Hoop Dreams

Well, January was a bit of a blur after our tragic start on New Years Day. There were lots of trips to the ranch, so we tried to make the best of it. Buc-ee's, anyone?

After a particularly emotional day, we couldn't resist a perfect weather day in the park. This park is a bit of a drive from our house, but it had an awesome playground and a serene path around a lake.

The kids had an open house at school; kindness is their theme this year.

Also through school, Hadley entered this Google Doodle contest on kindness (the G is someone giving a hug, the o's are someone smiling, and the 'gle' is someone sharing their umbrella during a rainstorm). She was very excited at the prospect of winning money for college! Hope we see this on Google later this year. (wink, wink)

One week, our neighbor was getting rid of a bunch of craft kits, so a couple of them made fun weekend projects for the kids. 

Owen tried out a new sport (basketball!) in January and ended up really liking it! We liked it because practice was just before games, and it all happened at their elementary school, which was so convenient. 

Hadley is still going strong in gymnastics, but she also has a fondness for American Ninja Warrior and rock climbing, as you can see here. Don't worry, she's wearing her leotard under that jacket.

Truth be known, this is how they like to spend most of their time: reading! Especially on library day, you could practically hear a pin drop...

Sad New Year

Our new year started off with tragedy. Granna and Grandad's beloved home for 20 years burned down to the ground in the wee hours of the new year. Apparently, the fire started in the attic, and thankfully the smoke detector, for which they had just changed and reinstalled the batteries earlier that day, woke Granna up. After she woke up Grandad, they were able to get out with car keys, the clothes they had on, and Grandad's wallet. Everything else became a pile of ash. This house may have been just a building, but it was the backdrop to so many family gatherings and holidays, from Owen's very first "long" car trip to last fall's hikes and target practice. Not to mention the countless priceless quilts Granna had made, family pictures that Grandad had taken, and other sentimental items and heirlooms from our entire lives. We grieve for its loss like a family member, as we start to put their lives back together.