Chris didn't win shortest speech at the Senior Banquet, but he did win the best!!!

Wednesday night was the PH senior banquet to honor all senior athletes (banquet number 2 for all you keeping count at home!) Of course we were running late and Mom had already come to pick up Sam so Chris and I had to go upstairs to get ready in a hurry. At our house we happen to have his and her closets...they just aren't in the same room! The truth is this...I have a mini closet in the bedroom and Chris has an even "mini-er" closet in the office. All that clarification is to set up why it was so HILARIOUS when I went into the office and found Chris in this:

Yes we ARE wearing coordinating his and her black and yellow outfits. I started laughing...loudly..and realizing we are of course running late and neither one of us had time to change...I laughed even louder!!! Don't you always match your husband...I hear it's the new "IT" thing to do!!!

On a more serious note...Chris wrote a great speech (which of course he said, "and NO Emily, you can't blog this, so of course I'm going to anyway...that's what he gets for not checking:)) This year he wanted to do more of a senior "charge" to the guys, so he called them one by one and spoke of their wonderful accomplishments and then he read this:

For several years you have toiled in the freezing cold of February through the brutal heat of May, just to call yourself a member of the Patrick Henry Men’s Soccer team. Like many people, you probably wondered the first time you heard our name – “Why men’s soccer and not boy’s?” Certainly at times you looked like boys – you definitely acted like boys, and sometimes very young boys at that – at times you would speak like boys, yell like boys, complain like boys, and whine like boys. In school you would be late to class like boys, you would forget assignments like boys and occasionally disrespect a classmate or even a teacher like young boys. With your friends you would horse around like very young and awkwardly immature young boys, you would play video games like boys (so do I), text 1000 messages in one school day like boys, get ice cream or just hang out like boys. In soccer, at some point in your career, you doubted like boys, you questioned like boys, you worried like boys, you ran 60’s like boys, and you even quit like boys.

You can proudly call yourself a member of the Patrick Henry Men’s Soccer team, not because you have always acted like a man, spoke like a man, treated people like a man and respected those around you like a man. You were called a member of the Men’s Soccer Program to remind you of what you should always be. In the end, it won’t be the wins, the championships, or the honors that define our Patrick Henry soccer team, it will be the young men…young men like yourselves…that give us our name – Patrick Henry Men’s Soccer.

As all of you move on, I want to encourage you to never forget the fun, very boyish things that make you laugh, that make you happy, and that make those around you smile. In doing so, be safe, be decisive, and choose to lead when it’s time to step up. At the end of your day, when soccer is not the first thing on your mind when you wake up, know that you will ultimately be remembered for far greater things – were you a good friend? Were you the best husband and best friend your wife could imagine? Were you the best father in the world? Did you seek out your faith and study what you believe in? Did you keep your word, practice honesty, accept responsibility, and learn from all of your mistakes?

Did you always strive to be a man?

Guys – I love all of you to death. Each and every one of you has been a true blessing to me and my family and I know that you will move on to bigger and better things. Don’t forget my rule of thumb – if it’s the score of a game-text me…if it’s something important-SEE ME! Always remember your time here and know that I will always be there for each of you

He didn't exactly "make it" through the whole speech...he got to where he said they were a blessing to us and then "wrapped" things up! Is that not the sweetest thing you have ever read, but then again...I'm his wife!! I know I have said it before but...this is his ministry, and those MEN are better MEN for knowing my husband...and I am proud of him and them!!
Alex (A.K.A second team all Region, 21 career shutout defender, all time leader in games started, senior captain Alex....ps....my husband is a serious keeper of stats, he has EVERY stat known to mankind) and I after the banquet...yes I made him pose purposely for "the blog"!! And for clarification purposes Alex..the whole SEE ME for "important things" DOES include seeing me, "Mrs. Dowdy" when future, "girls of interest who could possible be "keepers" but not until Mrs. Dowdy has verified that they are good enough", come along!!!:) This goes for ALL the guys!!!!