we lose. I hate it even more when we lose to the Jets (come on, ANYONE but the Jets!!! ... Okay, or the Giants cause I still hold a grudge there, too. lol). But I hate it most when we lose and deserved it. And yesterday, based on how they were playing, they totally deserved to lose. I think that's what bugs me the the most.

Hey, I showed up. I was here, cheering, wearing my red, white, and blue... excited, hopeful, talking smack... but it was as if I cared more than they did. I know that can't be true, but they sure played like it is. They let me down. Big time. I'm mad... I'm hurt... I'm seriously disappointed.

Rori Cuteness

I have three cute Rori stories to share:

• This morning when I got up, the light was on in her room and she was rummaging through her closet.  I asked what she was doing and she urgently said, "I have a 'Go Pats!' shirt!"  (Her Patriots jersey.)  She wanted it... NOW!  She just had to wear it today. lol  We called Ryan because I knew it would make him proud, it turns out Ryan had a dream about the Patriots last night.  Maybe Rori did too! lol  And now she's been going around saying, "Go Pats!" all morning. lol
• I'm coming down with a cold and it sounds like Rori is, too.  She tried breathing through her stuffed nose and said to me, "Mom, my nose not working."  I feel your pain girl, my nose not working either.

The sweetest story though:

• For the last several days, when Rori sees Ryan, she wants to kiss his knees.  I thought she was being silly and doing it because that was one of the easiest places for her to reach when they were both standing.  But last night, she insisted on kissing my head (which she also does frequently) and then said, "There, now your headache all better!" and then turned to Ryan wanting to kiss his knees again.  It dawned on me, Ryan's really been complaining about his knees hurting the last couple of weeks... she's been trying to kiss them better!  And my head, too!  I keep trying to tell her my head doesn't hurt very often anymore, I think she thinks it's because she's been kissing it! lol... Maybe she's right. ;)  She really is such a sweet and thoughtful little girl!

LAME

I'm pretty peeved right now. So frustrated I can hardly talk. That was one of THE WORST calls I have ever seen. LAME!!! And those refs are gonna feel like crud when they see the replay and realize that they totally blew the game.

GGGGGAAAAAHHHH!!!!

I need some Lord of the Rings.

Brady's Back!!!

He didn't really show up until the end of the game, but it was just in the nick of time! And since he did pull it off in the end, I'm willing to overlook the poor playing earlier in the game, this was, afterall, his first game back in a year. Cut the guy some slack, right?

But next week. Next week, we play the Jets and everyone and their grandmother knows that we HAVE to beat them. HAVE TO. So, none of this pansying around and waiting until the last minute to really play. They'd better bring it from the start. But if I know my Patriots, they will. :)

Anticipation

For one whole year, I've waited for tonight.  I remember how horrified I was to learn how long it would be until we could do it again.  Sure, we had a subsitute to carry us through and he was good, real good.  But no one does it like my boy does it.

Tonight he is back!  Let's do this, Brady!!



GO PATS!!!!!

A true Patriots fan.

I was getting Rori ready for the day but she kept throwing a tantrum.  She didn't want to wear what I was getting for her.  Oh no, she wanted to wear this:



Daddy was so proud!  And she got several comments while out shopping today, too.  She knew what she wanted. lol

*Gasp* Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me make one thing perfectly clear:  My household's number one team is the Patriots and we LOVE Tom Brady!!!



Granted, in this pic Ryan is wearing his Welcker jersey because Wes Welcker is probably our second favorite Patriot.  But rest assured, we EACH have our own Brady jersey and each wear our jerseys more often than you'd think.  (Cadi was just wearing her's on Saturday.)

So imagine our great distress when we learned Tom Brady is out for the season, down with a torn ACL.  Ryan's had a torn ACL... they're not fun.  We feel awful that our fearless leader is going through this!
So, where does that leave our team?  Well, we're not sure yet.  Cassel did pretty well, they did win the game yesterday even though Brady went out in the first quarter.  But then, they weren't exactly playing a very challenging team.  :S

I really hope they do well this season, even without Brady.  And I think they can.  Let me tell you why...
Everyone (myself included) makes a big deal about Brady.  They act as if the Patriots are only the amazing team they are because of him.  Don't get me wrong, like I mentioned before, we love Brady and yes, he is "da bomb".  He is the heart and soul of the team and he is a terrific leader.  But the Patriots are made up of MANY excellent players.  And they are capable of winning without him.  Can they go all the way?  I am not sure.  But I'm going to be cheering them on as they try.

To Tom Brady:  We wish you the best as you recover and hope that it's a speedy and healthy process.  We will miss you on the field this season but anxiously look forward to seeing you back, strong and healthy, next season!  Go Pats!

I'm seeing Red, Blue... and Green!

Ryan and Acadia are in Massachusetts right now. I'm excited for their chance to have an extended vacation (even if it is still a business trip for Ryan) and to get to visit with family for these couple of weeks. I haven't even minded being here alone with Rori and getting ready for our camping trip all by myself so much.

HOWEVER...

I just talked with Ryan and our conversation has left me wanting to jump a plane and get out there for Thursday night. Why? Well, let me tell you...

The Pats are playing a pre-season home game Thursday night! Granted, I'd rather watch a normal season game, but I'd gladly take a pre-season game in the meantime! And Ryan is thinking the same thing. He's looking into getting tickets for him and Acadia. Acadia - the last-minute, jump-on-the-bandwagon, just-because-everyone-else-was-cheering-for-them, fan. Where is the justice??? I watched EVERY game last season, every blessed game! She didn't even watch one whole game, just bits and pieces of one or two of them.

I'm certainly not opposed to him taking her. I'm just jealous as a whole. Man, I hope they get to go because it's a rare opportunity for us to catch any game at all. But I SO WISH I could be there too!!! Thursday night is going to be torture!

Patriot's Day

Not to be confused with Patriot Day.

"What's the difference?" you ask? Well, Patriot Day is the national holiday that September 11th is now known as. However, LONG before 9-11 ever occured, New England had been celebrating Patriot's Day on the 3rd Monday of every April in remembrance of the battles fought in Lexington and Concord. It's been a legal holiday for over 100 years and many people in New England get the day off to celebrate. Also, every year, the Boston Marathon is held on Patriot's Day.

To celebrate, though we're 3000 miles away, I ran at the gym (2 miles straight before having to walk!) and after my shower, changed into my Patriots jersey. lol

Happy Patriot's Day!

Do Over

Last season was just amazing for the New England Patriots. Granted, they totally botched it at the end. When they threw it all away in the Super Bowl I was so mad because when would they possibly get the chance to go 19-0 again?
Well...

This season's line up has been announced and I am getting excited. If they play their game right, they really could have another chance this season. Half of it is pure luck; they're being handed a very easy first few weeks. I'm getting pretty pumped thinking that they could get a chance to actually finish it this time. 18-0 means nothing when you lose the last game, the only one that really counts. So this time, let's go ALL the way! Go Pats!!!

It's a good thing I like pie.

Cause we just got served a big ole fat piece of humble pie tonight! lol


It truly was a historic game - the biggest NFL upset in history! A wild card team taking out an 18-0 team! Crazy!!

It was a great defensive game! But the offense just came up short - big time. It was half Brady's fault and half, the offensive line. They just kept letting Brady get rushed! He took some big hits, over and over again! And then, they started playing their game and Brady goes and ruins his chances of making history. Over throws, under throws... you can't afford those in the SuperBowl. I think he just let it all go to his head. He seemed far too confident. And confidence is good, don't get me wrong, but if you're gonna be confident, you had better back it up! And he didn't! It was so frustrating to watch!!!

And to top it all off, Samuel dropped that ball that would have clinched the game. As far as I'm concerned he can leave now. I'm done with him and his attitude. He has been the only player on the team who was only out for himself. At least everyone else on the field is a true team player, even if they do choke sometimes.

The sad part is, the New England Patriots have still made history: No other team has ever gone 18-0 in a single season in the NFL! But no one will care about that. It won't make any bit of difference. Because when it all comes down to it, they lost the Super Bowl.

But the good news is we'll live. lol And besides, there's always next year.

Passions

We had a really nice day at church. I love the first Sunday of the month! I love hearing the testimonies of those that I know and care about. I am grateful when I have the chance to share my own testimony because it really is so important to me and I know that when I share it, I strengthen it.

Today we heard wonderful testimonies. I don't know what I expected, I knew we would hear a lot of people share their feelings about President Hinckley but I guess I wasn't sure if that was going to be the overwhelming theme or not. It wasn't. And to be very honest, I am glad. You see, our church is not founded on any man - it is founded upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And I know that MY testimony is based on Him, not any other person. I do have testimonies that certain people have been called of God to lead us and I have a testimony of the good things that they do and have done to further the work of the Gospel, but my testimony is based completely on the rock of our redeemer, Christ the Son of God. And I am grateful that I am surrounded by others who feel the same way.

We got home and I quickly fed the girls and put Rori down for her nap. I threw together a 7 Layer Dip to bring to our friends' house in a little bit and then I sat down to read my scriptures. I blogged last night that I've decided to take a 97 Day Challenge and I started that challenge today. I love reading the scriptures and I love how sometimes when I read, I just get carried away in them. I want to keep reading and before I know it, I've passed my stopping point for that day. There is no rule saying you can't read more and so sometimes I just go with it! I just continue on, reading and soaking up all the goodness that is contained in the words on those pages. It sure does bring a good spirit into my life and into our home.

And now after all that good church stuff, I'm going to become very irreverent. lol After I finished reading, I got changed, put on a Patriots jersey, talked to my FIL a little about the game (he's predicting a blow-out, I favor more of a solid win, not close like last time, but not a complete blowout like the games early in the season. I say it will be somewhere between a 7 to 10 point spread. But we all agree - it will definitely be a Pats win! lol), and now we're getting ready to go over to our friends' house to watch the game. I'm afraid there will be much loudness and I'm expecting to act a little unlady-like (jumping up and down, yelling at the ref, cheering loudly when we make great plays)... I'm afraid my mom would be very disappointed.

Just think of it this way: I am a very passionate person with more than one interest. I have my priorities, of which I hope that no one who knows me doubts what they are. First and foremost is God and my personal relationship with Him, followed by my family, and then by my church. After that, it's a free for all! I love (in no particular order): my friends, music, LOTR, killer whales, good food, and the Patriots! I will not skip church to attend a ball game and I will not cuss or use the Lord's name in vain while cheering, but I am sure looking forward to cheering on my team as they win the SuperBowl and make history today!!! lol

GO PATS!!!

It's just gonna have to be a game day decision.

As you know, I just got my Brady jersey! It's a women's jersey and is cute and fits nice and I like it.

Acadia is now the only one in our family without a jersey. But that was her wish. We repeatedly asked her if she wanted one, so we could all match and be a Pats family. But she insisted that she HATES football! We kind of made her watch some of the Championship game with us two weeks ago and had the chance to explain a little about the game to her. She was mildly interested and then went to bed. Fast forward to today. Out of the blue she declares that she LIKES football, now that she understands more about it and, SHE WANTS A JERSEY TOO! I couldn't believe it and I just looked at her in disbelief. I wasn't shocked that she wanted one, though I was pleasantly surprised. I was shocked that she waited until the LAST MINUTE to ask for one! Does she know how hard it would be to find a jersey with this short of notice??? The Super Bowl is in less than two days!!!

Tonight Cadi and Ryan went on a "Daddy/Daughter Date". Her school was showing a movie and they went together. Afterwards, Ryan needed to go to Sears to get some tools for work. While they were at the mall, they checked the sporting goods stores to see if there was a youth sized Brady jersey available. Surprise, surprise... there wasn't. There weren't any jerseys her size. Ryan looked through the larger sizes but there weren't any Brady jerseys in any size. Her second choice was Moss. (Good choice!) Ryan found her a medium and they decided to get it. It's a medium jersey - in MEN'S SIZE!!! It's bigger than my women's size jersey!

Now, we'll probably order her a youth Brady jersey but clearly that won't come until after the game. So the question is: Do I want to keep the Moss jersey since it does fit and I do like Moss... or do I return it and not have a jersey for Cadi to wear on Sunday. And if I do keep it, which jersey does she wear on Sunday and which jersey do I wear? I like Moss but I LOVE Brady. Both jerseys fit me great. Both are big on Cadi but the Brady jersey is a closer fit than the Moss jersey. Should I let her wear my precious Brady jersey while I settle for Moss? Or do I make her swim in Moss so I can wear my Brady? Hmmm...

I really can't decide... it's just gonna have to be a game day decision.

Getting down to the wire...

Last week, I was notified that an order I had placed for a Brady jersey had been cancelled because it was sold out. Nevermind that it took me over 2 weeks to tell me that! So, I found another one and purchased it right away. I paid extra for Priority Mail so that I would be CERTAIN it would be here in plenty of time for the game on Sunday. Yeah, I'm still waiting. I did confirm with the seller that it would be mailed immediately, they told me it would go out on Friday. Hmmm... Priority mail takes 2-3 business days (and is usually very fast). Even if it was on the slow side, it should have arrived here yesterday, at the latest. My mail came today - with no jersey.

I am not happy.

Yes, you could say that right now I've got a one track mind...

Or at least, close to it. But come on, it's just that time of year!!! And what a year it's been!

Today I got an e-mail from the on-line store that I purchased my New England Patriots Brady jersey from. You may recall, I ordered it 2 1/2 weeks ago. At that time, they had the shipping date as yesterday, which I was fine with, that would be enough time to get here before the Super Bowl. But today's e-mail told me that the jersey was sold out and so my order was cancelled!!! I was so mad that they waited until NOW to tell me! I immediately started searching the world-wide web to find a replacement to order but I couldn't find one! I was really upset and actually did start to cry. I couldn't believe it!

But then I found ONE available on e-bay. It's my size, still new, exactly the same as what I wanted, and I can have it next week - BEFORE Feb 3rd. WHEW! That was close.

WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!

 

The Patriots are AFC Champions!!!  STILL undefeated!!!  18-0 with just one more game to play. 

Honestly, today's game really wasn't all that exciting and it certainly wasn't our best game.  It was very cold with a pretty strong wind.  There weren't very many big passes, though there were some good plays.  Brady threw 3 (THREE!) interceptions!  But we grabbed a couple interceptions ourselves and Maroney sure did have a great running game!  The Chargers didn't score a single touchdown, they were forced to kick 4 field goals, instead.  When all 60 minutes were up, the Chargers were on their way home and the Patriots were AFC Champions and on their way to the Super Bowl.  We'll take it! :)

Here are a few pics, just for fun. :)












GO PATS!!!

17 Down... 2 More to Go

The Patriots played the Jaguars today and (surprise, surprise) THEY WON!  Was there any doubt? lol
Two things I just want to make note of:

1)  I LOVE how people just hate Belichick.  lol 


I love him, I love that he is NEVER satisfied by what our boys do.  I LOVE that even when they make good plays - GREAT plays, like when they caused the Jags to fumble and recovered the ball for a turnover - he's sitting on the side lines with that same look on his face, shaking his head as if he's really upset with their performance!  It cracks me up, everytime! lol 

2)  I also love how everyone talks about Brady and Moss... 

Let me first be clear: Brady is DA BOMB!  True dat.


(And let's give the boy props for breaking YET ANOTHER record today.  He completed 92.9% of his passes (26 of 28), breaking the previous record of 88% (22 of 25) set by Phil Simms back in 1986.)

And Moss is simply FANTASTIC!  No denying that. 



But every game, the commentators say:  If you want to beat the Patriots, you have to stop Moss; you can't let Brady get the ball to him.  Let me just tell you, If you want to beat the Patriots, you have to do a heck of a lot more than just that!

In today's game, Moss had ONE play.  That's right, ONE play.  He caught one pass for 14 yards.  The Jaguars succeeded in "stopping Moss".  Brady didn't even attempt to throw Moss anything else simply because he was so well covered.  But that's okay because the Patriots ROCK - not because they have one really great "go to" guy.  They ROCK because they have a whole handful of "go to" guys!  Infact, in the first Patriot drive of the game (which did result in a touchdown, woohoo!), Brady completed 5 for 5 receptions and each to a different receiver.  What does that tell us?  It tells us that you can take one of our best players out of the game altogether, that's okay - we've got plenty more to go to.

Like...

Welker (one of my personal favorites!)


Or Watson


Or Gaffney


Or Stallworth


And in case you thought we ONLY had a passing game, don't forget these guys:
Faulk


And Maroney


So if you want to beat MY Patriots... GOOD LUCK!!!!  You're gonna need it!!!  lol...

Perfection

There really isn't anything I have to say.  I'll just let the records speak for themselves!  Undefeated, a perfect regular season... most points scored in a season... Brady with the most touchdown passes in a season... Moss with the most touchdown receptions in a season... This IS perfection!









And we're not finished yet!  We're going for it all... Bring on the Post Season!

GO PATS!!!

WHEW!!!

Oh. Wow.

We DVRed the BIG GAME today and I admit that though my mind was all on church during the hours of 1:00 - 4:30 (we had a meeting after for just a few minutes), as soon as I got home, that was the ONLY thing I could think about! I LOVE DVR!!! Grabbed a plate of pasta and turned on the game!

Oh. Wow.

Sorry, did I already say that???

I was so sick the ENTIRE time! I regretted eating ANYTHING and was shaking with nerves!

So let's cut to the chase... WE WON!!!!!

But before we get to that... It was a really, REALLY intense game! I think I may have mentioned this already, but Oh. Wow.

Despite some really BAD calls (one pass interference that wasn't and another that wasn't but should have been - both BAD calls that set us back) and some subpar playing on our side (I'll admit it, we were NOT playing as well as we should have), we still managed to fight back enough to win the game.

It was such an intense game that I'm sure I can count it as cardio. My heart is still racing! lol

Don't worry Colts fans... you'll get another chance against my Pats, at the AFC Championship. Oh, not sure where to watch it? It'll be at the RAZOR, BABY!!!!

Still undefeated... going for 16-0!!!

COLTS stands for...

Count On Losing This Sunday!!!


GO PATS!!! :)