The Lil' Knights basketball tourny

This year Sam had the opportunity to start playing in his first basketball tournaments. His rec team with boys from St Kates and St Michaels. He has really enjoyed playing with these boys and looks forward to playing with them again next year. They were kind of like a "Bad News Bears" type team this year but we saw improvements with each tournament they played in.

We feel so much wiser going thru all this basketball stuff for the 3rd time. We have had so many examples of crazy parents and coaches that seem to focus on the wrong things with kids. And it seems to start much earlier with each boy. We have seen coaches decide the abilities of kids in 3rd grade, and make their decisions on whether they are worthy to be on their teams. Instead they should be focusing on the fundamentals and building the skills of these kids! But it never ceases to amaze us to see some coaches more focused on winning at this age and setting game plays instead of focusing on their skills. In 3rd grade? Seriously! We are able to sit back and watch so many of these overzealous parents burn their kids out. Maybe they are trying to build the athlete that they never were or are slating them for a scholarship...in 3rd grade? Yeah whatever!
It is awesome to see some of the kids...who were deemed not good enough to be on certain teams...rise up in jr high and high school to become the stars.
At this age, isn't it most important to get the kids to have fun and enjoy their chosen sport?
Ok, so maybe I'm a dreamer and think everyone should be happy and the world be fair...ha!

But as a parent of 6 kids, I think we as parents, mature in our parenting too. Just as the kids mature in life...we learn better ways to parent.

I hate seeing kids left out...it turns me into an ugly 'mama-bear' Even if it isn't my kid...I can't stand it. Bullying makes me furious and when I witness it, I step in. Some people might disagree with that and think we should let them learn to work their own problems out...yes I agree with that to a point...but I won't stand by and let a kid get bullied.

So now that I am way off topic and apparently on a soap box...I will control my ADD and get back on topic. This little basketball team is hilarious. They have the greatest facial expressions. Just check out some of the pictures! You can just see the determination on their faces!
Can't wait to watch these little boys develop their skill and love for basketball!



Jacob looking very intense!












Quinton contemplating his free throw











Bam! Got it!
Cade Mikuska

Frantic February!

Greetings!
Tonight I had a Pampered Chef show with one of my all-time favorite hosts, Connie and her dtr and son-in-law.  She reminded me of my blog and that I hadn't updated in FOREVER!  She is very good at her blog and even gets them in print every year.  That's what I want to do!  I have said it many times before that I wanted to keep bloging about our everyday doings in our crazy life full of blessings. 
So I told Connie that she inspired me again!  I said that I was going to go home and start blogging again!  My goal is to get this into a habit!! 

February has been a crazy month for our family.  For me in Pampered Chef, it marks our 'double-point' month and I really stocked my month full of shows to really move forward in the points for  a trip next year.  I have put my business to the side slightly over the past year to focus more Zach's senior year and getting him off to college.  Now that we have that off and rolling I decided I wanted to start ramping up business after the new year.  So far it has been going well.
But also in this month, Dave had to go to Phoenix for a week, the same week I had to go to a Regional Meeting in Omaha!  So orchestrating all the kids was a challenge but thanks to my close friends here in SF, and family in Omaha, it went over smoothly. 
We started the month with Molly's 3rd birthday!  It was such a fun day!!  She was SO EXCITED about everything.  But the funniest gift she was so excited with was the one the Schwebachs brought.  I told Jodi and gang to come over for a cupcake and sing happy birthday.  She at first was hesitant because she didn't have a gift, but I convinced her that Molly doesn't care about the gifts...she's too young...she happy to have everyone sing to her.  So Jodi and family came over to help celebrate.  When she came in, she showed me a little 'gift' she found in her truck...an unopened Burger King toy.  She put a dollar on it and brought it in to Molly.  She was completely thrilled...didn't really care about the dollar but loved the plastic toy!  She didn't even really care about the other gifts given to her later on!  It was hilarious! 
Some other neighbors came over and helped celebrate as well.  The kids went downstairs and played Kinect and sang Karaoke.  Very fun night! 
Later that weekend we went to Schwebachs for a fun night of watching the Super Bowl.  That day my computer broke!  So I was working with my laptop during the game and into the next day!  Finally after about 18 hrs of messing with it, I fixed it!  Then Dave left for Phoenix and and the next day, as I was trying to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, my oven broke!!!  Ugh!  So I left for Omaha for the big meeting instead of trying to fix the oven...although I was feeling pretty confident in my techy skills because I fixed the computer!  But I didn't have a spare minute!  
The Omaha Pampered Chef meeting was awesome and we got together for a team meeting after and it was just awesome being with everyone! 
Headed back home for more crazy running...swim team ,basketball and school Valentines parties! 
On the 15th then the plan was to head back to Omaha to fly out to see Zach's Summit League Conference Meet on Wed.  But just when you have the best laid plans....you know how it goes! Instead of going to Omaha Tues night...we spent the evening in Acute Care with Sam who came down with a fever. 
The next morning we went ahead with the plans...Schwebachs were taking Ben and Sam for the weekend and the 3 littles were spending the weekend with Grandma Barb. 
The plan was also for Grandam Di to come up to SF on Friday to watch Ben and Sam's bball tournys and then bring them to Omaha for Grandma Barbs 75th bday party.  But because of the bad weather in SF, she couldn't get up to get them.  Sam was very sad he missed the party!
Sunday we arrived back into Omaha from Indianapolis after the Conference Meet.  Oakland University won the meet and the Conference Title!!  Zach made the All-Conference Team.  He had a great 50 free but was disappointed with his 100 Free and 200 Free.  Overall, as a freshman, he had a great season as a college swimmer.  He has made some awesome friends and is very happy with school! 

This will be a crazy week but I will survive!  God will help as He always does!  Thank God for Dave being so helpful with my busiest week of Pampered Chef. 
It is awesome having Zach home for the week!  The kids are SO happy to see him and he is spending some fun time with them.  It is so cool to see Zach and Ben just stting and talking and laughing like they are buddies! 
Zach applied to work this summer at Family Wellness and is anxious to start there when he gets out of school in April! 
Thats all for now!  More later!
Jeannie