BYU Football Post-season Wrap up

The only time a 10 win 3 loss season hurts is when 2 of the losses come in your last 2 games, one against your rival and one to a lowly Pac-10 team that hasn't been to a bowl game in 10 years.

In reality, 3 straight years with 10 wins or more and finishing in the top 25 isn't too shabby. I'm not sure the team will still be ranked after losing to Arizona last night, but there is a lot of promise going into next season.

As I look back on my thoughts before the season began, BYU really did overachieve this season. We won several games that we had no business winning with the way we played and pulled out squeakers that in the last 2 years would have been blow outs. The defense was my biggest worry going into the season and they promptly washed those fears away with big shut out wins against UCLA and Wyoming and followed up allowing only 3 points to New Mexico and a couple 4th quarter garbage TDs to Utah State.

Then TCU happened and both the offense and defense were exposed. The D was what we thought they should have been prior to the start of the season and the offense showed that if things don't go their way, they get flustered and make big mistakes. However, prior to that game even, I saw things that worried me. When the defense forced turnovers in the New Mexico game, the offense couldn't capitalize and ended up wasting a chance to score. That started to happen more and more and really put pressure on the D and probably took some wind out of their sails. Our team started to look like they were just going through the motions and there wasn't any passion for the game. They showed that now and again as the season went on, but again last night, the offense at least made it look like they didn't know why they were out there in the first place.

Two things need to change to continue being successful next season. First, the offense has to learn how to have fun again and therefore capitalize on the successes of the defense. The defense will be more experienced now and I'll expect them to step up and make more plays and know their opponents better so that they can read the offense prior to the snap.

If those two things can happen, 2009 can be really special for BYU and they could continue the success that began in 2005 with Bronco Mendenhall at the helm. Bronco's a great coach and has a great staff around him. It's time for the players to step up and buy into his philosophies and have fun doing it.

Here's to a great 2008 and a better 2009.

Go Cougars!!!!

Tag, You're it! Thanks Megan

Wow, it must be time for me to fix my gutters...

Dave pointed this out the other day and now it's the eigth picture in the eigth folder of my pictures...must be a sign.

This is kinda fun. Everyone should try it.

Tag: Krystal, Jesse, Sean, Traci, Stephanie(s), Jessica

It's Different

As we prepare to take other peoples children into our home and care for them as if they were our own I find that I am more sensitive to the things people say. Things like, "it's different when it's your own kid." What does that mean? Most parents with biological children say the same thing. It's different. So, as a woman that may never have biological children am I missing out on more then just the obvious? Am I unable to love a child that isn't mine the same as a mother who has given birth to a child? I mean there are so many costs that I have come to terms with as we prepare to take care of these children. If we adopt out of foster care I will never be able to name that child. Jason will never give that child a name and a blessing as an infant. I will not be given a child who I have nurtured since conception. If a child comes into our home it means there is some malfunction in their family of origin and there will be permanent repercussions. If I do take a children into my home and they live with us for 18 months, perhaps their first steps are taken in our living room or their sibling has their first day at kindergarten while with us, then they go home, those children are not mine. "It's different," they say. Perhaps it is, but as long as the child feels loved and cared for and accepted does it really matter if it's a different kind of love?

foster: Safety Inspection

Our safety inspection went great yesterday. We still need 2 window well covers and a hand rail on the stairs but our licencer is recommending licencing! She made it sound like we would be licenced by Christmas! Then we'll go on our cruise (to Mexico next month) and hope that we'll have children placed with us after that.