Tupelo Futbol Club

Tanner is in his 2nd year of playing travel soccer for TFC. His team is different this year, however, from his last year's team with only 3 returning players. It has been a very different season than what we are used to. Tanner practices 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday), but they haven't played tournaments like normal. His team consists of players that really aren't the level of competitive soccer and, although they have improved, they really aren't very competitive at all. Tanner, Weston Williams and Ethan Eaton, the 3 returning from last year, are about the only boys that are on the competitive level - so, needless to say, it's been a frustrating year.

Tanner hasn't seemed to mind. He is so easy-going and just loves to run, so he has been fine with the lack of playing games. So far, they have played 2 three vs three tournaments which consists of several small teams of 5-6 players played with small goals on small fields. It's a game of quickness. Most of the kids on Tanner's team are not very quick. :) Even though it's been harder for us parents to watch than for the kids, Tanner is having fun for the most part. We had watched a high school boys soccer game one day after Anna's game, when Tanner turned to me and said, "I'm going to play high school soccer one day!" Out of all the sports Tanner plays, I have always thought soccer would be the one he might drop one day, so this was surprising to me! I would love for him to play whatever sports he loves, so if soccer is it, or one of them, that would be great! I just hope that next year, we can find a team that will be more on the level that he needs.

3 v 3 tournament in Oxford

Tanner - 12 years old - 6th grade

Me (mom) cheering on my boy!

Big Change

For the first time in 4 1/2 years, Avery is not playing High School Fast Pitch Softball. After playing slow-pitch in the Fall, she made the decision to take a break. She is tired and burned out at the moment. I don't blame her. She has missed out on things due to softball over the years and she is excited to finally be able to do those things. I have to say, it is strange to not have to be at a softball field every Tuesday and Thursday night for a game. I will honestly miss it - I love watching all my kids play sports - but I am happy Avery is getting to have fun doing other things. Maybe she will come back in the fall to play slow-pitch her senior year, but if not, I know there will be bigger and better things out there for her. We'll see what happens. God has special plans for Avery and I look forward to seeing what they are. She is a very special girl that has so many talents and I know she will do amazing things. She already is! Terry and I are so proud of her!

Avery  -  Junior Year

Mike Turns the Big 4-0!

For the first time in many years, we were able to celebrate Mike's birthday with him. He turned 40 on New Year's Eve and even though we weren't together on that exact day, a few days after we got back from Colorado we celebrated with cake and ice cream. Paige was still home too, so we were all together! It's hard to believe my baby brother is 40 years old! He is such a blessing to our family and we are so thankful for him.

THS Soccer 2014-2015

This was Anna's first year to play on the varsity squad of the Tupelo High School Lady Wave soccer team. At the first of the season, Hannah Kimbrough, the head coach, pulled Anna aside and asked her if she would want to play goalie. Anna said yes, even though she's never played really played goalie. :) She has worked really hard and has done a great job! She ended up the starting goalie and one week was chosen the Top Performer of the Week by the Clarion Ledger newspaper for making 8 saves against the then #1 ranked Brandon team and helping her team win 1-0!

One of the best parts of the season was the new friends she has made. All the older girls were so good to the new girls and over the season, they really became like a family. The season was great too! After beating Brandon, THS was ranked #1 in the State! They won their district and won the first 2 rounds of the playoffs to make it to the finals of the North Half. Unfortunately, they lost to Madison Central. It was a sad day. A lot of people really thought this was their year to win it all, but it wasn't meant to be. We ended the season with only 2 losses, and both were to Madison Central. Boo! We will get them next year!

Anna's initiation at Meet the Wave. The new girls had to do
a front roll, then squat and quack like a duck. Pretty funny!

Anna - Freshman year

Anna McCoy, Lauren Taylor, Anna - some of the Freshmen

Goalie

Good catch!

Katie Taylor is a senior and has committed to play soccer at
the University of Arkansas. She is fun to watch! 

Coach Kimbrough with the girls

Always a prayer before every game

Anna and the defense, Liza Wise, Madelyn Harrison, and
Maura Childs would say another prayer. Was a sweet thing
they started doing.

Niland Fortenberry made a sign for Anna for the
Madison Central game. Sweet friends!

The soccer banquet was a couple of weeks later. It was held at Harrisburg Baptist Church and we had a great meal and some good laughs listening to the senior girls read their "wills" to each girl and tell stories. Awards were given out and Anna received the "Most Improved" Award! Coach Kimbrough had some really nice words to say about Anna. Said the award should be called the "Most Improved/Selfless" Award because Anna was put in at a position she had never played and never complained. Then she said, "And she is GOOD!" ha! It was sweet. All in all, it has been a great season with many accomplishments, many new skills learned and best of all, many new friends. We look forward to next season!

Anna McCoy and Anna G

Lauren Lasordo (Sr) and Anna

Hannah Ellis (Soph) and Anna

Merrie Kate Grayson is also a goalie and was so good to
Anna this year. She was a sophomore and really helped Anna out
learning new things and being a great supporter!

Anna Mc, Anna G, Lauren Taylor and Mary Collins West
-- some of the TFC girls

Anna and Lauren - they have played soccer
 together since they were 5

Abbey Hastings, Anna, Sara Lambert Hollingsworth, Mary
Collins, and Lauren Taylor. Sara Lambert - a senior - drove these
Freshmen to team meals all season.

Anna and Lauren Kate Carter (JR) - Anna's soccer big sister

Anna and Coach Hannah Kimbrough

Anna and Lexi Pund (Soph)

Anna and Katie Darnell (Soph)

Anna and Luz Elena (Fresh)

New Year's at Crested Butte, Colorado 2015

The end of December and the beginning of 2015, started off with a trip! One of our most favorite things to do! We traveled to Crested Butte, Colorado for the second time,with our friends, the McCoys. We LOVE Crested Butte! We wanted to go back there but when we started checking airline prices, they were $800 EACH! Too much! So we decided to drive. 20 hours. And it was absolutely great!

We left early the day after Christmas and drove to Dumas, Texas for the night. About 12 hours. The kids did great and didn't complain at all. The next day, we drove 8 more hours to reach Crested Butte. Throughout the 2 day drive, we traveled through 7 states - Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.  The drive through the mountain passes was the hardest. We arrived at the house we had rented and unloaded. The house was awesome! 3 bedrooms/3 full baths, a huge loft with a sofa bed, a big deck and a great view of the mountains. Tanner slept on an air mattress the entire week, but didn't mind at all. The girls had a room that they shared with Anna Mc.

The skiing was fun! We skied for 5 days and had a blast. It was really cold some days, but we pressed on and made some great memories. The kids are really good skiers and have almost caught up with Terry and me. They skied a couple of black runs again this time and looked at ease. They love the tree skiing and finding some jumps.  It's pretty awesome to be surrounded by God's handiwork. I never tire of seeing the beauty there. It's truly amazing.

The last day of skiing, we were eating lunch at the mid-mountain restaurant and spotted Bethany Hamilton and her husband. She is the girl who lost an arm to a shark bite while surfing as a girl and made a great surfing comeback. She's a Christian with an inspirational story! Avery, Anna, Tanner and Anna Mc proceeded to stalk them the rest of the afternoon. Ha! Other than some very sore quads (Avery) and some banged up shins (Anna G), we had no injuries and another successful trip with some great friends!

Tanner and Avery on the chair lift

One of the small terrain parks. The kids loved skiing the rails!

So beautiful

Getting to the top of Painter Boy Lift. We loved the slopes 

by this lift and Prospect and Gold Link Lifts.

Wow!

Anna, Terry and Anna Mc on the lift

The Goggans

Silly

Avery - 17 1/2 years old

Eating at our favorite restaurant - Secret Stash

Terry, Tracey, Lori and Brian

Drinking out of mason jars!!

Eating lunch at the mid-mountain restaurant

Anna, Tanner, Avery and Anna Mc

Beautiful mountains!

Avery, Tanner and Anna

Anna - 14 1/2 years old

So pretty!

Tanner catching some air!

You can't see it very good, but Anna is skiing a mini half-pipe

More air for Tanner!

Anna, Anna Mc, Avery, Tanner and Terry

This was at the top of the highest lift on the mountain that was 

open while we were there - Silver Queen lift. The extreme skiing 

mountain behind us wasn't open yet. We were told it is so steep, 

the snow just rolls off so it takes longer to build up.

Closer shot at the same spot

Anna, Terry, Tracey, Avery, and Tanner

God's handiwork

The McCoys and the Goggans

This is our 5th ski trip together.

Tracey, Anna (9th grade-14), Avery (11th grade-17), 

Tanner (6th grade-12) and Terry

My sweet boy, Tanner - 12 years old

This was the view from our rental house deck

Another view

I love Avery's perspective with her pictures

Another Avery original

Avery shoveling snow from the deck

Tanner and Katelyn joined in

Katelyn(6th grade), Tanner and Avery

We celebrated New Year's while we were at Crested Butte. They

had a "show" on the mountain that we watched from our house.

The red line coming down the mountain are torches that skiers were

carrying. They also had a giant spotlight directed at the very top peak

of the mountain. It helped to see the fireworks.

Torches held by skiers coming down the mountain. Very cool!

Fireworks

Katelyn, Miller and Anna chilling out after a day on the 

slopes! We watched a lot of football at night since all the

bowl games were being played this week. Unfortunately, 

our Rebels got beat in the Peach Bowl by TCU. 

This is what it looked like around the fireplace every day

when we got home from skiing. 10 pairs of ski boots by the fire!

Anna Mc, Brian, Tanner, Anna and Avery about halfway

down International. It was a black run that was really good!

The kids did great on it! I wish you could tell how steep it is!

Another view from our deck

Sledding outside our house

Straight down! 

Anna Mc, Miller, Avery, Anna, Tanner and Katelyn

Anna

Contemplating her day of skiing :)

Avery

Trying to figure out how she can live here some day

In the far back corner is Bethany Hamilton and her husband.

We didn't get to talk to her, but the kids got a big kick out of 

seeing them. They had recently completed "The Amazing Race". 

Me and Tanner

There were ice sculptures everywhere at the base of the mountain.

This was one of them. Very cool!

Anna Mc and Anna G

Some of the drive home. 

This country is amazing!

WOW! God is awesome. So pretty!