Picture of the Week - 12/31/2021

 Wishing you the happiest of New Years!  Blessings for a fabulous 2022!

Picture of the Week - 12/23/2021

 Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!  

Picture of the Week - 12/16/2021

 You all already know that our lives are totally consumed by wrestling...  but this week it feels a little like we are over the hump of all the hard work I am responsible for coordinating!  We are nearly to the stage of getting to watch and enjoy!

Bob and I chaperoned - and fed - 26 kids and 3 coaches last weekend in a giant cabin in Gatlinburg.  It was exhausting - and one of the best things I've gotten to do in a long time!  The weekend was so fun for those kids - they had a blast and made some great memories!  There was very little sleep - but also very little drama.  We even hosted a cookout for all the parents on Saturday and piled about 30 more people into the house.  I love that wrestling family of ours and am so very grateful that we still have Zane and Beck because I can't imagine being nearly "done" with our time as Team Parents/Booster Club Presidents/Organizers of the Chaos.  Serving this team fills a piece of my heart!  I love every stressed out minute of it.

Last night was Quinn's senior night.  He lost - and so did the team.  Not the best senior night ever, but today everyone is back to work and looking to get the job done this weekend.  I didn't get a single picture from Senior night - because I am TERRIBLE at taking pictures.  We did have a photographer there, so eventually we will get some great pictures I am sure...  but I should have at least gotten one of our family.  Sheesh...  I need to work on that!

I did grab some pictures that some other folks took from last weekend that I thought would be fun to share.  :)

Tomorrow we get Spencer back!  I'm excited that he's going to get to spend a good few weeks with us.  I think he needs to be back around the 8th, but the details are a little sketchy...  the wrestling team responsibilities don't become clear as far in advance as I would like!!  

Then on Saturday I get to take Zane and Beck to a tournament.  It's a pretty big one - so I expect they will each get a number of matches.  It should be a fun time!  After Saturday - aside from practices - we are done until after Christmas.  I think everyone needs a little break - and I know Quinn needs a minute to let his body recover some.  I'm guessing Spencer is the same way, but he never complains.

SO hard to believe that Christmas is next week!  I just about finished up all my wrapping and am definitely done with my buying!!!  I don't even have to bake this year - because all of the boys are being careful with their weight right now (not cutting, but need to maintain...  so cookies will have to wait).  It's just about time to just chill and enjoy each other!  WOO HOO!!!

Have a great week - and enjoy the last of whatever preparations you are doing.  Remember what a blessing it is to have people to work for!  It means you are connected and needed and loved.  That's not a small thing!

Picture of the Week - 12/9/2021

 TRUTH - None of what you are about to read is me complaining in any way.  FOR REAL!  I have loved every step of this project!

But

It's a LOT of work layered into a busy time of year... 

Tomorrow morning Bob and I are packing up the Bob-mobile with a bunch of food and supplies and a handful of kids to head to Gatlinburg.  We are chaperoning the wrestling team in a gigantic cabin for a weekend tournament.  We have 26 kids and 5 adults going.  I've put together the food plan, transportation arrangements, found and booked the cabin, and worked out room assignments.  I have made some food, will make a bunch more over the next 3 days, and have spent several sleepless nights worrying about what I'm forgetting.  

I'm not complaining.  I really love it all.  I'm going to miss it SOOOOOO much next year.  Thank God (for realz) that I have 2 more boys that I get to do this with in a few short years.  I'm not ready to be done.  

Is it a lot of work - Hell yes.  Is it worth it - Hell yes!

My only wish (not a complaint) was that wrestling season wasn't completely overlapped with Christmas season.  

Have a fun week - and wish us luck in our trek to TN.  (And please let 8 loaves of bread be enough...)

Picture of the Week - 12/2/2021

 Did you miss me?

Did anyone even notice I was "missing" the last 2 weeks?  (crickets)

I didn't really MEAN to skip POTW 2 weeks in a row.  I never really MEAN to skip it at all.  But life happens and my memory is sometimes bad and sometimes I'm just not in the mood to stop having fun (or working) to do an email.  And what probably sounds like a ridiculously lame excuse, my employer just increased their "security" and I can't get personal email on my work computer any more.  Sounds like a minor thing...  is not a minor thing...  I fully acknowledge that this is a first world problem, but it's cause some upheaval in my routines!

So what have we been up to?  Mostly wrestling.  And visiting with family.  We got to enjoy Spencer being home for Thanksgiving week - although we didn't actually SEE much of him as he was off having fun with his friends the majority of his break.  It's nice to see that he's doing well.  He also got to wrestle here in Georgia at Life University and won his first couple of collegiate matches.  Pretty fun!  Picture of him in his old West singlet because he was wrestling as an "unattached" wrestler while the Citadel starters were competing at a tournament at the Naval Academy.  I DO still long to get a picture of him in a Citadel singlet...  someday!

On Tuesday of  Thanksgiving week West held our annual Thanksgiving Duals.  It's my favorite tourney of the year.  I think it's because of the time of year maybe...  it's the first big tourney we do with local teams every year.  It's home and I really enjoy hanging out with all the other West families for the day.  I've no idea what I'm going to do next year when I'm not in charge any more...  Maybe they will let me run concessions just for fun!  Quinn had a pretty good tournament and the team is looking really strong again.  It should be a great season again for West Wrestling.

Zane and Beck got to compete recently too!  Zane went undefeated and Beck went 3-2.  Both boys look really good and are having a blast.  They are working 4 days a week at getting better!  We have a couple of weeks before they get to compete again, but I'm already looking forward to it!

In between all the wrestling we got to have a really nice dinner out with my parents, had a football party with all the coaches and families from Bob's team, celebrated the end of Zane's Midway football career at his football party (middle school football here we come!), and of course we had Thanksgiving!  It's been a fun, busy couple of weeks around here!

The rest of the month looks just as wild!  This weekend Bob and Quinn are off to North Carolina for a big dual tournament with some of the best teams in that area.  It'll be a challenge for our guys for sure!  And I'll be home with Zane and Beck getting ready to take the high school team up to Gatlinburg the following weekend for a super fun stay in a super cool cabin.  Bob and I are chaperoning - and responsible for feeding the whole crew.  I'm prepping the coolers and crock pots!

I hope you had a great second half of November and are gearing up for the rest of the Holiday season!  We're mostly focused on wrestling mats, but we DID manage to get our trees and outside decorations up!  Christmas presents are mostly ordered/obtained too!  I love this time of year!