The Sollenberger Classic

The Moapa Valley Pirates football team got invited to play the AZ state champions from last year, so my parents and Lexi got to come down for a visit. They put all teams up in the Biltmore, which is a totally fancy, swanky hotel that was built in the 20's. The architecture is pretty cool, and we were thrilled to be able to go and swim in the fun pool.
The kids had a blast going down the slide, although it took some convincing to get Finley to go down. She was afraid water would get in her eyes. Unlike the pool in our community, they were fine with an adult holding a child, so we finally got her to try out the slide, and she was hooked. You can see how she is covering her eyes though.

Isaac and Sareny both loved it, and kept begging an adult to go down with them, so usually they took turns going down by themself and going down with either me or Lexi.

And here is another of Finley trying to keep the water out of her eyes.

Three cuties.

Four cuties. With two others in the background.

The whole group, minus dad who took the picture. This was on a Thursday, and Keith met us at the hotel to swim on Friday when we came back. Also on Thursday, Lexi came to our house and spent the night. We stayed up way too late playing the piano and being silly. The next morning, we got up and did a Jillian workout before we went back to the Biltmore.

We all loved the pool! When we left Friday, the Keels and team were headed over to the Cardinal's football stadium for a tour and dinner. In front of the hotel they have bushes shaped out to spell Arizona Biltmore.

The game was played on Saturday, and we picked Lexi and my mom up at the stadium to go get some lunch before the game started. We went to a little pizza place across the street. I tried to get a cute picture of them with the kids, and I think I got it with this one, don't you think?

You might think that Finley is screaming or throwing a fit, but you would be wrong. She is smiling. Here is a pretty cute one.

Then we headed back to the stadium to watch the game. We had special VIP tickets that provided access to the field, but since children weren't allowed on the field for safety reasons, Keith and I just stayed in our seats. We gave one of our tickets to John's dad John, who came to watch the game with us. He got to go down on the field afterwards. It was really nice to have him there supporting us--he is so nice and thoughtful. He bought the kids a popcorn bucket, and after the game bought my dad a souvenier T-shirt. I had to include two shots of the group, because Sareny and Isaac just make me smile.

The coach.

The coach laying into somebody.

The final score:

I had been very nervous that the game would be a blowout, and not in our favor because the other team, Showlow, was ranked in the top 500 high school teams in the country. The Pirates ranking was somewhere in the 2000's. And the first quarter started off ugly--Showlow scored twice pretty easily. But the Pirates pulled through. It was an exciting game, and an unforgettable experience for these players to get to play in a professional stadium. I was mad this picture turned out so blurry, but since it was the only one I got, I am using it anyway.

Then the team sang the requisite fight song.

And they were awarded the trophy.

It was pretty exciting. After the game, the team celebrated by going to McDonalds...we went to Cracker Barrell. Then we dropped the Keels back off at the stadium and said goodbye. It really was one of those super fun weekends that could never be duplicated...but we are really pulling for the Pirates to win state this year so they get invited to come back again next year.