Soccer Summer

Our summers are filled with soccer, soccer, and more soccer. Grey joined kinderkickz this year and LOVES it. His soccer bag is always packed and waiting by the front door waiting for his next soccer practice. His green uniform that matches daddy is always out and ready to go for when he goes and watches daddy on Sundays. Needless to say, soccer is a big part of our family :) And our family includes alot of the soccer community!

August was a huge soccer month for us...with lots of highs and unfortunately lows this year.

Zippy played at Sonoma State so every year they have a big alumni soccer game. The one advantage of living just around the corner from the college is that we get to play host family when everyone comes to town! The Parish's came to stay with us and it is always such amazing chaotic fun to hang out with them!! Tanya and I decided that the kids need to have outfits to support their daddy's this year... I think they turned out pretty good!

Enjoying some adult time later after the game...one of the alumni has a winery, Malm Cellars. Wonderful evening!!

 The next day, though, was a rough one. While Zippy was out playing with his Over-30 team, one of their teams mates seemed to go into a seizure on the sidelines and had passed away before he got to the hospital. Matt Sokol was only 42 and had gotten married only two weeks prior. Matt had been off the field for the first part of the season and Grey and him had spend many games cheering together on the sideline. He helped watched Grey when I couldn't be there. Grey was only a few yards from him when it happened and was there when the firetruck and ambulance showed up to take them away. It was devastating. It's hard to deal with a loss like this but even harder when it hits close to your children. We told Grey what had happened and every so often, Grey will say, " I really really really miss Matt." It just broke my heart! Here is an article about this amazing person who touched our lives too briefly:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120819/ARTICLES/120819506?tc=ar

The Black Oaks at the service

 Bagpipe/team ceremony before the next game