Catching Up

Sorry I didn't blog much this weekend. Just never really felt too much like it or didn't have time. So as most of you know we had two games this weekend, both our season and home opening weekend. We played pretty well we won both of the games. It was good to see the team work together and see how they reacted in the game situations. It was such an amazing experience to be a part of. I am truly blessed to be a part of a team like this, I cannot believe that I am really here sometimes. I didn't dress at all this weekend, which wasn't too bad. I was a little disappointed but at the same time i definitely expected it to an extent. The goalie that played he is the only return player the only one that really has experience at this level and he is a good goalie, so you go with the goalie that you trust can stand in net for you and win, you don't take risks on your new goalies that may or may not be able to handle the pressure playing at this level. So from a coaches perspective I understand the move.

We had quite a crowd actually more that i had anticipated. We probably had a hundred people there? I don't know we filled our stands, they are about six rows high and span blue line to blue line. We also had quite a few people in the lobby, it is set up so that you can see the ice from the lobby, and it is nice and warm in there. We also had people that lined the home side of the glass, so it was a pretty big crowd. I do not expect that crowd to continue for the entire season but it was still so cool to play in front of a crowd of people that may or may not know someone on the team and they just came to watch hockey, and not only that but everyone watching you, they paid to come see you. It was quite the experience.

The starting line up fro the home team is announced before the game, following that we have the national anthem. It is also cool because we have a regulation time game, NHL times. So we have a twenty minute warm up at seven. They Zamboni the ice, puck drops at seven thirty five. we then play twenty minute stop clock, the clock stops every time there is a whistle, periods. I do not know for sure what happens if there is a tie, however, I believe that it is a three on three or four on four ten to fifteen minute extra period followed by a shoot out. So it feels very professional and real. It is really cool just to be a part of even though I am not dressing yet.

I do still believe that I may get a shot to play in a game sometime pretty early on, I have been playing really well and I have been working so hard. I hope that I will be able to prove myself soon, I know I can play at this level and I am just waiting for my shot to show that. I believe that if I can keep up my efforts and keep my head in it that I could very well be competing for that second string spot and get a lot more games than what was promised me when I signed the contract. I know that God has brought me here for a reason, I just have to work my hardest to allow his plan to work the way that he planned it, obviously no matter what his plan will work itself out but I need to do my part to get the best and most out of it that I can, to do my part in his work.

For everyone out there that doesn't know. All of our home games will be broadcasted live online for you to watch. If you simply go to our homepage, Google "Puget Sound Tomahawks" and it should be the first one, there is a link to "listen live" should be on the left hand side of the page. Click on that link and it should bring you to our broadcaster's webpage and if you just look around a little bit you should find the games on there. They do not record the games though which i think is dumb but oh well, they are there to watch if you ever get the chance. You can check the schedule on the homepage as well, that way you can see what games we will be at home so you guys can watch as well. I never really know if I am playing or not but I will do my best to let everyone know as soon as I know if I am playing or not.

Goodness Just four days now until I am with everyone....... wait now that it is past midnight it is now officially Three Full Days!!! That is insane!!! I cannot believe that it is so soon!!! I cannot wait to see everyone! It is going to be so so so so so so great!!!! I cannot wait!!!!!

Emily and I are doing so great still too! We are so super excited to get out to the wedding! I cannot wait to introduce her to everyone out there, you guys are all going to love her. :) She is so excited and we are both so grateful to Jason and Kellie for inviting her to come, it meant a lot, she is so honored to be a part of the family like that. I love her so very much, we both had such a great time at our churches this sunday, she was super touched by her's and I was able to get so much out of my sermon. It is a great time to be able to find your own church and really start to figure out your own faith just that much more.

This morning I was able to return to a church that I went to last sunday as well, Bethany Baptist Church. It is about a five minute dive from my billet house, which is great. The pastor speaks and it feels very personal and as if you are in a room with him alone, it is a great experience. You never feel as though these words are his own but rather God is truly speaking through him. He has a great sense of humor that he will throw in every now and again just to keep the mood of the room up, when you talk about deeper stuff people start to get quite and depressed looking at how they have failed and messed up, he does a great job of keeping people happy, because in the end God forgives us with all of his grace, he already knew all of our mistakes before we made them, now by no means does that make it ok for us to do these things but he forgives us for them. As long as we truly love and come to him and trust in him whole heartedly and we truly depend on him, we are forgiven, he promises that. It is a great church and I am just loving it!

I love you all, thanks again for reading!

Emily sweetheart I love you so so much and I cannot wait to see you on Thursday!!!!!!

3 days!!!!!!!