Dorm Room

Hey everyone well i am all moved in. My roommate's name is Paige she is from Thibodaux and her mom is the associate dean of the business school here at Nicholls. I put up some pictures of my dorm so yall can have an idea of what it looks like. It is really nice. Everyone here has been really helpful and nice. Well i guess that is it for now I will do my best to keep everyone updated.

Love yall

Elizabeth

Two-A-Days

And so it begins . . .

The boys are off to two-a-days. It will be a much different season this year, with a very, very young and inexperienced (playing time) team. But I'm hoping that, as often happens, the boys will play with such heart that they will rise above expectations. For now, they just have to survive the August heat!

(Don't worry. They are drinking plenty of water!)

Elizabeth in Africa

Just a few images of Elizabeth and her friends in Africa. This first is of Elizabeth and Ibrahim, a little boy she met four years ago, on her first trip. She has visited with him every year since.

This is Elizabeth with Pastor Mohammed's son, Saleem, who is 2. Apparently he follows his father everywhere!

This is Pastor Mohammed, a man who loves God and his people--and Elizabeth and Mrs. Read!

Elizabeth and her good friend Leah, who went for the first time this year.

This is Elizabeth's translator, Abucardo. He has been her translator on the past three trips.

She's Home

Elizabeth got home this afternoon. It was a long trip home and started with some confusion at the airport in Ghana because the computers for the airline were down. But they all made it on the plane, finally, and arrived here this afternoon. She had a great time, as usual, especially enjoying her time at two different orphanages and doing hut to hut evangelism in the villages. She gets a couple of days to recover, then she's off to work on Monday. I'll post some pictures soon.

Wisdom Teeth

Two down, one to go. Elizabeth had her wisdom teeth out two years ago. Today it was Aaron's turn. To be honest, I've dreaded this. Aaron has never had the tolerance for pain that Elizabeth has. (I don't think she feels any.) But he's done remarkably well. Even so, 'm glad we only have to do this with one more child!

And She's Off . . .

We got Elizabeth off to Ghana for the fourth time in four years. We're old hat at this now!

If you want to keep up with the team over there you can check out the mission team's blog. They'll arrive in Ghana tomorrow night and will be there through July 3.

John and NIcole

I know for many of you, as for us, John is like family. Here's a snapshot of his wedding day yesterday, with his sweet wife Nicole. It was lovely. I wish the picture showed her dress. It was gorgeous! We wish them many, many blessed and happy years together. (The new picture at the top of the blog was taken at the reception.)

CELEBRATE!

What an amazing day! A day of rejoicing, not a tear shed among us. We are so proud of our girl. So proud that she has made it through high school. So proud that she finished strong. So proud that she is excited about her future and ready for a new adventure. For those of you who couldn't be here, the following is a sampling of the day in pictures.

Elizabeth and the amazing graduation cake, made by the mother of another student at her school. It not only looked great, it tasted great!

Elizabeth with her good friends, Jordan, Lauren, and Jenna. They are all jun--oops, I mean seniors--so they will be staying behind to finish high school while she goes off to college. But I think there are already plans in the works for visiting Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth's memorabilia table at the reception at the school. She had quite a varied array of things to display from her growing up years.

Elizabeth with her diploma, with her senior picture on the screen in the background. This is the pose she chose for the yearbook, although I chose a more traditional picture for the one I sent to friends and family!

The happy graduate. Being on the school's Board of Trustees gave Jeff the privilege of handing the diploma to her. What a special moment. We are truly thankful for the young lady she has become and are excited to watch her grow up even more in the next few years. 

Cleaning Up

Nathan's end of the year honors recital was tonight, and he cleaned up on the awards. He came home with three trophies and two medals to add to the ribbons he's received at competitions throughout the year. He played well, too. I have it on video and hope to get it up here soon, but probably not until after I get the graduation stuff up this weekend.

We are so proud of all he has accomplished and he is excited to try out next week for the Praise Band at school. If he makes it, he will play every week at chapel. It still amazes me to watch my child excel at music. 

Pictures Promised

Here are the pictures I promised from last night's sports awards. Note: in the one with Elizabeth and Aaron, I TOLD them I wanted it with their trophies. Of course I was helping clean up the place rather than supervising the picture, so that didn't happen. But it's a cute picture anyway. The other two pictures are each of them receiving their all-district basketball medals.

Enjoy!

Bringing Home the Hardware

Spring sports awards were last night. I'll post pictures later. Elizabeth and Aaron both brought home honors in basketball. Besides their all -district selections (Elizabeth, 2nd team, Aaron, honorable mention) which we already knew about, they also received some team awards. Aaron received the Hustle Award. It is one he often gets for his effort both in practice and in games. Elizabeth was awarded Offensive Player of the Year, averaging 8 points a game, with a season high game of 18 points. 

The big surprise came in softball. This being Elizabeth's first year of varsity softball, she didn't expect any accolades. But she was named 2nd team all-district AND Newcomer of the year for the district!

A fun evening of wrapping up the year in sports.

A Fun Surprise

I had a fun surprise at secondary awards today--Aaron received medals for highest average in both English II and Spanish II! Of course I have to qualify this for you: these are the non-honors sections of those classes. Maybe 4-5 students in each? Anyway, we are proud. He has worked very hard all year to reach this pinnacle. And I'm so happy he can be successful in a regular class rather than tank in an honors one. Huge boost for the kid who thinks he has no school smarts!

Over and Done

It's official. Her high school career is over and done. Her last class was yesterday. She turns in her last paper and project this morning. We still have a week until graduation, but she is finished. It's been an amazing ride--sometimes harrowing, sometimes smooth and peaceful, but always driving us to our knees in prayer. We are so proud of her, of who she is becoming. We can't wait to celebrate the actual event!

End of an Era

The girls lost their regional playoff game today, 11-1. We gave up all the runs in the first and seventh innings. They played well in between. While we are sad, it certainly gives us some breathing room in our schedule, which is nice. But more than a loss, we realized it is the end of an era for us. No more will we watch girls' sports where we have a vested interest in the players or the outcome. It's a bittersweet ending. On the one hand, we've been watching Elizabeth play something since she was 5 years old. On the other hand, now we only have one boys' team to watch each season, which shrinks the amount of games on our calendar. 

It's been a fun ride, but we are excited to see what new things we will get to experience with our daughter!

1st playoff win

One game down, three more to go!

We honored our five senior girls before the game tonight, then we went out and tromped the other team, 12-0 in five innings. Elizabeth struck out her first at bat but had a great single over the first baseman's head that garnered an RBI. In the 7-run bottom of the 4th, she grounded out to 2nd but got an RBI on that one as well. 

One more home game next week. If we win that, it's off to the state semi-finals/finals tournament. One game at a time, but they sure are looking good!

One Place Short

Aaron finished 5th in the 3200 meter (2 mile) race at the Regional Track Meet yesterday. One place short of moving on to the state meet. But he was several seconds behind the 4th place finisher, so at least he didn't have the heartbreak of missing it by a hair! He had a good track season and can now settle in and finish his schoolwork, which has been sadly neglected over the past few weeks!

Finishing Strong

Middle School baseball ended their season on an up note, a 13-3 win! They really did play great, in spite of some questionable calls by the umps. Nathan played third base for the first two innings and pitched the last inning. At the plate, he walked, grounded out to first (although our coach swears he was safe!), and hit a TRIPLE into left field! His pitching was good, too. He gave up a couple of hits but picked off the runner on second base for the first out then struck out two batters in a row to end the game. A great ending to middle school sports!

Elizabeth's team is finishing strong, too. They are playing a few, good, larger schools to get ready for playoffs. Tonight they beat one of those teams 8-5. All we know is that she was 1 for 3 at the plate.

TRIPLE PLAY!!

In spite of our loss this afternoon, 7-4, the varsity boys executed a very exciting triple play in the field. It started with a grounder to the pitcher. He threw to home to hold the runner at third. Meanwhile, the runner on second didn't realize what had happened and was halfway to third base. The catcher threw to the shortstop covering second who tagged out the runner who had been on second. Then the runner went from third toward home. The shortstop threw home and the catcher tagged the runner out. The batter was now on his way to second. The catcher threw a bullet to second and the second baseman tagged the batter out! Amazing!

Aaron struck out once and grounded out to the second baseman. Only a couple more games to go.

District Track Meet

The District Track meet is finally over--and boy am I glad Jeff went instead of me! A long, hot day! Aaron started off well, taking FIRST PLACE in the 3200 meters (2 miles)! Woo-hoo! He shaved a minute off his time from last year and beat the second place finisher by 22 seconds!

He didn't fare as well in the 1600 meters (1 mile). He finished 5th out of a field of 11, with his slowest time thus far this season. So he'll represent us at the Regional Meet in the 3200, but not in the 1600. His team didn't place in points, either, although Aaron himself scored 12 points for the team.

Will he finish top 4 in regionals and qualify for the state meet? I don't know. Let's just say it will be a fun surprise if he does.

The Winning Pitcher

Nathan came out as the winning pitcher in tonight's middle school game. They won 8-5. He gave up a few hits, but most of the runs were from errors or walks. He made some really good plays in the field, both at pitcher and at shortstop after another boy came in to relieve him. He also scored 3 of our 8 runs after reaching base twice on walks and once on an infield grounder (the first baseman missed the throw.) All in all, a good game. And finally a baseball game in baseball weather--sunny and warm!

Extra Innings

We lost a heartbreaker in 9 innings (we usually play 7), 6-5. We tied it up 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th, held them in the 8th, gave up 2 runs in the 9th and could only find 1 run to answer, falling just short of the win. But they really did play well.

Aaron played DH again and went 0 for 4, (this picture is from a previous game), striking out the first at bat but then grounding out the other three times, usually with 2 outs. So he's getting the bat on the ball, he just keeps hitting right to the other team!

Prom

The kids had a great time at Prom last night--the only one Elizabeth and Aaron would both attend. Aaron took his friend Lana, the same girl he took to homecoming. Elizabeth went with her friend Spencer, from her class at school. The girls were beautiful. The guys were handsome. It was, of course, bittersweet for the seniors. Their last big thing together, except for their trip after graduation. And for the first time I think Elizabeth enjoyed the whole process--the shopping, the getting fixed up, everything. It was fun to watch her so grown up, so willing to enjoy being a girl! Aaron goes to these things because I make him. He's such a homebody he has to be forced to socialize, although he always has fun with his friends once he gets there.

Track Meet

We competed in a track meet on Thursday, meant as a "warm-up" for the district meet next week. Mostly bigger schools, but not that much bigger. Aaron placed 14th of the 19 in the 800 meter race, with a time of 2.33. In 1600 meters he finished 10th of 14, with a time of 5:45, almost the exact same as he ran it last time. At least he's consistent!

TWO WINS!!!!

Yes, the varsity boys team WON today!!! Woo-hoo!! They pulled out a 9-5 victory. Aaron was the DH for his friend who played 2nd base. He struck out, hit an amazing lead-off double over the head of the left fielder (and eventually scored), and hit a pop fly to shallow center field that was caught. It's the first game I've been to and it was so fun!

Elizabeth's team, of course, won again. 10-2. Elizabeth had a single and 2 RBIs and she threw a runner out at 2nd. 

A Win and A Loss

It's the usual: a win for the girls, a loss for the boys. The girls are officially District champs now, although they have one more game to play before playoffs. 

Aaron, apparently, had a walk and a strikeout. Elizabeth went 0 for 3, but made a GREAT catch in right field to stop a rally by the other team at a crucial point in the game.

A Quick Trip

Elizabeth and I took a quick trip to Louisiana so she could attend registration and orientation. It was truly a whirlwind tour, complete with back-to-back early morning flights, driving through unknown territories in a rental car (a PT cruiser--how fun!) without getting (too) lost (Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the use of the GPS!), and a one short-lived mix-up on our confirmation date of her attendance at the event! But we made it! She has a schedule and an ID and she feels "official." She caused quite the stir, being one of the few from out of state. I told her she'd be famous on campus as "that girl from Texas"! While the trip came in the midst of a very busy time, at least she doesn't have to sacrifice a day of work this summer to go do all that. She's set until we move her in the dorm on August 16! Can  you believe that's just 4 months away??

But one thing I did learn: it is not fun to go down on back--driving or flying--on consecutive days. Unless we run into an absolute necessity, it will have to always be a 2 night trip from now on!

Softball and Baseball

Elizabeth's team sewed up the district championship (even though there are 2 more games to play) with a 22-2 win. Elizabeth had 1 pop up for an out and 2 hits--both of which came in the same inning! If they keep playing like that, a run for the state championship isn't such a pipe dream.

Aaron is filling in on the varsity baseball team while they have a few ineligible players. He played 2nd base today. He walked on his one at bat but was thrown out stealing 2nd. Obviously these coaches haven't seen him much or they'd know he isn't fast enough to steal!

Something New, Something Old

Aaron went to his first track meet today. It was a track meet of mostly large private schools, so we don't expect to place, we just want our kids to get some experience and to see where they are on their times or distances.

Today Aaron did a few new things: triple jump and 800m. He also ran his old race: the 1600m (or 1 mile.) He didn't come in last in his new events and he came in above the middle of the pack in the 1600. He was pleased with his performances but is now ready to concentrate on his better events for the district meet coming up in a couple of weeks. 

The Silver Tongue

Elizabeth proved her silver tongue once more. She finished 2nd in the TAPPS State Persuasive Speaking competition. This involved pulling a random current events topic, being given a few minutes to jot notes and then giving a persuasive speech in support of the issue. She put off preparing her research until the night before and still managed to "persuade" the judges to give her 2nd place! That just shows--it isn't about the facts as much as it is your passion and ability to sway with your words. She got that ability in spades!

3-0 in District

Today, the girls showed they could overcome adversity and pull out a win. Up 6-0 in the 4th, they began to flounder. Suddenly, it was 6-6. It remained 6-6 going into the final inning. That's when our girls stepped up to the plate--literally! They scored 4 in the top of the 7th and held the other team in the bottom of the inning. They won, 10-6.

Elizabeth had two strikeouts and two singles (well, on one she reached on an error actually) and fielded one ball cleanly. 

Now we head to our home field to play three more district games before we head into the playoffs. The girls know the district title is theirs to lose. Hopefully, like today, they can dig deep and come up with victory.

Another District Win

The girls racked up 14 runs versus their district rival yesterday afternoon. They allowed only 2 runs to cross the plate for the other team. Elizabeth struck out twice but hit on her final at bat and got credited with an RBI as well. She played right field and threw out a runner going to first base! More district play later this week.

A Chilly End

We braved the 25 degree wind chill for our first game this morning, which we won 14-0. Elizabeth was hit by 2 pitches (she's okay) and hit a good double.

We knew the second game would be much harder--and we were right! We lost a heartbreaker, 3-4. Elizabeth struck out, walked and singled as well as caught 2 pop flies. We just came up a bit short. 

But all in all, they did well, playing close with the bigger schools and annihilating the schools our size. That, we hope, bodes well for district play and on into the playoffs. We'll see!

Football Weather for Softball Games

Elizabeth's team is in a softball tournament this weekend. That wouldn't be so bad except a cold front moved in this afternoon. It went from 69 to 42 in a few hours, with about 20 mph winds. Needless to say, it was not fun sitting in the cold (which most of us weren't totally prepared for) watching softball!

Here is a brief summary of the three games:

Game 1: We won, 10-0. Elizabeth had a double and a walk.

Game 2: We lost (to a bigger school), 6-9. Elizabeth had a great bunt which scored a run and she made it to 3rd on the overthrow. She scored on a passed ball. She also struck out for the final out of the game.

Gam 3: We won, 10-1. Elizabeth hit two doubles and a single, scoring each time on overthrows or passed balls.

And guess what? We get to brave the 30 degree weather in the morning to do it all again. Yea, us!

Back to the Bases

Well I really thought the games today would be rained out, but after a quick, hard shower, the sun and wind dried everything pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the games were still kind of a bust.

Elizabeth's team played a district rival--except that no umpires showed up! So they scrimmaged. They won, but it didn't count.

Nathan's team also played an area rival, but one whose "school" team is playing in a competitive league and has players (most of the good ones) that don't go to the school that is our rival. (Did you follow all that?) We got trounced 13-1. Nathan had a good stop at shortstop. Not such a great throw, but the first baseman made a good play and we got the out. He struck out once, walked once, and got thrown out at home plate. He also came in to pitch in the last inning with bases loaded and no outs. Given the situation, he did ok. He struck out one. Gave up three hits (all but one had fielding errors), fielded a ball hit back to the mound and threw out the player coming home, and caught a pop fly to end the inning. Not bad for not having thrown at all during Spring Break AND having both his Tetanus and Hep A shots this morning!

A Great Vacation

This is a view from the balcony of our hotel room at the Boardwalk Inn Resort at Walt Disney World. It's one of the reasons I love Disney vacations: when you aren't in the park, you feel like you are at some ultra relaxing resort! What we loved about this hotel (besides a fun view) was the proximity to Epcot and Hollywood Studios (both a short walk away) and the several sitting areas inside the hotel and out (including one right outside the door of our room!) where Jeff and I often took our books and read during our "down times." 

Disney's newest roller coaster is Mt. Everest, pictured above. It was very fun. In fact, while we are not known as a "roller coaster family," our motto on this trip was "everyone rides everything." Unlike our last trip to Disney (when the kids were 10, 8, and 7), they had to coax us to ride rides instead of us coaxing them! And we did. We all rode all the "big" rides. And it was fun! Of course, the kids were embarrassed when I screamed through several of them. 

And yes, we saw Mickey. This time (again, different from last time), they didn't care about seeing the characters. But we did make them stand in line to get this picture. Oh, and they willingly stood in line to have their pictures taken with Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen from Cars. All in all, it was a very fun trip. Since this was the last time we'll all have spring break together (Elizabeth's college has theirs in April and the boys' will be in March), we are happy to have good memories. 

District Play Begins

The girls began district play on Monday with a 5-4 win! Their pitching has been tremendous with fielding and batting pretty good, too. But the difference in close games comes down to our aggressive base running. They are brash in their steals, even stealing home when the ball is in the hands of the pitcher! We'll see if they can keep it up, but so far so good.

Piano and Persuasive Speaking

We had two kids competing today. Nathan did one of his piano competitions. We won't know his results for a few days, but he did not feel like he did well at all. (He apparently forgot portions of both of his pieces. I'm not sure how obvious it was, but he was not happy with himself!)

Elizabeth, on the other hand, succeeded in making the cut for the state competition in persuasive speaking. (She didn't make it in original oratory or current events.) In this event, they draw a topic then have some time to prepare with whatever materials they've brought with them. Then they have to speak on the subject for 7 minutes. Since this is a bit like debate--some preparation, much thinking on your feet--she did well. We'll see how it goes in the bigger competition. 

One more baseball game, two more softball games, and then we'll be off on Spring Break. Yeah!

A Blowout and A Squeaker

Elizabeth's team won 21-4 today. In 4 innings. Elizabeth had two singles, two RBIs and scored a run. She also hit two grounders straight to the first baseman! Because of the big score, she got to play 2nd base in the last two innings after starting in left field. Can I just say? It really isn't fun watching a blowout game like that.

Nathan's team, on the other hand, got down early, 4-0, but they battled back, starting with Nathan's double into center field. He then scored the first run on a passed ball. They had battled back, but were still losing 5-4 when Nathan came up again. This time he singled to left, stole 2nd, then 3rd, then home on another passed ball to tie the game 5-5! We scored one more run and won the game 6-5! I just wish I'd been there! He played 3rd base.

A big win

The softball team had a big win today over a bigger school. Our girls led the whole game, but the other team crept up, little by little, until, in the bottom of the 7th inning, we were only up 5-4. Now, at this level of softball, one run is not that much. Believe me, we were biting our nails in the stands!

But our team came through. The center fielder made a great catch of a big pop fly. Then our pitcher, who pitched the entire game, dug deep and struck out the last two batters! Great job, Lady Eagles!

Elizabeth had a pretty good game. She caught a fly ball in left field and had a nice hit to right. Her other two at bats she hit grounders to the second baseman and got thrown out at first. 

The Lawyer Gene

Elizabeth has been arguing with us since she learned how to talk. And she's been good at it! I've always said she got "the lawyer gene" from her dad. Due to a wonderful new drama/speech/debate teacher at our school, she finally got a chance to channel that talent in a productive way--Debate!

She went to her first (and only) debate tournament today. Out of a field of 16, she came in first place. She had seven debates--and won them all. We are so proud of her! 

Tournament Play

Elizabeth's team is playing in a tournament, although Elizabeth only played today's games since she has her first ever debate competition tomorrow. Don't know if she'll make it back to play in the championship game or not!

Yes, they won both their games and will play for the trophy tomorrow. Elizabeth played well--2 for 3 in the first game with 2 RBIs, including the one that broke the 0-0 tie and opened the floodgates so that we won 10-0. The second game she was 1 for 2, scoring and driving in runs as well. 

Jeff got to watch her play today. I'm hoping to get to go next week.

Baseball Begins

Nathan started at pitcher today. His cousin Chris caught. They make a pretty good team! The boys won 7-2. Nathan pitched three good innings. He finished with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks. He had one earned run and one unearned one. 

He didn't do badly on the other side of the ball, either. He had two at bats. On the first one, he hit a solid pop up to right field. The right fielder looked shocked--as did the fans--to find it in his glove. The second time he hit a choppy ground ball to the shortstop and barely outran it.

Their coach this year really knows what he is doing. I'm really excited about this season, as are they. 

I took this picture of Nathan pitching. Don't you love the tongue sticking out of his mouth?

The Season is Underway

Elizabeth got to play shortstop in the team's 18-12 victory this afternoon. I didn't get to go. She bunted and made it to 2nd. She also struck out, had a sacrifice bunt, and walked. She scored two runs. 

Playing Softball

Elizabeth decided to play softball as her swan song this year. In all her other years of high school, she has avoided this sport 1) because it isn't her favorite, and 2) because the constant throwing tends to hurt her shoulder and she didn't want to injure herself for the next basketball season. But she wanted to play with all her friends one last time, and since there are no more basketball seasons to "save" herself for, she decided to play.

The team participated in a two-day tournament this weekend against larger private schools and a few smaller public schools. They came away with 4th place, 3 wins and 3 losses. They kick off regular game days this week, so I'll keep you updated. As for her tournament stats--she told us she scored a few runs and stole several bases. She mostly plays right field and bunts or walks when she is up to bat! We haven't had a chance to see her play yet, but we are looking forward to it.

Paying for College . . .

Just got a bit easier! We found out today that Elizabeth was awarded scholarships at NSU which will cover all her tuition and spill over just a bit into her room and board! Woo-hoo! Way to go, Elizabeth!

The Final Games

Our three senior girls did themselves proud tonight. No, they didn't win. In fact, they lost a heartbreaker, 30-34. We might have had a chance, but with Audrey fouled out and Elizabeth with 4 fouls and none of the other girls on the court understanding the concept of fouling to get the ball back, it didn't happen. But they played with heart and hustle and were proud of themselves in the end. Elizabeth had 8 points, including the last basket at the buzzer. There were lots of tears on the bench, including myself and Audrey's mother. I will miss watching her play basketball. It was always so amazing to watch her intensity, her athleticism, and her love of the game. 

The boys lost by nearly 50, which is so much less stressful than losing by 4! But those boys played hard. They never gave up, all season long. The sophomores stepped up and did a great job tonight on both sides of the ball. Aaron had 8 points, including 2 3-pointers. Next year should be fun with both Aaron and Nathan on the team. Wow. One team to watch! That will be a shock to our systems!

So where do we go from here? Nathan starts baseball practice on Wednesday. Aaron will run the 1600 and 3200 again in track. Elizabeth is going to play softball, kind of. She really just wants to be on the team because they are pretty good and its the last sport. She might play some, but since she doesn't care if she plays or not, it makes things much less stressful from the stands! 

And as much as I will miss basketball, I'm glad its over for now.

The Latest Creations

I still can't believe that my child can make things like this. After all, the only real training she has had is trial and error, cooking shows, and the internet. The first was our victory cookie cake for the Super Bowl. We worried for a little while that we wouldn't want to eat it, but the Steelers pulled out the victory, so it was okay. The second is the cake she made for her basketball team's party. Both are amazing!!

Close to the End

The Middle School season ended today in their tournament. They played a GREAT game, we were either up or down by only 1 or 2 points the whole game--until the end. We lost 22-18. Nathan had 6 points, several steals and rebounds, and some nice passes. He can't wait until varsity next year!

The Varsity teams had a rough go of it last night. Both teams lost by 50 points, but at least the coach of the boys' opponent didn't try to humiliate them like the girls' coach did. Even knowing they would probably beat us by that score (we'd already played them once this season), the girls came out with a full court press that they didn't call off until it was around 27-0. They continued to play their starters, take three pointers and go for steals until the end of the game. Our girls were just mad. They played their hardest and deserved to lose with dignity instead of humiliation. Elizabeth only had 4 points.

The boys kept trying, too, but with one of our key players out with a broken collarbone, it just wasn't happening. Aaron scored 4 and was a dismal 1 for 10 from the free throw line. He played hard, though, scrapping for the ball as usual.

One more game and we are done. I'm so ready for some rest!

Senior Night

Senior night. The last home game of her "career." It wasn't sad, though. It was quite a joyous occasion, actually. She and her friend Audrey have played basketball together since 6th grade. Tonight, it showed. Elizabeth was obviously back in sync after the broken hand. We lost, but they played great. Elizabeth and Audrey each had 18 points. And that was it. We scored 36 points, less than 20 shy of the win. We were so proud.

The boys both lost their games. Aaron had no points, Nathan had 2. They both played hard, it just wasn't their night.

Hanging Up Her Character Shoes

Elizabeth's career on the stage came to a close this weekend. She apparently even made a retirement speech before the last performance, telling the other kids that she was hanging up her character shoes in favor of her chef's knives and that unlike Bret Favre, she would not be coming out of retirement or joining any other team in the league. 

But what a way to go! The kids did an AMAZING production of Little Women: the Broadway Musical. Elizabeth was Aunt March and she was a hoot! She definitely milked the role for all it was worth. I hated to see it end, not only because it was a great show (I cried both nights!), but also because I don't think I can talk my boys into participating in drama and there is something quite wonderful about watching your children perform like that--in a venue where no one wins or loses!

This is Elizabeth and her friend Jordan, who played Jo March superbly!

This is Ethan, who played Mr. Laurence, and Elizabeth. They had fun being "the old people" in the play.

Here's the whole cast. It was such a fun play and done so well.

Rescheduling

We ended up not having basketball games last night. The other school apparently forgot we'd rescheduled the original games (which were to be on the night of our school play), so now we have to reschedule the rescheduled games!

Second-hand Report

Jeff and I missed the games last night. We went to a dinner where he was honored for his First Amendment legal work. But we kept up via text messages from Nathan!

We're beginning the second round of district play, so at least we knew we wouldn't be missing much last night. And we were right. Two blow-outs by a school known for its basketball, just like last time we played them. I don't remember the final scores, but suffice it to say, we were never in the games. Elizabeth had 5 points. Aaron had 3.

We do it all over again tonight. This time with all three playing. And it is Senior Night, the last home game of Elizabeth's basketball career. I'm sure it will be bittersweet.

A Win!

The Middle School boys played a great game tonight. It was a close one, we ended up winning by 3 points!! It was very exciting. Nathan played really well, with good passes, several steals and good shooting, too. He ended with 15 points. Must have been the new uniforms that FINALLY came in!

Only one more middle school game, then a tournament. But I won't be sad to say good-bye to the middle school game.

More Basketball

Yes, it seems like all we do around here right now is basketball. Last night was yet another of the marathon game nights. And as usual, it was not a night to remember. 

Middle school just looked a bit off. Of course yesterday was a holiday, so they've had no practice over a long weekend. Maybe that's why. Nathan only had 2 points.

We knew ahead of time that the varsity girls game would not be pretty. This school went far in the playoffs last year (maybe to the finals?). But we didn't expect an aggressive full court press until the game was 24-0! Then they pulled back the press from the baseline to halfway before the half court line until we were down by more than 30! Finally, they just ran a half court defense. We only scored from the free throw line until late in the third quarter. Elizabeth ended tied for leading scorer on our team, with 5. She made two lay-ups (against, I think, their third string team) and a free throw. Not our finest moment.

Varsity boys started off good. They actually won--the first quarter. It went downhill after that. Both our big upperclassmen were cold. Aaron only scored on a lay-up and took no charges, but he did have a few assists and was under the basket banging around for rebounds (he got a few) with guys much bigger than himself. But he hates losing. They are all discouraged. But young, small teams just often miss the mark in this sport.

They all have two more games this week (yes, it's a crazy week), but then we're just a couple of games away from the end of the season. 

An Ugly Loss

We played a small public school tonight--just the varsity boys--and it was ugly. We lost 68-30. 'Nuf said. (In case you are wondering, Aaron had 2 points and no other highlights.)

Back to Back to Back--Again

Two down, two to go on the back-to-back-to-back game nights! Last night the middle school teams had success while the varsity teams struggled.

Nathan's team won handily. He had his best game this season, scoring 11 points. He claims it was because Jeff wasn't there! He also had some nice passes and a couple of steals.

Elizabeth's tiny-in-stature-but-big-in-heart team couldn't do much against the big, tall girl that played inside. Her arms just went higher in the air than everyone else's! Elizabeth was banging around under the basket with her for much of the game, but 5'5" doesn't compete well against 5'9" or so. Add to that another girl who could shoot well from the perimeter, and we ended down by 20 points. Elizabeth had 4 points. One of the other seniors had 10. And that's all we scored!

The varsity boys trailed by 10 or so for most of the game but mounted a run at the end and actually pulled within 3 with 3:00 to go. But fouls killed us in the end and we lost by 7. Aaron had a good game, again tying for 2nd leading scorer with 6 and taking another charge.

I sure hope at least one of the varsity teams can pull out a win this season!

Basketball Marathon

Four times this season we will play back t0 back t0 back basketball games. Tonight was the first of those marathons. And none of it was pretty.

Middle school boys trailed the entire game, losing by 7. Nathan played well, scoring 5 points.

Varsity boys came out flat and trailed by nearly 25 points at the half. Second half was better, but by then the hole was too deep. Aaron tied for second leading scorer (again!) with 6 points. He also took 1 charge (and should have had 1 or 2 others called!). 

But the varsity girls played the heartbreaker game. They came out looking great, having added a couple of junior and senior girls who agreed to fill in (although one may stay) while Elizabeth was hurt and another player out of town. At one point we actually had four experienced seniors on the floor! Yes, Elizabeth was out there. No, she wasn't released to play yet. But have you ever known Elizabeth to be stopped by telling her "you can't"?

Anyway, they played great. They hustled. They scored. (Elizabeth had 4 points and 3 or 4 steals.) They led the entire game. Until the last 40 seconds. Actually, the last 2 minutes were a nightmare. I think they called 10 fouls on us and none on them. We literally couldn't get the ball back! With 40 seconds left to play, the other team went up 29-28 on free throws. We went down and couldn't score. They brought the ball up again. With just seconds left, Elizabeth fouled, as she should. When she did, the girl threw the ball at her and the ref T'd up the other girl. Then there was a huge delay as the refs discussed, because, of course, time had now expired. Finally, they gave the other girl 2 shots (double bonus) for Elizabeth's foul, then said Elizabeth would get 2 shots for the Technical foul. The other girl missed both of hers. Then Elizabeth shot--and missed both of hers. It was awful. She is usually such a good free throw shooter. Of course, she hasn't shot in the four weeks she's had her cast on. 

But the story ends on an up note. We were so proud of the way Elizabeth handled herself. After missing the shots, she was the first one across the court to shake hands with the other team. And afterward, she wasn't mean and nasty to us. She could smile and laugh and accept compliments on her play. So while she hated losing the game, she won in the arena of character. And that's what matters in the long run.

The Longest Away Game

Unlike football, our basketball away games aren't too bad, distance-wise. The longest is our trek to Sherman, about an hour away. What makes the trip so awful is that this district opponent is a formidable basketball school. Their teams, both girls and boys, are consistently in the last few games (or winning) the TAPPS state tournament.

 We got that one over with last night. (At least the one where we have to travel and get beat. They come here to beat us in a couple of weeks.) Their girls' coach was actually very kind. With their TWO 6 footers, they could have tromped on us much more than the 60-something to 17 win. But they pulled off their press early and sat their starters often. It nearly killed Elizabeth to have to sit on the bench. One more game as spectator, then hopefully she will be back in the fray.

The boys game was very physical, but our boys fared better than expected, coming away with a 64-44 loss. Aaron returned to second leading scorer with 9 and took 2 charges. They are playing better and better.

Off with her . . . Cast

The cast came off today. That was the good news. The bad news is that the doc said she still couldn't play basketball until he sees her again and makes sure the break is completely healed. (It's at 80% now.) Originally he said that would be two weeks. Then, when he heard the situation, that almost half her senior season of basketball would be over by then, he said he'd see her in 10 days and maybe he would release her to play then. That means she will miss two games next week but could hopefully be back by the third game. In the meantime, he said she could dribble and shoot, but without any contact from others. Those hands are important to her cooking career, so she needs to heed his advice!

Tournament Play

Aaron's team played in a tournament over the weekend. Here's how they made out.

GAME 1

We played a very large private school. Almost all their players were juniors and seniors. We lost 88-37. Aaron continued his streak as second leading scorer with 6 and took 3 charges. As usual, they gave 100% the whole game.

GAME 2

This was a game we should have won. Instead, we lost, 48-37. We were 5 of 20 from the free throw line and it killed us. The game was close until the end when we started fouling to try to get the ball back. Aaron's streak continued again. Second leading scorer with 11, breaking double digits for the first time this season. He also took 4 charges.

GAME 3

We ended up having to play one of our district rivals in the third game. They had a run of fast breaks in the 2nd quarter that we never recovered from. We lost 66-39. This game ended Aaron's streak of second leading scorer. He only had 3 points. It also ended his streak of multiple charges in a game. He only took 1 in this game--at least only one that was called! Still, the boys continue to give effort and, as the coach says, they improve with every game. Coach puts them at "mid-November" in development since they have had so few practices and games.

We will get a couple of practices in before heading into district play on January 6. Hopefully we'll have some bright spots as the season progresses.

Christmas Recital

For those of you who couldn't be here, this is Nathan's performance at his recital. (I FINALLY figured out how to do this!)

 The first song, a jazzy version of Good King Wenceslas, has a few rough spots, but the duet, Deck the Halls, with his teacher, is not to be missed! (Forgive the tapping. That's me hitting the camera. My video camera is on the blink and so I took this from my regular camera, which wasn't working right, either!)

Merry Christmas!

Off the Bus, Onto the Court

Five of our eight varsity players got home from a week-long mission trip at 2pm. They met back at the school to leave for a basketball game at 6pm. A week of no practice and an eight hour drive don't make for success on the court! On top of that, our big guy--a junior, our leading scorer and tallest player--was gone on a family trip. Hmm. A five guard offense.

Again, our boys played with lots of heart and hustle but took a beating in every other way. Aaron tied for second leading scorer (again) with his nice 3-pointer in the 3rd quarter. He again took two called charges! Now our league mandates no practice days through Christmas week. We return to play next Saturday. In a tournament. Against bigger schools. Yikes! Our boys need some consistent practice time, but because of football playoffs and now holidays, that hasn't happened yet. 

We're just glad for a week off from everything. 

Merry Christmas to all!

Another Hard Game

Nathan's team played the team that demolished them a few weeks ago--the one with a former NBA player's son on it. While they would have gotten whipped up on no matter what, the extremely poor officiating didn't help. It was so bad I was yelling at the ref when he was calling fouls on the other team that weren't fouls!

Nathan proved himself, yet again, more like Elizabeth than Aaron. He hates losing those kinds of games. He gets all huffy. You can't say a word to him--especially not "good game." But, like Elizabeth, an hour or so later he was back to his normal self. 

We get to do varsity boys again tomorrow, then a break until after Christmas. Yippee!

Like a Different Team

Tonight, Nathan's team played the team they played in their first game just a couple of weeks ago. That game, played just one practice after football ended, was a squeaker, decided in our favor by four small points. This game, after a couple of weeks of practice, was a blowout. We ran the floor almost without impediment. Toward the end, our young guys got to take the court and practice their game skills.

Nathan had 5 points, several assists, and even a steal. He made one of his two free throws. My mom took this picture of him from our seats on the upper deck. 

All-District Honorable Mention

I just found out that Aaron received Honorable Mention in district as a kicker! On our senior heavy team, he was one of our two sophomores to receive Honorable Mention. The first team kicker was a senior who has an incredible leg and is being recruited by major colleges. The second team kicker kicked for the team that beat us at state (I think he's a junior). 

We are certainly proud of all Aaron accomplished on the gridiron this year!

PROPs Drama Workshop

Apparently Elizabeth was one of two drama students in charge of yesterday's day-long drama camp for elementary students. I didn't know this until Friday when an elementary mom mentioned it to me. When she came home from her long day, I found out more. She and her friend Jordan, both members of the drama club at school called PROP (Performers Realizing Our Purpose), each wrote and directed a short Christmas play for the kids. At the end of the day, the kids performed it for their parents. Elizabeth's was based on High School Musical.

I wish she had told us the whole extent of it. We would have loved to have come see the play, the culmination of her creativity and leadership. Instead, I'll track down one of the myriad elementary parents who caught the performance on video. I'm so proud of her! This is a huge task in the midst of all her other things and she apparently did well on both the writing and the directing of the kids. It's always good when she can channel her drama queen tendencies into something productive.

Two for Two

I wish the title meant two wins for two games played. It doesn't. But I really didn't mean it as two losses for two games played, either, although we have that. I was referring to more personal accomplishments for Aaron.

I am so amazed at his confidence on the court this year. I don't know if it is simply being a year older, a good bit taller, or closer friends with the older boys on the team. Whatever it is, I like it. Confidence + tenacity (which he has always had) = something very good.

Aaron again took 2 called charges in this game. Refs don't really like to call charges, so for Aaron to have two committed against him in each of the two games played is pretty amazing. He has also scored three-pointers and a free throw in each of the two games, 1 of each in the first game, 2 threes and a free throw in last night's game. And he is two for two in being the second leading scorer on the team.

It's fun to watch, even if we aren't winning. And he is having so much fun--except for the losing part!

Not Pretty

Varsity girls had a game tonight--without Elizabeth. It is very hard--nay, nearly impossible--for us to play well without BOTH Elizabeth and Audrey on the court! But that's okay. This is the last game until district play starts in January and Elizabeth's cast comes off just days before the first game.

Varsity boys also had a game tonight. Of course, five of the eight players just finished football on Saturday and have practiced basketball all of about an hour and a half! Given all of that, they did okay against a really good team. Aaron played well. I think he'll see some court time this season. He scored 4 points, committed 3 fouls, took 2 charges, and a partridge in a pear tree! Seriously, he was majorly aggressive and has grown tall enough to at least give some of the guys out there a run for their money. Oh, and he actually took a third charge that wasn't called. He'll be sore tomorrow! He might even wish football back. At least then he got to wear pads!

End of a Great Season

It's been a great ride--not just this year, but the past four years. Our group of six seniors, who all played both ways, has been to the state championship game three of their past four years. I love these boys, all friends of Elizabeth's since 6th grade. My heart broke for them in this final game.

They all played great. In fact, going into the 4th quarter, the score was tied at 48. But then the other team scored--and we couldn't find the end zone. We lost 70-48. I was so proud of them all. Of course I was especially proud of Aaron who ended on a high note, making 6 of his 6 kicks. Truly grace under pressure.

My favorite part about watching him kick, though, is watching him AFTER the kick. He makes a point to slap each player on the back who blocked the line that gave him the time he needed to get that ball in the air. He did it every time. He knew his success depended so greatly on those boys in front of him. He is truly a team player. He knew he couldn't have done it alone.

I loved being a part of this team--who will always be champions in my book!

Put Her on the Injured Reserve

As you can see, Elizabeth won't be playing basketball for the next four weeks. Yesterday at practice she fractured her hand on the base or pole of the basketball goal (I'm unclear on the exact details.) Anyway, the cast went on today and comes off January 2. 

This is the first time in our seventeen years and (almost) nine months of parenting that we've had a child with a broken bone. And given their activity levels, that's pretty amazing. Fortunately, she only has one more week of school, then the winter mission trip to Amarillo, then Christmas break. The hardest part will be showers and hair-washing and cooking--trying to keep it dry and clean in the hand area. 

All in all, she's a trooper. But that is really no surprise. Jeff even had a hard time believing she'd done anything serious because she didn't show any pain. And, being Elizabeth, she'll milk it for all it's worth, both with us and with her friends, and tell the story with pride in years to come. 

Shootin' Hoops

Two games already this week. Nathan played last night. He played well, had a nice drive to the basket for 2 points, but his team got trounced. 

Elizabeth's team got trounced, too, but she played great. Fifteen points. Several rebounds. Only 2 fouls. And best of all--SHE PLAYED WITH A BOW IN HER HAIR!!!! Be sure to notice it in the picture!

State Bound

The boys won big on Saturday. They have looked great the past two weeks. The perfect time to peak! We ran all over the other team, literally. Aaron missed his first PAT to the left, but nailed the next five. On the final play of the game (we were 44 ahead in the beginning of the 3rd quarter), Aaron went out to kick the PAT. The other team called timeout. Aaron went out again to kick. The other team called timeout again. A third time Aaron walked out on the field, kicking air, getting ready. They snapped the ball, the holder (our quarterback) stood and dumped a pass into the end zone for the final point of the game. It was awesome! 

Everyone is so excited. Our seniors are in the state game for the 3rd time in their four years on varsity. They--and their fans--want this so badly! Here are Elizabeth and her friend Lauren grinning after the win. It will be a crazy, fun week!

GO EAGLES! WIN STATE!

On to the Semis

As you can see by the scoreboard, we won! It was quite a game. The other team opened with an immediate touchdown. We answered with 56 points, ending the game with 1:15 to go in the 4th quarter. The boys played great. 

Aaron hit 5 of 7 point after attempts. He missed to the left on his second one. On the final one, the one that would have put us up by 46, thus ending the game, the kicked was blocked. He HATES being the one that keeps the team from ending the game early. But coach let him make it up a few minutes later. Our boys drove to the five and were stopped, going nowhere in three downs. So on 4th and goal, they sent in Aaron to kick a field goal! Field goals are extremely rare in 6 man football. I thought for sure it was a fake and Zach, the quarterback and holder, would toss one in the end zone to put us up over the 45 point limit. But no. Aaron kicked! And made it! It was a 24 yard field goal and it ended the game. He was so happy.

Now we go to the semi-final game against a team we didn't expect to see (they beat the favorite in their regional game). All I can say is we are so proud of our team. They work hard, never give up, and truly personify team play. 

Stompings

It wasn't such a great night for basketball last night. Two games, two locations. I'll start with the one I didn't see.

Nathan's team lost 52-29. He didn't score. The other team had a nearly six-foot sixth grader, son of a former NBA player. That's all I know!

Elizabeth's team scrapped their way to a 34-9 loss. Elizabeth had 4 of the 9 points. She was 2 for 2 on free throws. It's a hard thing to be 6-8" shorter than the girls coming at you. It's hard to shoot over them or to block their shots. But the girls all worked hard and afterward, Elizabeth could laugh. That's good. That's progress. 

A NIght of Basketball

We had our first home basketball games tonight. 

Nathan's team played first. They won 20-7. Not a great shooting team, but I love how they work the ball around and how they play together. Nathan was 1 for 4 shooting but had some good defense and some great ball handling as point guard.

Elizabeth's team played next. The varsity girls may be small, young, and inexperienced, but no one can say they aren't scrappy! They lost 33-19 (I think). Elizabeth had 8 points and several rebounds. She played well but her shot isn't falling very well yet. It will get better as the season goes on. She is the tallest on the team and plays post and center this year instead of guard as she has all the years in the past, so she is learning new things. Besides Elizabeth, there is only one other senior--the point guard. All the rest, the 5 other players, are juniors and sophomores. All except one, who played in middle school, have 1 or 0 years experience at basketball. Ever. In their lives. So the fact that they even stayed close in the game was a victory. But I think they all had fun.

Bi-District Champs

I guess the title says it all. We won on Saturday, 76-30. Aaron played well, making 8 of 10 extra points. He even got to kick off once and was in on the tackle. (Okay, so he said he got pushed into the pile, but he was still there!) 

One funny story from Saturday: as Aaron was ready to take the field for the final extra point try, Coach calls him over, looks at the scoreboard and says, "If you make this, we get to go home." (There were about 

4 minutes left in the game. If he missed, the spread would be 44 points and we'd have to keep playing. Did I mention the wind chill was around 40 that day?) Anyway, poor Aaron. No pressure or anything. Just a freezing team and freezing fans who wanted the game to end with the 45 point mercy rule!

Thankfully, he made it.

The boys all played well and we're looking for them to do the same at the Regional game this Saturday. 

Go Eagles!

Bouncing Into Basketball

The Middle School began their basketball season tonight with a win, 15-11. That's right, 15-11. Not a typo. It was a hard-fought game--literally! One ref, calling very little. But I still liked what I saw from our team. Especially considering they just started practice on Monday!

Nathan is point guard on a starting team of four 8th graders and one 7th grader. They moved the ball well, were aggressive on defense, and worked as a team. Now if they can just make some shots! Nathan scored once, a nice shot from the top of the key. He missed two other times. He turned the ball over twice, both at the end of the game when he was tired, and had a steal or two as well.

I'm excited by what I see. It should be a fun season, at least with this team. 

A Heart-Wrenching Loss

Our biggest rival. Two teams undefeated in district play. At our home field. And we couldn't pull it out. We lost 70-40. (But we looked GREAT in our new jerseys!)

We haven't had to watch many of these types of games over the past four years (this group of seniors has only lost 6 games, I believe, in their four years, counting runs to the state game or semi-finals the last three), but we did have to watch a similar loss last year in the semi-finals against this same school. Our team, very equally matched with our rival opponent, just couldn't find the win. But hope is not gone. We still make the playoffs, just with a harder row to hoe. Two of our 6 seniors (who all play both ways) got a bit banged up in this one. Hopefully they won't miss next week's game.

Aaron had his worst game. He was only 2 for 6. Of the four he missed, two were blocked. I don't know if it was nerves or the cold or what, but it will be crucial for him to get back in the groove for next week's game. 

Mission Trip Fundraiser

Last night we had our 2nd annual Mission HCA Chili Cook-off to raise money for the kids who want to go on the summer mission trip to Ghana. Elizabeth made chili, which, frankly, isn't her forte, but she also made one of her cheesecakes for the dessert auction.

Things were going well overall, and then her award-winning cheesecake came up for bidding. The numbers went higher and higher until it was sold for $500! Wow! Most exciting for her was the ability to contribute so significantly to the total raised for the night--$3300--which will be split among the 13 high school kids signed up for the trip. That's nearly $300 each! 

So her fundraising has begun and she is excited to return to her friends in Ghana this summer. If you want to help her go to Ghana, she is selling her cheesecakes ($30) if you are local, but she is also selling t-shirts ($15) and African coffee ($10) to raise the funds she needs. Of course you can always just give money. :) 

Contact me or her if you want more information on any of these opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the Ghanaian people through helping her make the trip.

Last Middle School Football Game Ever

They did it. An undefeated season. 10-0. And the final game of Nathan's middle school football career was a doozy!

The game didn't begin until about 4:40 at a park field with no lights, so we knew it would be a short game, given that the sun is all the way down by 6:00 at the latest. The boys went out there with little stretch or prep time, received the kickoff and went 4 and out. Very disappointing. So they charged in there on defense--and Nathan intercepted the first pass! Very exciting. He caught it near the ground, but it was definitely a catch.

After that, it was back and forth scoring as the shadows crept closer, covering the field. Nathan snagged another interception on defense. Offensively, he threw a couple of touchdown passes and some other nice passes as well. He also had a great block that allowed our running back to score at a crucial point in the game. Finally, with all the fans at the sidelines so we could see in the dark, we held them on their 5 yard line, took the ball down and scored to put us up by 2 touchdowns. Game over. 38-25. 

It was our last middle school football game as parents of a player. Nathan did us proud, but we are so ready to move on up.

Middle school basketball starts Monday. We'll see how that goes.

A Well-Fought Fight

We actually had some competition last night. Remember when we go beat by the #1 public school 6-man team? The team we played last night got beat by them by almost the same score as we did, so it looked like it would be a good matchup. And it was.

The first half went back and forth. We scored, then they scored. Back and forth until the half ended with our team scoring in the final 15 seconds to go up 40-32. After the half, we scored again, but Aaron missed the kick. (He was 5 for 5 in the first half.) That was bad, because the other team had a great kicker. They scored twice--and made their kicks, inching ahead of us 48-46. But our boys fought back hard from there to the end of the game. We won 66-48. Aaron struggled in the second half, only 1 of his 4 kicks going through the uprights. Not sure what happened, but at least it didn't cost the team the game!

It was a well-fought contest and a good warm-up for the district championship game next week.