Tuesday, March 15, 2022

13 Years, 1 Month...Full of volleyball!

We did a lot to celebrate my and Emily's birthdays, even though it was different than other birthdays.  We did birthday pictures and dad got to come too because he was off from work.  Papa Ron and Linda came to celebrate Emily and my birthday.  We played the Meme game and had a lot of fun.  Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom came another day to celebrate.  Of course Emily wanted to play the same game! For Emily's birthday, we got donuts and Wendy's, and she got to open her gifts.

I went to Sky Zone for Christian's birthday party.  It has been so long since I have been to a birthday party and it was a lot of fun being with my friends. We had so many snow days this month!  I really enjoyed all the time to just sleep and hang out in my room.  Mom and Dad also met with Pastor Carol about officially joining the church.  I really love the people there and going.  We had a pancake party for Fat Tuesday and the youth group got to make the pancakes for the kids.  It was so much fun!

I have worked really hard at play practice.  I memorized my lines early and enjoyed showing off my acting skills.  I was the daughter in the play about bedtime stories.  It was about Rumpelstiltskin, but I was supposed to turn gold into straw instead of straw into gold.  I ended up giving up my first born and the prince had to work at Pizza Hut to make end's meet.  It was really funny!  I enjoyed Mrs. Johns, and this was her last play as she is retiring this year.

Some members of our volleyball team had a sleepover at Ada's house.  I may or may not have stayed up until 4:00, after a positional and practice.  I was just a little tired the next day.

The Linn tournament was amazing!  We only lost to one team, and the ended up losing half their players right before the championship game to a basketball tournament, and we took first place!  Papa Ron and Linda came and enjoyed watching me really play volleyball.  We had team pictures after the tournament, and they turned out amazing!

Mom had parent teacher conferences, so dad took over a lot of the driving around that week.  He also drives me to school each morning and even though I don't tell him, I like that time with him.  Sometimes we talk, sometimes we sit in silence.  I made a funny joke one day and he laughed so hard.  "I saw a bunch of crows today...I think they were getting into a murder."

We didn't have school after conferences so mom took me to buy fabric for me to make a pillow in my FACS class and we bought track shoes since I will be starting track.  I really like the longer distance, maybe 400, 800, or 1600.

We had both nights of the play and it went so well!  Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom, and Lillian, Stephen, and Grayson came to watch the first night.  I thought we did a really good job, not as much on the second night.  We had a cast party at Culver's after the second night. 

The next morning, Dad and I left very early for a volleyball tournament in Chillicothe.  We got 2nd place against mostly 14s!  This past weekend we had a two day volleyball tournament in Lawrence.  We went up early and stayed two nights in a hotel.  We started the tournament 9th out of 12.  We finished the first day ranked 4th, and ended up getting 3rd place!  Our last tournament is this coming weekend.  I can't believe it is coming to a close.

Youth group fun

They celebrated my birthday even though they didn't think I was going to be there.  Glad I could!

Cooking, serving, and cleaning for the pancake party
The aftermath of a volleyball sleepover and staying up until 5 AM!
A break between games
Medal time!
1st place!!!!
Papa Ron and Linda, my spectators
We're #1!
2nd place
Celebrating with Taylor
The huddle
Medal time again!
2nd place!!!
Excerpts from the play

The cast and crew
"The daughter"
My biggest fan!
Mrs. Johns, our director
Time for more volleyball
Taylor helping me stretch out
Watching the 18s with Lila
Taylor joined in the spectating-they were amazing!
3rd place!
We will rock you!
The team

Ready to rumble
I've dreamed of this picture for years!
13s volleyball picture
Look at that platform!
Triple jump practice