Engineering Day at BSU

Idaho Capitol Building Rededication A Few Weeks Ago

Just a photo for now....

Fan Fiesta

Today was the day Bronco Nation got to celebrate with our 2010 Fiesta Bowl Champion Boise State Broncos and Lil' and I were not going to miss the fun!

We arrived in the parking lot at about 1:30 pm this afternoon for an event that started at 3:00 and we weren't alone. We joined a sea of orange and blue that was headed to the party! Lil' could hardly wait for the school song and chanted "Go Orange, Go Big Blue" from the far side of the football stadium to the main entrance of Taco Bell Arena. She was showered with compliments and applause almost the whole way. As we neared the entrance to the arena Lil' realized she would get to go through the big inflatable Bronco Helmet that she's seen the football players come out of on game days! It's too bad there were so many other fans because the look on her face as she walked under the helmet was priceless. In her #1 Boise State fan shirt and sporting her princess pompoms she looked as if she felt like she had arrived at the top of the world!

Here are a few pictures of our fun:

Just inside the doors of the arena Lil' spotted this life size cutout of Kyle Efaw, a key to the win in Pheonix, and insisited she get her picture taken.


After the event while walking back to the car Lil' saw the players coming out of the sports complex and created an opportunity to get freshman Michael Atkinson ( "Canadian Bacon") and sophomore Dan Paul to pose for pictures after she again shared her rendition of "Go Orange, Go Big Blue"


Posing with the Bronco statue


I've got a few more photos that I took on my phone that I'll try to post later.

And here are a few bonus photos of Lil' at her high school cheerleading camp last weekend that I have been meaning to post but haven't.....

Bringing 2009 to A Close

Santa's $5 giftcard to Starbuck's took Mama and Lil' on an unexpected adventure today.

While waiting for our tasty treats Lil' spied a very tall woman wearing the BSU logo on "both her pants and her shirt!" She immediately struck up a conversation with this gal and sang her the BSU fight song with more enthusiasm than I've ever seen. As it turns out Lil' was singing to the assistant coach of the BSU Women's Basketball team and got herself invited to the game at 2:00. Coach thought it would be fun for Lil' to sing to the team in the locker room before the game and sit on the bench with the team during the game. Lil' and I came home and Lil' spent the next few hours preparing. She got her pom-poms and BSU baton (orange and blue from the dollarstore) out and practiced her moves.

Lil' was full of questions as we drove to the game.

"How long until we are there?"
"About 10 minutes"

"Where were we going"
"To Bronco Town" - a term Lil' came up with for the BSU campus.

"But where?"
"To Taco Bell Arena where the basketball team plays"

"I'm going to Taco Ballerina?!"
"Huh?"

"Taco Ballerina?"
"No darling, not ballerina. Taco Bell Arena" --Although from her spot in the backseat of the car I can see how it all got messed up in translation.

We arrived at the game and discovered that due to a scheduling change she wouldn't be going to the locker room but she was given a "Ball Girl and #1 Fan shirt". While chatting with our new coach friend I asked if I could get Lil's picture taken with a few players. She told me that we could do it right after the game.

We opted out of sitting with the bench as it was not the way that Lil' was going to get a great view but instead got great seats perpendicular to the bench right behind the basket in the third row. Warm ups were exciting but Lil' wanted her turn to shoot the basketball. She did get more interested in the players when during those warmups one of the players waved to Lil'.

This made her excited. The player introductions with orange and blue spotlights was also pretty cool. She wasn't very interested in the game but did enjoy running up and down the row flipping all the stadium style seats down (which wasn't a problem since we had the whole row to ourselves). Mid way through the first half we took a snack break. While in line we saw the secretary from Mama's school, which was an added bonus at this point in the adventure. Popcorn, a hot dog and a huge drink got us through the rest of the first half and once again Lil's interest was peaked when a few more players waved as they headed to the locker room. During halftime Lil' went to the very edge of the floor and did some dancing. She had quite an audience since the cheerleaders are all currently in Arizona getting ready for the big game on Monday. Towards the end of halftime when I finally had to go out on the floor myself to get Lil' before the teams ran out I went to the section of the stands lining the corridor where the team would return. The girls were gathered at the far end of the corridor as a group waiting to return. Lil' knew this was a great opportunity to do some cheering and again belted out her fight song chant. This made the girls momentarily turn to look at Lil'. A few moments later as the Broncos were brought back into the stadium by announcer an amazing thing happened. Her name is Stephanie Storms and she is a freshman on the basketball team. She was also the first one to run down the corridor and as she neared Lil' she ran from one side of the corridor to the side where Lil' was still cheering. As she ran up to Lil' she threw her hand in the air to give Lil' a high five. I didn't even have to tell Lil' what was happening. She was ready! She got her high five from Stephanie and every other member of the team who followed her lead. 20 or so high fives for one very excited Lil'. During the second half Lil' wanted to leave the game. I kept reminding her about the pictures which would hold her attention until the next time the very loud buzzer went off and she was ready to go home again. As the end of the game drew near and a Bronco victory was assured Lil' and I got ready. With camera in hand and my girl at the very edge of the floor we waited. The final buzzer sounded and all the girls came over to get pictures taken with her. They again all gave her high fives and got down at her level to say hello and hear her do her cheer.



Starbuck's Giftcard from Santa $5.00
Popcorn, Hotdog, Soda $9.50
Spending the last day of 2009 with the BSU Women's Basketball Team: Priceless

A Bowl of Sloppy Joe Sauce and A Smile

11+ years ago at our wedding Mr. Eleven and I received a set of mixing bowls from Aunt Scully. At the time she reminded us that marriage was about the every day moments and that she thought these bowls were a good way to represent her commitment to our every days. This week I experienced one of the great every day moments.

Lil' loves to make dinner. She is most helpful in getting things out. She likes to open the refrigerator and find ingredients. She also likes to get the mixing bowls out and practices her knowledge of small, medium, large.

On this night we were making Sloppy Joe sauce. We measure, we dumped, we stirred. We talked about her day at school as we worked. She was telling me about her day when she suddenly stopped both her talking and stirring. She was still for a moment and then said

"Mama, guess what!"

"What, Lil?"

"This is the best silver bowl ever. Way better than the ones at school. They are sad bowls and this one is happy!"

"Why is the bowl happy Lil?"

"Because it's our family bowl."

I imagine these were the moments that Aunt Scully was talking about all those years ago.

Coach K

Wednesday's are a very special day for Lil' at school. It is the day that Coach K comes. Coach K runs a sports program that promotes healthy living and teaches the basics of many sports. In just the first few weeks Lil' has learned that you dribble a basketball with your fingers and not your palm and that you need to keep your eye on the ball when swinging a bat. She's learned some fun new games including a pirate game where she walks the plank and tries to avoid being hit by the beanbag that the pirate launches at her (Coach K is very good at getting close enough with the bean bag but never actually hits her target). This week I arrived at school during the sports class and was able to watch Lil' participate. It was fun to watch her work with her peers and compete individually. As usual her size is no indication of her determination. She lines up for a race and looks around to size up her competition. When it's time to go....she goes! And in a way that makes me proud, when the race is done, she high fives her peers and jumps with as much joy for the winner as she won the race.
At the end of class this week Coach K came over to me and told me what a joy Lil' has made sports class at her school. She told me that Lil' has an athletic future in front of her and that she sees a sweetness in her competative nature.