After a narrow loss in their first game of the season Brandon’s football team went undefeated the remainder of the way and won their conference. As a result of their season play they secured home field for the play-offs. They won their first play-off game without much trouble but ended up fighting through a double overtime battle in the semi final and came away with a win. This set them up for the final and that was Saturday Dec 4th. I know it technically belongs in the December report, but the news is too big to wait until next month. Randolph Rams are NJ 5A State Champions! With a score of 19-0 they defeated Montclair. The game was held in the new Meadowlands Stadium (home of the Giants and the Jets). The entire town of Randolph (past and present) must have shown up for the game, we easily doubled the crowd on the other side. The boys got to use the home locker room and were amazed by the facilities. The experience of walking through the tunnel to the field and then running out to the field was just like being a pro.
The Meadowlands
Proud parents trying to stay warm (dang was it a cold game)
Pre-game
One of three touchdown drives
Presentation of the trophy
We now have high expectations for next year, so Brandon and his friends better work hard during the off season.
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Chayce is now taunting us with the Arizona weather. One day I get a text informing me that I should add 30 degrees to my current temp and that is what his temp was. Then another, I’m curled up in bed on a Saturday night watching football and he tells me he is at an outdoor party watching the ASU game on a projection screen in 80 degree weather. I can’t wait until February when it is snowing and sub 0, he is really going to get mean then.
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Weekend in Ocean City, Maryland. On a whim we decided to check out Ocean City, MD, so we packed up the car with Brandon and one of his friends [the QB on his team, feels appropriate for a receiver and the QB to be good friends right] and hit the road. We were blessed with 60+ degrees in the middle of November and clear sunny skies. On the way down we took a ride on a “drive on” ferry across the Delaware Bay between Cap May and Cape Henlopen.
The ferry was fun and reminded me of the Ririe family trips in Vancouver when we used to go to Victoria and the many other San Juan Islands. “Good times”
We got a great deal on a hotel right on the beach. Go figure, no one wants to go to the beach in November. Well we don’t mind, in fact we have always enjoyed the beach year round. I guess that comes from growing up in Oregon.
Our hotel had an ice skating rink, complete with a wanna be professional ice skater.
For anyone who has ever been to a beach with Kim that has any kind of shells, rocks or sharks teeth, this pose will look familiar 
On the way home we took a detour into downtown Philadelphia for a stop at our favorite Philly Cheesesteak place “Jim's Cheesesteak” It is located in a funky area on South St. and is a great place to walk around on the weekends and look at all the crazy sites and people. The Cheesesteaks did not disappoint.
Thanksgiving was our traditional relaxing weekend. Chayce came home from school and it felt like old times. It was so nice to have him home and to be a family of four again.
Chayce came home with a beard because he is celebrating “no shave November”.
Chayce and Brandon put in some serious time catching up on their video games.
We actually all overslept on Thanksgiving morning (thanks to Chayce and his crazy college hours) and ended up having T-day dinner a little later then planned. Oh well, it still tasted awesome.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend we all went to see the latest Harry Potter movie. We were a little afraid Chayce might see it in AZ and break up our family tradition of seeing them together, but he waited and we all went together as we have done for the prior episodes. I guess we will see the final installment in the summer. It will be sad to see them end.
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and we will see you online in the new year.
3 comments:
Loved your blog as usual. Tell Chayce that that little scrub on his chin isn't a beard yet. He has a long time coming to keep up with his grandpa. I remember the restaurant in Philadelphia. That was where the boys pushed grandma down and she came away with a black and blue face. Love ya.
Grandpa and grandma
Looks like another fun adventure - your trip to MD.
Congratulations to Brandon and his team. Does Brandon get a lot of playing time? Lots of touchdowns? I wish that we could watch him play. I still remember watching him play baseball when we came to visit. He is a great athlete.
A few weeks ago I was sitting by Anders and noticed a few long hairs on his chin and told him that maybe he should shave. I had to laugh at his response. "I can't, it's No Shave November." I've never heard of that before. I guess I'm the only one.
That's awesome about Brandon's team winning the state championship! Tell him congrats from us! How fun to have Chayce home for a few days! I am very jealous of the warm Arizona weather!
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