football and a fireman

Daren and I went to a heart-stopping football game up at the University of Utah tonight. We were playing Oregon St., from the Pac-10, who upset the #1 team, USC, last week. Utah (5-0, ranked #15 this week) is off to it's best start since 2004 (when we went undefeated and were the first team to ever bust the BCS from a non-BCS conference), and we knew this was going to be an important and hard fought game. It wasn't the prettiest game, and with just 2:14 left to go in the game we were down 28-20. Incredibly, especially compared with how we had been playing the previous 2 quarters, we drove down the field, scored a touchdown and after a penalty during the 2-point conversion, were able to convert the second time (as everyone in the stadium collectively yelled at the QB, Brian Johnson, "RUN!!") to tie up the game. We got the ball back with under a minute to go, marched down the field again, and with 0:02 on the clock, Louie Sakoda, our awesome kicker, put it through the uprights and won the game!! It was an unbelievable finish and now we are 6-0...it could be an interesting game next month when we play "the team down south."


Final score!! I think at least half of the people in the stadium emptied out onto the field as time ran out.

Yea, we were there baby!!

Today is another day of celebration because 13 years ago today Daren, only a newly-wed for six months, started his journey of being a firefighter for the Salt Lake City Fire Department. I can't even begin to think of where we would be without the fire department. Daren didn't grow up with a desire to be a fire fighter, but with a little encouragement from a family friend who was a fire marshall for SL County, he took the written test...and then the physical test...and finally the interview. He ended up #13 on the hiring list, and was hired with the first group from that list. There have been a lot of ups and a few downs through the years, but being on the fire department has allowed Daren to do many things he may not have otherwise done. During the last 13 years we ran a successful lawn care business (on his days off from the fire station), completed a couple of undergraduate degrees from the U (Daren in German and Political Science, me in history); Daren went on to get a Masters in Public Administration and finally on to law school at the U of U. It helped him get a great job at a law firm in Salt Lake City, and eventually allowed him to leave that firm and begin his own law practice. He has had 13 years of great friends, many of whom had a part in finishing our basement, and several who he loves to golf with. Daren even ran his first, and perhaps only, marathon with his crew (at the time) from his station. (Which reminds me, good luck to all my running friends who are running the St. George Marathon this weekend!!)

And, the boys think it's the coolest thing ever to have a fire fighter for a dad--they love to visit the fire station, which for the last 8 years has been Station #13. Hmm, there seems to be a correlation between Daren and the #13 (that is Ben's lacrosse number too!). All the guys from his station have a skull and crossbones sticker that says "Lucky 13" on their cars. I know I'm leaving plenty of stuff out, but it's late and I wanted to write this today. I'm so proud of Daren and for his hard work and commitment to the fire department. It has been a great job that we have been able to depend on for years, and look forward to many more.

Daren's mom found this comic not long after Daren was hired on the fire department--who knew it would fit so perfectly someday!! I love you heed!