Husker Babies

As time ticks closer to July, things become more and more real about having another sweet little baby join our family. We are three months (and some change) out and much to get done before she arrives. I bought our first item for the nursery last week and it's motivated me to get a move on her nursery!

We also started to get cute little outfits and pink thangs for baby girl from dear family and friends. One of my FAVES by far has been baby's first ever game day attire... as you know how important game gear is for us! Our sweetest sitter, Claire, gifted Mata and baby girl the most adorable vintage Husker gear for the season. One of her good friends opened up a shop, where she makes and sells  cute Husker gear and also customizes based on what your heart desires.

I mean, how adorbs are these two fits?

Her shop is called H.Flynn based here in Lincoln, NE. Check out her website if your local or not!

We are STOKED for football season to begin later this year... and of course d-day!

Husker Bowl in Nashville

This past football season, the Huskers definitely had their share of highs and lows. We started strong and went about halfway through the season undefeated. Then we went out on the road and had a heartbreaking loss against Wisconsin during overtime, and then another loss on the road against Ohio State. Since those two losses, our guys sort of shook off some of their confidence they started with. All we could do was continue to support them and cheer them on as they played their best. We certainly did better than last season... and better yet, we were bowl eligible! Bowl games are quite an honor to be a part of... families have the opportunity to travel with their husbands and fathers and experience the Husker family intimately and sort of behind the scenes. For me, it's eye opening and rewarding to see what my hubs loves about football and the players!

We had the pleasure of spending a week in Nashville for the bowl game over the Christmas holiday, and I just fell IN LOVE! I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, but the historical places and love for country music was so hard not to lust over.

Both Nebraska and Tennessee teams stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and it was nothing short of gorgeous! Since we arrived on Christmas Day, we all had a Husker family Christmas meal and the kiddos were greeted by Santa! My LO didn't like this Santa, just he like didn't like the Nebraska Santa. It made for a great infamous screaming picture though!

The resort was absolutely stunning! It was entirely saturated with holiday goodness, from snow tubing, to a human sized nativity display outdoors, to huge Christmas trees lit in the middle of the resort. It was perfect eye candy for the kids and our LO surely enjoyed staring at all of the lights!

We've been SO lucky to have family come and meet us for each bowl game that we've been fortunate to travel to. My family flew out early in the week and we all spent some QT exploring the Music City together! 

Despite the hubs busy practice and meeting schedule, we made it to visit the County Music Hall of Fame Museum, and oh em gee... what a place to fall in love more with country music! It was huge and full of the very beginning of country music, what started off so different than what it sounds like today. ALL good music but to hear country music in the 30's-40's was so eye opening for me... I have a greater appreciation for the story telling back then!

Sadly, we didn't end up pulling the W against Tennessee. We fought though and fell short in the 4th quarter. Needless to say, I'm so proud of our players and coaches for improving themselves and the team since last season when we all first started together. We can only get better each day, and I know this off season will be a hardworking one where our guys will be getting stronger and more physical in the weight room!

Have you been to Nashville? What's some of your faves to do?

Game Two

It's taken me all week to post about our game last weekend against Wyoming, but you know what... it's been one emotional week for me! My baby boy turned one, and I still am in disbelief! Better late than never though!

One of the many perks on game day is that our LO gets to witness Daddy in action... including the Huskers! He stands at Daddy's office window in awe at how big our players are. I bet he's thinking, "I can't wait to wear that jersey!"

It was a great game with a rough start, but the Huskers pulled through at the end with a glorious victory! Our offense started a bit shaky... which I can't help to think about what must be going through these guys' minds the entire day shaking all types of feelings up! Fans show up so early... watch the bus pull up... watch the players and coaches walk into the locker rooms... watch warm-ups... it's just an early start to watching, cheering and supporting! I always ponder if the players are stoked with Cornhusker nation out there watching... or if they kinda get nervous. Either way, it's got to be intense for them, because it's surely intense for me in the stands (so much so that we had to get some headphones to protect the little one's ears)!

In any case, we went into halftime with the score of 10-7 (Nebraska). Man oh man, did we change that rhythm up and pull through in the second half, yet again! Our defense rocked the stadium with 6 interceptions, including a pick 6! WHOOP!!! We took the W home with a final score of 52-17.

It was another bitter sweet moment for us because we have a relative that plays for Wyoming! We're so proud of him and the work he's put in moving from Cali to Wyoming!

We're ready to take on this weekend against the Ducks, and I would be happier than ever to report a W next week!

Who will you be rooting on this weekend?

Game One

Thankfully, we only have a few night time games here in Lincoln. These ones tend to be rough... from having my LO on the stands around his typical bedtime to planning a late night meal after the game [which typically can be very close to midnight by the time the hubs is done in the office], the day can be long and exhausting after cheering on our Huskers!

Needless to say, I'm very proud of how we opened up our football season last weekend against Fresno State! It was a bitter sweet moment because it was our kick off to the 2016 season, AND we were playing against a team one of my cousins transferred to earlier this year, Fresno State. This made it very difficult to cheer for our Husker boys this past game, watching family on the other side of the ball! But we made it work!

Our Huskers started off a bit shaky... we were hurting ourselves by not getting into formation on time... not finishing up our blocks... we even had an ejection for targeting (one of the newer rules against helmet to helmet). The first half was a nail biter with a score of 14-10 [Nebraska], but it definitely did not stop the Huskers from making well-needed changes in execution and attitude after half time. During the second half, we started to run the ball more, pass more, block more... we were looking solid! Huskers ended up taking home the W with a score of 43-10!

Last Saturday also meant a lot to Husker Nation as we honored the memory of our kicker, Sam Foltz. Players and fans repped his jersey number 27 in the sea of red. We even took a delay of game during the first punt return for not sending out a kicker on the field. It was a beautiful site and feeling in Memorial Stadium!

Game 1 in the books for the Husker season, and now it's countdown to Game 2 against Wyoming on Saturday!

Who are you rootin' on this weekend?

Football Begins

First (semi) week of Fall Camp in the books... well technically after this weekend. Husker nation kicked it off with Fan Day on Wednesday, which was pretty HOT and fun! I can't believe it was just a short year ago that I was there very pregnant, and in such great awe to see how the entire state of Nebraska are Husker Football fans.

Although we lose some precious time with the Hubs when the festivities begin, it's such a bitter sweet moment for me every single year because HELLO... FOOTBALL SEASON IS HEAAAAA!! There's no other rush like it to be in the crowd, cheering on your boys, and witnessing the fruits of the Hubs' hard labor! This season, I have the pleasure of sharing this excitement with my LO. Hubs and I tripped over how he jumped right in with both feet in the weight room... crawling all over the turf... then discovering the platforms and how amazing the shiny red N was painted on there... discovering how orange shields are not just for sprinting but also for tasting. Last season, my sweet boy was so tiny and brand new-brand new. BUT this season, he'll be one year brand new (wahhhhh!!!) and more attentive to the loud noises, cheers, and historic red balloon release for the first touchdown!

What are some of your fave college teams to root for?

In loving memory...

Over the weekend, we learned some devastating news about one of our Husker family members. Sam Foltz (22 years old) was killed in a car accident driving back home from a punting camp held in Wisconsin. Sadly, another football player was also killed in the same accident, Mike Sadler, former punter from Michigan State University.

I personally did not know Sam, but I had the pleasure of meeting him a handful of times through the Hubs. He was always wearing a smile, from ear to ear. He was very delightful and had a face that you can tell was just full of life. He was an AMAZING punter... one of the best I've seen for college football! His testimony speaks volumes through others' words as they share dedications, prayers and memories on social media.

I was touched to see all the love and support from the Husker family, from football players, to coaches, to other student-athletes, to fans. Nebraska certainly gathered together as a unit to pay respects to a fine young man, and also support one another during this difficult time.

I want to encourage you to love one another and really think about WE instead of ME. Doing things for other people is a service that nobody can ever replace. Our world needs to be filled with much more love and respect than we've been demonstrating over recent weeks. It is OUR responsibility to leave this world as safe and humbling as we possibly can for our future generations. As Sam Foltz tweeted recently, "You never know who's watching... What impact do you wanna leave on the next generation to aspire to?!"

Prayers up for the Foltz and Sadler families.

SaveSave

June Gloom

It is no joke when I say- June was a tough month for this household! Nebraska Huskers reported back for workouts the first of June... Nebraska coaches hosted Friday Night Lights every Friday eve which had coaches at the school until 10-11pm... Then it was right back to campus first thing Saturday morning for them to host recruits and how em' how the Huskers roll. It was a rough one on the Hubs... which translated to a rough one for myself and my LO.

We were only able to enjoy breakfast together as a family on Sunday mornings. When the Hubs got off from work, baby would be showered and in bed majority of the time. Yes, we've had minimal time with Coach Hubs in the midst of the season and well after, but June felt like a super long month without him around much.

Though being a coach has many rewards, there are also quite a bit of substantial sacrifices that come with the job. One of which is the lack of time available to be a family. This is a HUGE one for us, as it may be with other coach's wives! I miss having the Hubs around the house, or just going to dinner with him to catch up on life. I especially miss him when I witness so many different milestones and moments I am SO blessed to have with baby.

As I embrace these rough patches as a coach's wife and mommy, I can't help but think about how it must be to be a coach working towards work-life balance... working hard (and some!) for the love of the game, but also spending some good QT with the family and oneself. This article that was posted on Football Scoop put it into perspective in such a clear cut way for me. [It could have been because they compared the coach's life to a consultant's life- my kinda' language!]. They discussed a study that was conducted comparing the number of hours of work and actual productivity. Turns out that you don't have to put in 23482734 hours of work just to be productive... you can work less hours IF you learn to manage your time and utilize the minutes in a day to accomplish meaningful tasks. High pressure (indeed)... high rewards!

Needless to say, June is over and we're working on life in July. I refuse to let this month be as rough, especially since we have the weekends with Hubs around! These sacrifices that WE make helps us become stronger and closer. I, myself, definitely feel even more blessed to be where I am and be who I'm with. I appreciate our time together even more, and cherish all the memories we make together as if time is at a standstill.

America

Today we celebrate Independence Day... land of the brave... home of the free...

A M E R I C A

the beautiful

Today I'm also celebrating the football season to come. Americans love us some football! It's kinda cray cray if you think about it. There are all types of fans out in the universe. NFL fans and college football fans (me being one of them!). People go HARD for their teams. Some invest in a man cave with their favorite team colors. Others collect memorabilia of their fave team. Some even get their team's logo tattooed on their body so they can permanently represent (to each their own, right?). I choose to keep my spirits confined to blog posts and clothing gear!

Anyhow, being a proud American myself, I can't help but get excited over some college football coming up. We are 61 days away until kick off, and I'm tickled pink!

Happy 4th errryone!

Huskers to a Bowl

Tis' the season of bowling! As the football season comes near to an end (wahhhh), coaches and players begin to bask in their eligibility of playing in a bowl. 'Which bowl? What state? Against who?' are some of the popular questions that pop up in the football world.

Sadly, the Nebraska Cornhuskers ended their season last weekend with a 5-7 record. The numbers certainly don't tell the story of the season, but rather the game film and the score of each game we lost. I honestly feel that this season was meant for the new coaching staff and players to get acquainted with one another, from the play calling to the execution of each play. We can only rise up from this point!

Anyhoot, if you know a thing or two about football, you know that with a record of 5-7, it doesn't necessarily constitute us as being bowl eligible. According to NCAA rules, a school must have at least 6 wins to secure a spot in a bowl game. BUT this year, they fell short of the 80 schools to play in a bowl game. Only 75 schools won six games (or more), which means they are short 5 teams to play. After this weekend, they will have a better sense of who is playing where since there are still a few major games to play.

What does this mean for our Huskers? WELP, it means that NCAA will now look at each school's APR (Academic Progress Rates) to determine how players stand in their academia. Since Nebraska is at the top of that APR list (WOOOOOP!!), we will be bowl eligible even with our 5-7 record!

Morale of the story? Academics play a huge part in student-athletes' lives... from start to finish. This is only one of the many rewards student-athletes can bask in, especially if you prioritize your classes and school work. I am proud to say that our Husker players have rose to the occasion and should take great pride in stellar performance on AND off the field!

Grandparents

We may be miles away from home, but we are definitely blessed to have family come visit us (or shall I say Grandparents coming to visit our baby boy!). It warms my heart to know that our son and our parents can spend quality time with each other and begin making memories from day one! It also allowed me to recover from having baby and get some 'me' time in, even if that meant going to the store and rushing home to feed baby... yet again.

Cheers to grandparents and their unconditional love for our children (and for their love for Husker football!).

Rivalry Week

 

I'm loving this week and it's only Tuesday! Although it's Rivalry week in the world of college football, there is still a lot of love and thankfulness to celebrate throughout! Here's a sneak peak at our list of events:

// RIVALRY WEEK [Nebraska vs. Iowa]
This week, Nebraska plays the undefeated Iowa! We are looking for another big upset, just like when we beat Michigan State just a few short weeks ago. Iowa is a great team and they typically dominate in their run game (from my perspective)... but Nebraska is also a dominate team. We are coming off of a bye week this past weekend, which is a great thing that our players and coaches had much needed rest to recover from the Rutgers game. We need to win this game in order to be bowl eligible, so I'm just gonna keep some positive and happy thoughts in my mind. I am totally looking forward to this game on Friday afternoon... hopefully we'll burn some calories jumping and screaming!

I'm also excited to watch some good ol' rivalry football on Saturday. Another game that I'll be rootin' on is the one and only Trojans! I know we have an excellent shot at beating the Bruins, as we'll be looking for some payback after our 'fluke' loss last year.

// FAMILY
I love last minute planning, especially when it entails family coming to town for the holiday! I am so excited to be hosting during a special time, and I am so THANKFUL for this time that our baby boy gets to spend with our family!

// THANKSGIVING
This holiday is probably one of my faves... of course the eating is a bonus, but I love the act of cooking and prepping while enjoying some family laughter. Growing up, we made it a custom to give thanks to each other and speak about what we were most thankful for that year. I may be far away from home, but I will ensure that my son is exposed to many of our family customs, especially this one on Thanksgiving!

// BLACK FRIDAY
I appreciate that many stores are publicising their steal of a deal promotions online. In previous Thanksgiving nights, we would spend the night waiting in line right after Thanksgiving dinner in hopes of snatching TV's, laptops, clothes and other things we really didn't need but were too good to pass by. This year, I'll be watching sales online from the comfort of my own home (or stadium because you know that our big game is on this very day)!

Any plans in store for the short work-week ahead of you?

He Cares for You

As we face one of the hardest football seasons we've had since the Hubs has been on a coaching staff, we do our best to stay positive and uplifting. The Cornhuskers are 3-5 thus far, and those 5 losses have been by a TOTAL of 13 points. We tend to do great throughout the game against our opponents, but it's towards the end of the game that we tend to give up those very few points... which makes the losses that much tougher.

There's only so much we can do or say as coaches wives, as fans, as football lovers. But this verse says it all... and even better... it's from the most reliable source mankind has - the Word of God. If we cast our anxiety and cares on God, we need to trust that the anxiety and worry we carry will be taken care of by our God because he cares for us. Having such worries in life does nothing for us... it doesn't make us stronger... it doesn't change us for the better... in fact, most of the things we worry about do not even surface in reality meaning it's SUCH a waste of time!

This is such an important message I have to meditate on quite frequently in life. Although I can't stop myself from worrying about many things, I can definitely remind myself to trust in my God and cast my cares upon him, for He cares for me.

This week as we prepare to face Purdue, I will pray for our coaches and players, and leave my worries behind me (as should you!).

Life Lately

It's been a good while since I've posted or even thought about blogging. If you didn't know, I've had some major changes welcoming our sweet baby boy into this world.

MOMMYHOOD // It's been a whirl wind of events, each day bringing a different set of adventures, but ones that I wouldn't trade for the world. The lack of sleep and forgetfulness of life is SO worth every moment of being a mommy! Today marks ONE MONTH since the day we welcome our son on earth. Cheers to many more celebrations as the days, weeks and months go by.

FAMILY // My hubs and I have been beyond blessed to have our family with us throughout every step of this journey. We had family here in the prep stages of baby making his big debut... family in the deliver room... family after to help with the transition... and of course family now (especially since it's during the football season!). They have helped us clean, cook, take care of baby, and just be there for morale support. I am SO grateful they were able to fly out from all over the world to help welcome our son into the loving family that we have.

FOOTBALL // No lie... we've had a rough start this football season in Cornhusker nation. We've had a pretty tough schedule starting with our pre-season games into our conference games. We've managed to play our hearts out, but fell short in FOUR games all down to the last minute! The coaches and players have been working together to find their rhythm, but as we all know... that's easier said than done. Watching from the eyes of a wife and fan, it hurts my heart to see us ALMOST with the W game after game. BUT if we keep thinking positively, we are bound to turn this around and make the most of our season day by day. With that said... we have a big game against Minneapolis this weekend that I just know we can dominate. Balls to the wall and POSITIVE THINKING!! That's just how we get through the days ahead of us!

What have you all been up to for the past month? How's your football season going? Have you watched the Walking Dead yet (I haven't had a chance to watch the season opener so PLEASE don't spoil it for me)?