Yes, we are still in the throws of soccer.  All three again are in soccer and both Isaac and Job are refferees.  For 10 weeks we have soccer four out of 5 nights and then spend Saturday on the soccer fields.  John is coaching Job's team and is assistant coach on Lona's team.  It makes for a busy 10 weeks.  I feel much better about it this year.  I think it's because all I have to do is drop off the kids at practice and John brings them home.  Last year I was dropping them off, then running errands or going home to get things ready for some other activity and then going back to pick them up.  I was starting to  hate soccer.  I just was burnt out.  This year I think that John is getting a little burnt out.  He doesn't get home until after 7pm.  He leaves a little after 6 am for work then goes straight to soccer practices.  Wednesdays he's dropping the boys off at youth group. So he really doesn't have that day to recoup.  On days that Lona's coach is out of town, John takes over that practice.  We must love soccer in order to go through all that and we do.  There is so much that we love about it.  We love the team work soccer teaches.  We love the discipline that it teaches.  We love the sportsmanship and the respect it teaches.  We love that it teaches a skill that the kids can use for the rest of their life, that soccer is fun, and being active is fun.

I have watched Isaac play soccer for over 9 years; that's 18 seasons.  Two seasons a year.  This year there are only 4 teams and Ferndale makes up two of those teams.  They are young, mostly freshman with one or two older kids.  Isaac has played with most of these kids off and on through the years.  It's been competative in the past with last year winning the Whatcom Cup. This year is more laid back.  The parents only really show up when we have a tailgate party.  We've had two so far.  I send out an email and the food shows up.  Once the ref didn't show up so a kid (little brother) barely 11 years old reffed the game.  It was funny, he really got into it and gave out a couple of cards.  That day Ferndale was playing ourselves.  The players like to tease each other out on the soccer field and I'm liking how much fun they are having with each other.  I think competition is great, it teaches a lot but sometimes I think it's great to find the joy in the activity again.