You Bet I Am {"FIRST game of my ENTIRE life"}

If you are not a fan of football, click right on out of here.  Brighton had his first football game this past Saturday morning and declared as such in the car on the way, “Dad, this is my FIRST football game of my ENTIRE life.”  Oh, I don’t know, a year ago maybe, he also declared {he makes lots of “declarations”} that God made him for football.  But along with declarations like, “I am not going to bed at 8:30 because I have some other things to do,” and “I don’t have to do this assignment because I am not reading that book,” so we take, “God made me for football.” with a grain of pink Himalayan salt.  So, Saturday was the day and you bet I am going to post about it!

It was a 10 o’clock game with the sun blazing, not like it was September 7th but more like August 7th.  It was EXTREMELY hot.  Emily and Alyssa-- faithful friends and lovers of my kids-- came to sweat it out with us.

Blake, just consider this post dedicated to YOU!  I LOVED watching you play all those years and I especially loved the money you gave me for helping you out of those tricky uniforms and cleats.  You lazy bum.  However, I have already shared your secret with B.  Julia has already earned herself a few quarters.  I see many more in her future.

Here he is on the end-- at tight end-- where he played most of the game.

He's doing his job here-- going for the bigger boy {#50} at the knees.

He's just looking cool here--- Thanks, Em, for such a great picture!

He wore #1 because the #32 jersey was printed by a numerically challenged operator.

Going for #50 again.  I loved seeing him work so hard at it.

Jeff and Julia sweating-- doing their part for the team.

The coach was very clear at some point-- maybe at the end-- it's NOT a HUGGING game!

Brighton gets to play with one of his classmates from CLPS.  Love this part of it too!

So maybe this isn't a mother's favorite moment captured- and really, that may be some other boy wearing a #1 jersey.....but I post it because of the boy's socks next to him!

Mid game the coach YELLED them over to an impromptu huddle and gave them, most likely, their first good chewing out.  And, in the stands, we heard EVERY word.  It was great.  Again, B is riveted.

This man {Mr. B-- thank you VERY much} had my boy's back the entire game-- squirting water into his mouth, making sure he was on and off the field at the right time, keeping him off the bench etc.... Very grateful Momma.

And here is his biggest fan-- love how hands on or hands off Jeff can be.  It's a tough balance for dads and I feel Jeff does a super job knowing when to step in and when to back off.

Now, isn't that fun?  Once my brother's playing days were over with high school, I got to watch Jeff play his senior year at Furman.  LOVED every game.

The "FIRST game of [his] ENTIRE life" is over and we look forward to many, many more.