last week...

we...

(light up tree we brought back with us from kansas {yes, we have 2 trees}) "this is harding! i mean, this is hard work!"

found some valentines candy in with the christmas

set up the nativity! this is one of my most favorite things.

went & cut down our christmas tree!

he loved riding in this wagon

totally reclined, pointing out trees for us to look at

you wouldn't believe it, but this was actually a cold day!

we found our tree for christmas 2012!

(caroline sent me this picture from puggles) ms. sally: bentley what is something you are thankful for? B: COWS!

hanging the first ornament on grandmothers tree!

cousin jedidiah was with us that day. he loved reading books with aunt beth!

and rolling around on grandmothers bed!

friday morning started off bright & early with a 6+ hour roadtrip with the basketball team

we made it to barclay college---ready for the game!

he has pregame down. prayer & then national anthem.

and apparently knows how to peel his own oranges.

and cheer on his team.

a good win for our team--and a happy birthday to the coach!

"lets play tennis, but i don't have a...paddle?" a racket. "oh, racket. here's a leaf!"

basketball season 2011-2012 is upon us.
the mens team had a scrimmage against the alumni last night(and can i say coach kliewer was looking good in his uniform!).
and both teams have games starting this weekend.
i can already tell there is going to be less basketball watching/more child chasing this year.
these guys (in the picture) are all about a year apart...the athletic directors daughter, the mens coach-his son, and B.
bentley may be the youngest, but he isn't the smallest! he is as tall, if not taller than Trey.
there was a bleacher incident, of falling off. but nothing to serious.
and cars.
must bring more toy cars to play with. driving them along the bleachers is all the rage.

house keeping!

it is march. WOW!
on sunday i saw a flock of robins. i hope that is the sign the spring is right around the corner!
bentley turned 8 months last week.

i got the photos taken...but ran out of time to post.
why? because we were in springfield, mo WINNING the regional championship to go to NATIONALS! woohoo!
way to go coach kliewer, regional coach of the year.
this is the FIRST time the grace women have made it to the nccaa national tournament.
awesome!
we won in overtime.
i can't go into the details because i will start getting shaky & nervous & having chest pains & a headache again.
i get way to into it.

do you see that little guy? he bee-lined out to the center of the court.

this is how bentley celebrated the win.

all that being said....shawn is headed to ohio for nationals...and i am headed to south carolina to meet my baby niece! it is so awesome how all this ended up working out! i thought i wouldn't be able to meet her until they came here in may.  i am so so excited!

and finally, a few things about my 8 month old...

you can tell by the pictures that he is active.
as the months progress we get fewer pictures in the chair.
he is working on his 4th top tooth.
this one has been a bit more troublesome than the rest....
he is pretty happy during the day, but seems to get a low fever at night & can't sleep very well.
and trust me, those teeth work. i don't think they have been conscious bites....but they still leave marks.
he tries to stand on his own...
he tries to eat whatever we do...


he smiles when he sees people.
he is such a sweet guy.
do i say that every month?

and so it begins.

 basketball season 2010-2011.

we are...

i had a revelation in the shower the other day ( a lot of light bulb moments seem to happen in the shower) that we are sports people. let me explain, i had just been feeling a little sorry for myself because we never go to concerts. but then it hit me, we don't really want to go. while everybody else is over the moon with their John Mayer tickets, i hadn't even known he was coming to town. while everyone else is making plans to see Michael Buble, I am wondering what is latest hit is...or if he still just sings songs from his first album (if that is the case, i better get myself some tickets!). but what we do make time for are sporting events. last weekend we went to the girls state basketball tournament. not to really watch any team in particular, just to go. this weekend we will be doing the same with the boys. sports are just a part of our life...no way around it! the first time i saw shawn was at a high school basketball game. the first time he called me was at half-time of a basketball game...our third date was to a Creighton basketball game. need i go on? 

my point. i'm ok with this. and it has made me feel better to recognize & enjoy the passion that we both share for sports. my goodness, last year we went to bolivia, south america to play basketball! we better like it.

 

coach k.

october 6, 2009 marks the first day of practice.
the first day of shawns collegiate coaching career.
you can assume that it is a big day today.
cause it is.
shawn is spending the next 6 hours carefully planning his first practice.
did i mention that he is the girls coach?
it will be a learning experience.
he is excited.
confident.
calm.

i know he will be great.
which makes me excited.
confident.
....i'm never calm.
i still get butterflies.

someday we will look back on the 09-10 basketball season as where it all began...