Whew! It’s Monday, and I finally have a moment to catch my breath!
I rang in the new year by participating in a Knit-Along on KnittingHelp.com. I probably should have gone to bed before midnight because I had a whirlwind of a couple of days afterward.
Chicky and I spent New Year’s evening attending the wedding of two very special people. Mr. T has been an intern (and has been hired full-time as the middle school youth pastor) at our church. His fiancee worked at the church last summer, so we got to know her really well. What a joy to attend their wedding.
We stayed for part of the reception and then headed out-of-town. Chicky’s team was participating in Disney’s Soccer Showcase…a very important tournament for players who want to play soccer in college. Many, many college coaches attend this event.
Chicky’s team had won its first two games, so we were eager to join them. We drove as far as Grand Pooba and Coupon Queen’s house before hunkering down for the night. After only six hours of sleep, we rose again to head out.
Ugh. Driving in the dark should be against the law. There is absolutely no reason to be out on the road at 5:30 in the morning when warm beds await at home.
I did good until about 45 minutes away from Orlando. Chicky insisted that I stop at one of the Turnpike’s plazas where we got some fresh air (nice and cool for Florida) and picked up a bottle of Coke. She pointed out the Mt. Dew, but I refrained. I had made myself a promise not to drink any more, and I also knew how easy I can fall off the wagon. We justified the Coke because it was only for the caffeine.
The stop helped, and I felt refreshed and able to drive the rest of the way.
We had left so early that we were able to stop at the hotel where the team had been staying.
What a GORGEOUS hotel!! We stayed at the Hyatt Place. Oh my gosh! The lobby was AMAZING, as were the rooms…
Luxurious, eh?
Fortunately, we weren’t able to check in until after her game because if I had seen those beds, I might have jumped into one and not come out in time for the game!!
Chicky and I went to her game, and she played well considering that she was exhausted and had just ridden in the car four and a half hours. Her team won 5-0, I think, and we headed back to the hotel.
Chicky’s coach took the team to the Ale House for dinner, and the parents stayed behind. I crawled into one of those fabulous beds and took a three and a half hour nap. I was absolutely exhausted. I woke when Chicky got back to the room after dinner. After a leisurely dinner in the hotel lobby, I meandered back to my room, where I got another ten hours of sleep.
When the alarm went off on Sunday, I was more than rested and felt ready to take on the day.
Chicky and I headed back to the fields. Her team had made it into the finals, and she was playing against a former teammate.
We won handedly and headed to the awards ceremony.
45 minutes later, we were back on the road, headed for home.
As I drove, I thought about the many times Chicky had played at Disney. Her first go-round was when she was ten years old. She was guesting with an older team, and they were playing in the Spring Break tournament. Chicky didn’t see much playing time because she was so much smaller than the other players, but she had fun and got to experience victory.
The second time Chicky played at Disney was after we had moved to north Florida. She and two other teammates guested with her former team from down south, and they won! It was a sweet victory!
She’s played at several of Disney’s Christmas tournaments, but I’ve never gotten to attend…either because Rooster was sick or we needed to save $$ by me staying home.
That’s why it was important for me to attend this one.
Watching Chicky play a game using the talents God has given her brings an incredible joy to my heart.
Filed under: soccer | Tagged: Disney Soccer Showcase, soccer, travel | 1 Comment »
AuburnChick's Adventures 