Go Defenders!

We had a pretty low key week with work and school. The kids were bummed they didn't get a snow day mid-week (but I was glad!). The weekend was spent cheering on Nola and her fellow Defenders! Mat headed to work at the cabin - brrr.

The snow that wasn't on Wednesday morning!

Temperatures were chilly all week but I did take Baylee out.... 

Because she looks at me like this.....

Nola showing off her croc and charm things for Aunt Lynnie (her purchase with their Christmas gift card to Amazon).

First game tipoff at Hoops Midwest. We played a 6th grade team from Liberty, Illinois. 

They were small and fast. We were sluggish. Nola didn't get any shots to fall but she did really well rebounding and playing defense.

Action photo from the tournament - Grandma Val and me in the bleachers! The girls ended up winning in overtime 26-23.

Pool play continued against Stover. They had one aggressive player who made Nola mad lol. Nola had 2 free throws in this game and some beautiful assists. Her defense was great as well. The team continued to struggle playing as a team but eeked out a win 17-15. We then headed into the Championship game. 

The grandparent section. They weren't pleased with the reffing for the last game :) 

Championship game against Columbia Supreme. They kicked our booties good in league play last December. We didn't have high hopes for winning but wanted to be more competitive than our last match up! 

The girls played well - real teamwork to start the game and shut down Columbia's three-point game. Nola did great transitioning between 3 and 4. She over thought some of her shots and had some silly traveling calls. She made a nice baseline shot early on. 

Their defense was awesome - all working hard. It was a tight game. They lost 15-18, but everyone was super proud of them. 

Defenders!

You second place goes to these hard-working ladies. Three games in one day is hard work!

Nola requested Culvers for dinner.

Silliness. 

We tried for a better selfie at home.....Nola accidentally punching me while getting ready for the pose. 

That's better. Brenner joined us for the pic.

Nola woke up sick Sunday (vomiting - ugh). After Brenner and I returned from church, he asked for blueberry pancakes. But only if they were soft and not hard in the middle. I said they would turn out, how they turned out. He ate 5 so I am guessing they were deemed acceptable. Nola was better by early afternoon. Perhaps it was just Culver's revenge!

West Virginia, Mountain Momma, Take Me Home.....

Why not get on another plane? My work took me to Shepherdstown, West Virginia - which isn't home but I got to see many work colleagues which was wonderful. I was an instructor for a training course - my session was working with tribes. It was a really great week! The weekend was a little rough. I try to be honest here and not sugar coat nor rant about life. I will say parenting has been tough lately (that is probably an understatement). Even folks without kids know that teenagers seem to morph into a different species - but those species still live in our home, and Matt and I am responsible for them! I take solace in that Hilbrenner stubbornness can be used for good and not evil (I am proof of that!). It does come with some challenges, and we are in the midst of them now. Deep breaths, prayer, and understanding that the mean words are manifestations of self-reflection are my focus at the moment. Loving through hurt can be hard! 

Ode to my Grandpa Hilbrenner (right) - he was so strong in personality and love - frustratingly so at times. Brenner is a lot like him. I think Grandpa still likes to work through Brenner to be funny. Brenner is a great veggie eater - except for peas. Guess who also didn't like peas?! Grandpa! And peas are so benign! 

I had a bit of time on Tuesday to make a quick stop in Harper's Ferry. I grabbed some lunch (awful burnt veggie puck) and enjoyed the great weather while learning about the history of old town Harper's Ferry.

Where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac - gorgeous.

I haven't had the desire to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, but I do like hopping on it when close by!

One the trail! 

Jefferson Rock -the clouds were amazing. I can only imagine this is breathtaking in the fall.

Our workshop instructors/students. Interestingly, the women vastly outnumbered the men.

Nola missed me BIG while I was gone! She found solace in raiding my closest....hmm.....missed my girl for sure!

Brenner started off the week with a stomach bug and remained pretty weak. He enjoyed watching football over the weekend. 

Girl time after I had spent the afternoon at a roller skating party for the KidsHope mentees. I rolled around a bit - and didn't fall so I would call it a success!

Crazy wicked clouds Saturday afternoon!

Nola and I spent Sunday afternoon at the mall - she had a Barnes and Noble gift card to burn (Thanks to Aunt Theresa and Uncle Chuck). We also tried on clothes and had a ball! So much fun!

Nola was proud that she bought all books on sale (I am creating a thrifty shopper!). 

When things are tough, I try to laugh. I am more of a serious person but I LIKE to laugh! I had that chance Monday morning. I was looking forward to a cup of tea after a tough start....I made mine, tilted the cup, and thought that looks cloudy.  I then took a sip - hmmm that tastes off.  Another sip - that tastes awful. Then I laughed remembering that I cleaned my tea kettle with vinegar last week and forgot to empty it. Oh my it was terrible! So all I could do is start over. That is how I see each morning - an opportunity to start over and let yesterday go. 

Courtwarming and Christmas at Grandma Val's

We had fun this week with Courtwarming for Brenner on Friday and Christmas at Grandma Val's on Sunday. Thinking about Martin Luther King Jr and his charge of service, we reached out to a local school to gather needs for their students and opened up our home to visiting USGS folks for a home cooked meal. Serving others helps us get out of our own heads and spread love - I hope you find the opportunity to do the same!

I attended a live webinar with Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock 9. So moving - just amazing. To hear this firsthand account was humblin, inspiring, and frustrating at the same time - why aren't we doing better 70 years later? My theory is that people in power continue to sow fear to preserve their power. I have added the book Elizabeth and Hazel to my reading list.

After an extra shooting practice, the Bakers fed the girls Chinese food before heading to the Courtwarming basketball game. 

Brenner is ready for the game/dance. He said the dance was dumb but liked hanging out with his friends. He reports he danced little lol!

I got Bo to sleep at the game and then Nola swooped in.....she didn't realize how HOT it was holding him in the crowded gym! It made me miss the football bleachers! 

We had decided to give the nieces/nephew gift cards for Christmas. I was admittedly out of the Christmas mood but wanted to deliver in a fun way. So I got other treats, change/dollar bills to do a plastic warp ball. The gift cards were towards the middle but other treats were along the way. Once you get a gift card, you are out! It took Matt and me about 45 minutes and 400 feet of plastic wrap. 

Matt napping before the games (note the plastic ball and oven mitts for the game). 

The memory game - those kids are sharp and beat me handily! 

Eadlin unrolling......the table was a distraction so we removed it!

Kinzee would unroll too fast and break the plastic. She was eager to get the cosmic brownies!

Gannon started swinging the ball around himself and it became a wrecking ball hitting people. No injuries were reported. The kids had a blast and it was fun to watch!

Great smiles from the girls. 

I don't even know what was going on here!

Never too big for Grandma's lap! It was a super fun day - we left with tummy and hearts full!

Defender Basketball, Ravens Futsal, and #16 Highlight Video

Forget the beach - we were back on the courts full swing this week. Nola had a 5th/6th grade basketball tournament near to home while Brenner had a futsal tournament in Branson. Whew - it was a busy week! We also got to see a highlight reel of Brenner's varsity kicking for the Pirates thanks to Tyson Ellison (Senior).

The girls played Wednesday night against Prairie Home. As you can see, we were a wee bit older and taller. We easily won 31-11 with all of our girls getting plenty of play time. Nola had a rough night getting shots to fall but had great passes and rebounds. She ended up with 5 points. 

The next night was a bit of a stomping as well with final score of 35-0 against Pilot Grove. Nola shot great with nine points, numerous assists, and rebounds. 

Championship game against Tipton was interesting. We knew they would be tougher but they actually brought in a girl who hadn't played on their team all week (she play travel ball with a team out of Columbia). This phenom didn't start but the coach sent her in and the scorekeeper halted the game and said she wasn't on the roster. Their coach said she was - just forgot her jersey. She was a fantastic player....so why didn't the coach start her. Hmmmmm.....headscracther. We told the girls that the other coach had to bring in someone else because he was scared about playing us!

Nola had some beautiful free throws - she ended with 4 points on the night. 

These young ladies played awesome - they lost 23-34 but came out smiling. Love the character of our team and our coaches!

Between futsal games, the team went to Fritz's Adventures.

Brenner doesn't normally like heights but Matt said he had a great time.

Looks like fun, buddy!

U19 Ravens Team. Yep - Brenner and Drystan played way up. It was a bit rough for Brenner as he hasn't gelled with the seniors. Likely because 1) he chose football over soccer last fall and 2) he is better than they are. I don't say that to be cocky but as Drystan's mom put it - you can tell that Brenner hasn't been jaded by high school soccer -he still passes and plays a team member. Well -the boys went 0-3, scoring only 4 points in all three games. But B made one of those goals despite limited play time!

Sunday afternoon, Nola and some teammates went to a winter skills camp at Columbia College. 

Nice form! 

All smiles after a sweaty two hours!

Kudos to Tyson Ellison for making this highlight video of Brenner. $40 well spent in my opinion. If he becomes a famous filmmaker someday, we can say we have one of his originals!