Soccer: Fall 2014

Just wrapped up a season of soccer. The journey came with more bumps in the road than we anticipated, but in the end it's been a memorable experience. At the end of summer we asked the boys if they wanted to play football and I was surprised when they seemed uninterested. Mote asked me if I could sign him up for soccer and I pretty much dismissed his request thinking he would forget about it. He didn't. He was so persistent and continued to ask me if I could register him. I called the league and the team he wanted to sign up for was full. Thinking this would persuade him not to play I told him and to my surprise he was still determined to sign up. Since he would be playing I convinced the other 2 boys to join and it was settled... all 3 would be playing Fall soccer. It's been years since they've last played and I didn't expect them be as great as they were. Mote absolutely blew me away. He is a natural and I was hesitant to say this at first, but he reminds me of Fatu on the field. The other 2 don't have the "average" physique for soccer, but they did amazing. I am so proud of their growth this past season and their discipline to learn this game. It was so fun to watch them play! It was definitely hard to work things out with my schedule and I lost A LOT of sleep, but it was totally worth it. I'm so glad we took this journey. I feel like the conditioning they got will only help them in any other sport they decide to take on. It was hard for Ti not being able to be here for every game. I would text him throughout both games to keep  him updated on scores and plays. There were days that we would spend 9+ hours at the park. On those days I would wake up before the sun was out to pack our cooler full of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. We would load our cooler, blankets, pillows, and chairs in the back of the truck. Between games we would hang out under the shade of trees and eat or take naps.

These were the days - the days that we had double headers, that were probably most memorable. These days and days that I had to run the boys to 2 different parks to practices that overlapped made me appreciate my parents... and it gave me a lot of respect for Fatu. I remember him having the busiest schedule as a kid. I don't know how he was able to handle all of the chaos at such a young age. On Ti's last week off he actually flew out early to watch the boy's games. It was seriously the best surprise for them.

 

We ended the season yesterday at a duel for the championship. Mote & Nic's team actually made it all the way to the end. And what better way to go out than a shootout. The game was tied 2-2 which resulted in a shootout. Thank goodness it wasn't Mote's first shootout. He came through for his team to sink his goal. To make things more intense we were tied after the first round of shots, so we had to push things into a 2nd round. This time whichever team missed first, lost. Nic was the first one to shoot from our team and I seriously think I gained an ulcer from the stress. But he made his goal! In the end we won and came out champs!

It was such a sweet way to end the season. Not sure what sport is next, but I'm sure it'll be just as much fun.

Fangupo Cheer Squad

Ti's parents were in town this past weekend along with one of his brothers. They surprised our boys by showing up to their soccer game. These pics were all snapped by my mother-in-law. She came over after the game and was beaming with pride telling me how well the boys did.

From Last Place to Top 3

Soccer is done and I really should post about Mote's achievement this season. When he first started competing it was so cute to watch them play. After a couple games we noticed a pattern - we were losing lol. And frankly we were no match for any team! They were all a lot bigger than the kids on our team and we went the entire first season without even scoring one single goal. The next season we started out with the same pattern, but all the sudden one game Mote scored and our team went crazy. The other team was looking at us like we were nuts because of course we still lost, but the team mates and all the parents were cheering and screaming like we had won a championship. It was a huge step for us. Each season we enrolled him again without much expectation of winning any games. I thought it would still be good for him to learn the game and gain coordination. Each year the team showed improvement. We actually started scoring more, and eventually were able to pull out a victory. The kids have been practicing super hard and this year we won enough games to actually compete in the end-of-the-season tournament. I never even knew there was a tournament at the end of the season because we've never qualified to play in it. Mote was absolutely stoked! He was so focused and determined. Out of my 3 kids he is the most competitive. My parents got to watch the first game in the tournament and we ended up losing which was tough for Mote, but everyone said he did great. He scored our only 2 goals. The next week we played for 3rd and 4th place and we won! I thought he might be bummed because we didn't win a trophy, but he was sooooo excited that he won a medal for 3rd place. He wore it all day Saturday and when I was getting ready to drop them off at Mote & Toa's that night he tried to wear it in the car and I had to tell him to take it off and leave it in his room because I didn't want it to get lost. We called Ti Tonga (who was in Colorado) and my Dad so that Mote could tell them about his win. And when Monday came Mote was all dressed for school with his medal around his neck. I let him wear it because I didn't want to burst his bubble a second time but made him promise that he would be extra careful with it while at school. Nic has been super jealous and has even stolen it a couple times, so I had to tell Nic that if he plays really hard then one day he'll earn one too. I'm so proud of Mote's team and how much they've improved. I told Mote that next year maybe, just maybe, we'll bring home a trophy =)

Victorious Saturday

9:20 am: Force FC vs. Buffalos >>Final Score 3-0
12:00 pm: Kickin' Littles vs. Bullets >>Final Score 3-1
1:00 pm: Blackjacks vs. Back Bay >>Final Score 79-10

The boys each had games this morning. Mote's team did a lot better today. Last week's beating was pretty brutal, but today Mote scored and helped his team pull a win. Nici and Siope are coming right along. Nic got close to scoring a couple times. They are so fun to watch. This game there was a lot more improvement on actually stopping when the ref blew his whistle :) We celebrated their victories with snow cones from the snack bar. We didn't get a chance to make it to Ti Tonga's rugby game, but they played a team from Newport Beach today and also came out on top.

Saturday Scores

Last Saturday we met at the field at 10 am. Mote's team took their team pictures for the season then got ready for their game right after. Mote's been playing with the same team for the past 3 seasons now. A couple of his teammates are from our ward, so he loves playing together with them. For the past 3 seasons I don't think we've won a single game. It's pretty miraculous if we even score a goal on the other team. The kids really don't mind. They have fun playing regardless. Well this Saturday we actually won!! It was great! Normally the parents from our team will sit throughout the game and cheer on our little players, but the jumping and screaming that follow a goal usually erupt from the opposite side of the field. I'm not sure what the name of the opposing team was, but I was glad that they were for the most part pretty small like our team. Sam from our team scored a goal in the first quarter and our sideline was just amazed. We were so happy as we cheered and jumped. Then a couple minutes later we scored again! I couldn't believe it! And it was Mote that kicked it in!! That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game. We came out with our first ever win and it was awesome!!! The final score was 5-0 and Mote scored two of the five. He was on top of the world. It was so fun to see his huge smile. He came up to me after and said "Mom, I can't wait to tell Fatu that I won my soccer game!" You better believe that I was on my phone texting my entire family about Mote's 2 goals. We're all so proud of him and his team. Great job FORCE!
Later that day me and Toa (and our millions of kids) went to Deseret Book's Ladies' Night that they were hosting while Ti Tonga and Mote went to their Priesthood session. I got a mailer last month about Ladies' Night and decided I wanted to attend. They were giving away free signs for the first 100 ladies at each location. As it got closer to the date I asked Toa if she wanted to come along. We were so nervous that we wouldn't get there in time to get a sign so we planned on getting there extra early to ensure we wouldn't go home empty handed. They were supposed to start at 5 pm so we rallied up the kids and got there at 4pm. How come we were the first ones there? lol Ladies started showing up in groups though and before we knew it there was a good amount of us that had come for the event. Me and Toa were the very first ones to get our coupons for the signs though- yay! Almost everything in the store was marked down, they had refreshments, and they were raffling off a ton of cool prizes. I'm sure if we would've stayed any longer we would've eventually won something cool, but since we had been there for a while with all our kids we just wanted to leave as soon as we redeemed our coupons.
Come what may and love it- a reminder to weather the storm with optimism.

The Force- Soccer Party

Yesterday Mote's soccer team had their end of the season party. We met at Exploration Park and the kids got to munch on treats and play on the playground before they were presented with their plaques. On our way home we swung by 7 Eleven for some good ole slurpee action before calling it a night. We've had so much fun watching Mote play this season and have seen so much improvement in his game. He's enjoyed playing with his team mates and is looking forward to yet another season with The Force.

Kickin It- Season 2

Soccer season has rolled around once again. We decided that Siope wouldn't be playing this year cause he didn't show that much interest last season... but after going to the park last week and watching Nici play I felt bad watching Siope sit out. I asked him several times if he wanted to play soccer again and he said yes. So after reminding him over and over that he needed to stay on the field for the entire practice and that he had to do his best to listen and follow his coaches, we agreed to put the little booger back in. Today was the first day that both Nici and Siope played. Palmer and Heber both came over this morning, so in total I had 5 boys that I hauled over to Exploration Park with me. Good thing Ti Tonga was there to help. It actually wasn't bad at all. I stayed on the field to keep an eye on the boys practicing while Ti took the ones that weren't playing soccer to play on the playground. At the end of each hour- we switched and got out just in time to drop Mote off at school. After lunch and a quick treat naps were quickly in session. When naps don't even need to be enforced isn't that a sign that "fun-ness" was achieved? I think so. Here's to our new Wednesday routine.

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday

I'm so exhausted- not really a major reason to be, just tired for free I guess. Today was Mote's last game of the season. I've gotta be honest- I'm a little excited for the break! 3 kids in soccer was a bit chaotic at times. So we've got until March to enjoy a little peace and quiet. Aaah, I remember why I'm so tired. I worked a closing shift last night, got home at around 10pm, dropped off Ti Tonga at work, woke up early, got the kids dressed, picked up Ti, and amazingly made it to Mote's game on time. After the game and a little "Hoo-rah, the season's over" celebration meal I attempted to shop for our "family portrait" attire. I knew I was in for some good ole stress. It seems like every time I shop with something specific in mind I can never find it. I had this fabulous picture in mind about what everyone would be wearing, had the whole color scheme down- and ask me if I found anything remotely similar to what I envisioned??? Not even close. I got to the point where I didn't even care what I was grabbing off the racks. I think I counted 5 near-breakdowns by the end of the night. Sila- I hope you can work some magic! Maybe all of our shots will be black and white. haha

He Shoots, He SCORES!

10.25.08
Mote's game was bright and early today. 8:00 am to be specific (remember that thing I said about NOT being a morning person?!--- still very TRUE!) I thought for sure that I'd be hauling the kids by myself today. And we were in charge of half-time snacks and after game treats as well. I was surprised to get a phone call from Ti Tonga at 5 am telling me to come pick him up. Work was canceled again. Hallelujah for help!
We played the same team that killed us at the beginning of the season. We did sooo much better this time though! The kids did an awesome job at defending and we actually SCORED! The player responsible for the goal??-- None other than our little man Timote! He was so excited! "Mom, we won! Did you see me win?!" Not quite a win, but pretty flippin rad anyway! Him passing out the after game treats only added to his heroic high.

Weekend Wrap-Up

When we originally put Mote into soccer and found out that his games would be every Saturday morning Ti was kind of bummed. We thought that if we were lucky enough- Mote would be able to have his Dad at atleast one of his games. After watching Mote for the first time last weekend it seems as though Ti's set on making it to as many games as he can. This Saturday they got sent home from work because it was too windy so we made it with Ti Tonga to another soccer game yay!
I woke up extra early because pictures were scheduled for the day and Mote was missing one of his black socks grrr. After a little bit of a hunt the black sock was located, hair was gelled, and uniform was on with jersey tucked in. I can only imagine how cold it must've been in Utah because it was freeeeeezing in Vegas! We tried our best to stay warm under our hoodies and Ti made the boys run around with the soccer ball to keep them from turning into icicles. By the time it was our turn to take pictures- the sweatshirts were removed and all the attempts to achieve a hairdo worthy of the camera went out the window. I hope you enjoy hoodie hair Grandma and Grandpa, because that is what Mote will be modeling this year.
I'm not sure if Mote's team will be able to pull out a win this year which is completely fine with me. He is having the time of his life playing soccer with his friends. I do however think that he has a shot at making a goal this season. He gets better and better with each game. And there's something about a Father watching his sons play sports. I'm not sure which is more rewarding- watching Mote play soccer or watching Ti Tonga watch Mote play soccer. I'm so glad he's able to share this experience with us.
We had a limited amount of team mates this weekend due to that darn flu. So, the team didn't have half-time or after game snacks. Mote was so bummed <--sheesh! But Teti was there to save the day. We made a trip to 7 Eleven where they loaded up on goodies. It's funny to see Ti Tonga spoil them cause he is the biggest "anti-spoiler"... I guess sports is an exception in his book =)
Later that night we met up with David (Brokes) & Talia Maumau for dinner. They were in town celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Congrats Maumau's! Your little family is so sweet and it was great seeing you.
p.s. I thought there was an "easy" way to do this collage stuff on Picasa, but there's not. (If there is, I sure wasn't able to figure it out). I took way too long trying to crop and arrange each photo and it looks like crap anyway lol. I don't know how the rest of you do it, but this is my first and last post attempting this. I will stick to my "one picture-at-a-time" style.

"Cool" Saturday

We finally had a break in the weather yesterday yay! Ti Tonga got off early from work allowing the whole family the chance to go to Mote's soccer game. It was cloudy and cool, so this time we didn't have to seek refuge under the shade of a puny tree like last week. We lost again. I think the score was like 7-0? The other team probably thought they gave us a whoopin- if they only knew that this was major improvement for our team =) Mote did awesome! He is understanding the game more and more and it was evident that he did his best. Ti Tonga was undeniably proud of his little "Goose". So proud that he gave Mote the option of choosing anywhere to eat for lunch.

-"Where do you want to eat Mote? You can go anywhere you want. Anywhere!"
-"I want a Happy Meal."

Surprise surprise. We ended with a trip to the Golden Arches and headed home with a car full of 3 happy boys.

Kickin' It!

Friday couldn't have come soon enough for Siope and Nic. After going each week to watch Mote play soccer, it was finally their turn to get on the field. Two brave women from our ward (Sarah Wixom & Cheryl Johnson) decided this year to put together a soccer program for the younger kids who aren't in school yet. So we met at the park with our shin guards and cleats to meet a group of mothers and about 40 other kids! Siope played for the first hour while me and Mote watched, then him and Nic anxiously switched and we observed as Nici took his turn. I was amazed at the skills they had lined up to teach these little toddlers. You absolutely rock Coach Sarah and Coach Cheryl! It was a ball watching the kids learn how to play even though we almost fried under that 94 degree sunshine. Next time I will bring an umbrella!!

Game, Interview, Broadcast.. Oh My!

Yesterday was one of the busiest days I've had! After breakfast and snacks we headed to Mote's very first soccer game since our move to Vegas. Again, the weather was HOT HOT HOT! Hauling a wagon load of kids around while the sun beats down on you is not on the top of my fun list, but after a while of searching we finally found the right field. Mote was so excited! He was sweating like a pig, and half the time was kicking in the wrong direction- but he sure had fun doing it all. Mote scored 2 points... for the other team! Oh my humiliation! He finally got the concept of the game down in the last quarter and actually did pretty good once he knew which goal was the "winning" goal and which goal was a "No, No!" lol Our team lost horribly, but they had no clue- they all had a blast. At the end of the game Mote got his treat and declared that he loved his new uniform- good enough for me.

We got home and I had just enough time to get ready for my interview. I had gotten an email that one of the stores I had shopped at was hiring for the holidays. I thought "Why not?" and decided to go for it. I filled out an application not thinking that I would actually have a chance at retail at this specific location. I was surprised that they actually called me back and set up an interview. I thought it would be such a fun place to work at, but reminded myself not to get disappointed if I wasn't offered the position. I must've been crazy to think that I should even try without any retail or decorating experience... I practically had NO experience. But the interview went well and I was able to connect with the gentleman conducting the meeting cause holy shmokes I got the job! You're lookin' at Pier 1 Import's newest employee! I start Monday!! I can't believe how flexible they are willing to be with my schedule! I only hope I can last long enough to furnish and decorate my house =) So if any of you have your eyes set on something at Pier 1- holla atcha girl! haha
After my interview I had a little bit of time to unwind then I was off again. I carpooled with Sarah and Emily to the women's (relief society) broadcast at our stake center. I'm so glad I went! It was an awesome way to top off such a sweet day. It was completely refreshing and inspiring. After the broadcast we shuffled our way into the gym where the Elder's had decorated and set up dinner for us. I guess one of the Elder's is a caterer... the food was absolutely amazing! I felt so pampered. They served us our meal and were on hand throughout the evening to refill our drinks, clear our food, and serve us dessert.

Busy busy day, but lots of fun!