March Madness

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March.

Well that was quick! 

How does every. single. month.

evaporate faster than the last despite our efforts to SLOW down?!?

Mustache night at AWANA - who knows why?!

 Upward Awards Ceremony - Margaret's Bulldogs!

 Andrew's school presentation - Phillis Wheatley - complete bio fully memorized!

 Wednesday night Lenten Supper and Service Series - these kids melt my heart following along with the scripture.

Jay Huff.  Some people know him as UVA's 7'1" center who can nail 3's.  
We know him as Jay who sits in front of us at church...

  ...and surprises Kindergarten at practice after his own practice.  Matthew was honestly disturbed that this, of all nights, he was wearing a VT shirt!

 Jay participating in the devotion time at practice.

 Awaiting Matthew's answer to the question of the night.

 First Dunk!

 Our fearless 5-yr-old actually giggled that he wanted down - it is high up there!

  

Just a visit from Grandma.  Just another compassionate note from Andrew.

 

Celebrating 11 on a gorgeous afternoon.

 

 The Game Night/Sleepover the week before.

These two---former neighbors.  Andrew's 3rd birthday party.  They could have looked a little more excited about it!  

 The ACC in Charlotte.  Good times at the Science Museum there!

 Inside the coliseum, up and close and personal with Jay, Reece and Seth.

UVA-FSU...

 ....and then...

 Another "once in a lifetime" Duke-Carolina game.

So blessed.  PERFECT game.  74-73.

 

 St. Patty's Day Parade in Charlotte.

 Matthew and Charlie having a ball at his house.

 James and Kate kindly hosted the crew for dinner Saturday night at their beautiful, lovely, renovated, wonderful home.

Same crew, three years ago in DC.

 

And then, because James and Kate's house is SO very comfortable, there were all kids of tickets available.  So Emily took all of my kids to the championship!  What a blessing not to have to choose between them:-)

 

Oh, birthdays keep getting more fun with these ladies.

DELICIOUS meal. 

Just a little leap to express excitement for his teammate's dunk.

#nowords

 Only in Charlottesville does lax practice look like this.

  Sleepovers

 And....we have stone.  Lots and lots of stone.  Takes a lot to thoroughly cover 600 sq ft!  And this was only delivery #1!

Sweet Easter Memories

 

 

Basketball Season x 3

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Three playing basketball this year!  That's a LOT of practices and a LOT of games and a LOT of time to entertain oneself and their siblings during time-outs:-)

 The beauty of Upward---praying before games, testimonies during halftime.

 Matthew's Entrance - SOOOOOOO excited that HE finally gets to play on a team!!!!

Andrew's cheering creation----homemade, double-sided signs for Matthew and Margaret's teams:-)

Early Season Dribbling and Shot

 It's a Whole Thing...

Unsure how she'd take to Bball this year (after two years off to ice skate),  Margaret was determined to play solid D!

 

 Margaret's assist to good buddy Maylan.

 

 

 Margaret's rebound and shot.

 

Weekly post-game "star awards" ceremony----emphasizing that everyone has something to contribute every week.  (Note: Hysterical girls' league this year----registration was low, so 3rd-5th grade girls only represented two teams total, playing each other weekly.  Due to travel and flu season, one team or the other often didn't even have 5, so we tossed players back and forth, too!)  All about fun at this point (even though by this age, they call EVERYTHING in the game).

Matthew's Offensive Star Ceremony (and gusher)

Presley and Matthew (best buds from church) with Presley's cousin, Shepherd, and Luke (best "HENS" bud) all on the same team with our same Flag Football coach----what fun!

 Compassionate Andrew's enthusiasm for these crazy Kindergartners never wavered.  What a sport!

 Ella!  Team Mascot?

 When you're on the bench, may as well get comfortable, huh?

 Here we go, Point Guard!

"Come on, Guys!  I'm ready to play D!"

 Dribble, dribble, dribble....

 Shot!

Matthew's Shot and Offensive Rebound

Matthew's Endless Rebounding

 Always THE VERY FIRST back on D----why walk when you can run???

 

 

 

 Sweetheart Dance at school...

 Manning the check-in table with my Sweetheart (everyone else was at late Friday night Bball practice!).

 Andrew's VABA team worked SO very hard this year and despite our first experience with severe personality issues, they made it to the Finals---though we had to wait through a record QUADRUPLE OVERTIME in the preceding girl's game!

VABA Finals Starting Line-Up

Halftime Entertainment at Andrew's Championship

 And they got it done!!!

 VABA Championship Awards Ceremony----SO close, SO many times in SO many sports, but finally a championship (I had to remind him of his SIX in swimming!).

Meg's Slow-Mo...