CHOOSING THE RIGHT

Every third Thursday of the month I volunteer, during school lunch hours, at the Spirit Store. When your child comes into the cafeteria, it is customary to go over and visit with them for a minute at their table before the chaos begins at the store. So this past Thursday that is exactly what I did, but what I came upon will forever be embedded in my memory of not only the Spirit Store, but more importantly the actions of Nick.

So this is what went down: During lunch, you are only allowed 6 kids at a table. Nick was at his table along with 5 other boys when one of the boys who was already at the table with him, who is in need of friends, wanted to switch seats with Nick. So Nick got up to trade places with this boy when another boy swooped in and took this boys seat. Needless to say, the boy that took the seat would not move which forced the boy, that is in need of friends, to move to another table that did not have all the boys at it. The next thing I know, I see Nick grab his tray of food and move to the other table with that boy, leaving all of his buddies at the other table.

I asked him quietly why he moved. He was fighting back tears trying to be as discrete and brief as possible, so I got the point and left it at that. So on Friday afternoon, while we were laying on our living room floor, I decided to ask him about what happened the previous day at lunch. He told me the same thing as the prior day but with more detail. As we were laying on the floor discussing it, I was expressing to him how proud I was of him and how he handled the situation, tears began to well up in both of our eyes. I told him that his actions truly made that boy feel important and liked.

As a parent, you strive to teach your children to be an advocate for those that perhaps don't have the personality or the means to be one for themselves and to do what is right even when it is not necessarily the easiest thing to do. That is exactly what he did. He made a very BIG statement without saying a word to all of his buddies about how to treat others.

WHO ARE WE? CHAMPIONS!!!!

Nick and his buddy Tyler getting ready for the BIG GAME!

Matthew and Danny Pellar going over the plays with Coach Dave Cichey

Matthew on the sideline waiting to go onto the field.

Championship photo
Nick jumping in for a photo with the team. He really was an awesome fan!
Matthew, Chris and Ian after the celebration!
Our family

So this is how it all went down in a nut shell.

4 quarters of football with a score of 0 to 0.

It was a complete defensive show down!

Overtime

Raiders when the coin toss and get the ball first on the 10 yard line

First pass=touchdown! Their crowd goes crazy!!!!!

2 point conversion attempt by the Raiders...receiver catches the ball and is then hit by Wilson and he fumbles it into the endzone, where our fastest player, Chris, recovers it and runs it back for a 100 + yard, scores us 2 points on the board and our crowd goes absolutley BALLISTIC!!!! (myself included)

The Raider fans are silenced! :)

6 to 2: The Raiders have the lead

Longhorns take the field with the ball on the 10 yard line.

1st down=run the ball=gain a few yards

2nd down= run the ball=gain a few yards

3rd down and goal= punch it into the endzone

Longhorns 8: Raiders 6

THE FANS CLEAR THE STANDS AND THE CELEBRATING BEGINS!!!!!!

It was a night that we will never forget. Words can not express how thankful I am that Matthew had such an amazing experience for his first year of football. The coaches were awesome and his teammates were amazing! From the beginning of the season to the end, Matthew grew by leaps and bounds. He initially was faced against our largest player for a tackle drill and he had no idea what to do nor how to hit....by the last tackling drill, he took him out along with one of our best tacklers on the team. It was AWESOME.

Needless to say....I LOVE FOOTBALL!

A WHOLE LOT OF HEART

Nick is the Longhorns official "SUPER FAN"! He paints his face different for each of the playoff games and pumps the boys up before the games!




We decorated the fence with signs that varied from Longhorns to GET'ER DONE!




Matthew(#34) Bailey and Carter where the team captains for the Semi-Final game against


The Hurricanes.


Our team lined up behind the team captains as they shook hands with The Hurricanes and flipped the coin.



THE KICK OFF!

Matthew plays Defensive End, Tight End and Full Back.

We were down the entire game up until the final 2 minutes of the game. At half time we were down 14 to 24. We fought back and held them on defense. We were down 22 to 24 with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. We drove down the field with just under 2 minutes when coach called a wedge and Matthew punched it in for the touchdown and to take the lead. Our amazing kicker kicked the field goal and the score was 30 to 24. There was 1 minute and 10 secs left for us to hold them.....And that is exactly what we did. Matthew had an amazing tackle in the backfield on # 10 and his counterparts took out # 10 as well on a run down the field. The clock ran out on their final attempt down field and we overcame all odds by exhibiting amazing team work and a whole lot of heart!

The Celebration!

The family after the game.

Our coach yelling, "WHO ARE WE"? and the boys screaming, "CHAMPIONS"!

Matthew and his buddies!

Ian Cichy #22, Matthew Hendrix #34, Chris McPhaul #32 and Danny Pellar #94

NOW WE ARE OFF TO FACE THE RAIDERS FOR THE SUPER BOWL

GET'ER DONE

HOOK EM HORNS

CHAMPIONS

A YEAR AGO TODAY

A year ago today, my dad, Michael William Conser passed away after a 2 1/2 year battle with terminal liver cancer.

There isn't a day that goes by that I am not saddened by the loss of my father and the void that is left with his passing. I think that the hardest part about losing him is not being able to call on him when I need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen or for a sounding board on life's challenges and life's rewards. To this day, I have 5 different messages with his voice that I do not have the heart to delete. One is just asking me to call back, another is about how awful our 49ers were but how he was looking forward to seeing how the boy's "Cowgirls" were going to do. Another is a sweet message to my Nick about his accomplishments on the ball field. I am not sure when the day will come when I will have the ability to delete them, but for now they are here to stay.

Every time I watch our son Matthew walk, I am reminded of my dad. Matthew has the same "strut" that my dad had. We call it the "Conser Strut". It is with a little attitude, the feet pointed to the outside a bit and as you walk, your back is leaned a little and you kick your feet out a bit. There is just something about that walk. It is the walk of a Conser!

In our son Nick, I see my dad's strong-will and determination. By golly, my dad would not take anything from anyone if he felt that he was being wronged or that someone else was being wronged. Nick is the same way. My dad was a very loyal friend and would give the shirt off his back to a friend in need. Nick has inherited this quality as well.

I know that there will come a time when I will see him again. I also know that he is in a much better place and that he is no longer suffering. For that, I am grateful. It is often difficult to see the silver lining when it comes to losing a loved one, especially one soo young, but I do truly believe that there is one in his case.

Up until his last few days of life, my dad thought that he would be saved, like Job, in The Bible. He felt as though he would be healed physically and that life would resume as it had prior to his diagnosis. He may not be here with me today , but I know that the Lord saved him. He had the opportunity to right some of the wrongs that he had in his life. He had the opportunity to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes that he made and he had numerous spiritual experiences that allowed him to know that all would be well.

I had the opportunity to be with him during his last days and will forever cherish those memories. We laughed, we cried, we hugged and just enjoyed one anothers company. It was difficult at times seeing him the way that he was, but knowing that in the end he would no longer suffer, I was able to make it through.

I miss you dad and look forward to the day when I see you again..........

CATCHING UP

So I have taken a little break from blogging, but am back in the saddle after my 5 month sabbatical. I am going to catch up over the next few posts more for my me and my lack of ability to remember what happened yesterday, let alone a year ago! So here it goes:

BIRTHDAYS

Nicholas turned nine this year. I am often amazed and saddened at how quickly my boys are growing up!
9 things I love about Nick:
1. He is hilarious
2. He is extremely generous
3. He is a loyal friend
4. He loves his cousins
5. He would give his favorite shirt off of his back if someone said they liked it
6. He is the epitome of a Super Fan for his brother
7. He doesn't take anything from anyone
8. He has an infectious laugh
9. He is strong-willed




Showing off his Under Armour Outfit

Sporting his new Texas Longhorn hat

This was Nick posing as an Abercrombie Model with his new Abercrombie Sweatshirt. I thought that his father and I were going to wet our pants when he posed like this! It was hilarious!

Matthew celebrated his 12th birthday with a group of boys. We went to the football field and played a little tackle football. They had a blast. A few grass burns, but luckily no broken bones!

Matthew wanted a new lawnmower for his birthday.....I do not know many 12 year old boys that want a mower for their birthday. I did not have it in me to give him that, so his dad opted for new golf clubs instead!

12 things I love about Matthew:

1. His ability to lead others by his example

2. His willingness to work hard without complaint

3. His subtle yet funny personality

4. His desire to do what is right

5. His loyalty to his family and friends

6. His dedication to his studies

7. His ability to calm a room

8. His competitive yet humble attitude

9. His generosity towards those less fortunate

10. His tender heart

11. His excellent personal hygiene :)

12. That he still hugs me and tells me he loves me!

(not sure how long that will last)

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Nick was voted by his peers as AWESOME ATHLETE of his class! He was stoked by his award. No need for the reading or math award...he has that down....but AWESOME ATHLETE was the one I know he wanted!

5th grade had a little different award ceremony. They were awarded medals based upon their test scores along with awards from their teachers. Matthew aced all of his tests, so he earned 3 gold medals. They were suppose to dress up nice for the awards ceremony.....Some wore suits, others wore vests and some a little more casual.

Matthew was awarded the MVP award for his class. This was the award given to the student that was the most well-rounded student. What an amazing accomplishment! We are soo proud of both of our boys! Congratulations Matthew and Nick!

DAY WITH THE MAYOR

I was recently at the school volunteering for PTA and was asked to come into the Principal's office. Now being a parent of two boys and being asked to step in to the Principal's office can be a little concerning at times. Not that I think that my boys would get into any trouble, but you just never know. So Mrs. Rowan proceeds to tell me about this opportunity that came across her desk regarding a day with the Mayor of Frisco. She tells me that she was asked to chose a model 5th grade student that best exemplified what Pink Elementary stands for. A Student that is trustworthy, hardworking, thoughtful, kind and so forth. She said that the decision was unanimous amongst her and the 5th grade staff. Drum roll please...................They chose Matthew!!!! I was so touched by the fact that here this sweet young man that I know is wonderful, is being recognized by a staff that has only known him for a little over a year! What an honor.

Matthew and Mayer Maso

Mrs. Rowan hyping up this award. She told all of the students about the festivities of the day with the Mayor. The biggest excitement came when she told them about the Limo ride!

Matthew being called out of the crowd of 700+ students to find out that he was chosen. (The picture wasn't great because I was too far away, but he was so surprised)



Matthew and his dad


Now that is a priceless smile. We are so proud of the young man that he is becoming. He is such a wonderful example to all that he comes in contact with. Way to go Matthew!




Matthew and Mrs. Rowan


"THE LIMO" pulling in to pick up the kids

Matthew getting ready to head off to meet the Mayor.

Matthew is going to have numerous opportunities to make a difference in this world. He stands for what he believes in and does not waver. I look forward to the many wonderful things that he will accomplish throughout his life. We are so proud of you Matthew!

Best of Friends

Donna and I met 8 1/2 years ago while living on Fabens Ln. in Gilbert, Arizona. We hit it off from the start and became the best of friends. Our boys were the same ages which made for great play dates, lots of trips to the park and numerous outings for lunch at McDonald's. 4 1/2 years after we met, we moved away to Las Vegas, but always stayed in touch with daily phone calls and trips back and forth to and from Arizona. Even when I moved further away to Texas, we have continued to see one another and talk all the time.

She has been with me through some of the most heartbreaking tragedies in my life and at the drop of a hat would come to my aid if needed. I often tell my children when they talk about missing their friends and how they wished that they lived here or there. I remind them that instead of being sad for not being there, they need to be grateful for the opportunity to get to know those that they miss so much. That's how I feel about Donna. I know that the Lord knew that I needed her and she needed me. I can not imagine my life without her in it and for that, I will always be thankful.

So why this tribute to Donna.......it is because she just took off back to Phoenix after spending a fun filled weekend with me here in Frisco, TX. She tackled her fear of flying and even held tight during the SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WARNING that we had last night. We ate lots of yummy food, took in a chick flick, shopped, stayed up late talking and even shed a few tears. We had so much fun just being together. The only regret is that I did not BLAST Enrique like I used to do back in the good ol' days!!!

Thanks for the memories Donna!