Saturday With Family

This past Saturday morning began early for our family. The girls had a soccer game in Woodbridge, about an hour's drive, so we left a little after 7. It was a beautiful morning; the air was cool and crisp, the sun was shining, and a breeze was blowing through the trees that are just starting to blush with autumn colors.

Unfortunately, things didn't stay beautiful for long. Oh, the weather held out fine; it was the game that was the problem. After all these years of officiating soccer, I think this was perhaps the most out-of-control game I've ever seen. Tempers were rising on both sides of the field as the referee allowed overly aggressive play to go unchecked. The opponents' coach was permitted to run the full length of the field, shouting instructions from the side. What's more, the opponents actually sent over two adults to our side of the field to help coach their team. I saw more pushing and shoving and flying elbows in this game than I can remember. And I heard a bit of cussing on the field as well. Where was the referee? Believe it or not, I saw at least two occassions when he was speaking on his cell phone... while running down the field! Unbelievable.

After the game (we lost 3-2, by the way), the family stopped by Five Guys for burgers and fries. For those of you living outside of northern Virginia, you don't realize what you're missing. Oh, sure, these greasy burgers may send your arteries screaming for help, but they sure are tasty! And I can't believe how generous they are with the fries -- a small order is enough for our family.

In the afternoon, we cleared out more of the woods around our home. Margo had already cut down a lot of the debris, so we spent the time feeding branches into our chipper and making mulch. It's amazing how such a huge pile of tree limbs can be reduced to such a small pile of woodchips. We still have a long way to go, but we're making progress!

After cleaning up a bit, we headed over to Carousel for ice cream. Of course we brought Blossom with us; they make her a "pup cup" with a little bit of ice cream and Milkbones, and she loves going for the ride in the car. What a really great place we have in Warrenton; we almost always see people we know, and it's just a fun setting to hang out and enjoy a treat.

That night we watched a movie together. I had taped "Cellular" when it aired on TV (good thing, too, since it seems they edited out a lot of language). It was a fun thriller, albeit a bit predictable. Everyone seemed to have a good time.

I went to bed early that night. I usually try to crash early on Saturdays so I'm refreshed for Sunday morning. It felt good to climb under the covers after a great day. And before I went to sleep, I found myself thanking God for the simplicity of family, fall, food, and fun. It was a terrific day!