GOAL!!!

Last night, Grandma and Grandpa took the whole family to the Sounders game (Seattle's pro-soccer team). Never having been to a pro-soccer game, I had no idea what to expect. Hannah wore her soccer camp jersey (signed by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado who came to camp one day and talked to the kiddos). We arrived to the sound of the pep band playing and this giant soccer ball . . .

They had fun free activities for the kids once we got inside the gate . . . free is always my favorite price!! The girls both tried their hands (or their feet) at kicking a soccer ball through a hole.

We stood and watched the band play for a bit and danced along to the fun music. They are musicians of all ages and they love their job . . . they even had routines to go along with the songs!! The girls thought it was pretty awesome. They have not been to a big stadium since they can remember (they both went to Mariners games but were pretty tiny) so they were amazed by the size . . . of the bathroom! I cracked up watching their faces as they froze in the middle and said, "there are soo many toilets!!" I couldn't wait for them to see the actual field!!

Before finding our seats, we went to the pro-shop to buy pom-poms for the girls . . . not free but totally worth the fun and added interest into cheering (an important thing for the waning attention spans of a 5 and 8 year old). We walked out through the tunnel into view of the field and they were speechless . . . Quest field is absolutely beautiful (even though I have been there before, I was still in awe myself!)

The weather could not have been more perfect . . . we found our seats and settled in for some fun.

I was ready for a low scoring (or no scoring) experience as most soccer matches prove to be. A season ticket holder in our area handed out homemade red cards to add to the experience. Much to my pleasant surprise, there was never a dull moment. From watching the crazy fan section (chanting, singing, clapping, drumming, dancing in lines together, and over all having a great time from the start to the finish), watching Haley light up and laugh every time they bounced a ball off their heads and getting the greatest kick out of flashing her red card with the refs, sharing kettle corn and homemade lemonade, and jumping up to cheer for the 4 goals the Sounders made, it was a great new experience!!

After the game, on the way back to the car, Haley said, "We need to thank Grandma and Grandpa because that was fun!! I didn't think I liked soccer but that was the best night ever!!" I'd say she enjoyed the evening. And Hannah was beyond thrilled that "her player" was on the field the entire time and "I actually got to meet him, he actually signed my shirt, and he actually kicked my ball into a goal at soccer camp." Fun memories, shared experiences and new adventures . . . what life should be about!