Basketball Weekend

Cole's traveling basketball team was in another tournament this weekend. We traveled to Coon Rapids for a bracketed tourney. We started on Saturday with our first game of the weekend.

The first game was against Irondale. The boys started out a bit slow but moved the ball well and played excellent defense. It didn't take long and we pulled away from them and got by with a fairly convincing victory. Cole had a great game. He played super defense and helped lead the offense at point guard. He has been switching from point guard to wing depending on which other players are in the game. He's been one of the more versatile players on the team in the fact that he can play so many positions and knows the responsibilities of each spot.

The boys had to wait around for more than hour before the next game. They seemed to have fun sitting around visiting, eating and watching some other games.

The second game was against St. Michael which had also won their first game by a large margin. Our boys came out a bit flat again and the game was neck and neck all through the first quarter. But midway through the second quarter we started to break down and got down by 14 points at the half.

At half time the coach talked to them and we all tried to give them the don't quit, you can do it speech. It worked! They came out blazing and determined. They shut down the opposition and tied the game up in the middle of the third quarter. It again was a tight contest and by the start of the fourth quarter we were down one basket. Cole had been playing his heart out. He had been in the game the entire time. A couple of our main players got into foul trouble and had to sit a majority of the second and third quarters. By the time the fourth quarter was in progress you could tell he was bushed. But he kept on fighting and doing his best. The game went back and forth for most of the fourth quarter until St Michaels gained a small four point lead with only a minute and a half left. Our kids would not give up. They battled and fought to cut the lead to two with only 30 ticks on the clock. After a near steal and a subsequent "foul" St. Michaels was at the line with only 19 seconds left. This last foul was on our point guard and lead scorer and it was his fifth and final foul. The St M's player knocked down the first shot then misfired on the second. One of our Ranger players snagged the board and got the outlet to a guard who dribbled past half court when Coach called a quick time out with only 10 seconds left. We could all see them devising a play and hoped it would be enough to send the game into overtime. I could see the Coach talking and pointing to Cole and I had a feeling with our other point guard out of the game that Cole was the one who was going to take the last shot, a 3 pointer. (Gulp!) Once the huddle broke our players lined up in formation and I saw the pick forming for Cole to get open but it was supposed to leave him open on the top. Someone jumped the pick and Cole had to pop out on the wing. He got the ball and turned, squared and fired. The ball arced smoothly through the air and was descending directly towards the rim then it skipped off the rim just barely missing. Another Ranger player grabbed the rebound and alertly kicked it out past the arc where we got one last heave to tie the game. But the ball clanked off the back iron and time ran out.

Our Ranger team made a courageous comeback and nearly put the game into overtime. So the next game up will be for 3rd place on Sunday.

Well Sunday came and the team was pumped to try to get some more hardware. We arrived at the gym and the kids started to stretch out. We were matched up against the home team, Coon Rapids. The game started and soon after we knew it was going to be a long game. The refs were very quick on the whistle and took the aggressiveness right out of our players. Within a few minutes our Coach was hit with a technical foul. It was a shocking call. The ref had seems very aggressive in his calls and this T just punctuated that fact. The team did the best they could to keep up but many of our players got into early foul trouble. They also had a lot of trouble with the press. Coon Rapids played a zone press (which our kids had not seen before). By the end of the first half, Coon Rapids had an 11 point lead.

A quick pep talk and drink of water and the kids were ready to go. Unfortunately so were the refs. The second half the Rangers handled the press much better and cut into the lead for a while but the continued imbalance of calls against us put us back into a hole. By the end of the game, two players had fouled out and a couple had four. The kids only lost by 12 points (meaning they only lost the second half by one point which is awesome considering the amount of freethrows Coon Rapids was shooting). The total fouls for each team was 27 to 7! Nearly a 4:1 ratio! That is ridiculous. It was a very obvious bias, the Rangers would get called on a touch foul or a reach in and then on the other end we would get mauled and lose the ball with no call. It was very frustrating for everyone, especially the kids.

All the parents and Coaches were very proud of the kids and how they held their composure. They learned that they must overcome obstacles like that sometimes and that they have no control over the refs. We tried to stress that they can only control their actions and attitude.
Hopefully they will continue to improve and get a tournament championship soon.

Kiddy Survey Part Two

Recently my wife DeAnn sat down with each of the little ones and asked them questions about themselves. Their likes and dislikes, favorite things to do and so on. It was very revealing and interesting to see hear what they had to say. I am going to outline some of the questions/answers for Jacob.

Question:What are your favorite foods?
Jacob: Pizza, Peas, Orange Noodles (Mac and Cheese), Brownies, PBJ, and Cookies


Question:What are your favorite drinks?
Jacob: Hot chocolate milk (in the morning), flavored water, and apple juice


Question: What are your favorite shows?
Jacob:Go Diego Go, Max and Ruby, Wow Wow Wubzy, and Hannah Montana


Question: What are your favorite carb free snacks?
Jacob: Cucumbers with Ranch dressing


Question: What are your favorite games?
Jacob: Tic Tac Toe game, Elefun (catching butterflies out of an elephants trunk), Scooby Doo matching, and Diego matching


Question: What are some foods you don't like?
Jacob: Celery and the seed on the banana (the end piece by the stem)


Question: What are you afraid of?
Jacob: Monsters, Ghosts, Pickle people, the Dark, and Storms


Question: What are your favorite bedtime books/stories?
Jacob: Dora the Explorer books


Question: What are some of your favorite bedtime snuggly things?
Jacob: Barney, Comfy (blanket), Silky (blanket), and little white pillow


Question: What are your favorite sports?
Jacob: Basketball, Soccer, Football, and Hockey ("but I never played it before")


Question: What are your favorite colors?
Jacob: Blue


Question: Who are your favorite babysitters?
Jacob: Jill ("because she's nice") and Auntie ("Anna's Mom")


Question: What are your favorite things to do with Cole?
Jacob: Play racing games and play basketball

Question: What are your favorite things to do with Mom?
Jacob: Hug Mom, Kiss Mom, Help cook, and go to playground

Question: What are your favorite things to do with Dad?
Jacob: Go to the park, Play basketball and football, Go fishing, Wrestle, and Go treasure hunting (geocaching)


Question: What do you want for Christmas?
Jacob: Racecar with remote control


Question: What do you thank God for?
Jacob: Daddy, Mommy, Kenny, Coley and Myself


Jacob was then asked to draw a picture of himself.

Kiddy Survey Part One

Recently my wife DeAnn sat down with each of the little ones and asked them questions about themselves. Their likes and dislikes, favorite things to do and so on. It was very revealing and interesting to see hear what they had to say. I am going to outline some of the questions/answers for Kennedy.

Question:What are your favorite foods?
Kennedy: Cheese Pizza, Dessert Pizza, breadsticks, Brownies, PBJ, Yogurt drinks and Cookies


Question:What are your favorite drinks?
Kennedy: Hot chocolate milk (with marshmallows), Grape juice, Strawberry flavored water, apple juice, and orange soda (had once at school Halloween party)


Question: What are your favorite shows?
Kennedy: Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and Camp Rock


Question: What are your favorite carb free snacks?
Kennedy: Cheese stick, Cucumbers with Ranch dressing, and Peanut Butter


Question: What are your favorite games?
Kennedy: Kerplunk, Elefun (catching butterflies out of an elephants trunk), Scooby Doo matching, and Princess matching


Question: What are some foods you don't like?
Kennedy: Peas, Celery, Green beans, and the seed on the banana (the end piece by the stem)


Question: What are you afraid of?
Kennedy: Monsters, Ghosts, Pickle people, the Dark, and Storms


Question: What are your favorite bedtime books/stories?
Kennedy: Hannah Montana magazine, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella


Question: What are some of your favorite bedtime snuggly things?
Kennedy: Kitty, Barney, Berry Bear, Ganelli (stuffed gorilla), and Bear blanket (tied fleace)


Question: What are your favorite sports?
Kennedy: Soccer, Basketball, Dance, and Gymnastics


Question: What are your favorite colors?
Kennedy: Pink, Purple, Magenta, Turquoise, and Red


Question: Who are your favorite babysitters?
Kennedy: Jill and Auntie


Question: What are your favorite things to do with Cole?
Kennedy: Listen to music (especially the Jonas Brothers)


Question: What are your favorite things to do with Mom?
Kennedy: Go to the playground, Go to the beach, Play fashion show, watch TV, and have Mommy lay with me at bed


Question: What are your favorite things to do with Dad?
Kennedy: Go camping in the tent, Wrestle, Go treasure hunting (geocaching), and Play football


Question: What do you want for Christmas?
Kennedy: Guitar, High School Musical Make Up Set, and Hannah Montana Guitar Hero


Question: What do you thank God for?
Kennedy: Coley, Mom, Jakey, Daddy, Myself, God, Jesus and a warm house


Kennedy was then asked to draw a picture of herself.

World Diabetes Day

The following blog post is an excerpt from an email that my wife, DeAnn, sent out to friends and family.

November 14, 2008 was World Diabetes Day. I am writing this just to ask people to remember the struggles that all people with diabetes live with on a day to day basis. I am especially referring to people who have Type I Diabetes. Most of you know about diabetes because of Kennedy's diagnosis last summer at age four. We have lived with diabetes for almost a year and a half. It's something that you live with 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You never get a break from it and you never stop thinking about it because your life revolves around it.

Having Type I Diabetes means that the part of Kennedy's pancreas that makes insulin does not work. This is the difference between Type I and Type II Diabetes. Kennedy makes no insulin at all which all people need to stay alive. Some people ask us if she will outgrow diabetes which is unfortunately not possible. She does not make insulin, and she never will. Also, no amount of exercise or diet restrictions will ever change the fact that she needs multiple insulin injections every day in order to stay alive. No one knows why a person gets Type I Diabetes. There is no cure. Insulin is not a cure. It is a means to stay alive.

We are grateful to have an insulin pump for Kennedy so she is able to receive insulin through a tiny miniature tube that is inserted under her skin. Instead of receiving about six shots per day which is the amount she averaged before using the insulin pump, we now insert a small needle attached with a tube under her skin every other day. Thanks to technology, she only endures one significant poke (insertion of the tube) every other day. The insulin is then administered through the tube with no pain. She receives insulin every hour on the hour in addition to all mealtimes and snack times. She receives about 30 different insulin doses through her pump every single day.

Kennedy still endures an average of eight finger pokes every day to check her blood sugar (sometimes more if her blood sugar is too high or too low). Rob and I continue to set our alarm every single night to check Kennedy's blood sugar during the middle of the night (1-2 times each night). If her blood sugar would drop too low during the night, it could result in brain damage, coma or death. Too high of a blood sugar is also dangerous and causes horrible, devastating complications such as kidney failure and blindness. Since Kennedy was diagnosed, I have not slept through the night in nearly a year and a half. A good night's rest is appealing, but the risk of not checking Kennedy's blood sugar level is too great.

Our family will be participating in the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Walk-to-Cure Diabetes event on January 24, 2009. We participated in this event last year and our team raised $1,200. An estimated 18,000 people participated last year. It was shoulder-to-shoulder at times. So many teams had their matching t-shirts on holding signs united in fighting for a cure. It was a very emotional and uplifting experience.

This email is a reminder of World Diabetes Day and a request to ask for help in supporting research to find a cure for diabetes. If you are able to donate to Kennedy's Team we would be deeply grateful and so appreciative. You can donate on-line or mail us a check written out to JDRF which we will present at the walk event in January. To learn more information or to donate on-line please go to Kennedy's Fundraising page at the following link:

http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=extranet.personalpage&confirmid=87284412

Thank you,

DeAnn, Rob and Kennedy Mayer

Relaxing Weekend

I spent part of the week in South Dakota and the other in Iowa. I snapped a quick picture of the sunset on my way to Iowa midweek. It was much more beautiful than the camera on my cellphone captured. It was one of the last really nice days before the weather started to change. Once I got to Iowa the rain started and then the snow. After working out of town the entire week I was ready to head home and spend some time with my family.


While I was away we received delivery of Kennedy's new bed. She needed a little bit bigger bed and also got some needed storage under it. In turn Jake got Kennedy's "Big Boy" bed. This was the deal since he started wearing big boy underwear (its been a while now but we had to wait for delivery). I got home late on Friday but the kids were so excited to show me their new bedrooms (beds, bedding, etc) that they waited up with anticipation. It was really cute to see their faces as they showed off their rooms. I had to wait in the hallway with DeAnn (who worked tirelessly moving all the furniture around and clearing out the little kid clutter) until the grand reveal. With eyes closed and a tiny hand held escort I entered each room. Squeals of delight, excitement and pride filled the rooms. They were so proud! Each one had taken an active role in reinventing their room.

Kennedy's room has the Hannah Montana motiffe replacing the Disney princesses. She has a beautiful white bed with matching desk. The desk has already seen so much use. She loves to sit at her new, organized desk and draw pictures. She is quite the artist. The room is also accented with lots of pink accessories. She truley enjoys her new room and takes care to make her bed and have everything in its place (so far).

Jake's room didn't get the biggest overhaul but was significant in his eyes. He got a "big boy" bed to replace his toddler bed. It has an awesome sports themed bedspread. He is all about the sports! De also accented his room with sports related accessories. Jake is very proud of his new room and is quite comfy in his new bed. He is so cute when he is cuddled under his new blanket.


We spent Saturday morning getting our Christmas pictures done. The kids were great. It is amazing how much easier it is when the kids get a little older. De set it all up and picked out some really cute clothes for the kids. Of course, Mom and Dad just had to blend in. After getting back home and changing we decided to run out to look at toys in order to get ideas for the kid's Christmas gift. I convinced everyone to go to the new Fleet Farm, this way I could check out the fishing gear also. We spend an hour there and the kids had a good time. They had a better toy selection than I thought. Afterward we went to a few more stores then grabbed a bite to eat at Applebees. It was very enjoyable to just spend time together as a family. By the time we finished eating I thought everyone would be exhausted but they all decided to go to Michaels (Kennedy's eyes about popped out of her head when she saw all the markers, paints, paper, crafts, etc!). Cole did a pretty good job of tagging along. This really wasn't up his alley and he kept lobbying for us to make the trip over to Guitar Center so he could drool over the electric guitars. But the time just slipped away from us and it was getting late. We headed home and got everyone ready for bed. We were all exhausted.

Sunday came and it was time to catch up on house work and rest. We spent the day watching some football (mostly me) and catching up on chores before the busy week started again. De and I stayed busy most of the day while the kids played together. Cole went to a new friends house for the day.

Even though we spend most of Saturday running around the work/rest of Sunday helped make the weekend very enjoyable.

Restaurant Review: Milbank Family Restaurant

I was looking for a change of pace in the usual fast food franchise restaurants (not that Milbank has a lot of them) so decided to try the Milbank Family Restaurant.

I arrived on a cold windy night for supper. As I entered I noticed that most of the clientele were elderly people. I waited for the hostess to seat me and she did without a long wait.  The young waitress was not far behind with a glass of water. She politely asked if I wanted anything to drink. I decided to stick with water. I looked over the menu offerings while soaking in the atmosphere in the restaurant. Typical small town family restaurant/cafe.  The waitresses were shuffling around to their tables making sure everyone was attended to.  The menu had a big variety of choices from breakfast meals, burgers, sandwiches, to full entrees. The big white board at the front of the restaurant listed the specials and the soups for the day. They also had a list of desserts and pies (? homemade).  Tired of the same old fair, I decided to order a breakfast meal, a couple of fried eggs, hash browns, sausage, and pancakes.

I waited for my meal to be prepared and observed the establishment. It was fairly busy but by no means a full house.  It appeared that they were pretty organized and efficient. The waitress and host were very friendly but not overly chatty. 
My meal arrived in short time and looked great.  I enjoyed the meal a lot. Everything was cooked correctly and hot. My only picky complaint was that the pancakes seemed too "buttery". I don't know if they cooked the pancakes on a flattop with some butter but it seemed too much. 

The waitress checked back a few times and topped off my water.  She did a nice job of being there just in case but not hovering.  I finished and ordered a slice of apple pie to go.  Once she brought me the pie and my bill I brought it to the cashier and paid. It was nice that the cashier asked how my meal tasted.  You don't seem to hear that anymore. They just take your money and your done.  They don't want to hear or risk hearing anything bad.  I had no complaints.

Later that evening I dove into the apple pie with whipped cream on it.  It was okay, not great like I expected.  I am curious if it is homemade or a frozen pie.  The crust reminded me of the frozen pies that you can buy in the grocery store and bake.

Overall I enjoyed my meal at the Milbank Family Restaurant.  The meal was good and the service was excellent. The only downer was the pie. I found it a good value for the food I received.  I look forward to going back to try an entree, sandwich or burger. 

Here are my grades.
Food Quality-------------3.5 out of 5
The food quality was good. The only issue was the pie didn't taste homemade (but I am not sure if it was advertised as that).
Service Quality----------4 out of 5
The staff was friendly and courteous. They were attentive but not smothering.
Value--------------------3 out of 5
The price for the food is a good value.
Overall------------------ 3.5 out of 5
The Milbank Family Restaurant is a family style restaurant that offers a variety of menu items. Based on my experience, I enjoyed my meal there. It was a quiet relaxing meal with good food and prompt service. I would recommend this restaurant for a good breakfast meal.

Restaurant Review: Milbank Pizza Ranch

I decided to try another pizza place in town despite my lackluster experience at the other place. So I stopped in at Pizza Ranch which is located in the downtown area of Milbank.

For those who have never been to a Pizza Ranch (P.R.) before it is a pizza buffet. They also have a salad bar and other hot items such as fried chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetable, etc.

As I walked in the place was fairly busy and the bustling of P.R. workers was encouraging.  After paying I found a nice table by the window. I grabbed a soda and approached the salad bar. The salad bar did not host a large variety of items but the items available were well stocked and looked fresh. 

I then looked over the offerings at the hot buffet (Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, home fries, and corn to name a few).  There was also obviously pizza available. They had many varieties of pizza available and were bringing more out every so often.

I was impressed by the workers in the facility. Even though they were young (high school age) they all seemed to stay on task and do their job. Some were in the back preparing food for the buffet or take out while others were clearing plates from tables.

The food tasted pretty good. The pizza was excellent especially some of their own concoctions (taco, cheeseburger and cowboy pizza to name a few). In addition the fried chicken (I think it may be broasted) is excellent. Particulary if you get a piece right after it is done cooking and just put out on the hot table.

Overall, I enjoyed eating at the Pizza Ranch. They had good food at a reasonable price. The staff was helpful and courteous. They offered a reasonably good selection.

Here are my grades.
Food Quality-------------3 out of 5
The food quality was good. Not "oh my god this is the best I ever had" good but satisfying. Desent selection.
Service Quality----------3 out of 5
The staff was friendly and courteous. They were attentive to help clearing empty plates from tables and keeping the buffet stocked.
Value--------------------3 out of 5
The price for the food is a good value.
Overall------------------ 3 out of 5
The Pizza Ranch is not a full service restaurant but it does offer friendly courteous staff. It is a good value for the food it offers. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to grab a good slice of pizza.

Restaurant Review: Milbank Pizza Hut

Since I started traveling more for my job I have visited many small Midwest towns and have eaten at many small cafes and local establishments. In some instances I have also visited local franchise restaurants. Even though these small towns often don't have up scale dining choices, it does not mean that the food is sub par.
I will be giving my two cents worth on the various restaurants (both franchise and local) that I visit.  Keep in mind that this is only my own opinion and based on my personal experiences.
When I arrive in a new town I usually scope out the dining choices and choose a franchise as my first experience.  Only after visiting with the residents will I venture out to some of the locally owned restaurants.  This way I can weed out some of the obvious "stinkers".  I have been spending a lot of time in Milbank,SD in the last few months and have visited pretty much all of the dining choices offered in town. 
One of the first places I stopped and ate was the local Pizza Hut.  I went there three times (actually two times, I will explain later).
On my first visit, as I walked in I noticed two of the staff outside in the front parking lot. They were fiddling around a car. I entered into a fairly empty restaurant. Usually not a good sign but I was already there.  I waited to be seated and noticed that there was more staff "working" than customers. Most of the staff were young with only one staff member who appeared to not be in high school. Most of the staff ignored me and went on their with the joking and goofing around. The elder staff member brought me to my table and asked if I wanted anything to drink. I order a beer and a glass of water. As she left I again looked around and noticed the other staff in the food prep area talking quite loudly about social events, boyfriends, etc. (I know I shouldn't be listening but it was SO quiet there and they were SO loud). As the socializing went on amongst the younger staff the older staff member (I assume she was the manager on duty) was busy making pizzas and answering the phone.  I turned my attention to the menu and thought about ordering a P'Zone (basically a calzone). Pizza Hut had been advertising them on TV quite a bit and I didn't feel like ordering a whole pizza for just me. I searched the menu for the P'Zone and didn't see them. I noticed that the younger staff members were wearing shirts that sported "P'Zone" on it so I thought that they must have them on the menu. I waited for about 10 minutes or so with my menu closed and no drinks. Then finally a young short haired blond waitress meanders over with a glass of water and my beer. She doesn't say a word and pulls a pad out and just looks at me. No smile. No words. Nothing. Blankness.  I ask if they have the P'Zones on the menu.  She replies "Yes". That it.Wow one word! Okay so I ask her what kind they have and she mumbles out the types and just looks at me. I order one and she scribbles it down and shuffles away. Alright don't get me wrong, I don't want to engage in lengthy discussion with every waiter/waitress but the basic formalities would be nice. "How are you?", "Would you like anything else?" or even "Thank you".  But I was lucky to get ten words out of her and that was only because I asked her a direct question about the menu.
So as I waited for my food to arrive I sat back and watched everything unfold. The manager prepared the food. The other staff sat back and visited and occasionally would scoot over the food prep area and snag some food to pop in their mouth. The manager also ran the cash register and answered the phone. I sat there and wondered why they were paying all this staff to stand around and goof off as only one person was working? About 10 minutes had passed and the young short haired blond brought my food out and dropped it off and without a word immediately left. The food was hot and tasted good. It was about what you would expect at any Pizza Hut anywhere. After eating I sat and waited for my bill. Nothing. Still socializing in a little group behind the cash register the young staff was oblivious to the customers (the few that were in there). So I walked up to the cash register to the manager and told I didn't have my bill yet. She looked around and presented me with a total to which I paid.  She didn't inquire if the food was satisfactory or about the service. I paid my bill and left.
My overall experience that night determined that I would not go there again.  I know, I said earlier that I went there three times.  I did go back for a lunch buffet with some of the locals (not my idea).  That experience was about the same result.  No one really waiting on us. The pizza buffet was dreadfully empty.  The pastas were almost empty and dry, there was maybe 4 slices of pizza which looked like they were on there from the night before and the salad portion was...lets say "not fresh".  We had a little of this and that and then had to go and search for a bill.  This lunch experience was confirmation that the earlier evening experience was no fluke.  Alright so now for the explanation on the third "attempt".  It was a cold rainy Monday night and the Monday Night Football game sported my team (Tennessee Titans vs Indianapolis Colts) so I wanted to have some buffalo wings and maybe some bread sticks while I watch the game. I was desperate. I called over to Pizza Hut to have it delivered. The young lady answering the phone informed me they were delivering tonight. What!?  Isn't home delivery one of Pizza Huts biggest marketing tools. The saddest part about it was the fact that I was staying right across the street.  I know I guess I could have ordered it then went and picked it up.  But the only reason I was willing to try them one more time was the fact that on this rainy cold Monday Night Football night I didn't want to go out, I wanted it delivered. Needless to say I did not order from them. I got in my car and went elsewhere and picked up some food to bring back. Three strikes and you are out!
Here are my grades.
Food Quality-------------2 out of 5
Although the food was not horrible it was not excellent or fresh. I would expect to find equal or better quality at any Pizza Hut.
Service Quality----------0.5 out of 5
Not the friendliest or welcoming staff I have ever seen. Needs huge improvement or direction from management.
Value--------------------2 out of 5
The price for the food is pretty average for what you get.
Overall------------------ 1.5 out of 5
The severe lack in quality of service really makes coming to this restaurant a bad experience. So unless you are really craving "Pizza Hut" pizza and don't care if you have bad service (or any service at all) then I would suggest not eating there.

Fun Weekend

We had a great weekend this past week.
It all started on Friday with a gorgeous Halloween evening for the little ones to Trick or Treat. In fact, it was so nice that I wore shorts and a sweatshirt while the kids didn't even need coats. They just wore their costumes. Kennedy was Hannah Montana and Jake was a football player (Tennessee Titans of course!) Cole was unable to go out with us this year because he had basketball practice for his traveling team. It was important for him to not miss the practice since his team was playing in a tournament the next day and Sunday.

Early Saturday morning we all got up and headed to Spring Lake Park for the basketball tourney. We were scheduled to play two games on Saturday and then play in a final bracket game on Sunday depending on our record. Cole's team lost the first game by 6 points and then won the second by 8 points. Not too bad considering the team has not played together before and had only 4 or 5 practices. So now on Sunday we arrived at the gym to find out we are playing for 3rd place. The game was tight throughout. The teams battled hard and it came down to free throws. Our team sank the shots from the charity stripe down the stretch and took care of the ball while the opposition watched victory slip away in the last minute of the game. It was so much fun to watch the kids grow so much in those short three games. Even though it was a super busy weekend for our family, it was a great weekend.

Thank goodness for the time change Sunday morning. That extra hour of rest rejuvenated all of us.