Emily's Last Soccer Game

You would not have known it from the weather, but Emily played her last soccer game of the season Saturday. With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 80's, it felt more like the beginning of September and not a day in mid-October.

Mom says she can remember other end-of-the-fall-season games from years gone by: being bundled head to toe to ward off the biting north wind, or trying to warm in the van after sitting on cold bleachers for an hour. So Saturday's weather was a welcome change.

Unfortunately, Emily's Raiders team fell 3-2 in its final game. As you can see from the picture above, their opponent, St. Joan of Arc, played aggressively and never gave up despite being down 1-0 and 2-1. Afterwards, Emily and her teammates spent several hours at the Shady Lane Ranch, a Council Bluffs' knockoff of Vala's Pumpkin Patch.

Lauren's team (coached by her dad) didn't fare any better Saturday morning, losing 6-4. Lauren plays her final game next Saturday.