I nominate ME for Wife of the Year

(Sorry, I didn't realize this would be so long of a story. Hope you make it to the end:))

A little bold, I know, but you have to understand how much this means to my husband.

It's no surprise that Kevin loves sports. Football, basketball, baseball, all of the X-Games stuff, winter sports, you name - Kevin loves it. Mostly he watches on TV. We have been able to attend a few Sonics games (back when Seattle had a team) many, many Mariners games (our favorite) and lots of local hockey and baseball games. We even attended EVERY SINGLE Southridge High School Football game this year. My man loves his sports.

It's also no surprise that he enjoys basketball most of all. Jacob started his basketball season a few weeks ago and the conversations these two have about the game just crack me up. Kevin loves to give Jacob pointers about what he should be doing on the court. It's fun for me to watch and listen to these two. When we were first married and lived in Kennewick, they had a YM Church Basketball league and Kevin was our ward YM coach. We won the Stake title a few years in a row and can you believe that Kevin even got a TECHNICAL called on him once while he was coaching a game!! He gets a little intense. I know its hard to believe, but it's true.

ANYWAY - His favorite to watch on TV is College Basketball. His favorite team - can you guess? GONZAGA!! Yes! he is Mormon and YES! that is a catholic school - so what? He LOVES this team. When he was younger, he played in Spokane's' Hoop Fest a few times. He was able to watch the Zags players shoot around and play before they were "on the map". He really enjoyed watching them. When they started televising their games more and more he would watch - every game. Lucky for him, his wife also enjoys watching sports. I can get a little intense myself at times. Poor Jacob, I may embarrass him very badly some day. Yes, I am one of THOSE moms when watching sports. He has all of the gear - hats, shirts, sweatshirts and shorts. You can sometimes find him wearing ALL of this gear while watching a game.

I had a cousin who attended GU back in 1999, and I would ask her to try and get me tickets for Kevin. She always told me that it was really hard to get tickets and you had to stand in long lines for hours. SO I was never able to get any tickets. Then when EBay became popular, I tried to get tickets that way. GOOD LUCK! That bidding always got way too high for my humble little pocket. Still, every year I would try and try to get tickets. He would say that it was no big deal. It was better to watch on TV anyway. For about TEN years now I have tried to get tickets without breaking the bank. So again, this year the hunt was on. I went to EBay - too expensive. Then I tried Craigslist. This was better, but I would usually respond to a post and they would say "I got an offer that is higher than yours." Then I would say thanks, but no thanks. So frustrating. All I want are two tickets to a Zags game that is not gonna put us in the poor house. A gift for my well deserving husband!! Is that too much to ask? I submit a post to Craiglist myself - WANTED 2 Zags Tickets Any Home Game. A very nice man who is a season ticket holder replies and says he has tickets to a game, that he will sell me for a very good price, that happens to be on the same night as Kevin's Cousins' wedding reception. GRRRRRR! So I reply thank you but I am busy that day. Sigh.

January 16, 2009. I am on the computer Friday evening checking my email and stuff. Kevin and I are talking. I am just about ready to click off of my email for the night, when a message appears. I look at who it's from, but don't recognize the name. All it says in the "about" line is Tickets. Kevin is still talking to me but I am not really listening because I have been intrigued by this message. I click on it and it reads, "I am sending out this email to those who have responded to my ads in the past. I have tickets to the best three home games this year. I scheduled a vacation months ago that happen to fall on these game days. Will sell individual games to the first to reply." I read the dates and opponents and the price he is asking and I literally screamed and jumped. Kevin is looking at me like I am NUTS. As I hit reply and am typing as fast as I can go, I tell him what I just read. I can't keep a secret from him okay, especially a good "surprise gift" like this. Without even discussing the price or which game I hit send, requesting the Saturday game at the price he listed. I wait for what seemed like an ETERNITY. The same man who offered me the tickets that I couldn't use because of the wedding was the man who had posted these tickets. He was shocked as to how quickly I replied. I laughed. He said since I was the first to reply he would sell me the tickets, but I had to meet him in Spokane with the cash. I frantically email him back explaining that I live in Tri-Cities and I really want these tickets as a gift for my husband, I will send him a check ASAP. He was a little hesitant. I BEGGED him not to sell the tickets. I would find a way to get to Spokane and get those tickets. He agreed to hold them for me. Lucky for me (and Kevin) Monday the 19th was MLK day. No school. I got up early, packed the kids in the car for a road trip. I let the man know I was coming to Spokane and he told me he would be in his office that day. I got directions and off we went. My sister Ashley went with me and the whole way there she's like, "Are you sure this is legit?", "Are you sure it's safe? What if he is a psycho?" Not helping Ashley!! When we pulled up to the building, it looked like a very expensive nice building. I was to meet him in the lobby with the cash. Sounds like a scary movie, right?! I was a little nervous, I have to admit. Ashley told me she had my back, oh I feel so much better now. I walk in and look around. Very nice building, waterfalls, offices for lawyers and CPA's, etc. I see the elevator door open and a man that I promise was like 7 feet tall comes walking out. I am only 5'1" on a good day. I see the tickets in his hand and he is looking around for someone. You see, usually when I tell someone I have never met before what my name is, they picture and average height, Caucasian woman, not a short, Hispanic woman. So he is looking around and he looks at me curiously and says "Are you Amy?" I says yes and hold out my hand to shake his hand. It's awkward because 1) He wasn't expecting me to be me and 2) He is like over two feet taller that I am! I hold out the cash and he hands me the tickets. YES!! I tell him repeatedly how thankful I am and how excited my husband will be and how nice it was of him to sell me the tickets at FACE VALUE!!!!

SCORE!! Finally after so many years of trying. But wait, it gets better. He leans over to point out the tickets to me. I chose to buy the tickets for the Saturday game (February 7) knowing it would be better for a sitter and an out-of-town trip, not caring who the opponent was. He points out that the game is against MEMPHIS. (Ooh, good match up, how exciting!) The game will be played at the Spokane Arena, instead of the Zags McCarthy Center. (Awww, too bad, at least we got tickets to a game.) Oh and it will be an ESPN Nationally televised game,(WHAT!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!) I am beyond thrilled. I again overly shake his hand and turn out to the car skipping the whole way to tell my sister. Like I said before, I can't keep a secret from Kevin so I call him right away and tell him the news and he is just giddy. "That's AWESOME!!" Is all he can say. I have him look up the seats on-line and they are pretty good. He then looks up to see how much these tickets are going for on EBay. Get this - $198 PER TICKET!!! I got TWO tickets for less than $100 a piece.

Kevin has told all of his buddies and anyone who will listen about his gift from me. He is so excited, I can't even tell you. I am trying to convince him that he doesn't need to paint his chest and go all SuperFan on me. We will see.

So this is why I have nominated MYSELF for wife of the year!!

GO ZAGS!!!