Happily Ever After...: Dream Season

This is the fifth year I've stood on the sideline of many a high school soccer game, watching play after play and cheering for one team of guys after another. Trav's been a head coach for all these years and while we always cheer for his team, it's no secret that I'm really there to cheer on him! I love seeing Trav across the field and I love to watch him in action. He has coached some great kids over the years and that has resulted in some fun teams to watch. I never played soccer in high school and before I met Trav I didn't care a whole lot about it. But with as many hours as I have logged over these last five seasons, I know a whole lot about it now!

Soccer is a perfect fit for Trav, it's a relatively short season and it's a lot of time spent outside during a gorgeous stretch of Minnesota weather. Plus he loves the game like crazy and has played it most of his life. The kids and I try to go to as many games as we can, for the same reasons. If Daddy has to be away a few nights a week, then we want to at least be where he is so we can support him and because it keeps all of us from resenting the time he spends away from home. It's easier to let him go when we understand why he's going and when we're excited about what he's doing. And let me tell you, this season has been SO exciting for all of us!!!

I haven't been able to blog as the season has unfolded, simply because my head has barely been above water as I've juggled an extra load at home. BUT, I've been dying to write about it because it's been a one-of-a-kind season! For the first time ever, Trav's guys went UNDEFEATED all season, winning their conference regular season record and making school history in men's soccer! Leading up to their conference tournament last week, they were 14-0!!! That is SUCH an accomplishment and with each win it felt more and more amazing to consider that no one had beat them this year. We had a few close games, but we also won plenty of them with a lot of margin. SO, after winning the first round of their conference tournament last Thursday, we were able to play in the championship last Saturday afternoon.

It was a gorgeous, Fall day but it was freezing!! I knew it would be too cold to bring Walker but there was no way I was missing this game, so I got a sitter at the last minute for Walker and Ava, while Carter came along with me.

It was an intense game (mostly due to the officiating) but as you might guess from the sweet leap above, we won!!! We grabbed an early lead and hung on to finish the game 4-2.

I cannot tell you the relief I felt when that last whistle blew!! Although it wouldn't have been the end of the world to lose, it felt SO SWEET to cap off this amazing season with a tournament win as well! I have been nervous for WEEKS just thinking about how great it would be to have an undefeated season, but I tried not to think about it. The pressure that mounts with each win is a little crazy, but I am married to the most level-headed and steady man in the world. There were more than a few times that I just tried to get him a little worked up about it just so I didn't feel like I was the crazy one!! But he would not give in to my nerves, he's irritatingly calm sometimes :)

However, when the game was over and I got to see that big smile on his face, it was so great!!!

I am incredibly proud of him and of course the guys on his team. They will always have this fun memory from their high school days! They worked so hard this year and played so well together, it is an honor they deserved.

Although the winning has been great, my favorite sight after every single game is always seeing my man and his players, praying with and for the other team after the game. An undefeated season is awesome, but this simple act of humility and serventhood is so much better in many ways!

After the prayer ended, Carty couldn't wait to get across that field and congratulate his Daddy!

And he even managed to get himself in the team picture!

I love that Trav let him share this moment with him! Four years ago Trav's team won the conference tournament as well in a last minute, miracle shot and after all the excitement, Carter was born the next morning!

A week later and Carter still talks about Dad's team winning the trophy. This was such a special day for us to spend together and for him to share with his Daddy.

So deserved!

I know Travis will miss this team and the great Senior leadership he had. They were a fun mix of players to watch and we enjoyed watching them all season.

Carter got his hands on the hardware too!

Hoping someday we can repeat this picture when Carter is older and playing on his own team!

I don't care what anyone else thinks, but I am married to the best soccer coach in the world! I love him so much, I told him recently that one of the things I appreciate most about him is that I never, ever worry during a game about him losing his cool or flipping out over a bad call. He is so calm and such a great example for his players. That is rare in the world of coaching these days and I adore him for it.