On the morning of our 2nd day, we went our separate ways again. The family of the birthday girl had party things to take care of. So, we got out to explore some more. We started out at the Shark Tank (SAP Center) where the San Jose Sharks play hockey.
We arrived in California mid-morning yesterday. After a stressful couple of hours in the rental car line and at the desk, we got our rental and were on our way. Long story short, they were low on cars. The original car we rented wasn't available so they upgraded us to a Tesla at no extra cost to us. We didn't tell Mason because we wanted to surprise him. He's always been a Tesla fan!
Warning!!! There will be tons of hockey posts on this blog from here on out. :) I think it will be so fun to look back at these posts a year or two to see how far Mason has come in his hockey journey!
Mason joined in another open hockey session at his rink. These are such great developmental sessions for him. Kids that have been playing for years come to these sessions and they seem to take the newbies under their wings. They've been so kind and have helped Mason so much.
Our nephews play baseball and we love catching as many games as we can. We are a baseball family, through and through. Nathan played from like 3 years old through college. Unfortunately, Mason didn't care much for the sport. We are happy that we still get our baseball fix through our nephews.
Our hockey rink is the home ice to a couple of different college teams in our area. After the parent/child open hockey, we stayed to watch the Texas A&M vs TCU hockey game. The college games are so excited and we have enjoyed watching them when we can.
We had a busy Saturday! It kicked off with Mason's hockey game. Mason played so well and might have even earned himself a penalty! I mean, it's a right of passage for hockey players. Right?? You can see the penalty in the video below. Oh boy! This is going to be a fun season.
Another neat thing our hockey rink does is "parent/child open hockey" sessions. It's a block of time where parents can take the ice with their kids. Mason tries to talk Nate into it every chance that he can. Nate is always happy to oblige. It's fun to watch them on the ice together and it's such great bonding time for them.
If Mason isn't at the hockey rink, he's usually outside in the driveway practicing. This kid has been known to spend 6 hours a day outside practicing. Nate and I are so proud of his determination and his drive!
No matter how long I've had chickens, collecting eggs will always be one of my favorite things!! Especially when you finally have a flock of hens that leave you beautiful eggs!!
In between practices and lessons, Mason likes to go to open hockey at the rink. They have scheduled blocks of time where you can take the ice and practice whatever skills that you want. They have nets set-up at each end of the rink, other training equipment, etc. We try to attend these as often as we can.
This morning we went to our nephew's soccer game. That's always a fun time! After the game, Nate's parents had the boys over and since we live right behind them, we got to visit with them too! We had a sweet little time playing outside, holding the chickens, gathering eggs, and even a little frog catching.
We were invited to a very special event in Northern California later this month. It's a formal event...which means my boys will be in suits! After searching many places, we ended up having to order Mason's suit. It fit okay, but there were some areas that needed taken in. I couldn't believe how grown he looked!
We traveled to the Texas hill country for Labor Day weekend and had so much fun! Nate's parents booked a VRBO and invited our sister-in-law's parents to join. It was such a sweet time with tons of precious memories made!
Mason had his thirteen-year well-check this week. Yes, it's about 3 months late since his birthday was back in May. COVID threw our well-check routine off. We couldn't get an appointment until later in 2020 and then our insurance will only cover a well-check annually. So now, our well-checks fall around this time each year. Mason's doctor hasn't been worried about it since he is a pretty healthy boy.
Mason and I have been going on walks every evening after supper. He brings his hockey stick and a ball and practices his stick-handling while we walk. He tells me all about hockey - what he's been working on, what he's looking forward to, his hopes, his dreams, his favorite players and why, all about the friends he has met through hockey, and so much more. I can't help but think about the song "Just Fishin" by Trace Adkins.
"He thinks we're just walking"
Happy Tuesday, friends!! Hope your week is off to a great start. Ours has started out busy - but what else is new? Today I am sharing about our weekend. Spoiler alert!! It was a good one!
Mason had a hockey leveling tournament over the weekend. They played other 14U teams around the metroplex to determine what level each team would be on. Our team is primarily first-time players but we are looking forward to a fun season.
Sometime early last week, Nate sent Mason and me a Tik Tok about Kincaid's burgers in Fort Worth! It had been on our radar all week because it looked so amazing. Saturday after hockey we decided to give it a try...
Happy Wednesday! It's been quite a week already and thus the reason I am just now getting to share about our weekend. Work has been absolutely insane this week. I told Nate that it feels like it's rapid-fire email week. As soon as I finish one, seven more come in. Monday evening we had Mason's first hockey practice with his team he will be on for league. More on that later! But for now, here is a look at our weekend.
Hi, I’m Crystal — daughter of the One True King, wife to my high school sweetheart Nathan, and Mama to our 15-year-old son, Mason. I’m a proud hockey mom, homeschooling adventurer, wannabe homesteader, and Texas girl through and through.Around here, I share our life...the messy, the meaningful, and everything in between. From chasing dreams and thrift store deals to traveling this beautiful state (and beyond), to finding Jesus in everyday moments... this is our story. Welcome to Hall Around Texas!! I’m so glad you’re here!
