My Kids & Me

Michael (and the rest of us too) had a very busy Saturday. The day started with a birthday party for a neighbor that we had to leave early because Michael had his last soccer game of the winter indoor season. The picture you see here is Michael with me and Coach David. Michael really loved the metal he received. Oscar calls it his champions metal. We had a pizza party for the indoor team after the game where we presented the boys with their metals and certificates. We have such a great group of boys and parents on the team, which makes it much, much easier and more enjoyable to coach. The indoor season really taught the boys a lot and I think they will really benefit when outdoor season starts this Saturday. After Michael's team party, we had dinner at a co-workers house. One of our teammates in Vietnam was in the US visiting her husband and we were all invited to Aysem's for dinner. Phuong and Khang have 2 boys (4 and 18 months), but only the 18 month old made the trip

Beth has been extremely supportive of my renewed interest in soccer and she's been very helpful with the kids' teams and with helping me learn more to become a better coach. She bought the book Fever Pitch for Christmas (she should know better by now than to feed my passions). It's a hilarious book about a lifelong fan of Arsenal Football Club in England. There are 3 quotes from this book that I wanted to share. This first one is talking about what the author would do if he had a son that supported the rival team. The reaction reminds me of my brother's reaction when he finally beat me in wiffle ball. "I have more than once fantasised about Arsenal playing Tottenham in the Cup Final; in this fantasy my son, as rapt and tense and unhappy as I was when I first supported Arsenal, is a Spurs fan...and we are watching the game at home on TV. In the last minute the old warhorse Kevin Campbell scores the winner . . . and I explode into a frenzy of joy, leaping a

I am very well aware that it has been a long time since I have posted, so I will catch everyone up and promise to do my best to keep up with this. This is now the 3rd year in a row that I was out of the country around Thanksgiving, however, this year I was actually gone FOR Thanksgiving. Beth is such a saint. I went back to Vietnam for a 16 day trip. I didn't do a whole lot around Saigon, though I did get to play another soccer game with the company team. The highlight of this trip was that I was invited to go on the annual company trip. We went to Nha Trang, which is a beautiful resort area. The beach and water reminded me very much of Destin, Florida. I have some wonderful pictures you can view here . It was definitely an experience I will never forget. I was so shocked at how beautiful the beaches were. One of the most unique experiences I had in Vietnam was having dinner with the family of one of my co-workers (and he was here in the US). I had so much fun and got to meet and