I got to go to Danny’s 1st competitive basketball games of the season. He asked that I go and try to get some good photos and videos. Apparently I’m out of practice because this was my favorite photo of the day: smiling with his teammates on the bench. It made my mom heart smile to see a group of boys just happy to be playing the game together. A coach from another 16U team was watching the game (future competition) and when he told me he thought Danny’s team looked really good I mentioned I was just glad to see my son smiling while playing his favorite game. He thought that was wonderful — and it turns out he played professionally in Europe for years before he hurt his knee — so I felt very validated. That first game was an easy win but the second game was intense. They were tied 53-53 when they went into overtime and lost by 4. So close. The last game didn’t start until 9pm and I was wondering how awake I would be when it was time to go home. I shouldn't have worried because watching a very physical game turn into my son getting ejected woke me up plenty. I am grateful for a program director that could reach out to us the next day, let Danny know he was appreciated, and also let him know he couldn't play in the next game as a consequence. Hubby took Danny down to support from the bench that day while I helped prepare to celebrate Natalie's birthday with our family and my parents days before she celebrated with friends. But first: I loved being able to watch Michelle play high school tennis!
I hadn’t been to a tennis match in years but as I pulled up and got out of the truck it sounded so familiar. I cannot say enough about how lovely the girls are on the tennis team. So thoughtful, generous, grateful, and supportive. That day one of the girls couldn’t play so M ended up playing with someone she had never teamed up with before and I heard them thanking each other for being their doubles partner that day after they managed to almost go into tie breaker together. It was great to be in nice weather enjoying such a positive energy.
A couple days later Michelle finally got to celebrate her birthday with friends. She planned so well, finding a weekend everyone could spend the night, what food we would need, getting beds ready for everyone, etc. They were so kind it was a joy to have them around and hardly any work at all. We are so lucky to have Michelle as a part of our family and I am amazed by her constantly. No exaggeration. I wish her the best 15th year she can possibly have!
Speaking of birthdays, with how the calendar lined up we ended up celebrating Natalie’s birthday with friends the same weekend. Puppy yoga was a big hit with these girls and a lot of fun/entertainment. I am proud of myself for not coming home with one of those puppies currently in foster care because they were wonderful. The girls were happy to go to Shack Shake for a lunch complete with milkshakes and then come play at our house for a few hours even without a new puppy.
We are so grateful for Natalie and are having a hard time believing the youngest member of our family is 12 years old and almost done with 6th grade. She is an inspiration with her positive attitude and work ethic and just so much fun to be around. Below is a photo from a friend’s birthday party. S had been invited to puppy yoga but couldn’t come and Natalie had so much fun at S’s party playing games. Party party party!
And birthdays weren’t the only things going on that weekend: Danny had four basketball games on three different days at three locations. Regis University campus is nice! I had never been there before and was impressed. I got to watch the first part of Danny’s game from behind the backboard and it made for a really unique viewing experience. They had won their first game earlier in the day at a different location and were so close to winning this one too but the other team pulled ahead. The next day they were at it again and Hubby and Danny said Metro campus was even cooler.
Needless to say that after a weekend like that none of us were especially excited to wake up and go to school and work, especially with CMAS and SAT and PSATs on the schedule. Speaking of schedules, I was a different person all four of the days I was at school. On Monday I traded days with my part time partner in crime because she was feeling sick, on Tuesday I was myself, on Wednesday I was D’s sub (who is B’s sub) while she signed the papers to sell her house, and on Thursday E was me because we had switched and I subbed for C because, tragically, the apartment building she and her family lived in caught on fire overnight. They are being put up in a hotel for now and were told to expect none of their possessions to be salvageable. So sad.
Congratulations to Michelle on becoming a leadership academy ambassador. Now she’s officially a leader of the leaders. She volunteered for the first time in her new role at the incoming freshmen induction. She says it’s not a big deal but I think it is and was grateful to steal this photo from C.A.
And no spring post would be complete without at least one photo taken at a ball field. Thursday found Natalie and I going straight from the middle school to a double header an hour drive away. They got to wear their new purple and green jerseys but were soon putting on sweatshirts and jackets to keep warm. They lost one and won one and were happy to get out of the cold… and on the drive home it began to snow!
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