Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Storm is Over

Over the last few weeks Hurricane Hightower wiped through Houston and took out the likes of powerhouses such as the North Shore Mustangs, Cinco Ranch Cougars, and the Pearland Oilers. The Category 5 defensive storm then traveled northwest to Austin where it issued more destruction to the San Antonio Clark Cougars. But on Saturday night, the eye of the storm was a bit disorganized, and lost it's way. The Hightower Hurricanes fell to the Allen Eagles in a stunning 21-14 loss in the TX 5A Division I State Championship Game at Reliant Stadium. The Hurricanes took an early 7-0 lead and missed several opportunities to go into halftime with a more significant advantage. Allen adjusted its gameplan at the half and came back to score three touchdowns before the Canes could put up their second and final touchdown of the game.


Although the loss was a disappointing one, what an awesome 13-1 season for the 'Canes, and a great start for James as Defensive Coordinator. We are grateful to have made it so deep into the playoffs, and even more thankful that the incredibly l-o-n-g season has come to an end.

Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support. And thanks for showing up in true Texan fashion to support the 'Canes!

Monday, December 15, 2008

State '08

After this one, you'll only have to suffer through one more week of football posts. On Saturday, the Hightower Hurricanes met up with the San Antonio Clark Cougars at Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. The 'Canes beat the Cougs 28-7, and earned a berth in the 2008 5A Division 1 State Championship game! The game will take place at Houston's Reliant Stadium at 7pm on Saturday, December 20th. We hope to see you there. Go 'CanAdd Imagees!





Monday, December 8, 2008

'Canes Roll Over the Oilers

On Saturday, the Hightower Hurricanes beat the Pearland Oilers for a berth in the state semifinals. The 38-21 win played out in front of a packed 15,000 seater Tully Stadium. The next game will take place on Saturday, December 13th at University of Texas' Memorial Stadium in Austin against San Antonio Clark. Hope to see you there!


The view of the Pearland supporters in the stands


Parents and friends congratulate James after the game.






Sunday, November 30, 2008

11-0... Three Weeks To Go!

There were two choices in this week's playoff game - win or go home. And this week the Hightower Hurricanes put another mark in the "W" column with a 24-21 win over the Cinco Ranch Cougars! Texas is a big state so the football season seems to have lingered. The 'Canes are now 4 weeks deep into the playoffs... only three more to go to the State Championship. Next up... the Hurricanes will take on the Pearland Oilers at Tully Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6th at 2pm. Hope to see you there!

Our Texas family (a.k.a The Lewises, The Crawfords, and The Richards) shows some love to the 'Canes as they pull off another win.


Hightower Head Football Coach, Shane Hallmark, greeted by his adorable twin sons after the game.

Hightower Defensive Coordinator (a.k.a Husband Dude), James Williams, poses with daughter Janai after the victory.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Not Too Bad.

So, it seems that the pictures weren't that terrible after all. Take a look at http://www.studio979photo.net/williamsweb/. The master photography of Steve from Studio 979 made up for the bad mood of my kids. These pictures aren't perfect, but they capture the moment pretty well. There are only a few issues:

1. If it looks like we're sinking into the floor, it's because these shots were taken outside on the grass.

2. There is a little creature in Jay's nose (his left, your right) that only a mom would notice.

3. Janai's hair is not like that on purpose, but it doesn't look too shabby.

4. I have the neck of a giraffe, and had the nerve to have my chin up in the sky for most of the shots.

5. Ummm... where's Daddy? Oh... Texas high school football. Arghhh!

Hope you enjoy!

Monday, November 24, 2008

What a Weekend

Even when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest, with an "S" on my chest, 'cause I'm a super woman! ~Alicia Keys

Stomach virus? Check.
Hair appointment? Check.
Football game? Check.
Grocery shopping? Check.
Birthday party? Check.
Church? Check.
Family picture? Check... well, sort of.

What a busy weekend! I managed to get over the stomach virus by Friday afternoon. And things have been crazy in the Williams household ever since. The football game was the best high school game I've seen all year, and even better was the fact that James' team landed another mark in the "W" column, bringing the team to a record of 10-0.

But no time to celebrate... I had to throw together a 1st birthday party for Jay on Saturday. With the exception of a few glitches, it went off well.

Then there was Sunday. We are early risers and get to church at 7:30am to prepare for the 8:30am service. Then there's the 10:00am Compass class that we host. Then at 11:00am, we're usually on our way back home in time for a quick lunch before James has to head to the fieldhouse to work, while the kids and I lay it down for an afternoon nap.

What was different about this Sunday is that I (being the bright person that I am) had scheduled a photo shoot for Jay's 1st birthday, and while at it, why not take a family picture as well? Seemed like a logical idea to me. Well, everything went wrong with that logical idea.

First, the kids and I napped until 3:45pm and the photographer arrived at 4pm. While he set up shop in the backyard, I worked frantically to get the kids dressed and to style Janai's hair. I managed to put some pretty spiral curls in her hair only to have them fall straight the moment she walked outside into the humid Texas November air. She looked like a wild woman. So I quickly brushed it into pony tails. Jay did not nap well, so you can only imagine the kind of mood he was in. Ummm... and what's a family picture without all members of the family present? James was busy putting together the defensive game plan for this week, and wasn't able to get back home in time. Yay.

Then there were the birthday pictures. Steve (the photographer) had planned to get some shots of Jay tearing into an 8-inch birthday cake and having loads of fun with icing all over his face. Well, that did not go according to plan. When the kid's hands touched the cake, he completely lost it! He looked down at his messy hands, looked at the cake as if it were evil, and with big crocodile tears streaming down his face, he screamed to the top of his lungs and wouldn't let up.

I still had to pay for Steve's time, and I doubt that there will be many good pictures to choose from. I will share them once I have them back. But I must plan better next time. Thank God it's a holiday week.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Baby's First Birthday

Today we celebrated Jay's first birthday with a not-so-well-planned birthday party. The lingering football season has made scheduling family events a little difficult. It was a late night at the game. But I took an early morning run to Wal-Mart and Party City, and when all was said and done, I think I pulled it off. James even took a break from X's and O's and made a guest appearance at home for the occasion.



Hot dogs, pizza, chips, cupcakes, ice cream, goodie bags, a last-minute Sesame Street theme, a few friends on the side... all the makings of a pretty decent party! Jay seemed to enjoy himself and all of his friends. He was less interested in his own cup cake, but tried, without success, to jack Janai for hers. Overall, a pretty fun evening!

Happy 1st Birthday, Son!