S also stands for super cold. It was freezing and wet last Saturday as we took off for Lindsborg in the wee hours of the morning. Driving under the speed limit in four-wheel drive still had us sliding in patches. We saw a bus stopped in the right lane, and learned from the driver the brake line was frozen and KDOT was on the way. We passed a few vehicles pulled over and a couple in the ditch, but no bad accidents. A FedEx truck pulling two trailers managed to stay upright and on the road despite the second trailer on it's side behind it. That's impressive inclement-weather driving!
The weather set us back about an hour, but we still made it to Lindsborg before kick-off. The guys — Dane, Ian, Jim and Austin, bundled up and sat in the freezing wind (thankfully it wasn't wet there). The gals — Micki, me, Deb and Patti, bundled up in the car, taking advantage of the radio and our parking spot near the field. Although it was a Bethany station, the announcers were great. They supported their team without tearing down their opponent and did a great job narrating the action.
Bethel kept up with Bethany, a then unbeaten and nationally ranked NAIA team, and at halftime were only down by a field goal. In the third quarter, Ren made his field goal attempt to tie the game 3-3.
Bethany opened up the fourth quarter with a touchdown, held our offense, then scored again making the score 16-3. And then it happened. The game turned around on Bethany turnovers, and Bethel scored 20 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes, including a PAT by Ren.
With two minutes to go, we left the car and went into the stadium, joining the Bethel fans strewn across the track behind our sideline. We held our collective breaths until time expired, knowing all too well it isn't over until the clock says 0:00. And then the celebration began. Bethel did their traditional victory Father Abraham song and dance, and it was so thrilling to finally see the joy of victory on all our player's faces. FINALLY!
note: Ian took more great photos at the game, which you can check out here.
After the game, the whole family (minus Ren, who was riding on the bus back to Bethel) headed to a local restaurant, where the people were friendly and Hyllningsfest was on the menu. We all enjoyed an assortment of pies and hot beverages. Ian bravely ordered a "swede on a stick," which was swedish meatballs and rye bread on a skewer dipped in pancake batter and fried to perfection. I tried ostkaka, a Swedish version of cheesecake that tastes a bit like custard, with lingonberries. Enjoying Swedish tradition reminds me of our family trip to Lindsborg when we were all younger and Dad wanted us to experience our Swedish heritage. I'm sure the dala horses from that excursion are packed away somewhere.
Warm and full, we split up and headed home on de-iced roads we were very thankful. We're excited for next week and hope Bethel can keep their momentum going!