Picture of the Week - 2/24/2022

 2 more wrestling-heavy POTWs and then I will give you all a break (and I will have to figure out what I'm going to talk about...)

Last weekend Zane and Beck competed in a local tournament and both boys placed 2nd.  That was pretty fun.  It was a well-run event and we had a really nice time.  It's been a good season for those guys.  They have worked really hard and they are turning into good wrestlers.  And they are a billion times more fit than they were coming out of football season!  There's fit, then there's "wrestling fit".

This weekend, tomorrow actually, we are heading on a road trip to Georgia Kids State in Warner Robin.  Zane will compete on Saturday and Beck on Sunday.  I've signed up to volunteer at the event, so who knows what that means.  I'm hoping they will teach me to run a table.  It's about the only part of the wrestling experience I haven't done yet.  I'll probably end up in concessions again...

This is the last of the scheduled events for this wrestling season.  Wow - it flew by.  The boys will continue to train through the spring and we will likely end up doing some camps and tournaments in the summer, but it will be kind of nice to not have something scheduled every Saturday for a while!  Maybe we can do some (much needed) home maintenance.  

Have a great week everyone!!

Picture of the Week - 2/17/2022

 Hustle Hard, Stay Humble - indeed!

It's mid-Feb and the weather is teasing us with spring in Georgia.  I'm ready for hot summer days!

We had a pretty rough wrestling kind of weekend (if you judge outcomes) last weekend.  Losses and injuries and disappointments.  But...  that's all part of the process.  

Zane got hurt and only got to wrestle twice, which was a bummer because I think he would have had a good day.  Beckett had some success, some unexpected defeats, and generally had a decent day.  It was really good to see Spender wrestle.  He looks good and wrestled well, but went 0-2 wrestling up at heavyweight.  

This weekend we are at another local tournament - the last one before Georgia Kids State.  Then a break...  and maybe a house-related project or two.  (Although, we have 3 trips back and forth to Charleston planned for March to shuttle Spencer to/from spring break and then back again to watch Recognition weekend.  Hard to believe he's almost done with the 4th class system.  The end of the "knobby walk" is in sight.

Have a great week everyone!

Picture of the Week - 2/10/2022

 delayed POTW this week because, well...  Thursday has turned into our date night and I love it!  Who needs Valentine's Day when you can have a weekly date night while your kids are at practice!  :)

Here are a couple of fun pictures from tonight.  The youth wrestling team was at practice when the high school guys heading to state left the school, so they got to do a program "send off".  I love that!  We have been involved with this program for the last 5 years and it has given us some really wonderful moments and memories.  (While turning my boys into men...)  We have 8 more years to go...  can't wait to see what's next!

The second picture is Beckett and Matthew.  Matthew is the son of one of our good friends and happens to also be Beckett's small group leader at church.  We live in a big city, but it sometimes feels exactly like the small town I grew up in.  I love this!

This weekend is a big wrestling weekend for us.  Zane and Beckett have a tournament on Sunday and I get to go see Spencer wrestle in Newberry, SC.  I'm taking Berber with me too!  Roadtrip wrasslin' - gotta love it!

OK - off to get kids and bed and such...  happy Thursday!!!  

Picture of the Week - 2/3/2022

 We have 2 ADULT children.  What the what?!?!?!?

Quinn turned 18 yesterday.  It's so hard to believe.  And of course, Timehop reminds me of all the pictures we took that surreal week 18 years ago when Quinn unexpectedly joined us.  

Unexpected...  that's such a good description of Quinn's impact on our lives.  He was sent soon than we expected.  He joined us earlier than we planned... unexpected.  He had issues we didn't anticipated and would never have wanted.  He taught us lessons we didn't know we needed (over and over again), which has been a blessing - albeit an unexpected one.  And I know, without doubt, despite knowing it's coming, that the hole he's going to leave when he goes off to the real world is going to leave an unexpectedly gigantic void in our family.  

Oh there's so many things I could share about why I love this 2nd boy of mine.  He's sweet and kind and gentle.  He's reliable and responsible.  He flies under the radar and doesn't need (or probably want) the attention he deserves.  He is a good friend, a good brother, a good teammate.  He's respectful.  He is easy.  He's easy to live with and easy to love.  He's even easy to like - and that's not always the case with parents and teenagers.

What do I see in Quinn's future?  Hard to say for sure.  I sincerely hope he follows his God-given talent to take care of people.  He's always been a great caretaker.  He has a knack for knowing what people need and he does what he can to ensure they get it.  He sometimes forgoes his own needs and wishes to better those around him.  So yeah, I want him to find a niche where he can be rewarded for putting this skill to work.  Go take care of people, Quinn!  You were made for it!  We think nursing may be in his future.  I think, as an unintimidating, ridiculously cute, man he would work really well with kids.  Who knows...  but I do hope he keeps his caretaker ways at the forefront of his decision making.

Quinn is off to Georgia Southern in the fall.  He's going to have the best time.  He knows just enough people from our school that are going down there that he will feel comfortable while exploring a bigger, more diverse, exciting place.  I think it's the perfect place for him!  

But before then, we have a senior spring break trip planned and then graduation parties and ceremonies and celebration.  There were moments that I wasn't sure we'd get here with this special miracle baby of ours.  And yet here we are.  God is so good and I am so blessed that He chose me to mother this amazing son of ours!  

18 years - and it feels like a blink.  

Happiest of birthdays, sweet, Mighty Quinn!  May you always bring those around you as much joy as you have brought me.  

Love you!