Go Mercury!!

Another game win in the regular season as they made their way to an undefeated season!!  

Go Mercury!

Basketball is Back!!

Basketball started in December just before Christmas.  Richard lucked out with a really great team this year.  He's a great coach, too.  But he did land some pretty talented players.  This year, he has an assistant coach which is very helpful especially during practices so they can split the girls into groups and focus on certain skills, strengths, and weaknesses.  We always look forward to basketball season.  Lucky for us it falls at the conclusion of football season and during the Winter when we have absolutely nothing going on.  

Kamdyn's End-of-Year Basketball Celebration

We decided to have the basketball celebration after our last regular season game since the playoffs would be during the week and we wouldn't know exactly which game we would be eliminated.  Pizza Hut just opened up in downtown Apex so we celebrated there.  Richard had a good group of girls this year.  Their parents were very generous and gave him a very sweet card with several gift cards.  He really enjoys coaching and plans to do it again next year.  

Our girls lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the toughest team in the league...who won the tournament.  We gave them a run for their money and stayed with them closer than any other team.  They were relieved when the game was over because we were a constant thorn in their side.  Richard did great putting together a game plan that matched our girls strengths perfectly with that team.  We came up short, but we were SO proud of our girls!!  They played so hard all season long. 

Richard and the team!

Karcie had to join in the celebration!

Richard handing out their medals....don't get him started on this.  ;)  He's not a fan of participation medals or trophies, but we had to jump on the bandwagon with what other teams/coaches do.  

Basketball Season Mid-Point!

Basketball season is nearly half-way finished.  It has been a fun season so far...definitely a lot of close games that have made me nervous.  We've only lost two and we really could have won both of them.  We had a lot of missed baskets in our first loss.  The second loss was due to a crazy man at the scorer's table who tried to tell Richard that he hadn't played five of the girls the minimum of minutes.  One of those was Kamdyn!!  We knew he was wrong.  Anyone who knows Richard knows that he always has a plan.  He has a spreadsheet with his line-up each week.  He knows exactly how many minutes each girl will play before the game starts.  Sadly, this particular game was against the best team in the league.  We couldn't afford to have our best players sitting on the bench in the 4th quarter.  Richard followed the rules that the guy at the scorer's table enforced even though he was WAY off.  We ended up with a loss.  We know it's just youth  basketball, but when you invest your time and energy, it stinks to lose to the best team because of someone else's mistake when you had a chance to win.

We have four games left and then the tournament.  Hoping we do well in the tournament!  

Go Mercury!!

Before the Natty!

I called Nanny and Georgia before we ever won in Miami to see if they would keep the girls if we got to go to Arizona.  I'm so thankful that they both said YES!!  Nanny arrived for Kamdyn's first basketball game of the season.  We won 42-8.  They actually stopped keeping score because we were winning by so much!  We literally had to run out of the basketball game that ended at 1:00 to get to the airport to catch our flight that left at 2:45.  We made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  In fact, we boarded the plane early and then had to sit on the plane for an hour because of snow in Chicago.  Grrr!!

Thank you, Nanny, for keeping our girls that weekend and thank you, Georgia, for keeping our girls that week.  It was a "once in a lifetime" event and we are so glad that we were able to be there in Arizona to witness it!

Kamdyn having a spelling bee with Richard and Nanny.

I think Nanny was the better speller!

Karcie was occupied with the I-Pad.

Enthralled is a better word!

Game 1

Richard was coaching them up!

Sweet girls safe and sound at home with Nanny!

Basketball

Basketball practice started during the crazy month of December, too!  Richard is coaching again and was supposed to be the assistant coach again with Chad. Chad got a new job and is moving.  That means Richard is the new coach and I am the assistant. Go Mercury!!

Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim Come to Visit

Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim came to visit the first weekend in March.  We had such a great time with them!  We know what a long drive it is and are very thankful when people take the time to come see us. 

Shortly after they arrived, we went to dinner at Tyler's Taproom.  It's one of Richard's new favorite restaurants in Apex.  They have good food and good beer and both reasonably priced!  There were some antics occurring at the table before our food arrived.  I LOVE that they give the kids Wikki Stixx before their food arrives.  They create and make all sorts of things......including mustaches!!  :)  Our dinner was delicious and our time spent with two of our faves was even better.  When we got home it was almost bedtime.  We had an early Saturday on the way!

Aunt Kathy and Karcie

Uncle Jim and Kamdyn

These two were busy being silly with the mustaches!

I think the mustaches fell off their faces!!

Then this little girl had to get in on the action!

Her mustaches were always upside down!

Yep, we were there, too!!

We had to be up pretty early the next day because Kamdyn's last basketball game was at 9:00.  The team had to be there at 8:30.  Whew!!  That's early!!  We made it though and with plenty of time to spare.  Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim were great for entertaining Karcie throughout the game.  Their team won and Kamdyn scored a couple of times, I believe!  She also played her best game.  It was too bad that the season was ending because the girls were just starting to really get the concepts and skills.  Oh well!  We will have to wait until next year!  After the game, they had their end-of-season celebration at McDonald's (see next post).   Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim were troopers.  They went right along with us and waited while the girls ate and socialized.  It was fun!!

Uncle Jim was trying to get Karcie's attention with "Kitty."  Aunt Kathy bought "Kitty" for Karcie the night before at the Hobby Store that was next to the restaurant where we ate. 

Loving Aunt Kathy!

I love this photo after the game!!

After the end-of-season celebration, we left to go to the lake.  We wanted Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim to see the lake house while they were close.  Luckily, the weather was pretty good that weekend, too.  (EXCEPT for the muddy ground after all of the snow and rain we had.)  Luckily, I told them to bring old shoes just in case.

We enjoyed a golf cart ride to show them around.  We sat by the fire until it go too cold.  We had a dance party in the living room.  Even Richard was dancing!!  We had a delicious dinner and then it was almost bedtime.  

I. Love. This. One.

Hopefully one day soon, our speakers won't be sitting in the floor.

Dancing with Aunt Kathy!

Daddy was grilling on the deck in the background!

 We hated for Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim to leave on Sunday.  It was a long drive for them, but we hope they enjoyed their time with us as much as we enjoyed being with them.  We can't wait until next time!!  Please come back when it's REALLY warm!!  We love you both!!

Final Basketball Game and Celebration

We were sad to see this basketball season come to an end.  We really enjoyed it way more than what we anticipated.  Richard loved coaching and is excited about coaching next year.  He and Chad have kind of decided that Richard will be the head coach for the next age level and Chad will be the assistant.  Chad will keep coaching the younger girls. Chad will have daughters on both teams.  Chad and Richard definitely made a great coaching duo!!

The girls won their last game.  It was close for a while....kind of a nail biter.  But, then, our team finally got up by several points and we could relax.   Kamdyn played her best game.  She scored a couple of baskets and really was starting to get aggressive on defense.  I hope she continues to love it like her Dad and I do.

  We finished third.  I thought that was pretty good considering that only one player on our team had ever played organized basketball before.

When the game was over, Coach Chad gave the girls their medals and I took some team photos.  Then, we made our way to McDonald's for the end-of-season celebration.  McDonald's sponsored our team.  I contacted the franchise owner and he was happy to feed our team and coaches after our last game.  The girls had fun socializing and signing each other's jersey.  It was a great season and we can't wait for next year!!

Warming up before the game!

Legs that go for days!!

Sweet girl waiting her turn!

Practicing some drills before the game.

Coach Chad was coaching them up just before the buzzer.

Now they are all paying attention!

Coach Richard with the starting five....matching them up with girls on the other team.

Here we go!!

I love this action shot!!  There is a lot going on in this photo!!

Coach Chad was so patient with these girls!!

Coach Richard with his favorite player...the rest of the team must have been playing or getting some water!

After the game pep talk!!

Team Photo!!  Go McDonald's!!

Silly Faces!!  I love that Richard and Chad have the exact same silly face!!  ;)

So proud of this little angel!  She worked so hard to do everything that we taught her to do.  She improved so much in a short season.  

Our K girls with Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim!!

Coach Richard with his favorite girl!!

We love our little #11!!

Waiting on their food at McDonald's

Coach Richard decided to join this table!

Sweet girls!

Coach Chad signing jerseys!

Then the girls had an assembly line going with sharpies!

They had the best time!!