Falling Through Fall

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Swim meet season for Margaret!  Field hockey was deemed "too hot and boring", so she swam this fall and, of course, loved every single lap of it.  Three meets within an hour were the highlight of her fall----50's, here we are.  But she also had the opportunity for 100-free and a 200-IM.  A 200-IM at barely 9---that's an incredible event!

Her first 50-Fly---Lane 3

Who are these guys (and seriously, what's up with the Star Trek side burns?!?)?  Had the most hysterical conversation with Matthew when I showed him these. It went something like this:

"Mom, you had your eyes open while praying if you took that picture of me."

"Of you?"

"Yeah.  Why'd you have your eyes open?"

"Look again."   Matthew looks at me, confused, his eyes alone asking why.

"This picture was taken 7 years ago."

"What?  No it wasn't.  I wasn't even born 7 years ago."

LOL..."That's not YOU in the picture."

"WHAT!?!???"

"Nope.  That's Andrew on the right."

"WHAT?!?  No way!  He looks just like me!  That is so funny, Mom." (In a priceless tone of voice full of expression, excitement, and awe.) 

Melts a Mom's heart to see her baby reading to the older ones now....and see the older ones actually engaging and listening:-)

 Albemarle Homecoming!  I tell ya what---trying to explain why convertibles drive around the track and couples in suits and prom dresses are walking on the field with their parents....it's one strange tradition to try to explain!

Their personalities...right here for ya.

 A mini Greystone reunion at a UVA tailgate with Liz and Janey!

 A beautiful day for a walk in the Meadow across from our house, we entered through the self-proclaimed 100-acre wood and attempted to emerge by our house but suddenly felt like we were reliving the movie "Into the Wild" as the splinter of the Rivanna was impassable!

 My daily commute in October.

 "Market Day" in Matthew's 1/2 class.  He made goalposts and footballs for purchasers "kick" through.  So creative!

 Let it begin!  Cabinets and floors...living in the basement.

 When your kitchen is in your dining room.

 And your desk is in your playroom.

 Wyldlife has been going strong every Friday night!

 Great season for Andrew and Matthew's football teams.

"I'm in This Church"

UVA-FSU game with work friends from NOVA.

Duke - Little Man Soaks Up Cameron!

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I was blessed enough to get the family Duke tickets for a game, so it was time to take Little Man for his adventure.   His reaction to the opportunity?

I picked him up from school to begin our road trip and he found this note in his lunch:

"Matthew, Go Duke!  As you're reading this, I'm at one of the President's houses!  I'm at James Madison's house, Montpelier.  I also have a school dance and Wyldlife tonight.  But let's stop focusing on me and focus on the great opportunity you have!  You get to see the #2 team in the country play tonight! Cameron is amazing.  You'll love it!  You'll probably go to Cameron more than once in your life, but tonight, imagine it being your last time every and have as much fun as possible.

I love you.  Have fun.  Tell Mom I said hi and go Duke!

Love,

Andrew"

It was a cold and rainy day, but he still wanted to run all through the Gardens.

Matthew was happy to pose for any and all pictures so we could send them to his teacher, Mrs. Doerr, who went to Duke.

"Look, Mom.  I found the story about Jesus being in the boat with too many fish!"

My dinner date

Gazing onto the floor in awe.

Reaction to seeing family names on the wall in the museum. 

"Did those people all go to Duke?  Even Lalu and Big Rob??" 

National Player of the Year Display.

Final Fours

Oh, THE SHOT!

ACC Regular Season Champs, ACC Tourny Champs, NCAA Appearance, Final Fours, NCAA Championship Game Appearances, National Championships. 

The fascinating and detailed rules of "tenting" in Krzyzewskiville for the Carolina game.  There's the "Black Tenting" phase and its rules of engagement, then Blue Tenting, then the final stage of White Tenting.  

Finally in Granddaddy's seats - Thank you, everyone before us, that made this possible!

Whenever one of us has one-on-one time with Matthew, we often comment to the other, "he hasn't stopped talking for 2.5 hours straight.  I am exhausted."  But take the kid to Cameron and he is stunned into silence soaking it all up.    

All We Do is Win

Everytime We Touch

 Time-Out Fun


Surfing!

It was a tough first half and K let them know it, demanding during a time out, "Grow Up NOW!".  But Trey Jones put up 31 to propel them 74-63.  What a fun evening with my Little Man!  Thanks, Dody and Granddaddy!