Football FANS

I have never been one to love football!  In fact, one of the worst fights my husband and I have ever had was over football.

Once we were married we both worked extra hard to survive financially.  Simon worked detailing automobiles and I worked at the UofU as a secretary.  After a long days work I would be so excited to come home to spend time with my new husband and he would be so excited to come home and watch football!

One Saturday I had, had enough!  I went outside our little duplex, found the entry of the cable cord to our house and I cut it in half.  I was thinking that would get him to focus his attention on me for a change.  Well, I got his attention all right.  He freaked out!  Couldn't believe I would be so CRAZY as to cut the cable!  He stomped around, yelled a lot and the next thing I know he was packing his bags.  Yep, he left me for his mom's house that night.  I was devastated!  It took him 3 days to come back and of course by then the cable cord was restored.

During the first 7 years of our married life, Simon watched a lot of sports by himself.  We were lucky enough to have 2 girls first so they occupied my time and I really didn't care about the cable anymore.  Then the 2 boys were born and almost immediately he had football and basketballs in their hands.  It didn't take the boys long to be sitting on the couch watching sports with their dad.

Things changed for me when the boys started playing little league football.  I immediately found interest in something I can truly say- I hated before.  Football became my hobby.  I wanted to know what my boys were doing, why whistles were blowing, what the referees were doing waving their arms around and WHY all these parents were freaking out on the sidelines!   I found this pure joy in watching my little boys play football.  The elation when they ran the ball in for a touchdown or when they tackled someone or sacked the quarterback.  And What about the fear I felt when they were tackled so hard that coaches ran onto the field?  Or the excitement that I got when my boys put on their jerseys at the beginning of the season so I could take their pictures.  I loved the teaching moments I have had when my boys wanted to cry on the field when they made a mistake or worse when they lost a big game.  I was the one who said, "Cry in the car if you have to.  But never ever let the other team or your teammates see you cry!"  Begin team "Mom" was a fun job title- one I even have a trophy in my kitchen window for.

Little league is over.  This year my boys play high school football.  This is a whole new level of intensity for me.  More worry, more excitement and more joy!  Friday, my boys will play in the state championship game at the UofU's Rice Eccels Stadium on the turf!  I want to scream out loud- Can you believe it?  MY boys are playing ball in a college stadium!!!

Ask me if I am nervous?  My answer is, "No WAY!"   I'm not nervous- I am so dang proud!  I am sitting here typing with tears running down my cheeks.  What a monumental event for me as a Momma!  I get the opportunity to sit in the stands and cheer on my boys playing a sport that they love! I'll be the one you can hear yelling COMMMMON FEHOKOS!  I'll also be bundled up in blue and orange- their school colors!  I know their futures will be filled with many events like this, but these are the moments I want to freeze in time!

Don't tell Simon that I really don't love FOOTBALL!  I think, he thinks that he's converted me!  But who am I kidding?  I reaalllllly only CARE when I get to watch my BOYS and my nephew #52 at the U!! Other than that- you'll never catch me rushing to watch a game anywhere else!!

Dating in College

Let me give you a little dirt!

In College Simon had a whole book of come on lines.  IDK where he got them but they were gooooood.  There was one line I totally got suckered into.  I'm about to tell you his dirty little secret... Simon- "My parents will never let me marry you unless your pregnant!"  Me- "Why?"  Simon- "Because your white."  Unfreakin believable, right?  What a line!  I'm not gonna lie,  I was CUTE!  He wanted me something fierce to come up with that one! lol  But really? I was so DUMB to believe it!

3 months went by and I wasn't pregnant. And Trust me, it wasn't for lack of trying!  The end of the semester came to a close and we were headed back to SLC for the summer.  Simon told me his parents were going to ship him off to Tonga to get ready for a mission.  I found that awfully confusing, since we were not living a righteous lifestyle by any standards.  I couldn't understand why he wouldn't just tell his parents he didn't want to go on a mission and wanted to marry me.  It's been over 20 years and I'm still trying to figure out his Tongan culture.

Anyways- we packed our bags and caravan-ed up to SLC with my favorite roommate, Molly.  Molly and all our stuff was jammed into my Suzuki Samurai and the gold Honda.  Simon's rusted out Honda Civic made it to the exit of Redwood road and then died for good.  My dad came and helped tow his car to his house.  His family lived in a little dilapidated house on Lucy Ave., by the Bees stadium.  His parents were kind and thanked us for the help.  I went home to my family's house by Skyline High School with a pool and Millcreek stream flowing through the back yard.

It wasn't a week later that Simon told me he was moving to Reno to help his sister and work construction with his brother-in-law.  The day he left I went to Planned Parenthood and had a pregnancy test.  The result was positive.  I was shocked!  I muddled around with a college friend named Stacy for most of the afternoon and then started calling his sister's house in Reno.  I called a few times and left a message with his sister Loisi that it was super important that he call me-asap.

Late that evening he returned my call.  The conversation was brief and full of emotion.  I told Simon the news and his reply was only this, "I'm on my way home."  Loisi told me many years later that after that brief phone call he told her he was going back home.  She asked "Why?  You just got here and I need help with the kids."  His Tongan reply is translated as, "My heart hurts."

The next day we met for pizza.  I remember sitting across the red and white checkered tablecloth from him as he asked, "What do you want to do?"  Are you kidding?  I was screaming in my head, I thought this was the plan!  Instead, I smiled and said, "Get married, duh!" His answer was simply a huge smile and, "Then we'll get married!"   That little memory of my proposal is what I hold dear to my heart.

I can still see the fear in his eyes.  Fear of being a father, a husband and most of all, fear of telling his parents.  His parents thought I corrupted their son that was going on a mission.  I'll never tell them it was the other way around.  You know why?  Because I  feel the exact same way about Simon that they do.  He is my everything, he is perfect!  He is the greatest father.  He loves his kids with everything he has!  He is also an amazing husband!

Fakapale is what we both received when we decided to spend the rest of our lives together in that little pizza joint.  I can't imagine our lives any other way and wouldn't want anything different.  Well, I may have some doubts about the proposal, but nah- it wouldn't be as great of a story if it was all  fairy tales and roses- now would it? lol