Simple moments to treasure: The Boys Of Fall

It's that time of year again. Yay(hear the excitement?). The hotness, the coldness, the pads, the helments, the cotton candy, the nachos, the frito pie, the hot dogs and let's not forget the ring pops. High school football in Texas has started once again. Awesome.

I must admit...I am NOT a football fan...at all. This is weird since I grew up with my brother playing, I was cheerleader and on the drill team and now for the past 15 years, my dad coaches varsity. I Keep thinking when the boys start playing next year I will be all about football but right now, not so much.

I gotta say, I love my dad, he's a great dad, a wonderful husband and an amazing pepa. He loves his family more than anything...well, except maybe coaching football. He is a teacher and a coach at the high school. He loves both but I think if he could coach without teaching he would. He lives to coach. No seriously people...he lives to coach. When he is out on the field, he is right where he belongs. On the football field is where I see him at the most peace. He loves his players and the coaching staff is one big family. My dad and Tal(Head Coach Sanders) have been coaching together for about 13 years now. They started in Ferris and moved to Tom Bean 3 years ago and I know neither one could be happier anywhere else. Tom been is an itty bity town...population 941-give or take a few.

There is a song that just literally gives me chills when I hear it. It's called The Boys of Fall by the smokin' Kenny Chesney. The chorus says it all.

"Well it's turn and face the stars and stripes, It's fighting back them butterflies, It's call it in the air, alright yes sir we want the ball, And it's knocking heads and talking trash, it's slinging dirt and mud and grass, It's I got your number,I got your back when your back's against the wall, You mess with one man you got us all, The boys of fall"

I really don't know much about the game, but that song reminds me that there's more to football than actually playing, it's also about being part of something great...something that many young men dream to be a part of. A true team. After all, during football season you don't see your family for like 4 months. So you make another kind of family. Your football family.

The first game of the season was great. We didn't win but the boys played very well(I guess, that's the word that was going around anyway). My kids had a blast. They watched and talked. The boys dreamed of being out on the field with them. Maybe next week. Taya got to play with her name sake-Taya Sanders. She is a beauty. Big "T" told us that little "T" looked JUST like her. Hey, they both have blonde hair and they are both bueatiful. Tot had a blast.

Then there is Ethan...he has a crush on big "T" but that's all good cause I believe she has one in him just the same. They were chatting it up. The future Mr. and Mrs. Ethan Ramey.