Seattle Sounders!

 A few months ago, we bought cheap seat tickets for the Sounders vs. Colorado Rockies game through the Youth Soccer Organization.  We ended up buying five tickets in the family section - although as you can see in the next picture, the family section meant we had to look through a fence to see the goal nearest us.  We told Katie she could invite a friend since one of them likes soccer but hadn't ever been to a Sounders game.  A few weeks before the game, However, Katie and her friend received a birthday invitation for another friend who was taking her party out to Lake Quinault for the weekend.  Katie was more excited about the party than she was about the soccer game, so we let her attend the party. 

Packed and ready for a wild weekend at the lake.

That, of course, left us with two extra tickets.  We called my brother, Dan, who said they'd be glad to fill in the two extra spots.  As the weekend approached, the weather seemed to become very dismal.  Not an enticing thought - to spend an afternoon watching soccer in the rain.  I've been there, done that.  Nonetheless, we said goodbye to Katie, drove to Seattle, found free parking, and walked to Occidental Park to find Dan and Hank.

We were at the top of this section.  Arnie and Robby are sitting up there in this picture.  If you peer at it long enough, you can see Robby's green Sounder's jersey.

This is the fence that we looked through to see part of the field.

The band that played at Occidental Park.  Here they are outside the stadium just before the game.

At Occidental Park there is some pre-game fun and music.  We listened for a while and then walked back toward Centurylink Stadium to find some food from the street vendors.  We chose Stadium Dogs and feasted on their spicy dogs.  Except 6-year-old Hank.  He wanted "a not-spicy dog".  The dogs were awesome and we headed to our seats.  The game was great - the Sounders won 4 to 3.  At 3 goals, they announced that everyone in the stadium won a free haircut!  Hank loved the "yellow cards" that Subway sandwiches provided everyone and held his up at irregular moments - like half time.

Lunch on the stadium stairs.

Hank's not-spicy dog.  Too big to eat in one sitting.

Dan and I got spicy dogs with grilled onions.  Yum.

Robby's spicy dog with - right on - ketchup.

The skies sprinkled on us briefly and then opened up and let the sun in for most of the game.  Pretty great.  The game was loud and raucous.  Fireworks went off above us at every Sounder goal, making Hank cover his ears.

Look!  Above the stadium!  The Sun!

We had a terrific barbecue at Dan and Heather's after the game, and then made the trek home.  Meanwhile, Katie was having a blast swimming and boating in Lake Quinault.  She ate a Lodge Burger for dinner and played a lot of Hide and Seek in the cabin.