TOURNAMENT!!!!!

Zachary's first game was at 5:00. If they won, they play again at 8:15. If they lost, they would play at 7:00. The first game, they played Crossroads 10 (a homeschool group). They won that game 34-16 (we think that was the score). The Crossroad kids were very well trained, but very short. We think they were 10 year olds, but aren't sure.

I forgot to mention that we are the team in red. Zachary is #34.

Here is Zachary waiting for the rebound. Notice how short the other teams' players were.


Intense instructions from the assistant coach.


After winning the first game, we ate our packed picnic lunch and waited until 8:15 for the second game. For the championship game, they open both courts and we will be playing on a full court for the FIRST time! Most of our games have been on church gyms or elementary school gyms. The guys should be thoroughly exhausted by the end of the game. The previous game started late, so our game would be late too. We started after 8:45. We ended our game around 9:50. It was a long night.

The guys are getting ready for the tip-off, notice how tall Zachary's opponent is to him. Zachary lost the tip-off, but only missed it by half a finger length. That is how far Zachary can jump - like springs on his feet.


The following are videos of the game. This will give you a taste of how the "Eagles" play.


See how the white team steals the ball from us:





Third quarter score - we were winning:


Since we were winning at the end of the 3rd quarter, the other team got scared (jk), and put their taller guys in. When they did that, we started to lose. The final score:


If you think that wasn't enough, after the games and a 1 1/2 hour drive, Zachary had a youth group all-nighter to attend. We picked him up this morning (Saturday) at 7:30. We thought he should take a nap, but he didn't think that was a good idea. This afternoon, they go to Trinity for their third "Chemistry Connections" class. I hope they don't fall asleep in the middle of that.

Z'S FIRST BBALL TOURNEY!!!!!

Zachary played his first basketball tournament today. We drove 1 1/2 hours to Waukesha, Wisconsin. It was a L-O-N-G drive. The GPS was good to us on the way there, got us there without any errors.

Coach's son, Daniel, didn't want his picture taken, so I got him when he least expected it.


The Big Three...


Notice the "magic," the man disappeared...


Zachary's first game was against the Lakeshore Thunder. Tough name, not so tough players. It was a fun game though. The final score was 28-19.

The tip off (looks like Zachary kicked the ball, but he didn't, he was just coming down after winning the tip off).


Duh, what do I do now?


The next game wouldn't start for an hour. Elyse & I went out to the car to eat our picnic lunch. Zachary didn't want to eat between games, so he hung around with the rest of the team.

The second game was against SWCHA Saints (they call it swisha). We don't know what it stands for, but they were a homeschool team. Dad says that is Southeastern Wisconsin Christian Homeschool Association (he is so smart).

Do you think he made the point?


Zachary was fouled several times, here he is shooting his freethrows...


"We are the champions of the world..."


Now about that GPS! It really goofed us up going home. It kept telling us to exit here and exit there, we ended up in downtown Milwaukee. I finally gave up listening to it and just winged it. We made it home just fine. Who needs technology?

2nd BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK!!!!!

The second birthday of the week was MINE! Three of my kids remembered me (and the other three, you know who you are).

Zachary wrote me a beautiful card (very sentimental).


Elyse wrote a very nice card with a huge smiley face.


Tim wrote a nice card and bought me a Base Reflex Sound System - we used to call them boom boxes. It has a clock, AM/FM stereo radio, cassette player and CD player. You can even hook up your IPod (which I don't have - yet). Now I can play music where I want to play it and I don't have to listen to what Zachary chooses.


After presents we ate at TGI Friday's - my favorite restaurant. I had a coupon and got a free dessert because it was my birthday.

Then we headed to "The Fiddler on the Roof" play. Zachary, Elyse and I had already seen it, but we wanted Dad to see it. It is a play put on by 90 homeschool children. Tevye was played by a 15 year old boy - he was AMAZING! There were several of the actors that we knew from co-op. It was a superb show.

We met a girl that is currently going to Cornerstone. We talked to her for a few minutes, then spent the rest of the intermission talking to her mother. It was nice to meet someone new - yet connected somehow to our children.

It was a GREAT night and a GREAT birthday celebration. Thanks to all who participated.

ZACHARY'S 13th BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Whoa! Thirteen, time sure flies. We can't believe we are that old, let alone Zachary.

Dinner choice: Baked potato pizza, bacon (both on the pizza and off), root beer, and for dessert, root beer floats (which we will have when Dad gets home from tutoring). We had the dinner and gifts at 4:00 because Dad had to leave at 4:30. I wasn't hungry yet, but that is fine, that will make more room for my root beer float.


Elyse made him a card.

A set of books by Chuck Black. I heard they were very good, we will see.


His favorite gift, a USB Thumb Drive. He and his friend, Chatham, keep wanting to save things and take them to each others' houses. Too bad the kids laptop died for good. We are in the process of replacing it with a desk top - we just haven't found the right deal yet (like in, mostly free).

Does he look 13? Scarier yet, Elyse said that she will be 13 in a year and 9 months. YIKES! Where has all the time gone?

Zachary's first basketball tournament is this weekend. He plays in Wisconsin. Anyone want to drive out there to see him play? Didn't think so. In fact, his Dad is tutoring and he can't even go see the games. I guess it is just Elyse & me. I hope I remember the camera and I hope I remember to take a few pictures.

VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

My Valentine took his son to the auto show. Since Elyse & I were home alone, we decided to take a single lady from church out to lunch. We had a blast. We went to Corner Bakery Cafe. It is like a Panera Bread, but the food isn't as good. If we had known that, we would have headed to Panera Bread for lunch. I had a coupon for a free cookie because it was my birthday.

After ordering our food (the server was very confused), we sat down - they bring the food to your table by number. Ten minutes after our order was delivered, the server comes by with a oatmeal cookie in a bag and said he forgot to give it to us. I ordered a chocolate chip, but who cares, it was free. Then I remembered that we didn't get our lemon pound cake. I checked my receipt and sure enough, I had paid for it. That was another trip back to the ordering counter. Elyse and I split the cake when we finally got it. The cake was edible, but not as good as Starbucks pound cake - that one is to die for. In fact, I found a copycat recipe for it online. Mine was better than Corner Bakery's cake.

Elyse making faces, as usual...


We talked and laughed for three hours. It was good for the soul.

The three of us by the "fat" baker...


Ilene brought us the leftover desserts from the concert at church last night. So much for losing weight. I thought about taking the desserts to tomorrow's basketball practice and telling the boys it was for Zachary's birthday. I'll ask Zachary when he gets home if that will be all right. That way, I won't have to eat all of them.

Tomorrow is Zachary's 13th birthday. We are having baked potato pizza and root beer floats (diet root beer for Dad). All this will happen after basketball practice and tutoring - I guess we will be eating around 7:30. We got hooked on baked potato pizza when we were at Erin's house when Bristol was born. I guessed on how to make it and we enjoy it very much.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

A little SNOW!!!!!

Blizzard, as you all well know. The howling winds were very loud. All day and all night the snow plows were plowing our neighbors streets (not ours, mind you).

This is our back door - we couldn't open it if we wanted. We would bury the dining room.

The swing is under a lot of snow, probably about 2 1/2 feet of it.

The snow buried our bushes completely. To open our front door, we have to push the snow away. I wonder if Zachary will love shoveling the two feet of snow on our sidewalk.

The kids were wondering if we were going to have a snow day. I haven't seen the basement yet, but if there is snow down there, we WILL be having a snow day. Silly kids!

This is me standing in the snow by the garage. It is hip high.

This is the end of my "playing" in the snow.


I am sure all of you will have pictures to show as well! Can't wait to see what you are dealing with as well.