T-Giving 2006

Abbey in St.Louis!

U of M Football and Cherished Memories

*This picture was taken in Bo Schembechler's office. L to R is Dad, Johnny, Bo and myself.


Those of you who follow sports know that we lost a football legend last Friday, Coach Bo Schembechler. "Bo" was the head football coach at The University of Michigan for several years. It's hard to reflect on my childhood without thinking of "Bo."

I grew up going to Michigan football games every Saturday in the fall. My Dad had four season tickets so it was usually Dad, one of his friends, Johnny (my younger brother) and I. I have so many memories. I remember sitting in crowds of 110,000 people and being so hot I thought I was going to melt. And I remember watching Ohio State/Michigan one year and being so cold that my Dad was concerned we would get frostbite. So many memories...

This was the routine, which we NEVER deviated from...

We would leave early in the morning (a little after 7:00AM) because the games were almost always at noon. We would then stop at the local IGA grocery store and get a few chocolate donuts, a bucket of chicken, chips and pop. We would dig right into the donuts and save everything else for the "tailgate." It was about a 1.5 drive to the stadium so we would get there around 9:00AM. We would always park at the Ann Arbor Church of Christ (make a $$$ donation, of course) open the back of the minivan and party. Johnny and I would usually throw the football around, eat a few pieces of chicken and then off to Chrysler arena. Chrysler arena is the basketball arena that sits next the football stadium. Dad had "connections" so we were able to get into the locker room and listen to "Bo" address the recruits. This was always a treat! One of the things that I will never forget about those speeches is that when "Bo" would enter the room everyone would immediately take off their hats...total respect! Little did I know that at such a young age I was getting some great pre-game speech training that I would be able to use with my own team someday... After the speech we would walk over to the stadium. Walking into Michigan stadium (which is the largest football stadium in the country, seating close to 115,000!!!) was always exciting. We would watch the team warm-up, then watch the band perform and then the players would run out of the tunnel, hit the flag and then...kickoff!!! Typically, Michigan would win and we would wait for the crowd to clear out. After the stadium emptied out, we would make our way to the locker room tunnel where the players came out and Johnny would get his Michigan football signed. I think he eventually got everyone's autograph on that ball, I mean the thing is covered in autographs! I never was into getting autographs, I always preferred a handshake. After all the players were out we would head back to the minivan and drive home...another Michigan football Saturday in the books.

I went to the opening game this year vs. Vanderbilt. I must admit things weren't quite the same. No more season tickets, Dad bought them off the internet. No donuts or chicken...the old IGA grocery store is now a health club. We didn't park at Ann Arbor Church of Christ as it has relocated. We didn't hear "Bo's" pregame speech as he's no longer the coach and has since past away. We didn't even stay for the entire game; we left early in the 4th quarter.

But most of all, things weren't the same because Johnny wasn't with us. My memories of U of M football will always be memories of spending time with my brother and my Dad.

And those memories...I will always cherish.

Angel Abbey

Abbey celebrated her second Halloween as an angel!

She went to our neighbors on each side and then we spent the rest of the evening at church. The youth group at the Lake Orion Church put on a great "trick or treat" party at the building!!! Veggie Tales played on the big screen in the auditorium, bobbing for apples and donuts on a string in the fellowship hall and candy in every classroom! Abbey came home with a bag of candy and made it clear it was "my candy." She doesn't even like sweets; she just enjoys unwrapping all the candy and leaving it all over the house.

Before I came home I spent a few hours watching the Detroit Pistons practice. I was visiting with one of my good friends who works for the Pistons and explained to him that I was taking Abbey trick or treating tonight. He immediately said, "I would give anything to do that with my daughter, in fact, I have never even been home on Halloween since I have had children." Watching the Pistons was fun but trick or treating with Abbey was priceless.

I have no idea what kind of person she will grow up to be like, I have no idea if she will have a relationship with God, I have no idea what kind of friends she will choose and I have no idea what kind of decisions she will make.

But what I do know is that I am going to spend all the time I can with her and do my best to raise her up in the Lord. And in the end I hope and pray she turns out to be like...an angel.