Go AmPo!

Friday evening was the big night – Kaden’s first basketball game on the varsity team. I’ve been counting down for the last couple of weeks because I was so excited about it! He’s going to have our family busy this season – two nights of junior high basketball a week and two nights of varsity basketball – plus Kale’s team still has a few more games to go. Welcome to the busiest (and best) time of the year.

Before the game, he looked a little nervous, and very ready to just get the show on the road 🙂 It was a little strange to see his name up on the board – when did he get old enough for that?

He played so well, ending up with two rebounds and a foul. Mom was doing the clock and I was keeping stats on the iPad, so thankfully my friend Megan came along to help document with pictures!

AmPo came from behind to defeat Calumet 47-45, holding Calumet to only 5 points in the last quarter. The girls team also won 69-27. Thanks to everyone who voted YES for AmPo kids earlier this year, this is planned to be the last season opener in the current gym! What a way to mark it. The Panthers demonstrated excellent teamwork and they all played awesome! I was one proud sister 🙂

#GoAmPo

Hi, there!

Are you from Cassie’s blog? If so, welcome! If not, go check her out! Cassie featured me in a blog post because she’s doing something awesome and I got to help. Cassie is raising money to be a St. Jude Hero and is going to run the half in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon! So she’s pretty cool (I don’t just say that because we share a birthday, though that doesn’t hurt!).

Sometime around last Thursday, I began thinking to myself “Self, I really hope to sleep in on Saturday. Just until 8:30 would be fine with me. Oh, and wouldn’t it be nice to spend some time by the pool reading a book? And don’t forget, you really wanted to ride horses this weekend too. Yes, self, we should relax this weekend.”

Friday night was the AmPo FFA Chapter’s end of the year banquet. I hadn’t been to an FFA banquet since 2007, which was the last time I presided over a meeting, wore my jacket and felt the overwhelming pride I had in being an FFA member. As soon as Charlie, their outgoing president, tapped the gavel, the chills were back. I am so proud to be an adopted member of the Amber Pocassett group, and being at their banquet, celebrating all their incredible accomplishments this year, was amazing. I might be more excited than Kaden is for him to finally be an FFA member next year! I hope his experience (and Kale’s, when the time comes) is even more incredible than mine was.

Saturday, I slept in!! I don’t think I even woke up until 9:30. It was great. And, as you’ve probably heard a few times by now, Saturday night was the celebration for Nathan’s Oklahoma Sunrise album! If you’d like to see pictures, look here. I am just so excited to see Nathan chasing dreams and succeeding! (It’s halftime of the Thunder game, and I had the album playing on my computer, and I just heard it start playing it downstairs too. #SuperFans. Haha.)

Sunday was MOTHER’S DAY! I love my mom. In fact, I love her so much that I already wrote about her. We went to my Aunt Kandi’s house and had great fun with the family, eating delicious food (hello, fruit salsa!) and jumping around with tiny humans.

Now, for the really relaxing part of the weekend.

Bliss.

Update: And I rode horses Sunday too. How could I forget that!?

“Love…will always prevail over evil.”

Today was the 12th annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. I didn’t count how many of us went, but just off the top of my head, I think about 25-30 of us met at AmPo high school at 4-ish this morning to drive up together. Amazingly, “our parking lot” was available – I’m not giving away the location but I’ll just say it’s awesome enough that I’m amazed we get to park there every year. We walk to remember Blake Ryan Kennedy.

The kids who walked this year at Blake's chair.

Earlier this week, I also was remembering my sweet cousin Cameron, who went to be with Jesus 10 years and two days ago. This time of the year always brings about memories. My heart hurts and I still don’t understand it. But I look around and see the green grass and the blooming flowers this time of year also brings, showing me a promise. A promise that though I might not ever understand the storm, the pain, the tears, God will bring beauty, hope and comfort to those who are faithful.

Quote from the announcer prior to the beginning of the 5k.