Pirate Sighting - Ahoy Mateys!

Imagine my surprise when on a sunny Friday afternoon, as I am driving on the freeway, I glance over at the Sacramento River to my right and see a pirate ship? Yaarrr, a pirate ship!

My natural sense of adventure (HA! or my obsession with pirates) made me pull off the freeway at the next exit to follow my curiosity (aka the GIANT pirate ship floating down the Sacramento River).  The feeling of danger boiled up in my stomach as I inched forward, wondering what was ahead.  After climbing up the levee (in my car), I saw her in all of her majestic beauty, floating calmly down the river, not a care in the world.  I stayed out of sight in fear of the pirates aboard (*ahem* embarrassment), and what they might do if they caught me.  I followed her as far as my feet could take me (before people around me started questioning my sanity) and watched her off into the distance.  I'm not sure where they came from, or how long they will stay.  All I know is, my Friday became infinitely cooler when I spotted pirates in Sacramento.

Keep a weather eye friends.      

yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me!

Boston Fall Wedding

After two years of anticipation for this happy occasion, the time finally came for Alyssa and Mike's wedding.  I had been excited for this day for literally two years!  And the weekend finally arrived when I took my flight to Boston to meet up with Jenny and Katelyn for the three of us to travel to Holyoke for this wonderful wedding.  Alyssa looked absolutely beautiful and the location was breathtaking.  And not to mention, it was amazing to be reunited with some of my best friends again!

Highlights of the trip:
-Frequently saying "OMG I can't believe they are getting married!"
-Seeing Alyssa when we first arrived at the location, as she snuck off to use the bathroom.
-Their adorable vows they wrote themselves, or improvised in Mike's case :)
-The beautiful setting, decor, and colors.
-Crying because we were so happy when we first got to talk to her after the ceremony.
-All of the older parents, neighbors, and friends who wanted to take our picture for their single sons.
-Dancing. Dancing. and more Dancing.
-Having our taxi driver take us through McDonalds.
-Walking all over Boston with Katelyn and Jenny the next day.
-Spending quality time with friends I have not seen in way too long.
-Laughter.  So much laughter.

We had just as much fun as I expected we would!  Here are some of my favorite photos from the night!

.hanging out before the wedding.

.being silly.

.here comes the bride.

.such a beautiful setting for a fall wedding. .love the colors.

.Mr. and Mrs. 

.best friends.

.so happy to finally be reunited with some of my favorite people.

.oregon crew. .go ducks.

.my favorite.

.singing PYT to alyssa. .obviously. 

.the happy couple.

.beautiful navy and orange.

.all smiles on such a happy occasion.

Congratulations Alyssa and Mike! So happy to have celebrated this special day with you! And looking forward to all of the good times to come!

C'est la belle vie! 

"EO, can I ask you a question?"

For those of you who don't know, my volleyball nickname is EO (in case this isn't obvious, E and O are my initials).  My club volleyball coach created it in 8th grade when there were 2 of us Elizabeths on the team.  EO isn't just catchy, it's a perfect name to yell out on the court.  As someone pointed out to me recently, names in sports need to be 2 syllables.  Which sounds better on a football field when a teammate scores a touchdown, "BOB!" or "BOBBY!" 2 syllables.  It just works.  My problem was not too few syllables but two too many.  It isn't easy yelling out "Elizabeth go for the ball!" Instead, "EO! Go for the ball!" And so EO stuck.  10 years later, I still go by EO when it comes to the world of volleyball.  And now you know the background for every fantastic question/comment/quote I hear on a daily basis coaching volleyball, as all question/comments/quotes start with "EO...?"

"EO you have such a cool name."
Yes, this was the first year that a freshman actually thought my name was EO.  Not as a nickname but that was my name from birth.  EO.  Nothing else.  I do introduce myself as EO in any volleyball context but I feel like I normally explain they are my initials.  My only question to her would be, how do you think I spell my first name?  Eeyo?

"E-I-E-I-O"
Old McDonald had a farm?  This would be really funny, if my middle initial was I, but it's not.  It's an A.  E-A-E-A-O?  Doesn't work as well.

"EO what do you do?"
My favorite question.  How do I explain my array of odd jobs and my life story to a 15 year old.  I should just stick to one solid answer: "I coach you in volleyball."

I laugh at the end of each day about the things these girls say.  They keep me young and I love them for it! More good quotes and stories to come!

JV Volleyball relaxing during a break at a tournament (notice Anna and Megan in the background, making up a dance routine)

Blocking the sun from distracting the ref, such troopers

go troubies!