Goebel4

Research Dilema

2012-02-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

Kayla was working on the outline for her research paper and wanted me to help. I pointed out that in an outline you use a Roman numeral one (I) instead of the actual number 1. She got extremely annoyed and told me she couldn't use a Roman Numeral because her keypad doesn't have Roman Numerals!

Then she wanted to know why she had to use Roman numerals when she isn't Roman...she's American.

Workin' On My Fitness

2012-02-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

My name is Sta...cy....I've been up in the gym just workin' on my fitness....
Actually I haven't been up in the gym for a long time....so that's why I can barely move today. It's rough going back after being gone for so long. Every muscle from the waist down hurts and after tonight's piyo class, every muscle in my upper body will hurt right along with it. Now if I can just stop drinking so much coke....

Misled

2012-02-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Conversation between Amy and Kayla on their shopping trip today.

Kayla: "Wow that's a big diaper genie! It's bigger than that woman."
Amy: "Kayla, the diaper genie isn't really that big. It's just a picture. If it was that big then how would it fit into this small box."
Kayla: (angrily) "Well that's very misleading!"

Oh my poor sweet child.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

2012-01-31T09:26:00.001-08:00

The End

2012-01-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

The high school season has officially ended this year. The girls did not have the most stellar season, but they had fun playing with their friends and being a part of something at their school. I am personally going to miss those after school practices, not having to drive the girls to games and especially our free Saturdays. Club starts back up this week. I am not looking forward to night practices and Saturday games, but I am really looking forward to watching good soccer again. (And actually winning our games!) I'm really proud of the girls. They had a rough schedule but they always went out there and played hard. Anna had more goals (12) then the rest of the team put together and spent most of the season playing midfield instead of her usual forward position. Kayla played defense the entire game,every game (except for the one half where she twisted her ankle). Not too bad for a little freshman.

On Friday the girls had an assembly at school where they announced all the varsity players from the different winter sports and then each team was featured in a short slide show and a game. The boys and girls soccer teams had a mattress race and the girls won! Guess who was on top of the mattress. Yep, Baby Goebs.

Tutus

2012-01-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

The girls and I stayed up really late the other night making tutus for spirit week. Yep, you read that right...tutus. It was class color day and apparently a lot of the girls wear tutus. I got a quick tutorial from another mom, but pretty much had no clue what I was doing. Kayla and I just started cutting up tule and tying it on to a piece of elastic. They turned out a little skimpy, but the girls were just wearing them over their shorts so they were ok with it.

Anna Sophomore Blues

Anna made t-shirts for everyone.

Kayla the freshest freshie

I thought I got everything cleaned up, but I am still finding bits of tule all over the house.

Random Pics

2012-01-25T12:00:00.001-08:00

Nerd Day at O'Connor

When the girls have home games the whole team has to dress up. Anna and Kayla just love that....One of Anna's friends always brings her an outfit to wear.

Pajama Day...goofing around on the bleachers

Team Pasta Party at Betty's the night before the big game.

Water Torture Part 2

2012-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Kayla's turn....she twisted her ankle in the game the other night so when she got home, Ryan made her soak in a bucket of ice. She cried hysterically the whole time and wouldn't speak to Ryan for the rest of the night. What a wimp...lol...but miraculously her ankle was much better the next day and she didn't have to miss any games.

Malone Collyns

2012-01-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

Malone

2012-01-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

This is my cute new niece, Malone Collyns, born January 13 (my mom's birthday) at 13:01...7 pounds 7 ounces! Can you believe all that hair?!

Water Torture

2012-01-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

We are mean parents. We made our daughter sit in the freezing cold swimming pool for 10 minutes last night. It wasn't meant to torture her, although I'm sure it did. It was our version of an ice bath that was supposed to help her injured hip. I can't even tell you how cold that water was! You couldn't have paid me to sit in it, but then again...I'm not a serious athlete dreaming of a college scholarship. I braved the cold air (wrapped in a blanket) and stayed outside with her while she soaked, and cried and whined. I guess I don't have much sympathy because I told her to hold it when she complained about having to use the bathroom and pushed her back down when she tried to get out 3 minutes early. I have to give it to her though. She made it through those excruciatingly long minutes and we had a nice hot towel waiting for her when she was done. Oh the price you pay to be a competitive athlete.

Arizona ODP

2012-01-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

ODP

2012-01-17T10:41:00.001-08:00

The girls lost to Utah yesterday so they did not move on to the semi finals. Anna had a great game. It was fun to watch good soccer again. Watching high school soccer is like poking your eye with a hot needle. There were a lot of college scouts this weekend....Auburn, Duke....I think Anna showed well so that's good. Her speed helps her stand out...you can't teach speed so hopefully someone will be interested in checking her out.

Funny story....college scouts usually stand on the corners of the field and you can tell who they are b/c they are decked out in college gear, have clipboards and take lots of notes. It's kind of an unspoken rule that you aren't supposed to talk to the scouts. My dad, poor clueless little man, started chatting up the Auburn scout the other day. He was telling her about Anna and pointing her out, etc,....She was trying to ignore him, but if you know my dad...he doesn't usually get the hint. He came back all excited and when we told him he wasn't supposed to talk to scouts he said, "oh that's why she wasn't really talking back to me!" Then he was afraid that he ruined Anna's chances to go to college. HA! Oh well....she isn't looking at Auburn anyway.

Double D Slingshot

2012-01-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

I got a text from Ryan the other night. He's at winter camp this weekend with Kayla and a bunch of senior high students. He said that Kayla and her friend Hannah stole their counselor's bra...hooked it to the bed post and used it as a slingshot to shoot starbursts across the room. Gotta love that kid!

ODP Region IV Championships

2012-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Anna is a part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) for the state of AZ. Girls from around the state try out to be in a pool of players and then from those girls, the coaches choose 18 players to represent AZ in the Regional Championships. Anna and several of her teammates were chosen to play. Lucky for us Regionals are held here in Phoenix. There are 2 brackets in the 96 age group. AZ played NM (won 4-0), Washington (lost 0-2), and California North (won 1-0). They played fantastic against NM but struggled in the 2nd game against WA. Last night however, the played amazing against Cali N (no doubt the best and hardest team) and pulled out a goal in the last minute to win. It was ridiculous how excited we (the parents) got, but to beat Cali is HUGE! California has the best soccer around. The girls are from around the state, different cities, different clubs and have really only practiced together one time. I was amazed at how the gelled as a team. They play Utah this afternoon and if they win...have a good chance to go to semi finals tonight. Let's go Arizona!!!

Good Try

2012-01-11T07:58:00.001-08:00

The girls lost their game last night, but it wasn't for a lack of effort. They gave it their very best they were just over powered by an older, stronger, bigger and lets face it, better team. I was really proud of all of the Lady Eagles last night. At the half the score was 0-1 and the ball was on our end about as much as it was on the other team's end. But...for some reason there is something about the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half of the game where they seem to fall apart. (We saw the same thing in the Pinnacle game the other day.) During that time, the other team lit us up and put in 4 beautiful goals back to back. Our girls didn't quit though. They pulled it together and played great the rest of the game. Final score 6-0 which looks pathetic, but the girls gave it everything they had and that's about all you can do. Especially against a team like Xavier. The other team was really nice and even complimented our girls at the end of the game. They told them they did a great job and were a tough opponent. They said they were impressed!

Way to go Lady Eagles!!!

David vs Goliath

2012-01-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

1st post of the New Year! Woop Woop! Of course it's about soccer. This year the AIA restructured the high school teams/divisions/etc....By luck of the draw....O'Connor (5A) drew the hardest schedule. We play all 3 of the best teams 2x. So out of our 12 regular season games 6 of them we will most likely lose...although in sports you just never know what can happen.

Our 1st game against Pinnacle got rained out 15 minutes into the game (they were winning 1-0). So on Saturday we played a makeup game. The night before the game I had a dream that we were going to win 2-1. The odds were definitely not in favor of that outcome. It was a true David and Goliath match up. We got a glimmer of hope when we realized Goliath's top scorer wouldn't be at the game....and in the 1st half we really outplayed them. At half time, believe it or not, the score was 2-1 us. Sammi scored the 1st goal of the game, Pinnacle tied it up and then Anna scored a beautiful goal to put us on top. Was this really happening???
The 2nd half of the game, unfortunately was a different story. We didn't get the ball down on their end a whole lot and they ended up winning 4-2. (it should have been 3-2 b/c one of their goals was waaaaaaayyyyyyy offsides!) The girls played a great game and made the other team work hard for the win. That's all you can really ask....that they go out there and play their best. And they did! Tonight is a match up against Goliath #2, Xavier! They beat Pinnacle 2-0 and poor St. Mary's lost to them 25-0. Let's hope it's not like that tonight. Anna now has 10 goals on the season.

Airport Run

2011-12-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

On our way to Indiana for Christmas we had to make a connection in Houston with only a 22 minute layover. We were excited when our flight landed 18 minutes early, unfortunatley, we ended up sitting on the runway for awhile. When we finally got off the plane we only had 10 minutes to go from the furthest gate in terminal C to terminal B. Ryan and Kayla took off and left Anna and I behind with 2 huge carry on bags and a guitar. Their thought was to get to the gate and see if they could hold the plane. Anna and I must have looked ridiculous running through the airport with all that stuff and we almost took out a little old couple on the moving escalator. We made a wrong turn and accidentally took the tram to terminal A instead of terminal B. When we finally arrived at our gate, 10 mintues after Ryan and Kayla, we found out that our flight was delayed and we didn't start boarding for another 20 mintues. It was quite a night but we were just very thankful that we didn't have to spend the night in Houston.

What's That Number Again?

2011-12-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

The other night Kayla said she was going to call the police. Then she looked at me and said, "What's that number again? 411 or 911?" She said that she knew the fire department was 911 but she didn't know if the police had the same number. Seriously Kayla?!

The Big L

2011-12-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

I hate losing! Especially when you played better than the other team, the goal your daughter scored (it was fantastic) is called off sides (it wasn't) you go into double over time and then lose in PKs. UGH! UGH! UGH! It's going to be a rough season!

Week 3- Holiday Traditions

2011-12-19T08:59:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of our holiday traditions.

1. Christmas Shirts
Every year we fly to Indiana on Christmas day to visit Ryan's family. We also wear our matching Christmas shirts.

2. Trimming the Tree
When I was little my sister and I used to fight about who got to put the angel on top of the tree. My mom came up with the brilliant idea that in odd years (I was born on an odd day) I could put the angel on the tree and in even years (my sister was born on an even day) she could. We do this with our girls now.

3. Gift Wrapping
As a way to raise money for our soccer team we do gift wrapping at Barnes and Noble. It's great because Barnes and Noble provides all the supplies and we get to keep 100% of the donations. We've been doing this for years.

4. Christmas in Indiana
We spend our Christmas in Indiana with Ryan's family.

Anna's Art Work

2011-12-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of Anna's recent drawings.

(This is her friend Elizabeth...aka Betty)

Playing in the Rain

2011-12-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

The weather has been horrible here the past 2 weeks! Cold and rainy...did I mention cold. Truthfully, it's kinda ticking me off a little. We live in AZ because of the winters and the past few weeks it hasn't been any better than Indiana or Tennessee. The girls have had soccer tournaments so every stinkin' night we have been sitting out in that nasty cold with blankets and jackets and fuzzy socks. UGH! (I wanna wear my flip flops!) Last night was just ridiculous. It was pouring down rain all day and they still played. The JV game was cut short by 9 min. but still considered a full game. They started the varsity game early but had to stop with 26 min. left in the first half because it was getting dangerous. They will have to replay that game. The poor girls and the parents were soaked to the bone! I however, was safely snuggled away in the snack bar with my portable heater and a great view of the field. Working the snack bar does have it's advantages. On nights like last night I almost wish my girls played an indoor sport like basketball or volleyball.

Week 2-Decorations

2011-12-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

Last year, I admit, I was a bit of a scrooge when it came time to decorating for Christmas. (We didn't even put up a tree.) So...this year I tried to make up for it. I put up not one, but 2 trees, and with Kayla's help, managed to spread a little Christmas cheer throughout the house.

The outside of the house, which I consider Ryan's domain, did not get decorated. Ryan has been out of town so much that there just hasn't been time. Now I just have to decide when I am taking all that stuff down. Before we leave for Indiana on the 25th or wait until we get back in January. Putting stuff away is the worst part!

Week 1-Christmas List (real or fake)

2011-12-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Fake List
Fake meaning I know there is no chance of getting anything on this list.
1. A cruise around the world
2. Red Jeep or VW Van (red of course)
3. A vacation house on the beach somewhere
4. A kitchen/bathroom remodel
5. new hot tub
6. Big 'Ole Diamond ring
7. Suns Season tickets (floor seats)
8. European Vaca
9. A Maid
10. A personal chef

Real List
Real meaning it's in the realm of possibility.
1. skinny markers
2. Journal
3. TOMS
4. pajama bottoms
5. books
6. pedicure
7. tickets to USA Men's soccer game
8. fuzzy socks
9. massage
10. lotion

(These lists sound a lot like last year's list!...)

Christmas Blog Challenge

2011-12-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

It is time for my 2nd annual Christmas blog challenge. This year there are 4 weekly categories instead of 12 days.

Stay tuned to see my challenge answers!

Hat Trick

2011-12-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Anna has a new nickname...Hat trick Anna. That's because she got a hat trick in both of her last 2 games. A hat trick is when a players scores 3 goals in a game. On Friday she got a Norwegian hat trick which means you get 3 consecutive goals in one half.

The girls won the last game of the PV tournament 3-0 on Friday and took 3rd place. A much better finish then last year's 5th place. The O'Connor tournament is this week and the girls won their first game 3-0. Since this tournament is our home tournament the girls are required to work at the games. Last night Kayla was the announcer. It was a riot! Don't ever give that girl a mic b/c you won't get her off. Parents have to help too and lucky me, I was in charge of the snack bar. The girls didn't play until 8:00 and I felt so bad for them bc it was absolutely freezing! And they were exhausted because they had been at school since 7:30am....but they had a great time! There are only 4 more days of this. I think we are going to sleep all weekend.

AZ Repbulic

2011-12-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

In the paper today (online version) they listed several of the local high schools and their stats. For O'Connor they listed Anna as a key player! They also listed her friend Andrea, unfortunately they got her name wrong. That stinks but very exciting for the girls especially since they are only 10th graders. I cut and pasted the article below.

Sandra Day O'Connor Eagles
Division: Division I, Section I.
Coach: Rick Kelsey.
Years coached: 10.
Last season's finish: Reached the Class 5A Division II tournament.
Returning starters: 4.
Key players: Anna Goebel, So., MF/F; Amanda Ortiz, So., MF.
Key newcomers: Elizabeth Philpot, Sr., MF/F.
Coach's comment: Our schedule is very difficult and we are a very young team. We only have five upperclassmen with just one a consistent starter. I am looking for my team to compete every game and make sure that regardless of the final score, our opponent has had to earn their result.
Tournaments: Phoenix Paradise Valley and O'Connor.

(for those non soccer people I will translate... MF/F (she plays midfield/Forward)

Tournament Update:
The girls won their 3rd game 3-0 with goals by Maeve, Vicky and Anna. They play for 3rd place tomorrow night.

FRESHMAN!

2011-11-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

Kayla beat out a Jr. and a Sr. for starting position on her HS soccer team! Woop Woop! Go Kayla! She is playing in the middle with our friend Drea and they are AWESOME! (Drea is on Anna's club soccer team and her little sister is on Kayla's team.) The starting line up for the HS team is all under classmen, but 2. They took a hard loss to Kellis last night, 0-1, but played a great game. Kellis is a really good team and this is supposed to be "their year" with mostly juniors and seniors. An unlucky deflection gave an opportunity for Senior Hailey to make a beautiful goal that put Kellis on top. It was a hard fought game and a lot of fun to watch. The girls have several friends and club teammates who play for Kellis so there was a lot of good natured ribbing in the stands from parents on both sides. The girls play against Alhambra tonight. Unfortunately I work so can't go....boo!

At the end of the game, Kayla's friend Erin Shea stopped by. She is a freshman and varsity cheerleader at PVHS where the girls were playing. The girls have been friends since they were 2. Aren't they cute! Can't believe how big they have gotten.

1st Game Victory

2011-11-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

First HS game was yesterday! The Lady Eagles pulled out a 4-3 Victory over Thunderbird High School. Both Goebel girls got to start! Our starting line up was 1 senior, 1 junior, 4 sophomores and 5 freshman! Definitely a young team, but I think they will do well. Game 2 today against Kellis. Going to be a tough one. Several girls that play club with A & K play for this team.

Varsity Soccer

2011-11-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

Kayla, my little freshman, made the Varsity soccer team! We were pretty sure she would but you just never know. I am so excited that the girls will be playing together again! It's been a long time. And...how much easier is my life going to be now?! After Thanksgiving no more club practices until Feb. and no more weekend games! WOOHOOO!

Seize the Day

2011-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday night I had a seizure in the middle of the night and had to be rushed to the hospital. Ryan said that he woke up to the sound of me throwing up in the bathroom. He got up to check on me and he said that I screamed real loud and then fell over and started seizing. He called 911 and it took over 8 minutes for them to get to me. Ryan said he couldn't remember the address and had to run outside and get it. Thankfully I don't remember a whole lot. I do remember waking up as they were putting me into the ambulance and them telling me that I had a seizure and was on the way to the hospital. Apparently I got belligerent with the paramedics and then had another seizure in the ambulance. The next thing I remember is waking up at the hospital and my mom, dad and Ryan were there. People kept asking me questions like what year it was and who was president and I couldn't remember. I do remember worrying about the girls. They were at home and had slept through all the commotion including firemen and paramedics in the house going up and down the stairs right by their room. I kept saying that they couldn't miss school...someone had to get them to school because soccer tryouts were that day and if they didn't go to school they couldn't go to tryouts.

They did a million tests including an MRI and a Cat Scan. Everything came back negative which is good. My potassium levels were very low...2.7. Anything under 3.0 is serious and 2.5 can be deadly. I was also dehydrated and my electrolytes were off. They got all that regulated and then, since they couldn't find anything else wrong, they sent me home Monday night. I spent most of the week at mom's house sleeping. I am feeling better just really tired. I don't know if it will happen again so that has me a little freaked out.

Mean Girls!

2011-10-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Did you remember the story about the college soccer player from New Mexico who got suspended for pulling a girl's ponytail during a game? Unfortunately that stuff happens in girls' soccer all the time, but most of it doesn't get shown on national television.

In Anna's game this weekend, a girl on the other team punched one of our players right in the face. And...that wasn't the first time she's pulled punches. She hit the same girl during an indoor game a few years back. She got thrown out of that game but this time the ref said he didn't see it so he couldn't call it. Everyone on the sideline saw it and you should have heard the uproar. I was really proud of our player. She showed integrity and a lot of self restraint by just walking away.

In Kayla's game yesterday, a girl on the other team got a yellow card for purposely sweeping the feet of a player and then... she got another yellow card for cussing out the ref when he gave her the first yellow. (2 yellows= 1 red so she had to leave the field.) The last time we played this team...the same girl got a red card for deliberately hurting one of our players. The worst part is that she is the coach's daughter!

My kids are not perfect and I'm sure they have done their fair share of pinching and elbowing, but if I ever saw them show behavior like that on or off the field that would be pretty much the end of their soccer career!

Banat 98 Girls Win Season 1!

2011-10-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's official! Kayla's team won the first season of State League! They were 7-0 and almost went the whole season without being scored on. In the very last game yesterday the other team got a fluke goal and broke their perfect record. Even though they beat the other team 8-1 the girls were really bummed about letting a goal in. BUT....I think that over 60 goals scored and only 1 against is still incredible!!! Way to go girls!

Big Wins

2011-10-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Big wins for the girls in soccer this weekend. Kayla's team won 7-0, is still undefeated and have not been scored on in regular season. Anna's team has been struggling with injuries this season and has had to play short almost every game. This week our goalie got a red card for obstructing a scoring opportunity...uh...isn't that her job? Another player got 2 undeserved yellows and 2 of our borrowed players had to leave at half time to go to their game. Anna's team played the whole 2nd half with just 9 players and actually finished the game with 8. Trials like that prove what a team is made of and Anna's team is made of steel! They scored 2 goals in the 2nd half and won the game 3-1! So proud of them for keeping their heads up and playing their hearts out!
Go BANAT!

Confessions

2011-10-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

1. I drink way too much Coke.
2. I am going to be 40 in a month.
3. Sometimes I use my husband's razor to shave my legs (and pits).
4. When I got to classes at the gym I have to be in the same spot every time or I get really grouchy.
5. I go to Chipotle so much that they know my order before I tell them.
6. I still sleep with my purple teddy bear (sometimes).
7. I get annoyed with people very easily!
8. The toilet paper has to roll over not under. Sometimes I change the rolls at other people's house so they go the "right way".
9. I don't like ice cream!
10. I hate going to the movies!
11. I spend way too much time on Facebook.
12. I want to write a book.
13. I don't like to go shopping. I haven't been to a mall in 6 months!
14. I'm starting to enjoy cooking. (just a little bit)
15. I love to watch tv!
16. I keep a journal (not a diary, a journal).
17. I could live in a hotel and be happy!
18. I wish I could stay home and not work!
19. I am already dreading my kids growing up and going to college.
20. I cry at sad commercials.
21. I am a really bad listener. I tune out easily.
22. I don't miss teaching...yet.
23. I love having my feet rubbed.
24. Mice freak me out!
25. I'm nosey and like to listen to other people's conversations.
26. I don't like animals (especially dogs)
27. I'm very competitive and get mad when I lose. (I've been known to quit when I'm losing)
28. I don't try things if I think I'm going to fail.
29. I obsess about a lot of stuff.
30. I don't like getting in trouble!

Banat BEATS Sereno!

2011-10-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

The biggest rivalry between my girls' teams is Sereno. Fantastic club who finished 1st in both the 96 and 98 levels leaving our girls in 2nd place. (Which isn't too shabby)

Rewind to State Cup Last Year- Banat 98 beats Sereno 98 and knocks them into the losers bracket. Sereno works their way back up and beats Banat not once, but twice to win State Cup. In the state of Arizona Sereno 1st...Banat 2nd.

This season: Banat sweeper leaves and goes to Sereno. Banat gets several new players who are fantastic and starts the season undefeated with 49 goals for and no goals scored against them!

Saturday- Banat plays Sereno and beats them 1-0! Total on the year of 50 goals for Banat 0 against!

Kayla (Ini) was the hero of the day as she saved TWO goals from being scored. Sereno never knew what hit them, as they saw for the first time the new and improved Banat 98 team! Of course they had a million excuses for why the lost, but truthfully they just got beat by a better team!

Focus Group

2011-10-10T12:27:00.001-07:00

Over the years I have participated in a few of those focus groups for marketing research. You get paid to sit in a room and share your opinions....what could be more perfect for me?! Among others I've done one for diapers and one for teachers on math curriculum. Just last week I got called to one that helps radio stations decide what music to play. I sat in a room with 50 other women age 35 and up and listened to clips of 800 songs! It was pretty interesting. We each had a little wireless handheld device that we turned like a volume dial. Up if we liked the song and down if we didn't like. The guy in charge played the hook for about 50 songs at a time and we moved the dial accordingly. He had a computer screen up front that received the information and graphed it. He told us that he would take the information he collected to several radio stations the next day and present them with the information. That's how the stations determine which songs to play on the radio and which ones not to play.

We got paid $65 and there was a drawing for an extra $100, which I thought I would win, but did not win. Bummer! The night was pretty fun but there was this woman behind me who could not shut up! She talked the entire time and sang along to every song! It was really annoying! She thought she was funny and would make these sarcastic comments. I thought the guy in charge was going to kick her out at one point. There is always one in every class that has to be the class clown and for some reason they always sit by me....UGH! She was also eating beef jerky which smelled horrible! (You should not eat stinky food in a roomful of people!) I kept thinking to myself what would Kayla do now. She probably would have turned around and told her to be quiet! Gotta love that Kayla!

Number 1 or Number 2

2011-09-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Found in the bathroom at NAU.

This Ain't the Ritz

2011-09-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

This was the sign posted in our "luxurious" hotel room in Flagstaff.

Lovely floral comforter only $80. I'm thinking of buying my mother in law one for Christmas.

Sheet set for the bargain price of $60 and blanket for $50. Ryan refused to get under the covers. He thought it would be safer to sleep on top of the comforter.

$25 for a flat pillow.

Where else can you find white scratchy bath towels that smell like bleach? A hospital maybe?

I guess they were fresh out of coffee makers and ironing boards. Too bad. I still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do.

O'Connor Lady Eagles

2011-09-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

So Anna (with the help of her dad) designed the new practice shirts for high school this year.

Pretty sweet!

Banat 98

2011-09-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Kayla's team is amazing this year! So far they are 8 and 1 this season with 48 goals for and only 2 against. Right now they are undefeated in the state of AZ (7 and 0) with 45 goals for and 0 against. The pictures were taking in Flagstaff at the Soccer at the Summit tournament. They went 4 and 0 with 28 goals for and 0 against. What great chemistry this team has. Looking forward to watching their progress this year!

National Training

2011-09-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

From what I could see from the parking lot, the girls showed really well at the training session last night. There were about 40 girls there. They had Kayla play defense most of the night. She said she got some good comments like, "nice tackle" or "great pass". One of the coaches came over and asked Kayla and 2 of her teammates for their numbers so I hope that is a good sign. The next training session is in November. They may or may not get asked back for that one, but they could be asked back in the future. Kayla went out there and did her thing so you can't ask for anything more. Depends what they are looking for. We are proud of her and the other girls for sure!

From the US Soccer Federation

2011-09-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Kayla was invited by the U.S. Soccer Federation to participate in the U.S. Soccer Training Center tonight. U.S. Soccer Training Centers are designed to replicate national team training camps. They are set up around the country to try and identify players for their national teams! As the National Governing Body of soccer in the United States, and under the auspices of the United States Olympic Committee, they are empowered and charged with developing the teams that represent the United States in all international competitions such as the Olympics and World Cup. The training center program is an integral part of this process.

This is a BIG DEAL and we are so proud of Kayla! A few of her teammates were invited as well and we wish them all good luck as they go through this process!!!!

BIG BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!

2011-09-19T09:38:00.001-07:00

Who is 14 today? This girl! Hey!

What do you do when you have an out of town soccer tournament on your birthday? Turn it into a BIG BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!

You decorate your hotel room.

Open presents...

Play games...

Spend a lot of time at the soccer fields...

Win 1st place medals!
First game win 8-0, 2nd game win 10-0, 3rd game win 6-0....Championship win 4-0! 28 goals for and 0 against!
Kayla scored and played goalie this weekend!

And at the end of a BIG BIRTHDAY WEEKEND you come home and crash!

Stay Off the Roads

2011-09-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Anna got her permit today! Woohoo! She passed the test with flying colors. Stay off the roads Arizona. Anna is on the loose. Thanks so much to Nancy H the best DMV (or MVD) lady ever!!!!

2011-09-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

This was the fortune in my cookie the other day. Very interesting considering the fact that I want to go on a cruise for my 40th birthday. Yeah...pretty sure I am going to be dry docked on November 19, but a girl can hope can't she? And if fortunes really do come true then maybe...just maybe....

The Beige Plate

2011-09-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

For all my loyal followers...I do have a few followers right? Check out my new blog called The Beige Plate http://beigeplate.blogspot.com. Read all about my latest food follies including the newest episode of the Crock Pot Chronicles.

Crock Pot Cooking Chronicles- Mexican Monday

2011-09-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

So tonight's crockpot meal- Enchilada casserole. Besides the fact that it cooked a little too fast it turned out to be a halfway decent dish. It was colorful, tasty. Hey, maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this cooking thing....or so I thought until...

Enter daughter #1- "Don't ever feed me what was in that crockpot again. I just went to the bathroom and had the worst experience of my life. My butt is on FIRE! I was in there for ten minutes and seriously thought I was going to die in there!"

Crock Pot Enchilada Casserole = Epic Fail!

Crockpot Chronicles- That's Not Cat Puke It's Your Dinner!

2011-09-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

After my first successful attempt at crockpot cooking I decided I was ready to try something bigger...Italian chicken. The recipe was simple...chicken, cream cheese, butter and a packet of italian seasoning then cook on high for 4 hours. It smelled delicious. The girls kept coming downstairs asking when dinner would be ready. I am ashamed to say that this is what I fed my children for dinner last night.

No girls, that's not cat puke it's your dinner. TASTY right? And it was BEIGE! Not sure how you can screw up a recipe with only 4 ingredients but I did. The flavors actually weren't that bad, but you had to wear a blindfold to eat it. To make it worse I made instant mashed potatoes to go with the chicken (beige) and served it with a roll (beige). Even the apple juice the girls had to drink was beige. When the girls asked how come I wasn't eating, I told them that I was full from lunch. The truth is...I couldn't get past how gross it looked. Like the good wife I am... I wrapped up the leftovers for Ryan to eat when he got home. I was pretty sure that once he got a look at the plate he'd make something else, but I was surprised to find the empty plate in the sink this morning. He actually ate it and liked it! I figured that either he was really hungry or the kitchen was really dark!

Crock Pot Girls

2011-09-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

I came across a website the other day called Crock Pot Girls. I figured I'm a girl and I've got a crockpot so why not try out some of their recipes?! First, I had to locate my crockpot. I finally found it on the top shelf of the pantry filled with junk and covered in about an inch of dust. After I soaked it for awhile to make sure it was clean, I got on my computer and pulled a few recipes off the site. And then...wait for it...wait for it....I made a grocery list! An actual list with stuff on it that I take to the grocery store. First time EVER! Usually I just kind of grab and go, but not this time. I took in my little list and an hour and a half later I emerged with enough items to complete 2 weeks of crockpot meals.

When I got home I was so excited that I decided to start cooking right away. We'd already eaten dinner so I figured I'd start with something simple...dessert! The dessert I chose was called Ministers Delight. (I'm a minister so why not making something delightful?!) Basically it's just Dump Cake in a crock pot....can of cherries, cake mix and butter. Theoretically even I can't screw that up.

The added bonus to the dessert was the cherries. Cherries are bright red. It's a joke around our house that everything I cook is beige. So by adding the cherries I got that little "pop" of color that most of my food doesn't have. It actually turned out pretty darn yummy!

Buff

2011-09-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Puma sponsored a breast cancer awareness booth at the tourney this weekend. For every goal scored $5 was donated to breast cancer research. They also gave every player a pink buff to wear. On the package there were pictures of ways to wear the buff. I guess we got a little carried away....

Blues Cup

2011-09-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Anna's team played in the Blues Cup tournament this weekend. The Blues Cup is an invitation only, all girls only tournament in San Juan Capistrano, California. The competition there is fierce. Anna's team is short on players right now because of injuries, so Coach Jon asked Kayla if she would play with them. We didn't know if she would play very much, but she got to play almost the whole time. She was fantastic! Anna, unfortunately, was nursing a pulled hamstring and didn't have a stellar weekend, but overall their team played well! The took 1st place in their bracket beating out two teams that they have previously lost to. The made it to the quarter finals and lost in the last few minutes 2-1. It's the highest the team has ever finished in the Blues Cup so everyone was pretty pumped.

Little Heartbreaker!

2011-09-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

When we were in California this weekend a boy came up to Kayla and asked if he could have her phone number. She looked at him and said, "No, we're ok. Thanks!" and walked away. The poor boy was crushed. What a little heartbreaker she is.

What Did He Say?

2011-08-31T09:09:00.001-07:00

So my adorable nephew Griffey is now 1 1/2. He is just learning how to talk and it's a riot. Sometimes he says things clear as a bell and other times you can't understand a word he's saying. The other day my sister had the football game on when Griffey walked into the room. He looked at the tv, raised his hands in the air and yelled "FOOTBALL!!!"

Strange Things Are Afoot At The Circle K

2011-08-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

My latest addiction....Coca Cola Slushies from Circle K. I stopped there the other night to get a slushy and the red light was blinking. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! When the red light is blinking it means no slushies. Then yesterday Kayla and I got a major craving for slushies (she likes the Mt. Dew ones). We drove to Circle K, a different one than the night before and yep, you guessed it. The red light was blinking. What is going on with the Circle K? Is it some kind of conspiracy to keep me away from my favorite summer beverage? Luckily, Ryan saved the day and picked up slushies on his way home. Yea Ryan! Boo Circle K!

Stalking Hello Kitty

2011-08-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Kayla thinks she is being stalked....by Hello Kitty. It seems that everywhere she goes that overstuffed fictional feline shows up as well.

Ellie Kate

2011-08-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

My heart is broken for my friends April and Matt as their sweet baby girl went home to be with Jesus yesterday morning. What a precious gift Ellie was. April and Matt will have a celebration of Ellie's life on Wednesday in Evansville. I wish so much I could attend, but the distance is just too great. They will be in my thoughts and prayers as they say goodbye to their 2nd baby girl.
Below is the obituary that will run in the paper this week.

Ellison “Ellie” Kate Hendricks was born on May 25, 2011 and went home to be with the Lord on August 28, 2011 at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. She is the daughter of Matt and April Hendricks of Evansville. She was preceded to Heaven by her sister Madelynn “Maddy” Rose in March of 2010.

Ellie is survived by her grandparents Steve and Sandy Holzmeyer and Norm and Mona Hendricks of Evansville. She has one great grandpa, Richard Doan, of Newburgh, as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Private family graveside services will be performed Tuesday, August 30th at Park Lawn Cemetery in Evansville beginning at 2 p.m. Pastors Dale Beaver and Mike Thompson officiating. A worship service to our Savior and in memory of Ellie is scheduled for Wednesday, August 31st at Christian Fellowship Church located at 4100 Millersburg Road, Evansville IN 47725 beginning at 2 p.m. Family, friends and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend. Pastors Dale Beaver, Kris Holzmeyer, and Mike Thompson will be officiating.

Memorial contributions in memory of Ellie can be made out to Southwestern Indiana Right to Life or The Kyle Reagan Foundation of Second Baptist Church in lieu of flowers.

Double Spaced Update

2011-08-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

So "Double Space" actually took her weird spaced paper to school and asked the teacher if I was right about the spacing. The teacher just laughed and told her that her mom was right.

Far West Regional League

2011-08-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

The girls went to California this weekend to play in the Far West Regional League. Unfortunately I couldn't go. Both teams had a good showing. Each won 1 game and lost 1 game. For Anna's team this was their first region win and it was against a nationally ranked team! The coach from the other team told our coach that he was impressed with Anna. He said she gave his defenders "fits". Kayla's team got roughed up bit. Kayla came home with a bruised jaw, one teammate broke her wrist and another may have fractured her shoulder blade.

We go back to Cali this next weekend for The Blues Cup. Kayla will be playing with Anna's team and this time...I get to go too!

Double Spaced

2011-08-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

I need to change the name of this blog to "Weird things Kayla Does". The child is seriously hysterical. Today she asked me to come read a paper that she was writing for Honors Biology. The content was good, but I noticed that she had 2 spaces between each word. I told her that she needed to fix the spacing.

Kayla: "No, the teacher said it was supposed to be double spaced."
Me: "Kayla, double spaced means between each line not each word!"
Kayla: "Really??"
Me: "Yes!"
Kayla: "Are you sure?"
Me: "Yes, Kayla I'm sure!'

She went upstairs to fix the paper. When she came down she told me that she fixed it but she made a copy of it the other way in case she was right and I was wrong. Yep, she's an honors student. Oh poor poor Kayla!

Her new nickname is now Double Space!

Haboob

2011-08-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've lived in Phoenix for 11 years and have never heard of a Haboob until this summer. If you're not familiar with the term, a Haboob is a giant wall of dust. We have had 3 haboobs in the last 6 weeks. The last one was 1,000 feet high and traveled at least 50 miles into metro Phoenix and neighboring Pinal County. It can wreck havoc, but I'm not gonna lie...it's very cool to see. (From a distance of course!) The last haboob hit Thursday night canceling the girls soccer practice. A girl on Kayla's team said, "so if we have 2 haboobs are they called haboobies?" Yes, she's blonde but so what! HA!

I want this shirt.

Guitar Hero in a G String

2011-08-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer Anna decided that she wanted to play the guitar. She had an old guitar of Ryan's so I told her that we could see if Pastor Brad had time to give her lessons. She told me not to worry about it that she'd figure it out herself....and figure it out she did. The child got on You Tube and taught herself how to play! She's actually really good! She took the guitar over to my parent's house and my dad was so impressed that he went out and bought her a brand new guitar and a case. She carries that thing with her everywhere.

Last weekend Anna broke her G string. (Guitar G string people!) She called my dad and asked if she could borrow his G String. Some friends overheard the conversation and gave Anna the strangest look. I guess it does sound funny asking your grandpa if you can borrow his G string. HA HA!

The Shusher

2011-08-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Kayla sometimes gets overly impatient with people. Especially people who are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Last week she came home from school all upset. Apparently, in one of her classes, the teacher put them into groups for a project. Kayla was complaining that one of the girl kept talking the whole time and they couldn't get anything done. Here's the conversation that followed.

Me: "Why didn't you just tell the girl to shush?"
Kayla: "I couldn't do that. I'm not the shusher."
Me: "You're not the what?"
Kayla: "The shusher! You know like in elementary school when the teacher puts you into groups and gives everyone a job? Well I
was the recorder, not the shusher."
Me: "One of the jobs is shusher?
Kayla: "Yep!"
Me: "So who was the shusher?"
Kayla: "The girl who was talking!"
Me: "Well then as the recorder I would have written down on my paper that the shusher wouldn't shush and therefore your group
couldn't get anything done."

I ask Kayla everyday how the shusher is....and apparently...she's still talking!

Socks With Sandals

2011-08-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

When asked by her honors biology teacher what the theme song for her life would be, my sweet, crazy Kayla answered..."Socks With Sandals". If you have never heard the song (and I am betting most of you haven't) here is a short part of it.

Walking down the street....everybody's looking'
As I pass by they say "hey what's cooking'?"
I say, "nothin' much", but they don't care because at my feet they continue to stare....

Cause I'm bringing back SOCKS WITH SANDALS! WHAT-WHAT-WHAT! SOCKS WITH SANDALS!

And somehow....it fits her so well!

BCE?

2011-08-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

While helping Anna study for AP World History I came across something I didn't understand. In her book it had a date and 3 letters behind it...(3000 BCE). I asked Anna what BCE stood for and she said it meant Before Common Era. Seriously? Apparently "they" don't use BC (before CHRIST) any more because "they" are taking religion out of history. Really??? How is it even possible to take religion out of history? I asked Anna what was being used instead of AD and she said ACE (After Common Era). Of course...
What is this world coming too? They can't use BC/AD but can study evolution in Biology. Does anybody else see something wrong with this?

Ellison Kate

2011-08-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'd like to tell you about my dear friends April and Matt. In July 2009, April and Matt found out they were pregnant with their first daughter, Maddy. April carried Maddy 40 weeks and 4 days. They day before April was going to be induced, she woke with contractions. After arriving at the hospital they found out that Maddy had not survived. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her little arm twice, cutting off her life support. It was devastating to April and Matt, but their faith was strong and they knew that God was in control. In September 2010, April and Matt got pregnant with their second baby girl, Ellison Kate. During the pregnancy they found out that Ellie had Situs Inversus Totalis - all of her organs were reversed, she had 2 VSD and 1 ASD - holes in her heart, CCAM/CPAM - lung leison and one of her kidneys could not be found. You can only imagine how they felt. After losing their first child, they found out that their 2nd child was very sick. They temporarily moved from Evansville, to Cincinnati so that Ellie could have the best possible care at the Children's Hospital there. Ellie was born on May 25, 2011. She has spent the last 3 months in ICU. There have been many ups and downs in that time and the prognosis for little Ellie is not good. Through all the trials Matt and April have remained faithful and know that our God is bigger than anything we go through on this earth. They are truly a testament to God's love, faith and mercy. Although little Ellie may not make it through, Matt and April continue to praise God through the storm. Please keep them in your prayers. You can follow their story at http://ellisonkate.blogspot.com.

Gotta Love Her!

2011-08-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Diamondback

2011-08-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

What's 3 feet long, the diameter of a broom stick and rattles? The snake Ryan found in our yard the other night. He heard it when he stepped out on the back porch and found it curled up in the plants by the pool. It wasn't very happy to see us, but we weren't too excited to see him either. As I was looking on the internet for a snake wrangler....Ryan was pulling out his armory of weapons....1 BB gun, a paintball gun and a shovel. (Not sure what he was going to do with the paintball gun...probably just tick the snake off). Ryan got about 6 feet away, strapped a flashlight to the BB gun so he could see the little booger and then fired off one shot that hit the snake straight in the back of the head. The Kill Shot. Poor thing never knew what hit him. Ryan fired a few more times before he finally pulled the thing out of the bushes with the rake. He took it in the garage and spread it out. The rattle kept moving for about 15 minutes. A little creepy!

HIGH SCHOOL

2011-08-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello blogging world. It has been a long and busy summer, but school is back and so am I.

Yesterday was the first day of school for the Goebel girls. I took this when they weren't looking.

Kayla, my baby, started high school! She is a freshman. I can't believe it.

I now have 2 high schoolers! I am not old enough for this!

Anna is in 10th grade. I guess when you are in 10th grade you can get away with wearing a Sponge Bob shirt to school...

They seemed to have a good day. Good classes, good teachers....I'm not going to lie...I had a hard time accepting the fact that my little ones are now in high school. Where does the time go?

Twiggy

2011-06-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

Anna's team is playing indoor in a women's league this summer. I don't mind the girls playing adults...their skill level is definitely there and even better than most of the teams they play. However....they played a team last week that did NOT like losing to teenage girls. One woman was riding Anna all night long. (I guess she was mad that Anna scored 3 times!) She told Anna that she was going to break her twiggy little legs then a minute later she tried. She slide tackled Anna (going for her legs not the ball) and flipped her so that she landed flat on her back. She knew it was a foul so started walking nonchalantly back to the box even before the ref threw the blue card. Anna jumped up....ripped off her headband and took off after the girl. You know it's serious when Anna rips off the headband...hee hee! Not sure what she thought she was going to do when she caught up with the woman...she would have definitely eaten Anna for lunch! Anna told the coach that she needed to come out of the game to cool off. Good call Anna! After the game this man and his wife came up to Anna. They had been watching the game and told Anna what a good player she was and how that grown lady should have known better then to act the way she did. It's definitely not worth ending her soccer career, for a dumb indoor league with a bunch of old has beens.

Summer Time

2011-06-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

It has been an incredibly busy summer so far. I can't believe that it is already halfway through June! VBS, Kids Camp and basketball camp have kept me hopping! We had great turnouts at all of the events, but boy am I tired! Tomorrow is the last day of basketball camp and after that....I should be returning to a sense of normalcy....whatever that may look like. This week Ryan is in Big Bear at a youth camp, Anna and Kayla are on vacation with mom and dad and I am by myself. I thought it would be horrible, but I have been so busy that I barely noticed anyone was gone. The worst part is at night. I do not like being home by myself and have not slept well all week. I am thinking about getting some tylenol pm just so I can get a good nights sleep. I will be going to my sister's house tomorrow after basketball camp ends. Then Ryan comes home Saturday and the girls on Monday. I am at Barnes and Noble right now just chilling. I have boot camp and piyo tonight. Really could use a nap, but I'm thinking that no nap will = better sleep tonight. I guess we will see.

8th Grade Promotion

2011-05-26T09:08:00.001-07:00

Kayla promoted last night. They had a big promotion ceremony at Deer Valley High School on the football field. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as hot as Anna's last year, but it was just as long. Over 400 kids, 2 songs by the chorus and about 10 people making speeches...took forever! I don't really understand making a big deal out of finishing 8th grade, but it's apparently a big deal out here. There were people saving seats for 50+ people and some of the girls were dressed like they were going to prom. I had to make Kayla go and Anna and I were her only guests. Ryan had to work and I told the rest of the family to stay home. They better not miss high school and college graduation though! Here are some pics from the night.

Can't believe she is going to be in high school! She still looks like a baby!

Kayla and her friend Taneal. They were TA's together this year in the office.

The processional...Kayla looks so small

Desert Sky class of 2011

Kayla receiving her promotion certificate

My two FRESHMAN...Anna still has a half day of school.

YEA KAYLA!

Proud Mama! Love this girl!

Student Athlete of the Year

2011-05-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Who is the Female PE Student Athlete of the Year at Desert Sky? KAYLA GOEBEL that's who! She was voted unanimously by the coaches. What an honor. Kayla we are so proud of you!

Back Out

2011-05-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

My back is out...shot...kaput....I think I tweaked it on the leg press last Thursday and then finished it off during Piyo. Woke up Friday morning and could barely stand up straight. Tried to rest it this weekend and it is finally starting to feel better. I am taking the week off from the gym so it can heal and I don't hurt myself permanently. Bummed that I have to miss class, but don't want to risk doing more damage. This has happened to me before. I've got a weak low back so when I do get back to the gym I'm going to do some back strengthening exercises. The way I'm hobbling around you would think that I was about 65 not pushing 40!

Compete Nation

2011-05-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Kayla's soccer team was featured in a national sports magazine, Compete Nation. It is a great article with pictures and quotes from the girls. Check it out at the link below.
http://competenation.com/stories/arizona_banat_sc_98_girls

98 Girls 2nd in the State!

2011-05-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kayla and the 98 Banat Gold for taking 2nd in the state championship this weekend. Last year the team got 3rd so they were happy to improve this year. Kayla played defense most of the weekend and rocked it! That girl does not quit! We are so proud of all of you! Here are some pics from the weekend.

Not Noah's Ark

2011-05-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

This boat mysteriously appeared in our church parking lot a few days ago. We have no idea where it came from. Who just dumps their boat in a church parking lot? Random! The high school student who rents space #50 is a little annoyed that his parking spot is occupied every day. Apparently the police are looking into the matter. Wonder if it will take 40 days?!

ZUMBA

2011-05-11T08:42:00.001-07:00

Last night I went to a new Zumba class. I measure the success of Zumba on whether or not I get a craving for Mexican food. I'm sad to report that last night I did not get a craving. (oh I still got Mexican food...I just wasn't craving it.) The new teacher was nice and she had a ton of energy! Maybe Zumba is just better with a teacher named Garcia rather than a cute little blonde girl with a ponytail.

Road to the Finals

2011-05-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

The road to state finals was not an easy one for the 96 Banat Gold team. In order to make it to the championship game they had several hurdles to overcome including 3 girls leaving the team right before state and only 11 healthy players. The girls knew it would be tough, but they had a reputation to defend. With a 2nd place finish last year anything less would not be acceptable to them. Halfway thru they suffered a tough loss in double overtime that sent them to the loser's bracket. Some thought they had lost their edge, but they dug deep and fought their way back. They won the next 2 games 4-0 and 3-0 to 2 tough teams. Then in the semi finals they had to face the team that had knocked them into the loser's bracket. With no subs, they knew that was going to be difficult, but the girls played an amazing game! They struck fast and in the first 13 seconds of the game... Anna crossed the ball to CC who put in a beautiful header for a goal. Then Brylee took advantage of a PK and nailed the ball right over the goalie's head. Just before half Anna made a run that drew the goalie out and sent the ball into the back of the net for goal #3! The other team came back a little in the 2nd half and got a ball in on a corner and another on a free kick, but Kylee T answered that with a quick shot from the far post to make it 4-2. Unfortunately, when the other team realized they were about to lose they responded by playing dirty and took out Kylie's foot and CC's knee. Down 2 more, but on to the championships....the very next day. There was no time to recover and the girls were just too broken down, but they gave it their best and never gave up. After Drea got drilled in the head with a ball....they played the end of the game with just 10 players. I have never seen so much drive and heart in team like I did yesterday. The refused to quit, but in the end just couldn't pull it out. They lost 3-0 but earned the respect of everyone watching. I am so proud of these girls and 2nd in the whole state of AZ ain't too shabby!

The Voice

2011-05-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Possibly one of the best shows on tv right now is The Voice. My family and I were watching the show last night when to our surprise we saw a contestant that we knew...Cheri Oakley. Cheri's father is the former pastor of my in laws church. Ryan remembers Cheri singing in church with her family when she was a little girl. Cheri did a great job on the show last night and was picked by Christina to be on her team. Hopefully she will go far in the competition.

Workout=Chipotle!

2011-05-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

There is something about Zumba class that makes me want Mexican food real bad. I'm not sure if it's the music or what, but I can't wait for class to be over so I can stop at Chipotle on the way home. Now I know what you're probably thinking. What's the point of working out if you're just going to pig out afterwards... Not to worry. I'm very strict on how many calories I take in per day and I stay within that range. Plus I'm losing the weight so it must not be hurting me too bad right? (that's me justifying my addiction to myself!) The other day I was absolutely starving by the time class was over and all I could think about was getting to Chipotle as fast as possible. As I was walking through the parking lot I noticed a lady heading to Chipotle too. I quickened my step a little and to my surprise...she did too. So I sped up a little more and guess what? She sped up too. Oh no she didn't! There was no way this lady was going to get in line ahead of me (I'm a bit competitive). Before I knew it I was on a full out sprint to the door. I managed to beat her to the door by half a step and then....('m so ashamed) I pretended that I hadn't even noticed her as flung open the door and got in line. With a smug little smile I snuck a quick glance behind me only to realize that there was no one there. Where had she gone? I glanced around the restaurant and to my chagrin saw the lady that I had beaten to the door happily eating her food that her husband had already ordered. Who was laughing now? Not me that's for sure. Geesh! What is wrong with me?! That will teach me to be so competitive.

State Cup Weekend

2011-05-04T10:19:00.001-07:00

She shoots!

She scores!

Love seeing the ball in the back of the net!
4-0 victory over Alliance. Semi finals on Saturday!

Rattlesnake!

2011-05-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I decided to go hiking last night while the girls were at soccer practice. We left around 6:15 figuring we had plenty of time to get back before it got dark. We had the best time talking and laughing, but all that talking must have really slowed us down because before we knew it...it was dark and we still had a long way to go. Worried about coyotes we decided we'd better double time it down. Not an easy task on a rocky mountain trail in the dark. Since we didn't plan on still being on the mountain after dark we didn't have a flashlight...just Betty Jo's little cell phone for light. Luckily the moon was pretty full so we were able to see the trail well enough. What we didn't see was the huge rattlesnake in the middle of the trail until we were right up on it. Betty Jo was in the lead, followed by Deb with me bringing up the rear. All of a sudden Betty Jo stopped dead in the middle of the trail. We looked over and saw a huge rattlesnake about a foot away angrily shaking his rattle at us. Very carefully we backed up down the trail and then, I'm not gonna lie, we started to freak out a little. The snake was blocking the path and our way out. We could see the lights of the soccer field, but we were still about a quarter of a mile away and we could still hear that rattlesnake ahead on the path. There was no way we could go back up the mountain and down the other side in the dark and there was no way to cut through. By that time it was 8:15 and practice was over. We decided we'd better call Ryan to let him know we were ok, but that we had a slight problem. (More like a BIG HUGE SNAKE problem!!!) We got no sympathy from him just a lecture about the dangers of hiking on a mountain in the dark. Obviously no knight in shining armor was going to come rescue us so we did the only thing 3 grown women stuck in the dark on a mountain with an angry rattlesnake could do. We started throwing rocks. Big rocks, little rocks anything we could find to try and scare the snake away. Because it was so dark we had no idea if the snake had friends but we had to get off that mountain. After a few minutes we got quiet and listened for the snake. Betty Jo thought she heard it up the mountain, but it was so dark we couldn't be sure...we just knew that we were going to have to make a break for it. We gathered up a handful of rocks and started running throwing the rocks willy nilly as we went. Did I mention we were screaming like a bunch of little girls? We figured the more noise we made the better. We finally got in sight of the soccer field and stopped to catch our breath. We were excited to see the girls at the edge of the field yelling and waving at us. We thought they must have been so worried about us...but when we got closer we realized that they weren't yelling because they were relieved we were safe...they were yelling..."Can we go to Yogurtology?" Seriously...we could have died on that mountain and all they could think about was getting frozen yogurt?! Then to add insult to injury right when we got to the end of the path Kayla and Marisa decided to jump out from behind some bushes and scare 6 more years off our lives. What a crazy night it was! Deb and I decided to celebrate our narrow escape from the jaws of a huge Rattler with dinner at Chipotle! I will use any excuse to go to Chipotle.

State Championships

2011-05-02T09:45:00.001-07:00

The girls are in the middle of playoffs for state championships. Last year Anna's team came in 2nd and Kayla's team placed 3rd.

Kayla's team has not lost a game yet! The played an amazing game on Saturday against the state champions from last year. They tied 1-1, went into double over time and then won in a shoot out!!! It was so exciting! They now go on to the championship game in 2 weeks. The best part is since it's double elimination another team has to beat them twice in order to win. Either way Kayla's team has made it further than they did last year and the girls are so excited! Kayla hopes they win so they can go to regionals in Idaho in June.

Anna's team got beat in double overtime last weekend. It's a double elimination tournament so they went down to the loser's bracket and had to play 2 games this weekend to work their way back up. Her team has 3 key players out with injuries so they went into the weekend with only 1 sub. The first game was against another top team in the state. The girls dug deep, played hard and won 4-0! Anna scored 2 goals! Their next game was against a lower team in state, but you can never underestimate any team in a state championship. It was a very physical game and the other team got dirty when they started to lose. They had 3 yellow cards and a red card. Anna's team managed to avoid any more injuries and won 3-0. (Anna scored 1.) There are 3 teams left. Anna's team has to face the team that knocked them into the loser's bracket on Saturday. If they win they move on to the championship. Lose and they take 3rd. We have a long history with this team and they will be out for blood. Fortunately for us, one of their best players got a red card in the last game and will not be able to play in the game on Saturday.

I am so proud of both teams. The girls played so well! Can't wait to see what happens!

She Is A Girl

2011-04-26T14:24:00.001-07:00

Anna has always been such a tomboy! This year she's finally starting to come to terms with the fact that she is indeed a girl. It's been a year of firsts! She wore her first dress and her first hair bow (in I don't know how many years!) Still no makeup or ponytails, but we'll get there.

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T15:46:00.001-07:00

The Goebel Family Easter Sunday 2011

Baby Goebs

2011-04-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Check out some pictures of Baby Goebs this past weekend at State Cup.

I See London I See France...Why'd You Wear Your Underpants?

2011-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

My daughter and her friends wore underwear to school yesterday. Ok...they wore their sliders under them, but still....it was underwear. Apparently it is spirit week and yesterday was cartoon day. So...Anna and her buddies wore their cartoon boxers. Well at least everything was covered up.

A Mark of Wisdom

2011-04-21T09:14:00.001-07:00

I had the honor of helping a family friend with her IB project this year. She created a coffee table book using architectural photos that she had taken. She did a fantastic job!! Last night, all the students in the program presented their personal projects. I was very impressed! There were some amazing projects, but of course Nathalie's was the best! Congrats Nathalie! You worked super hard and your book was amazing. You can check out Nathalie's book at A Mark of Wisdom www.blurb.com.

The Prankster

2011-04-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

My sister is the world's best prank caller. When we were in college we spent many, many hours being entertained by my sister's pranks. Once I got a call at work (a yogurt shop) from a girl asking if I had her luggage. I tried to explain that it was a yogurt store, but she kept insisting that she got a phone call from the airport saying they had her luggage and to call this number. I had my suspicions and asked the frantic caller if she had been on an airplane lately. She said no. (I knew it). I asked why the airport would have her luggage if she hadn't even flown on a plane. She didn't know (dumb). Then I asked if she was a freshman at Samford and she said "YES!" (of course). I told her she'd been pranked. Guess who pranked her?

My sister's favorite thing to do was torture freshman. She loved to call the freshman dorm and pose as the phone company. She'd tell the unsuspecting freshman on the other end of the phone that they needed to set the phone down...walk 10 feet back and yell as loud as they could so she could "test" how well the phones worked. We would roll on the ground laughing as we listened to them yell, then quickly run back to phone and ask if she heard them. Most of the time she would tell them to do it again, only this time go back 20 feet!!!

My very favorite prank of all times took place in my dorm room. From my window you could see directly into the guys' dorm across the way. One day we watched as a guy went into the bathroom, dropped his pants and sat down on the toilet. (The wall was blocking part of the view so mostly we just saw legs with pants around the ankles.) As soon as he sat down my sister called over to his room. The guy jumped up, pulled up his pants and ran to answer the phone. As soon as he answered the phone my sister hung up. Puzzled the guy went back to the bathroom, dropped his pants and sat down on the toilet. Again my sister called, he jumped up, pulled up his pants and ran to answer the phone. She hung up. (By this time half of the girls dorm was in my room watching the action.)This happened about 3 more times....Finally...he jumped up didn't bother to pull up his pants and waddled over to the phone. Poor guy, but best prank ever!

Many times I'd be on campus and hear someone talking about the prank phone call they got the night before. Once I heard a girl telling a group of her friends about a particular prank call. Almost everyone in the group said they got the same call. Yep...that was my sister!

Little Ellie

2011-04-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends in Indiana is expecting a baby in a few weeks. There have been some complications and she and her husband and dog (I can't believe I just mentioned the dog) have relocated to Cincinnati to wait for baby Ellie to arrive. Please keep them in your prayers as they get ready for the birth of their beautiful little girl. April has set up a website to keep friends informed
ellisonkate.blogspot.com. April and Matt would appreciate all your prayers!

Weekend Recap

2011-04-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend for the Goebel family. Kayla had a state cup soccer game on Saturday. The girls played great and they won 1-0. Anna's team didn't fare as well. They lost in the last 3 minutes of double over time. Hard loss for the girls, but the tournament is double elimination so they are still in it. They just have to work a little harder to get back to the top. On Saturday night the girls and I went and saw Soul Surfer... Great, Great movie!!!! I highly recommend going to see it if you haven't already. The very best part of the weekend was that I finally reached my goal weight!!! I have lost 20 pounds since February! I'm so excited! Today I put on some shorts that I haven't been able to wear in about 3 years! WOOP! Well I'd better get to work. I've got a lot to do this week.

What's That Smell

2011-04-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out what that awful smell coming from my car's air conditioner is..."New car smell". Apparently Ryan has the car wash install it every time he takes the car in to get detailed. The girls and I have been trying to figure out the funk for the past few months and believe me, it smells anything but NEW. We just assumed it has something to do with the stinky cleats that seem to have taken up permanent residence in the backseat. Ryan seemed surprised that we didn't think it smelled like a new car. While we appreciate the thought, we asked him to try a different scent (on better yet...no scent) the next time he takes the car in.

The Big Pizza Debate

2011-04-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods. I could eat it every day for every meal and never get tired of it. When Ryan and I got married and we moved to the farm, my biggest complaint was that there was no pizza delivery. I thought I must have moved to the middle of nowhere. I mean what kind of place was I living in that had no pizza delivery and no cable?? Years later, after we finally started to get pizza delivery, I submitted a recipe to the church cookbook. It went something like this...
Pick up the phone, dial 555-5454,give them your coupon, wait 30 minutes or less, then eat your delicious pizza!

Today, we had quite a lively debate about real pizza and fru fru pizza on FB. My husband likes Mellow Mushroom and all those fru fru pizza joints. I on the other hand don't go for "trendy" pizza. I prefer it in it's purest form. Plus I am just way too cheap to spend $20 for a pizza when I can go across the street and get it HOT and READY for $5. $20 bucks at Mellow Mushroom can feed half my family while $20 at the other place can feed Anna and Kayla's soccer teams.

As for my favorite kind of pizza I would have to say pepperoni, but if I am feeling adventurous I will order pepperoni, sausage, green peppers and onion. Hand tossed or thin rule over deep dish any day of the week. Chicago style pizza...I ain't feelin' it.

Here are my top 5 all time favorite pizza places!

1. Two Nice Guys in St. Louis (YUM YUM YUM!!!)
2. Turoni's Pizza in Evansville, Indiana
3. NYPD Pizza in Phoenix (they have a great menu and it's not all just pizza)
4. Hungry Howies (best carryout place in Phoenix. They have flavored crusts!)
5. Little Caesars (mostly because it is close and cheap...although I do like their pizza)

Top 5 Worst Pizza Places
1. Pizza Hut
2. Mellow Mushroom (fru fru)
3. Kipleys (in Evansville not near as good as Turonis)
4. CPK (California Pizza Kitchen...(fru fru too)
5. Imos (also in St. Louis but NOT delicious!)
*Dominos used to be at the top of that list but since they changed their recipe it's not half bad.

It's your turn to weigh in. What kind of pizza tops your list?

My Life

2011-04-13T08:42:00.001-07:00

Today my daughter showed me this website where eople put a little blurb about the crazy things that happened to them during their day. Here are a few of the ones I thought were funny.

Today, I wore a Stanford college T-shirt to school. My Spanish teacher took one look at it and said "You wish".

Today, my dad set my hair on fire while cooking. He then tried to convince me that it spontaneously combusted.

Today I was robbed. They took my father's ashes. (that's sad and strange)

Today my 4 year old daughter came to me with her finger in her ear. She announced to everyone that her earwax tasted better than the dinner I made last night.

Today I was bending over pulling brownies out of the the oven. My husband walked by and slapped my butt. I fell into the oven.

Today I attended a funeral and my phone went off in the middle of it. My ringtone is..."It's Good To Be Alive".

Today I learned that when I leave skid marks in the toilet my wife uses my toothbrush to clean them up.

Today I watched my dog chase his tail thinking...."wow dogs are easily entertained"...then I remembered I had been watching my dog chase his tail for the last 10 minutes.

Out With A Bang

2011-04-13T08:28:00.001-07:00

Kickboxing last night ended with a bang! Literally! While we were in the middle of our intense anaerobic 2 minute turbo time, one of the lights in the ceiling came crashing down. Nicked one of the guys in the head, but didn't hurt him thank goodness. The classes at my gym are up in this loft area. Glass fell down on the gym floor below, but luckily no one was standing underneath. Had to stop to clean it up, and then we had to do Turbo all over again. : (

Speaking of the gym....this lady came into Zumba the other night with so much perfume on that I couldn't breath. Seriously? Who wears perfume to the gym. It will not cover up sweaty stink. The class was jammed packed so we didn't have much space and she kept turning the wrong way and bumping into me. It was only her first class though so she will get the hang of it. Hopefully next week she will leave the perfume at home.

98 State Cup

2011-04-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Kayla's team had their 1st state cup game yesterday. They won 3-0! It was a great game. The girls have been in a little slump so it was nice to see them come out and play so well. Great job ladies!!! Only 4 more games to the championship!

UEFA Championships

2011-04-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

It is time for the quarterfinals of the UEFA Championships. Yesterday, one of my favorites, Manchester United, took on rival Chelsea.
It was on in the middle of the day so I watched it from work on my slingbox. The picture wasn't great, but how amazing is it that I can watch my home tv at work?!! Although I do love Chelsea's Torres, I was pulling for the boys in red. One of our club coaches, Willy Watson, played for Man U back in the day, plus I just can't bring myself to root for a team that wears the same uniform as Sereno. (Sereno is our big rival in club and they wear Chelsea uniforms.)

My other favorite team played yesterday too. Barcelona. They stomped their opponent 5-1. Kayla's all time favorite player, Iniesta plays for Barca. That's why her team calls her Ini. Well that and the fact that there was already a Kayla on her team.

The teams all play each other again next week. Let's hope Man U can pull another win!

Pity Party

2011-04-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today I've been having my own little pity party. My kids are growing up and don't seem to need, or want, me around very much and after years of doing everything with and for them, I'm feeling a little lonely. Now I hate going places by myself, but I figured I might as well get used to it...so after class I went to the Ihop for some pancakes. I got seated next to a family with 3 little kids and that's where the pity party stopped....abruptly! Those kids were all over the place whining and crying and the poor mom was trying to eat in between wiping noses and cleaning up spills. I really REALLY do not miss those days! I would not trade places with that woman for anything. I enjoy my kids much more now that they are older, but I do wish they weren't so busy I miss the hugs!