Happy Birthday Patrice!!!!!!!!

I thought I would update everyone on my birthday week.

Honestly, I thought it was going to be rather depressing, but I think I will leave that to the 30 year mark. For now, I am happy and busy and tired and happy...did I say...HAPPY? I have realy tried hard to be selfish the last few months. The immediat family has been telling me for years that I am too generous with my time and talents. Well I suppose I have gotten the courage to finaly do it. I'm not going to lie, I feel like I am taking some major risks with financial demands and extra responsibilities. I am nervous that one day it will all fall apart. What keeps me motivated is that I finaly feel like my family is sotked for me and what I am doing and completly support me and my goals. Not that it has not been there, but I can feel the suport because I am no longer just saying..I am actualy doing.

With IWCC Soccer we have amazing athletese heading our way...i love the College job, but it in itself is not satisfying. The soccer club that I have created with members of the community have really allowed me to saturate myself in the midwest culture and the COuncil Bluffs community. I never thought I would be asignificant member in any community and now I am recognized as a leader and visionary in this growing town. It is nice. However, it is EXTREMELY humbling. Any wrong move I make is magnified and talked about. Listen to me...I sound like a politian! Honestly though I feel like I have to do everything right and make no mistakes and be mature and make myself respectable. You all know this is difficult for me! Fortunatly, I have an amazing supporting staff that genuinly works at doing what is best for the soccer kids in our community. It is nerve racking.

A cool thing happened two weeks ago. A girl joined my U-13 team at the last moment. She is from across the river (omaha). I was about to begin a training session with my girls and this girls dad was near me when I was talking about one of my IWCC buys leaving for his mission this month. The father of the new girl asked if we (my IWCC player from Utah and I) were mormon. I am always nervous so i look for the smiley face every time. Sure enough he had the white shirt under his business shirt...STOKED, I said yes. He smiled and asked how I came to Iowa. We chatted. It is great to have an LDS girl on the team. It makes me feel less of a loner in my faith. it also keeps me on my toes...I say Dang a lot mor now ;)

Anyway, i want you all to know how happy I am and how grateful I am for all that each of you have done for me in the past 29 years. I know I have been a pain most of the time and I apologize. I really am trying to act the mature age of 24 these days.

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and support!

Iw you want to keep up with the development of the soccer club...we have a new web sited developing over the next few months...it compliments me well! www.cbsoccer.com

Love y'all