So when is the best time to see the Cherry Blossoms in DC??  Probably not the weekend that everyone else is going – the Saturday before Easter and the only sunny day that weekend.   Lots of people… way too many people but we did get some good photos and we have a good story to tell.

  We made a quick trip to Waynesboro for Easter weekend and we even rescued some chickens that got out across the street from Nana and Gung Gung.  Then on Monday stopped by to see Lillian on the way home.  We had a great time and had a great Easter dinner.

Sam and Mom took a trip out to Pollards Farm yesterday to take some photos.  The farm is owned by one of Sam’s friends at school.

  The last we left you on the blog, it was another snow day for the boys…. not really that much snow but a good day to get out and take some photos.  That seems like last year, but really was not even a couple of months ago.  Since then a lot has happened but we’ve been a little busy so the next few posts will be getting everyone caught up.
  This first post is the Junior Varsity and Varsity Basketball Tournaments.  We’re sure you are probably tired of seeing basketball photos but these will be the last for Alex and the last for Sam for at least another year.  The JV team didn’t really stand a chance losing the first and only game (single elimination tournament) by a wide margin.  Sam did get a little bit of playing time and continues to show improvement – rebounding and fighting for loose balls (at KU they call these floor burns and actually track how many each player has during the season).
  The Varsity team played 3 games as it was a double elimination tournament.  The first game was the worst and most frustrating – losing by a wide margin in a challenging environment.  We were playing the home town team and the referees were definitely a little bias in the foul calling.  In fact the calls were so bad that our coach was actually kicked out of the game after his second technical foul.  Of course at the time we were trading the lead with the home town favorites and they seemed quite concerned – not expecting such a tough game.  During the second half our best player got tangled up with another player and twisted his angle – of course no foul was called and this was pretty much the last time the score was close.  The home team and the refs took over the game after the injury.  The calling was so bad that Dad got up and left half way through the second half because he was afraid he was going to start dropping some un-christian like language.  Several other fathers left after that but they never returned.  The second game was very good – and we ended up winning but it was down to the buzzer.  This time the other team’s coach got a technical as the refereeing didn’t improve… our coach had learned his lesson.   In fact it was so bad at the second game that the opposing coach called a timeout and went over and called our coach and both teams to the sidelines and told them all the refs were terrible and we just needed to ignore them and try not to foul or say anything.  The third and last game came the following day and the boys were tired and uninspired – most didn’t really want to be their playing for fifth place and it showed.  We were very sorry to see Alex go out on a losing note, but Alex improved greatly over the last year and was by far the best defensive player on the team.  We were very proud of him and Sam and look forward to Sam playing a few more years.

Going for the loose ball during the playoff game to make the tournament

Taking a 15′ jumper

Alex rebounding

His favorite spot…

Alex’s fan club

Team Captains before the game

Swish!!

Alex running the offense.

Alex with a steal and driving to the basket… unfortunately he decides to stop and pass in stead of taking the shot.

Sam blocking out on a rebound

Sam setting up in the high post

Sam rebounding

Alex dribbling in for a short jumper

Alex fighting for a rebound

So the Varsity tournament was in a small town a few minutes from the South Carolina border – about 3 hours from home and in the middle of nowhere… Lumberton, NC.   Sam enjoyed the trip down and then Mom and Sam had to take a few photos of some cows on the way home.

Sam getting some much needed R&R… from what we don’t know.

The cows seem a little perplexed….

Mom and Sam taking photos on the side of the road.

So after one very windy night, Mom wakes up and notices there is a big tin thing on the deck??  Turns out it was the top of the fireplace and Dad and the boys got up and had to fix it a few days later before any squirrels fell down the fireplace… or it rained in the den.  Dad got up on the very top and glued everything back in place while the boys stayed on the first level and held the ladder.  One of the boys didn’t have any trouble getting up and down and the other one wasn’t quite as sure of himself on the ladder.  🙂

So in a very unfortunate series of events, Sam did not get to put any his photos into the Fine Arts competition this year.  The teacher in charge of the Middle/High school kids forgot to tell anyone or send out any announcements, so it was too late by the time we found out.  Mom went to the Principal and he even called to see if the school could pay a late fee to get in the photos but it was late.  😦  We were all upset, but there wasn’t anything we could do at that point.  Anyway, here are the photos that he narrowed them down to – we usually always pick out a few and then let the teachers decide as they have a better idea of what the judges are looking for in each group.