Had a great Thanksgiving in the desert camping and riding with friends.

Jake has had a banner couple of weeks, from getting straight A’s on his report and crushing the competition at the races last week, to this past Tuesday at his football banquet being one of the few players specifically singled out for his hard work and dedication to the team this past season. On Wednesday we surprised him with his early Christmas/birthday present, a brand-new KTM 250. He also had high school soccer tryout this week and made the team. On Saturday, he got to try out his new bike at our local track and was literally flying. Sunday, we went to probably San Diego’s best mountain bike trail with one of my Navy buddies. Both boys have off school this week and we head to the desert for a few days to camp, ride and celebrate Thanksgiving with friends! Tyler went to check out his new rugby league at a meet and great on Saturday. Sunday, we went to his football banquet, and he got to hang out and swim with his football buddies. These boys are living their best lives!!

Thursday, I met Tyler at his school for a veteran’s appreciation lunch. We camped and rode over the weekend at our local track. The boys had a blast hanging out with their friends. Jake crushed it and won both his classes with a lot of competition. Both boys are doing amazing in school and brough home straight A’s on their report cards!

We got Jake's football pic

Tyler helping put his new dresser together

We had family game night Friday. Tyler is the ultimate smack talker, but he backed it up with winning the last round of Rummy Cube. Jake and I went on a local mountain bike ride Saturday. Jake had his last club soccer game of the season on Sunday. No more sports… for a week, then he tries out for high school soccer. 

Tyler playing Uno with one of his buddies

Happy Halloween!

We had friends and neighbors over Sunday night for our annual jack-o’-lantern carving get together. It was fun to recreate a picture from 6 years ago. Tyler and Dungey dominated Halloween this year dressing up as Russell and Dug from the movie “Up”. Tyler won funniest costume at school. We rigged up Dungey’s collar with a speaker to play clips of Dug talking from the movie and he was a huge hit with the trick-or-treaters. Jake went trick-or-treating with friends for a little bit, then came back to our house for a movie and popcorn.

Tyler helping make and taste-test cookies

Getting in his laps to make room for Halloween candy

2016

2022

Russell and Dug

A LOT going on with the boys the past week. One of Tyler’s football teammates hosted a pool party and fun was had by all. Jake’s team won their last game against their rivals, Rancho Bernardo. It was a close and incredible game with a lot of back and forth. Probably the best football game I’ve ever seen. Jake completed 3 of 3 PAT (they won by 3), even one that was pushed back 5 yards after a penalty and with a different holder after the normal one got injured. The win also made them the league champions. The next day his team got to meet and be congratulated by Drew Brees! 

Tyler’s team unfortunately lost and are out of the playoffs. It was also a good and very close game. Tyler was pretty sad, but it was cute to learn that he was most sad at not being able to see his football teammates every day at practice. A lot of his teammates are going to play rugby, so he is interested in trying that. Jake, his buddy Nolan and I, went camping over the weekend and they raced on Sunday. That Saturday evening all the kids dressed up, people decorated their campers and handed out candy for a “track-or-treat”, which was really fun. Jake did awesome and got first in one of his classes.

Jake has a new “friend” from school.

Tyler working on a school science project. Building a cooler out of scratch. He has some great design ideas. 

Tyler and his friend playing together … virtually?

Tyler went out for the coin toss.

Loser of ring toss had to run to the jersey wall and back 😊