Football

The Pioneer Junior Patriots have begun practice. Hell week is over and regular practice will start on Monday. Jacob and several other members of the Junior Midget Squad attended a football camp in Sutter last weekend. They had a good time and the coaches learned some new drills.

Wow Factor of 10

I don't even know what to say. This video came as a link with an email I received today. It's a good cry and makes all of your problems seem so trivial. Here is the email along with the link.


Subject: A real IRONMAN
Subject: Amzaing Ironman

This is a true story! The son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'. The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' too. For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2 .4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed b y a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island Father and son went on to complete the race together.
NOW WATCH THIS VIDEO: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

I am so touched.

I Made Jason Mad

Good Morning Sacramento (Weekend Edition) was requesting pictures of local firefighters to honor them. So being the loving wife that I am, I emailed a couple pictures to them! They showed them on the air during the 7am hour. One of the pictures is on the Good Day Sacramento Website. He is number 12 in the slide show. They got the caption wrong. He wasn't fighting the Humboldt Fire (which is in Butte County). He was fighting fires in Humboldt County. (and they spelled Humboldt wrong)

Anyway, because his picture was in the news, he will owe ice cream I am sure. Cody was commenting about how firefighters always have mustaches, and he said how Jason "rocked the mustache". I cracked up!!! Jason's friend Chris called later to give Jason a hard time. Here are the pictures I submitted.

Alcatraz

Jacob, my mother, my father, and I took the train to San Francisco on Monday. Jason was supposed to go to but he is off fighting fires again. Well, actually, I just spoke with him and they are doing the difficult job of standing by at a spa in Mendocino County. Wish I were there! Anyway, back to the subject. Jacob has never been to Alcatraz so I promised him this summer we would go. It was great weather and we had a nice time.

Here is a new fact I learned while there...this is copied from the national parks website: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/alc.htm

The first European exploration of the site was by Juan Manuel de Ayala's expedition which sailed the Spanish frigate San Carlos into the San Francisco Bay in 1775. Making cartographic observations by small boat, his Lieutenant, Canizares, described an island "so arid and steep there was not even a boat harbor there: I named the island de los Alcatrazes because of their being so plentiful there." Alcatrazes is archaic Spanish for cormorant, a seabird noted for its long neck, wedge shaped tail and a hooked bill. By 1826 the name Alcatraz was applied to the island.

Nana, Jacob, and Popie on the way to the Alcatraz Cruise.

Jacob on the ferry with Alcatraz in the background.

Popie takin care of business the convict way.

(I was so afraid it was gonna crumble because it is so old!)

(the toilet, not Popie)

Jacob listening to the headphones for the self guided tour of the cell block.

After the trip back, at the end of Pier 39, Alcatraz in the background.