Mason will be playing in two hockey leagues this fall. He will be playing for the high school JV team and the Stars house league. Today he had his first combine for the Stars House League. This is a time where they do drills and showcase their skills and then coaches place them on a team (based on individual level).
Mason is still going strong with his weekly private hockey lessons! He really respects this coach and gets so much out of each lesson. Coach Larson is awesome with the kiddos and really knows how to work with them. We are grateful for a coach who pours into our kid!
Tonight we had our high school hockey preseason kick-off/signing event! It kind of made everything feel more real! Our boy will be playing on the JV hockey team as a freshman. We are so proud of him and all of his accomplishments over the last year. He's worked really hard and definitely has earned his spot on this team. We are looking forward to a great season!
A few times a year the Dallas Stars host a practice that is open to the public. We were lucky enough to get to attend this past weekend. It was our first one, so we weren't sure what to expect. Now we know to get there early, bring something for autographs (and a sharpie), and know the prime spots. We still had a good time and it was fun to see the team a little up close and personal.
Mason joined his Nana and his cousins for trick or treating on the historic downtown square. I had to work and was not able to join. I'm thankful for Nana to help carry on this sweet little Halloween-time tradition.
Over the weekend Mason attended an open hockey session with his friends. He has met the greatest friends and I just adore the bond that they have. I can't wait to watch them play together for years to come.
Mason had a DSMHL (Dallas Stars Metro Hockey League) hockey game over the weekend and played so well. He also had a big fan club for this game! I'm so grateful for those who support him in his passion and love him so well.
Nate and I took Mason and two friends to our local Halloween Park for a night of scares and fun! These boys were hilarious to watch and so much fun. We had VIP passes so we were able to skip long lines and enjoy the haunted houses as many times as we wanted.
One of the coolest events we have ever attended was the Dallas Stars Green Carpet! Nate and I took off work to take Mason and it was well worth it!! We weren't sure what to expect since it was our first time and it far exceeded any of our expectations!!
Nathan and I heard about this really neat thing the Dallas Stars do called "The Green Carpet". It's where the players walk the green carpet up to the arena and often times they will stop for pictures or autographs. Nathan and I bought tickets for opening day (game) and took off work to take Mason to the green carpet event before the game. We decided to surprise Mason about the game & event in a different kind of way...
Mason and his friends attended another open hockey at our home rink. I love it when they all get together to put in some extra time on the ice. They work hard but they sure have fun! They practically had the whole ice to themselves.
Warning!!! There will be tons of hockey posts on this blog from here on out. :) I think it will be so fun to look back at these posts a year or two to see how far Mason has come in his hockey journey!
Mason joined in another open hockey session at his rink. These are such great developmental sessions for him. Kids that have been playing for years come to these sessions and they seem to take the newbies under their wings. They've been so kind and have helped Mason so much.
Our hockey rink is the home ice to a couple of different college teams in our area. After the parent/child open hockey, we stayed to watch the Texas A&M vs TCU hockey game. The college games are so excited and we have enjoyed watching them when we can.
We had a busy Saturday! It kicked off with Mason's hockey game. Mason played so well and might have even earned himself a penalty! I mean, it's a right of passage for hockey players. Right?? You can see the penalty in the video below. Oh boy! This is going to be a fun season.
Another neat thing our hockey rink does is "parent/child open hockey" sessions. It's a block of time where parents can take the ice with their kids. Mason tries to talk Nate into it every chance that he can. Nate is always happy to oblige. It's fun to watch them on the ice together and it's such great bonding time for them.
If Mason isn't at the hockey rink, he's usually outside in the driveway practicing. This kid has been known to spend 6 hours a day outside practicing. Nate and I are so proud of his determination and his drive!
In between practices and lessons, Mason likes to go to open hockey at the rink. They have scheduled blocks of time where you can take the ice and practice whatever skills that you want. They have nets set-up at each end of the rink, other training equipment, etc. We try to attend these as often as we can.
We were invited to a very special event in Northern California later this month. It's a formal event...which means my boys will be in suits! After searching many places, we ended up having to order Mason's suit. It fit okay, but there were some areas that needed taken in. I couldn't believe how grown he looked!
Happy finally Friday!! I hope that you all have had the most beautiful week. We sure did! Soaking in these final summer days before our lives start to get even more busy!! With school and league starting, I know that we will have a busy schedule. I am excited about those two things, though. Mason will be starting 8th (gasp) grade! One more year of junior high and then it's high school. Goodness, that happened fast. And before I start crying, let's move on. Here's a look at our week as well as some randomness.
.png)
Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was pretty good, just not near long enough! I did soak up every minute that we got, though! It was filled with good food, family, friends, sports, and Jesus! I love those kinds of weekends. Here's a look at what we did...
Hi!! I am Crystal. Daughter of the One True King, wife to my high-school sweetheart Nathan and Mama to a 13 year old boy named Mason. We're the Halls and we love to travel around Texas {or anywhere, really}. I blog about our daily life, traveling, DIY'ing, and everything in between. Welcome and thank you for stopping by!