first and ten! and 2 wins!!

we've had a lot going on this past week, much of it had to do with football, and i'm totally okay with that! i love football!! my Man is a very blessed husband in this regard :)

the best game i attended this week had to be tuesday night's game where my son was the focus of my attention...

if you can see the number 32, then that's my boy, but quite honestly when i went back to edit the pictures i couldn't tell which one was him... i know, i'm a loser, but at least i snapped some photos!

i was mightly disappointed that i couldn't find my cowbell before we left for his game, there can't ever be enough cowbell :) however that didn't stop our team from winning the game!

yep! the boys pulled out a victory, 16-12, so we are undefeated!! and he had a great time, had a great run, lots of tackles that put a stop to the offense, and i was a very pleased mama because he so thoroughly enjoyed himself!

...but i was a rather exhausted mama for my boy's game, especially after the 3 hour drive we had just taken from the football game we were at the night before...

oh ya, baby!! my Man and i took a mini-vacation monday & tuesday and headed for kansas city to watch the chiefs opener for monday night football...

it was awesome!! did i say i love football?! i do! and i love going to an nfl game, it is an impressive experience, and arrowhead was electric!!

we got up to KC early enough to head to dinner with some great friends we were meeting at our hotel and then it was off to the stadium to tailgate out with a few (tens of) thousand of our closest friends!

i had such a splendidly fantastic time spending the evening with my Man and also hanging out with our friends...

we made the long jaunt towards the stadium and stopped for a quick pic in front arrowhead...

it was about 8:15p and the gates were flooded with crazy fans and the screams of chiefs fans all around!!

since it was opening night and monday night football and the stadium has been completely overhauled (and it was magnificent!!! i was awe-struck!) there was quite a show planned before kickoff with fireworks to boot!

i was texting pictures to envious 'P' and Girlie, who were watching it all on television

and i was never so thankful for the chiefs to pull out a win, no matter how sloppy it was, it was still an wonderous end to a glorious day with my Man....

but i was ever so tired as we climbed into our bed at the hotel just shy of 2am.... i don't even remember the last time i was up at 2am unless it was to care for sickly kiddo! it was even better to sleep in past 6am :) we stopped to eat the most fabulous breakfast on our way home and did i mention how we had such a great time being together on our little escape?! it was beautiful...

and as a bonus our team won... the chiefs, just in case you were wondering

and the winner is...and football stuff

i am so excited to announce who the winner of my very first blog giveaway is!!! i wish i had dramatic background music blaring in through the speakers with trumpets blasting.... oh, is that too much?! okay then the blessed recipent of an awesome, hand poured Bonnots Mill candle from my fav boutique, Flame and Flair, is brandi!!! i got a chance to head over to your blog and learn a little about you last night, cute family... thanks for playing, promise me you'll stick around awhile, okay?! shoot me an email (floodedbygrace@gmail.com) and let me know where to send the candle.

if you're bummed that random.org didn't choose you to win the sweet candle, then click over to Flame and Flair and pick yourself out a scentous candle, a sparkling piece of jewelry and a posh handbag. you'll feel all better, guaranteed.

---------------------------------

i love football!! with a hardcore passion, i most assuredly love football!! i get all painted up and decked out before 'P's games, make banners for his team to crash through as they storm the field to dominate the game as i clang my cowbell hootin' and hollerin' for my boy! and i don't have some weak excuse for a cowbell but a real heavy iron-right from the cow's neck-out in my family's pasture-cowbell; it's loud and i like it!! you might be giggling to yourself, embarassed for me, but don't be i love it, but more importantly my son loves it. it is completely normal to him that his mama gets all decked out for him to support and cheer for him during the game. and his friends and teammates love it! if i show up without crazy things in my hair they wonder what happened?!! fun, huh?

i will have a picture taken of me and 'P' after his last game this week but for now enjoy this stud-ly photo of my future hall of famer in his stance before the snap. he is the starting tight end on the left side and the back-up quarterback, and the d-lineman on defense. if you don't understand any of that, no big, just know that he has an awesome God-given talent that he works diligently to hone and polish.

and speaking of football, i had previously touched on the fact that my Man and i took the big kiddos to the KC Chiefs game on sunday against my the Dallas Cowboys. now i am forever & always a cowboys fanatic, but i will cheer on the chiefs all day because i just love my Man that much, however i had to stand by my team in this first meeting of the cowboys and chiefs.

so my babes were all decked out in chiefs attire, looking awesome in their red!! and i was sporting my cowboys colors, and yes they still allowed mama to walk with them. it was an incredibly fun and memorable day, especially for daddy and 'P' as this was another in a long line of bonding experiences. and 'Lou-Who' had a good time as well sitting on mama's lap and secretly cheering not only for the chiefs but along with me too!! sssshhhhh... keep it on the down-low...

there were friends and family that seemed worried about this game: my Man is kinda touchy about his team but he has grown a lot over the years and a loss doesn't ruin his whole day now. but we stood by the fact that we can cheer for our teams, talk a little friendly smack about the competition and not cross any lines. it is just a game, and i am going to be married to this splendid Man for another 60 years (by God's grace) and why choose this as one of my battles; that's just dumb!! i love him more than i care about rubbing it in that my team won (and they did win, but just barely).

i feel like this principle applies to all married couples: we should be careful about the battles we choose, cautious about drawing that 'line in the sand' because we can create an atmosphere of tension and animosity that is unneccesary. i have definitely been guilty of "standing my ground" on some things that in hindsight were simply stupid! i'm a big girl, i'll say i have made many a mistake and hopefully fewer and fewer as time goes on. it's our blasted tongues that get us into trouble and it is only relenting my stubborness to the Lord and letting Him transform my thoughts and my heart that the things that come out will be loving, humble and life-giving.

when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. Proverbs 10.19 how true, if i would simply listen more and talk less the Lord can speak to me first before i open my mouth, if it should be opened at all. can you relate?

whoever guards his mouth preserves his life, he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Proverbs 13.3 i want to edify those around me with my words, not destroy them, which i'll be honest has always been a bit of an issue for me. we all have, myself most certainly included, the ability to make someone feel about an inch tall. i am able to think on my feet, serves me well in my advertising n' sales career but have sadly used it too many times in my life to make others feel less than they should. what a terrible witness to Christ's love in me and proof that significant parts of my heart and mind were not transformed. i'm forgiven: yea!!! but no excuse to not pray for that part of me to be completely redeemed, and by the Lord's amazing grace flooding my heart and soul i have had much victory in this area of my life over the last two or three years, thank you Jesus!! :) have you been here? cut someone down, felt good for a second, make you feel sick later?

here's proof that no one's tongues got the better of us sunday.... a picture of a happy family after the game. sweet, huh..

-----------------------

and just because i didn't have any scrumptious pictures of my little babe since he didn't go on the road trip to KC, here's a new fav photo of 'K' and mama just playing with the camera in the car!!

---------------------------

if you get the chance swing over to the right sidebar and see what's going on in my community. we can talk and debate issues, we get a chance to interact more, so let's do life together!!

new post coming tomorrow about natural medicine and keeping healthy this winter the natural way!!

p.s. please continue to keep my dear friends, the Kaat family, in your prayers.